The Noble Hierarchy of Gauldin

The Noble Hierarchy of Gauldin

Gauldin is a monarchy which means at its head is the King & his Queen, but below them are the nobles who rule the various fiefdoms within the kingdom. Gaining entrance into the nobility of Gauldin can be done one of two ways either through birth or through merit, either by being born to a noble line or by doing a great service to the kingdom. From an out of character perspective, this means you can either create a new character that is a Gauldish noble of whatever rank you'd like, though if you do so please send a PM to King Renaux of Travére to let me know. Or we can talk about setting something up so that your character can do some epic quest to earn their rank.

While there is a total of four noble ranks one can choose from in the Gauldish hierarchy they can most accurately be split into three categories based on their privileges and their responsibilities: The High Nobility, The Lesser Nobility, and The Landless Nobility.

The High Nobility

Anyone claiming who wishes to claim the title of Duke also falls into the category of high nobility. The Dukes & Duchesses of Gauldin represent the highest authorities in the land next to the king and lord over Duchies which are akin to small kingdoms of their own, to the point that some lesser nobles will swear loyalty to a Duke for political favor, their lands becoming part of the greater fief within the kingdom.

Your rights as a high noble, both in character and out of character:

• You have the right to muster troops in the amount of however many people swear direct loyalty to you. From an out of character perspective, this means you get to use the NPC points for anyone living in your Duchy.
• You have the right of law within your Duchy. Meaning what you say goes unless your ruling is superseded by the king, though you retain the right to contest even that.
• You have the right to ask to have your own sub-board made to represent your Duchy.

Your responsibilities as a high noble, both in character and out of character:

• You must create at least two threads which you are responsible for running, one to represent your keep another to represent the largest town in your Duchy.
• You may be asked to muster your troops to war and lead them into battle, you may appoint a general to lead your muster in your stead.
• You must see to the needs and concerns of those living in your lands.

The Lesser Nobility

A lesser noble can be anyone of the Marquis, Comte, or Baron rank. Lesser nobles are held in slightly less esteem than the Dukes but they are quite powerful in their own right especially when compared to the common class. Lesser nobles can place their holdings either in the main Gauldin board, in the Bay of Travere, or if they want swear to a Duke and place their holdings in that Duke's subboard.

Your rights as a lesser noble, both in character and out of character:

• You have the right to muster troops. A Marquis can muster up to 1,000 troops, a Comte can muster 500, and Baron can muster 100.
• You have the right of law within your lands. Meaning what you say goes unless your ruling is superseded by the king.

Your responsibilities as a lesser noble, both in character and out of character:

• You must create at least one thread which you are responsible for running, representing your keep or castle. You may create more threads if you so wish.
• You may be asked to muster your troops to war and lead them into battle, though you may appoint a captain to lead your muster in your stead.
• You must see to the needs and concerns of those living in your lands.

The Landless Nobility

A landless noble can be anyone of the Comte or Baron rank. Landless nobles are those of noble blood who did not inherit any land, while they enjoy more rights and privileges than a commoner they have little in the way of true authority. Most become courtiers and hang around the royal palace looking for ways to gain political favors.

Your rights as a landless noble, both in character and out of character:

• Like all nobles you have the right to petition the king and if you are sent to trial it must be overseen by a noble of superior rank.