Ralgon Nobility
The Nobility of the Ralgon Empire differ from province to province, according to local laws, customs, and traditions. Each province has its own unique way of appointing or electing members of its aristocratic classes as well as their rulers, and for a time even had widely disparate titles for these people. Since the Great Reformation that took place post-Unification, however, these customs have been, for the most part, streamlined over the years. Notably, the naming standards and conventions of the Empire's upper-tier nobility have been fully standardized and brought into line with much of the rest of Micras.
The Grand Dukes
The nobility in the Holy Ralgon Empire differ from province to province, each with their own means of selecting high nobility from amongst their own people. The five Grand Dukes of the Holy Ralgon Empire are no different. Each of these five people occupy a place at the highest echelons of Imperial society, and aside from ruling their provinces according to their own laws and traditions, are partly responsible for electing the new King of the Ralgons from among his (or her) heirs upon their death. Additionally, the Grand Dukes are also required to approve laws passed by the Imperial Senate. Their collective approval is also required to approve treaties and declarations of war against other nations. Finally, they are capable of vetoing a decree issued by the King with a unanimous vote. They represent the three provinces of the Empire and the royal household. Two Grand Dukes represent Stormhold due to its non-contiguous nature (and its impending division into separate entities named East Stormhold and West Stormhold) based off a very old tradition of two separate authorities existing in this province.
The Grand Duke of Scarterra, formerly a mixed republic of wealthy merchants and nobles, elected their head of state for centuries before they joined with Stormhold and Nixtorm to form a new unified nation. They continue this tradition by using their National Assembly (consisting of these same people) to elect their Grand Duke to a fixed 12-year term. (Grand Dukes replacing predecessors who died mid-term still serve exactly 12 years.) Their Grand Duke has zero authority over the National Assembly. Instead, they are empowered to act freely when dealing with wider national affairs. Although the Grand Duke of Scarterra is by far the weakest in the Empire within their own borders, this position still coveted for the sheer amount of popular influence and political prestige the office brings. Current and former Grand Dukes frequently go on to become very wealthy and establish noble houses of their own.
The office of the Grand Duke of Nixtorm cycles between the noble households of that ancient province, as it has since time immemorial. The Grand Duke of Nixtorm is appointed for life from the noble house they represent. When the Grand Duke dies, a new Grand Duke being elected from another representative body known as the Council of Six, which themselves consist of the heads of those same households. Although the Grand Duke enjoys a lifetime appointment, this appointment does not tend to last more than a few short years: The members of the Council of Six almost always look for the oldest possible person to appoint so that the office can rapidly change hands to a House or appointee who is more favorable to their own interests. Domestically, the Grand Duke subsequently joins the Council of Six as its presiding officer, and their affirmative vote is almost always required for any measure originated within the Council to pass. This office is usually seen as a nobleman's crowning (and final) achievement in life, as Grand Dukes within Nixtorm also hold local (and substantial) religious power thanks to the requirement that a Grand Duke be a current or former member of the Draconic clergy.
The Grand Duke of East Stormhold is appointed directly by the King every time a new Lord Mayor of Glacier City is popularly elected, or once every five years. They hold joint power within this province in fact, even if not in name. Everything that the Grand Duke does in East Stormhold goes through the Lord Mayor of Glacier City, and the same is true the other way around, thanks to the sheer size of both the city itself and its national influence. The Grand Dukes themselves are based out of the provincial capital of Mashiro, where they rule the city directly. Although they're technically the "Grand Duke of Stormhold," they only hold true political power in the eastern part of the province due to complicated political issues. The Grand Duke is required to be a part of the royal household, and is usually a part of the clergy. No Grand Duke can hold the office after their five-year term is over, and thus usually go on to either hold high office in the clergy or the nobility in the eastern part of Stormhold.
The Grand Duke of West Stormhold is usually also the Crown Prince, and presides over both West Stormhold and the City of Stormhold, the Imperial Capital. This Grand Duke is always appointed by the royal household and elected among those who are both old enough and related to the King within four generations. In those rare cases that the Crown Prince is a child or is deemed by the Council as unfit to rule, they vote in favor of another person who is usually replaced by the Crown Prince within a few short years. Since most of West Stormhold is ruled directly by the royal household, the Grand Duke has little actual power. However, reform is underway to get this often-uncertain situation rectified.
