Thayn

Thayn is a Dwarven title that initially denoted a ruler's inner circle of friends, including blood relatives. 'Inner circle of friends' is too light a term to describe exactly what it denoted, though; A thayn was someone that the king or queen could count on for absolutely anything - counsel, protection, to give their life... anything. As such, thayns were rare, as a Dwarven king would rarely trust anyone but himself. When a person carried the title of thayn, you knew they spoke with the queen's voice and were therefore given extreme deference. They were also usually granted large estates within the kingdom as reward for their loyalty.

Among the Diamond Dwarves

The Diamond Dwarves' modern concept of a thayn is the closest to the original. A thayn among the Diamond Dwarves can be a queen's most trusted friends, overlapping with the original definition, but it can also be given to complete strangers. In Diamond Dwarf society, the title of thayn can be granted to someone who has served the kingdom beyond expectation. In practice, this is limited to soldiers who performed extraordinary feats that saved many Dwarven lives or killed many enemies... or both. For these soldiers, the title has been awarded to living Dwarves, but it has also been awarded posthumously, granting the usual land rewards to the soldier's family.

Among the Copper Dwarves

The Copper Dwarves have a much different take on the title. The Copper Dwarves' only nation is Krag-a-Krach, which is not ruled by a monarch, but rather by an oligarchy. The oligarchs are a greedy and jealous lot, and in order to show how much they can afford to, they have entered an unspoken "war" with each other to bestow the most titles. An oligarch might grant the title of thayn to all his blood relatives to show just how much land he can afford to give away - this is of course under the guise that all their relatives are deserving of the title, that is to say, all their relatives are people that the oligarch could depend on with their life. The recipients of the title are often limited to blood relatives and good friends, but some oligarchs have given them out to practical strangers just to prove how rich they are.