(As recorded in "The Chains of Power" by Historian Huelq Quen'ir)
"In the Kingdom of Valesk, where the blood of old wolves are older than cities"
-Opening passage from 'The Chains of Power'-
The Feudal Hierarchy of Valesk
The kingdom's structure is built upon seven formal ranks of nobility, each with duties, privileges, and traditions bound by sacred oath to the Crown.
1. The Royal Family(House Halbrecht)
Title: King / Queen, Prince / Princess
Power Base: Crownlands (The Capital and royal provinces)
Privileges: Supreme authority over land, military, law, religion. Only they can issue new noble titles or revoke old ones.
Note: The Halbrecht line claims divine right from the god of war and honor, Kaer'Thal.
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2. High Dukes(Singular Title - Only One Exists)
Requirement: Must be of royal blood, either a sibling, cousin, or child of the ruling monarch.
Current Holder:Grand Duke Elric Halbrecht, uncle to the current King.
Power Base: The Western Marches, vast, fortified, and autonomous.
Privileges:
Commands one of the largest standing armies.
May act with royal authority in times of crisis.
Holds veto power in the Court of Peers.
Cultural Significance: Considered the "Sword of the Crown," protector of the realm when the king is absent.
Note: Only one Grand Duke exists at a time. If the position is vacant, the Crown must appoint another of royal lineage or abolish the title until necessary.
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3. Dukes(Major Houses, like House Vardas)
Territories: Large provinces or clusters of cities and fiefs.
Power: Can raise personal armies, grant vassal titles (baron, viscount), marry into royalty.
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4. Marquesses(Frontier Nobility)
Territories: Edge-fiefs, fortresses, or lands near unclaimed territory.
Power: Usually militarized, rewarded for guarding "the edges of the world."
Risk: Their lands are often under threat by rebels, monsters, or foreign powers.
Cultural Status: Respected as warriors, but rarely trusted in courtly politics.
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5.Counts
Territories: Central cities, merchant hubs, resource-rich zones.
Power: Levy taxes, maintain courts, oversee guilds and local trade.
Influence: Strong in the economy, often wealthy due to mining, ports, or agriculture.
Note: Many counts gain their station by currying favor with Dukes or the Crown.
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6.Viscounts
Territories: Often serve under counts or dukes—manage single large towns or minor districts.
Function: Bureaucrats with noble blood, they are the glue between the aristocracy and the common folk.
Status: Low nobility, but ambitious. Many viscounts hope to marry upward or earn knighthood in war.
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7.Barons
Territories: Small villages, keeps, or manorial lands.
Duties: Maintain roads, collect crop tax, enforce local law.
Power: Symbolic or ceremonial unless backed by a stronger house.
Cultural Role: Often mocked by higher nobility as "mud nobles"
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Untitled Noble Houses
Also called: Knightly Families, Free Lords, Landed Gentry
Role: Can own land and command soldiers, but have no voting power in court.
Note: Many hope to be ennobled officially through war deeds, marriage, or bribes.
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Court of Peers
The Court of Peers is a seasonal gathering of all nobles above Count rank. There they:
1.-Advise the Crown
2.-Contest land claims
3.-Vote on new laws
Remark: Power often shifts not on the battlefield, but in these marble halls.