Imperial Titles

Sovereign Rulers claim the absolute right to rule an area of land such as a state, country or island – however the justification for the claims can be varied. Legally this is known as Allodial Ownership: The land is not subject to the rights of any lord or superior; owned without obligation of vassalage or fealty.

However, within The Hann Empire, each of these Sovereign Rulers has agreed to adhere to the legal principles of the empire, and thus follow The Empire’s Law when required. These mainly deal with defence and trade relations between countries and ‘fair trial’ is required for people of all ranks. However, the exact legal structure is left to individual countries.

Royal Families claim Sovereign rights for the head of their family, known as the Monarch, through birth right. This often arises from an ancient conquest or colonisation by the Family’s founder, and as these rights have been passed down the generations, the populace (generally) comes to accept them. However, there is, as always, a pecking order that differentiates different levels of ‘royalty’. Status is, in broad terms, defined by size and population of the region ruled.

• King / Queen – A title generally reserved for the sovereign ruler of a country large enough to be split into administrative regions, districts or counties – which is known as a Kingdom. Kings often have Governors, Sheriffs, Counts or Barons to oversee the districts, their nobles aren’t royal as their holdings are subject to loyalty, tax and legal obligation to their ruling monarch.
• Imperial Dukes / Duchesses - A title generally reserved for the sovereign ruler of a country that is NOT large enough to be split into administrative regions, districts or counties – which is known as a Duchy. A Duchess might appoint a Baron, Lord, Governor or Sheriff, to oversee a town or sub-province.
• Imperial Prince / Princess – A title generally reserved for the sovereign ruler of a city state. A Principality is rarely large enough to have any devolved management, although they may well have nobles and aristocrats involved in administration.
• Children and grandchildren of a monarch (King, Duke or Prince) are given the courtesy title of Prince or Princess and are still considered Royal. Great-grandchildren and successive generations do not get this title.

Some sovereign states use other forms of government, and their leaders are normally accorded similar status to other Sovereign Rulers.

• Sovereign Lord / Lady - The hereditary, sovereign ruler of a land with a population without a city. There are seven Sovereign Lordships represented on the council
• Republic – The ruler is chosen by a small group of people. The Lord-Mayors of independent city states are often appointed from a group of (often self-appointed) power brokers. This group might be wealthy merchants, successful adventurers, hereditary aristocrats, bishops of various churches, or come from a range of power groups. Note (Based on the republics of medieval Italy) Rediton and The Farran Isles are the only current examples.
• Chiefdom – Unlike other ‘sovereign’ rulers, a Chieftain rules over a large, disparate family group, rather than over a distinct area of land, and is generally a holdover from days gone by. It stems from the times of antiquity, where a single extended family were spread across an area of land, but subsequently, lost control to outside forces. The family then became distributed across several newer countries that dominate the political scene. A classical diaspora, but with family members still owing a duty of loyalty to the Chieftain and the family name. Both the Chieftain and the extended family will have duties and responsibilities to other rulers, perhaps in more than one country, however this is tempered by their loyalty to their Chieftain and their name. This long-standing relationship of command and loyalty is recognised as significant, and the heads of the Pagini, Marisi and Treverii families, within the Hann Empire, are examples of this.
• Other rulers given this status might include …
• - - Dwarf Minehold - This title is also used for leaders of independent racial enclaves, such as a Dwarf.
• - - Theocracy – A sovereign state ruled by priests from a single religious organisation.

Imperial Barons are not Royal but all states are required to treat them with the proper respect. They are life awards, that cannot be passed down to heirs, however the title recognizes work they have done on behalf of the empire. They receive a fairly healthy pension for their efforts, and often have the right to live in a grace and favour apartment somewhere, in reasonable luxury. Many, however, are sought after as advisors for local sovereigns or nobles. Most recipients have been …

• An Ambassador – who represented their Sovereign at the Imperial Council – or represented the Imperial Council in local matters.
• A Governor – who ruled an Imperial Colony, Naval Base or something similar. They did not have a place on the Imperial Council, but report directly to it.
• An Admiral - who commanded a sizeable naval fleet on behalf of the Empire.
• An Agent - which is the most ill-defined of roles. The might have negotiated a trade deal for the empire, negotiated an 'accord' between members states, or done something completely different.

Imperial Barons are recognized in three different grades.

• Grand Baron - the highest non-sovereign rank in the Empire, and reserved to those who have performed long and important service. These appointments are few and far between.
• Baron - Most long-term, senior officials can expect to receive this rank
• Visbaron - Junior Officials, short service terms, many negotiators are created Visbaron, the most junior of the Imperial titles. However, it it is still one of the most respected titles in the empire.

Imperial Knights are people who have performed a fairly major service for the Empire. The Raven King of Arms rates the imperial Order of Hann, as one of the highest and most prestigious orders of knighthood, and counts them among the highest ranking of all the Knightly Orders. It is not reserved for service in battle, and may be awarded to any character who the Imperial Court wishes to honour. However, they are mainly awarded to successful military officers on their retirement, or others who have served the empire well in a hostile environment. There are four ranks within the order.

• Knight Grand Commander - often a political appointment.
• Knight Commander - often awarded to the commander successful in fleet, or large group, actions.
• Knight Captain - often awarded to in medium sized actions
• Knight Lieutenant - Often awarded for an individual effort of great gallantry, or commanders of smaller units who have a good record.

The rank you are appointed to, when you are appointed to the order, depends on your status, the service that you have provided and, of course, on who you know. These are lifetime appointments, that might be associated with a small (lifetime) stipend, or a land grant that may be passed down to one's heirs. Higher ranking members are senior and more important than lower ranking members, although there are no local chapters to impose a formal hierarchy. The Imperial Knights are so prestigious, that many members prefer to use their Imperial Title ahead of their local tiles - even if the local titles confer great honours.