Bastardry refers to the status of children whose parents were not married in societies which require marriage for legitimacy.
Bastards are most often ineligible by law to inherit anything from their parents unless given special exception, though the degree to this concept varies in extremity and enforcement.
In Xiao, bastards of the Huangdi are referred to as "Princes/Princesses of the Blood."
Pelegonic Bastardry
In Pelegon, bastardry is looked down upon, and the bastard children are often shunned. In situations where one parent is noble and the other common, the common born parent is often also shunned.
When bastards participate in tournaments, they are often referred to as "The Bastard of" and then either their house of origin or the seat of their house of origin. For example, Bella Falseborn is often called the Bastard of Fisher, referencing her father, Lord Corwyn Fisher. Alternatively, Doros Falseborn is often called the Bastard of Son's Rest, as he is a bastard of House Goodfellow.
It is possible, though incredibly rare, for bastards to be legitimized. The legitimization of a bastard may only occur through direct Imperial decree. A bastard may be legitimized in one of two ways:
- Firstly, a bastard may be legitimized as a member of one of the noble houses they come from, giving equal status to any trueborn children
- Secondly, a bastard may be legitimized as the founder of a new noble house, such as with the origin of House Lenn, which was founded by Lydia Lenn (formerly Lydia Coins), the legitimized bastard daughter of Lord Alfonso Lena.
Bastards may achieve knighthood, however they are not permitted to use the heraldry of their house(s) they originate from.
Bastards in Pelegon are referred to with surnamed "Falseborn".