::GRIN::

I got my hands on a book of titles of nobility and how to use them.

::GRIN:: White Wolf doesn't have the half of it with the five levels of Title.

Here's how *I*'m gonna run it. ::GRIN::

Squire is a level that is not true nobility, but someone who is in service to a level one noble, which is the first level of the Nobility.

Level one is the Knight, or Dame, which is a person who won their title by skill, service, or appointment, and Baronet or Lady, which is a hereditary title.

Level two is that of the Baron or Baroness and that individual's Heir. The Heir *could* be one level lower than his or her parent, but I like this way better. ::grin:: Oh, and this table isn't *even* gonna get into all the convolutions.

Level three is the Viscount, and the Heir is properly called Lord or Lady.

Level four is the Earl (Count) or Countess, the Heir is properly a Viscount, but takes the highest title of the Earl's collection. Nobles of this level and higher tend to "collect" titles of lower levels. The noble is called Earl, and his Heir has the next highest as if he were born to it, and *his* heir has the next highest and so on.

Level five is the Marquess, sometimes called a Marquis, and the feminine is Marchioness. The Heir is an Earl or Countess and the other children are called Lord or Lady with given and family names. A Marquess is commonly addressed as Lord or Lady with the territorial name, for instance, a Marquess of Westlake would be called Lord or Lady Westlake.

Level six is the Duke, addressed as Your Grace, and his or her Heir is a Marquess. Other Children are Lord or Lady.

The title Dowager is given to the earliest surviving widow of a previous title holder, unless the present title holder is unmarried or a widower, in which case her name doesn't change. The only difference is in Scotland, where Dowager is reserved for the mother or grandmother of the present holder of the title.

The Peerage covers levels two through six. It's a fancy word for important nobles, I think.

Royalty is level seven, those are the Kings and Queens of Concordia and their Heirs. All children of a Monarch are called Prince or Princess, the Heir being Crown Prince or Princess.

High Royalty is level eight, that's David Ardry and his Heir, the High Princess, and I can't remember her name.

Well, what do you guys think? It gets convoluted and I'm still figuring things out, but I'm simplifying things greatly to open things up gender-wise, since girls can inherit in Changeling. ::GRIN::

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