Forms of address

Third Horizon culture: etiquette

Checking on the Coriolis Discord, I read that the publishers are OK with players recreating tables, figures and data from the RPG source material where the only purpose is the facilitation of playing their game and I hereby promise this is my only intent with this article. The 'origins' First-come and Zenithian are from the Coriolis RPG; everything else is my own content - Doctor Weather

First-come and Zenithians use the same structures for names and forms of address but the cultures do vary in the details.

Structure of the forms

Formal address uses both an action and a title
Formally, you usually use both a title and an action, acknowledging:

• Their status relative to your own - using an action
• Their absolute standing in society - using a title

As a general rule, you usually only formally acknowledge someone of equal or higher status. With people of lesser status you can just talk to them - or order them about even - without any preamble. You can still choose to honour someone of lesser status of course.
Informal address usually uses a simple action only
When meeting closer family and friends you're only reconnecting and jump much more quickly to conversation.
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Actions - for relative status

	ZENITHIAN	FIRST-COME
Formal, respecting relative status	Nod your head: to someone of equivalent status, and to someone of lesser status who's done something you want to recognise Bow: when they have a higher station than you Note that Zenithians do not kneel, considering this an ancient custom inappropriate in modern society. As the First-come still practice respect through kneeling, this contributes to the perception that Zenithians think themselves better than the First-come.	Nod your head: to someone of equivalent status, and to someone of lesser status who's done something you want to recognise Bow: when they have a higher station than you Kneel: to show respect to those of the highest stations
Informal	Handshake or hands on shoulders	Cheek kisses, between 1 and 3, where 1 is for a newer friend and 3 is for family and close friends

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Titles - for absolute status

Titles respect experience of life
This experience can be either from the wisdom of age or people's achievements in particular fields.

	ZENITHIAN	FIRST-COME, MODERN Some Zenithian influence has occured	FIRST-COME, TRADITIONAL Purist and more-remote peoples
Generic secular term of respect - strangers and otherwise where no other title is appropriate	Sayyid ... An evolution (perhaps corruption) of an old Al Ardha word, used by civilians in everyday life, within business, in the military and in politics	Sayyid ... Used by civilians in everyday life, within business, in the military and in politics	Friend, cousin, brother/sister ... Usually moving up the list in proportion to the level of respect wanted
Acknowledging the wisdom that comes with age	Sayyid	Uncle/aunt, father/mother, grandfather/grandmother ... Usually moving up the list in proportion to age difference and level of respect wanted	Uncle/aunt, father/mother, grandfather/grandmother ... Usually moving up the list in proportion to age difference and level of respect wanted
Chief / boss man	Rais ... Plebeian only	Rais ... Plebeian only	Rais ... Plebeian only
Learned, religious - a religious scholar who doesn't preach	Mawlawi	Mawlawi	Mawlawi
Learned, secular - such as adviser counsel (a vizier) and academics (chancellors, deans and other noted university figures)	Your excellence	Your excellence	Your excellence
Nobility	Sayyid	Sharif or sayyid ... Zenithian influence is largely causing a move to the latter	Sharif
Political and business leaders of the highest rank, e.g. presidents and CEOs	Your highness ... Something First-come visiters to Zenithian boardrooms find quite wrong	Your eminence	Your eminence
Preachers and priests - sometimes also to missionaries and pilgrims	Murshid	Murshid	Murshid
Prophet	Almustanir	Almustanir	Almustanir
Religious leader	Khawaja	Khawaja	Khawaja
Royalty, e.g. a shah and their family, presidents	Your highness	Your highness	Your highness

JUMP TO CONTENTS

CC61, segment of The Deckhand

Contents

• Structure of the forms
• Actions - for relative status
• Titles - for absolute status

Related articles

• Architecture
• Civilised society
• Greetings and partings
• Hospitality, assistance and trade
• Naming conventions