Nobility in the Great Western Empire

Written by David_Ulph

While the Great Western Empire may be considered as united under one singular Emperor, the different regions still culturally differ in many ways and this is represented in the titles and structures of nobility that find themselves in the Courts of the Imperial Capital. However, across the entire GWE, all nobility are known as Knights no matter their stature with males going by the name Syre and females as Sirra. Lowborn still refer to all nobility as m'lord or m'lady however.

Skìrah

While every House will have their own styles of dress and according customs, as well as many noble titles conveying their own courtly attire, gentlemen of Skìrah will adorn their clothing in eagle feathers, with the number of feathers on their person indicating their rank, i.e. Knightly ranks (from Knight to Lord Provost) use just one feather but each rank higher adds another feather.

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The lowest rank of nobility in Skìrah is a Knight of which all nobility hold the ceremonial title but only those that are born into a Knightly House - or above if they choose to practice knighthood - hold the military title. Korg Knights, unless in the more imperialised east, prefer to fight on foot rather than on a warhorse. Almost all Knights will be a member of one or more Chivalric Orders, with those that aren't in any being informally known as Knight Errants. These Orders each devote themselves to a specific God in the Elder Faith, depending on what main temple is in the Hold city. Every Hold has it's own Order: Frostern has the Order of the Glen; Streamwood has the Order of the Forest; Valhol has the Order of Elders; Dawnsmarch has the Order of Skida; Mountainwatch has the Order of Erik; Skyral has the Order of Wolves; Reaghar has the Order of the Storm; Roghavern has the Order of Frost and Ice.

The second rank is a shared one between Vigil and Provost. Vigils are a direct step up from a Knight, being a Knight - or by extension any noble - that owns or holds the defence of a fort or castle. Knights with fortifications on borderlands being informally known as Marcher Vigils. Provosts, on the other hand, is more of a political title rather than the military Vigil. Provost signifies someone that holds ownership of a settlement smaller than a city. While a Vigil may gather a personal council of commanders below them, a Provost is the first title to have a council of sorts, however small and politically insignificant. When a Provost rallies the settlement for war, they become informally known as Provost Marshals.

Lord Provosts are the third rank, being the step up from Provosts and hold ownership of a city. In most circumstances, a Lord Provost will serve as the equivalent of a Baron - or Hetman - with an influence over multiple lesser Provosts. The Lord Provost of Talvel's Point is the only one referred to as the Right Honourable.

The fourth rank are Hetmen who are the first land-owning rank in modern Korg hierarchy. Hetmen have little political power in the grand scheme of things but it is their lesser Houses that are directly tasked with raising the levies and collecting the taxes of the individual Knights and Provosts below them. Being crucial "middle-men" however, many Hetmen find their ways up as courtiers of higher Syres. It is not uncommon for Hetmen to be chosen as the bulk of their liege's commanders to fight on the front lines. They are also the first to have their own uniform as well. Upon coronation to the hereditary title, a Hetman will be crowned with a helmet rather than crown or coronet. It is a steel great helm with a grille of three grilles, garnished in gold, that will also be worn in battle or tourneys. Courtly attire for Hetmen consists of: a hard pine wood staff usually fashioned from the trees of Streamwood Hold with one end carved into the symbol that best represents their Earl-liege; a ceremonial cap made of velvet died in the Hold's attributed heraldic colour, with an ermine fur inside folded out at the edges and a tail stretching out the back; and an ermine mantle that mimics the cap and rests on the Hetman's shoulders.

The fifth rank are Thanes who base their keeps in extremely large towns and are incidentally the heads of influential Noble Houses. They are treated like the "Sons of the Earl" and effectively ensure the land is as safe as possible and is properly lawed in areas outside the Earl's direct control. Each Hold in this case will generally have 1-3 Thanedoms depending on the size. Instead of the helm and cap of the Hetman, a Thane is represented by a coronet. In some circumstances however, a full traditional crown is used if the land was once home to a pre-High Kingship Kingdom.

The sixth and most powerful rank is the Earl. An Earl rules over an entire Hold or Earldom and is the head of a Great Noble House. They are the equal royalties of Skìrah and act as their own quasi-Kings and Grand Lawmen of Korg Law, serving only the Emperor above them through the High King of All Korgs. When the last High King is dead, it is the Earls of Skìrah that form the Secret Council amongst themselves to decide on who the next High King will be from amongst their ranks, however since the High Kingships inception, the title has become hereditary for whoever is the Earl of Frostern and head of House Wintersblood.

The final rank of nobility in Skìrah is the High King, or in full the High King of All Korgs. As previously stated, the High King is "elected" by the Secret Council of Earls, but is more of a symbolic title than a practical. The High King gains the favour of the Emperor and is His voice over Skìrah, but no true power over the Earls. This does not however mean that when the High King requests taxes, levies or support from their Earls that they will refuse as in doing so is treated as rebellion. There is a certain influence the High King imposes on the peasantry that a mere Earl cannot achieve though. The High King does however have the rarely used power to create new Earldoms within their Kingdom, as seen most recently in the early months of Alnitak Wintersblood's rule. The Earldom of Roghavern under House Frost voted for themselves during the Secret Council and in doing so, effectively rebelled against the High Kingship for a chance to claim the Throne for themselves. When they were beaten, the loyal Thanedom of Kopag was elevated into status of Earl and a third of House Frost lands being separated and awarded to the new Earls of House Iceblood.

Dagorland

• King

• Earl

• Count

• Baron

• Grand Mayor

• Mayor

• Knight

Hellaland

• Kaiser

• Petty King

• Burgrave

• Baron

• Grand Burgher

• Burgher

• Knight

Mordwynn

• King

• Duke

• Count

• Viscount

• Grand Mayor

• Mayor

• Knight

Skìrah

• High King

• Earl

• Thane

• Hetman

• Lord Provost

• Provost / Provost Marshal / Vigil / Marcher Vigil

• Knight / Knight Errant

Faar Isles / Mylrond

• Archduke

• Duke

• Marquis

• Marcher Lord

• Baronet

• Meiri / Knight