American Gate

Chapter 9: Mithril

Worldbuilding: Rontak Empire Nobility

The Rontak Empire is governed by a mixture of absolute monarchy and feudalism. This form of government is necessary due to the incredible size of the Rontak Empire and made possible by the mana comm. From highest to lowest, the Rontak ranks of nobility are: Emperor, Lord, Count, Viscount, and Baron. There are also a few assorted lower noble ranks below Baron, but they are not typically entrusted with civil matters of much importance.

The Emperor is the hereditary monarch who holds absolute power. He has total authority over the entire Empire and its military. However, the Empire is so large that nobles handle most day-to-day running of the Rontak Empire.

Lords have two main roles within the Rontak Empire: sitting as a member of the House of Lords or governing a province. The House of Lords is a quasi-legislative body that handles administrative matters. They are still subservient to the Emperor though, and the Emperor can pass or nullify any legislation he chooses. The House of Lords is a vital component of the Rontak Empire's government.

The House of Lords is typically a stepping stone position to becoming the Lord of a province. Provinces are large swaths of land ruled by a Lord. They are usually whole kingdoms previously conquered by the Rontak Empire. However, as land is awarded or revoked from various nobles, provinces can change over time. Lords are taxed by the Emperor based on the size, population and natural resources of their land.

To help Lords govern their large territories, they appoint Counts to rule over smaller regions. These regions are determined by each particular Lord and can vary in overall size. Counts are responsible for maintaining a small army within their territory. These local armies act as manpower reserves for larger Imperial armies to call upon to replenish their ranks.

A Count's army is responsible for maintaining order within the Count's territory. Their typical duties include hunting bandits, enforcing laws and decrees, building and maintaining infrastructure, and overall defense.

The training and discipline of a Count's army is a major symbol of status. A sloppy and poorly trained unit will reflect poorly on a Count, while a well trained and professional force will be recognized accordingly. The tradition of Counts upholding small armies as a symbol of status was put in place by Cevlion Rontus III during his military reforms. These reforms also put in place minimum standards for Counts to maintain regarding their armies. Cevlion Rontus III's reforms are largely responsible for the modern Rontak Empire's strong military.

Viscounts serve under a Count and govern major cities and the surrounding land. They are responsible for maintaining productivity in the city under their Count's direction. They are also the ones to implement their Count's military initiatives within their small territory. The other duties of a Viscount vary depending on their individual city and land.

Much of a Viscount's land is rural and sparsely populated. As a result, they often build estates in the countryside for their own personal use. These manors litter the landscape and sometimes small villages spring up around them over time.

Barons either govern smaller cities, or are in charge of a particular industry or district within a city. For example, a larger city governed by a Viscount might have a Baron in charge of the city's agricultural production. Another Baron might be the one who directly oversees the soldiers' training within the city. Viscounts also sometimes appoint Barons to oversee groups of villages throughout their land. A Baron in charge of a small city has responsibilities similar to a Viscount.

Lower nobles are not usually entrusted with major civil duties, but they sometimes run their own workshops, farms or serve as the head of a guild. They also often serve as officers in the military. They lead individual units and, from there, work their way up through the ranks of the military. Eventually, lower nobles can become generals leading entire Imperial armies. Becoming a general is a good way to earn the title of Baron and possibly climb even higher. Nobles with this background are typically entrusted to lead major wars of conquest across the Kraffnia continent.