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 Greyhawk: Titles and Forms of Address

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Aloddaharm

Aloddaharm


Posts : 1938
Join date : 2009-09-24
Age : 45
Location : Nessus, Ninth Layer of Hell

Greyhawk: Titles and Forms of Address Empty
PostSubject: Greyhawk: Titles and Forms of Address   Greyhawk: Titles and Forms of Address EmptySun Aug 28, 2011 10:25 am

Below is a list of titles of nobility, religious figures, knights, and commoners and the generic forms of address. These rules are specifically for Oerth and may be different in other parts of the multiverse. The order in which the titles are described are from the highest rank to lowest. I mentioned that these addresses are generic, since some leaders have their unique forms of address to better describe their position. These are not listed here, but are easy to discover by either asking attendants, observing how others address the person in question, and through a Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check.

Many of the ranks presented here are based on noble ranks, which are usually direct reflections of the amount of land and people they govern. The knight ranks are used in all of the knightly orders across the Flaness and the last ranks are really used to respected commoners. The knightly ranks and commoner ranks are described underneath this list.

Emperor/Empress, Overking/Overqueen: Your Imperial Majesty
King/Queen: Your Majesty
Prince/Princess: Your Highness or Your Noble Grace
Duke/Duchess: Your Grace
Archcleric, Matriarch/Patriarch: Your Royal Highness
Margrave, Marquis/Marchioness, Marquise: Your Nobleness, or Your Nobility
Earl, Count/Countess, Graf, Plar: Your Eminence
Viscount/Viscountess: Your Noble Lordship/Ladyship
Baron/Baroness: Your Prominence
Lord Mayor: Your Lordship/Your Ladyship
Knight Commander: Most Honorable Sir/Lady
Knight Banneret: Right Honorable Sir/Lady
Mayor: Honorable Worship
Knight/Lady Champion: Most Worthy Sir/Lady
Knight/Lady Bachelor: Worthy Sir/Lady
Cleric, Priest: Mother/Father
Knight/Lady: Sir/My Lady
Elder: Honorable Master/Mistress
Gentlemen/Gentlewoman: Master/Mistress
Esquire: Squire
Yeoman: Socman/Socwoman

Knight/Lady:
This is the rank given to a Knight who was just inducted into an order. Such a knight may command a troop or platoon in a standing army, but has little authority beyond that.

Knight/Lady Bachelor:
This is the next rank up the ladder of any order. Such a knight has shown impressive leadership skills and a noble has chosen to sponsor the knight with a larger command. The knight can now be given command of a troop up to a company. This company, however, is owned by the noble that sponsors the knight. The troops do not belong to the knight.

Knight/Lady Champion:
A Knight Bachelor that shows exceptional leadership skills and loyalty to the noble who had sponsored him can become that noble's champion. Such a knight pledges his fealty to the noble and can command the noble's entire standing army in the noble's stead. Also, the knight, with the noble's permission, can conscript the commoners in the noble's lands.

Knight Banneret:
Sometimes a knight breaks away from a noble sponsor, or is a landowning noble in his own right. Such knights rise from Knight Bachelor to Knight Banneret. This knights have their own troops, at least a company (300 men/women) and own land. They ride into combat with their personal banner and answer only to the Knight Commanders or their order.

Knight Commander:
These knights are the highest ranking members of any knighthood. They command the knighthood and must be of noble lineage and own their lands. They have their personal armies and can request additional troops from nobles they are allied with. In time of war they answer directly to the leading nobles in the lands they serve, usually Dukes or Kings. However, sometimes the Knight Commanders may hold also noble ranks up to Duke within large lands.

Elder:
This is a title given to commoners that have done well for themselves. These individuals are usually older and have a strong reputation among the populace in a given locale. They tend to have successful trades and own a small amount of land. The title is more out of reputation and they may not have any lawmaking ability. However, this is not always the case; several towns along the Wild Coast have a Council of Elders instead of noble titles (as their town is without noble lineage). This is also common amongst frontier towns or the cities of the Yeomanry. This title is also used amongst barbarian and nomadic tribes to address their leaders.

Gentleman/Gentlewoman:
Similar to Elders, this rank is resigned to non-landowning businessmen. These people, while not nobles with land, can reach prominent importance in the cities where they do business. Guild members and Guild leaders tend to be powerful Gentlemen worthy of the title.

Esquire:
This is the title to the heir of a strong business. They carry the father's or mother's name and plan on inheriting the family business. This title is mostly a nod of respect. Esquire's usually have little power in the business world, but they can have a strong reputation based on their actions before they take over.

Yeoman:
These are commoners who have succeeded quite well in their trade. They may own a small parcel of land and are well respected within their community. These leaders usually take on many apprentices and journeymen who wish to learn the trade from a master. A special note of consideration is that the nation of Yeomanry was built on the backbone of commoners. The title is given much more respect there as it was the commoners who pushed for the democratic government they now have.









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