Kaldorei Caste System

A placeholder page for a social theory I've been tinkering with.

## Introduction

### Just what is a caste?

A caste is a part of a broader system of social hierarchy and stratafication. Castes are usually associated with specific regions or specific occupations - for example, a caste may consist of the 'river people' (regional castes are also usually ethnic distinctions, albeit small ones) or of butchers and gravediggers.

Usually, caste is hereditary and marriage between castes is taboo except in certain circumstances. Where caste is based on occupation, you're born into your job: Your family are warriors. You will be a warrior. While it's possible to do something else, it often carries social stigma or even legal penalties and is extremely difficult to achieve.

## History

### The Twisted Castes of the Naga

Among the Naga, the castes took new form beneath the waters.

#### Highborne

The Highborne did not fundamentally alter; the mago-aristocracy remains in place to a large degree, with the sea witches serving under Azshara at the pinnacle of the social tiers.

#### Jai'ator

This caste continues, not in the form of the typical naga males - who constitute the ranks of the worker strata on the whole - but with both male and female members. Fathom-Lords, Battlemaidens and the great Raj Naz'jan all hail from the ranks of the Naga's Jai'ator.

#### Ala'dorei

Alone among the castes, the Ala'dorei have ceased to exist, subsumed into either the Jai'ator or the Highborne - or killed and eaten when they refused.

## OOC Discussion

Obviously, the vast majority of this article is fanon. But I thought it might be interesting - even before writing it up - to take a quick look at the parts that aren't and to briefly discuss the why of some parts that are. All names - save for Highborne/Queldorei are fanon deriving from known or suspected Darnassian words.

The existence of a Highborne-era Kaldorei caste system is attested to repeatedly, including by the Naga. The two castes we absolutely know of are the Highborne (duh) and the Jai'tor (Warriors). The Warriors most noteable fellow was Kurtalos Ravencrest, and it's actually from his example that the decision to make the Jai'tor a warrior-aristocracy comes from. The bulk of the soldiery would actually belong to the labourers, rather than the Jai'tor caste which comprises the bulk of the military leadership, champions, etc.

Why are the priests a distinct caste? I like Hindu stuff. That's pretty much it. That, and you can actually do very interesting things with a largely hereditary religious organization that occupies a quasi-leadership role - and it also helps with a later proposal I have planned, dealing with a continuing form of the caste system. This particular caste, along with the Kimdorei, is unattested in the evidence.

The Kimdorei themselves aren't really a caste, and while they're certain to draw comparison to the Dalit and similar castes, are really meant to indicate more those who have been exiled by law, those born of forbidden unions (either between castes or in other forms of proscribed sexual unions, e.g. incestuous offspring), those who transgress in certain ways against Aladorei, etc. The actual role of the Dalits and similar castes is, under this model, the responsibility of sub-castes of the Labourers. Kimdorei do exist in communities and do suffer serious prejudice, but at a level beyond that usually allocated to 'untouchables' (e.g. roles as guards, entertainers, etc are forbidden to Kimdorei). In part, this is because we don't know enough about Elunite practice (pre or post Sundering) to have a good idea of ritual purity laws, which are pretty crucial to the usual distinctions of 'untouchable' and 'other'.

### Naga-specific concerns

* The Naga absolutely have a caste system. The usual distinction with them has been 'male soldiers'/'female witches' but it isn't really valid - we see male sorcerors and female soldiers, so it just doesn't work. Instead, the caste divide is likely two-fold: Gender AND Caste inform your position in the social strata, with rare exceptions. E.g. a male belonging to the Naga-Highborne is higher than a female of the Naga-Jai'ator.
* Naga do have priestesses, but they usually cast water magic - not anything 'divine', with exceptions - and are few in number. The Aladorei cease to exist for one key reason: Elunites aren't particularly welcome in the Naga. As the Aladorei are fundamentally an Elunite Priesthood caste, you can't have Aladorei without Elunite belief, though a parallel 'priesthood' caste now exists as a N-Highborne sub-caste.

### Future Plans

Assuming I ever get around to writing this, there are a few sections I hope to explore in particular detail. The basic ideas of differing social and religious obligations (and different legal standings) is a baseline; the added elements planned are:

* A section on sumptuary law. The Highborne, being such a vivid and brightly coloured people, are exactly the type to have passed laws saying that an <x> cannot wear <y> because it's the domain of <z>.
* The continuing caste system's alterations and adaptations to a fundamentally altered post-collapse society and economy, e.g. the 'disintegration' (or rather, fundamental retooling and reshaping) of the Highborne caste.
* A workable model of subsumed present-day Kaldorei castes based on sociological and anthropological principles which can be used to create more distinctly 'flavoured' content for Kaldorei using an echo of their ancient past.