Section 9: Nobility and Families

[Zeich Yajuu]

Section 9: Nobility and Families

A noble is a person of high standing who possesses a large amount of influence through their family name. These people usually back their power with money, strength, or simply the reputation of their family's history. Despite this reputation, nobles also have obligations and duties. They fight on battlefields that extend just beyond the physical combat most of us know. They take their fights to the political and social areas, as well. There they must struggle with one another for power and having to constantly maintain their status as nobles. While many fight with weapons, others fight with words, money, and influence.

With nobility, there are three types of families. One of them is the minor families, who are considered to have minor influence and little money but still work their way up to true nobility. They are typically like individuals in a vote who have minor say in decisions. Another is the lesser nobles, who have modest amounts of money and status. They have a bit more influence and can make an observable impact. Finally, there are greater nobles. They have large amounts of resources in both influence and finances, often playing a large part in many of the major decisions of the world they live in.

Creating a Noble Family

Bringing about a legacy is a long process that cannot be done in a single thread or event. Anyone can be part of a minor family with no real influence or power, but there are multiple steps that must be taken to obtain the title of an actual noble family. The first step is that any character wishing to become the head of a noble family or wanting to start one must be Class 1. Training Tier and Power Tier Class 1 characters are both valid. For both instances, there must be a clearly established history of building up the noble family by starting from a minor family.

With a PT character, the History section must contain a good portion of the family's history. For a TT character, these developments must be made In-Character to show the family's growth. In order to become a greater noble family, at least one of their influential members (the head or a highly-regarded member) must maintain a non-Mercenary position that is Rank 3 or higher. This displays their influence on the world. If this position is lost, the family is considered sub-par and is demoted down to a lesser noble family until it is met again.

The second requirement is funding. No noble family can be without money to back up its endeavors. Many things need to be purchased to display true wealth, so money is always a major requirement. For a lesser noble family, the required finances must be 500,000 Ryo. Once this has been earned and placed into the family bank, their family can be established as a lesser noble. These funds may never drop below 250,000 Ryo or else the family is immediately demoted from its position. It can be reclaimed so long as the family reaches the 500,000 Ryo requirement. Greater noble families must maintain a large manor and more connections, but they must also deal with other expenses. Their financial requirement is four million Ryo to get started. Their bank account must hold no less than two million Ryo. If it drops, they get demoted and must earn their way back.

Then we have the line of succession. This line extends to at least one person and is imperative at all times. This line must be stated and kept updated in the family's thread. This is so if something happens to the current head, such as the retirement, death, or inactivity of a character, then the leadership passes down to the next. If there is no line of succession upon the loss of a family head regardless of member status, then the family is demoted from the noble position until a new leader is found and requirements are met. Therefore, a successor should always be lined up to ensure the security of the family.

The last major step involves the maintenance of the family. They must maintain a distinct, proper appearance to the people around them at all times. They have rules, regulations, and reputation to uphold. They must also be involved in political and social standings during In-Character threads. They can arrange marriages, meetings, and negotiations with other nobles. Their political influence must be as much of a part of their plot as battles and fighting. If this is not done on a modestly frequent basis, if not even a paragraph or two in a thread is dedicated to this maintenance, the family head will be considered unfit. Upon staff review, their family may be demoted in status.

Noble Benefits

Influence is the first major benefit. When your character is part of a major family within any of the established worlds, they have a lot of say over anything that happens. In Soul Society, many of the major decisions of the Great Noble Families will often shape much of what happens within it. How squads are deployed and the missions they go on is an example. They can keep secrets or simply adhere to the family agenda. They hold almost as much power as the Captain Commander or Central do, but through more political maneuvering.

Minor families don't have any major benefits since they are still small and working their way up, but they are a precursor for those who are looking to obtain higher roles. Lesser and greater nobles have real benefits such as custom items made exclusively by their family. These items can be bought and sold by family members to whoever they want. Lesser noble families may have up to ten custom items, while greater noble families can have twenty.

Noble families may also have family-exclusive techniques. Lesser noble families may have up to fifteen techniques that are exclusive to members of their family and cannot be taught to outsiders. Greater noble families may have up to thirty-five. These techniques can be independent, but it is recommended that they are organized into branches of specialty to give some meaning and value to each type. These techniques must be reviewed by staff and approved, but they do not count towards the limit of ten reserved techniques that a character may have at any time. Any family-only techniques being made by a member of the family who is not the current head must also be reviewed by the head of the family before being submitted.

There is a limit to how many techniques characters of certain Classes may learn. In lesser noble families, characters of Class 8-7 cannot learn any. Class 6-5 can learn one. Class 4-3 can have two. Class 2 can have three, and Class 1 can have four. Class 0 can have five. In greater noble families, Class 8 can't learn any. Class 7 can have one. Class 6 can have two. Class 5 can have three. Class 4 can have four. Class 3 can have five, Class 2 can have six, Class 1 can have eight, and Class 0 can have ten. These are just general limitations. If a technique is limited to a branch, such as the Kuchiki Hana, the total available to a character may be lower than these limits.