Sythyry — Here, it is historical. Heroes and wizards get to be powerful people because they do good and important things and everyone wants to honor them and/or be under their protection. Their heirs continue to be powerful people, and rich usually, whether they are heroes and wizards or not. Those people are our nobility.

Speaking, of course, as the grandchild of someone very very important whose deeds I will never in ten thousand years be able to match.