Starcaste Nobility

The Starguild Council introduced Starcaste Nobility in the 2170s decadal business cycle by elevating a select group of Starcaste to baronets, barons, viscounts, earls, and dukes.

There are around 33,000 Starcaste nobles of which 4,813 are delegate nobles.

Nobility was introduced to placate Bondsmen serving within off-world Starcaste communities.

The Council believed that hereditary nobles would provide social cohesion and stability without the need for Landcaste.

This proved successful in Starcaste communities where service-oriented Bondsmen lived privileged lives compared to their Landcaste dominated brethren.

But on worlds, like New Eden, where large Bondsmen populations struggled to meet production quotas, Landcaste were imported to maintain control.

Nobility was also introduced to streamline the legal system.

Nobles were empowered to make spontaneous rulings on a wide variety of issues and could unilaterally settle Bondsman versus Bondsman disputes.

Nobles were thus able to resolve issues off the legal docket.