Name speaker

Torga nobles took up the practice of having a staff member or slave with good memory of faces and names announce visitors, petitioners or others.  The practice is copied in the Imperial Provinces of Golam, Olian and Esereti, as well as the Fae Commonwealth.

Career

Qualifications

The main qualification is a good memory of names, faces and associations.  The enthusiastic Name Speaker will inquire about possible contacts and be attentive to all social situations and interactions.  They must be able to present a name and position for any seeking audience or attention of their lord.

Other Benefits

A successful Name Speaker is a valued attendant to any noble persons employing them.  They gain the advantages of being in the Noble's entourage and house with comforts, food and clothing. They may travel with official appointments.  Many are slaves that have more freedoms than most and less hard labor, but suffer from Noble's moods and dispositions.

Perception

Social Status

The Name Speaker eases some of the social dynamic pressures where status prevents general conversation. The Name Speaker is a nonperson status that speaks to the room, saving face of the nobles and providing a focus for lower status individuals to speak. Persons of lower rank would never contradict, oppose or question a person of higher rank without strongest justification. It is best to speak indirectly "One hears..." or "Many think or believe..."

Social Rank: Slaves don’t count in interactions, they are 0.
1-2 point difference can be workmates, even friends of rough equality.
3-4 Notable, uncommon but not unheard of friendships or working relations but status is always a factor.
5+ There is no friendship or equity. Persons on the low end should have a slave or higher class person speak for them.

The social order is immediately clear by dress, hair style and sash colors.

• 0 rank = slaves. Shaved heads or Beastmen. They have only cord "belts".
• 1 = Unclean persons: trash haulers, leather tanners, rat killers, undertakers, pit fighters. Unkempt or close crop hair. Black sash or belt.
• 2 = Foreigners, base persons- traders, laborers, prostitutes, entertainers. Hair is long, tied back in ponytail or with headband. They may have a leather belt, green, ochre or orange sash.
• 3 = Yeoman/ Peasant/ farmer/ arborist or woodsman. Shoulder length hair or shorter. Brown, yellow or grey sash or belt.
• 4 = Crafter/ artisan. Hair is Queue or plait. The sash is red.
• 5 or 6 by rank= Official/ scholar/ scribe or priest. Half hair: mohawk, tonsure or halfside. Sash of white, ivory or pearl plus or minus silver threading.
• 7 = Gentry and lesser nobles. Olien nobles generally. Hair: Bun, wrap, pin, coils, turban. Sash Blue with silver or copper threading.
• 8 = Nobles: Ornate: Hoops, Horns, Coils, flying wing, harp, crown. Sashes are purple.
• 9 = Torga Nobles: They follow the noble hair styles and may have copper or silver threading in their sashes.
• 10 = Imperials: Noble hair styles. Their purple sashes have gold threading.