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Elevation Vassals

Posted by Apostate on 12/21/19
Q: How do the newly-elevated Houses handle elevating their own vassals? If for example a March becomes a Duchy, do its Counties automatically become its new Marches, etc? Does the new Duchy decide which of its vassals become Marches? Or do these vassals themselves need to proactively go through the entire process of elevation with the Faith, even if they are not technically changing fealty?

A: A newly-elevated house does not confer any increased rank and status on its own vassals, no. For example, a march that becomes a duchy would still likely have counties sworn to it, though it's considered proper to allow the County-rank houses to re-evaluate their vows and change to another house on the fealty chain, with the hopeful amicable approval of the chain and the Faith. Those counties, if they wish to be elevated, would still need to attain recognition by the Assembly of Peers to their new status, as the change in social rank is quite formal (rank is formally IC defined, not an OOC abstraction). They do not, however, need to have any approval for a change in oaths, as their oaths remain unchanged.

So if March A becomes Duchy A, and has County B sworn to it, county B needs to amass the power, wealth and lands to be considered a march. If it has reached the minimums that the peers would countenance, then they seek formal recognition of their elevation at the Assembly of Peers, but if there's no change in oaths and County B stays sworn to Duchy A, then the faith needn't be involved as the oaths are identical, and it is strictly a matter for the Peers and the Crown.