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 almost three thousand years, only occasionally interrupted by war or foreign occupation. It brought together all the fractured Alamarri tribes and after the unification of the kingdom, it functions as the official legislative body for Ferelden, and can override the king or queen on any matter of law. However 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 their vassals. An important milestone in the history of the Landsmeet, and of Ferelden itself, was that of the 42nd 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 rules Ferelden ever since except the Orlesian invasion.

Royalty
The King is the most powerful noble in the kingdom. 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 land. 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 used to be many more teyrnirs before the rise of Calenhad, but he downsized them during his war for the throne. In modern Ferelden there are only two teyrnirs; 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. However they are also responsible for lending aid to them when needed. In modern times a king or a queen has the right to name a teyrn.

These are the current two teyrnirs:
 * Highever
 * Gwaren

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.

These are the current six arlings:
 * Amaranthine
 * South Reach
 * Denerim
 * Redcliffe
 * West Hills — south of Redcliffe
 * Edgehall — located west of Lake Calenhad

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.

These are the known bannorns:
 * City of Amaranthine
 * Dragonmount
 * Dragon's Peak
 * Rainesfere
 * Southern Bannorn — on the eastern shore of Lake Calenhad
 * Waking Sea — on the northern shore of Ferelden
 * West Hill
 * White River
 * Winter's Breath

Knights
Knights are minor nobles sworn into the service of a lord. In wartime, knights serve as officers in a lord's army and are sometimes sent on quests. For example, the knights of Redcliffe were sent to recover the Urn of Andraste. Fully-pledged members of a chivalric order, such as the Templars, are given knighthood, but they are not a part of the nobility.

Freeholds
Most of the property in Fereldan is owned by the Freeholders. Although not strictly speaking Nobles they provide the primary source of income for most banns and arls. A Freeholder is essentially a commoner who owns their own land. Although many Freeholders swear loyalty to a bann or arl this is more of a business arrangement, trading goods for protection. It is not unheard of for a Freeholder to leave the service of one bann in favor of another. Many feuds amongst the bannorn are the result of the Freeholders shifting allegiances.

King/Queen

 * In chronological order:


 * King Calenhad Theirin — first King of Ferelden
 * Queen Mairyn — Queen to Calenhad Theirin
 * King Weylan I — son of Calenhad & Mairyn
 * Queen Fionne Theirin — ascended to the throne in 6:18 Steel
 * King Arland Theirin — ascended to the throne in 7:5 Storm
 * King Vanedrin Theirin
 * King Brandel Theirin
 * Queen Moira Theirin — daughter of Brandel and mother of Maric. Known as the 'Rebel Queen'.
 * King Meghren — the Orlesian King of Ferelden during the last years of the Orlesian occupation
 * King Maric Theirin — ascended to the throne in 9:2 Dragon
 * Queen Rowan — Queen to Maric Theirin, mother of Cailan Theirin
 * King Cailan Theirin — son of Maric Theirin, married to Anora
 * Queen Anora — Queen to Cailan Theirin

Teyrn/Teyrna

 * In chronological order:


 * Teyrna Elethea Cousland — Teyrna of Highever
 * Teyrn Ardal Cousland — Teyrn of Highever
 * Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir — Teyrn of Gwaren
 * Teyrn Bryce Cousland — Teyrn of Highever, married to Eleanor Cousland and father of the Human Noble
 * Teyrna Eleanor Cousland — Teyrna of Highever, wife of Teyrn Bryce
 * Teyrn Fergus Cousland — Teyrn of Highever, elder brother of the Human Noble

Arl/Arlessa

 * Arl Leonas Bryland — Arl of South Reach
 * Arlessa Sophia Dryden
 * Arl Eamon Guerrin — Arl of Redcliffe and husband of Isolde.
 * Arl Teagan Guerrin — Arl of Redcliffe as of 9:38 Dragon
 * Arless Isolde — Arlessa of Redfliffe and wife of Arl Eamon.
 * Arl Byron Howe — Arl of Amaranthine until 8:97 Blessed
 * Arl Rendon Howe — Arl of Amaranthine until 9:30 Dragon
 * Arl Urien Kendells — Arl of Denerim
 * Arl Vaughan Kendells — Son of Urien. Arl of Denerim (possibly)
 * Arl Myrrdin
 * Arl Ruahn
 * Arl Gallagher Wulff — Arl of West Hills
 * Arl Fergus Lendon - Arl of Edgehall
 * Arl Gell Lendon — Arl of Edgehall (Disputed)

Bann



 * Bann Alfstanna — Bann of Waking Sea
 * Bann Bronach
 * Bann Bryton
 * Bann Camenae Eremon — Bann of Waking Sea
 * Bann Ceorlic — Bann in the Southern Bannorn
 * Bann Darby
 * Bann Donall
 * Bann Elara — Bann of Calon, died 9:41
 * Bann Esmerelle — Bann of the City of Amaranthine
 * Bann Ferrenly
 * Bann Franderel — Bann of West Hill at 9:30 Dragon
 * Bann Grainne
 * Bann Kail
 * Bann Lanya
 * Bann Loren
 * Bann Mathuin Wulff
 * Bann Nicola Baranti
 * Bann Parth
 * Bann Perrin
 * Bann Reginalda — Bann of White River
 * Bann Rodolf
 * Bann Sighard — Bann of Dragon's Peak
 * Bann Teagan Guerrin — Bann of Rainesfere
 * Bann Telmen
 * Bann Teoric — Bann of West Hill at 9:20 Dragon
 * Bann Tremaine
 * Bann Trumhall
 * Bann Valdur Krole

Lord/Lady

 * Lord Braden
 * Lord Dairren — son of Bann Loren
 * Lord Eddelbrek — noble of Amaranthine
 * Lord Guy — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Lord Jonaley
 * Lady Landra — wife of Bann Loren
 * Lady Morag — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Lord Oswyn — son of Bann Sighard
 * Lady Liza Packton — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Lady Shayna — an Alamarri noble

Ser

 * Ser Derren — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Ser Devith — knight of King Calenhad
 * Ser Landry
 * Ser Nancine
 * Ser Perth — sworn to the Arl of Redcliffe
 * Ser Tamra — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Ser Temmerly — minor noble of Amaranthine
 * Ser Timothy — minor noble of Amaranthine



Notable families

 * Theirin family — the royal family of Ferelden
 * Cousland family — holds the teyrnir of Highever and Ferelden's second most powerful family
 * Mac Tir family — the family established by Loghain Mac Tir
 * Howe family — holds the Arling of Amaranthine
 * Guerrin family — holds the Arling of Redcliffe and the Bannorn of Rainesfere