Stormwind Nobility

The following clarification has been written by Pequod, for the purposes of clarifying the House of Nobles within the Kingdom of Stormwind. Additionally, further credits to Smeghead and Sage for laying the groundwork. Included in this clarification is a list of all known Stormwind Noble Houses, including player made noble houses. You can click **Nobility** on the contents table below to see the list.

## What is the House of Nobles?

The House is the body through which the Aristocratic government may meet out its position and responsibilities as Stormwind's legislative and judiciary branches, while executive power remains in the hands of the High King.

The House meets on a fairly *regular* basis to discuss matters of the state and importance when they should arise, at which point they may also vote on, and come to a decision on what should be done and *what laws to draft*. Depending on their position in the peerage, nobles are allotted a different ﻿amount of votes.

This is to account for the amount of land, population, influence and resources they hold; the idea being that they represent a greater amount of interest to the kingdom and hence hold more sway in the House's actions.

### **Where does it hold power?**

While previously only administering the lands directly under House Wrynn, such as **Elwynn Forest**, **Westfall**, **The Redridge Mountains**, **Balor**, **Duskwood**, **Deadwind Pass** and **The Black Morass (Swamp of Sorrows and Blasted Lands)**, the sphere of influence that belongs to Stormwind has expanded, now encompassing the remains of former nations to the north and west.

These lands include **Arathi Highlands**, **Hillsbrad, Theramore (Northwatch and Honor's Stand)**, **The Borean Tundra (Valiance Keep and Farshire)**, **Grizzly Hills (Amberpine Lodge)**, **Howling Fjord (Port Valgarde, Fort WIldervar and Westguard Keep)**, **The Blasted Lands (Surwich)**, **Tol Barad**, **The Eastweald** and **Gilneas**.

In certain cases such as Gilneas, Tol Barad, The Eastweald, Hillsbrad and Arathi, which are lands from currently defunct kingdoms, the jurisdiction is claimed and not actual, with the claims often being political posturing or hereditary claims.

This is backed by the House seeing themselves as the legitimate government despite circumstances such as occupation by hostile forces. The House of Nobles also vote on the allocation of manpower and resources within Stormwind's forces; while not directly decided by the House, their word is typically taken into heavy consideration by the military.

It is valid to remember here that the lands held by nobles (Baronies, Counties, Duchies, etc.) are usually within the borders of the Kingdom of Stormwind (also referred to as Old Azeroth).

### **Who are its members?**

The House of Nobles is comprised of the predominantly Human aristocracy in the Alliance and their Houses, all given their lands and responsibilities by their respective sovereigns. Peers of lower rank often have lands within those of the higher ranking nobles. Whilst the lower nobles are not directly appointed by the higher ones, the recommendations for appointments or potentially dismissals are taken into account by the House and voted on; another level of authority the government is entrusted with.

As stated before, the extent of the House was originally limited to Stormwind; recent events have changed this, from the fall of Lordaeron and Stromgarde to the exodus of Gilneas. Along with the mass immigration of survivors from these fallen kingdoms, their governing classes have also moved to the capital of the Alliance. The nobility admitted into the House come from the following nations: Stormwind, Gilneas, Stromgarde and Lordaeron, the latter being expectantly lower than the other nations.

The Kingdom of Alterac is omitted due it disbanding following the Second War, the *majority* of its nobility either joining the Syndicate or joining the lower echelons of society; this, however, does not stop former nobles from the kingdom in question from attaining peerage by pledging their loyalty to the Alliance and being voted in by the House.

## Nobility

The vast majority of the ranks listed here are playable, and among the list of included noble houses is also a list of player made noble houses. Custom or player made noble houses will be marked with an asterisk (\*) next to them. If you would like more information on noble ranks, and which ones you can play, you can click **here**.

In situations where the Game Masters believe that a noble has shirked their societal duties, or the responsibilities set upon them by the crown, they may grant special permission to the Dungeon Master team to enforce appropriate in-character reactions from the crown. Higher ranked nobles will be looked at with further scrutiny. Situations where this might occur includes but is not limited to, abuse of political, military, or economic power, treason, long term or repeated abandonment of noble duties, etc.

Punishments may include, but are not limited to, revocation of land, demotion of noble rank, increased military presence on the offending nobles territory, or in the worst cases, the revocation of all noble titles and holdings and/or imprisonment or execution.

#### **Lesser Nobles / Landed Gentry**

> Honorific: Master/Mistress
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> Lands: None granted by monarch.
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> Votes: 0
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> Quantity: No Limit
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> Description: This title belongs to individuals who own land but are not members of the peerage - meaning that they have not been entrusted with any lands by the kingdom and are simply wealthy and influential families. It isn't uncommon for lesser nobles to attempt to marry into more powerful nobles families in order for their family to gain actual nobility. The only land owned by lesser nobles is that which they have bought themselves, they are not stewards of any lands to the kingdom, and hence are not part of the House of Nobles.
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* *The privilege of sitting in and observing the House of Nobles while it is in session is granted to individuals of this rank*

#### **Hereditary Knight/Dame**

> Honorific: Sir/Damge
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> Lands: Commonly without any save those they have purchased. When granted land they're typically bumped up to a baronet/barontess.
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> Votes: 1
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> Quantity: No Limit
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> Description: The lowest rank within the peerage and nobility proper, this title is bestowed upon a bloodline of common birth by the House of Nobles when an individual has notedly performed extraordinary acts in service of the crown.
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* *They are allowed the privilege of sitting and voting on decisions on the House of Nobles while it is in session, but their opinions are usually less regarded than that of high standing nobles.*

#### **Baronet/Baronetess:**

> Honorific / Leader: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: An Estate, similar to a mansion or small keep, commonly found within a larger barony.
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> Votes: 1
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> Quantity: No Limit
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> Description: Should a commoner, knight, or low ranking Stormwind footman ever be granted land for any reason by the crown, this is commonly where they begin. A title may be bestowed for acts of great service to the Kingdom, the King/Queen, or the Alliance as a whole, commonly for an exemplary military record, personal service to the royal family, or economic aid to the Kingdom as a whole.
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#### **Baron/Baroness**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: A barony, which is the smaller part of a county, earldom or duchy. The territory will be assigned under an earl, marquess or duke respectively to oversee a section of their land.
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> Votes: 3
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> Quantity: 24
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> Description: Barons are the lowest ranking of the real lordships within the House of Nobles, and also the largest in number. This hardly makes them powerless or easy to dismiss, however, sometimes the distinction between a baron and a particularly wealthy member of the gentry is difficult to ascertain.
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**List of Baron/Baroness Families**

#### **Viscount/Viscountess**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: A viscountship: similar to a barony, a viscountship is usually a smaller part of a county, earldom, or duchy. The lands they hold represent a mid-point between a barony and a county or earldom.
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> Votes: 4
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> Quantity: 14
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> Description: Considered by many as the middle class of nobility, Viscounts are moderately powerful in the politics of the realm. Their influence is mostly retained to their own Viscounties where in most cases they act as seconds to their liege Counts or supervisors, but there are cases of Viscountships serving directly under the Crown. While not as numerous as Barons, Viscounts do have a large presence among the human nobility in numbers.
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**List of Viscount/Viscountess Families**

#### **Earl / Count/Countess**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: An earldom in the case of an Earl, or county for a Count. These lands are a smaller portion of a duchy which the noble watches over for both the High King and the duke/duchess.
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> Votes: 5
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> Quantity: 7
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> Description: The title of Earl/Count comes with considerable power, wealth and influence in the realm. They rule over large parcels of land and usually have more than one Baron as vassals, as well as Viscounts. Employment of nobles of less rank within the Counties is not entirely up to them but his/her indication is taken in heavy consideration by the House of Nobles when delegating a new nobleman.
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**List of Earl & Count/Countess Families**
- Lands extend from the cost to Moonbrook.

#### **Marquis/Marquess**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: *Always* on the borders of lands under the jurisdiction of the House of Nobles and the High King. Also known as a 'march'.
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> Votes: 5
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> Quantity: 5
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> Description: While similar in size to a county or sometimes even smaller, marches and their lords hold special privileges due to their placement and extra responsibilities that come with it. The second highest rank in the House, this position deals with defending the borders of the kingdom and nearly all of the land-based trade that comes into Stormwind and her lands, causing them to more often than naught, accumulate a large treasury.
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* *Two special privileges that accompany this position are having no greater lord over them, save the High King, and being able to campaign and conquer lands for themselves and by extension the kingdom if bordering with hostile factions. The latter of these privileges can, however, only occur if the House has* voted on and approved *of said campaign. The latter of these privileges extend to any vassals under the lord in question.*  Any land taken without approval of the House will be stripped and given to the High King by default, along with additional punishments that may include being stripped of its rank and lands.

**List of Marquis/Marquess Families**

#### **Duke/Duchess**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady
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> Lands: A duchy, which is a considerably large amount of land, likely to contain an earldom or county, and almost definitely containing more than one barony or viscountship.
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> Votes: 6
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> Quantity: 4
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> Description: Duke is the highest rank of nobility that can be bestowed upon a player. Their lands and wealth are bountiful and they are generally greatly trusted by the kingdom to have been granted such influence, or at least whoever the title was granted to in the first place must have been, and their heirs are expected to be the same. The lords under their vassalage and those lord's vassals are required to supply resources and levies to the duchy by law. Failure to uphold this commitment could result in the stripping of lands and/or titles.
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**List of Duke/Duchess Families**

## Peerage Ranks & Positions

#### **Lord-Bishop**

> Reference Style: His/Her Eminence
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> Spoken Style: Your Eminence
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> Lands: Bishoprics (may range in size from a Barony to a County.)
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> Votes: 3
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> Quantity: 7
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> Prerequisites: Holding the rank of *Bishop* in the Church of the Holy Light. While Paladins are also religious individuals, the Order of the Silver Hand has no attachment to the ruling institutions.
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> Description: The Church of the Holy Light is not controlled by, but linked to the House of Nobles. Bishops are all eligible to take seats by being voted in by the House of Nobles. These representatives of the church are placed in the House officially to serve as moral-bound mediators and be a constant reminder for the nobles to leave room for faith and benevolence in their politics. While some do attempt to fulfill this role, the real reason they have seats is to maintain and expand the church's interests in the Kingdom of Stormwind.
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* *Nobles who declare themselves servants of the Church of the Holy Light may face criticism for upholding their position from the church and fellow nobles, unless, in the case of clerical critics, the noble decides to switch their seat to that of a Lord-Bishop once they obtain the rank of Bishop in their religious career. It should be noted that a change of this magnitude should not be taken lightly, as it removes said seat away from whichever noble rank within the peerage it holds and gives it to the church permanently.*
* **Bishoprics**, while they can be granted by the House of Nobles through vote or the ruling Monarch directly, are rare due to being attached to the Church until the contrary is decided by royal edict. The lands under a Lord-Bishop are -not- hereditary such as the other lands under the House of Nobles unless the Lord-Bishop's son or daughter are on the same level of authority/rank to be elected. The lands labeled as such are usually less than the size of a County - thus the rules of local retinues (guard and levies) related to Viscounts or Counts are directly attached to the size of said Bishopric. Example: a bishopric the size of a County follows the same rules for retinues or levies.

#### **Lord Foreigner**

> Honorific: Master/Mistress
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> Lands: Could be the same size as peers from Stormwind or none at all, in the case of them no longer holding the lands in question.
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> Votes: Varies. Read description below.
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> Quantity: 14 per nation, 6 from overseas territories.
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> Prerequisites: Holding a title equal or greater than Baron from one of the fallen kingdoms or oversea territories listed in '**Where does it hold power?**'.
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> ***Description: The initial description listed in '*Where does it hold power?** aside, Lord Foreigners represent the interests of their respective nations, territories and people that have now fallen under the jurisdiction of the monarchy of Stormwind. Due to the House wanting to keep power within Stormwind, Lord Foreigners are only allotted half the normal votes their position would typically allow. If, for example, a Gilnean Duke wants to use all of their votes on a law being put forward, they would only be able to use three, rather than the six Stormwind Dukes have. Any ranks within the peerage that end up with a half vote must round down their total number of votes.
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#### **Court Conjurer**

> Honorific: Esquire/Mistress or Lord/Lady
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> Lands: Varies. Depends on the mage's *actual* rank within the peerage and if they are even a noble.
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> **Votes:** None. Existing votes granted by other ranks are also revoked temporarily for the period of their term.
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> Quantity: 1
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> Prerequisites: Being a native-born citizen of Stormwind and holding a rank equal to or greater than that of an Archmage in the Stormwind Mage Guild.
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> Description: An individual presented by the Mage's Guild and accepted by a vote from the House, this role serves as the liaison and representative of the Guild while acting as the premier consultant of all things arcane and esoteric to the House. Court Conjurers are given the privileged of appointing an Apprentice Conjurer to the Court; holders of this title have *often* replaced the previous conjurer following th﻿eir retirement.  It is historically preferred that the mage in holding this office is a member of Stormwind's gentry, but a commoner serving isn't unheard of.
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#### **Lord Speaker**

> Honorific: Lord/Lady Speaker
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> Style: The Right Honorable Lord Speaker of the House of Nobles
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> Lands: Varies. Depends on the Lord Speaker's *actual* rank within the peerage.
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> Votes: Varies. Depends on the Lord Speaker's *actual* rank within the peerage.
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> Quantity: 1
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> Prerequisites: Being a native-born member of Stormwind's aristocracy and holding a rank equal to or greater than that of a Baron/Baroness.
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> Description: The highest rank in the peerage that a player can obtain, the main functions of the Lord Speaker are to take the chair in debates held in the chamber of the House of Nobles, to advise the House of Nobles on procedural rules, to take formal responsibility for security in the areas of the Castle Stormwind occupied by the House of Nobles and its members, to speak for the House of Nobles on ceremonial occasions, and to represent the House of Nobles as its ambassador in Stormwind and overseas.
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* This *temporary* position is voted in by the House of Nobles and the only votes taken into account when electing one is those votes coming from Players thus it is not a requirement to make a Character Application in order to play one. There is a Term Limit of 3 *OOC months.*

## Supplementary Clarification

#### A Nobles Lands

A noble acts as the highest authority in the lands they own with the exception of the their lord of higher rank or the ruling Monarch. It is worthy of note that the legislative authority of a noble must correspond to the authority bestowed upon them stated in the **Code of Laws of the Kingdom of Stormwind**.

They may make appointments to local governing bodies (town councils, mayors), and receive reports from the nearby military forces and the local constabulary. Nobles also have personal land on which their estate is built. This is almost always within their given lands, as a noble will be expected to remain within the lands they watch over as often as possible.

#### Forces & Military

Nobles are granted the certain privileges when it comes to the use of armed force. The ability to attain ranks within the military and command forces is unrestricted for them as the King's Army accepts them directly in the military academy where they'll study to become an officer. This means any man or woman of noble birth may start their military careers with the King's commission as officer.

Regardless of if a noble is part of any of the combined forces of the Grand Alliance or not, they retain the ability to maintain a trained household guard of career soldiers that serve them directly. This guard is almost always made up of commoners living on their lands or previously lordless knights without a liege.

The size of a noble's personal guard varies depending on their ranking and special circumstances (applications) which allow them to draft more into active service; the maintenance of paying and training these professionals is what restricts their numbers.

Besides this guard, nobles also hold the ability to muster levies from the population directly under their jurisdiction; this is *usually*, but not always, resented by the commoners, sometimes even resulting in riots. If a commoner from the lands owned by a lord joins the standing military of the Grand Alliance proper, they are not required or eligible to be recruited into the levy of the lord, owing their allegiance to the Alliance only during their tours of duty and while on leave. These rules also apply to Bishoprics, since Lord-Bishops hold authority itching to that of a Viscount or Count.

*It should be noted that maintaining a levy for more than a few days IC is a huge drain on resources for even the most wealthy of nobles. Players who choose to do this must reflect this ICly.*

A noble cannot legally go on a campaign to conquer lands for themselves unless they are a Marquis/Marquess or serve under one and have permission from the House of Nobles.

## Becoming A Noble

For a Commoner, becoming part of the House of Nobles is an uphill battle, however, as stated under Hereditary knight/dame in the rankings of nobility.

> "*This title is bestowed upon a bloodline of common birth by the House of Nobles when an individual has notedly performed extraordinary acts in service of the crown.*"
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This option has made it somewhat more accessible for heroes of the Alliance and adventurers of notable worth to obtain a seat in the peerage, if voted in.

For a Lesser Noble, the possibility of gaining enough influence and renown to be granted a barony is easier, yet still, no mean feat by any means. This would be done through forging alliances with noble families already part of the House of Nobles and potentially being recommended to take up stewardship of a baronet or barony within the county, earldom, or duchy of another more prestigious noble. That, or they simply marry into an aristocratic family, at which point they will gain at least some sway, however, only the head of the family holds absolute power.

It is also valid to remember that the title bestowed upon you and its level of influence depends on how well regarded you are by the kingdom or your liege lord. Example: if you have worked with excellence and success in the name of the kingdom, you're more eligible for a County or Duchy, but if your service was good but not deem of the great spotlights, you're elegible for a Barony or Viscounty or even lower.

#### Half-Breeds & Nobility

The purity of a noble house's bloodline is something that is still waved around in the the upper echelons of the nobility in modern times, and with it, the reluctance to include *legitimate* half-breeds into the House.

While many cases and arguments against half-breeds are fueled by prejudices, the main factor in preventing them from reaching high ranking within the peerage is possible vested interests and conflicting loyalties. Theoretically, lands could leave the domain of the Stormwind and the crown, should these individuals come into power or inherit.

As the times have changed, so too, has public opinion on this matter. Most half-breeds such as half-orcs are still heavily restricted within the nobility, only able to attain the rank of Hereditary Knighthood at the most, while more familiar groups are given more leeway (half-elves can reach the rank of Baron if inherited, Baronet if not), due to the historical context and their relationships shared with humanity.

All of this is, of course, is assuming that these individuals are legitimate, which would be a cause for uproar in of itself, if crossing factional lines.

#### Inheritance

* As stated in Shadows of the Horde, the head of a household decides who inherits their titles and lands. Stormwind cannot interfere. Additionally, one may inherit through marriage. While the process may take a while to figure out, Stormwind has little to no hand in the matter of inheritance. Land, gold, and more are all considered part of the inheritance.
* If a noble passes away and is without an heir or legitimate next of kin, the House of Nobles may vote to legitimize any bastard offspring of the deceased noble in question or their house's bloodline. Should either the vote fail or there be no eligible candidates, all possessions will pass to the late noble's liege, be it a higher ranking peer or the High King.
* Non-human spouses of nobles are permitted to act as the Regent of a lordship, should the titular holder of the title be unable to govern.
* Children may only inherit a title after after going through their *Age of Ascension* ceremony at the age of thirteen which marks the ending of their childhood and the beginning of their adult life.

* In the case of a noble being detained by the Crown for breaking serious laws or committing treason, their title will pass to their heir or next of kin should none be designated, if convicted. Before and during the noble's trial, a designated steward will govern in their stead.

Gender holds no official laws either promoting or disallowing an individual from inheriting a title.

> **Special Credits**
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> The following individuals assisted in the creation of this clarification.
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1. CURSE THESE METAL HANDS
2. LordDenning
3. Ozymandias
4. Drottseti
5. Bulo
6. Graveman