In light of the post by OneEyeTigh, I thought it might be useful for players and DM's to suggest how to signal (or remind) the party that the campaign, whatever its early forms, will become a High King or a Lonely at the Top style of game.

Even if the whole crew sits down together before putting dice to table and agrees that one of these styles of game is what they want to do, its useful to keep signalling that this is what you want to do.

If its obvious that the lineage of the character of destiny is above those of his peers, have the social situation reflect that. You can pick up bits and pieces of social rules from the national book of your choice (Ruins of Empire, Cities of the Sun, &c), but you'll need more, so you can either look to other games that elaborate on social rank, or make it up yourself.

Social Rank for characters has two sides, how you behave, and how others treat you. All of this is for public behavior. When the servants have been excused and you are alone with your party, then you can drop your formal personae. Otherwise:

People should communicate with the party by addressing its senior ranking character. If one player is the son of a duke and ther other PC's are scions of counts, jarls, lords, or knights, then everyone who encounters the party should address the scion of the duke. He will be easy to recognize because his finery will be superior. Note that in BR people who run realms are refered to as kings with a lower-case "k". This is a sign that they should be acting royal in terms of setting themselves apart from their underlings, the mere nobles who rule a single province. The Player's handbook gives us five levels of clothing. A royal outfit for 200 gp, a noble's outfit for 75 gp, a courtier's outfit for 30 gp, a scholar's outfit, artsan's outfit, or entertainers outfit for a few gp, and a peasant's outfit for 1sp. Wearing clothes appropriate to your station helps everyone identify who is in charge. Wearing clothes of some other stations will raise questions about you and you will lose credit with anyone who hears about it. People of other professions (wizard, cleric) should wear outfits of corresponding rank. I think we are all familiar that Pope's look finer than Archbishops, who look nicer than Bishops, and so on to Priest, acolyte, &c.

If the party has someone playing the "face" of he party, who does most of the talking, that person needs to be seen to speak for the highest ranking member of the party, and not in his own right. This means that the face should learn to say things like, "His Grace inquires as to the nearest merchant of fine swords." "His Grace cannot accept this offer." And the highest ranking person should always appear to be the decision maker. The DM has to decide how to handle different spheres of activity. How independent should the noble/fighter be in combat, when the highest ranking PC in the group is a Priest of Sera, or some other non-combat diety? Again, this is only the case in public. The DM may decide that the higher ranking person must always appear to be in charge (though the players remain equal decision makers, this is a role play issue, not a game control issue) or the DM may decide that the activities clearly in a sphere of activity are worth a level of social rank, so that a priest in charge of Caulnor is equal to the Duke of Brosengae in matters that are religious. This is either an issue for the DM to decide or the players in common. Exactly how the social system in Cerilia (or the various nations) works is not so clearly spelled out that it must be done one way to the other.

Generally cordial relations are limited to people who are your peers in rank, or one level above or below your own station. No one asks questions about a king associating with his counts. Indeed, what is a king without his counts, and shouldn't any large group of counts be lead by a king? However, things get tricker the farther we get away from a single difference in social rank. Players who hail from significantly lower lineages need an explanation and have more role playing to do to maintain the social order. Generally, they can appear to associate with a party member who is only one rank higher than they, rather than appearing to be a full member of the party, or they can appear to be servants, vassals, kinsmen, or champions of the party or its highest ranking member.

If the highest ranking member of the party is Audreagh Nichaleir scion of the prelate of the WIT, and adopts the styles, clothing, and vestments of a royal level character, while three other PC's are sons of provincial level guilders, nobles, and templars, dressed in noble outfits suitable to their class and the kinds of holdings they associate with, and two more PC's are unblooded they might wear courtier level outfits or lower, and play the role of servants, champions, or kinsmen of other players. Certainly a count might have a cousin who is an unblooded knight.