Fultonian Nobility

Nobility in Fultar, as throughout the known worlds, provides social, political and economic power to a small minority of families. The cultural basis for this power are real and fictitious blood lines and service to those "blooded" individuals. In modern Fultar there are three distinct classes of nobility, the low nobility, the high nobility and the "blooded nobility."
The blooded nobility make up the twenty five or so most powerful Fultonian families, including the royal family. Of these only seven can claim to be direct descendants of the first humans created by Tya Nehru. A Emperor can only be crowned from one of these seven families. The current Langanian dynasty which has ruled for over three generations is one of these seven families. The remaining six families are ruled by Barons and the eighteen other families are ruled by Counts. The seven families only own about 30% of Fultonian land. The seven families control their respective areas and Fultar is divided into nine major spheres of control. (The Langanian family controls its ancestral lands and the Empire's lands, including territory throughout Fultar, most major military ports and forts and the capital: Fulton. The Fultar savanna and much of the northern Fultar Forest make up the other two spheres of control. These areas are not under the complete control of any family, including the royal family.)
Although all land is technically owned by the Empire, de facto and de jure rights to control exist. The blooded nobility own about 50% of all land, the high nobility about 25%, and remaining belonging to the low nobility (5%), free peasants and merchants(15%), and the various churches (15%). These figures only apply to rural land. Most of the various towns, villages and cities have some degree of autonomy and are often controlled by a merchant/noble oligarchy. Also because of conflicting and mutual ownership the total exceeds 100%.
The difference between the high and low nobility is one of social, political and economic power and prestige. The low nobility consists of knights, landless lords, ladies in waiting, merchants marrying into noble families, and bastard children of nobles, among others. Most of the low nobility lack any real economic or political clout (although they may be economically secure), but they still retain the social honor of being nobles. This large group of nobles can often only obtain any power and prestige through service to the high and blooded nobility, or the church.
The high nobility consists of the broadest range of nobles. This class includes those men and women with both the social status of nobles and a significant degree of political and economic power. The high nobility includes the lowly provincial lord, the ass kissing court gossip and the knighted naval admiral commanding the Empire's armada. These nobles own only about a fifth of Fultonian lands, but many of these nobles serve under the blooded nobility. Therefore, while the blooded nobility are the major decision makers it is the high nobility, along with rich merchants and professional bureaucrats, that oversee the daily management of Fultonian government.