The next rank is the donal. Donals commonly have title-estates on the order of 500 to 1000 acres, although some smaller ones and a few larger ones do occur; donals or their families frequently have additional non-title lands and are commonly fairly wealthy. Lesser important members of the family may be ranked as do- or don-comars and don-tirals. All of the behavior restrictions and expectations of the lower ranks apply to the donal. Further, the holder of the title and honor of donal is expected to be literate (not essential at lower ranks, although it is unusual to find a wholly illiterate citizen of the Empire) and socially adept. As a large landowner, a donal often has tenants and a numerous dependency; s/he is expected to take good care of them and to make available whatever training they can benefit from, to protect them from bandits and the like, and to succor them in times of disaster. These expectations hold whether the donal is quite wealthy or relatively poor--it is a question of honor rather than of financial capability. It has happened more than once that a donal has beggared himself and his family to aid his other dependents; in such a case, however, it is not unusual for the same dependents, when back on their feet, to turn around and aid their donal in regaining his solvency--that is a question of THEIR honor. It is extremely unusual for any non-noble to be jumped straight to the rank of donal, but this MAY be done by the Emperor, Lords Governor of provinces, Commanders of the Sun Legion, and priests of Mantor of the Seventh Illumination or higher; for this purpose, a liran is regarded as being a commoner. The ennoblement must be justified before the Council of High Lords. A nobleman of the rank of donal or above who does not marry and produce heirs, thus providing more members of his presumably valuable lineage to serve the Empire in the future is regarded as unusual and, as time passes, will be increasingly censured by his peers and superiors.

A donal is privileged to raise a hundred men in the defense of the province, and is given the rank of major in the Provincial Army. He may, of course, to save money or simply because he doesn't HAVE the money to raise, equip, and pay one hundred men, raise fewer than this number. The presence of troops raised by the lower-ranking tirals and comars of the area may add considerably to the troops at his command. HOWEVER, the tirals and comars are not required to merge their troops with his; they may hold their forces separate in the defense of the province if they choose to do so. Generally, the failure of the lower ranked nobles to place their troops under the command of a higher ranking noble is taken by others to indicate a dissatisfaction with the military skill or other traits of personality of the higher ranked noble; it is considered something to be ashamed of, and it may lead to an examination of the scorned lord's fitness to bear his family's honor.