So Ul'dah's "nobility" is based more or less entirely off wealth. If you're rich, you earn an elite social status. The world (or at least the city-state) becomes your oyster... so to speak. The six wealthiest individuals in Ul'dah, earn a place on the Syndicate. In a religious capacity, it is seen more or less a waste of your Nald-given life to not strive for fortune and its comforts. That's just Ul'dah's culture.
I believe Gridania does not actually have any nobility. I made a post in a similar thread a while back detailing why I think this is the case.
On the flipside of this, Gelmorra, the subterranean Duskwight city-state which preceeded Gridania, did actually have nobility, per the journal text of The Tam-Tara Deepcroft:
This might be another reason why there is some confusion as to whether or not Gridania has nobles or not.
Limsa, of course, also does not. As any pirate who acquired such a massive wealth would've been killed for his plunder in all likelihood. The only pirate said to have amassed a great fortune and wealth (both in coin and reputation) was the Dread Pirate King, Rycharde Mistbeard. Pirates and treasure hunters and even the Thalassocracy has spent many years seeking to uncover his massive wealth.
EDIT: This is not to say that someone can't RP a noble in one of these cities or whatever. Just mentioning that, canon, we don't see true nobility outside Ishgard and Ul'dah. However, as I admit in my link to Gridania's Lack of Nobility post... it's entirely possible that yes, a Gentry of some sort is theoretically possible in Gridania, since the city-state has such close Elezen relations to Gelmorra and Ishgard, which both had/have nobility. But the nobility system would be family based similarly to Ishgards and have nothing to do with wealth, as the Pact of Gelmorra prevents any one citizen of Gridania from owning more material wealth than the masses.
I believe Gridania does not actually have any nobility. I made a post in a similar thread a while back detailing why I think this is the case.
On the flipside of this, Gelmorra, the subterranean Duskwight city-state which preceeded Gridania, did actually have nobility, per the journal text of The Tam-Tara Deepcroft:
Quote:Since its establishment during Gelmorran times, this subterranean crypt has been used for generations as a final resting place for the remains of rulers and nobles.
This might be another reason why there is some confusion as to whether or not Gridania has nobles or not.
Limsa, of course, also does not. As any pirate who acquired such a massive wealth would've been killed for his plunder in all likelihood. The only pirate said to have amassed a great fortune and wealth (both in coin and reputation) was the Dread Pirate King, Rycharde Mistbeard. Pirates and treasure hunters and even the Thalassocracy has spent many years seeking to uncover his massive wealth.
EDIT: This is not to say that someone can't RP a noble in one of these cities or whatever. Just mentioning that, canon, we don't see true nobility outside Ishgard and Ul'dah. However, as I admit in my link to Gridania's Lack of Nobility post... it's entirely possible that yes, a Gentry of some sort is theoretically possible in Gridania, since the city-state has such close Elezen relations to Gelmorra and Ishgard, which both had/have nobility. But the nobility system would be family based similarly to Ishgards and have nothing to do with wealth, as the Pact of Gelmorra prevents any one citizen of Gridania from owning more material wealth than the masses.
