Lord

In the Rankan system, a Lord (or Lady) is officially someone who sits on the Imperial Council, or has the right to sit on the Imperial council, even if not exercised.
Originally this was restricted to the heads of the 27 most important noble houses in the Rankan Kingdom.  However, with the rapid expansion of the Rankan Empire, there has been the need to bring more people into the Imperial Council, and as a result the number of Lords has increased somewhat.
The title of Lord is not technically hereditary, but for the most powerful families, it would be regarded as a huge insult to not appoint the head of the house as a Lord, so it is in many cases effectively hereditary.
Addressing someone as lord/lady or my lord/my lady is a common form of address, and does not necessarily mean that the recipient is formally a Lord, just they are in a position of authority or deserve respect.

Type

Civic, Political

Form of Address

Your Highness

Related Organizations

• Rankan Empire