Quote Originally Posted by Anonymoose View Post
House Dzemael is said to be lorded over by a count; since Dzemael is about as high as it gets, this may be about as high as you can go before entering Holy ranks. In 1.0, a levequst referred to a Duke - how that guy fit into it, I have no idea. Isn't Duke higher than Count?
In the English system of peerage it is. However, we really have no idea how the Ishgardian peerage works. For example, in the French, pre-Revolution system, all the sons of a Count would be Viscounts. It's possible that the Count we've seen is not the Lord Dzemael, but merely a lord Dzemael. It's always seemed strange to me that the heads of house of the high houses of Ishgard would personally be in the lands outside the city. It kind of seems like that would be some sort of political exile. It would make much more sense if they were simply subordinate lords in charge of the high house's forces outside the city.

Quote Originally Posted by Anonymoose View Post
House Durendaire calls its banners to retake the Stone Vigil, and Cailean refers to himself as a bannerman of House Haillenarte, whose master is his liege lord. The big question is whether the High House's bannermen are carrying that house's banners or the banners of houses that are sworn to the high houses.
That's actually a nice theory, which accounts for all the evidence. Well done!