The Noble Houses internal matters

The Noble Houses are thoroughly hierarchical, with the Crown at the top and several ranks below them: dukes, counts, barons, and finally knights. (The titles are considered to be the same for any gender; knights are titled “Sir”, and other ranks “Lord”/“Lady” or by their rank.) The dukes of the realm have substantial numbers of vassals, but conversely it’s not unknown for a minor noble to owe fealty to more than one duke or count.

The foundation of the feudal system is that each noble knows their obligations to the people above and below them in the hierarchy. To their lieges, they owe feudal dues, which are usually regular payments in goods, coin, or services. To their tenants or vassals, they provide protection and the services of the manor (such as mills, wine presses, and scriptoria). They also serve as a bridge between the two: they are expected to represent their tenants’ interests in the court of their liege lord or the Crown.

Titles and households

Each noble title is tied to an estate - an area held on behalf of a liege lord or the crown and worked by vassals and tenants. The long history of Arginet means that the larger estates are often scattered geographically, creating a sort of patchwork and discouraging any duke or count from concentrating entirely on a given region.

The basic unit of the estate is the manor. A powerful duke might have dozens of manors under their control, while knights are more likely to make do with a single manor and some farmland, and the poorest estates might consist of just a tower house and a couple of attached cottages.

While only one person can hold each title, any given estate is in practice run by the entire household. The lord or lady is typically supported by their close relatives (especially their children and their younger siblings) and a group of loyal retainers, administrators, and servants. For a small estate this is a fairly simple business, but on larger estates elements of the household move between their different manors and those of their vassals, ensuring that their affairs are running smoothly.

Internal disputes

While the feudal order is intended to foster stability, dissension and disputes are inevitable. Long-running family grievances are relatively commonplace and occasionally escalate into serious feuds; the attitude of most nobles is that this is entirely acceptable as long as such conflicts don’t cross class boundaries.

Society at the noble and royal courts is full of intrigue and deception as nobles jockey for position. Spreading rumours or misinformation is a universal tactic, and it’s not uncommon for this to be taken to the level of framing enemies for real or imagined crimes.

Duelling is a particularly favoured method of resolving arguments. It is recognised that not all nobles are combatants, and those who do not can reasonably call on a second to fight on their behalf, provided that the second is a person of suitable rank. These are most often swordfights although other contests such as archery and channelling are sometimes used by agreement. While duelling is permitted by Arginese law, any death is still considered murder - but if the matter is sufficiently serious, a noble who kills their opponent is viewed by their peers as doing no more than ‘playing rough’, and while they may well be punished they will seldom lose respect.

The most extreme political move is assassination. This is of course illegal, but a noble who takes the risk of killing their enemy by surprise is not considered to be particularly dishonourable, as such.

All of this changes if commoners are brought into the equation. Such underhand deeds as threatening an enemy’s tenants, choosing a person of no family as second for a duel, or hiring a common thug to make an assassination would be considered unforgivable, and would result in a very rapid and painful fall from grace.

Part of a series about the Noble Houses.

Marriage and inheritance - Internal matters - Attitudes to others - Religion and spirituality - Costume - Archetypes

See also: Arginet - Factions - The Royal Armies - The Reform Coalition