Fealty lies at the core of Feudal Lextalionis, as a network of oaths and alliances that tie the many courts of Europe to their lords, and through them, the monarchs who are the true powers of the Dark Medieval. From the knights to the monarchs, fealty is represented by oaths and vows that underpin the courts as social bonds and governing institutions. Whenever one Cainite acknowledges another as her superior, she is pledging her fealty in return for protection and support. The Feudal Lextalionis fosters ties from the lowest to the highest strata of the nocturnal nobility.
In swearing fealty, the vassal, be he knight, prince or lord, offers support and loyalty to his liege, both military and political. The vassal also vows never to attack her liege, though in the turbulent War of Princes, such is not always the case. In return, the liege usually, though not always, grants the vassal a domain, to rule as her own. The size of the fief depends on the rank and status of the vassal--knights are usually given taverns or small neighborhoods, barons larger estates or providence over a guild for example. Finally the liege also vows to protect the vassal on the battlefield and at court. The Traditions of Caine help institionalize the act of swearing fealty, and thus, the feudal system as a whole. The Traditions of Domain, Progeny and Destruction cement the rule of the liege. They allow the liege to both protect and offer domain and other gifts (such as the right to create progeny) to vassals in return for their fealty. They also allow the liege to punish any transgressions.
At the bottom rung, a knight offers to protect the liege and support his endeavors, by acting as emissaries or on the field of battle. In return, the prince (or baron or lord) grants the knight a domain and all its privileges, and he pledges to protect his vassal. Most princes require a tithe to be paid, usually a percentage of any income that the domain generates, or in times of war, to raise a troop of vampires or ghouls under the prince's banner.
Above the knight, princes bow to lords or monarchs, but the bonds of fealty are not as strict. Many princes hold their fiefdoms because those fiefdoms were bequeathed to them by a lord--or because the prince pays the lord enough tribute to prevent him from marching in and taking over. Even so, a goodly number of princes see themselves as autonomous, and they only ally themselves with a lord to present a united front against mutual enemies.
