Ruulran Social Hierarchy

Ruulran society encodes social rank directly into personal names by means of suffixes. A name’s final letters broadcast one’s station at a glance and are enforced by custom and law. The royal house sits above all others; below it are the aristocratic houses, then the learned, then the commoner castes. Outside the system entirely stand those who have renounced all suffix and citizenship.

1.1 Tiers & suffixes

A) Commoner strata — suffix -il

Tharil — “Land-tied.” Agrarian peasantry and general laborers.
Drökil — “Mineral Workers.” Trades tied to ore and stone (miners, smelters, related crafts).

The -il ending is intentionally ubiquitous; most Ruulrani bear it. This makes common status immediately legible while keeping higher ranks linguistically rare.

B) Learned strata — suffix -in

Those recognized for scholarship, engineering, or magic.

Mialin — “Thinkers.”
Thaelin — “Seekers of Knowledge.”

C) Aristocracy — three noble lines by suffix

Ruulrix — “God’s Voice.” -ix
Vethax — “The Prideful Ones.” -ax
Tharnri — “Eternal Lineage.” -ri

D) Royalty — reserved highest ranks

Ruuldren — “God’s Ruler.” -dren
Vithdron — “Death’s End.” -dron
Orridraks — “Light’s Might.” -draks

These suffixes are legally protected and mark direct members of the royal house and its recognised cadet branches.

1.2 Marriage & inheritance (suffix descent)

In mixed-rank marriages, children inherit the suffix of the lower-ranked parent.
The same rule applies even when one parent is royal; as a result, royal unions are tightly controlled to avoid diluting succession.
This custom broadly discourages “marrying down” and helps keep ranks “pure.”

1.3 Renunciation & outcast status (Na’vortha / Na’vorthæ)

Some Ruulrani renounce any suffix at all, placing themselves outside the hierarchy. This condition has a formal name in Ruulden:

Na’vortha (sing.) / Na’vorthæ (pl.) — “of no tribe” (na “without” + vortha “tribe”).
Form: carries no suffix.
Standing: not a Ruulrani citizen.

Rights & restrictions of a Na’vortha

May reside in Ruulran, take lawful employment, and even serve in the military (typically as rank-and-file).
Forfeit all civic privileges of citizenship:
- No entry to holy sites (Sanctums and other sacred buildings) and no service within them.
- Cannot own land or property; may not purchase real estate or hold tenures.
- No passport or cross-border travel rights; only suffix-bearing citizens may apply for emigration papers, leaving many Na’vorthæ trapped within Ruulran’s borders.
Marriage to a Na’vortha is deeply shunned. Children of any union involving a Na’vortha are born without a suffix, irrespective of the other parent’s rank—consigning them to the same rightless status.

Example: Irian renounced his aristocratic suffix entirely and became Na’vortha; his former style “Irianix” (-ix) is historical only.

1.4 Names in use & address

Outside Ruulran, Ruulrani still read social origin from the final letters of a name.
Formal address commonly uses title + given name for nobles; commoners are addressed by given name unless office or profession warrants more.
Royal names always retain their protected suffixes in formal address.
Na’vorthæ are addressed by given name only; any attempt to append a suffix is considered an insult or a legal fiction.

1.5 Quick reference

Stratum	Label	Gloss	Suffix
Commoner	Tharil	“Land-tied” (peasantry, labor)	-il
Commoner	Drökil	“Mineral Workers” (ore/stone trades)	-il
Learned	Mialin	“Thinkers” (scholar/engineer/mage)	-in
Learned	Thaelin	“Seekers of Knowledge”	-in
Aristocracy	Ruulrix	“God’s Voice”	-ix
Aristocracy	Vethax	“The Prideful Ones”	-ax
Aristocracy	Tharnri	“Eternal Lineage”	-ri
Royalty	Ruuldren	“God’s Ruler”	-dren
Royalty	Vithdron	“Death’s End”	-dron
Royalty	Orridraks	“Light’s Might”	-draks
Outside system	Na’vortha / Na’vorthæ	“Of no tribe” (renounced; rightless)	—

1.6 Glossary (select Ruulden forms)

na- — privative prefix “no, without.”
vortha — “tribe, kin-group.”
Thar- — “land, soil.”
Drök- — “ore, mineral.”
Mia- — “mind, thought.”
Thae- — “knowledge, lore.”
Ruul- — “god, divine.”
Veth- — “pride.”
Tharn- — “lineage, bloodline.”
dren / dron / draks — royal morphemes associated with rulership, endings, and might.

7.7 Demonyms & ethnonyms (usage & language)

Common (Directian) usage

Ruulrani — the standard demonym for any person from Ruulran, regardless of species (Elvenkind, Humekind, Landlings, etc.).
- Adj. “Ruulrani” (e.g., Ruulrani law, a Ruulrani emissary).

Ruulden usage

Ruulden prefers a relational phrase rather than a compact demonym:
- y’ie nai Ruulran ya — “I am of Ruulran.”
  - y’ie “I,” nai “of/from,” ya copula.
When a compact form is unavoidable in Common, use Ruulrani; in Ruulden speech, keep the nai Ruulran construction.

Ethnonym vs. demonym

Ruul’yun (“God’s Children”) is the ethnonym for Elvenkind everywhere, not a national demonym.
Using Ruul’yun to mean “a person from Ruulran” is archaic and subtly biased. Modern texts should reserve Ruul’yun for species/people-group and Ruulrani for nationality.

Outside the system

Na’vortha / Na’vorthæ (“of no tribe”) indicates renounced, suffixless status, not a demonym. A Na’vortha may be of any species formerly within Ruulran society but stands outside its civic body.