Feudalism

Feudalism is the the structure of society in the Nine Shires, it largely resembles the feudal system of the high middle ages in Europe. This society is based on a rigid social structure and government consisting of kings, lords, and peasants. Nobles, usually called Highborn, rule over the Lowborn's within their territory through a system of fealty and sworn oaths. In this system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it.

Vassals or bannermen are those granted the use of land, in return for rendering homage, fealty, and usually military service or its equivalent to a liege lord or other superior. The liege and vassal each have responsibilities to one another; the vassal must remain loyal to the liege above any other lords, while the liege is the vassal's principal protector.

## Social hierarchy

The feudal system has a rigid structure of social classes. Sungifu of Gaethshire and Norman of Biebury are examples of highborn, those born into prestigious noble families. One cannot gain or lose the status; the exiled, Osthryth of Radbira is still highborn. The former lowborn Taric of Pitcombe says that highborn do not consider him one of them despite his knighthood, land, keep, and banner.

Highborn status is desirable; as it grants one the luxuries of lands, titles, wealth and power. People expect highborn to differ from others in behavior, dress, speech, and even their flowering and maidenheads. Highborn bastards tend to be given the honorary titles of Ser for boys and Lady for girls to ode to their highborn parentage but they don't receive the honorific of their families land, such as Lord Cuthstith of Somernoth's bastard son being referred to as simply Ser Oswic and not Ser Oswic of Somernoth, and highborn prisoners of war are held for ransom while lowborn prisoners are often killed.

Those who are not highborn are lowborn. Lowborn's who become members of nobility can still be considered lowborn. Despite the House of Pitcombe's creation, most highborn scorn Ser Taric. Most lowborn can, however, expect to die as commoners. There are no provisions for the advancement of individuals from a lower class into the higher classes. This is not to say that it is impossible, only that it is very difficult, usually bestowed by lords to those who have done a great service to them, or knights bestow the rank and title of knighthood on any individual who has proven himself worthy.

### King

The King of the Nine Shires, has the highest feudal rank; beneath him are the various lords and knights, with smallfolk at the bottom. The king sits on the Blood Throne and claims ownership of the land. Having final political authority, he holds ultimate power in all matters. Although in practice the king is constrained by political realities, and while no individual command is likely to be countermanded, he could still lose his position to intrigue if he were to offend the wrong people. Of course, as kings do not retire, this loss of position would involve his death.

### Honorifics

Honorific Titles are titles that are bestowed on highborn's who don't hold a feudal title in their own right, an honorific is usually acquired at birth and is often bestowed on the children or relatives of a Lord. The honorific Ser is used for highborn boys and Lady is used for highborn girls these titles are granted for life and can not be taken away,

### Nobility

#### Lord

In Redmont's system of nobility, above knights and below the king there are only lords, some greater and some lesser, some sworn to others, but all with the same title. Nobility among the bannermen is hereditary, expressed through vassalage which connect between them the various owners of strongholds.

The lords of the great houses have the highest ranks in their regions of the Nine Shires, and are vassals only to the king. Petty lords at the bottom, in contrast, might only have a village. It is the lord's responsibility to govern his lands, keep the king's peace, enforce law and justice on local matters, and ensure that taxes due to the king are collected in a timely manner.

Some lords have titles which belong only to their houses, such as the great lords being "Lord Paramounts". Titles do not necessarily elevate a lord above others, but can demonstrate a house's history or ambition. House Borhurst hold the title "Lord of the Valley", as they hold dominion over all the ruling houses within Death Valley.

There appear to be roughly one thousand or so families holding lordly rank in the Seven Kingdoms. There are nine major regions or provinces within the domain of the King of the Redmen, each of which has about a dozen or so major vassal houses (House Borhurst, House Biebury, House Tyde etc.). Each of these major lords in turn have anywhere from two or three to about a dozen lesser lords who serve as their own vassals (House Iglceaster, House Smithfeld, House Aescfuld etc.): 9 x 12 = 108, and 108 x 10 = ~1080 (plus the nine Great Houses themselves). This seems to loosely match the only explicit number of lords ever given, for the High Council of Drumdun in 198 NE. It was said that almost all lords in the realm came to the council, and their number was given as roughly one thousand. The number of lordly houses is in flux, however, as over time some die out through war, or new ones are created by younger sons. Minor vassal houses, of course, have a higher turnover rate than major vassal houses.

A steward is responsible for running the day-to-day affairs of the castle and acting on the lord's behalf. He or a castellan may be entrusted with the castle in the lord's absence, though it is usually a lord's wife who is entrusted with the castle if she does not travel with him.

Foreign societies also have hierarchies. Noblewomen from the Kingdom of Burgada, The City States and Other realms in the east were present at the Estre Ball which was restricted to members of nobility.

#### Knights

Knights are the lowest rank of the nobility, kinght's usually hold a keep of their own, which is no more than a few hours ride from the lord they are in service too, They have their own peasants and men-at-arms, and may even take sworn swords. Knights are sworn to fight for the lord who holds dominion over their land. Some knights manage more land than poorer lords, but these knights do not have the authority to deliver law and justice in their land. Rather, they must appeal to their liege lord.

### Commoners

Commoners or Lowborn's are the bottom of the social structure. They do not own lands or titles, working instead the land of their lords and lacking a say in their own governing. While this may seem similar to slavery, the difference is that commoners own themselves, and can make appeals to their local lord regarding violations of the law or general disagreements between parties; they are recognized as having a right to fair and just treatment by the nobility and society in general. Most Houses have laws protecting the local population from abuse or mistreatment, even by members of the nobility. However, those laws differ and are enforced in varying degrees, mostly depending on the disposition of the local lord.

Many tradesmen and craftsmen belong to guilds, such as the Alchemists' Guild.

There is little social mobility; though there is a hierarchy within the lowborn social class. The merchant class is at the top of the lowborn social sphere, with some merchants are wealthier than lesser lords, with some daughters of merchants marrying into the lower nobility.