Social Classes
Life in the Sederan Empire is highly stratified. Every single person belongs to a rank, and that rank sits somewhere in a hierarchy that is determined largely by how much land one owns. This ranking can be broken down into three distinct categories: Royalty, Nobility, Gentry and Commoners.
Royalty
At the absolute top of the hierarchy are the royal clans, who claim to trace their ancestry back to the time of the Great Inception. They rule over nearly ever aspect of life in the Sederan Empire, and their positions are entirely hereditary.
| Title (female / male / ungendered) | Description | Form of Address |
|---|---|---|
| High Queen / High King / High Crown | The highest authority in the land, to whom all else must answer. | Her Imperial Majesty, High Queen Name / "Your Imperial Majesty" |
| Queen / King / Crown | Has sovereign rule over a Realm, although must ultimately still answer to the High Queen. | Her Majesty, Queen Name / "Your Majesty" |
| Crown Princess / Crown Prince / Crown Prix | The next-in-line to inherit the throne. | Her Royal Highness, The Crown Princess Name of Place / "Your Highness" |
| Princess Royal / Prince Royal / Prix Royal | The eldest child of a ruling King. Due to matrilineal succession, usually not next-in-line for the Throne. | Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal Name of Place / "Your Highness" |
| Princess / Prince / Prix | The child of the High or Lesser Crowns, past or present. | Her Royal Highness, Princess Name of Place / "Your Highness" |
Nobility
The Nobility oversee the lands on behalf of the Crowns. Their positions are hereditary and their ranks are generally closed to outsiders.
| Title (female / male / ungendered) | Description | Form of Address |
|---|---|---|
| Duchess / Duke / Dux | Rules over a large subsection of a Realm, called a Duchy, on behalf of her Queen. | Her Grace, the Duchess of Place / "Your Grace" |
| Countess / Count / Comte | Rules over a smaller subsection of a Duchy. Handles administrative matters and collects taxes on behalf of her Duchess. | Her Ladyship, Countess (of) Place / "Your Ladyship" |
| Baroness / Baron / Baronet | A title created by a Duke or Sovereign in order to ennoble a commoner or grant a title to a noble child who would otherwise not inherit. | Her Ladyship, Baroness (of) Place / "Your Ladyship" |
| Lady / Lord / Laird | One of noble birth who does not have any title or lands. | The Lady Name of Place / "My Lady" |
Gentry
The Gentry includes those not of noble rank but of high social standing. They fall, in order:
| Rank | Description | Form of Address |
|---|---|---|
| Knight (all genders) | A non-noble title of extremely high standing, that can be granted only by a Sovereign, usually for military service. Both nobility and non-nobility can acquire this title. | Sir Name, Knight of Order |
| Clergy | Those who work within the Draganic Faith. Those of high standing are considered "as like" nobility, and treated with the same reverence. | Varies, see Clergy. |
| Merchants | Those who own and operate their own business, selling some sort of goods for money. | Mr./Ms./Mx. Name |
| Professionals | Doctors, lawyers, artists, clerks. Those who are experts in a field that required years of learning and is seen of value to the Empire. | Based on profession. |
Commoners
Finally there is the broadest base: the commoners.
| Rank | Description | Form of Address |
|---|---|---|
| Servants | Those who work in the household of a noble clan or for the Gentry. | Varies depending on position. |
| Peasants | Those who are not tied to a plot of land nor beholden to a liege, but do not own land or have any other particular standing. | Usually just by Name |
| Serfs | Serfs work a small plot of land for the noble who earns it. They are allowed to live and subsist off the land in exchange for their labour, but are generally not allowed to "quit" and go find work elsewhere without express permission of the land's owner. | Usually just by Name |
| Outcasts | The lowest of the low in Sederan society. This includes criminals, heretics, oathbreakers, the clanless, and others who are not in good standing in their community. | None. |