Class and Station in Starhelm

The majority of citizens in Essillion and Avandar are peasants, commoners, labourers, artisans, merchants, or tradesfolk.
Essillion has a strong noble line and they date their heritage back many generations. They are proud of their history and their lineage, taking great pains to make sure they maintain their good standing. The middle class is constantly jockeying for position to make political choices that will improve their station. The noble line does not change overly often but the middle class has great fluctuation from the lower to middle, or back down again. There will never be a change of station for the Dukes and the King of Essillion as agreed upon at the city’s founding.
In Avandar, they hold less stock in their heritage and look more toward the future. They appreciate their council and the philosophy that anybody can achieve anything, regardless of their background, family, or current station in life. The separation of the land to the island of Avandar has made the island citizens a little arrogant toward others, trusting that their way of life is the best. They all work together to achieve progress and fulfilment of their destiny. Their isolation also gives them strength in unity.
The Elves of Aspenshield revere their Queen above all else, and there is a bit of a separation between Wood Elves and High Elves, but typically they all work together to make the city succeed. The Elves of Brightbough are far more inclusive in their workings but they still defer to their King for major decisions.
The Gnomish cities have all the same types of class structures, but they are far more mobile in their station than in other cities. A peasant one day could become a wealthy merchant with the right invention or idea. There is little jealousy amongst their population for social mobility as they all feel they have the same opportunity.
Dwarvish culture has strict stations and it is only with specific and measured actions that clans and families move between their stations.
Minotaurs have very organized structures and the lower tiers typically defer to the upper tiers, with some exceptions. Those with great creativity and resourcefulness can find themselves moving up in rank.
For most other cultures rank and station is fleeting and usually held by the strongest or most influential at the time.

Peasantry

In Essillion, the peasantry makes up a large portion of the surrounding lands, owing allegiance to the Lords of Essillion as their protectors. Further south or north of Essillion some farmers and peasants have freehold farms and trade well with Hollow’s Point, Meadowspring, or even the Elves of Aspenshield. Some have come under attack recently by Goblin raiding parties and one farming commune has banded together to protect themselves. They have hired a mercenary group to patrol and keep their homes safe. So far it has worked out for both sides.
Avandar, on the other hand, much of their peasant population is within the city walls, due to their lack of land. The farmers and growers in Avandar are treated more like merchants or artisans and they take great pride in making bounty out of little. On the mainland there are some freehold peasants that make great trade with the Grippli and they are protected by the soldiers of Brightwave, to hold off any incursions of monsters or brigands.
The Gnomish cities have some peasant population, but they are well taken care of and contribute greatly to the city’s success. Outside of the two Human cities there are smatterings of farms, commoners, and basic tradesfolk that make their living off the land and do their best to survive the elements and the predations of animals and monsters. Small villages dot the landscape at random locations but while some prosper, many just live a subsistence existence, and some become extinct.

Tradesfolk and Merchants

The tradesfolk and merchants of Avandar make up the majority of their population. Their view on what people do tends to level the station of the citizens. All can contribute and in unity they will make Avandar great. Everyone in Avandar, to a certain extent, is a tradesfolk, artist, or merchant, regardless of profession.
Essillion, on the other hand, works towards maintaining long-standing trade agreements, valuing loyalty above profit. They still seek to make and save money; they just typically won’t do it at the expense of an historical arrangement. They have maintained their trade agreements with the Halflings and Dwarves of the area for centuries and all parties are loathe to disrupt that arrangement.
The tradesfolk of Hollow’s Point and Stonebridge are well-renowned for their skill and business acumen. They create excellent works and trade or sell them with great success. They are also home to the most popular fairs and shows across Starhelm. While other places may have the occasional fair, Stonebridge and Hollow’s Point make a point of hosting multiple fairs a year. Many travel across great distances to attend in either city.
Merchants and tradesfolk exist amongst all the races, but none are more prevalent than the Humans of Avandar and the communities of Hollow’s Point and Stonebridge. The Dwarves do an admirable job of creating great works, but they do not traffic them across the whole continent. Halflings tend to trade more than sell and they do not go far to sell their wares, preferring to travel for enjoyment or discovery instead. Minotaurs create for the sake of creating and the majority of their creations are too large to travel with.

Clergy

The clergy of Essillion is a very respected group and they hold to tradition and ceremony. Most households in Essillion would have some form of shrine to a house patron, one of the Human gods, or even to the Twelve. The priests of Curceon hold the greatest sway in Essillion but Pristell and Gnurich are also very well revered in the city proper. The library of Essillion is the greatest collection of books and writings on the continent and many come for just a glimpse of the offerings that can be found in The Rookery.
Worshippers of most gods can be found in Essillion, but the ones of evil or strife hide themselves well for fear of the loyal of Curceon bringing them swift justice.
In Avandar, the clergy hold sway, but they are not as prevalent, even though they have a council member representative and the Divine District forms a large section of the city. The main difference is that the people of Avandar do not see or treat the clergy any better than any other citizen, though almost all of the clergy in Avandar have some responsibility within the city and those positions are rewarded respect more due to how they aid the city rather than being the clergy of a particular god.

Low Nobility

In Essillion, knights and decorated officers of the King’s army make up the bulk of the low nobility and they are utilized to settle disputes, govern over small parcels of land or enforce the laws of their district. A small addition to the low nobility is taking place now with a rise of successful and well-respected merchants. They have been dubbed the Merchant-Princes and they hold sway over finance and trade.
Even one of low nobility is expected to be treated better than the middle-class citizens but they will associate with the lower class as needed.
Avandar doesn’t follow titles of nobility but they have a hierarchy that they follow. Their council is the top tier of their structure, with the majority of the citizens falling into a middle-class section.

High Nobility

Essillion follows a classic monarchical system, with a King at the top, two Dukes and some lesser Earls. All high nobles are either landed nobles, or titled nobles. A landed noble is born into their position, and the strength of their heritage determines their hierarchy and respect in the court. A titled noble was gifted the position, like a High Cleric or a very wealthy and successful merchant. Their ability to maneuver themselves through the court determines their rank within the system. Magistrates and governors are also titled positions of nobility. The Dukes will never leave their position and there will only ever be two. The position is passed down through the family and the ownership of the two large mines to the north and south always remains in their control.