Gentry
The main use of titles in the Midrealms is to specify where someone is on the social hierarchy that rules everything. Mainly this revolves around Houses and their statuses as kept record of by the Family Register, but there are also titles within organisations separate from Houses, such as the Church of Rahn and less savoury organisations such as the Chamber of Shadows.
Noble Titles
People of the nobility, also known as gentry, of different Houses belong to a hierarchy based on power, standing and relation to other Houses. Ultimately, the Family Register is the final arbiter of who is right and wrong, and they have earned this power through constant attention to precisely this one task. Everyone simply trusts them in a world where almost nothing can be trusted.
In essence, everyone is part of "the gentry", insomuch it is seen as the system itself. However, clearly many people of some social classes are not considered "of the gentry" or "of nobility".
Summary of Gentry
| Title | Addressed | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | |||
| King* | Queen* | Majesty | Leader of House & Kingdom | |
| Prince | Princess | Highness | Possible heir to House & Kingdom | |
| Archduke | Archduchess | Highness | Royal family | |
| Duke | Duchess | Grace | Royal family (extended) or given | |
| Hertig | Hertigess | Lord/Lady | Border houses (more important) | |
| Jarl/Count | Jarless/Countess | Lord/Lady | Leader of a county | |
| Baron | Baroness | Lord/Lady | Majordomo/Hold/City | |
| Baronet | Baronetess | Sir/Dame | Majordomo/Smallhold | |
| Peer Knight** | Sir/Dame | Low nobility | ||
| Knight** | Sir/Dame | "Tyrospur"/"Hedge Knight" | ||
| Squire** | Mr/Mrs/Ms | Servants of Knights | ||
| Castellan/Captain | Castellan/Captain | Captain of guard | ||
| Esquire | Esquire/Sir/Dame | Near-gentry person of high standing | ||
| Freeman/Franklin/Citizen | Mr/Mrs/Ms | Land owner ranked below gentry | ||
| Villein | First name | An unfree man working the land | ||
| Cotter | First name | An unfree man with no land | ||
| Slave | First name/"slave" | An owned person with no rights | ||
| * Royal titles are bestowed upon the spouse of the actual owner of the power, but their actual rank is that of "spouse of King/Queen". ** These are required to fight, but can also perform heroic deeds to gain land and become true gentry. | ||||
Details of Gentry
- King or Queen
The titles of King and Queen are used for the heads of larger Houses that rule over a Kingdom. These are relatively small by modern standards, but these Kings and Queens demand the respect they feel they deserve. There is one Regent and one Regent's Spouse, but these are not titles used by anyone other than scholars. However, it does matter in terms of authority. The Regent has final say in all things within the kingdom, but is expected to listen to the Regent's Spouse as well as any council that the Kingdom hols. The Regent's Spouse is the second most powerful individual to the Regent and is in charge when the Regent is away, but the Regent's Spouse is generally never involved in military decisions, this is instead taken care of by the General (a military title, not a gentry title, but often held by someone in the Royal family).
The title is inherited, and there is a set priority for who will inherit the crown:
- Oldest male child of the Royal couple.
- Second oldest male child.
- And so on.
- Oldest female child of the Royal couple.
- Second oldest female child.
- And so on.
- Oldest male child of the previous Royal couple (sibling of the Regent).
- Second oldest male sibling of the previous Royal couple.
- And so on.
- Oldest female sibling of the previous Royal couple.
- Second oldest male sibling of the previous Royal couple.
- And so on.
If these don't exist, the inheritance goes to any surviving children of the previous Royal couple's children, starting with the previous Royal couple's oldest male child's male child, like above. If none of the children of the previous Royal couple had any heirs, the inheritance goes up another generation until a heir is found. The heir must have a direct lineage to a previous king.
If no heir is found, the House has ceased to exist and some of the vassal Houses takes over the crown. This can be done through an election in the council or (more commonly) a small civil war or at least show of power in the Court.
priority goes to the oldest male child of the royal couple, next is the second oldest male child and so on for all male children. Then the line continues with the female children of the couple, the oldest male sibling of the Regent, second oldest and so on, oldest female sibling, second and so on
Tyrospur
Based on the word tyro for "new soldier" and "spur" being a nickname for lower ranking knights. Spur can be used both good and bad while "tyrospur" generally has a negative connotation. "Hedge knight" is mentioned as it is a popular culture reference in the real world.