Tradition of Noble Blood

Traditionally, nobility comes in certain tiers ranking as such:

1. Low Gentry - barely set apart from commoners
2. Gentry - Below the notice of higher nobility, but certainly set apart from commoners.
3. High Gentry - To many, there's little difference between High Gentry and true nobility. To the high nobility, there's a world of difference.
4. Low Nobility - There's commonly very little difference between High Gentry and Low Nobility.
5. Nobility - Titular nobility, ranking from Barons to Earls (including Marquis).
6. High Nobility - Dukes, Margraves etc.
7. Royalty - Etc.

The tradition holds that noble status dilutes, the further removed from the source it is, and all noble status flows from some sort of title or holding, which can only be in a single person's name. Spouses, parents, siblings and children of the title holder share the title holder's noble status, with no dilution and the same is theoretically true of the grand-kids of the heir-apparent (though seeing as this can change, thus adding or removing this status, it's a somewhat contentious topic). However, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, grand aunts and uncles etc. all suffer dilution of the status, going one step down the ladder. A step further removed further more reduces their effective status. For example, a Baron is traditionally seen as Nobility, as is the Baron's wife, parents, children and siblings. The Baron's nephew, however, is seen only as Low Nobility, and the Nephew's Child is seen only as High Gentry etc., though it is technically impossible to dilute past Low Gentry.

Related Ethnicities

• Illuskan