Nobility in Atarashi

Playing a Noble on Site
By now you've either seen the list of nobles available, or you're stumbling across this and reading it first. Either way it is advised that you take a look at the noble positions link in the table of contents above and that you decide what sort of noble you would like to play before you continue reading. This information is long, detailed, and reading this whole thread will be an information overload that can be avoided by deciding first.

You've decided on a position now? Good, please continue reading.

Before reading about the position that you have in mind, please note that you will be required to send a request via PM before applying for a position. This request should be sent via PM to Nemesis and should include a brief outline of your intended plans for the character (including how they acquired their noble title). This will allow us to work with you to ensure your character fits the site lore appropriately. If you do not do this, your character will not be accepted as a noble.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let me explain how this thread works. The thread details the type of government, how it is run, and how you inherit noble positions. If you have questions, please direct them to Nemesis via PM when you send your request to take on a position. This will allow all questions you have to be answered when we discuss your character, which makes it easier for us and gets you into the fun parts a lot quicker.

Please remember that the administrators reserve the right to refuse your request to become a noble on site; we will not do this without discussing it between ourselves and with you unless you are trying to take too many or you're not active enough. If we say that we do not wish you to take a noble position, it usually means that the character you have in mind does not fit the positions. You are free to try again for another position or apply for the position again in the future.

Remember: You are not permitted, under any circumstances, to block noble positions with a non-noble character. What this means is that you cannot create a non-noble who is intertwined with a noble (not yet on site) to the point that another roleplayer is forced to take your wanted ad. If you're not sure if your plot would do this, speak to Nemesis. The staff are always willing to help you work out how to make your plot work without blocking.

Similarly, you are not permitted to create new (or add extra) noble positions; these are the only ones available at this time.

NOBLE POSITIONS ARE FORFEITED IF YOU ARE ADDED TO THE 'INACTIVE' GROUP. NOBLES WILL BE WRITTEN OUT AND REPLACED IN CHARACTER (IF NECESSARY) IF THIS IS THE CASE.

Introduction to Nobility
MONARCHY - a type of government in which a country is ruled by a King or Queen.

Atarashi is known for its extensive Royal Family and complicated succession procedures. Ruled over by a King and Queen, Atarashi is considered an Inherited Monarchy. The King and Queen are not equals on the throne, the Monarch with the birth claim to the throne having more official power. The current King of Atarashi is Damon Kothas. His second wife, Queen Dominique Winslet-Kothas, and daughter, Princess Evangeline Kothas, died eight years ago. Characters who are over the age of twelve may also remember his first wife (before he became King), Princess Gaia Elverson-Kothas, and their two daughters, Maia and Rhea. They may also remember his intended, Annalesia Lynwood, who never married Damon despite the King at the time (Mithan)'s intentions.

Heirs to the throne are given the title of Prince or Princess according to their sex. The current Princes of Atarashi are Jotar, Tobin, Alec, Lazarus, Theron, Demetrius, and Zachariah Kothas, the current Princess of Atarashi is Kalina Kothas. The order listed here is the current order of succession. Spouses of a Prince/Princess is given the title of Prince or Princess in accordance ith their sex but cannot inherit the throne. The current Princesses by Marriage are Andromeda, Catherine, and Rachel Kothas.

===Atarashi Titles in Order of Noble Status ===


 * King/Queen; the rulers of the Country; the one who inherits the throne is considered the 'True Monarch'.
 * Prince/Princess; those in line to succeed the throne upon the King/Queen's death and their spouses.
 * Duke/Duchess; the Council of Advisors to the True Monarch. This title is also reserved for the Princess who is currently performing tasks the Queen would were she alive.
 * Marquis/Marchioness; the overseers of the four (non royal) regions of Atarashi (Pictland, Northumbria, Mercia, Essex, and Lesser Regions [Kent, Wessex, Sussex, Strath Clyde, East Anglia, Dalriada]).
 * Count/Countess; the mayors of specific towns; can serve as judges in town-specific trials. No-one can be a Count(ess) of Kaida.
 * Viscount/Viscountess; the Advisors to all other royals including the Monarch Consort and the Princes/Princesses.
 * Baron/Baroness; the owners of the land; they can collect taxes and many work for them.
 * Lord/Lady; the title given to Knights of Atarashi, Royal Guards, and Guards of the City of Kaida.

Becoming King or Queen
The line of succession to the throne of Atarashi is an incredibly complicated process. Many in the Country do not understand it, even the royals themselves, and as such the Royal Archivist is often sought out upon the death of a Monarch to advise who the successor is. Succession to the throne is regulated by descent; this means that the throne passes first to the King and Queen's children, in order of birth (gender is irrelevant). If there are no children present, the throne has to back up and search for another body.

Upon the death of a Monarch (presuming a pre-deceased spouse) the crown passes to the Monarch's eldest child. If their eldest child is already deceased, the crown will look for the eldest grandchild (by their eldest child), if any, and so on down the line. If the Monarch's eldest child has no valid children, it will look to the Monarch's second eldest child and repeat the process. If there are no other valid children, it will look to the Monarch's siblings or (if there are none) the Monarch's next eldest relative (Uncle, Aunt, Cousin). The process continues to repeat until a living head is found.

An Example Using the Atarashi Royal Family

King Mithan has two children: Roth and Damon. Upon Mithan's death, the crown should pass to Roth but discovers that he is already deceased. Seeing that he is not a valid successor, the crown looks to Roth's children, discovering he has none. As there are no children, it backs up and assesses Roth's brother, Damon. Damon is living and becomes the King of Atarashi.

As Damon's wife is already dead, the line of succession will look for living children upon his death. Finding no living children, as Damon's daughter perished with his wife, it will back up once more and look for any younger siblings. Again, finding no siblings it will back up once more and look for siblings of Mithan. In this case, the second in line to the throne would be Mithan's brother, Jotar.

Should Jotar be deceased, the throne will then look to his eldest child, Tobin, then any grandchildren and so on down that line before repeating the process until it finds a living heir who is capable of inheriting the throne.

This process is quite complicated, and the line of succession is difficult to assess. Should you wish for a more visual description, I would advise looking at this video from CGP Grey. The Atarashi line of succession is very similar to the British line of succession, only gender has never mattered, only birth order.

Changes to the Line of Succession
Bastard children never have a claim to the Atarashi throne unless there are absolutely no other successors. This is so rare that it has not happened since King Silas I took the throne some 115 years ago.

There are other situations in which the line of succession can be altered; this causes great deals of hassle for many scholars and scribes who record the royal lineage. Though the Kothas Family has been on the throne for several generations, it is possible for the throne to pass from one family to another and the line of succession halted. Should the Monarch who inherited the throne die before their spouse, there are two options offered to the spouse as they are still a reigning Monarch. They may retain their title and remain on the throne, or abdicate and allow for a new ruler.

In the latter case, the line of succession continues as above. If the spouse opts to remain on the throne, however, then things change. In this scenario, the spouse is now the ruling Monarch and their family has claim to the throne; the deceased Monarch's family no longer has a claim to Royal titles. The line of succession resumes as above, assuming that the ruling Monarch has been on the throne since birth.

The Royal Court
The Royal Court consists of a Council of Advisors whose job it is to ensure that the King or Queen (whoever inherited the throne) has all the information they require and that the Country is run smoothly. It is the job of the court to know anything and everything that is occurring in the Country. Positions in the Court are appointed by the King (or Queen)'s Hand, they undergo an interview and interrogation process, along with a background check, that determines if they are worthy for the job. It is foolish to lie to the King (or Queen)'s Hand given his (or her) contacts.

Titles in the Court are subject to the noble line of succession (see nobles below), however the King (or Queen)'s Hand reserves the right to refuse a person a position, regardless of their birth status, if he (or she) believes them to be incompetent. All members of the Royal Court are referred to as Milord or Milady out of respect but have the official title of Duke or Duchess.

Hand of the King - The Hand of the King (or Queen) is the Head of the Council; it is his or her job to oversee the Council and to present all information to the King (or Queen). He is a Master in Diplomacy, Law, Secrecy, and anything else necessary to hold his position. The King (or Queen)'s Hand has the power to hire and fire members of the council if he does not believe that they are appropriately completing their assigned tasks.

Master of Laws - The Advisor to the Hand of the King (or Queen) relating to the administration of justice, the Master of Laws is responsible for upholding, modifying, creating, and eliminating the Laws of Atarashi in accordance with the Hand's decisions. They are responsible for supervising the Dungeons and the Jailers for those who are punished, and for managing the Atarashi Guard, a police like group of people who maintain order in the various regions of Atarashi.

Master of Whispers - Known also as the Spymaster, the Master of Whispers is charged with gathering intelligence from all corners of Atarashi. It is their job to know if and when someone is going to attack Atarashi, if there are plans to cause harm to the King or the Royal Family and, most importantly, if someone is committing treason; they must keep in constant contact with other Masters.

Master of Ships - Charged with running the small naval fleet in the Coastal Region, the Master of Ships is of little use unless the King intends to explore the off the cost. They are responsible for arranging the building and maintenance of ships and warships, obtaining the appropriate crews, and commanding all naval expeditions. They currently have no objective or mission since the two islands off the mainland were discovered.

Master of Diplomacy - The Master of Diplomacy is one of the few truly neutral members of society; they hold no political or personal grudges against any other person in the Country, despite what their brethren may think, and always conduct meetings on neutral ground. It is their responsibility to represent their King to the public. Matters of trade, alliances, and safe travel through the borders of Atarashi are managed by the Master of Diplomacy. If a royal has an announcement to make, you can be assured that the Master of Diplomacy wrote it. The Master of Diplomacy doubles as one of two Ambassadors between the Atarashi Royal Family and the British Royal Family.

Master of Coin - The Chief Financial Advisor for the Country, the Master of Coin is responsible for keeping account of receipts and expenditures, receiving reports from royal officials, supervising the collection of taxes by the Baron(ess) of each city/town, borrowing money as appropriate, managing the royal treasury, and supervising the royal mints. They oversee all aspects of money in Atarashi and advise the King's Hand as to whether or not an expense could harm the Country.

Other Noble Positions
Any man or woman can hold an aristocratic title in Atarashi and, assuming no interruptions, the title passes down the family line as with the Royals.

Important Note: Whenever a noble marries (whether to another noble or a commoner) the couple takes the surname of the person with higher social standing. For example: a Lady marrying a Duke would take the Duke's surname, but a Duke marrying a Princess would take the Princess' surname.

Atarashi nobility becomes a complex series of changing succession and business deals when marriage is brought into the mix. Should a noble marry, their spouse gains their title until death. Any children born into the marriage become heirs to the title, but any children the spouse had prior to the marriage do not (though the noble's children pre-marriage still retain their heirship). Upon the death of both parents, the heir inherits the title as per their birth order. Should the spouse of a noble die first, this succession rule is straightforward and follows the same pattern as the royal family.

The situation becomes more complex when the spouse outlives the original noble. When this occurs, the living spouse still retains their title, however their family becomes noble instead. What this means is that any children from previous marriages now become heirs and any children to the deceased noble (that are not also children of the new noble) lose their heirship. Should the living spouse remarry, the process begins again.

An Example for You

John Doe is a Count and marries Jane; Jane has one child (A) to a previous marriage. After marrying John, she gives birth to two more children (B and C). While John is alive, A has no claim to the title of Count, the heir is John's eldest child, B. Should John die before Jane, Jane remains Countess and the heir now becomes her eldest child, A.

Lords and Ladies
Knights (also known as 'Lords' or 'Ladies' and addressed as 'Ser' or 'Dame') are members of the King's Guard, members of the City (of Kaida) Guards, or Soldiers who have earned a position due to their great skill and dedication to the Country. Their spouses are always referred to as 'Lady' or 'Lord' but Knights are always the same gender as the Monarch who inherited the throne by birth. They are Knighted by the King specifically (though no Knights have been appointed in the last five years).

Due to King Damon being on the throne, and King Mithan before him, all Knights on site will be male.

Marriage Between Nobles
The process when two noble families marry (or when a noble family marries into the royal family) is more of a business transaction for those involved, regardless of whether love was a deciding factor. The noble of lower standing is required to supply a dowry (regardless of gender) and to petition for marriage into the family of higher standing.

Upon marriage, the couple takes on the title of the highest ranking noble and forfeits the other. This means that a Lady who marries a Baron would become a Baroness and her title is forfeited and returned to the floor to be reassigned by the King. It is not passed on to any family member who is in the line of succession.

For this reason, it is common for nobles of lower standing to marry their children to nobles of higher standing, naming their next child their heir, in order to keep the noble title in the family.

An Example for You

Lady Sarah has three children, her husband passing away. Sarah marries Prince James and becomes Princess Sarah, forfeiting her title as Lady. Her title is passed on to a new family, her children, siblings, and other family members are no longer considered to be heirs to the title and any children she had before marrying James are no longer heirs to any noble title.

The exception to the above rule is when a Duke/Duchess or Marquis/Marchioness marries a member of the Royal Family. While the noble in question will take on the surname of their Royal spouse, both members of the couple have joint titles (they are Princess and Duchess or Prince and Duke). This is due to the Crown wanting to keep control of the cities within the Royal Family. Marrying these noble families has been commonplace in the royal household for centuries.