Twelve of Sorenel

Great power is a key, and every man had a different lock.

— The Journal, book 2

Noble society rules over the lands of the lord, and above them all stand proud and tall the twelve of sorenel. Being made up of noble houses with incredible economic and political power, the climate of noble politics are by no small measure decided by the path these houses take. Simply being part of the twelve affords a number of benefits, though it also comes with significant drawbacks.

The twelve are not fixed by mandate, and when one falls, it takes a significant amount of time until their successor is established.

Qualifications

The only true qualification one needs is to be part of an established noble house. However, obtaining the position is not easy.

Requirements

By definition, the fight to become one of the twelve is wrought with competition. As such in theory one may not require much, only the acceptance of other members. In reality however, one must be superior to all other noble houses outside of the twelve to the point that they'd be forced to accept you lest they face significant consequences. As such, by the time one obtains the tank of member, one already has all the influence and power that supposedly comes with the rank.

Appointment

One is only accepted as one of the twelve when 9 out of the twelve members vote in favour of acceptance. While theoretically this may lead to a weak noble house finding its way into the pantheon, members are always forced to pick the strongest house unless they are prepared for major backlash.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

There are two manners in which one may fall from position of one of twelve. The first is being voted out in favor of another house. If 9 other houses agree that one a different house deserves a place in the 12 instead of one of the current members, then the member in question will be succeeded by the fresh member.
The second way is to fall from grace entirely. Having one's keep destroyed, having to flee sorenel, having no prospective heirs well beyond acceptable time frames etc.

Type

Nobility, Honorific / Ceremonial

Related Locations

• Sorenel