The_Universe
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I believe that in a system of hereditary nobility, the eldest son of a Duke is given the courtesy title of Marquis (or March Count, or Margrave, which are the same thing).
For my campaign, I use the following rules:
King
Female equivalent: Queen
Eldest Child: Prince or Princess
Other Children: Prince or Princess, usually also a Duke or Duchess.
Naming convention: King Something I of Somewhere
Honorific: His or Her Majesty, His or Her Royal Highness.
If marrying a common, the spouse is referred to as the “Royal Consort” and is generally elevated to the rank of Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.
Kings and Queens rule Kingdoms, and are always considered the highest rank of nobility. The title is hereditary in the Falcon Kingdom. The Nobles’ Council must approve the succession of a new King or Queen, however. The succession’s approval or disapproval is based on the Council’s judgment of the legitimacy of the claimant’s descent from King Maelwys I.
Equivalent titles: Emperor, Empress, Grand Duke, Grand Duchess
Duke
Female equivalent: Duchess
Eldest Child: Marquis or Marquise
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming convention: Duke Firstname Lastname, Lord Someplace (Alternatively, they may be referred to as The Duke of Someplace)
Honorific: His or Her Grace
A duke or duchess marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
Dukes and Duchesses rule Duchies (singular: Duchy). A Duchy is a distinct subordinate district of a Kingdom, and a Duke or Duchess serves as a King or Queen’s direct representative in the rulership of a duchy. Duchies tend to be large tracts of land in the settled interior of a kingdom. However, some duchies may be no larger than a single city.
Equivalent titles: n/a
Marquis
Female Equivalent: Marquise
Eldest Child: Viscount or Viscountess
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming convention: Marquis Firstname Lastname, Lord Someplace.
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Marquis or Marquise marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Marquis or Marquise rules a March. A March is a distinct subordinate district of a Kingdom, and a Marquis or Marquess serves as a King or Queen’s direct representative in the rulership of a March. Marches tend to be large tracts of lands on or near the borders of a kingdom. Some Marquis may rule no more than a single city, however, depending on the relative importance and power of a city. Marquis rank below Dukes, but they tend to control equivalent or larger amounts of land. However, because they control only border provinces, they are still firmly ranked below those of the ducal rank.
Equivalent titles: Marquess, Marchioness, Margrave, Margravine, March Count, March Countess
Count
Female equivalent: Countess
Eldest Child: Viscount or Viscountess
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming Convention: Count Firstname Lastname, Lord of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Count or Countess marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Count rules a county. A county is a distinct subordinate geographic district of a March or Duchy. Usually centered on larger villages or important passes and crossroads, Counts arose as military leaders for Dukes and Marquis. In the present, they simply represent a lower rank of nobility, with correspondingly less power.
Equivalent titles: Earl, Jarl.
Viscount
Female equivalent: Viscountess
Eldest Child: The eldest male child ranks as a Knight, female children hold no rank, until or unless their parents are elevated.
Other Children: No rank until or unless their parents are elevated.
Naming Convention: Viscount Firstname Lastname of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
Race: Any
A Viscount marrying a common elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Viscount rules a Shire or Viscounty. A Viscounty is a distinct subordinate geographic district of a County. Viscounts typically serve as enforcers of the law of the land on behalf of a Count, who are themselves representative of higher nobles.
Equivalent titles: Shire Reeve, Sheriff, Vice Count, Vice Countess.
Baron
Female equivalent: Baroness
Eldest Child: The eldest male child of a Baron or Baroness ranks as a Knight. Female children hold no rank, until or unless their parents are elevated.
Other Children: No rank unless their parents are elevated.
Naming Convention: Baron Firstname Lastname of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Baron marrying a common elevates the spouse the equivalent rank.
A Baron rules a Barony. A Barony is generally a very small subordinate geographic district of a County. Originally a title given to landowners who owed direct military tribute to the Kingdom, Barons have largely split into two groups in the present: landless nobles who nonetheless may claim hereditary titles, and small landowners in districts once militarily important to the kingdom. Barons are generally responsible for the collection of tax and tithe from the tenants of their baronies, if they have them. If they do not, this responsibility falls to the reigning Viscount.
Equivalent titles: Baronet.
Succession
In matters of succession, titles pass along the paternal line of a family, unless no male heir exists. For example, if His Lord the Marquis Archonus Arendorr, Lord Sylvannus has a daughter, she would be the Lady Viscountess Helga Arendorr of Sylvannus. However, should he then have a son, that son would become the Lord Viscount Biff Arendorr of Sylvannus, and Helga would be reduced in rank to simply The Lady Helga Arendorr.
Yet, if the Marquis’ wife were to pass away, the eldest daughter would be elevated in rank to Her Lady the Marquise Helga Arendorr, Lady Sylvannus, until or unless her father remarried, at which point she would revert to her lower rank.
If a noble dies, and no heir is apparent to claim the lands and/or title of his or her family, the reigning liege has the right to appoint or “create” a common (or another noble) to the position in question. Thus, a Duke may appoint nobles in his or her own Duchy, and Marquis may do so in his March. A King’s right to create nobility supercedes the rights of all lower nobility, and he has free reign to create nobles within his realm.
For my campaign, I use the following rules:
King
Female equivalent: Queen
Eldest Child: Prince or Princess
Other Children: Prince or Princess, usually also a Duke or Duchess.
Naming convention: King Something I of Somewhere
Honorific: His or Her Majesty, His or Her Royal Highness.
If marrying a common, the spouse is referred to as the “Royal Consort” and is generally elevated to the rank of Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.
Kings and Queens rule Kingdoms, and are always considered the highest rank of nobility. The title is hereditary in the Falcon Kingdom. The Nobles’ Council must approve the succession of a new King or Queen, however. The succession’s approval or disapproval is based on the Council’s judgment of the legitimacy of the claimant’s descent from King Maelwys I.
Equivalent titles: Emperor, Empress, Grand Duke, Grand Duchess
Duke
Female equivalent: Duchess
Eldest Child: Marquis or Marquise
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming convention: Duke Firstname Lastname, Lord Someplace (Alternatively, they may be referred to as The Duke of Someplace)
Honorific: His or Her Grace
A duke or duchess marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
Dukes and Duchesses rule Duchies (singular: Duchy). A Duchy is a distinct subordinate district of a Kingdom, and a Duke or Duchess serves as a King or Queen’s direct representative in the rulership of a duchy. Duchies tend to be large tracts of land in the settled interior of a kingdom. However, some duchies may be no larger than a single city.
Equivalent titles: n/a
Marquis
Female Equivalent: Marquise
Eldest Child: Viscount or Viscountess
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming convention: Marquis Firstname Lastname, Lord Someplace.
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Marquis or Marquise marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Marquis or Marquise rules a March. A March is a distinct subordinate district of a Kingdom, and a Marquis or Marquess serves as a King or Queen’s direct representative in the rulership of a March. Marches tend to be large tracts of lands on or near the borders of a kingdom. Some Marquis may rule no more than a single city, however, depending on the relative importance and power of a city. Marquis rank below Dukes, but they tend to control equivalent or larger amounts of land. However, because they control only border provinces, they are still firmly ranked below those of the ducal rank.
Equivalent titles: Marquess, Marchioness, Margrave, Margravine, March Count, March Countess
Count
Female equivalent: Countess
Eldest Child: Viscount or Viscountess
Other Children: Lord or Lady
Naming Convention: Count Firstname Lastname, Lord of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Count or Countess marrying a common generally elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Count rules a county. A county is a distinct subordinate geographic district of a March or Duchy. Usually centered on larger villages or important passes and crossroads, Counts arose as military leaders for Dukes and Marquis. In the present, they simply represent a lower rank of nobility, with correspondingly less power.
Equivalent titles: Earl, Jarl.
Viscount
Female equivalent: Viscountess
Eldest Child: The eldest male child ranks as a Knight, female children hold no rank, until or unless their parents are elevated.
Other Children: No rank until or unless their parents are elevated.
Naming Convention: Viscount Firstname Lastname of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
Race: Any
A Viscount marrying a common elevates the spouse to the equivalent rank.
A Viscount rules a Shire or Viscounty. A Viscounty is a distinct subordinate geographic district of a County. Viscounts typically serve as enforcers of the law of the land on behalf of a Count, who are themselves representative of higher nobles.
Equivalent titles: Shire Reeve, Sheriff, Vice Count, Vice Countess.
Baron
Female equivalent: Baroness
Eldest Child: The eldest male child of a Baron or Baroness ranks as a Knight. Female children hold no rank, until or unless their parents are elevated.
Other Children: No rank unless their parents are elevated.
Naming Convention: Baron Firstname Lastname of Someplace
Honorific: His Lord the or Her Lady the
A Baron marrying a common elevates the spouse the equivalent rank.
A Baron rules a Barony. A Barony is generally a very small subordinate geographic district of a County. Originally a title given to landowners who owed direct military tribute to the Kingdom, Barons have largely split into two groups in the present: landless nobles who nonetheless may claim hereditary titles, and small landowners in districts once militarily important to the kingdom. Barons are generally responsible for the collection of tax and tithe from the tenants of their baronies, if they have them. If they do not, this responsibility falls to the reigning Viscount.
Equivalent titles: Baronet.
* * *
Succession
In matters of succession, titles pass along the paternal line of a family, unless no male heir exists. For example, if His Lord the Marquis Archonus Arendorr, Lord Sylvannus has a daughter, she would be the Lady Viscountess Helga Arendorr of Sylvannus. However, should he then have a son, that son would become the Lord Viscount Biff Arendorr of Sylvannus, and Helga would be reduced in rank to simply The Lady Helga Arendorr.
Yet, if the Marquis’ wife were to pass away, the eldest daughter would be elevated in rank to Her Lady the Marquise Helga Arendorr, Lady Sylvannus, until or unless her father remarried, at which point she would revert to her lower rank.
If a noble dies, and no heir is apparent to claim the lands and/or title of his or her family, the reigning liege has the right to appoint or “create” a common (or another noble) to the position in question. Thus, a Duke may appoint nobles in his or her own Duchy, and Marquis may do so in his March. A King’s right to create nobility supercedes the rights of all lower nobility, and he has free reign to create nobles within his realm.
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