Fire Nation Feudal System

There is a specific hierarchy that the Fire Nation is governed by in the AMJ universe. These titles are gained through birth rather than being earned via individual skill, appointed, or won in elections. These titles impact one's potential for wealth, social prestige, and one's career opportunities. A subordinate directly challenging someone of a higher status can at times be considered a crime, particularly if a commoner is challenging a noble or royal. Here are the ranks.

Royalty

Firelord Azulon

Royalty included the highest class of leaders in the Fire Nation. Some called royalty ultra nobility, as they were at the very top of the elites within society.

Firelord: The highest-ranking member and leader of the Fire Nation. The Firelord was the monarch who lead the ceremonial, political, and militaristic functions of the Fire Nation. The Firelord could have anyone within the Fire Nation imprisoned, exiled, or executed at will. The only way to oppose a Firelord's commands was to defeat them in a traditional Agni Kai duel.

Queen Ursa had less power than some Firelord spouses because she made few political decisions that Ozai would tolerate. Her role was almost entirely ceremonial.

Queen or King: The queen or king was the spouse of the Firelord who has the second highest position in the monarchy. This title was not dependent on one's skills in combat but merely rests on one's martial status to the person in power.

Throughout their childhood, siblings Azula and Zuko had an immense rivalry over their place in the Fire Nation hierarchy.

Prince or Princess: The princess or prince is the air to the throne below the Firelord. This includes a son or daughter of the person in power. Of all the princesses and princess, the one who is the most accomplished in combat, academics, and other areas in life such as military strategy will have a higher status. This status of supremacy amongst the airs or heirs was subject to change based on individual performance and was re-evaluated every three years.

Royals often participated in several public events, banquets, and dances.

Royals were looked up to by much of the public and are even idolized by several citizens. Even worse, some leaders like Sozin and Ozai encouraged citizens to idolized them as the Firelords. Some leaders like Zuko would discourage these behaviors and emphasized that they were imperfect beings but counted on the trust of and collaboration with the citizens as their key to success.

Royals were known for having the most responsibilities of all upper-class citizens within their nation. Many envied them but could not handle the burdens that came with such as life. Royals often stored up hundreds of millions of coin making them incredibly wealthy. In addition to this, their property, land, assets, and art often was worth hundreds of millions with their total value laying well in the billions in the ATLA, AMJ, and pre-AMJ timeline.

Nobility

Nobility was the next highest level of wealth that exists within the Fire Nation. Since the royals only made up one small portion of the ultra noble family, the biggest societal divide was that between nobles and commoners. Nobles were nearly all of the wealthy people outside of the ruling royal family. Nobles came with a range of titles.

Chan, the duke

Dukes/Duchess: Dukes or duchesses were the highest-ranking nobles and are incredibly rare in number. People with this title were usually the first and second cousins of royals. Dukes essentially ruled over provinces of territory. In addition to this, multiple exceptional individuals were given this title during the early ages of the royal family, these dukes were given the Blessing of Birthright where their firstborn children would inherent their title of dukedom. Younger children would become marquesses rather than dukes and duchesses.

These provinces encompassed several counties. The amount of land they had authority over was massive. Dukes had similar authority to generals in the military except their control existed in a political, judicial, and national context. Unlike a royal, a duke without military experience or official enlistment could not take command over military officers. In some areas, dukes were the functional leaders of the Fire Nation Capital until the Firelord or any royals choose to override one's command. Even a prince or princess would not override a duke until after they had reached the age of maturity (16).

Dukes tended to have tens of millions of coin and assets worth tens of millions. Their total bet worth accumulated to hundreds of millions of shekels.

Known dukes: Chan, Goshal, Iroh (After no longer being in line to take the throne, Iroh became a duke. He was initially a Prince, making him someone who has been both a noble and a royal.)

Eyre, the marquess

Marquess: Marquesses were the second highest ranking form of nobles. Marquesses were among the highest-ranking nobles that were not directly related to the royal family. Some were third cousins of the royal family, but others were the descendants of individuals or families that earned the loyalty of the royal families generations before. Marquesses were among the first families that earned the favor of dukes. This title also included the younger siblings of dukes and duchesses. A marquess ruled over a county which included various cities.

Some marquesses which lived in massive cities such as the Fire Nation Capital, instead held a handful of marquesses who had the authority to rule the towns they moved to or have the most authority in smaller places they moved without being active leaders. When Yosari moved to Nyarri, she had the most potential authority there but did not use it.

Marquesses had millions of coin and assets worth millions. A marquess’s net worth was usually in the tens of millions.

Known marquesses: Eyre, Macai, Yosari, Jeong Jeong

Alev, the countess

Count/Countess: A count of countess had direct control over a city or large town. They might have control over a group of small villages as well. This authority had them the equivalent of lifetime mayors. Alev being the daughter of a count was heir to the highest-ranking member of Nyarri. In large cities, counts tended to lead districts if they worked in government positions but still reported to marquesses who either ran the cities or in the case of the Fire Nation Capital still answered directly to the royal family and dukes.

Counts generally had shekels that number in the high hundreds of thousands (500-800k) and assets worth the upper hundreds of thousands. The total value of these nobles was regularly in the lower millions.

Known counts/countesses: Alev, Mai, Zhao, Paz (Macai's young rival), Zerrel

Rosh, the viscount

Viscount: A viscount was the assistant of a count who helped a count/countess rule over his/her city. The viscount's authority, role, and responsibilities could vary depending on the count they assisted. The viscount could request to move to another city and switch places with another viscount if they have a poor relationship with a count they know. Viscounts do not have to work directly under counts but also can lead industries within a city such as the hospitality industry, the health industry, the educational system (the same as a superintendent), the construction industry, high-class entertainment, underground entertainment, the local policing industry, and the manufacturing industry.

An exception to this is if that viscount is fighting in a military context where there were more opportunities for one to move a bit above his title by challenging higher nobles in Agni Kais, proving more competent in the field, gaining favor of top tier leaders/nobles/royals, and having high success rates.

Viscounts regularly held coin that numbered in the lower mid hundreds of thousands (300-400k) and assets that held similar value. In total, viscounts were often had net worths in the upper hundreds of thousands (600-800k).

Known viscounts/viscountesses: Rosh, Spinge

Ty Lee, the baroness

Baron/baroness: This was the lowest yet most common noble title. A baron was a landlord who controlled several homes which peasants (farmers) operated at or a landlord which owned multiple properties that commoners rented at in cities. Barons often number in the dozens in smaller towns or villages, hundreds in medium sized cities, and thousands in large cities. Barons include people who run individual hospitals, entertainment centers, and other areas but not entire industries.

Barons/baronesses generally had shekels that numbered in the lower hundreds of thousands (100-250k) and assets that mirrored that value with total net worths in the mid hundreds of thousands (300-500k).

Known barons/baronesses: Ty Lee (her parents owned a circus), Barge

Commoners

Commoners are the vast majority of the population which make up over 80% of the Fire Nation populace. Commoners include several classes. The majority of commoners had little to no assets, greatly limiting their wealth.

Soldiers: This specifically refers to non-noble and non-royal soldiers. These troopers have a higher position in terms of respect and honor than peasants or servers. In addition to this, they have a higher income than peasants and servers but sometimes less than artists and artisans.

Soldiers usually had a net worth of around 50k coin.

The soldiers were the pride of the commoners and seen as the greatest contributors to society.

Artisans: The second highest class of commoners were the artisans. These are servers who offer high need services. This included doctors, blacksmiths, clothes makers, and home builders.

Known artisan class characters: Kett (his people include a long line of male builders and female housewives), Samira (she descends from a line of jewelers where the men run the stores but women assist).

People like this had networks of 30-80k coin depending on their skills and the demand of their services.

Artists: This was the third highest ranking of the commoners. Artists are valued for their ability to entertain nobles and royals with their art. This includes comedians, playwriters, musicians, decoration designers, and poets.

The net worth of artists went from 40-90k shekels. Though they could make more than soldiers and artisans, they were not as valued by society in terms of honor or perceived usefulness.

Kanna Foloki, despite being born a commoner quickly surpassed societies expectations by becoming a military captain after the Hundred Years War ended.

Servers: Also called servicemen or servicewomen. These were janitors, maidens, butlers, nurses, barbers, dancers, bouncers, bartenders, hospitality workers, and people who were meant to offer services.

Known server class characters: Kanna Foloki (The women in her family include hospitality workers and the men are jockeys unfortunately jockeys weren't seen as artists because the horses, horse trainers, and horse owners got all the credit. The jockeys merely rode them during competitions.)

The net worth of service workers was around 20-40k shekels making it a difficult set of professions.

Sonna, despite being porn a peasant became one of the greatest archers in her nation and was deemed a hero after the war ended. She eventually wrote and sold her own famous books before she started her own perfume and fashion lines.

Peasants: This is the most common and poorest class of commoners but is vital for the economy. These were farmers who directly live under landlords/barons. Peasants had to work to pay their rent and had little extra money to do much else. It was even difficult to move and if peasants moved, they would just be in more debt to the next person. It was nearly impossible to escape a life a peasantry and people had to work throughout the day to even earn modest wages.

Known peasant class characters: Dade, Sonna, Raggus Praxus (a revolutionary whose people were peasants), Haresh

The net worth of these individuals ranged from 15-35k with the majority being worth 18k or less.

Phasing out the feudal system

Zuko had intentions to abolish the system altogether but was eventually convinced it would be best to phase it out rather than completely destroying it. Outright removing the feudal system would disrupt the economy and established industries. It also could lead to violent conflicts between nobles and commoners. Instead, judicial reform gradually reduced the power of nobles until it became nearly meaningless and selection for candidates in jobs became more competitive based on skills and experience.

Unfortunately, Zuko's remedies were flawed because people with more high paying and high value experience tended to be nobles since commoners were accustomed to low pay and common work. Another issue was nobles still benefited from generational wealth which meant they had more currency saved up than commoners. Nobles began complaining that if they were to lose benefits, the royals would need to be stripped as well. The royals were in fact, the family that created the very system to begin with. Nobles were merely the descendants of the loyal friends, associates, allies, close followers, enforcers, and assistants of the royals.

Because of this, Zuko agreed to reduce the automatic wealth that royals obtained via taxes and made it where those taxes instead went directly to government institutions. Money spent on the royal family was mainly for moderate security, education, and having a nice home. A lot of the extra discretional wealth was cut back and many properties owned by the royals were sold by Zuko to the state and to emerging non-profit civilian organizations that made welfare facilities for public benefit. These welfare facilities offered housing, food, clothes, job training services, and other things to working children/young adults whom lacked "strong support networks" and "familial assets".

However, these facilities really offered little in total because the majority of the population were former peasants or service workers and splitting the resources between them wouldn't be enough to make a big difference. These facilities ended up being used more for orphans, crime victims, people with physical disabilities, and other extremely high need members of society.