Citizenship Ranks: Commoner to Noble Aristocracy

Being a citizen of a major city has its obvious advantages. A city will have an incredible wealth of resources behind it, not only in everyday commodities but its armies and guards will fend off most forms of attack, providing you with an environment that is relatively safe from the harsher elements of the outside world. It also provides a firm grounding for friendships among you and your fellow citizens; loyalties and bonds between players can quickly be struck up purely on the basis of citizenship. Being a citizen of a city will give your character a cause to fight for, ideals for which he or she can struggle.

Status within your city determines the number of privileges you gain as a citizen, and is gained from favour bestowed by your Barons. Privileges include assembling soldiers at times of emergency city defence, interacting with the civic services, free perusal of the city's private ledgers and records, branding city enemies or restoring a city's friendship to foreigners; even wielding direct influence over citizenship giving and taking away. Young Avalonians begin in the commoner ranks but, depending on the town or city, are quickly accepted into the noble ranks and eventually the permanent aristocracy. Type NOBILITY to see the citizenship ranks (common and noble) for your homeland.

Type PRIVILEGES CITY to review the privileges enjoyed by your current common or noble rank.

NOTE: membership of "baronial council" bestows honourary "Baron" rank (if not yet attained) but this is an elected rank most of the time, with responsibilities and powers of its own. It is a rank removed if election defeat or council membership is surrendered/lost; restoring whatever former city rank had been acquired.

The high offices of Prince, Cardinal and Prime Minister elevate their possessor to city nobility, ensuring status at least on a par with the Aristocracy and - as the Avalon years pass - upholding the high office rapidly bestows permanent and significant increases in one's city rank/status. Few long serving Princely, Cardinal or First Ministerial players retire with anything less than a ducal coronet.

Syntax: CITIZENS or CW for short.

This command begins as a useful tool for novices - listing fellow citizens and potential guides with public relations ministry status (in the home city and abroad). Beyond novicehood it evolves into a neat version of WHO including only one's fellow city-mates alongside rank (common or noble) and/or high office held e..g.. Prince, Baron, Minister. It informs whether a fellow citizen has a Public Relations Ministry affiliation, Church and Temple positions and - if apposite - rank held in the city's military e..g. General, Field Marshall.

Those citizens listed in CW will also be depicted alongside a number, displayed before their name. This number equates to an "overall stature" value - used by Avalon when evaluating dozens of "citizen importance" and "citizen influence" considerations. Independent use of State Ministry service personel (such as the commanding of city watchmen or the questioning of sentinels) is an example of "overall stature" determining what powers and privileges are available. Another is the evaluation of appropriateness when using UNCITIZEN or EXILE: you cannot eject a fellow citizen of higher importance, for instance, and would need to use the assembly consensus to strip citizenship or impose edict of exile.

See HELP STATURE for a more detailed explanation of the "overall stature" and the factors influencing/determining the various ratings. Look over HELP STANDING for info on your standing level as it progresses by dint of your evolving Avalon knowledge, experience, deeds and age. See HELP REPUTATION for the more ephemeral renown accumulated whenever you act in a noteworthy or publicly impression way. Reputations are short-lived; stature is rank/position based; standing is a progression from newborn novice to noble senior with the greatest players reaching "paradigm" and "legend" standing.