Marrying outside your Class

From FiranMUX

Marrying into a different social class can be a complicated affair, subject to myriad traditions, expectations and caveats. The following are some general guidelines to bear in mind if you’re considering marriage to a different social class.

If you’re a noble, marrying beneath you will cost your family significant social clout. Sometimes this can be ameliorated by the wealth or political influence the lower-status spouse brings, but in the main there will always be some social hit for marrying a non-noble.

Major nobility (royal families and Heads of Household) may never marry outside of their social class without disastrous results. Such things can lead to social ruin or even rioting on the streets at such an offence to the natural order.

Minor noblewomen, most often neo-nobles, can occasionally marry beneath their station if their prospective spouse is middle class, extremely wealthy, of extremely high social standing, holding some important political position, and if his family pays a suitably enormous dowry for the marriage. The non-nobleman thus gains noble status, but must take the last name of the woman's family, and become a part of that noble family.

Minor noblemen can occasionally marry beneath their station if their prospective spouse is either a widow or can be proved to be a virgin. The prospective spouse must also be of middle class, extremely wealthy, of extremely high social standing, and if her family can pay a suitably enormous dowry for the marriage. The non-noblewoman thus gains noble status, but must take the last name of the man's family and become a part of that noble family. Such cross-class marriages usually happen when a noble family is in need of money or heirs or some political allegiance that cannot be had with other noble houses.

The marriages of commoners to middle class are not very difficult, though sometimes they can difficult to arrange, if the family has ambitions.

In no instance is the marriage of an outcast to upper-class member endorsed, and if it occurs it will cost the pair dearly, sometimes with their lives.

See also Marriage