Source of Power

Unlike most feudal lands, noble titles do not neccessarily indicate control of a feudal estate of some sort. The island on which Kaitaine exists is too small for this, and it's concerns are not much with land anyhow. Noble titles in Kaitaine are based on a family's ability to move money, essentially. In theory it's actually quite meritocratic, with anyone with money being able to get on the right councils and thus attain rank. In practice, of course, the families protect their own class, and use their own money to make it difficult to become noble.

Given the need to have monetary control, most noble houses control one or more businesses, or even classes of business. A Duke may in some cases control entire guilds. If the businesses of a noble house fail, they may no longer be on the neccessary councils to maintain their positions, and they may actually lose their rank. This happens with some regularity, so the members of the nobility, especially the simple families that hold nothing but lordship titles (below even the barons), tend to fluctuate a lot. While the higher ranking families have, some of them, been in power for many centuries.

Councils

There are many varying councils that oversee the buisiness of Kaitaine. Free trade is simply not allowed in Kaitaine; all trade is regulated by the councils. Becoming a member of a council involves showing that you have a substantial business interest in something regulated by the council. Precisely what constitutes "substantial" is up to the membership of the councils themselves. In practice the politics between the councils is byzantine and intense. Sometimes changes occur that nobody can actually explain.

But, generally, the better your ability to buy people off, the safer your positions on the councils are. Essentially it's a self-perpetuating situation. Those with lots of money run the councils so that they make more money, and thus are more secure in their positions.

Customs

Commoners are expected to use titles with nobles in most cases. That said, however, the actual title of Lord or Lady is only assigned to certain noble individuals, while other members of noble families are simply are identified by their family name.

When a commoner addresses somebody who is noble born but has no title, or who's title is indeterminate, then Lord or Lady should be used. Yes, even a Duchess may be called lady until corrected. And sometimes even after that, assuming a certain familiarity with the noble in question. But, generally the formal use is to state the personage's rank, with family name after it only being used when there is ambiguity caused by the possibility of refering to more than one member of the rank in question. So if there's one Baron present, he's just Baron. If there are two, then they are Baron Elgor, and Baron Marfat.

Ranks

This is a list of the titles used in Kaitaine in descending order of power associated with each rank. In practice a member of one rank may actually be more powerful than a member of a rank one above them, but it's atypical, and depends on the vagaries of the council system.

• Duke (Duchess)
• Marquis (Marquessa)
• Count (Countess)
• Baron (Barroness)
• Lord (Lady)