A Basic Guide to Honorifics

The following may or may not be correct historically in the real world but then again, Amahara is Not Japan.

Social Class and Rank

Nobility

Shogun
The shogun is a daimyo appointed by the Apostle on the Grand Chamberlain's recommendation as her chief military commander with authority over all temporal warfare. In practice, the position is hereditary and initially appointed to a clan on account of an army camped outside the capital. Since several centuries ago, the shogun has effectively ruled all aspects of the dominion besides strictly religious and ceremonial duties. The shogun is the penultimate link in the feudal heirarchy - he owes loyalty to the Apostle and all clan daimyo owe him their loyalty insofar as his military and political power can assure this. The shogun has the right to audience with the Apostle to discuss matters of state. In practice, this means meeting with the Grand Chamberlain in the presence of one of the Apostolic Regalia representing the Apostle's person.

Daimyo/Great Clan
Daimyo are the heads of Great Clans that are subordinate directly to the shogun. This can be unilaterally declared by any clan that believes they can get away with it. Generally, only clans with significant land holdings and very credible military forces would be recognized by their peers.

Samurai
The samurai class is the basic level of nobility in Amahara. The original samurai clans were landed families that trained as armoured horse archers in support of shrine maidens. In Sengoku times, there is a much greater disparity in the variety of samurai owing to drifts in economic status as well as regular "official" upraisings of common soldiers to samurai status. Because actual fighting is now endemic throughout the country, whether a person wears two swords and has the blusters (and perhaps skill) to back them up is much more important than genealogy when considering samurai status.

Clergy
The clerical class are a subset of the samurai class (though arguably the samurai were originally an extension of the clerical class) that also produce shrine maidens and were part of the old nobility. Many shrines are managed by a single hereditary family and genealogy can be more important. The idealized situation is a clan whose females go on to become shrine maidens while males become samurai.

Commoner

Peasant

Merchant
Merchants are considered the lowest social class in Amahara. In practice they are of course are much better off than the average peasant.

Honorifics

-san
The vanilla honorific used between adults of comparable rank of either gender.

-kun
Indicates address to a person of lower rank, of either gender.

-dono
An honorific used to address someone of the same high rank as yourself - effectively -sama without implying a lower rank on your own part. Appropriate between nobility.

-sama
An honorific indicating great respect and difference in rank. It at once denotes high rank on the part of the person being addressed and acknowledges lower rank of the speaker.

-hime
Means princess. The most common use in the Sengoku era is to append to the given name when referring to a noble female married into the clan (the clan being identified in context).

-gozen
Honorific referring to a female samurai of significance.

-oujosama
Means lady (of higher rank) and is less distant than -hime. This would be what Zanka grew up being referred to as by the maids.

-sempai
This is a familiar honorific used towards a senior colleague.

-sensei
Denotes a master of any profession, art or craft.

-shishou
Like -sensei but denotes greater respect and indicates grand mastery of a limited number of traditional arts - other arts may use -sensei universally.

-chan
Very intimate and dimunitive form of address.

Shrine Classification

The first part of a shrine's name is the meisho – usually one or more of; the location of the shrine; the enshrined kami; or the family controlling the shrine.

The second part of a shrine's name indicates its status. One could simplify it as a given shrine's "honorific". Where shrines fall under more than one category for whatever reason, the name is determined by tradition, usually with the more prestigious title having precedence.

Jinja
The default name of any shrine and the standard word used in gaijin translations. In Amahara, shrines are designated jinja if they are full fledged shrines with regular human presence but don't qualify for any other designation. Most jinja house terrestrial kami related to natural forces or features but some may venerate kami who were once mortal humans. In the latter case, unlike Buddhism which rewards mortals for faith, virtue or achievements, Shinto enshrinement is connected to the stories surrounding the person and is independent of morality. Generally, the shrine will have virtues, blessings, curses, taboos and festive observances related to the stories surrounding the enshrined kami.

Hokura
Literally a "spiritual repository", hokura are shrines that are usually very minor, subordinate to a larger shrine by being on its grounds, and/or have no regular human presence. Numerous hokura dot the countryside of Amahara, especially along roads where they protect travellers in exchange for offerings. They may be used for ancestor veneration. Under some interpretations, every gravestone is technically a hokura. Large shrines may also have numerous hokura of other spirits on their grounds (sometimes branch hokura of other major deities) – this is treated as a courtesy of the kami of the major shrine.

Mikoshi
A divine palanquin or mobile temporary shrine paraded about during festivals or used to found branch shrines.

-ja/-sha/-ya
Appended to names for shrines of any physical size, indicating a shrine of lesser prestige that received a portion of divinity from a more important shrine.

Gongen
The term gongen was originally Buddhist and such establishments are essentially Shinto shrines (as opposed to Buddhist temples) that recognizes Buddhist figures. Since posthumous elevation of mortals to enlightened status is common under some schools, most shrines of significance that venerate historic figures are gongen built starting in the 6th century onwards.

Jingu
A shrine dedicated to a celestial deity or a figure related to Amahara's foundation or creation. This includes the shrines dedicated to each apostle. The status of jingu is slightly more prestigious than a jinja but not as prestigious as a taisha.

Taisha
Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial or celestial god though there are few enough in the country that many people can readily list them. Among the highest ranking is of course Aki Taisha in which the person of the apostle herself is the honden.