Stromgarde Peerage

In everyday speech, the Stromgarde nobility consists of peers and their families, however in a more strict legal sense it includes both the titled and the untitled nobility. Members of the peerage carry the titles of Duke, Marquess, Earl, Count, Viscount and Baron. Peers ranked from Baron up to Marquess are frequently referred to generically as Lords.

The Peerage is a term used both collectively to refer to the entire body of peerage titles, and individually to refer to a specific title. All modern Stromgarde honours, including peerage dignities, are created directly by the Monarch or Regent, taking effect when letters patent are affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm. Possession of a hereditary title in the Stromgarde peerage entitles its holder to a seat in the House of Lords, once of age.

Ranks Of Hereditary Stromgarde Peerage
Ranking from lowest to highest.

Baron / Baroness
A Baron/Baroness is the lowest form of Nobility in the Stromgarde Peerage. A Baron typically oversees a large estate with adjoining lands. Baronies are usually too small to include defences beyound that of a small fortification and a few armsmen, though some Barons reside in small castles or fortified manors and are capable of raising a larger force to defend their lands. In Stromgarde practice, the title of a Baron may be either a place name, or a surname, or sometimes, a combination thereof. Barons are styled "Baron [X]" or "Baron [X] of [Y]" and addressed as "My Lord/Lady."

Viscount / Viscountess
A viscount is said to hold a "viscountship" or "viscounty", or (more as the area of his jurisdiction) a "viscountcy". The female equivalent of a viscount is a viscountess. There are many Viscounts in the Stromgarde Peerage, though most are secondary titles and used as courtesy titles by the heirs of Earls, Marquess' and Dukes. In Stromgarde practice, the title of a viscount may be either a place name, or a surname, or sometimes, a combination thereof. The style of a viscount is "The Viscount [X]", or "The Viscount [X] of [Y]". He is addressed as "My Lord/Lady".

Earl / Count / Countess
One of the oldest forms of nobility, in times past, an Earl (Or jarl) was a chieftain set to rule a territory in the King's stead. There never developed a feminine form of earl, and "Countess" is used as the equivalent feminine title. An Earl's wife is always referred to as his Countess. In recent years, the title has been replaced with "Count" in some cases. Earls, unlike Barons, traditionally hold large amounts of land. These lands generally encompass a large city and its satellite villages. It is also common for their lands to contain both Castles and other, smaller fortifications such as guard towers or holdfasts, as well as a sizeable contingent of Men-At-Arms. Some may also have their own harbor if their lands encompass a large section of the coastline. In Stromgarde practice, the title of an Earl, Count, or Countess may be either a place name, or a surname, or sometimes, a combination thereof. Earls are styled "Earl of [X]", "Count of [X]" or "Countess of [X]" and addressed as "My Lord/Lady"

Marquess
A Marquess's land, called a march, is on a border of the Kingdom, while an Earl's land often is not. Because of this, a marquess is trusted to defend and fortify against potentially hostile neighbors and is thus more important and ranked higher than an Earl. As the land in their charge typically rests on one of the Kingdom's borders, it is common for a Marquess to controll both Castles and other, smaller fortifications such as guard towers or holdfasts, as well as a sizeable contingent of Men-At-Arms. The title and rank is virtually identical to that of "Margrave" which is largely unused in recent times. In Stromgarde practice, the title of a Marquess refers to a place name, such as the Marquess of Pinehurst. Marquess' are styled "Marquess of [X]" and addressed as "My Lord/Lady."

Duke / Duchess
The rank of Duke (Male) or Duchess (Female) is the highest form of nobility one can hold without becoming an immediate member of the Royal house of Trollbane, though Dukes are often related in some way to the house of Trollbane--typically by marriage. The land holdings of Dukes are vast and contain large swaths of land, cities, townships, and serious fortifications. Dukes are expected to maintain large contingents of Men-At-Arms and are often the first called upon by the Monarch or Regent to supply troops to the Kingdom's army in times of war. Dukes are styled "His Grace, the Duke of [X]" or "Her Grace, the Duchess of [X]" and addressed as "Your Grace."

Life Peerage
Different from a hereditary title, a life peerage is often granted to Governent Officers, entitling them to a seat in the house of lords for life. Often titled Lord/Lady [Surname] or Thane of [Place Name], those who hold a life peerage hold no land by virtue of their title, and their peerage ends upon their death.

Untitled Nobility
The untitled nobility consists of all those who bear formally matriculated armorial bearings, such as landed Knights. Other than their designation, such as Gentleman or Esquire, they enjoy no privilege other than a position in the formal orders of precedence in the Kingdom of Stromgarde and are not entitled to a seat in the house of lords.

Thane
For a full discussion, see Thane (Human).

Thanes occupy an ambiguous role in Stromgarde's peerage. They were the retainers of other noblemen during the Imperial Period and Warring Kingdoms Period but are now a rare sight among the Highlanders. Broadly speaking, a Thane who does not hold a landed title is not considered to hold a peerage, and the families of Thanes are still considered commoners. The exact rank equivalent of a landed Thane varies depending on who they serve and in what capacity, but broadly they occupy a place equivalent to or slightly below the Barons.

Thaneships are often not hereditary, and are usually considered life peerages with the possibility of becoming hereditary at the monarch's discretion.

Margrave
Stromgarde's Margraves occupy a place between Count and Duke. The title is linked to three major regions - the Thandol, the Wall, and the Northern Hills - which make up the Kingdom's borders, and the responsibilities of the Margraves (sometimes also known as 'March Lords' or 'Marquis') include the maintenance and defence of the Kingdom's territorial boundaries. Accordingly, the Margraves often have military forces at their disposal well in excess of those maintained by most Counts and even by many of the Dukes, but are rarely called upon to fight away from their 'third' of the border. The Margrave title is usually hereditary, but gross military incompetence has been a reason for the title to be stripped and awarded to a general - including, several times, to commoners.

Recently, the title of Margrave of Troll-March was dissolved. Its lands and vassals were granted to various lords and thanes, as the increasingly fractious nature of the Highlands makes such centralized power harder and harder to maintain.

Representative Peers
When a nobleman or woman is unable to attend sessions of the House of Nobles, or are unable to hold a position in Stormwind due to gender/illness, they may a appoint a representative in their stead to sort their matters.

Additionally, a nobleman with more than one peerage title who is unable to attend the house of lords may obtain a writ of acceleration for his heir apparent, allowing the heir to sit in his stead using a courtesy title.