Neo Nobles
From FiranMUX
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History
Ranivor Elianos was a populist, and amongst the reforms he initiated was a concerted effort to bring more of a meritocracy into the nobility. For centuries, nobility passed almost entirely through blood or marriage, but in the aftermath of the Great War, Elianos started giving nobility to families whose service did honor to the Republic.
This did not go down well with the old-blooded noble families of the Republic. They never fully accepted these new noble families, and insisted on calling them "neo nobles" as a term of contempt. The old-blooded families sought to keep their own bloodlines pure by avoiding marriages with these newly raised nobles, and the resentment has never stopped.
The practice of allowing nobility to be won through acts of athletic prowess during festivals was abolished in 34 A.U. by the Clan Council. This was considered a partial victory by the old nobility, but they still seek to eliminate those who were raised "above their station."
Unfortunately, several Clan Leaders have also felt compelled to create neo noble families in a race against one another to have competent ministers. This was especially so after the Great War when so many noble families died out (See Shadina Family), went missing (See Sennet Family) or otherwise became too small to sustain themselves.
Moreover, for a time, the people became competitive. The Bear Clan could not accept that the Gold Dragon Clan should have more noble families than they had, and so they clamored for new families to be made. Clan Leader Zeysani raised the Tanelish Family to nobility and during his stint as Bear Clan Proxy, Lord Taleo Teranzik elevated the Actis Family to nobility (though renaming them). In the aftermath of this rush, when none of the newly created noble families distinguished themselves significantly in the public mind, it was thought to be a mistake in judgment.
Naturally, the people forgot that they are the ones who demanded it in the first place, and now often remark on the silly decision making of their leaders.
In Practice
While these 'neo nobles' do have all the rights and privileges granted by the title, as do their spouses if married, they are often looked down upon. In order to gain true respect amongst nobility it's better if they marry into an existing noble family. A Clan Leader can establish and grant nobility to the family of these new nobles when it is politically feasible.
The old blooded nobles look down on Neo Nobles as a threat to their power and privileges. The commoners look down on Neo Nobles because they are jealous that such status has not been afforded to their own families, and they often feel as if the Neos are "no better than us." In particular, young women feel much more resentful of Noble Privilege being taken upon them by neo nobles than old blooded nobles.
Justifications
One thing that Neo Nobles constantly use as a justification for their power is that they must have actual old nobility blood in their veins, otherwise they would not have been so successful at whatever it was that helped them win nobility.
In short, they would argue that somewhere in their history, they were the product of a liaison between a legitimate noble and a young woman, as a product of Noble Privilege. If this is something that the people believe (as in the case of Zafir Junik and Xegolus Teranzik), they will be treated with less resentment by the commoners.
If this is not believed, the commoners will spare no contempt.
Ticanee Nobles
When the Republic was formed, and the Ticanee Clan was admitted to the Clan Council table, there was no choice but to recognize the savage Clan Leader as a noble. The Firans didn't have another word for leaders that would suit. As such, the people accepted the Oshta Family as nobility even though they wore beads and bones, because the medallion around the Oshta's neck trumped all.
It was quite another matter, however, when the Oshta's daughter Taria ascended the throne, and had to find a spouse. The Ticanee were nervous that their royal family would not have sufficient Ticanee blood in them; in short that they would be ruled by Firans in perpetuity. The newly created Oshta, however, worried about the esteem in which her own children would be viewed in the Republic if she did not marry a nobleman--and the only nobleman available in her clan was her brother, Vahlon.
Taria reached a compromise with her clan in which she herself married a Firan lord, but she created within her clan, the noble Dawn Family, led by two of the Ticanee's most beloved heroes, Xenobia and Primo. This family is looked upon by most Firans as a perfect example of how absurd neo-nobility has become, but it is clear that the Dawn Family is considered, by the Oshtas, as a breeding family for their own heirs.
Important Distinctions
It should be noted that there was a traditional path to nobility for commoners before Ranivor Elianos started "mucking it up." That path was through marriage. Oftentimes, an old blooded noble family would allow one of its sons to marry a particularly fertile and honorable young lady of the upper middle classes if she brought with her political influence. Her chastity had to be absolutely unblemished, and a very large dowry had to accompany her. The wife of humble beginnings would be treated with respect, even if gossiped about by "true" nobles. (The larger her dowry, the more respect she'd be treated with.) However, the children of this union would be considered, for most intents and purposes, old-blooded nobles with a legitimate lineage. The children were not considered to be "neo nobles" in the pejorative sense that the people use the word now, although their parents would make every effort possible to see that they married old-blood when the child was grown, so as not to create a dilution of bloodline.
Another possible route to nobility for commoners was for a young lady of an old-blooded family to marry a military hero or Sharanir of distinction. If a man of the people started to rise so high in the people's estimation that he became politically dangerous to the powers that be, he would be married into an old noble family. (And often die young, but that's another matter.) One such match was between the young Lady Sabine Ista Aldrik and the Bear Clan hero, Sir Gellhorn. Even though she was clan royalty, the match was not thought of poorly, since she was but one daughter of many heirs and the marriage was a convenient way of appeasing the people. Had the marriage gone through, Sir Gellhorn would have become Lord Gellhorn Ista Aldrik, and the children of the union would have been considered to be old-blooded nobles with a legitimate, though tenuous, lineage. The broken noble blooded line would be fixed in marriages of their children to old blooded nobles.
If either the commoner girl with the fabulous dowry, or the military hero with the love of the people was known to be a bastard born of noble privilege, the match would be lauded by the people and the nobles alike. It's one of the reasons that the common girl honored noble privilege--because she knew she had the chance of being the mother of a nobleman one day if the circumstances were right.
Marriages between two children of common ancestry were to be avoided at all costs for the offspring of such matches would have been considered to be neo nobles in a pejorative sense. However, even they would be less objectionable than the commoners who were raised to nobility by Elianos through means other than marriage.
When Clan Leader Judano wished to honor one of his clan's heroes, he did not create a new noble family. He appended Zafir onto the existing noble Junik Family. However, because he did not marry Zafir into the family, but allowed him to keep his common wife, this branch of the Juniks were always considered to be "neo nobles." But they certainly weren't the only ones.
The crisis of neo nobility was felt most acutely in the Griffon Clan, where the Vasen-Darkas Family was born of commoners and even haffies. It was perhaps this grotesque mixture in the nobility that brought things to a head, and it seems now as if the Republic will do all it can to eliminate this blight from the aristocracy.
Adoptions
Adoptions are common in Firan history, and noble families frequently take pity upon orphans (especially the orphans of people whom they have executed or otherwise killed) and adopt them into their nurseries. There are several good reasons for this, including political and religious reasons. However, almost universally, children adopted into noble families get the family name, but are not given nobility or inheritance rights.
There are, of course, exceptions. Sometimes, when marriage is not feasible, but an old blooded family is in dire need of replenishing their house, they will find their bastards of noble privilege, and adopt them back into the line. This is usually accepted by the populace, but frowned upon. If they are quite obviously the bastards of the lord of the house, they will be more readily accepted by the commoners and by their peers.
Other times, when an old blooded noble marries the common girl with the fabulous dowry or the military man of the people, he or she may have children already. It is considered a kindness to adopt those children, but giving them nobility and inheritance rights is highly frowned upon. It is exactly the kind of situation which makes the people cast aspersions upon them as "Neo Nobles" in the most pejorative sense of the word.
A famous example of adoptions and nobility coming into conflict was the late Lady Lilana Didoron. She was the adopted daughter of Clan Leader Taria Oshta and Clan Leader Jalil Firgalik. She was adopted by Jalil and given full inheritance rights and titles, which scandalized the people and brought about many recriminations. Eventually, her title was stripped of her, but her parents found a more traditional way to provide for her, by marrying her to a Neo Noble of the Shadina Family. After she was widowed, with a title of her own, it was much easier for her to marry into the old blooded Didoron Family.
Royal Neo Nobles
When Elianos left the Chimera Clan to become Ranivor of the Republic, he gave his clan medallion to Akinita Rissik, the daughter of his oldest and most steadfast friend, Riss. The Rissiks were common as dirt, and their rule was an experiment in populism. Perhaps no clan but the Chimera Clan would have been as accepting of this state of affairs, but eventually the Rissik family did fall and the old nobility had their vengeance.
The Istabannos Family is another example of "neo nobility" rising to lead a clan. The Istabannos family is a special case, however, in that Bannos is an acknowledged bastard brother of Elianos, and he fulfilled a prophesy in front of all the people during the Great War. For years, the actual old blooded nobles (Lady Eve and her children Zeysani and Nydiam) would try to regain their throne from the "Neo Noble Usurpers" and the conflict ended up in a civil war.
In the end, Nydiam married Ibania Istabannos and their children united both the old noble and neo noble halves of the bloodline. Clan Leader Diamia now rules the Cockatrice Clan and her neo noble roots are now largely overlooked.
Recent Developments
The new generation of young, old-family nobility have already begun to show signs of wanting further restrictions placed upon the neo-nobility. This also includes some of the Princes and Princesses of the Republic, which may be, at least in part, because of the careful hand Lord Viceroy Taleo Teranzik has taken in raising them. Lord Taleo has always been known to be fairly conservative and a careful observer of social divisions, notably in the case of noble privilege. For example, Princess Laytania has recently made announcements--along with Lady Yvette Didoron--to reconvene the social committee with a strongly conservative mission. Rumors are already swirling that the committee meetings will at times be banned to the neo-nobility and that some of its main goals will be to strengthen the family lines and increase social decorum in order to rid the city of what they think of as the "plague" of social familiarity between nobility and commoners, something they blame at least in part on the neo-nobles. As of yet, nothing much has been accomplished, though the willingness for a new conservative movement is easily found in many of the young, old-family noblemen and women. Some observe that this runs in dangerous contrast to recent popular movements, such as the democracy movement and the awarding of a proxyship to a delegate of the Eagle Clan.
See Also
For more information, please take a peek at 'news neo noble' on the game!
