Caste

From: L C <lightcastle_at_6LCyU7NOLL16Z2FJsDY4QBFE37rsVDLCXRbb5XyxGnZFT7oGpOFD_lkOBDNLlJKp>
Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:01:13 -0400

 As long as we are discussing the West and doctrine:

I was researching the use of nobility in France for a screenplay and came across the interesting fact that noble was an office as much as a bloodline in some cases.
In fact, France has a whole mess of ways you could be noble, and lose nobility, etc.

So, naturally, I immediately decided this is how it is done in some parts of Glorantha.

Now, the Rokari seem very big on "You are born in your caste and you stay in your caste". I'm down with that, and think it makes a nice evolution from a Seshnelan tradition that was big on heredity to begin with and then there was a nice strong reaction to God Learner permissiveness.

For me, the question among the Rokari is whether or not they adjust for personal ability, or if you are just stuck. i.e. - You're a commoner. You have aptitude for magic. Can you learn magic, but still be legally a commoner for caste purposes, or are you caste-breaking if you learn magic?
Both make for good stories.
I'm inclined to think the official Rokari position is the latter.

Loskalm also seems to have a fairly rigid interpretation of caste, with the whole "move up through the system" approach.

I think I'd put the whole "offices can impart nobility" mixed in with some hereditary and some the office is noble, and if you keep it three generations you stay noble even if the office is stripped from you, etc. complications in Ralios.

In fact, I'd be inclined to think that Ralios has a whole messed up mix of approaches about this.

Then again, I suspect Fronela does too, although there I think it is due to the fracturing of the Ban. I like the idea of putting the "you can do whatever job you need to do, but your legal obligations remain tied to your birth caste" somewhere in the stubborn yet practical Fronelan side.

Now I know that the Priestly and Sorceror caste are basically considered the same thing in most of the descriptions of the West I've seen, which I think is something of a tragedy as I like the idea that someone with the talent to be a sorceror but of the wrong caste can join a saintly/priestly order and not be considered to be caste breaking.

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