I recently bought the Cheliax supplement. It was a very nice read, but, of course, too short to really satisfy my curiosity about this nation. Still, for its size, it compared favorably to most flavor products I've purchased in the past. (A certain other publisher is notorious for beautiful, long hardback books that are filled with very little information beyond prestige classes and feats.)
However, this book only reinforced a question that the setting book left me with.
When you refer to Abrogail II as Her Infernal Majestrix, the Queen of Cheliax, that makes Majestrix sound like an honorific, akin to referring to Elizabeth II as Her Royal Majesty. Majesty is not a separate title; it is an honorific (a form of address, like Your Honor for judges). Certainly, Majestrix looks like a feminized version of Majesty. And that's another question, would a male King be referred to as Majestrix or Majesty. If Majesty, then the use of Majestrix described below is very odd indeed.
However, the word is also used as a noun in the supplement. Several references are made to "the Majestrix", as though Majestrix is another title in addition to being Queen of Cheliax. This would be more akin to older British Monarchs claiming to be King of England and King of France.
Which is right? Is Majestrix just a special honorific for the Queen of Cheliax? Or is Majestrix a title born by the Queen? Would a King of Cheliax bear a title of Majesty? ("The Majesty of Cheliax issued an edict on poaching earlier this year." That sounds very weird.)
On a side note, and this is something that can easily be ignored by DMs or readers who care, Golarion is riddled with title confusion, especially regarding Cheliax, Osirion, and Taldor.
The monarchs in Cheliax and Taldor are sometimes referred to as emperors, but seem to formally bear a much less impressive title (Queen and Grand Prince). Osirion seems to switch between Ruby Prince, Pharaoh, and Forthbringer at random.
Obviously real life rules don't apply to a fantasy setting, but it is weird to see juxtaprosed titles like this. Emperor is a much grander title than Prince or even King. If a monarch could righfully claim to be an emperor, they would never allow themselves to be addressed by their lower hereditary title. For example, Peter the Great of Russia might have been Prince of Muscovy, but if you addressed him as such in a letter instead of Emperor of Russia, he probably would have been insulted. The same applies to Pharoah versus Prince. It is unlikely that a monarch would willingly adopt a lower title. When Napoleon III revived the French Empire in 1853, there was never any chance he would have allowed himself to be called "Prince of France" instead of Emperor. So it would be odd for the new rulers of Osirion to adopt the lesser title of Prince, instead of Pharoah or something equivalent.
Again, another nitpicky point. If I ever do a campaign in the region, I can call the monarchs whatever I want. But it is a strange thing to read. It has caused me to shake my head a number of times as I read through the Taldor and Cheliax supplements, and the setting book.
|
I always assumed it was a title that had become a sort of "pet name" - sort of like how some people in the military prefer to call each other by their rank. Except in her case, not many people outside of Cheliax actually like her.
Edit: The reason I feel it is a title is because of my eperience in past games - the Magistratum/Magisterium/Magistorium's of games gone by and still in print. The tendency to call a high-mage a "Magos" or "Magister" or some such other approximation then there's the Magic of Faerun PrC the Incantrix - which may have no bearing on my overall point, but the structure of the name is similar enough.
Just as an aviatrix is the female form of an aviator, a majestrix would be the female form of a majestor.
The words are latinate and are used in the Marvel universe as the titles for the Shiar emperor and empress, meaning pretty much the same thing.
So, basically a majestrix is another word for an empress, and it's the empress's choice which title she prefers.
Since it has echoes of magus, that's likely why she prefers it.
Just as an aviatrix is the female form of an aviator, a majestrix would be the female form of a majestor.
The words are latinate and are used in the Marvel universe as the titles for the Shiar emperor and empress, meaning pretty much the same thing.
So, basically a majestrix is another word for an empress, and it's the empress's choice which title she prefers.
Since it has echoes of magus, that's likely why she prefers it.
I have to say that this is what I originally assumed. But the use of "Her Infernal Majestrix" suggests that Majestrix is just an honorific. You would not say "Her Imperial Empress", but you would say "Her Imperial Majesty."
I prefer Majestrix as a title, since it would explain away the use of the title Queen, which an empress really should not bear (unless, like Victoria, the empress title is appended to a domain that is less prestigious than the royal title).
So it would be odd for the new rulers of Osirion to adopt the lesser title of Prince, instead of Pharoah or something equivalent.Unless, like the Stewards of Gondor, they seem themselves as holding a regency position in anticipation of the return of the true Pharaoh.
This is a fair point. It doesn't quite fit with the Forthbringer's history in the setting, but could be used to explain why they call themselves "Prince" instead of using the more traditional, and more prestigious, title.
I have to say that this is what I originally assumed. But the use of "Her Infernal Majestrix" suggests that Majestrix is just an honorific. You would not say "Her Imperial Empress", but you would say "Her Imperial Majesty."
Correct.
The proper form should be something like "Her Infernal Majesty, Queen X---, Empress of Y---, Majestrix of Z---"
There may also be one of those curious things with the Cheliaxian peerage where daughters get to use daddy's titles while he's still alive but sons don't until they inherit.