Duke

The duke is the highest ranking vassal who serves under a king. A feudal kingdom is divided into a several duchies that are ruled by these dukes. Duke is a prestigious title and more often than not, a duke is a personal friend of the king.
The duke has vassals of his own, called counts.

Duties

The duke is required to do four things:

• He must serve the royal council.
• He must provide the king with soldiers in case of war.
• He must provide food and necessities to the king.
• He must pay taxes and other fees to the king, should the king require it.

The duke responsible for the day to day administration of the duchy that he is given by the king. This includes keeping order and maintaining a certain amount of trained soldiers to provide to the king in case the king calls for mustering of forces. A duke is also required to be unquestionably loyal to the royal crown.
Serving the royal council looks different depending on nation, but usually each lord is required to directly serve the king for a certain amount of days each year if the country is at war.
Outside of war, the duke is required to indirectly protect his liege, serving as judges in their own courts.

Benefits

As a duke, you are granted use of the king's land and those who live upon it. This usually means that you have the right to demand taxes from your underling and you are also provided a certain amount of funds from the king in exchange for managing his land. In addition, the king guarantees your safety, meaning that the king and his vassals will come to your aid in case you are attacked.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

A king can retract a duchy should a duke not fulfill his duties. The duke then retains his nobility and status, but has no land to rule anymore. Usually the land is given to a replacement.

Type

Nobility, Hereditary

Alternative Naming

Duchess (female)

Equates to

Chieftain, Mako

Source of Authority

King

Length of Term

Life

Reports directly to

King

Related Organizations

• Fodjan
• Maróglaþ
• Bengeirr
• Sjórona
• Khol-Chatal