Important note.
COMMONERS CAN NOT HOLD SLAVES.
No matter how rich they are.
Being a Holder is more than being rich/noble = its almost *moar blessed* (trditionally). This is why they have the power to control land and people.
Not every Amarrian gets their first slave on their Sweet 16.
Also. WAY MORE COMMONERS THAN NOBLES. They ARE hired by nobles - to drive those hovercars and techy things that one may or may not allow a slave to do depending on holder. Orwhatever.
Amarr is not Nobles and Slaves
Its Nobles, commoners, slaves, priests, yadda, yadda.
Ok, proceed.
I wish I would have known that at character creation. Oh well, what the heck do I need slaves for anyways?
I read that the Holders owned slaves, not that the commoners were forbidden to own them.
Well you have two kinds of slave holders in the Empire to be more precise :
- Holders (nobles), that contrary to european middle ages and renaissance, have no clear distinction between their secular roles as liege lords and the religious role as bishops. It is kinda similar to what we had in some places like prince archbishops holding actual counties and lands like feudal lords but being men of the cloth instead of men of the sword. Which means that in the Empire there is little distinction between religious and secular duties, with perhaps the exception of the high nobility and government (the secular Privy Council vs the religious TC since the Empire Great Reforms). Anyway, they hold slaves because their duty is to bring them to the path of enlightement, leading them to emancipation after a whole life of slavery, or generations of slavery.
- Slave traders, allowed to enslave criminals or to raid for slaves (not outside of the Empire since Heideran/CONCORD decree, but outside of the Empire for the Khanid Kingdom since Khanid II never signed something like this and is in dire need of slaves). They are however not allowed to use them. They are just slave merchants and brokers. And those are commoners, rarely nobles. Not even sure if nobles can do that job ?
Will answer to the more copious post when I find the time.