Fereldan royalty and nobility

To its neighbours, the kingdom of Ferelden seems utterly chaotic. Unlike other monarchies, power does not reside exclusively with the royalty and nobility. Rather, it arises from the support of the freeholders.

The Landsmeet
The Landsmeet is a council of the Fereldan noble class which has been held annually for three millennia (only occasionally interrupted by war, occupation, or Blight). It functions as an official legislative body for Ferelden, and can override the king on any matter of law (although its members tend not to exercise this privilege if the king is particularly popular or powerful). During the Landsmeet the current monarch is expected to mingle with and curry favour from her/his vassals. An important milestone in the history of the Landsmeet, and of Ferelden itself, was that of the 33rd year of the Exalted Age. After mysteriously gaining the support of the Circle of Magi, Calenhad Theirin marched on and seized Redcliffe, thus forcing a Landsmeet at which the nobles unanimously submitted to his kingship. This marked the birth of modern-day Ferelden and began the Theirin dynasty that was uninterrupted until the Orlesian invasion.

The kingdom
The king is the most powerful of the teyrns. Although Denerim was originally the official "teyrnir of the king", it has since been changed to a separate noble's arling, as the king's domain is all of Ferelden. However, even the monarch's power must derive from support throughout the Bannorn.

This is especially evident during the Landsmeet, an annual council for which the nobles of Ferelden gather. It has been held for almost three thousand years, with only a few interruptions for Blights and invasions. The sight of a king asking for, and working to win the support of, "lesser" nobles is a source of constant wonder to foreign ambassadors.

Teyrnirs
In antiquity, teyrns arose from among the banns, having grown powerful enough to move lesser banns to swear fealty to them. There are only two teyrnirs in modern Ferelden: Gwaren in the south and Highever in the north. Teyrns are still owed fealty by vassals of both arl and bann ranks, whom they may call upon in the event of war or disaster (but to whom they are also responsible for lending aid when needed).

Arlings
The teyrns at some point established arlings, giving the title of Arl to those assigned to command strategic fortresses that the teyrns could not oversee directly. Arls are more prestigious than banns, but they usually have no banns sworn to them - known exceptions being Amaranthine and South Reach.

Bannorns
Each freehold chooses the bann or arl to whom it pays allegiance. Typically, this choice is made based on proximity of the freehold to the lord's castle (as it's rarely worthwhile to pay for the upkeep of soldiers who will arrive at one's lands too late to defend them). For the most part, each generation of freeholders casts its lot with the same bann as the previous generation did, but things can and do change. No formal oaths are sworn, and it is not unheard of, especially in the prickly central Bannorn, for banns to court freeholders away from their neighbours - a practice tending to ignite feuds that can last for ages.

Freeholds
Freeholds are the ownership of real property, being the land and all immovable structures attached to such land. A freeholder is the term for any land-owner in Ferelden. Although most freeholds are owned by nobles, a few commoners are freeholders.

Kings and Queens

 * King Calenhad — the first King of Ferelden
 * King Weylan I
 * Queen Fionne
 * King Arland
 * King Vanedrin
 * King Brandel
 * Queen Moira — known as the Rebel Queen, murdered on orders of the Orlesian occupiers
 * King Meghren — the Orlesian King of Ferelden during the occupation
 * King Maric — freed Ferelden from Orlesian occupation
 * Queen Rowan — consort to King Maric
 * King Cailan — last legitimate Therin, his death in the Battle of Ostagar in 9:30 Dragon sparked the Fereldan Civil War
 * Queen Anora — consort to King Cailan

Teyrns

 * Teyrna Mather Cousland
 * Teyrna Haelia Cousland
 * Teyrna Elethea Cousland
 * Teyrn Ardal Cousland — died at the Battle of Lothering defending King Vanedrin from Orlesian assailants
 * Teyrn Bryce Cousland — fought in the Ferelden rebellion against Orlais, was killed in the massacre of the Cousland family by the forces of Arl Howe, a prelude to the Fereldan Civil War, mother of a human noble warden
 * Teyrna Eleanor Cousland — wife of Teyrn Bryce, killed in the massacre of the Cousland family by the forces of Arl Howe, mother of a human noble warden
 * Teyrn Fergus Cousland — potentially the only survivor of massacre of the Cousland family, brother of a human noble Warden
 * Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir — a hero of the Ferelden rebellion. Turned his forces aside at the Battle of Ostagar, indirectly causing the death of King Calin

Arls

 * Arl Byron Howe — supported Orlais in the Ferelden rebellion, executed at Highever for his treachery
 * Arl Rendon Howe — Arl of Amaranthine. Massacred the Cousland family, and usurped the Teyrnir of Highever, and the Arling of Denerim. Murdered by the Warden shortly before the Landsmeet
 * Arl Leonas Bryland — Arl of South Reach
 * Arl Urien — Arl of Denerim, died at the Battle of Ostagar
 * Eamon — Arl of Redfliffe
 * Arl Wulff — Arl of West Hills

Banns

 * Bann Esmerelle — Amaranthine City
 * Bann Sighard — Dragon's Peak
 * Bann Teagan Guerrin — Rainesfere
 * Bann Ceorlic — Southern Bannorn
 * Bann Alfstanna — Waking Sea
 * Bann Franderel — West Hill
 * Bann Reginalda — White River
 * Bann Farhen — Winter's Breath
 * Bann Bronach
 * Bann Darby
 * Bann Ferrenly
 * Bann Grainne
 * Bann Loren
 * Bann Perrin
 * Bann Rodolf
 * Bann Telmen
 * Bann Teoric

Lords and Ladies

 * Lady Landra - wife of Bann Loren
 * Lady Liza Packton
 * Lord Eddelbrek
 * Lord Guy

Notable families

 * Theirin family — the Royal family of Ferelden, legitimate line ended in in 9:30 Dragon causing the Fereldan Civil War
 * Cousland family — the Teyrns of Highever and Ferelden's second most powerful family, massacred by the Howes in 9:30 Dragon
 * Mac Tir family — briefly held the Teyrnir of Gwaren, teyrnir stripped from the Mac Tirs in the conclusion of the Fereldan Civil War
 * Howe family — the Arls of Amaranthine and briefly the Teyrn of Highever, all titles and lands were stripped from the Howes in the conclusion of the Fereldan Civil War
 * Guerrin family — the Arls of Redcliffe, and the Banns of Rainesfere