Inheritance of Titles

Most Noble titles in the Empire are subject to male preference primogeniture. That is, the title is passed to the eldest male child in preference to younger male children or older or younger female children. This was not always the case. Before the Zendenian Succession Crisis, many titles (including that of King of Zenden) passed to whichever relative of the deceased title holder could seize power most effectively. The Church rarely got involved. However, when the Zendenian Succession Crisis led to a war that devastated Zenden for decades and pulled in many other states, Patriarch Ranulf pushed for more formalised succession rules throughout the Empire .
Male preference primogeniture suited the Church of the Holy Celestial Pantheon because it tied in with religious ideas of the superiority of men over women in positions of authority (women cannot rise to the rank of Bishop) and it suited most nobles too. However, there were some exceptions. In the Kingdom of Savinn and in certain other territories, churchmen and nobles alike preferred an even stronger male preference. In those territories, women were barred from the succession. In fact, in Savinn, the line of succession cannot pass through a woman. (This was a major cause of the Twenty Years War .)
In some territories, absolute primogeniture is practised, with no male preference. Elven nations tend to practise absolute primogeniture, as did the Old Empire .