Noorian feudalism
Noorian feudalism, also known as neofeudalism, is the ideology and system of feudalism which was formulated by and guided by Kaiseress Noor during her reign in Shireroth, and later expanded upon by the post-Auspicious Occasion (1651) regencies of Shireroth. Noorian feudalism is considered a radical form off-shoot of Khanism with Shirerithian characteristics. As such, it also incorporates aspects of Shireroth's Old Feudalism, as well as esoteric Cedrism.
Its defining characteristics include a society led by the Kaiseress, for the first time in Shirerithian history – the Kaiser or Kaiseressess rules for life, with the successor being dynastically selected, with classes of people below her. The classes of people can broadly be categorized in nobles, denizens, and others. It allows for indentured servitude for life, as well as slavery.
All residents of Shireroth are classed in one of thirteen classes.
Nobility
The nobility forms the classes (2–9) of people with full civic rights. All members of the nobility have Shirerithian citizenship and noble dignity. Only very few have titles of nobility (see Imperial Peerage).
The classes of the nobility, with their respective ranks, are as follows:
- The Kaiser or Kaiseress (technically not a noble, but above the nobility)
- Princes and Imperial Highnesses (members of the Imperial Family, former kaisers)
- Dukes and Duchesses
- Marquesses and Marchionesses
- Counts and Countesses
- Viscounts and Viscountesses
- Barons and Baronesses
- Lords/Ladies in Shirekeep
- All other nobles
Noble dignity
Once touched with noble dignity, one holds noble dignity for life. Noble dignity comes through
- being the legitimate child of a noble,
- being appointed to a noble title,
- by contracting an equal marriage to a noble,
- by – if an adopted or illegitimate child – living with one's noble parent for ten years,
It is possible to lose one's noble dignity. This occurs through caste-shaming, whereby the Kaiseress, finding that a noble has brought the nobility into disrepute (usually after having committed a treasonous crime), on the advice of the Imperial Advisory Council, removes the noble from noble dignity. The former noble becomes a denizen, and all spouses and descendants, if their noble dignity descends only from the caste-shamed person, will subsequently also lose their noble dignity.
Caste-shamed people are removed of their surnames and given the surname Esposito instead.
