Intermarriage rules

[Tadeus72]

Guys,

I need help

My player (playing a high ranking guild member) would like to marry a noble lady from a minor house (she's pregnant with his child).

I've searched all the books and am still not sure how it would work.

The easiest way would be for him to become her lover (not husband) and the baby could be a recognized bastard child (some houses give almost full rights to bastards according to the books).

But the player wants the real thing Would he have to get knighted? And what after this? Would he start a new family in the House? A new minor house altogether? Or would he just become integrated into the wife's noble family with her last name etc.?

[Bertjammin]

[Leviathan of Maddoc]

I would say that it depends on station and Exclusivityr.
Noble society is largely designed to protect the power of the family and that power in Fading Suns is in Voting Rods and in land acreage. So expecting the house to put up with mild embarrassment of having one of their own merry a commoner is predicated on how it benefits them. Allowing a landed noble or even the children of a noble who has land to marry for love is a huge opportunity cost that could benefit the house in treaty marriages or lucrative dowries or simply to strengthen the bounds of the house through intermarriage of it's families. In order for a non-noble to marry someone above a Baron's Rank they would have to provide a unique skill-set or financial or military boon of unique value to the House. A guildsman that owns a freighter free-and-clear would certainly be allowed to marry a Viscountess as that starship is worth more than her fief likely generates in several years and presents unique opportunities for profit.

On the other end of the stick, Heads of Staff, knights, pages, lesser lords and ladies, even more powerful lords that do not hold land or occupy an office of military or political importance have little value for the house. They won't secure beneficial marriage with a rival house or command a noteworthy dowry. In the eyes of the house they are noble in name-only. The only contribution you would have to make to the Noble House to secure their blessings is to stop the noble in love with you from whining about how their love is forbidden and return to polishing brass or whatever drudgery it is that they do.

The house cannot expect to have to deal with a conflict of interest of having a Noble wed to a Guilder, the perception if not the reality is that the guilder would abuse that relationship and possibly relationships within the house for financial gain. And even if the nobles signing off on the marriage know that the guilder's intents are true that perception would still be an issue they'd have to deal with. I'm sure the Noble house would be more comfortable with the Guilder resigning their commission and accepting a petty rank within the house. This bias becomes more extreme at higher ranks but even if you want to marry a Hawkwood Chamber Maid you would be expected to either renounce your rank in the Guild or make at least a token tribute to their lord to release them from service to the house. The exceptions are exceptional. The Engineer developing proprietary fusion drives for the Hazat fleet marries whoever his heart desires. The Reeve who personally sees to Alverex Hawkwood's accounts will be furnished with prospective Hawkwood brides until he likes one. Once your services become indispensable then rules fall away.