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 Zur'kein is often called the Bastard of Fisher, referencing her father, Lord Corwyn Fisher. Alternatively, Doros Zur'kein 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
- For example, Karthyl Zur'kein was the bastard son of Lord Ulysses Ugaros. When all of Lord Ulysses' children were slain in battle during the Years of Blood and Iron, Karthyl was legitimized as Karthyl Ugaros and made Lord of the Quiet Castle by Imperial decree of Pelegon V.
- Secondly, a bastard may be legitimized as the founder of a new noble house
- For example, House Lenn was founded by Lydia Zur'kein, bastard daughter of Duke Alfonso Lena.
Bastards may achieve knighthood, however they are not permitted to use the heraldry of their house(s) they originate from.
Bastards in Western Yekare are referred to with the surname "Zur'kein," a combination of the Celestial words for "bastard" and "false." This practice originated with the native Yekari of the Western petty kingdoms of Yekare and survived the coming of the Kardunashi. Following the formation of Pelegon, Zur'kein became the standard bastard surname of bastards born in the Empire.