Vitolian Nobility

The system of nobility used by the varying states in Vitolia has evolved to be uniformed due to the long length of time from being under a single union. This page will detail the ranks used.

## Monarchy

The monarchical states in Vitolia uses a system of nobility uniformed by the millennia of being in union. It is made up of 3 categories of: the Administrative Nobility, the Military Nobility, and the Landed Nobility. They are further seperated into the low nobilities and the high nobilities. Low nobilities are made up of the first two categories, the barons, and counts of smaller territories. High nobility meanwhile are made up of important counts all the way up to the monarch themselves, noted as they are exclusively Landed Nobles.

### Administrative Nobility

The Administrative Nobility are the members of government responsible for the advising, administration and the general running of the kingdom and its territories. They bear the titles of Patricians and Viscount. Patricians are non-hereditary members while Viscounts bearers are hereditary, passing on to the oldest child.

### Military Nobility

Knights and Hereditary Knights make up the ranks of the Military Nobilities. Knights are armoured heavy infantry and are tasked with leading the common soldiers in battle, they are also paid remunerations by the lord they serve. Hereditary Knights make up the cavalry units of the army, they are often given land and are expected to use it for the maintenance of their equipments, horses and a group of Knights. These lands are taxed little to none but can be lawfully revoked anytime by the lord for pragmatic reasons. They make up the largest group of nobility.

### Landed Nobility

The smallest yet at the same time the most powerful group of nobilities, the Landed Nobility make up the ruling class of a monarchic state. Barons holds a castle, it's town, and the surrounding areas, Counts are able to control up to 4 baronies, Dukes can control anywhere from 6 to 9 counties, and the Monarch is not constrained from holding as many territories as they want, though they always limit themselves for the sake of stability. The Monarch's main territory is the capital of the state, while their secondary territories are called crownlands.

Marquis's are special in that they control the border territories of a state. Instead of a group of vassals, they rule supported by their cadet branch, an advisory council, and the first two category of nobility. They are expected to use the resources of their territory in order to defend the borders of the state from incursions and invasion. They are also permitted a limited amount of standing retinue in exchange for their ability to levy for soldiers. Some states would forgo Marquisates and instead have a collection of allied Counts guard the border, which is the safer move politically but more dangerous security wise.

### Ranks of the Nobility

1. Emperor/Empress
2. King/Queen
3. Prince/Princess
4. Dukes/Duchess
5. Marquis/Marchioness
6. Counts/Countess
7. Barons/Baroness
8. Viscount/Viscountess
9. Hereditary Knights
10. Knights
11. Patricians

## Ennoblement

All individual that become a government official are ennobled as Patricians, while all soldiers who are knighted by a member of landed nobility are ennobled as Knights. In order for the aforementioned title-bearer to become permanently ennobled, the immediate family must attain and serve the position for 3 generations. The reason for it being 3 generations is religious in nature as Vitolians generally regard Elluza as the leader of the pantheon, and her being the third cycle of life means that the number 3 has spiritual significance for Vitolians. This slowly evolved into a kind of tradition, though still retaining its divine meaning.

After the permanent ennoblement, they are then open to entering the ranks of the Landed Nobility through the acquisition of a territory and it's related title. This can usually be achieved through rewards for excellent service or war in the case of the Military Nobility. As all nobility technically swear loyalty to the monarch, only the monarch can grant them a landed title. As such, Counts and Dukes will usually issue a letter of recommendation to the monarch for their favoured individual. However Counts and Dukes can grant titles to lower ranked members of the Landed Nobility, with the exception of Marquis.

## Title Revocation

Administrative and Military Nobility titles can be revoked if the holder is deemed as ineffective or has too many black marks. In the case of Hereditary Knights, revocation of title and land is under the discretion of the lord as they hold military strength. For hereditary titles, if the heir do not wish to continue the service, it will be go to the next child, if all child do not accept it then the tile is lost. In the event of a marriage between 2 hereditary title holders, the title will pass to the original heir, the same rule applies for non-acceptance.

Titles for Landed Nobility can only be revoked by the monarch. However without an acceptable justification, revoking would be viewed as a tyrannical move and results in a lost of trust among their ranks.

## Noble Culture

Nobles in Vitolia constantly wear a magic necklace with the crest or symbol of their family. The necklace only reacts to the magic of the attuned person. As mana in this world works like a fingerprint, with each individual having a unique mana signature, this allows the nobility to guarantee their identity easily.

For marriage, the dominant house is agreed upon before the act itself. The dominant house is the house in which the married couple would be part of after tying the knot. Usually, this is the higher ranked house, but it is not rare to see a wealthier and more successful house become dominant even if they are ranked lower. If the lesser house does not have an heir for their land and title, the dominant house will inherit it assuming they do are not above their title limit. No such restrictions are in place if the title is in their own domain.

While generally all titles have their own way of being addressed, such as "your lord/ladyship" for Counts or "your grace" for Dukes and Marquis, a culture of addressing them with a simple "lord" has arisen. Originally meant for Viscounts and Barons, it is now used informally by servants and nobles alike to address each other and are often seen as a mark of friendship. This even apply to the monarch and their family, assuming permission is granted.