The Alterac Peerage was the aristocratic social class of powerful and land owning nobility in the Kingdom of Alterac. The Alterac Peerage referred to all of the nobility with lands under the domain of the royal family, the House of Perenolde. Due to the defunct state of the Kingdom of Alterac, the Alterac Peerage now hold no legal status, however many continue to claim their former titles and lands. There were various titles accompanied by differing degrees of power within the Alterac Peerage.
Titles of Hereditary Alteraci Nobility[]
Baron or Baroness[]
The least powerful but most common of hereditary peerage, Barons would administer over small plots of land called baronies. Normally Barons would rule over no more than a small hamlet, a few farms and their own tower keep. Baronies were occasionally under the domain of a larger county, march or duchy. Thus, these barons sworn to a more powerful noble who were in turn sworn the Crown. Due to the small and mountainous nature of the Kingdom of Alterac, independent baronies were much more prevalent than in the kingdoms as it would be difficult for mountain barons to be within a single domain when it would be impossible to easily traverse through them.
Barons were styled as the Baron(ess) of [X] or Baron(ess) [X] of [Y] and addressed as Baron(ess) [X] or My Lord/Lady.
Viscount or Viscountess[]
The least common of hereditary peerage, Viscounts typically held lands of equal size to baronies that were typically heavily populated or generally of greater importance. The domain of a Viscount was called a Viscounty and could not be sworn to a superior lord, meaning they couldn't be within a county and Viscounts swore loyalty directly to the King. Viscounts exercised more power than barons but not nearly as much as Counts due to the limited size of their domain.
Viscounts were styled as the Viscount(ess) of [X] or Viscount(ess) [X] of [Y] and addressed as Viscount(ess) or My Lord/Lady.
Count or Countess[]
Counts and Countesses typically ruled over larger plots of land called counties. Counties usually included numerous towns and possibly a city. Counties may have been divided into smaller baronies in some circumstances with the barons ruling over individual baronies and collectively reporting to a single Count or Countess. Counts exercised a considerable degree of power however they were less common than barons due to the treacherous terrain which made it difficult to organize baronies into larger counties. Many of the numerous valleys found throughout the Alterac Mountains were once counties.
Counts were styled as the Count(ess) of [X] or Count(ess) [X] of [Y] and addressed as His/Her Excellency.
Duke or Duchess[]
The most powerful of nobility, Dukes and Duchesses ruled over enormous plots of lands known as duchies. Dukes were less frequent in the Kingdom of Alterac due to the great amount of power they wielded. Duchies would almost always have smaller fiefdoms within usually organized into smaller counties and even baronies. Most duchies were found outside of the contemporary border of Alterac or within the largest mountain valleys.
Dukes were styled as the Duke/Duchess [X] or Duke/Duchess [X] of [Y] and addressed as Your Grace.
Prince or Princess[]
The children or siblings of the King or Queen of Alterac, Prince or Princess typically held minimal responsibilities until they possibly ascended to the throne. Typically the eldest child would be the heir to the throne, followed by their siblings according to their age. If none of the monarch's children were alive, the grandchildren of the monarch are next in line according to the age of each child and the order of their parents. This continues for all descendants of the monarch. In the event that the late monarch ha no children, the crown would pass to their next oldest sibling. If there were no living immediate family members, it then would move onto cousins and more distant relatives.
Princes were styled as Prince(ss) [X] or Prince [X] of Alterac and addressed as His/Her Highness.
King or Queen[]
The King or Queen of Alterac were the supreme nobility of Alterac and the sovereign of the Kingdom. Having command and authority over the entire kingdom and all of its citizens, the monarch also had chief command over the Alteraci Military. In the event that a monarch ascended to the throne underage, a regent or regency council would be appointed by their surviving parent, older relative or themselves. Regents would rule in the name of the child monarch, exercising their authority and handling most affairs. Upon rising to the throne, the monarch would receive full authority once more but it was not uncommon for monarchs to appoint stewards or advisors to handle smaller affairs.
Kings were styled as King/Queen [X] or King [X] of Alterac and addressed as His/Her Majesty.