Gentry
This lower caste of nobility includes the gentleborn of nobles
who lack heritable title (ex. baron,earl,etc) In other words, generally
the first generation sons/daughters of knights. Squires are also included
in this grouping.
- Gentry are not entitled to bear chivalric arms without permission from someone
with the right to do so. In other words, the knight or peer who is their
sponsor or parent
- Gentry are entitled to the use of heraldic devices/signets
- Gentry are one step in station above freemen, any breach of rank versus gentry
had best be severe in order to be pressed (resulting in injury, or loss of
reputation, for example)
- Gentry are subject to the same laws as commoners
- The status of gentry is not shared by marriage, and is lost in the second
generation unless a further patent of nobility is attained (ex. the son of a
knight is gentry, the son of gentry is common)
Form of Address:
Male - Mister <LastName> [Master if under 21]
Female - Miss <LastName> [Mistress if under 21]
Squire - Squire <FirstName> [regardless of sex]
Ex. "Are you ready to depart, Mister Ethasiel?"
Note: The usage of Mister/Miss will generally make use of last name for gentry
in Harshlands, you should have to be someone in order to rate a Mr. in front of
your name, gentry, squired, non-commissioned military, or at least a prominent
guild member. Regular nobodies should be just "Nobody of
<Hometown>" or "Nobody of <Occupation>" or
"Nobody LastName"
Knights
This middle caste of nobility includes knights both bachelor
and baronet, created either by subinfeudation from greater lords or by
knighting.
- Knights are invested with the right to bear chivalric arms
- Knights are entitled to the use of heraldic devices/signets
- Knights are set apart from freemen by the possession of a patent of nobility,
commoners who are too common in their treatment of a knight may be in breach of
their rank
- Knights are not generally liable for misdemeanor offenses
- Knighthood is not shared by marriage, but the patent of nobility is, a
knight's wife is considered "a knight's lady" and is addressed with a
courtesy "Lady <name>" and are otherwise the same in rights as
above with exception to chivalric arms which are only at the permission of her
husband (this would technically be vice-versa for a female knight and her
husband as well, he would be "Sir <name>" and rights the same)
- Offspring of knights are gentry (see first entry)
Form of Address:
Male - Sir <FirstName> {yes/no, sir}
Female - Dame <FirstName> {yes/no, ma'am}
Heir Apparent* - Sir/Dame <LastName> {as above}
* - assumes addresser knows its the heir apparent, it cannot be assumed that
everyone would so omission is not an insult
Example: "Sir Varrius, are you ready to depart, sir?"
"Dame Wilma, are you ready to eat now ma'am?"
Lords
This grouping is generally made up of knights (see above) so
this will be a brief entry, however there are gentry who sometimes rise to this
position without obtaining knighthoood.
- Lords have all the rights of Knights above
- Lords have the additional right to build fortified structures and recruit a
reasonably-sized force of men-at-arms, which knights do not
- Lordship is a shared patent, the wife of a lord is "Lady
<name>" should he become deceased she will become the principle
fiefholder provided it is a heritable grant (knight-baronet) rather than an
assigned post (knight-banneret/bachelor)
- Offspring are gentry (see first entry) unless/until they inherit the fief from
a parent who holds a heritable grant
Form of Address:
Male - Lord <LastName>/<FiefName> {yes/no, my lord}
Female - Lady <LastName>/<FiefName> {yes/no, my lady}
Note: Personal acquaintances can get away with using the first name instead,
however, should an unknown person overhear such usage and adopt it themselves
they are liable to be quickly corrected on it. Also, depending on occasion
the use of the familial last name or the fiefhold are virtually interchangeable,
for the example of Sir Tarmas Verdeth, Lord of Ternua:
"Lord Verdeth" and "Lord Ternua" are both acceptable, as
would "Sir Tarmas" be to his friends
Peers
This grouping includes nobles with heritable titles by
birth (baron, earl), as opposed to those who have obtained a single heritable
fief by deed/subinfeudation (knight-baronet). Generally members of this group
hold more than one fief.
- Peers have all the rights of Lords/Knights above
- Peers may organize their men-at-arms in orderial fashion with consent of the
Crown
- Peers may subinfeudate their holdings at will, with or without consent of the
Crown
- Peers are exempt from most taxes except their feudal obligation to their liege
- Peers are not generally liable for any offenses but state
- Peerage is a shared patent, husband to wife, and vice-versa
- Offspring hold heritable noble patent, they are "Lord/Lady <FirstName>"
until they inherit then "Lord/Lady <LastName>"
Forms of Address:
Male - Baron <LastName/FiefName> {yes/no, my lord}
- Earl {as above}- {as above}
Female - Baroness {as above} {yes/no, my lady}
- Countess {as above} {as above}
Example: "Would Your Lordship care for a drink?"
"Are you ready to retire, my lady?"
Note: They are all "Lordship/Ladyship" just like Lords, so "My
Lord, My Lady, Your Lordship/Ladyship" are all acceptable as well as
whatever their specific title is, in fact in intimate speech Lord/Lady is
preferable over Baron/Baroness
Royalty
This grouping has members of the royal house only,
so there’s little to say here, they run the kingdom.
- Royalty are inviolate by law, laying hands upon a royal without express
consent is punishable by immediate death
- Royalty may organize military forces, build fortifications, and employ
heraldic devices as they see fit
- Royalty are above the law with exception to acts against whichever of their
house is wearing the crown
Forms of Address:
Male - His Majesty <Title><LastName> {yes/no your
majesty/highness/sire}
Female - Her Majesty <Title><LastName> {as above}
Example: "Your Majesty, shall I assemble your escort, sire?"
Patricians/Equestrians
This grouping contains members of the most prominent
houses of the Thardan Republic, they operate on a patron/client system that is
not totally dissimilar to feudality but it is not the same either.
An Equestrian would be the equal of a knight in the feudal system, while
patrician would describe a higher order generally equal to peerage in feudality.
However, in Harshlands the whole "nobility" of Tharda may be generally
thought of as patrician.
- Patricians have similar rights to Knights
- Patricians may only marry other patricians in strict legal terms, however
sometimes a freeman/citizen is taken as a wife or husband with appropriate
gratuities
- Patrician status is not shared to foreigners by marriage, though they are
considered honorary citizens
- Offspring are patrician if both parents Thardan, considered freemen if not
Forms of Address:
Male - <Title> <FirstName> {yes/no, sir}
Female - <Title> <FirstName> {yes/no, sir}
Alternately - Citizen <FirstName>
Note: All members of this class are still considered citizens so it is not an
insult to refer to them that way. With Senators however it would be wiser
to refer to them as "Senator <name>" or even "Patrician
<name>" rather than Citizen
Also note that in Tharda "sir" is reference only to rank not sex, so
answering "yes, sir" to an order issued by a woman would be acceptable
as well
Clergy
This grouping isn't noble generally, though some are, but I'm including
it for sake of completeness. It includes any circled member of a clerical order
in good standing.
- Clergy have the same rights as freemen
- Clergy may be entitled to the use of orderial colors and standards
- Clergy are generally exempt from most taxes, and cannot be pressed into
military service in wartime, nor into serfdom
- Clergy are not generally liable for misdemeanor offenses
Forms of Address:
Male - Brother/Father/Deacon/Priest [depending on rank]
Female - Sister/Matron/Deacon/Priestess [depending on rank]
Note: Most clerical orders have specific in-house titles for the various ranks,
outsiders may use the above if unsure of those titles. High ranking clergy may
be addressed with "Your Grace" or "Your Emminence" though
generally only equivalent to Bishops or above.
Other Notes
A word on the usage of "gentleman". This is not a title in
Harshlands, but it is not ignoble either, it infers a certain status on whomever
is being referred to, and should generally be thought of as a compliment
indicating that the described party has "noble bearing" or traits that
are akin to nobility even if they are not nobility themselves.
For example, a wealthy guildsman might refer to an assembly of his fellows
"Gentlemen, are we ready to eat?" and nothing of that could be
construed as breach of rank except by the most tyrannical lord (who would be
promptly laughed out of the local constable's office if he brought charges over
it)
In some cases though it will be used in usually indirect reference to a noble,
especially the lower orders thereof. For example an innkeeper troubled by the
conduct of some gentleborn youth in his establishment might remark "Now
what do you think you're doing there, young gentleman?!"
A word on announcing or "introductions". Depending on the
company present and the formality of the occasion a noble may be introduced a
number of ways, for peers who hold a title like Baron or Earl this would most
probably take the form of their courtesy title, followed by the <FirstName>
then <Title><LastName> for example:
"His Lordship Troda, Earl Dariune" especially so in functions amongst
other nobility where the first names are desirable to be known. For lesser
nobility it is poor form to follow a courtesy title (generally Lord) with
another "Lord" so that is abandoned in favor of a more simple <FirstName><Title><LastName>
"Byron, Lord Bjornsson" for example.
Again, depending on the occasion, positions may follow the name:
"Banden, Lord Tilvail, Serolan of the Most Holy Order of the Spear of
Shattered Sorrow"
A word on "correspondence". There are no hard and fast rules,
most nobility will sign personal correspondence with their title name ex:
"Lord Ternua" while official correspondence may include the full <FirstName>
<LastName>, <Position> thing ex:
"Sir Tarmas Verdeth, Lord Ternua"
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