Some of the class-shifters take along some manners and fashions, so the classes get a little blurred at times.
Royal class
The absolute upper class is the royalty. There is virtually only one family in this class, namely the family of the Emperor. To keep it a small class, there are rules to the persons who belong to the imperial, royal family and who do not. So this royal class is determined by law.The Royal Class is somewhat old fashioned. Bound by law, they can not be as free as the upper class, and on the other hand side, the royals are very careful with new things - the Imperial Family of Daleth exists for centuries already, so why change and risk the dynasty?
Several persons might whisper the royal class just hasn’t got the energy to come up with something new, because of inbreed. Or because the royal class is so isolated from the rest of society, the new things just don’t get through.
The royals do own enormous estates and a lot of mansions. The treasures of silver, gold and gemstones in the archives of the Imperial Palace in Ildritz should be amazing. The amount of money the royal class has, should be astonishing. Some say it might be more than all other Dalethians own together. Others might whisper the royals are keeping up appearances and are not half as rich as they claim to be - and after all, a lot of their wealth is in the real estate, that (by law) can not be sold.
Upper class
The normal upper class are the noble men and woman. They are rich and trend setting. Many of them have to maintain an estate or a land; that is their main job. They have also jobs in the government of Daleth, their land, in affairs abroad and can have taken the lead in universities, school, institutions, companies.In these leading jobs, they are the example for the other classes, hence the trend setting. Especially the young men and women of the upper classes, who have plenty of time and money after they finished their education, experiment with fashion and art, go travelling and do other things to shape their characters and polish their splinters. With that, they are the example the next generation of the middle class has.
The upper class is a traditional class in ways of money. Almost all families in this class have inherited (or “old”) money, and real estate that is inherited as well. All they have to do is earn enough to keep on living, for the basic facilities of life they don’t have to fear.
The upper class wants to be close to the royal class, and weddings are ideal to enter that class. So children are educated and trained to keep up with the royal customs and etiquette, so if they are asked to marry a royal person, they are ready for it. Only in the last few years, young members of the upper class keep their eyes on the middle class, for that is where the real power is believed to be: in companies, in science, in making new money and being independent from heritages.
Middle class
The middle class is trend following - they will try to live as upper class but fail in manners or money. However, many can keep up appearances and act like upper class.This class hardly has any “old money”, no ancestors who made enough money for an easy living. They work hard in their own businesses, or as scientists at universities and such. Farmers are usually middle class, like most merchants.
Lower class
The lower class is usually set equal to poverty, but that is not so. Lower class can have a lot of money, but not the intellectual and social attributes to live in a middle class society. The lower class has its own trends (but don’t even know the word, probably) and goes either for tradition (traditional lower class) or more or less deranged modernisations (artistic lower class).Underclass
In the underclass the very poor are found. They are too busy with keeping alive that material things as fancy dress, good manners, fashion, trends and such do not matter any more. Some might be able to act as a higher class, because they either once where of a higher class, or because they have worked for a higher class.
Classless
Any one who has stepped out of society is classless. All criminals are, all beggars are, the wanderers and anybody else who parasites on society. The classless have by law no rights, except for the right to be reestablished in society if they want to and change their ways.Naglani
Usually, the Naglani are placed in the lower classes, but the more important families might appear in the middle class, where the Thyngfyrst and its family are regarded to as noblemen or even royalty; they are supposed to be princes.In their own realm, they have classes that have different meaning. All are equal, but in different classes - the classes determinate what a person should do in work and obeying orders. Many Naglani do also have a military rank they only use when necessary.
Sudzi
The Sudzi have only one class, and the Lord who is royalty. In Ildritz, the Lord is placed into the upper class.Related topics: