[Discuss] "Strip titles" recommendations

[James]

Mark Moss wrote:
> On Monday 05 November 2007 22:00, Rob McDonald wrote:
>   
>> Why not just have it based on a vote by the nobles? Nobility has to be
>> recognised by many people for you to be considered a noble. If only a
>> minority supported the king, and he claimed someone to be a commoner, why
>> should everyone suddenly treat the accused as such?
>>     
>
> I don't think a vote makes much sense.  A vote isn't going to change your 
> ancestry:  You're either noble or your not.
>
> IMHO:  If you're going to question a character's nobility, you should at least 
> make up some evidence that the character wasn't born a noble.  Maybe throw in 
> some examples where the character spoke or acted in an ignoble manner for 
> good measure.
>
> Mark Moss
>
>
>   
Two things with this.  First, what the king says in the time was law.  
If the king said you were noble, you were, and if he said you weren't, 
you weren't.  Black and white, no gray.  Second, you're not living at 
the time.  Nobility meant everything to these people, the fact that they 
were born inherently better then everyone else was important, it gave 
them the right of rule.  It wasn't simply just they thought they were 
better... they /knew/ that they were born superior, perhaps even of a 
higher race.  If someone was allowed into that institution that was 
lesser, it challenged the whole authority of their rule.  Yes, Mark, 
they should have to actually show examples of why the person isn't.  Not 
just I don't want you to be a region lord, so you're no longer a noble.