Stromic Nobility

***Lore Addition***

## The Kingdom of Stromgarde

### The Arathorian Empire

> The Arathorian Empire was formed by the unification of the human tribes by the Arathi tribe under King Thoradin. They were led by chieftains. We can speculate that these chieftains became lords as the nation modernized and the principles of knighthood were developed.
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> Stromgarde was birthed as a martial kingdom, so the principles of knighthood, warrior traditions, and discipline were most likely kept, praised, and even enforced. Therefore, it is safe to assume that unlike Stormwind or the other holdout human nations, Stromgarde did not develop a complex nobility system, instead maintaining a simpler model of rulers of the land, with power entirely centralized in the image of the King and with the warrior traditions heretofore exalted.
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### Stromgarde Aristocracy and High Council

> The ancient cradle of humanity has gone through many hardships and deprivations throughout the history of Azeroth, sinking into anarchy, invasions, ruin and even betrayal. After the demise of King Thoras Trollbane, the ancient kingdom's ruin was complete with the inept Prince Galen losing control of everything beyond a small section of Stromgarde Keep where he hid and plotted, but took little action to rivet the situation.
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> With the kingdom unburied from the dirt and reformed through the efforts of Lord Danath Trollbane and the Grand Alliance, Stromgarde can once more shine as an imposing bastion of humanity once more, though the other races of the Alliance also thrive under its benevolent shade.
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> With the reformation of the kingdom, the aristocracy is also reformed, with claimants coming from far around the world with ancient scrolls written centuries ago sometimes detailing their right to rule over parcels of land within the kingdom's borders. And so, the old High Council of Stromgarde is restored, as well as the titles of many claimants, and christening of new lords.
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### The Nobility of Stromgarde

> As the cradle of humanity, Stromgarde stands as the first human nation-state, descending from the unified human tribes that composed the Arathorian Empire under King Thoradin thousands of years ago. As such, it also stands as the cradle of human aristocracy and the original model of what would become the ruling class of the Seven Nations a few centuries later.
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> Basing itself from the ancient nobility, Stromgarde's aristocracy is not as complex as that of their predecessors and southern allies in the Kingdom of Stormwind, for example, though the nobility might be just as powerful.
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> Societally, the Kingdom of Stromgarde can be characterized as an absolute hereditary monarchy heavily rooted in warrior traditions and militaristic customs. The aristocracy of the kingdom is also historically formed by renowned warriors and most times knights that follow a strict chivalry code of honor and loyalty to the reigning monarch.
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#### Becoming a Noble

> While in other nations the nobility is usually (but not always) formed by distinguished men of the court or businessmen, the Stromic way is that of the warrior: distinguished fighters that shed enemy blood for the kingdom and earned their right to rule in the eyes of the King of Stromgarde.
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> It is not impossible for others to achieve nobility status in the Stromic lands, but the quest to achieve at least knighthood will be much harder. In short, the Stromic nobility is based on militaristic meritocracy achieved through feats of battle and leadership much akin' to ancient times.
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#### The Lands and Rule of a Noble

> The lands granted by the King of Stromgarde to a meritorious individual of his choice are assigned through an *Act of Vassalage* in which the to-be noble swears allegiance and undying loyalty to his liege with a pledge of duty surrounded by chivalric ceremonies. Bureaucratically speaking, the lands are lent to a distinguished individual with only a small plot given to them for the construction of their residence, be it a manor or castle.
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> The *Act of Vassalage* grants agnatic/cognatic hereditary status (men or women can inherit) to the titles and lands assigned to that individual so that his children may inherit it and continue the family's rule under the same vows and tradition upheld by the previous ruler. They are responsible for seeing to the defense of and upholding of the law within their own demesne, and are given broad powers to do so, which means it is up to them to appoint which of their children is the heir without intervention from the Crown as long as the appointee is not charged with serious crimes.
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> The inheritance of titles and assets will go to the noble's next of kin in case he/she dies heirless, as dictated and overseen by the King. If no eligible heirs with a strong claim show up, the land automatically returns to the liege.
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> Their diktat can be overridden by the King's authority, either directly, or by chartered towns, established royal decrees, military acts, et cetera.﻿ As such, there are certain limitations to how many 'troops' or 'guards' a nobleman can have, usually tied to the size of their fief though a wealthy lord can always hire mercenaries and adventurers.
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> The price of hiring private forces must be acknowledged, though; with the understanding that maintaining large garrisons or extensive private forces is very expensive and taxing, as well as it may attract negative attention from the central government.
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#### Nobles and the Military

> The nobility of Stromgarde is heavily centered in chivalric values, knighthood, and warrior traditions in general. As such, the kingdom's military and aristocracy almost walks together as one. The nobility is charged with the duty of defending the lands of Stromgarde in the name of the King, with regional garrisons ready to stand valiantly against the most impossible of odds.
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> In times of need, these forces are drafted into the military might of Stromgarde, commanded by their lords in order to protect the kingdom form harm. Such has happened in the past as the Stromgarde Militia was formed and led by none other than Lord Danath Trollbane himself.
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> The Stromgarde Army is not automatically commanded by the Stromic lords, though. The officer corps of the Army and the nobility are two distinct institutions much like the southern counterpart, the Kingdom of Stormwind, though the influence of both is comparable due to tradition. It is not exotic of a Stromic lord to hold rank in the Stromic military and lead troops in the field.
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#### Half-Breeds and Nobility

> As a kingdom of ancient traditions, Stromgarde has a very traditional view on the purity of a noble house's bloodline. The stain of racial intercourse can be frowned upon by the most conservative of men and women in the court of Stromgarde.
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> It is forbidden by law for a half-orc to inherit any form of title or land granted by the Crown to a noble, as well as it is a great shame for a nobleman to have laid with an orc given the history surrounding orcs and humans. Stromgarde held the Orcish Horde on their borders and inside their lands until the Alliance of Lordaeron came to their aid, and in that short period of time, many atrocities were committed.
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> As for half-elves, given the long history of friendship between the Arathorian humans and the Quel'dorei, it is completely possible and safe by law for a half-elf to inherit titles and assets within the Kingdom of Stromgarde. While they may face discrimination in the court, their right of succession and sovereignty of their claim is secured by Stromic law.
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> Any other forms of racial breeding is strictly frowned upon by the Stromic aristocracy and monarchy, as well as the offspring of such shameful relationship will have no rights over the lands and titles of their progenitor.
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## Hierarchy of the Stromic Aristocracy

### Vassalage of the Kingdom of Stromgarde

> The vassals of the Kingdom of Stromgarde are part of the advisory governmental institution known as the High Council of Stromgarde. The purpose of the Council is to advise the King and discuss solutions to the realm's inner state of affairs (i.e. economy, legislative, civil structure, distribution of resources, etc.) and to delegate executive acts related to these decisions with the written permission of the King of Stromgarde.
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> The Council enjoys the illustrious benefit of being the voices speaking directly in the King's ears though their actions are completely subjective to the King's permission. That being said, the Council's decisions and impositions can be vetoed by the King at any time although major/consecutive vetoes might cause discontentment among the Aristocracy. In short, the power of the High Council within the kingdom is considerable, though contained.
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***The hierarchy by ranks of the Stromic Aristocracy is described from top to bottom as follows:***

##### Honorary Knight

* Honorific: Sir/Dame
* Lands: None granted by monarch.
* Votes: None.
* Quantity: No Limit
* Description: t*he men and women who displayed honorable service and an act considered of great valor are awarded the title of Honorary Knight (usually addressed just by Knight) 1by the monarch of Strom, usually in a modest ceremony. Their title isn't hereditary and represents a moderate level of influence within the kingdom.*

##### Hereditary Knight

* Honorific: Sir/Dame
* Lands: a castle
* Votes: 1
* Quantity: 10
* Description: *to be graced as Hereditary Knight, one requires an outstanding perfomance in the service of the kingdom, acts of valor and prowess, or perform a great service to the kingdom. As warrior traditions demand, the individual is usually a competent commander as well. They can be awarded small fortifications in stategical locations to oversee in the name of the kingdom as bailiffs, which is inherited by their descendants.*

##### Lord/Lady

* Honorific: Sir/Dame -- Lord/Lady
* Lands: a fiefdom
* Votes: 2
* Quantity: 8
* Description: *usually individuals who are born from long standing families of the realm, usually but not solely from warrior traditions, the Lords are what can be regarded as regional magistrates at times, with executive and legislative powers bestowed upon them to carry out such tasks. They usually rule from a sizeable Keep, maintaining a small garrison to keep law and order in a determined region in the name of the King.*

##### Highlord/Highlady

* Honorific: Sir/Dame -- Your Honor/Your Grace
* Lands: a principality
* Votes: 4
* Quantity: 6
* Description: *the highest landed title bestowed upon a stromic of renown and derived from the ancient high chiefdoms of old, the Highlords rule over vast portions of land within the kingdom's borders, bestowed with extensive powers to rule and keep law and order in the name of the King. They are powerful aristocrats that most times descend from the ancient human tribes pre-unification.*

*The Kingdom of Stromgarde is only recently restored, so the few nobles that remain can now reclaim their birthright.*

*It is entirely possible for stromic humans serving in the restoration to be awarded titles, as the years of chaos in the kingdom may have deprived it*

*from many of the original lords and ladies of the considerably large domain.*