Slight bit about the Duchy:

[Porkolt]

In nobility, a Duke outranks a Count. So Duke Trenada would actually be more important than Count Senuspur.
 
Which, though possible because of spoilers, seems highly unlikely!

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

Noble titles always confused me.

However, for the purposes here, I'd assume the count is higher ranking. :(

[Oskar Maxon]

The RL ranking between such titles has never really mattered in the efu setting.

[BrittanyPanthas]

The real equivalent of the Count's power would be 'Prince' or 'King'.

He may have a very good IC reason for not taking such a title due to what would be expected of a man claiming either title in the Shrouded Isles.

[Howlando]

Definitely some very ic reasons for this. IC'ly the tradition is that only one who wears the Crown of the Isles may declare themselves king of Ymph, so the Count - in the absence of the crown - simply retains the family title (for now...)

This should be fairly well know ic so do not mind spoiling.

Also - The Count sounds badass.

[Porkolt]

Well, I can see how the Count is -technically- a prince/king. However, to make official appointments that would imply the same officially, even though he's officially not, well, that just doesn't make much sense to me.

[Dash]

He wears the pants.

[derfo]

uh it's a game

[Porkolt]

BUT I WANT FULL IMMERSION DAMMIT

[Iron Oligarch]

By the rules of ennoblement, can the Count endow a ducal title? No, but who will tell the Count "no" (except for the Heralds on mainland Faerun, but given how little interaction there is between the Isles and the mainland, and how undermanned the Heralds are anyway, that won't happen anytime soon)? Realistically, the Count can do (and has done, see Sharboneth's dissolution!) anything he wants by force of arms alone.

[Canzah]

Also - The Count sounds badass.

This.

[Caddies]

Its a make believe world. In this case Count > Duke. Its not a big deal.

[Luke Danger]

Noble titles vary nation to nation, plane of reality to plane of reality.

[Drakill Tannan]

Emperor sounds even more baddas IMO, and it outranks anything but god.

[Luke Danger]

Except in Japan, where the Emporer was revered like a Living God.

But that's another story :P