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Grike · **10-04-2015, 08:23 PM**

This could be asked for all City States but I'm personally more invested in Ishgard.Â

Anyway, it's a pretty simple question: Does anyone know the ranks of nobility? What does Ishgard follow? What about Ul'dah? Gridania? Limsa? Do the last two even have nobility? What about Ala Mhigo? They had a monarch, so could you feasibly play an Ala Mhigan noble?

I've glanced over French aristocracy and that's....wow. Just...nobility inception. There are noble ranks within noble ranks. Does anyone know if Ishgard holds true to France's aristocracy, or does it follow its own thing?Â

Any info, even if its just your own head cannon would be awesome ^^.

LiadansWhisper · **10-04-2015, 08:42 PM**

Gridania has some form of nobility, or at least well-respected families. Â However, we know pretty much nothing about them other than that they live in a special part of Gridania that us regular folk aren't allowed in. Â Smile

Sounsyy · **10-04-2015, 09:39 PM**

(10-04-2015, 08:23 PM)Grike Wrote: This could be asked for all City States but I'm personally more invested in Ishgard.Â

Anyway, it's a pretty simple question: Does anyone know the ranks of nobility? What does Ishgard follow? What about Ul'dah? Gridania? Limsa? Do the last two even have nobility? What about Ala Mhigo? They had a monarch, so could you feasibly play an Ala Mhigan noble?

I think I can help out with this one! ^^

Ishgard
-Bellwork's Ishgardian Nobility and Title Lore
-Ishgardian Class Structure Thread
-And I'm an Ishgardian Duke!
There may not be Ishgardian Dukes, but there are Counts, Vicounts, Barons, and Lords. I think I saw scant mention of a Marquess somewhere, but I've quite forgotten where so take that last one with a bit of salt! As far as the Halonic Church goes, there's Archbishop, Bishops, Cardinals, Priests, and Friars.

Ala Mhigo

The last king of Ala Mhigo Wrote:As I likely explained if you have ever bothered to ask me about monks and the Fist of Rhalgr, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, was a ruthless despot and tyrant. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was the last king of Ala Mhigo. But the tale of his rise and fall is the stuff we historians live for!

Theodoric's lust for power was such that nothing less than absolute rule would appease him. To counter the political influence of the Fist of Rhalgr, he proclaimed his kingship to be the product of divine will - ordained by Nymeia Herself. What followed was a crusade which sought to exterminate the monks entirely. Yet it was the truly depraved acts of barbarism to come that would shake Ala Mhigan society to its very core. This ensuing era of terror was what earned Theodoric the title "King of Ruin."

After the massacre at the Fist's main temple, religious opposition to Theodoric nearly disappeared altogether. He then began purges of the Ala Mhigan royalty, seeing any and all potential pretenders to his throne dead and buried - regardless of house, loyalties, or standing. Beheadings were commonplace, carried out daily. Before long, it looked as though Theodoric would have no heads left to take. But he then turned his wrath upon any soul with a claim to the throne, no matter how remote. After that, it was to be the empowered nobles and wealthy merchants.

Fearing for their lives, they professed their innocence to the queen, pleading for her to stay her maniacal husband's hand. She attempted words to assuage his lust for power turned lust for blood, but he was deaf to her appeals. Finding no recourse, she conspired with a group of nobles to murder Theodoric. Yet before the regicide could take place, one among them betrayed their plot and for their treason, the king saw them all less a head.

This only served to compound Theodoric's paranoia and insanity. Distrustful of all, his purges now became little more than random executions, claiming lives of noble and beggar and all in between. It is not difficult to imagine what transpired next. The palace became a despicable gathering of sycophants and backstabbers, and the commonfolk scarce left their homes. Seeking heads on which to lay blame for worsening conditions, Theodoric turned the axe upon his most loyal followers. When the oppression became too much to bear, the people revolted and stormed the palace. The royal guard (Corpse Brigade) cast aside their vows and allowed the Ala Mhigans to pass.

A noble revolt? For the best, no? False! It was the absence of leadership and solidarity in the wake of this chaos that prompted Garlemald to attack! In the end, Theodoric was lucid enough to judge suicide preferable to death at the hands of an angry mob. He ended his own life, and with it, his reign of ruin and his own bloodline. Or so it was thought at the time! But Theodred, a nephew to the king, was hidden by his mother in a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr which had survived the purges, and thus he escaped his uncle's fury.

Gridania
-Theory on Gridanian Gentry
I say gentry because, as I explored in the above post and an older post that I also linked within, Gridania does not appear to have true nobility as they exist in a seemingly socialist community where excess is returned to the Wood, however, there is presence of a more affluent "Gentry" in lore that suggests that some families, possibly those who produce Padjal children more commonly, have some greater social/material value than the average Gridanian commoner.

Limsa Lominsa
There are numerous references to "Pirate Kings" and "Lords," those being pirates and privateers who've successfully amassed a great amount of wealth and respect among the peoples of Limsa, however, there is again no evidence of true nobility. Wealthy and affluent individuals who've risen above the average Lominsan, most certainly! Limsa Lominsa is an open city-state who champions personal liberties and freedoms above all else. It's a town forged by foreign blood mingling to build a solid foundation upon which to build wealth - from Meracydians to the vikings of the north to the many beast tribes to the pirates, commoners, and merchants all across the world.

Current known pirate "kings" include: Rycharde Mistbeard (Eynzhar Slafyrsyn), Captain Bloefhis of the League of Lost Bastards (deceased), Carvallain of the Kraken's Arms, Rhoswen of the Sanguine Sirens, and Hyllfyr of the Bloody Executioners (retired).

Ul'dah
More about Ul'dahn nobility here!

Perhaps the most obvious of all the city-states. There is two types of nobility at play - blood and affluence. There are two royal bloodlines currently alive in Ul'dah, the Ul bloodline, two which Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo is the 17th in her line. There is also the Thorne royal bloodline, a Hyuran family who ruled Ul'dah roughly 300-400 years ago. There is still a surviving Thorne heir if Lolorito Nanarito is to be believed. There may also be surviving members of the lost Sil family also, but none have shown up in lore.

As far as affluence goes, material wealth is the backbone of Ul'dahn society. You are only someone if you have something. Rather - a lot of somethings. So much of Ul'dahn's upper crust of successful merchants and monetarist supporters have bought their nobility, giving themselves titles such as "Prince" and "Lord."

Fishing Lore has got a lot of references to Ul'dahn nobility and some of their eccentricities.

Copperfish Wrote:The copperfish's dull orange scales - a hue rare in freshwater wavekin - make this species popular amongst Ul'dahn nobles, who apparently prefer even their fish the color of their coin. Not native to Eorzea, it is believed the first copperfish were brought to the realm by Far East traders.

Lamprey Wrote:A long, ugly freshwater eel found in nearly every river and lake in Eorzea. Its toothy grin is enough to frighten children across the realm. In Ul'dah, however, the fish is seen as a symbol of strength and dominance, and has long been a favorite amongst nobility and the wealthy classes.

Far East
Doma had a Princess* before it was razed by the Garleans, and you get to meet her in the Ninja 50+ questline. Also, there appears to be a number of references to Lalafellin princes and royalty hailing from the Far East as well, though never specifically Doma. Oh, there are also liege lords!

Dark Sleeper Wrote:A small freshwater fish originally from the eastern continent of Othard. It is said that the first dark sleeper was introduced to Eorzea by an exiled Lalafellin prince who wished to once again experience the luxuries of his homeland.

The Greatest Bream in the World Wrote:This is not the greatest bream in the world; this is just a tribute. In the Far East, it is common custom that when an especially large bream is landed it be offered to the area's liege lord in thanks for allowing his waters to be fished. So as not to insult the lord, the catch is oft presented under the pretense that it is â€œgreatest in the world.â€

*Edit: Wanted to add in thanks to Myahele's catch that Princess Yatsurugi no Yuki of the Yatsurugi Clan may not be strictly "Doman" but definitely hailed from the former Province of Doma in the valleys of eastern Othard. I assumed Doman due to Oboro's recognition of her and his willingness to serve her needs as one of her shinobi. (Rather, offer you up to be her personal shinobi.) Also this quote, which suggests she and her Clan were close enough to Doma to witness Karasu's betrayal:

Yuki Wrote:Tch, you think me naive enough to trust shinobi? When Doma fell, we all saw your daggers in its back!

Sorry for any confusion!

Edit #2:
Radz-at-Han, Thavnair

Ahldskyf Wrote:Truth be told, I expected he might have his misgivings, so I had a solution readyâ”€I would have the ship's cook bake some bread using La Noscean flour and offer it as a gift to the ruling houses of Radz-at-Han, telling each house that the others had found its flavor to far surpass that of bread made from Ul'dahn sunset wheat. The nobles would have no choice but to agree, of course, and, not wishing to be outshone by their peers, demand that their kitchens also stock La Noscean flour.

-More Thavnair Lore

Hope this helps! ^^ Lemme know if you have any more questions about any of these places!

myahele · **10-04-2015, 10:33 PM**

If Othard is a reflection of feudal Japan (or close to it) then I'd imagine the social class structure will be somewhat similar.

Reiner Dorn · **10-04-2015, 11:01 PM**

Usually pretty well received as well, I play an Ala Mhigan noble myself. Been great for nearly a year.

Edda · **10-04-2015, 11:10 PM**

I play a La Noscean noble. 'Noble.' "Noble."

In reality, when I was first conceptualizing Edda, I had a pretty keen awareness that Vylbrand, of all places, would not have any kind of systematic nobility or hierarchy to speak of. So I said, fuck it, her family is just unhealthily wealthy and celebrate generations of continued success by treating themselves like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I played her like the heiress to a very wealthy merchant family, never using the word directly, but other players called her a "noble" and it just kind of... stuck, I guess.

Well, whatever. Thanks a lot, guys.

Ashe · **10-05-2015, 02:03 AM**

Maybe it was just me, but I interpreted Doma to have multiple "princesses" depending on who the Shinobi served/the region/holding...or something else.
Yugiri and that whiny Raen from the 50+ nin line both held a lot of power over the ninja.
I may have interpreted that wrong though.

Grike · **10-06-2015, 12:18 AM**

This was all extremely helpful folks! Thank you very much!