Making heads and tails out of Imperial nobility

[Enoki]

I've been looking at the hierarchy of Imperial nobility and who rules what, and such, kind of as a prelude to trying to do something along the lines of a Game of Thrones thing where the nobility is doing all sorts of nefarious things while trying to grab control of either part of or the whole Imperium. But the more I look into it, the more I find that what's published to date in canon is... Well in a phrase, totally jacked up.

I'd say that something like 75% of the upper nobility (duke and above) are missing or so incomplete I can't use what's available. Most domains, sectors, and many subsectors lack any information on who's ruling them.

I think filled out, with rivalries and alliances at least generally outlined, this would make for a great spinoff game of Traveller. Throwing in the intrigues of other polities outside the 3I in a post assassination of the emperor setting would be great. The problem is, right now what's available on the nobility down to say the level of count / viscount and on houses of nobility is so hosed up it can't be done.

Any suggestions?

 

[whartung]

this would make for a great spinoff game of Traveller.

"Kingmaker" across the Imperium.

 

[kilemall]

I think this is intentional so you can plug in whatever dramatist personae you want for your version of the Imperium.

One immediate thought- use the players that have been granted titles via Marc’s sales goodies.

 

[Black Vulmea]

I've been looking at the hierarchy of Imperial nobility . . .

. . . which one?

What do you consider OTU here?

 

[Enoki]

. . . which one?

What do you consider OTU here?

There is only one currently. There have been some past variations, the pattern is pretty consistent. The hierarchy hasn't really changed over time, and who controls what in terms of area has been relatively fixed. What the problem is that who is controlling what isn't known for the most part and what the alliances and rivalries among the nobility are.

 

[Black Vulmea]

There is only one currently.

And that is what, exacty? I'm not asking to be snarky - I genuinely don't know what you're using as your definitive source on all things OTU.

 

[mike wightman]

In 1105 the Imperial power structure goes - Emperor-> subsector duke.

There are no archdukes and the position of sector duke is a first among equals.

 

[Condottiere]

It seems to me, whether this was the author's intent, or not, you have the domains in the sense you have have the British Raj, having an overall picture of what's going on in there, making policy, and allocating resources to the various sectors and subsectors, and then giving a regional quarterly report back to the Capital.

That scales down to the sector, while the actual governing work is done at the subsector level.

 

[mike wightman]

The domains ceased to be part of the Imperial government structure centuries before the 1105 start date and the authority of archdukes was removed.

This is why the question was asked which version or perhaps era is to be the focus.

 

[bookwyrm]

Archduke - Traveller

wiki.travellerrpg.com

622 Domain Archdukes phased out.
1057 Strephon starts to phase Domain Archdukes back in.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[mike wightman]

He didn't become Emperor until 1071 and didn't start to reintroduce the reforms to the domains until after the fourth Frontier War ('82 to '84) quite how he did this in 1057 is a bit of a mystery... do you have a citation for that date?

 

[bookwyrm]

Since he didn't become Emperor until 1071 and didn't start to reintroduce the reforms to the domains until after the fourth Frontier War ('82 to '84) quite how he did this in 1057 is a bit of a mystery... do you have a citation for that date?

You are correct. I can't find where I got 1057 from. After reading some more in Strephons part of the Wiki, he started phasing in Domain Archdukes after 1084 (after the Fourth Frontier War). (oops, just noticed I'm repeating what you already posted)

 

[whulorigan]

You are correct. I can't find where I got 1057 from. After reading some more in Strephons part of the Wiki, he started phasing in Domain Archdukes after 1084 (after the Fourth Frontier War). (oops, just noticed I'm repeating what you already posted)

Perhaps you are misremembering 1087 or 1097 from somewhere?

 

[bookwyrm]

Perhaps you are misremembering 1087 or 1097 from somewhere?

Probably. But at least I eventually got it right, all it took was doing my research properly.

 

[Black Vulmea]

The domains ceased to be part of the Imperial government structure centuries before the 1105 start date and the authority of archdukes was removed.

This is why the question was asked which version or perhaps era is to be the focus.

Exactly. Milieu 0, post-4thFW Golden Age, Rebellion, and post-Virus are all OTU. The nobility varies quite a bit between all of them.