Alusian State Nobility

Alusian State Nobility are public servants of the Despotate of Alusia who have been given title and (usually) land and resources for their exceptional service. 
All Alusian Nobles have a single rank, usually translated as "lord" or "official" or "jurist" (depending on the cultural context of the translator). Each noble may choose one identifier, traditionally assigned by gender, either the male "Dikast" or the female "Dikcer." This becomes part of the name of each noble - for example, Peter Korinthos kast Entolia is the Lord of Entolia. Even the Emperor or Empress of Alusia is simply the lord of Alusia and holds no official rank higher than the other servants of the state (though in practice, of course, there are nobles who have better rewards than others - the Empress still lives in luxury compared even to many of their fellows, though much less so than say the Serene Doge of Aeldrum and his cronies). 
Grants of nobility are given in several ways - the most common is for a candidate to be recommended formally for nobility by an existing noble or other highly placed bureaucrat in their department. They then undergo a rigorous interview and background check process, at the end of which is a "defense of entitlement" in front of a board of nobles in their discipline. The heads of departments and of course the Empress also have the right to grant nobility more directly - though the grants must pass by a review board as usual, the reviews are generally kept to the perfunctory background check performed by the State Bureau. Most high ranks in the government have nobility as a prerequisite (which, in the Alusian system, generally means that nobility is a perk of the position; if you've caught the attention of a bureau chief for one of the noble-only positions, your nobility is fairly well assured).
Category:Titles