The Cargan Empire has irrevocably changed feudalism in those countries that
were formerly part of it (Clemencia and the Free Kingdoms).
The two key changes compared to the days of ethnarcs and mage-lords is that modern society is relatively urbanized, and is economy is relatively money-based. The plagues and wars that gradually broke apart the old Empire hampered trade, but never shut it down, and the cities are the centres of trade, local and long-distance. Hence, the patricians (city-based nobles) remain the greatest powers of the land.
Modern Ymirean feudalism is a mixture of vassalage (infeudation), clientage and offices.
Vassalage is the original feudal structure. Nobles receive grants of land (fiefs) from a greater noble (a liege or suzerain), and vow fealty to him, becoming his vassals.
Vassals have the right to collect taxes, fines and amercements from their subjects. Part of their earnings must be given to their liege, however, and they must also facilitate the collection of such special taxes, fines and amercements as he desires from his entire realm (a king's head tax and salt tax, for instance).
While most fiefs were once non-hereditary, most nobles have gained the right to let a son inherit the position as vassal. Most manorial knights and bannerets lack this right in theory, but are still usually permitted to let a son take their place as their liege's vassal.
Vassals may grant part of their fief to lesser nobles, infeuding them.
A major problem with infeudation is that most vassals see no particular reason to hold fiefs from only one liege, leading to conflicted loyalties and some bizarre cases where noble A is the liege of noble B, whom is the liege of noble C, whom is the liege of noble A...
Furthermore clientage tends to confuse loyalties further.
Clientage is as old as vassalage, but in the Cargan empire it came to replace infeudation. In the Free Kingdoms and Clemencia today, clientage is considered less important than feudal bonds, but is still a significant force in society and politics.
Whereas infeudation divides people into vassals and lieges, clientage classes them as clients and patrons.
Most noble families cultivate a following of clients, mainly nobles but in many cases commoners as well. Clients are given gifts, favours, pensions, titles, benefices, sinecures, etc by their patrons, and are expected to give their loyalty and service in return.
For instance, knights bachelor are technically clients rather than vassals of their lord.
Clients may in their turn be patrons of clients of their own. However, it would be most unusual if a client managed to become the patron of his patron's patron - clientage is more linear than vassalage.
Though it be more linear, clientage is far more confused than vassalage. All people of importance cultivate clients feverently, and the unwary or greedy may quickly find that they owe favours or service to parties with contrary interests.
Clientage structures the political "blocks" of a country, and lets the great houses maintain a relatively solid block of followers who will follow their lead. The king is the greatest patron of all, and is also patron to the members of the great houses.
Offices have come to be of comparable importance to fiefdoms. In particular, the royal offices of bailli and coroner, as well as the high offices of the court, but also lesser offices such as judge or tax collector, offer great wealth and respect. These offices are still non-hereditary, and are used by the crown to cultivate choice clients.
Sacral offices, most importantly bishoprics, may be as rich in income as fiefs, and are free of the kings taxes. Appointment to these offices is influenced but not controlled by the crown, and maneuvering for sacral offices is a prime arena of noble clientage and politicking.