Windwyrm Government
The Tempest
The crest of House Bitterpeak, the rulers of the windwyrm kingdom.
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The ruler of the Windwyrms is known as the ‘Tempest’ and by no other name, even the one they were given at birth. They are nearly always female; while there are no laws against a male Tempest, the title will only fall to him if the past Tempest had no living female relatives. The Tempest has absolute power and is considered to be a semi-divine figure and not to be - at least openly - questioned.
All of the past Tempests are of the royal house Bitterpeak. A list of those who have held the title can be seen below:
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The Hawks
The Hawks are a secretive order that enacts the divine will of the Tempest. They act as the windwyrm’s federal policing force and intelligence agency. Regular policing is the responsibility by the personal guards of each Baron/Baroness (The Rose Guard, Crater Guard, Peak Guard, White Guard, and the Black Guard respectively).
The organization was founded by Tempest I after her conquests in 369 A.E.D to secure her power and root out the dreaded Seraphim. Ever since, they have stood guard between the kingdom and complete chaos, and are ruthless in hunting down any escapees from the kingdom that they receive word of. Due to the distance and difficulty of communication, the Hawks operate almost exclusively in northern Cyr, and will only make the trip to central Cyr if they receive reports of a noteworthy target in the area. |
The Barons
Barons are responsible for enforcing laws, collecting taxes, addressing the grievances of their subjects, and raising an army for the Tempest during wartime. In return, they may promote dragons to ranks of nobility lower than their own, collect money for themselves, are allowed to have a personal Guard of a few hundred dragons, and aside from obeying the Tempest's orders, have almost complete freedom to act as they please.
The Bitterpeak Barony is the personal domain of the Tempest; they act as the Baroness of that region.
House Roseglade; the rulers of Roseglade Barony and the Duchy of Valley, and before the Tempest's conquests, the ruling family of the Roseglade Kingdom. Much like their barony as a whole, members of this family are often looked down upon as weak and flamboyant.
They are highly talented gardeners. Members of house Roseglade possess a strong knowledge of healing, culinary, and decorative plants. The current head of the family is Baron Paradise Roseglade. |
House Mistcrater; the rulers of the Barony of the Crater and the Duchy of Spark. House Mistcrater was once the kings and queens of the Kingdom of the Crater before their crown Princess, Ash Mistcrater, married Queen Tempest Bitterpeak and unified their kingdoms. Due to this history, House Mistcraters members often have close relationships with members of the ruling House, Bitterpeak.
The current head of their family is Baron Kestrel Mistcrater. |
House Blackpine; the rulers of Blackpine Barony and the Duchy of Star's Shadow. They are known for being quieter and more reserved than most windwyrms, with a greater interest in scholarly pursuits than is typical - or often acceptable - in other families. They are the most populous of all five of the major noble houses in the kingdom and most members of the family get on well with eachother.
The current head of the family is Baroness Thunder Blackpine. |
House Whiteneedle; the rulers of Whiteneedle Barony and the Duchy of Antler. The family are famous for their great skill as hunters and highly strict adherence to the social expectations of windwyrm culture. They are extremely strict and severe rulers, and by far the most spiritual of the ruling houses; most members of House Whiteneedle have a deep reverence for the spirits.
The current head of the family is young Baroness Boar Whiteneedle. |
The Nobility
Inheritance
There are only a few exceptions to this general rule. Bastardy and grave acts of treason immediately make a windwyrm ineligible for any inheritance they were previously entitled to. Knighthoods are immediately passed down to all a knight’s legitimate descendants, and their children may use that title even while their parent still lives.
In cases where a title holder dies and they have no living family to succeed them, the title will be returned to their Barony’s ruler. After a search is done to see if there are any living windwyrms within the kingdom with even a tiny bit of ancestry connecting them to the previous family, the title and associated holdings will be awarded to a worthy windwyrm (usually a knight or the younger descendent of an existing noble family) to start a new house.
Hierarchy of Nobility
Noble Title |
Role & Responsibilities |
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Tempest |
Governs the entire kingdom and acts as Baronet of Bitterpeak personally, as well as Duc of Peak. The current Tempest is Foehn Bitterpeak. |
Storm |
Eldest daughter of the Tempest and current heir to the throne. If the Tempest has no daughters, then it is first a niece, sister, aunts, then cousins. Only in the case where there are no living female relatives will the role be passed on to a son, nephew, or uncle. Nonbinary children of the Tempest are considered eligible for the role of Storm immediately if they are the firstborn, regardless of having female siblings or other relatives. As of current times, the seat of Storm lies empty. |
Prince (male) |
Any family members of the Tempest is eligible to this title. Currently only the husband of the late Tempest Glory, Prince Teton Talltrack, has any right to this address. |
Baron (male) |
Those who govern the Baronies. They usually also serve as Duke/Duchess of their Barony's capital. The Tempest is, technically, also a Baronet, and rules the Bitterpeak Barony. These titles pass from the current holder to their oldest child, regardless of gender. If they have no children, then it passes to their eldest sibling and their descendants, and so on. The current Barons and Baronesses of the windwyrm kingdom are as follows:
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Duke (male) |
Govern duchies (large cities) and the surrounding countryside. Barons are the Duke/Duchess of the largest city in their Barony. These titles pass from the current holder to their oldest child, regardless of gender. Nobles ranked Duke/Duchess or higher may grant knighthoods and elevate serfs and commoners to the ranks of the nobility. Those ranked below them must seek out the approval of a local Duke/Duchess or Baron/Baroness in order to do so. |
Marquis (male) |
Govern marquisats (small cities) and their immediate countryside. This title passes from its current holder to their eldest child, regardless of gender. |
Count (male) |
Govern counties (large villages) and their immediate countryside. This title passes from its current holder to their eldest child, regardless of gender. |
Viscount (male) |
Govern viscountcies (small villages) and their immediate countryside. This title passes from its current holder to their eldest child, regardless of gender. |
Lord-Commander (male) |
Governers of military fortresses; must at least have been a Lord/Lady or knight before getting promoted to this position. They are usually appointed from the lower nobility (knights or younger children of landed nobles) granting them a temporary seat of power and territory to lead. Unlike the other titles, Commanders only hold rank so long as they are physically fit enough to fight, and their children are no more likely to inherit their role on retirement than anyone else. |
Lord (male) |
A general honorific all nobility with land and their house may use. The only aristocrats ineligible for this title are knights. |
Knight |
Landless nobility who usually act as highly trained soldiers and military leaders. They usually work in the service of aristocrats who do have land as skilled and loyal soldiers. When a commoner is rewarded with a rank for good service, it is usually Knighthood. Unlike the other ranks, all the (legitimate) children of Knights receive the title, even while their parent is still living. Knights and their family work hard to gain land and a greater noble title, although such things often take generations to accomplish. Nobles ranked Duke/Duchess or higher may grant knighthoods; lower-ranked nobility must get the approval of those with more power to do so. Knights are entitled to the honourific of Dame (female), Sir (male), or Ser (neutral). |