Archduke: The highest ranking demons in Creation next to Lucifer himself, the five archdukes were chosen by the Morningstar to command his legions in the war against Heaven. These fearsome angels - Belial, Abaddon, Dagon, Asmodeus, and Azreal - each held sway over a fifth of the infernal host, and the entire world was divided up between them. Each archduke held absolute power over millions of souls, both human and fallen alike, and tens of millions of square miles of the virgin earth.
Duke: During the War of Wrath an archduke was served by a council of trusted dukes who acted as his lieutenants and commanded the Legion's largest corps. These angels commanded the loyalty of hundreds of thousands of fallen and watched over an equal number of mortals across the bredth of entire continents. With the disappearance of the archdukes, these demons are the highest ranking fallen remaining in the Abyss, and their struggles for dominance have only grown more intense in the wake of the great Maelstrom.
At present, there is but one Fallen with the power and authority sufficient to claim the title of duke, she is Lirethiel. Tyrant of Italy and Dutchess of the Faustian. Her seat resides in the Vatican, not that most know this for more than rumor and myth.
Baron: During the war, the Legions' many brigades were commanded by the Barons of the host, each one commanding tens of thousands of rebel angels and governing thousands of square miles of territory plus the human flocks that lived there. There were hundreds of barons serving in the infernal host at the height of the war, and this was the highest rank that saw any turnover during the fighting. Those barons who survied the war remain trapped in the Pit, however in the ACG and elsewhere in the World's largest concentrations of populace, one or more demons have assumed the title as a right of conquest. Such barons typically command the loyalty of as many as 50 to 75 other demons within the environs of their location and its surrounding domains. A far cry from the glories of old but still a formidable kingdom in the desperate times at hand.
Overlord: During the war, the fallen overlords commanded each of the Legions' numerous battalions, holding authority over several hundred angels and several hundred square miles of terrain, including fallen bastions and human settlements. Overlords were closer to the routine affairs of the fallen masses in general, the bridging the gap between the lower ranks of lords and knights and the higher ranks of the barons and dukes, and were frequently employed as liaisons and advocates for this reason. None of the host's surviving overlords have yet managed to escape the Pit, though there are scores of fallen who claim the title across the globe, either as reward for supporting the authority of a presumptive baron within a large city or by subjugating a group of weaker lords and claiming control of a medium-sized section of a mega city. A typical overlord maintains a small retinue of eight to ten fallen and can command the fealty of 15 to 25 other demons within his sphere of influence.
Lord: Lords make up the backbone of the ruling class of the fallen. During the war most fallen lords commanded a company of several hundred rebel angels and a number of fortresses and watchtowers covering enough territory for a small country - now, most fallen lords claim little more than a single section of a City (such as Sales or Churchwood). Each lord's infernal court is a center of activity for the fallen in that area. The demon lord maintains order in the bounds of the court and handles matters such as enforcing the edicts of the higher ranks, integrating newly returned demons into the court, dealing with renegades and potential enemies, and managing the courts resources. The lord does this with the aid of the five ministries, and a number of reliable retainers. A typical lord in these modern nights maintains a small retinue of up to five fallen and can command the fealty of up to 10 to 15 demons within his sphere of influence. A handful of demon lords have escaped the Abyss since the advent of the Maelstrom, and many fallen of low rank have assumed the title since gaining their freedom, resulting in dozens of petty fiefdoms scattered here and there across the world.
Fell Knight (ST NOTE - This is the highest rank a PC can have at start of game)
The lowest ruling rank among the fallen are the fell knights, demons who have risen from the lower ranks by virtue of skill and heroism on the field of war. Fell knights are typically the primary vassals of fallen lords, commanding small bands of demons and over seeing the bastions and settlements of the domain, but they are also commonly found serving as champions in the retinue of higher-ranking nobles. They may control small domains of their own, such as a particular neighborhood or district, or they may oversee particular affairs within their lord's domain, such as marshalling soldiers in its defense, maintaining order, enforcing their lord's will, and similar duties. New knights are created at the lord's will from the lower ranks of the fallen, and knighthood is often a promised reward for faithful service. Most fell knights command the loyalty of a handful of retainers in addition to the territories they are charged with protecting, and in times of war may be placed in command of larger groups of fallen and human allies by their liege lord.
Subject: The Ruling Ranks 
Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:47 pm
