#fantasy guide

A Horse! A Horse! My X for a Horse!

Let's be honest, fantasy authors love their kingdoms and empires. You can throw a rock in a bookshop or a library in the fantasy section and you will 99.99999% hit a fantasy book that will be set in or mention either of those structures. But what are they really? What's the difference between them all? Are there any more examples of structures that would suit your WIP better? Are you using the right terms? Let's have a closer look.

Duchy

A Duchy is a small territory ruled by a Duke/Duchess. While Duchies can be found in kingdoms, some duchies were sovereign states in their own right. Duchies are usually small by land mass but some duchies such as Burgundy were extremely powerful and influential. Independent Duchies were usually apart of a kingdom but grew so powerful that they eventually broke away to become a sovereign state in their own right. An example would be modern day Luxembourg, historic Milan and Burgundy.

Principality

A principality is territory ruled by a Prince/Princess. A principality is typically smaller than a kingdom and in some instances, can be apart of a larger kingdom or be a sovereign state. Principalities have a history of having broken away from a larger kingdom or eventually becoming apart of a kingdom. A principality within a kingdom is ruled by a Prince/Princess, usually an heir of the monarch and can be used to train them up to assume the throne in the future. Examples include Monaco, Liechtenstein and Andorra.

Kingdom

A sovereign state/country that is ruled by ruling King or a Queen. A kingdom is much larger and more powerful than a principality. Kingdoms can be feudal, meaning they are ruled in a strict hierarchy or an autocracy where the monarch rules alone with minimal input from the government or constitutional where the monarch is more of a figurehead and the government has a good chunk of control. Examples include England, Thailand and modern day Spain.

Commonwealth

A Commonwealth isn't a popular choice in fantasy but it is an interesting structure. A Commonwealth in its most basic form is a collection of states that are linked by either a shared culture or history. A Commonwealth can be a politically power or an economic power, with every state allowed to participate as much as they like. Not one state leads the others, it is all one group of equals. A Commonwealth can be a good idea for a group of nations that are more powerful together with them keeping their own independence.

Federation

A Federation is a political structure that is made up of united states or countries that are under a single government but each state is still independent and rules itself. Each state can have different laws, different cultures and economies but they all answer to the single government. Examples include the United States of America.

Republic

A Republic is a territory that is ruled by leaders and heads of state that have been elected on merit and by choice of the people. Republics are not just countries but can also be much smaller areas such as cities. Republics are democratic in nature, with the people having a say in who leads them in accordance to a constitution. There are many kinds of Republic: presidential, parliamentary, federal, theocratic, unitary. Examples of Republics include the Republic of Ireland and the city of Florence.

Protectorate

A Protectorate is a country/region/territory that is independent but relies on a larger, more powerful state for protection either in a military or diplomatic sense. A Protectorate was often used by Empires in order to maintain control over an area without annexing it. There are many reasons a larger state and the protectorate would agree to this, mainly the protectorate is much smaller meaning it is far more vulnerable to attack or it has very little power when compared to other states. A Protectorate allows the territory some power to rule itself but the larger state may feel the need or desire to interfere in the dealings of the territory. Examples of protectorates include the client kingdoms of the Roman Empire like Egypt before its annexation and Puerto Rico.

Empire

You want to start your career as a vampire or monster hunter and have no idea what you are doing? Fear not for I´ve got you covered!

Vampires are a difficult and broad topic because they are so popular. Media created a completely different “Style of vampirism” than old tales so this guide is based on my very own view on them. Combining vampires from old tales and from more or less modern media. But without further ado let´s get started!

Titulo Original: Fantasy Guide to Addressing Nobility

Autor Original: inky-duchess

Traducción Hecha Por: ArielDalena

Nota: Esta publicación no me pertenece, yo solo la estoy traduciendo con el permiso del autor.

Puede ser difícil recordar como dirigirse correctamente a tus personajes nobles o de la realeza al escribir una corte de fantasía. Aquí hay una guía rápida:

1.- Rey / Reina:

Por lo general, uno se dirige hacia ellos con " Su Excelencia " o " Su Majestad ". Al consorte ( casado con el gobernante y que no reina por derecho propio ) se le puede dirigir de la misma manera. También se puede utilizar Sire o Madam. 

2.- Príncipe / Princesa:

Se les dirige con  " Su Alteza ". NUNCA se les dice de la misma forma que a un rey o una reina.

3.- Duque / Duquesa:

A estos se les dirige con  " Su Gracia ". Este era un termino común también utilizado por la realeza antes de que Enrique VIII se hiciera tan grande de si mismo.

4.- Conde / Condesa:

Casi nunca se les nombra como el  " Conde de (nombre del lugar) ", sino como  " Lord de (nombre del lugar) ".

5.- Lord (Señor) / Lady (Señora):

Este es fácil. Se les llama  " Mi Lord (Señor) " o  " Mi Lady (Señora) "

6.- Emperador / Emperatriz:

Estos pueden ser iguales a un Rey / Reina en cuanto al estatus, pero tienen títulos mas magníficos. Solo se les dirige como  " Su Excelencia / Majestad imperial ".

Espero que esto te ayude a escribir tu novela de fantasía o corte.

Taglist:

Invade | to enter for conquest or plunder

Invading a country is, essentially, a declaration of war. 

If Country A is being invaded by Country B, then Country A will be focusing on driving out the foreign invasion through any means necessary. Defenses will be readied, allies will be called on, and military will have to conscripted to fight off an invasion force. 

If Country B has successfully taken over Country A, then that’s a different story

A new government/regime will have to be established to replace the old one. This could include deposing the governing officials and monarchs and replacing them with one of your own, or keeping them as a sort of ‘puppet government.’

Country B has to decide if they want to change/impose any new laws in their new territory. This could include new taxes, policies, religions, etc. Since Country B is the victor, they can essentially do whatever they want to Country A, but you have to remember that people will be disgruntled/against change. 

How will the conquerors treat the conquered? Will they suppress the conquered and treat them as second class citizens, or will they be treated similarly to citizens in the motherland?

If the ruler(s) of country B want as little dissent in their new territory as possible, then being tolerable is the best route. Cyrus the Great incorporated customs of the people he conquered and allowed people to practice whatever religions/practices they desired as long as they paid their taxes and were loyal to him. Rome also did something similar, allowing conquered people to keep their own customs and government as long as they acknowledge Roman leadership, paid taxes and supplied Rome with soldiers. They were even allowed to become citizens if they met certain criteria.

However, change will always arrive with dissenters. Country B may have to quell insurgencies/rebellions who want to restore Country A to its former glory. These rebels may try to get help from foreign countries who either have a grudge or just has something to gain by aiding a rebellion.

Keep in mind that invading a country will upset the balance of powers between countries. Many countries create alliances to help them with trade, war, politics, etc. How does one country invading another change that? Will the invading country be condemned by others? If so, that will negatively affect international trade, politics, and may incite new wars between countries. For a good example of this, read up on WWII.

If we’re thinking a bit long term, conquering countries is also a way for cultural diffusion or the spreading of cultural traits. When Alexander the Great united Greece and conquered lands from Persia to Punjab, his soldiers would often bed women in conquered countries and beget children. These children grew in a culture that blended aspects of greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian together to form something new.

If there’s anything I didn’t cover or you were confused about, please don’t hesitate to ask me again :D

Her FAQ section is absolutely delightful.

If you ever thought you may be trapped inside a fairytale, do no fret, you have an expert there to assist you!

I often get asks about the relationship between servants and those they serve and how the relationship develops over time or what's appropriate between servant and employer at any given time. Many period dramas do get this right but a lot don't and send mixed signals to the audience about the true nature of the relationship between servant and employer.

There's a Strict Hierarchy

This is one inescapable concept that often gets forgotten in a lot of modern media. The relationship between servant and employer is a hierarchal one, the employer and servant are not on the same level socially.

Servants will always address their employer by their title or by sir/ma'am - at least in public and if there is any deviation of the rule, it's in private and only at the invitation of the employer themselves. Employers in turn would use the appropriate title for the servant in question (I outline these here). This done very well in Downton Abbey, especially when Tom marries into the family and they struggle with calling him 'Tom' rather than Branson.

A servant would never greet their employer informally or answer back. This is inaccurately portrayed in the exchange between Mrs Russell and Turner in The Gilded Age.

Servants would also not address their employer directly without being addressed first. This is very single meeting.

Servants would not walk in step with their employer or sit in their presence. They would walk two or three steps behind at all times and only sit when invited. They would not touch their employer without leave either. This is done well in Queen Charlotte, with Brimsley.

A servant would have to obey orders from another member of their employer's family or their guest but only within reason. This is shown in The Gilded Age the lady's maid Adelheid is borrowed by Mrs Russell from her daughter for a time when she fires her own maid.

Above and Beyond

Some employers might expect more from their servants that aren't exactly in the job description. It was understood in service that sometimes you would be asked to tackle things not in one's paygrade. In Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury's maid Coral helps her lady lie about the death of Lord Danbury to allow her time to gather herself and appear more upset. For example:

A lady's maid might act as messenger between a pair of lovers.

A footman might lie to the mistress about the whereabouts of his master (with the master's approval of course)

A butler might procure some less than legal party favours for a bash his lord and lady are throwing.

A guardsman might aid their charge in escaping the house/palace for a night of fun.

No matter what, a servant is expected to go above and beyond without complaint. The response to "jump" should nearly always be "how high". However, if there is a strange or harmful request, a servant had recourse to ask a higher ranking servant or employer whether or not they should agree to the request.

That being said, servants are people at the end of the day and might have scruples. Often, servants were far more conservative than their employers but more often that not, they would swallow their morals to do the job that is needed. This is accurately portrayed in Downton Abbey when Mrs Bird complains about Mrs Crawley asking her to wait on Ethel, a former prostitute, leading to Mrs Crawley to dismiss her.

Bonding

Because some servants work closely with an employer, relationships often evolve between employer and servant. There must be a certain level of trust between servant and employer or else the house would fall apart. Bonds do form but these bonds don't interrupt the hierarchy or the professional relationship - at least in public. For example:

A lady's maid or a valet might act as confidant to their mistress/master, keeping their secrets. This is seen in Downton Abbey where Anna and Bates act as confidants with Lady Mary and Lord Grantham respectively.

A kitchen maid may slip the children of the house an odd treat in defiance of their parents or governess.

The staff might chip in for a gift for a beloved employer on an anniversary or special occasion.

The same is said for employers, who would also show favour by gift giving or promotion.

A loyal servant might be left some money on the death of their master/mistress.

A retiring lady's maid might be granted a gift from her mistress.

Employers might listen to the advice of their servants or servants may approach employers in times of difficulty. An employer might see a servant's child educated well or might pay a doctors bill, but these are kindnesses. Because there is a certain level of proximity, certain familiarities can grow but it is unlikely that either will consider it 'friendship' exactly.

Boundaries

However, there are boundaries between servant and employer. Even in cases of familiarity and good will, a servant and employer would not meddle in each other's affairs. For example:

A servant might dislike an employer's guest but would not refuse to serve or wait on them. This is depicted inaccurately in Downton Abbey's Christmas special, where the butler Stowel refuses to serve former chauffeur Tom Branson.

An employer in some eras could not deny a servant the right to get married.

A servant may be expected to be available at any given time and come running at the sound of the bell. But if a servant is on a day off or ill, an employer can't punish them for not being available when knowing beforehand they wouldn't be.

A good servant knows when they are needed and when to disappear. They should not linger if it is clear they shouldn't be here.

A servant might see their employer engaging in harmful or immoral behaviours but would not have the right to criticise or inform anybody.

A servant might be tasked with dealing with their employer in a state of undress (but this never crossed gender, a valet or a butler would handle a naked male employer and only a female servant would deal with a lady's intimates) and while seeing them in this state, would not look or make a big deal over it.

The professional boundary should not be breached on either side of the divide. A servant wouldn't approach an employer with personal issues nor would an employer welcome the servant's unauthorised counsel.

The Downsides

In most fantasy settings, politics is a large part of worldbuilding and a chunk of the plot, as how the world and culture runs from top down, will effect your characters, certain events and often effect the run of your story. In writing politics, you are shaping both the opportunities and limits, the impacts of morality and power on your world which will always come back to bite your characters on the ass.

What is Politics?

Lasswell defined politics as the who gets what, where, when and how. It is the string of protocols and events that dictate the rules and structures of society, framing the values and core ideals of the nation - or at least, the values of the ruling class. Poltics is not the government, politics is the process of argument, discussion, choice and question of how the government is run. Think of government like a football player and politics as the ball and the goal and the field.

Political Factions

It would be foolish to think that poltics is an agreed, unilateral process. No government can exist on one idea, one thought process. Even in a totalitarian regime, there will be those that disagree or lobby for change, even in a totalitarian”utopia”, there will be those that disagree. It is human nature to argue. Left, right or central political factions exist because there is no system on any earth where any decision is made without pushback. And it would be a mistake to think that only the ruling class can effect politics, other and even marginalised classes have a pull on politics especially if they are in the majority. Poltics is often deterimined or at least influenced by popular opinion even in dictatorships, playing to the crowd either by distraction in the form or reward and entertainment or giving into some of their needs. Even powerful parties must work to convince factions from the workers who can be with or without vote - even voteless masses can influence politics, through violence or threat or strike action -or even the head of state who makes final decisions, it is all one performance to win popular opinion to their side and way of thinking. The use of political factions in your story can allow you to frame the what is and what could be in your world or limit the opportunities of characters creating more conflicts or barriers for characters to butt against. Political figures themselves will either be lauded or despised in turnk with the media and the people weighing in.

What Politicians, Heads of State and the Common Man/Woman could discuss when talking about Politics

Enter any bar, restaurant, family home, school or any sphere of conversation, politics is a common subject. Even if heavy topics aren’t tackled, most people operate on a “no politics at the dinner table” way of thinking, politics related topics will arise. There aren’t enough job opportunities, some items are hard to find or expensive, the healthcare and education system is lacking and too general, that politician broke their word, that head of state can’t seem to control the government, the government did this, said that and can you believe that? Politics effects life: healthcare, education, housing, freedom, the economy, justice and ways of thinking about foreign relations and the nation’s sense of pride. Politicans would run on platforms dedicated to change how one of these things or protect them, they would debate these things in government either successfully or unsuccessfully. They would discuss it with one another even in private, for example if they back a stance with all they got, would the other faction or their ally make it worth their while. A head of state would be counselled on the matters of housing, food, healthcare etc by the government and would often instruct the government to focus on a certain point causing potential breaking points with the population and would cause greater issues. There will also be those that struggle against the status quo and current politics due to ideas that the current politics either ignores them or backs them into a corner, protests, demonstrations and strikes would be apart of even the most peaceful of places. It is human nature to struggle and insist to be heard. Even amongst families and friendgroups will squabble or disagree over politics or how things are run or the success of the government.

No One Else Was in The Room Where it Happened

Not all politics is discussed in the grand halls of government, deals and agreements are made in the houses of the powerful, or in restaurants or even seedy nightclubs and bars. It is all about exchange of support for one thing for another favour another day, the head of state might ask the government to focus on one issue due to strain on one issue over other pressing issues. A law might be passed that protects the hands that grease the wheels of government, a wealthy tycoon is more likely to get off a tax charge than the man on the street. A politician might agree to support a political rival if they back a policy they are planning to implement. Politics is underhanded, because there are so many cogs working behind the scenes and it is doubtful that even the government fully knows what was going on which can lead to the public seeing their government and its politics as shady figures.

How your Head of State would handle state affairs