Westerland Governors

During both the Imperial and Colonial Era, these were more frequently referred to as "Officials" and were typically elected, though not uncommonly only from among certain particularly qualified individuals of particular stock. In the Post-Imperial Era, these were normally hereditary positions, granted to Free-Holders who were no longer needed, after their holds had developed into proper settlements, or they were granted to cadet-branches of the local House in power - and during this era, they were commonly referred to as Lord-Governors, or simply as Lords. Common for all eras, is that that governors were a core element of Westerland Society and Culture, and at least during the post-Imperial era, also a core component of the Westerland Feudal Traditions as part of the Westerland Peerage.

Difference between Governors and Earls
The difference between a Governor and an Earl, as defined by Westerland Earls, is that a Governor can work under a Freeholder, where as an Earl always works for another Earl in a continuous chain that ends with the Sovereign of the Nation.

Difference between Governors and Landed Knights
A Governor governs, a Landed Knight owns their land and holdings. This is the most significant difference, with everything else being somewhat comparable.

Difference between Governors and Freeholders
The difference between a Governor and a Freeholder, as defined by Westerland Freeholders, is that a Freeholder owns a fiefdom large enough to be a self-sustaining sovereign power, whereas the Governor merely governs a fief.

Rank and Order
An Alderman or Bann has considerable authority over all Ealdormen below them, but ultimately an Ealdorman has not sworn fealty to the Bann or Arl, and never will, and their relationship is more akin to that of a manager and an administrator.

Ealdorman
The Ealdorman governs a settlement where there are people living who own their own houses, or are serfs, in a given area. There is not an Ealdorman found to govern a settlement composed of tenants renting from a local landowner.
 * The position is also sometimes called "Alderman" or "Adler" and in some particular cases, "Magistrate" - though this last title is highly ambiguous.
 * The difference between an Ealdorman and a Bann, is that the Ealdorman governs the settlement itself, but could be subservient to a Bann, if a Bann controlled the Bannorn that the settlement was found in, and there could even be multiple settlements with each their own Ealdorman within a Bannorn.
 * The difference between an Ealdorman and an Arl is virtually the same as with a Bann, except in this case, the settlement is found inside of an Arling.
 * The Capital of a Bannorn or Arling will not have an Ealdorman, but is governed directly by the Bann or Arl.
 * In the Colonial Era, an Ealdorman would be called a "Mayor".

Bann
Bann is the governor of a Bannorn, being defined as a fortification that is not self-sustaining, or a settlement that is not incorporated into a Shire. The name comes from a time during the Imperial Era, when the office was granted as a Punishment. Often, when someone had been too ambitious or overstepped their bounds at court, the Emperor would Banish them to some remote position, where they could no longer influence the Courts.
 * It is no longer considered a punishment to be named as a Bann, and some Arlings are still ruled by a Bann, and still regarded as Bannorns out of tradition.
 * There are a few rare examples of a Bannorn turning into a remote city-state, and technically remaining Bannorns because they still are remote and distant, with no real supporting settlements to form a shire out of.
 * Even a Bann can be Lord over an Ealdorman or two without meeting the technical requirements to reform into an Arling.
 * In the Colonial Era, Bannorns are for the most part abolished and replaced with different types of settlements.

Arl
An Arl is the ruler of an Arling, which was typically just a shire, but formally defined as a mass of land that was less than two shires in size.
 * Arls would rarely rule over more than one settlement larger than a village.

Palatine
The title of Palatine exists exclusively in the early-to-mid post-imperial Era, and has largely ceased to exist beyond that point, with Palatines being reworked into actual counties or broken up and divided between neighboring entities. A Palatinate comes into existence, typically for one of two reasons - a Freehold is in the process of being converted to a County, but the local Freeholder will not give up his Freehold, thus the whole thing becomes a Palatinate, where the Palatine rules, but the Freeholder still owns all the land, or, an Earl's family sees their title pass to someone else, but still own the Freehold that exists within the Earling.
 * Most Palatines are directly related, with strong ties, to the family that originally owned the reformed Barony.
 * A Palatinate is, for all effects and purposes, a County - but the Freeholder must formally sign all decisions passed by the Palatine (a right they often largely sign away, as it is rather bothersome, due to them being forced to sign) and must be present during court sessions, at least to start them.
 * The Freeholder retains the right to live in their original holding (typically a castle), so the Palatine typically erects a Palace in the town, which is where the name comes from (Palatine -> Palace).