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LORD
A designated title in use for the Corianth Empire, accorded to social status, and in use within four main distinctions:
RANKED LORDS: Within the feudal structure of the kingdoms themselves military lords are assigned and awarded rankings by their liege kings. The ranking scale is from one to five, with five being the most powerful. The titles are as follows:
1 - Knight;
2 - Knight Commander;
3 - Baron;
4 - Earl;
5 - Duke.
Although ranked lords are all landowners to some degree, Holdings are awarded on the basis of royal designation, rather than according to any fixed or formal system, and thus disparities may arise when kingdoms are compared. For example, a Knight in the huge Kingdom of Lionossus may have larger grants of land holdings than an Earl in a smaller kingdom, such as Minolar. However, it is the ranking that defines social status rather than lands held, the distinction made being one of honour rather than income.
NON-RANKED LANDOWNERS
There are other titled landowners within the kingdoms of the Corianth Empire who are given the title of Lord, but who do not have a designated military ranking, even though such men may indeed hold their own courts, organise defences (such as castles), and have a holding of armed mercenaries in their retinue. These are the Counts, Viscounts, and even some Dukes, who hold positions considered primarily diplomatic, or else one of familial privilege. Relatives of kings, favoured subjects, and descendants of significant past personages, are often awarded such positions, and although are allowed to hire and organise their own guard of men-at-arms, are not liege lords within the feudal social structure, and thus cannot be sworn to as such. In practice, however, the position has been used as a focus for uprising and usurpation, especially in the period known as the Broken Empire.
SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS
Sometimes Lords are neither landowners nor subject to liege kings. This group almost primarily encompasses the Order of Omicron and the Emperors Guard.
1 Order of Omicron
The head of the College of Armaments is always given the title of Lord, who may then also convey the title upon senior officers, although no additional lands are awarded for the conveyance of such honours. Where lands are already owned within other kingdoms, such Lords within the Order of Omicron are considered immune from liege loyalty. Where a Lord within the Order of Omicron is accused of a criminal act, it is not for the liege lord to prosecute, but instead put the case forward to the Palantine Confederation, who will then vote on the matter in question, with any prosecution following taking place under the direct authority only of the Emperor himself.
2 Emperors Guard
Privates of the Emperors Guard are designated as Knights, and the Officers are given the title of Lord. However, as with those within the Order of Omicron awarded such honours, no additional lands are awarded, even through promotion. Members of the Emperors Guard are specifically from land-owning families regardless, and the title of Lord is used more for show and vanity than for any real designated meaning outside of their own social sphere.
The following characters are all specifically referred to as holding the title of Lord:
Ithron, Naimes, Nomron, Rhannalith, Rynell, Urellian, Vallence |
