Noble Euphemisms

Noble Euphemisms are phrases and words used by nobles to express certain subject matters, often using gods as metaphor.

Noble euphemisms are perceived as hard to learn, but are very important to know when living in noble society. For a noble it is considered somewhat unseemly to use direct language in most situations.

The vast majority of them leave room for interpretation, allowing nobles to wriggle out of what might sound like binding promises to less educated individuals, sometimes turning conversations into de-facto battles of wits.

Some nobles also use these euphemisms to trick commoners into signing unfavorable contracts without them even noticing until it's far too late.

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On top of the use of euphemisms noble communication is also highly structured when it comes to greetings.

When two nobles meet for the first time, the person of lower rank kneels down, crosses their arms in front of their chest and ask formally for permission to pray to the deity of the season. After being given permission, this is followed up by an actual prayer and blessing. Should two nobles of the same rank meet, the guest speaks first.

The wording for asking for permission is not fixed and thus particularly lengthy and elegant variations like "I ask whether I may offer a blessing..." are just as acceptable as a simple "May I pray...". The part pertaining to the seasonal deity however is strictly followed every time.

In the above examples, ____ describes the person or event is being blessed in the current situation: for example, "my young mistress" or "this new meeting". Proper names (such as "Rozemyne") are not typically used.

When a merchant meets a noble, the merchant is always of lower rank and is expected to give a greeting. Because commoners lack mana and can't give blessings, they only invoke the name of the seasonal god, and the noble grants a blessing in return. Unlike the very specific wording of noble greetings, small variations appear to be acceptable when a commoner is involved.

In addition to seasonal blessings exchanged during the first encounter, nobles also have an array of formulaic greetings and farewells that invoke Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time.