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For myself I've always concluded that since the fall of the Vilani (1stImp) there has been a process similar to what was seen, here on earth, in europe & esp the UK, where the system of gov & society evolves so that, while the titles themselves (inheritable, no?) remain but what they mean changes greatly depending on both where & when.

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On Sat, 11/21/15, Jim Vassilakos <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [TML] Absurdities of the Official Traveller Universe
 To: xxxxxx@simplelists.com
 Date: Saturday, November 21, 2015, 11:36 PM

 I like
 your idea of replacing nobles with political appointees,
 personally in charge of around a third of their tax
 collection, with another third going to the Imperial Navy
 and the final third going up the chain of command
 (presumably with the count, duke, archduke, and emperor each
 taking a cut, though how this final third gets spent is
 unstated). However, this necessitates the question of why we
 should continue to call them nobles. It seems more apt that
 they should be called governors or perhaps viceroys.
 Historically, and correct me if I'm wrong, nobles such
 as barons, counts, dukes, and such were powers in and of
 themselves, local strongmen who exercised direct authority
 over their populations. It seems to me that if we are to
 assume that nobles are devoid of the very characteristics
 which have historically defined the nobility, then maybe we
 should find them another name. I dunno. Every Traveller GM
 has to address these sorts of questions in their own
 campaign. As for myself, I do like this idea you've
 presented, but I'd be curious to see it fleshed out in
 greater detail. Have you ever produced any sort of write-up
 that goes further into the nuts and bolts?

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