Norandor
The Social Order

Norandon Society

Norandor is a patriarchal society that operates under a strict feudal system. Women have few rights and the poor have even less. Norandons believe in an unmutable social hierarchy that ascends from the lowliest peasant to the king and then to the gods. The king is seen as a direct descendent of Uros (even though he isn't) and as such he is the only force on Iourn with the authority to keep the churches in check. The King of Norandor is given a great deal of respect by other nations of Urova because of this one fact, and most of the moon faiths consider him to be a great prophet. Of all the secular rulers in the world, the King of Norandor is the only figure that the eighteen churches listen to seriously.

Feudalism itself is based upon the principle that service is given to one's lord in return for land grants (known as fiefs). This applies universally throughout society, so a serf would be in the service of the local knight, who might in turn be in service to a count, who was in service to a marquess or was in service to a duke who is in service to the king. A duke is only granted his duchy for as long as he administers it for the king and pays the king tribute. In the same way a serf only has his land for as long as he works well in the service of his knight.

The whole of feudal society (from the highest to the lowest) is listed below. However, things are not as simple as they might first appear.

King (Queen)

Absolute ruler of all Norandor. His word is law and woe befalls any who disobey him. The king's authority is derived from Uros himself who is seen as the First King of Norandor, regardless of the fact that he never held the title. This relationship also means that the Norandon King occupies a position of authority in the religions of the moon gods. He is seen as a prophet by most of the faiths, and all religions are represented at the King's court. The primary duty of the king is to maintain the peace between the nobles and the churches, and to protect the country from threats. In practice, because Norandor is such a vast country, authority is devolved down into the nobility who are granted the right to raise taxes in return for managing the land and returning a hefty portion of the money they raise to the crown. The queen is an honorific title given to the king's wife. As no woman may own land, the queen cannot rule in her husband's stead. Neither can a woman become queen by hereditary succession, even if she is the only heir.

Duke (Duchess)

There are twelve important duchies in Norandor (see list below), each ruled by a duke. The duke basically takes the role of king within his particular duchy. He is ultimately answerable to the crown, but is gifted with a great deal of latitude in running his own affairs. Dukes subdivide their duchy into counties to smooth the running of the domain. The wife of a duke is called a duchess, but a duchess cannot rule a duchy in her own right.

Marquess (Marchioness)

The marquess is the next step down from a duke. The marquess fills several roles in the feudal order. He often aids the duke in the overall running of a duchy, in which case he has no land of his own to speak of, but is a personage of great power within the duke's court. Alternatively, the marquess will have his own lands (his marquessate) within a duchy, operating much in the way a count does a county and paying tribute to the duke. In some cases, however, marquessates are autonomous regions outside the twelve duchies that pay tribute directly to the king. In any event, the marquess defers to the authority of the duke. The wife of a marquess is called a marchioness - she may not hold any land in her own right.

Count (Countess)

Counts are rulers of the counties that exist within a duchy. They are answerable directly to their duke and are responsible for managing the county in the same way that duke is responsible for managing his duchy. The count's wife is called a countess. She may not own land or exercise power in her own right. There are literally hundreds of counties in Norandor as each of the duchies is divided up many times over into these smaller administrative units. The average size of a county is approximately 800 square miles, compared with the 6,000,000 square miles that make up Norandor.

Viscount (Viscountess)

Viscounts do not own any land beyond their large estates. They are advisors and aids to counts in their ruling of a county. The viscount is in every respect the count's deputy. There is usually no more than one viscount in a county, but there may be more if the county is particularly large or populace.

Baron (Baroness)

The baron rules a barony. These baronies are always within the boundaries of a duchy or (occasionally) an autonomous marquessate and the baron answers directly to the duke. He is, however, of a lesser social rank than a count and as such he shows great respect for counts and viscounts. On occasion, the barony may actually be part of a county and the baron finds himself answering to his count before his duke.

Baronet (Lady Baronet)

A baronet is simply the term for an hereditary knight. Knights who have performed great work for the king may be created baronets and given land (usually belonging to another noble). Only a king can make a baronet, and only from a knight of the crown. He cannot create a knight who has the title because he is a paladin, for example. Very occasionally, female baronets (Lady Baronets) are created who hold their title on the female side. In these cases their husbands are considered a knight. The creation of a Lady baronet is extremely rare.

Knight (Lady)

Knight (Lady) At the bottom of the Norandon social ladder is the knight. Knight is a catch-all term that refers to individuals knighted by the king as well as those who have acquired the title through membership of a organisation such as a paladin. Knights of the crown are usually accorded more status and respect at court than a religious knight. Knights, as well as baronets above, will have land and will be usually responsible for a town and its environs. They can raises taxes which they pay directly to their liege-lord, the local count. The only true difference between a knight and a baronet is that the title of a knight dies with the current generation.

Serfs and Free Tenants

The services that serfs perform for their lord is limited by law and by custom. Serfs usually hold small holdings in return for rent and labour. The main difference between serfs and free tenants is that free tenants are able to plead in the royal courts. They can over the heads of their immediate lord to settle a grievance. Serfs are banned from the royal courts and may only raise their problems with their own lord (who may well be the cause of the problem in the first place). As a result serfs are 'attached to the soil'. They have no way of going anywhere and no way to escape. Lords can give a serf of a Grant of Manumission to make him into a Free Tenant. In reality, most knights are good to their tenants and villages that adventurers visit are the traditional centres of society with their alehouse and their church. Lords that mistreat those under their care are not looked favourably upon by the monarchy, or the powerful churches.

The Dispossessed

The dispossessed are those people who are not in the indentured service of a Lord. Though they do not technically rank below the level of a serf, these individuals do not own land of their own and do now have the protection of a lord. Travelling entertainers, and many adventurers when they start their career are seen as the dispossessed. Many serfs and other indentured servants are suspicious of them, seeing them as spongers and beggars.

Slaves

Thanks to the Justician Church and the wisdom of the most recent kings the open practice of slavery is illegal in Norandor. However, individuals who have been found guilty of a crime may be reduced to the status of a slave. Slaves have absolutely no rights within the law. They will do what they are told and if they do not then they can be killed with no hesitation or repercussions.

Correct Form

One of the most important things to remember when addressing the aristocracy is to get their titles right. They do so hate it when you make a mistake, and narking off a duke or marquess should be right there at the bottom of a your list, along with 'disembowel myself with a soup ladle'.

Note that most nobles will have more than one title. Anton Devries, the Duke of Kemelicus, is also the Marquess of Kemelicus, the Count of Sorgar, the Baron of Horann and the Knight of Sieswich. When in doubt always address the noble by his most important title. Calling this man Sir Anton when he is a duke would be nothing short of an insult. The general terms used for the aristocracy in Norandor are as follows:

Monarch: Kings and Queens are referred to as "Your Majesty" or as "Your Royal Highness". You might refer to the monarch as King Yaddagon in conversation, but it's not a title you use in conversation.

Dukes: Both dukes and duchesses are referred as "Your Grace". They may also be called, for example, the Duke of Kemelicus but not to their face.

Marquess: The Marquess is referred to as "My Lord"; a marchioness as "My Lady". Marquesses may also use the name of the marquessate as their title. The Marquess of Hanilly could also be referred to as Lord Hanilly, but never the Lord of Hanilly.

Count: The Count is referred to as "My Lord"; a countess as "My Lady". Like a Marquess they can take the name of their county as a title. The Count of Sorgar can be called Lord Sorgar.

Viscount: The viscount is referred to as "My Lord"; a viscountess as "My Lady".

Baron: The baron is referred to as "My Lord"; a baroness as "My Lady". Like a marquess a baron can take name of his barony as a title.

Baronet and Knights: A knight or baronet is referred to as "Sir". His wife is called "My Lady". Female baronets are also called "Lady".

Correct Form for Children

The titles of the head of a noble family a easy to get one's head around, but what about the titles given to the children? These children are nobles in their own right, and are entitled to almost as much respect as their father. The principles governing the titles of the children of nobles are listed below. Any individuals, nephews, cousins and the like not specifically mentioned below have no title at all.

Children of the Monarch: The children and the grandchildren of the monarch carry the titles of Prince or Princess depending on their gender and should be addressed as "Your Highness". The sons and grandsons may also inherit additional titles at the discretion of the king. However, none of these additional titles (even that of duke) would be of greater than Prince, and so that is the title they are most widely known by: Prince followed by the forename. The late heir to the Norandon throne was known as Prince Erinsor.

Children of Dukes or Marquesses: In the cases of these nobles, the eldest son takes the father's second title as long as it isn't the same as his father's. For example, the eldest son of the Duke of Kemelicus is Iltilmus Devries. He is entitled to use his father's second title. But the second title is the Marquess of Kemelicus. If he took that title then both he and his father would carry the title "Kemelicus" (which would be confusing). He therefore takes the next title down, that of the Count of Sorgar. Iltilmus' title is therefore the Count of Sorgar, or (more usually) Lord Sorgar. The younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses are entitled to place "Lord" in front of their full name. Iltilmus' younger brother, Zerrel, is properly known as Lord Zerrel Devries. All daughters are known as "Lady" followed by their full name. Iltilmus' sister Sophia is properly called Lady Sophia Devries. She would retain this title if she married. To further complicate matters, the eldest son of an eldest son takes the grandfather's next most important title. Iltilmus has a son called Richard. He takes his grandfather (Anton Devries') next title. Richard Devries is therefore the Baron of Horann - or more commonly, Lord Horann.

Children of Counts: The eldest son of a count follows the same procedure as the eldest son of a duke or marquess (see above). However, the younger sons are referred to as "The Honourable" followed by their full name. Daughters of counts are named in the same manner as daughters of dukes or marquesses. They retain this title if they marry.

Children of Viscounts, Barons, Baronets and Knights: All children of viscounts and barons take the title of "The Honourable". This title even applies to women due to some bizarre historical twist that no-one can remember. The children of baronets and knights have no titles of their own. The eldest son of a baronet will inherit the title "Sir" on the death of his father.

Succession

The principles of succession initially sound simple, but it does not take long to realise that they are more complicated than one could possibly imagine. This section takes the briefest look at the issues that surround the problem of succession and looks at the contenders for the Norandon throne.

Succession is the passing on of a title to the next generation. In Norandor the title is always passed to the eldest son, then to the eldest son of the eldest son and so on. This individual is called the heir. If a duke had seven sons, only the eldest one would be his heir. The duke dies and the eldest son inherits. When that son himself dies, it would be his eldest son (the original duke's grandson) who would inherit the title. Younger sons of the nobility do not get a look in. Daughters can never inherit a title in their own right regardless of their age.

That sounds simple enough until the title-holder dies and there is no heir. Perhaps the noble has no male children, or perhaps he has outlived them. In this event the title passes sideways to the noble's brother. If the noble has more than one brother then it is the eldest brother that inherits the title. What if the noble has no brothers? In this event the order of succession climbs a generation looking for an heir. The noble's father is dead (otherwise the noble wouldn't have had his title in the first place) but the father's brothers may still be alive. If the noble has no brothers of his own then the succession passes to the oldest surviving uncle. If there are no uncles then it passes to the oldest surviving great-uncle. Only if there are no surviving heirs in the previous generations does the succession look for an heir among the latest generation.

So, to recap: the noble has died. He has no heirs and no surviving brothers, uncles or great uncles for the title to pass to. Assuming the noble had brothers originally (and they are dead) succession will pass to the eldest son of the noble's eldest brother. The brother is dead, but his son (the original noble's nephew) can now inherit the title. If the original noble didn't have any brothers at all, or if all his brother's nephews are also dead, then the order of succession has reached a bit of a sticky point.

From now on succession gets really, really complicated and is completely open to interpretation. It is not unheard of for titles to pass to cousins, second cousins or indeed anyone who is in even a faint relation. Succession will never pass directly to a woman, but it might pass to a husband. In circumstances such as this, it is common for the title to pass to the husband of the original noble's eldest surviving daughter. However, there is nothing written in stone, and many individuals might seek to back-up a perceived 'legitimate' claim with force of arms. If no heir can be found then the title may simply die. Any title can be allowed to die in this way except that of king. There must always be a king.

In appendum, there is one further nuance that bears mentioning: Nobles can have their titles upgraded during their lives. For example, if the Marquess of Hanilly is raised to the status of a duke he becomes the Duke of Hanilly. His sons will inherit the new title and will also be dukes. However, if he dies with no heir and the succession moves sideways to his brother (or anyone else as noted above) they will only inherit the original title of Marquess. The new title of duke can only be passed from father to son and not from brother to brother until it has been confirmed by one hereditary generation.

The Crisis of Succession in Norandor

By the summer of 204, the Norandon court is in crisis. The current king, Yaddagon XIV, is old and failing fast; he is not expected to live past Midsummer. Unfortunately the king has no heir. Although originally the father of several children he has outlived them all except the Princess Celestine. Celestine is now ten years old, is unmarried and cannot assume the throne in her own right. To exacerbate matters, Yaddagon was the only son of King Jarvokkl. He has no brothers and has out-lived all his uncles. There is no clear line of succession to the throne.

There are several options open to the people of Norandor. None of them are perfect, and the wrangling over the decision could tear the country apart. The matter of who will succeed Yaddagon is a topic of popular discussion, not only at court, but also in the alehouses of the city.

Celestine's husband: Many consider this to be the best idea, although it is rather scuppered by the fact that Celestine has no husband. As a result many suitors are currently plighting their troth in her general direction; even Alberdark is being urged to propose to the woman. However, Celestine is no spring-chicken and is unlikely to ever produce an heir. If she married and her husband became king, it would only delay the crisis for a few years at most. Celestine marrying would be the popular choice and please the peasants.

Jeolin of Neverton: So far down the social ladder he doesn't even have a title, Jeolin claims to be Yaddagon's third cousin. This has been verified as true. Traditionalists say he should have the throne. But Jeolin is a nonentity with no power base and no support. He doesn't have the charisma to hold country together.

Ralyon Artursi: A popular and flamboyant aristocrat, Ralyon is Yaddagon's fourth cousin. Not as legitimate an heir as Jeolin, but he has flair and people will follow him.

Solomon Ilik: This individual spent his formative years in a monastery located deep in the Úngorn, and still follows the training regimes and beliefs of the monks, although he claims to no longer be a member of the order. Solomon can trace a relationship with the current king's grandfather Yaddagon XIII, although the blood is somewhat diluted. Solomon is seem as an areligious figure, and his claim is not supported by the churches.

Queston: Queston claims to be the only surviving son of Yaddagon XIII and was born in 180 LE. He only appears about seven years old, and says that he was imprisoned by a powerful dark-skinned wizardess in 187 LE and has only recently been released. The Watchers will not declare his claim to be true, but many are afraid not to take him seriously.

Galahyde the Black: Galahyde is the son of Nelmentes, Yaddagon XIV's bastard-half brother. Yaddagon has always showed favour to the boy, making him a duke but now Galahyde wants to be king. His claim may not be as great as some of the others, but he has an army behind him having seized control of the duchy of Dismallion.

More suits are being presented each day, but it's fair to say the 95% of the court support one of these five contenders. The Churches, on the whole, are divided between Jeolin and Galahyde. Both are religious men, both hold the special relationship between church and state to their hearts. Alberdark finds the whole matter distasteful; the court is behaving as if the king was already dead. However, the fact of the matter is that a decision has to be made. In the end, it will not be the most legitimate contender who takes the throne but the one who has the greatest chance of holding the country together.

The Twelve Duchies

There are twelve major duchies in the land of Norandor, as can be seen below. The duchies are administrative regions under the control of a duke. Taxes are raised from the populace of the duchy via counts, barons, baronets and knights of which the duke takes a large share. The duke is then required to hand a proportion of that wealth to the Crown. The major duchies of Norandor are named in the table below. It should be noted that there are other duchies and other dukes besides those named below, but their duchies are (for the most part) small and unimportant.

Each of the twelve duchies have their own character and identity. Localism and popular feeling should not be underestimated. Some of the populace identify more with their duke than with their king, and almost all consider themselves to be part of a duchy as much as they are part of the country. However, it should be noted that dukes and kings are very distant figures from the bulk of the Norandon population. Most will almost certainly never see the king (unless they live in Uris), and will probably see a duke only in passing as his carriage trundles past kicking mud in their faces. For most peasants and serfs their greatest sense of patriotism rests in their village (which most never leave), than their county, then their duchy and only then their country. Some villagers would rather shake hands with a Genbassi than talk to a member of a another village just a few miles away.

The Duchies in Context

Do not be fooled into believing that all land within this most civilised of nations falls into a duchy. It does not. To the west and the far north of the country, vast areas of land have no-one ruling over them at all. Although all lands belong the king, without direct supervision, some areas are as wild and lawless as the northernmost reaches of Kerikal. Additionally, some marquessates, counties and even baronies stand outside the boundaries of a duchy. The greatest exceptions from duchies are as follows:

The King's Land: There are great tracts of wilderness, forests and metropolitan areas that fall directly under the authority of the King of Norandor. The largest and most famous of these is the capital city, Uris, and the land which surrounds it. No duke holds sway here; although the snide would say that it is the Chamberlain that rules rather than the king.

The Wold: The great land of the hobbits is as large as any duchy, and its rulers (the sheriffs) have always stood one step below the king in the managing of their affairs. Liddon J. Beredaire, the elected spokeshobbit, has as much influence and power as any duke.

The Úngorn: No-one takes responsibility for the vast tract of impenetrable woodland known as the Úngorn. This single forest is larger than even The Wold, and has become a haven for bandits. Great secrets are said to lie in its dark interior and no duke wants to be responsible for finding out what they are.

Sal'Cran: The most westerly tip of Norandor was once technically part of the duchy of Westerland until the arrival of the mysterious Salmayan, Korvis. The 'temporary' nation that he has created Korvis preaches peace and allows access to the island of Hanilly without trouble.

Kannalas: Kannalas and much of the duchy of Dismallion is now under the sway of the disgraced duke, Galahyde the Black. See above.

The Churches and Norandon Society

The role played by the Eighteen Churches (technically the sixteen churches) within the fabric of Norandon society cannot be underestimated. The king of Norandor is seen as the embodiment of the Gods on Iourn, and as such stands above even the high priests of each of the faiths. This is not to say that the Firewalker or High Holy Witness of Doom defers to the King in any decisions they make, but the opinion of the king is something the churches never ignore.

A certain degree of trust is put in the churches for the management and the running of Norandor itself. Yes, landowners employ labourers, collect taxes and raise armies but the influence, popularity and magical powers of the religions enable them to do things that the secular rulers cannot. The Church of the Land is very much the force that organises the farming year, helps with harvests and strives to lessen problems that beset those that work the land. The Justicians are heavily involved in the Norandon courts, and work side-by-side judges and officials that are not part of the church, and have been appointed by the Crown. This only works because both the aristocracy and the churches respect the authority and divine right of the King. With the King holding both sides of the equation together Norandor would be in chaos within a fortnight.

For this reason the successor to Yaddagon XIV must be chosen wisely. It needs to be someone that both the nobles and the churches can respect. Ralyon and Jeolin are each respected by one side but not the other. Neither the group wants a compromise candidate, making many political commentators despair for the future.