Essotori Nobility

Essotori nobility refers to those individuals and families within Essotori, or the wider Ascendancy, that hold titles, peerages, or the landed gentry.

## Role in Essotori society

### Administration

Each Lord, from the lowest Geocend, to the highest Duke

## Noble Ranks in Essotori

Essotori maintains a complicated and thorough policy on nobility ranks and privileges, crafted over a thousand years of Cult rule, as well as being based on the ancient Conland Peerage System while under Treka.

### Ascended Family

#### Nozerod

The Nozerod is the title of the head of state, and head of the Cult. The next Nozerod is selected by their predecessor from among their children. This ceremony reflects the fact that the spirit of the Ascended One flows from body to body, at death, the body being the Vessel, an earthly tool to manifest upon the world. The Vessel may impact the Ascended One's actions, to a small extent, though during the coronation, or the formal possession of the Vessel, their former personality is utterly destroyed. The Nozerod carries unchallenged political and theological power, and cannot be viewed. The Nozerod is the benefitiary of iconoclasm, depicting them in anyway is a great cultural offense, and stating the title directly in contexts beyond history is deeply offensive. Instead, people are expected to say "The Ascended One". The Nozerod does not use Crownslave, instead they speak through saying "The Ascended One", eg "The Ascended One demands compliance." Theologically and culturally, the Nozerod is the ultimately authority, their words shape reality around them, hence they do not speak frivilously. Politically, the Nozerod lacked direct power throughout most of Essotori history, acting through functinonaries, Kings, bureaucracy, and in the modern day, the government of the Ascendancy.

#### Ascended Mother

The Ascended Mother is the mother of Nzosis, and generally the leading woman in a harem, provided the Nozerod maintains one. Her position serves no official role, and like the other members of the Ascended Family, she is deprived of a soul. Thus, when her purpose is fulfilled, she shall join her passed over children in death.

#### Nzosis

The Nzosis is the child of the Nozerod. All of their children are afforded the title, and compete for the right to be nominated as the next Nozerod. The Nzosis draws political power from the Nozerod's authority, independently, they only have influence. This influence, and the grace of being part of the Ascended Family is enough to compel most commoners to obey. Theologically, any individual Nzosis has no value, earns no Ritella, with an 'hollowed soul', meaning the upon death, they shall simply be obliterated, rather than reforged and reincarnated by the Nozerod. Nzosis may not participate in state affairs, since the Mercury Age, when the authority of the Nzosis was far greater than in modern day.

### Foreign Titles

Some Foreigners, particularly heads of state that Essotori has reasons to be aligned with, have special titles in Essotori, granting them privileges.

#### Governor Protector

Governor Protector refers to a Foreign head of state who is not monarchical, yet worthy of respect by Essotori. Prominent Governor Protectors include the Former Brother Hao.

### Noble Titles

#### King/Conwalda

The Ascendancy has subservient monarchies, though King generally refers to foreign Kings, monarchs who Essotori has recognised as worthy of respect. These include Pharaoh of Apocris. Essotori also recognises Alexis Von Paleolog as the King of Zerde (Serdtse Khrista). The King is given huge veneration. However, when using the term 'Conwalda', or (Conland - Ruler), the term purely refers the ancient Kings and Queens of Conland - Sagadahoc, which ceased to exist in 1390. The title was revived in 1658, prior to the invasion of Essotori, confered upon the King Andrew IV, of the Calich Dynasty, that reigned until the Essotori Civil War. Since the victory of the Temporal Faction in the Civil War, the title of Conwalda was abolished, with the Nozerod assuming total authority.

#### Duke

The Ascendancy currently employs fourteen Dukes. These being similar to states in most foreign countries. Twelve of these are directly located on the Essotori landmass, and have semi autonomy in the local economy and politics. Two of these, are in Suntterland, and another is in the Island of Garravol. These two have even less authority, with the regional cult and local bureaucracy doing most of the governing. The Dukes are symbolically important, given huge veneration.

#### Earl

The Ascendancy's primary form of local nobility, an Earl operates in a county, defending the rights of the common Crownslaves and enforcing Royal Mandates. They convene in an Earling, a conference of Earls in a Duchy to report on problems for the Duke.

#### Baron

The Baron functions similarly to a mayor in a modern setting.

#### Geocend

Geocend are similar to a Marquiss, they are historically relevent, but have fallen out of favour as anything besides local nobility. Geocends, in the modern context, function as 'approachable' nobility, with an established office in each town.