Comyrean Nobility

[Vincent07]

This post is to provide information about, and clarify some misconceptions about, the nobility of Cormyr, as well as how it plays out in the game.  The terms "Lord" and "noble" tend to be tossed around a lot, so what exactly does it all refer to?


First off, it is important to note that there are several degrees and types of nobility in Cormyr.  

Hereditary Peers - these are often what one thinks of when referring to "The Nobility."  These are Cormyr's hereditary noble houses, who own large estates throughout the kingdom.  Families such as Wyvernspur, Truesilver, Huntcrown, are among the most prominent of these, though there are others, including several whose estates are near Arabel, and maintain residency there.  These are universally pureblooded humans, due to the predilection of the aristocracy for carefully chosen marriages within "acceptable" circles.  New Peers may only be created by a land grant from the Crown, an exceedingly unusual act.

The King's Lords - These are appointed officials who serve as rulers in cities and towns (aside from those not governed by separate Crown charter, such as Arabel) in the King's name, and whose status is delegated from the Crown directly.  Although they possess the same priviledges and are due the same courtesies as the noble peers, the King's Lords do not pass this status to their children, nor are they considered to be head or part of a House.  (Tessaril Winter is the King's Lord of Eveningstar, and is referred to as Lord Winter, but her children will not automatically be granted this status, nor is there a "House Winter".)

Baronetcy - These are non-hereditary grants of lesser noble status by the Crown to those who have performed exceptional service to the kingdom, titled as "Baronet" or Baronetess". Socially they are slightly above Knights, use a "Lord/Lady" form of address, and are expected to provide assistance to the Crown when called on; however unlike Knights, that is not expected to be martial in nature.

Cormyrean Knights - Knighthood is a status that can be granted by the Crown and certain Noble Houses for exceptional service or deeds.  There are many varieties of this, though all share certain characteristics:

-Non-heredity (status does not confer on children)
-Service Requirement (The Knight owes fealty/feudal service of some kind to the Crown for knighting them, exact terms vary but martial service is expected when called on by the monarch)
-Are still considered part of the noble class

Note that this can be confusing, as many religious orders have "Knights" that are not considered part of the Noble Class.  In general, referring to someone as a "Knight" can cover all of these, or just refer to mounted warriors in general, whereas "Knight of Cormyr" or "Knight of House (Wyvernspur/etc)" refer to specific noble knights.  Note too that Knights need not necessarily be armored horsemen, etc.

A few specific examples, within Cormyr:

Cormyrean Highknights - Highknight is a title given to Cormyrean knights who have shown exceptional service to the Crown. Many highknights gravitate towards court assignments, while others remain on the battlefield, serving alongside their fellow Purple Dragons.

Purple Dragon Knight - Also called Knights of Cormyr, those knighted by the Crown are also considered to be part of the Royal Army, as part of their feudal duties, and may either serve as part of regular units, or as Knights Errant serving special purposes.  They may also possess a military rank as an Officer (Company or Field Grade), though not all Officers are Knights.  Senior Officers (rank of Constal and above) tend to be Knights.  Note that "Purple Dragons" refer to the Army as a whole, common soldiers, officers, and knights included, while "Purple Dragon Knights" are Knighted individuals who also belong to the army.


Playing a Noble PC in Cormyr:

It is fairly rare to see PC Nobles on CD.  This has mainly to do with the advanced social status and authority it would provide, although there are exceptions, mainly when the status is somehow compromised, weakened, or kept in check.  

So how do I get to be one?

1) Creating a character of noble descent.  This is pretty rare, and will be granted in unusual cases only.  These tend to be characters who are estranged from their family, runaways, black sheep, illegitimate, or otherwise can't readily call upon their status to help them.
2) Earning it by being Knighted (by the Crown) or granted the status of Baronet/Baronetess. These are non-hereditary statuses of martial or social standing respectively. Both come with the  expectation of service to the Crown in the appropriate manner. This status cannot be bought, but can be earned through IC actions and storylines. Note that the circumstances of this will vary.
3) Foreign Nobility is also possible, while still controlled, it is not as stringent, as it does not confer the same legal rights and privileges under Cormyrean Law.

Note that Noble status is conditional on not abusing it - characters that attempt to throw their status around, use it against other PCs, and so on, are liable to have their status revoked in some way or other.

[Fire Wraith]

On landed Noble families and their titles:
Titles used in other realms such as Duke, Baron, etc are largely honorific in Cormyr, as nobles do not rule their own fiefdoms or otherwise possess regions of land. Generally these titles are non-hereditary, though they are often given to members of hereditary noble houses.

Inheritance Laws:
A hereditary noble's title is affected most strongly by the circumstances of that noble's birth: the rank of the parent holding the relevant title, the order of birth, and the family's position with the Crown. Titles are traditionally inherited by absolute cognatic primogeniture, with the eldest child inheriting, passing first to their direct heirs in birth order if deceased, and then on to the second born child followed by their offspring, and so forth. Certain circumstances can remove someone from this order of inheritance, such as renouncing inheritance to take religious vows, or by marriage to the heir of another house (which would be decided as part of the marriage contract which of the two did so). Although this is custom, Cormyrian law ultimately allows the final decision of who inherits to fall to the title holder, even if bypassing the birth order risks severe scandal. In such cases, potential heirs may be deliberately passed over, disinherited outright, or even disowned entirely.

On Fealty:
Nobles cannot have their own subject vassals. Instead, all nobles are direct vassals to the Crown. Though they may have guards and such in their employ, such a thing is strictly limited.

Loss of Title:
In extreme circumstances such as treason or rebellion, the monarch may strip the titles from a particular head of the house, either to pass to a worthy heir (direct bloodline or of the monarch's choosing), or remove the offending House entirely (as happened to the Houses of Cormaeril and Bleth).

[Fire Wraith]

Some examples (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

Royal Family
Obarskyr

Royal Houses (Noble houses related by blood to the Royal Family)
Crownsilver, Huntsilver, Truesilver

Others:
Blacksilver, Dauntinghorn, Huntcrown, Bracegauntlet, Blackwagon, Belstable, Calantar, Dracohorn, Ebonhawk, Emmarask, Goldwyn, Greenmantle, Hardcastle, Hawklin, Hornshield, Ireabor, Jacyllyth, Jarnuxlin, Lionsyn, Longbrooke, Marliir, Nelduk, Rallyhorn, Roaringhorn, Rowanmantle, Santedul, Seshore, Silverhorn, Skatterhawk, Tapstorn, Thundersword, Tilthar, Wyvernspur

Past Houses banished and stripped of lands/titles:
Cormaeril, Bleth. Illance, Silversword, Goldsword, Tathcrown

[Fire Wraith]

Cormyrian Peerage: Titles, forms of address, and status

Although Cormyr is not a true feudal state where nobles possess and rule fiefdoms of their own, it nonetheless has a strong and storied noble class which, while lacking direct authority, comprise the upper echelons of Cormyrian society and on whom the Crown does rely primarily for its appointed officers and officials. The etiquette related to forms of address and titles is thus slightly different than a typical medieval setting.


Methods of Address:
"Your Majesty" = Ruling Monarch or Spouse
"Your Highness" = Prince or Princess of the Royal Family
"Your Grace" = Heads of the Royal Noble Houses (Crownsilver/Huntsilver/Truesilver), titular Dukes, distant members of House Obarskyr (such as the deceased Bhereu and Thomdor)
"Your Lordship" = Heads of Hereditary Noble Houses
"My Lord/Lady" =  Respectful address to those of Noble houses, as well as to lesser nobility such as Baronet/Baronetess. Note that the King's Lords are always refered to as "Lord" regardless of Gender.
"Sir/Dame" = Respectful address for Knights of the Realm


Nobles above the rank of Knight may also be referred to as Lord or Lady, though this tends to be less formal or used in third person reference. Note too that "The Lord/Lady Crownsilver" would explicitly refer to the head of the house, and would not apply to other members of the family.

Knights are referred to as Sir or Dame, and often use this form of address even if possessed of a higher status, e.g. Ilberd Crownsilver is usually referred to as Sir Ilberd Crownsilver rather than Lord, to reflect that the knightly title is his personal right rather rather than something derived from his status as a member of the house.

Third person address follows similarly, though one might combine both if applicable (e.g. for Kimba Crownsilver one might use "Her Grace Lady Crownsilver", "Her Grace", or simply "(the) Lady Crownsilver", but only "Lady Crownsilver" would apply for her granddaughter).

In terms of formal titles (such as used for announcing them at Court, or in legal documents, formal letters, et cetera), only the head of House is titled as Lord/Lady, unless the individual has earned a separate and personal honorific.
Example: Ayesunder Truesilver, head of House Truesilver, is "His Grace Ayesunder (various middle names), Lord of House Truesilver, Warden of the Port of Marsember, Admiral of the Blue Dragons", but his daughter and direct heir Glorasta is simply "Glorasta (various middle names) of House Truesilver". Comparatively, Ilberd Crownsilver is "Sir Ilbred (various middle names) of House Crownsilver, Knight of the Realm".

[Fire Wraith]

A note on Cormyrian Noble Heraldry:

All Cormyrian nobles, from Knights on up, are entitled to their own personal coat of arms. Note that noble PCs are assumed to have such, and newly knighted or ennobled PCs would be entitled/expected to establish their own with the Heralds of the kingdom (who would ensure that the chosen symbols do not conflict with any existing such).

In practical/OOC terms, Players of such characters may do so if they wish but are not required to (it will simply be assumed that they do so offscreen if they don't want to). That is, designing/describing a coat of arms is completely optional for players, as a fun thing, and is in no way required.


Generally speaking, each major house has its own symbol, and this is often employed in the personal coat of arms of members of the house, such as via quartering (that is, splitting the crest into quarters, of which one or more (usually two) are that symbol). This can be done party per cross (sections split via a vertical and horizontal line) or party per saltire (diagonal cuts). The remaining symbols are personal ones. In many cases the remaining two are the personal symbol of the noble's parent in direct bloodline lineage, with the other being their own symbol.

For example, the coat of arms of Evelyn Truesilver use the symbol of House Truesilver (a Silver Dragon on a Purple background), with a silver sword surrounded by a laurel wreath and a red rose as the other two. The sword and wreath symbolize Courage and Honor, and derive from her father, Roland Truesilver, while the red rose is a symbol unique to hers, and symbolize Distinction and Hope. Her sister, by comparison, uses a White Lily in place of the Red Rose.

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In general, there is a great deal of flexibility in heraldry, so long as there isn't overlap or confusion. For instance, Evelyn Truesilver is not the only noble to use a Red Rose in their crest, but the designs differ slightly, and the sum of the coat of arms would need to be distinct. So for instance, another noble of a different house might use a similar symbol (with identical heraldric meaning, as the Red Rose symbolizes Distinction and Hope), but her sister would not (as that would make their crests near identical).

As far as symbols and meanings go, real world historical Heraldry offers a number of good examples. Depictions need not be graphical either, for that matter - it's enough to simply describe the symbols used.

Important Caveats:
-Generally speaking, direct use of the symbol of a deity is considered to be in poor taste at best, although allusions to such are perfectly fine (a different version of a symbol, or incorporating it into a larger one).
-The Purple Dragon is the symbol of House Obarskyr, and would not be permitted for use as personal heraldry by anyone without direct relation to such. Dragons of other colors in Cormyrian heraldry generally represent some degree of relation to the Royal House, such as the Silver Dragon of House Truesilver (as Truesilver is one of the three houses directly related by blood to the ruling family). Of particular note however, the Red Dragon is shunned as a symbol due to its association with the traitorous regent Salember Obarskyr, who seized the throne from the rightful heir, his nephew Crown Prince Rhigaerd, and plunged the kingdom into civil war until his death. While those events are now nearly a century past, the term "Red Dragon" is still synonymous with "Traitor to the Kingdom" in common parlance.

[Fire Wraith]

##### Further Accolades in Cormyr

Once a character is a noble, whether by birth or being granted a title, Cormyrian nobles in particular have additional options to earn further status through demonstrated loyalty, responsibility, and service. This comes in two forms, being granted a hereditary title, and ranks of distinction. These are only attained through continued displays of both IC and OOC responsibility on a character/player's part.

Hereditary titles are just that. It allows the character to ICly pass their title to their children, and essentially creates them as founder/head of a (minor) Cormyrian noble house. For those born to existing noble families, they becomes the head of their own Cadet branch of the family, while knights and baronets become a new house entirely. This house has no assets and no special power/influence, but it does come with the IC right to have a country manor (subject to normal housing rules) within Cormyr. Players are NOT required to retire on attaining this, although becoming the head of an existing (canon) noble House still requires it (due to the influence/resources). Note that this is only open to Human characters, as above, because the nobility of Cormyr will not ICly accept non-humans being raised up as hereditary peers.

Ranks of distinction are the typical Noble titles. In Cormyr, these have no actual meaning other than fluff, and possibly seating order at a formal noble dinner. Even if associated with a place, they do not grant any control or lands, and are simply vestigial/honorary. They are also not used as a title of address (it's always "my Lord/Lady" regardless of such, e.g., "Lord Blunderblatt, Baron of Hogswallow" gets called Lord Blunderblatt/my Lord, etc). Note that these MAY be granted to non-hereditary titles (e.g., Storm Silverhand is also the Marchioness Immerdusk).

Duke/Duchess (presently not available to players)
Marchion/Marchioness
Earl/Countess
Viscount/Viscountess
Baron/Baroness
Baronet/Baronetess (granted to those given a minor non-hereditary title by default)

Lastly, spouses of such hold an equivalent courtesy title, while Children/blood relatives of a title holder are treated socially as if they held a courtesy title one rank below for every degree of removal. That is, the child of a Duke or Marchion is treated socially as if equivalent to an Earl/Countess, a grandchild would be as a Viscount/Viscountess, while an Earl's grandnephew would be treated socially as a Baronet. This is NOT a title of address, they don't get called that, etc.