Glossary

High King: An official usually elected by the Lord Kings from among their own number. Typically acts as a peacekeeper, settling disputes between Lord Kings or Vassal Kings to hopefully avoid wars between them, and organizing the other nations against threats to some or all of the nations within the Alliance. The High King is not intended to be an emperor, though certain High Kings have attempted to turn the station into that. While usually elected, the High Kingship can be taken by force if a Lord King chooses to do so. High Kings are rarely granted the power to rally the Lord Kings against a member of the Alliance and even when they are, no Lord King is obliged by the Unifying Law to agree. It's unknown how long exactly there have been High Kings, the practice began in the distant past before history was recorded.

Lord King: The ruler of a nation within the Alliance. They have full control over their own nations and those of their Vassal Kings, though how much control any Lord King may choose to exercise over a Vassal Kingdom depends on the individual Lord King and the individual Vassal Kingdom. While technically Lord Kings do answer to the High King, socially the Lord Kings are the most powerful people in the Alliance and the High King still addresses them as equals.

Vassal King: Ruler of a nation that is beholden in some way to a Lord King. While within their own nation's aristocracy Vassal Kings are the highest authority and class, they are not addressed as equals by Lord Kings, but rather as generals. A nation may become a Vassal state to a Lord King in many ways; by agreement, by conquest, or by succession.