Nobility

When an heir becomes of age (25 years old), they are considered available to inherit their parent's title. The current holder of the title may choose to relinquish it immediately if they feel their heir is suitable; otherwise, they have until the heir's 30th birthday to prepare to relinquish it.

Nobility rankings hold significantly less meaning in Araeli, which causes many Halrean citizens seeking respite of class society to migrate there, and causes even more Araelian citizens seeking fame and fortune to migrate to Halrea.

## The Imperial Court

### The Emperor

The Emperor holds the ultimate power over all of Aleyvia. They reside in the palace in the Imperial City, Belszor, and hold absolute authority over all matters relating to the continent and its' inhabitants.

* First reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Imperial Majesty"
* After first reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Majesty"

When first introduced to a group, the full title should be used. For example, Emperor Nadine's title would be "Their Imperial Majesty, The 44th Sun of The Empire, Emperor Nadine".

Like their less-powerful counterparts, the position of Emperor is passed down through a dynasty; if a dynasty ends due to either death or deposition, an election is held between suitable candidates.

The Emperor may technically be any race, but there has never been a beastfolk Emperor.

The need for an Emperor arose from the Great War, in which the continent required unity to continue forward as a society.

### The Empress

The Empress is the spouse of the Emperor. They have special responsibilities regarding ceremonies, and often work closely with the Imperial Priesthood. They are most often tasked with providing the Emperor an heir in some shape or form, but specifics are extremely loose and depend on each couple.

* First reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Imperial Majesty"
* After first reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Majesty"

The Empress cannot become the Emperor no matter the circumstances.

### The Imperial Prince

The Imperial Prince refers to any child in the imperial dynasty born before the youngest child. The Imperial Heir is the oldest Imperial Prince, and though all Princes study similarly, the Heir has many more responsibilities, and undergoes special training to prepare to become The Emperor.

* First reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Imperial Highness"
* After first reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Highness"

### The Imperial Princess

The Imperial Princess is the youngest child of the imperial dynasty. They undergo diplomatic training, much more so than their siblings.

If, through death or deposition, The Imperial Princess becomes the heir, their title would change to The Imperial Prince.

* First reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Imperial Highness"
* After first reference: "Your/His/Her/Their Highness"

### The Imperial Priest

This specifically refers to the leader of the empire's mages.

* Addressed as: "Your/His/Her/Their Holiness"

## The Royal Court

Each Royal Court rules over each of their respective kingdoms. The rankings are the same in each court, but there may be slightly different customs or responsibilities between governances.

### The King

The King holds the most power in their kingdom. They hold absolute authority on all and any decisions regarding their citizens.

* Addressed as: "Your/His/Her/Their Majesty"

### The Queen

The Queen is the spouse of The King. They are most often tasked with providing the Emperor an heir in some shape or form, but specifics are extremely loose and depend on each couple.

* Addressed as: "Your/His/Her/Their Majesty"

### The Prince

Most of their time is spent training for future duties and interacting with other nobles and prominent figures to form connections.

* Addressed as: "Your/His/Her/Their Highness"

### The Princess

The Princess is the youngest child of the royal family. They undergo diplomatic training, much more so than their siblings.

* Addressed as: "Your/His/Her/Their Highness"

## Nobility

All those wishing to establish themselves as nobility must first become knights. After that, higher ranks can be achieved through significant contribution to one's kingdom, all the way up to the near-impossible-to-achieve status of Duke.

### The Duke (or Duchess)

Dukes (or Duchesses) are nobles which serve directly under The King and their family. They are the highest class of any noble (save royalty), and are required to form extremely close relationships with the royal family. They often are assigned one or more sections of the kingdom to specifically rule over, depending on how many Dukes currently serve The King.

* Addressed as "Your/His/Her/Their Grace"
* Heirs and Children are addressed as "Lord/Lady"

### The Marquess (or Marchioness)

* Addressed as "Lord/Lady"
* Third person: "His/Her/Their Lordship/Ladyship"

### Earl/Countess

They are referred to as "Lord" or "Lady" in first person or "His/Her/Their Lordship/Ladyship" in third person.

### Viscount/Viscountess

They are referred to as "Lord" or "Lady" in first person or "His/Her/Their Lordship/Ladyship" in third person.

### Baron/Baroness

They are referred to as "Lord" or "Lady" in first person or "His/Her/Their Lordship/Ladyship" in third person.

### Knight

See also: Category:Knights

Knights are the protectors of the kingdom. To become a knight, one first must become a squire, train for years, and then pass a proficiency exam.

They are referred to as "Sir" or "Madam" in first person and third person.

## Notes

* Heirs are not referred to with formal forms of address until they have officially inherited the noble title.
* Offspring (other than The Prince/The Princess) are not referred to with formal forms of address.