Light & Dark World building
Jun. 10th, 2004 02:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessNot plot or discourses just me tangling my head round FORMAL Seelie politics which is better when not done from Sitharensor's POV since he makes gross assumptions about what everyone SHOULD know and expect and besides, never thinks about the basic rules any more and will get too bogged down on the mincing little subtleties (such as the affect that various titles granted to fae will have on their rank).
So this is the EXTREMELY simplified version but will let me use them without having to explain as I go on.
NB: Ilatheril DOES know this - because he didn't need a Sidhe to teach him, any Unseelie who had studied their enemies would know most of it. Oh, and this is only the Seelie version, Unseelie do it differently.
The Houses all have three tiers of rank. First there is the head of the House, who is the current ruler. Following this is his immediate family who can inherit the title (usually sons and daughters, occasionally siblings and nephews, but any more distant and the House should have called an Exodus to rid itself of excess heirs). The third rank are separate, minor houses that are the main House’s vassals. Their heraldry will incorporate some features of the liege house or will always be displayed with their liege house. In addition, when mentioning their House Name they will usually acknowledge their liege House as well.
The Vassal Houses themselves often have Vassals, but these are usually Noted Houses. A Sidhe house is only ever reduced to such a degree when they are the Vassals of a Great House's Vassals. These are usually considered Barons still, but lesser Barons. The only rank of noble below Baron (for a Sidhe) is Knight, which untitled Sidhe are practically automatically granted. Knights usually attach themselves to a noble house, but those with no attachment (commoner Sidhe... well almost) can act as free lances, adventurers, or crusaders. The rank of knight is largely considered unseemly for a Sidhe, and is normally considered to be something a low ranking Sidhe (or a younger sibling) does in his youth before marrying into a proper House or seeking his fortune (either on an Exodus or otherwise).
While an Honoured House may owe loyalty and even fealty to some degree to a higher ranking House, it is still above the devotion of a Vassal House. In Seelie Sidhe politics, a Vassal House is largely regarded as an extension or branch of the Liege House - until it can win enough status to become an Honoured House (granted by the Liege House - usually making it a loyal Honoured House).
Regal House
The High King
- His immediate family are High Princes/Princesses.
- Vassal Houses are Dukes.
Great House
High Lord (this title is rarely, if ever used, since Lord is usually sufficient. Generally, the Great Houses are powerful enough, famous enough and rare enough that they don’t need the ‘High’ prefix to identify themselves. A good comparison would be to say that a member of the English aristocracy doesn’t need to here the Queen’s titles to know the rank of the head of the House of Windsor. If a fae doesn’t know whether a Lord is actually a High Lord, he probably shouldn’t be at court in the first place).
- Immediate family are Princes/Princesses (Sitharensor is a Prince).
- Vassal Houses are Counts.
Honoured House
Lord
- Immediate family are Scions.
- Vassal Houses are Barons.
Ranking
1) High King
2) Great Lord
3) High Prince
4) Prince/Duke/Lord (NB: In order of who has the edge. The Prince is no higher ranking, but his father is. The Duke is no higher than the Lord, but his Liege is etc).
5) Count
6) Baron
7) Knight
.
..
...
....
.....
13) (to be brutally honest) None Sidhe Nobles. (None Sidhe Commoners aren’t even a blip on the radar).
A note on ranking: The above order only really applies to protocol and etiquette, not to actual power, influence or even deference. A Duke may technically outrank a Baron, but some Baron’s may actually have more power than some Honoured Houses, sometimes even more than a Great House. No matter what the form and the etiquette, the way the Houses interact is often based on power and what all the individual parties want. The only thing rank can guarantee is some degree of respect - the Baron may have a lot more power than the Great House and the Great House may be politely begging for aid - but if that Baron should show disrespect and step outside the bonds of etiquette you can rely on EVERY House turning on them.
Some other general notes: The High King is elected for life by the Great Houses. The title is not hereditary, but only a Great House can be elevated to the Regal House (upon the King's death, the Regal House reverts back to a Great House). The High King can be deposed by a three quarters majority of the Great Houses but this hardly ever happens (if the King is that unpopular he is usually politically savvy enough to step down for fear of the huge political damage he will do his House otherwise).
Only the High King can raise an Honoured House to a Great House and it almost never happens.
The Seelie Sidhe are not sexist when it comes to rank. Titles pass to highest ranking heir regardless of gender (Sidhe are muscled in much the same way regardless of gender, and magic is equal between the sexes. It‘s hard to label someone the weaker sex when she can smite you with thunder bolts).
Non-Sidhe have their own ranking system for their Noted Houses. The only ranks they can assume is that of Knight which is a highly coveted position of trust - the Knights themselves are separated into innumerable Orders with a complex hierarchy as to which Order outranks which and what each rank within each Order counts as. Sir Hrolf, Shieldman of the Bloodguard Order is the highest ranking knight in the Northern Wilds.
In theory it is possible for an exceptional Noted House to be given the rank of Baron. Or maybe that’s just another illusory carrot the Sidhe dangle in front of the lesser fae to make them compliant.
So this is the EXTREMELY simplified version but will let me use them without having to explain as I go on.
NB: Ilatheril DOES know this - because he didn't need a Sidhe to teach him, any Unseelie who had studied their enemies would know most of it. Oh, and this is only the Seelie version, Unseelie do it differently.
The Houses all have three tiers of rank. First there is the head of the House, who is the current ruler. Following this is his immediate family who can inherit the title (usually sons and daughters, occasionally siblings and nephews, but any more distant and the House should have called an Exodus to rid itself of excess heirs). The third rank are separate, minor houses that are the main House’s vassals. Their heraldry will incorporate some features of the liege house or will always be displayed with their liege house. In addition, when mentioning their House Name they will usually acknowledge their liege House as well.
The Vassal Houses themselves often have Vassals, but these are usually Noted Houses. A Sidhe house is only ever reduced to such a degree when they are the Vassals of a Great House's Vassals. These are usually considered Barons still, but lesser Barons. The only rank of noble below Baron (for a Sidhe) is Knight, which untitled Sidhe are practically automatically granted. Knights usually attach themselves to a noble house, but those with no attachment (commoner Sidhe... well almost) can act as free lances, adventurers, or crusaders. The rank of knight is largely considered unseemly for a Sidhe, and is normally considered to be something a low ranking Sidhe (or a younger sibling) does in his youth before marrying into a proper House or seeking his fortune (either on an Exodus or otherwise).
While an Honoured House may owe loyalty and even fealty to some degree to a higher ranking House, it is still above the devotion of a Vassal House. In Seelie Sidhe politics, a Vassal House is largely regarded as an extension or branch of the Liege House - until it can win enough status to become an Honoured House (granted by the Liege House - usually making it a loyal Honoured House).
Regal House
The High King
- His immediate family are High Princes/Princesses.
- Vassal Houses are Dukes.
Great House
High Lord (this title is rarely, if ever used, since Lord is usually sufficient. Generally, the Great Houses are powerful enough, famous enough and rare enough that they don’t need the ‘High’ prefix to identify themselves. A good comparison would be to say that a member of the English aristocracy doesn’t need to here the Queen’s titles to know the rank of the head of the House of Windsor. If a fae doesn’t know whether a Lord is actually a High Lord, he probably shouldn’t be at court in the first place).
- Immediate family are Princes/Princesses (Sitharensor is a Prince).
- Vassal Houses are Counts.
Honoured House
Lord
- Immediate family are Scions.
- Vassal Houses are Barons.
Ranking
1) High King
2) Great Lord
3) High Prince
4) Prince/Duke/Lord (NB: In order of who has the edge. The Prince is no higher ranking, but his father is. The Duke is no higher than the Lord, but his Liege is etc).
5) Count
6) Baron
7) Knight
.
..
...
....
.....
13) (to be brutally honest) None Sidhe Nobles. (None Sidhe Commoners aren’t even a blip on the radar).
A note on ranking: The above order only really applies to protocol and etiquette, not to actual power, influence or even deference. A Duke may technically outrank a Baron, but some Baron’s may actually have more power than some Honoured Houses, sometimes even more than a Great House. No matter what the form and the etiquette, the way the Houses interact is often based on power and what all the individual parties want. The only thing rank can guarantee is some degree of respect - the Baron may have a lot more power than the Great House and the Great House may be politely begging for aid - but if that Baron should show disrespect and step outside the bonds of etiquette you can rely on EVERY House turning on them.
Some other general notes: The High King is elected for life by the Great Houses. The title is not hereditary, but only a Great House can be elevated to the Regal House (upon the King's death, the Regal House reverts back to a Great House). The High King can be deposed by a three quarters majority of the Great Houses but this hardly ever happens (if the King is that unpopular he is usually politically savvy enough to step down for fear of the huge political damage he will do his House otherwise).
Only the High King can raise an Honoured House to a Great House and it almost never happens.
The Seelie Sidhe are not sexist when it comes to rank. Titles pass to highest ranking heir regardless of gender (Sidhe are muscled in much the same way regardless of gender, and magic is equal between the sexes. It‘s hard to label someone the weaker sex when she can smite you with thunder bolts).
Non-Sidhe have their own ranking system for their Noted Houses. The only ranks they can assume is that of Knight which is a highly coveted position of trust - the Knights themselves are separated into innumerable Orders with a complex hierarchy as to which Order outranks which and what each rank within each Order counts as. Sir Hrolf, Shieldman of the Bloodguard Order is the highest ranking knight in the Northern Wilds.
In theory it is possible for an exceptional Noted House to be given the rank of Baron. Or maybe that’s just another illusory carrot the Sidhe dangle in front of the lesser fae to make them compliant.