Dawn people

Life in Dawn is a quest, a great contest in which the goal is to achieve glory at any cost. Every challenge is an opportunity to relish, a chance to better oneself, to prove ones worth.

The Dawnish have little sympathy for the idea of fortune – good or bad - those who would achieve greatness must make their own luck. When someone from Dawn fails, they always talk in terms of things they could, would. should have done differently, never in terms of misfortune or bad luck. The Dawnish take failure as seriously as they take success. They regard failure as something to mourn - life provides few opportunities for greatness, and to miss one is a powerful loss. A significant failure is like the death of a close friend. Yet it is always better by far to try and fail than to fail to try. The Dawnish will wallow in their failure for a time, and then move on - woe betide anyone who tries to minimize their failure, or tell them "it doesn't matter." If it didn't matter, why did they try in the first place?

The people of the Dawn are divided by the Test of Mettle. Those who have passed the Test are granted the status of nobility, the right to call themselves lord or lady, and entry into one of the noble houses that rule Dawn. Those who have never taken the test are yeoman, farming their land, fighting as rank and file in the Dawn armies, or serving as retainers to Dawnish nobility.

At the heart of each house is a powerful noble family, but the tradition of adoption means that many members of a house are only nominally related to each other. Membership is determined not by birthright but by passing the Test of Mettle set by the house. Each house is led by an Earl, selected by the nobility that make up the house. A member of a noble family who has not passed their Test of Mettle is technically a yeoman, although one that may enjoy significant comfort depending on their family.

The Dawn zeal for a glorious life infects both yeoman and noble alike. Most nobles devote their life to honing their skills and seeking out opportunities for glory. Every yeoman who takes the battlefield knows that life is presenting them with an opportunity to prove themselves and so the Imperial army recruiters can afford to pick and choose from long lines of volunteers.

Nobility and its trappings are widely and lavishly celebrated. Tourneys are held to mark religious celebrations, weddings, births - almost any public occasion will be used as an excuse for nobility to display their feats at arms. Not only knights take part - musicians, magi and craftsman are all encouraged to participate in public demonstrations of (generally friendly) rivalry, with great glory afforded to those judged best by their peers.

Romance is a vital part of life in Dawn. The Dawnish pride themselves on their charm and good manners and they enjoy courting and flattery. Flirtation is commonplace and accepted even among married Dawnish, provided it does not go beyond words. But if an inhabitant of Dawn seeks more, then they must woo a man or woman to convince them to accept a marriage proposal. And marriage, especially for the nobility, brings its own complications and challenges.

Apprenticeship, and the relationship between master and apprentice is a sacred tradition in Dawn, binding all layers of society. Most apprenticeships consist of a series of ever more difficult, and sometimes dangerous challenges. As a knight is expected to train a squire, so a minstrel is expected to take an acolyte, and a farmer to train a labourer. Thus the skills required to feed, arm and defend a nation are passed on formally in an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning.

Money is largelly seen as something that lesser people worry about in Dawn. A true noble enjoys the comforts and opportunities wealth affords, but to ask how much something costs is to suggest one cannot afford it. Nobles have yeoman retainers to deal with the ignoble activities of counting coins, working out budgets and paying for things. When an Earl decides to throw a tourney, they simply ask their yeoman retainers to see that it happens. A noble who worries about money risks forgetting that what mattes in Dawn is glory.

Names in Dawn

Given names in Dawn are full of romance and meaning. Parents might name their children after great heroes, after beloved relatives or virtues to which they wish the child to aspire. A name should have a story, which the child should be ready to tell if asked – “I was named for my uncle, who fell defending the Barrens at the battle of the Seven Fords the year I was born.”

Formally, all nobles append the name of the noble house to which they belong. However, a noble may also be known for the manner in which he passed his test of mettle, for a distinguishing feature or for his heraldry. Sir Geoffrey of House Rousillon, for example, might be known as Sir Geoffrey the Brave, Sir Geoffrey Wyrmsbane, Sir Geoffrey the Short or simply Sir Geoffrey Rousillon. An unpopular noble might find herself mocked by the common use of an unflattering nickname.

Several noble houses retain the archaic prefix ‘de’ before the House’s name. The more traditional see this as mark of distinction and ancient lineage - other, newer houses have dismissed it as outmoded.

Sample forenames Male: Geoffrey, Kay, Gawaine, Roland, Bohemond, Hugh, Ancelyn, Balian, Stephen, Tristan, Rodric, Eddard Female: Igraine, Alienor, Mathilde, Elaine, Melusine, Sibylla, Honour, Morgaine, Marthe, Isolde, Alys, Circe Unisex: Pride, Courage etc.

Titles

Members of a noble house are addressed by their given name, prefaced with Lord or Lady (e.g. Lord Raynard de Courville). The head of the House may use only the house’s name (e.g. Lady Elaine de Courville, on rising to be the head of the household, is now addressed simply as Lady de Courville), but all other members must also use their given name.
Knights, regardless of gender, take “sir” as their title. 
A Witch who is the head of a House is referred to and addressed as ‘Enchanter’.
Yeomen usually take their trade as their surname (e.g. Fletcher, Steward etc.)

OOC inspiration Chivalric french, Arthurian romance, “fantasy” names, the virtues. Avoid modern french, names that sound welsh, gaelic or scottish.