The Dispossessed
The Dispossessed is a term which refers to a large number of former nobles and Royals who presently reside in Urceopolis, and especially the borough of Ardriville, following losing their ancestral possessions and homelands. The vast majority of these nobles come from the Deric States and lost their ancestral principalities during the Second Great War, but some come from other Levantine countries, including the former royal family of Ardmore. The earliest emigre family, however, is the royal family of Arona, the only Vallosian family among the Dispossessed, arriving in Urcea in 1920. The Dispossessed are noted for living lives of extravagance within Ardriville, maintaining a sense of insular high society among their own number and hosting lavish balls while also sponsoring works of art. The homes of the Dispossessed are a popular tourist landmark within Urceopolis but most can only be seen from afar. The Dispossessed typically do not associate with individuals beyond their own number or existing nobility, and many seek to secure spouses from noble families abroad in order to prevent inbreeding, which is prohibited under the laws of Urcea within the fourth degree of consanguinity. According to scholars, House de Weluta has had an internal policy since the 1970s to not directly associate with the Dispossessed nor take part within their social space.
Income
The vast majority of Dispossessed rely on stipends awarded by the Treaty of Corcra to their families in perpetuity in order to maintain their lifestyles. A significant segment rely on settlement funds awarded by the Cort de Antics during the latter half of the 20th century, while a small number rely mostly on investments and smaller still rely on income from professional work. Among those who earn a salary, a small number are diplomats and ambassadors who represent Urcea in an official capacity. A very small group - particularly former Royals - receive support from Urcea as political refugees or receive individual financial and social support from members of House de Weluta.
Among the Dispossessed, scholars and commentators have observed an unspoken social stigma against earning an income, as many view it to be an undignified way for a titled individual to be supporting themselves; these individuals are sometimes referred to among the Dispossessed as "hat-in-handers". This stigma is not as prominent against those who earn their income in an official capacity as these official capacities are viewed as acting within their generational obligations. Views on income earned from investments are not clear and social observers have noted a mixed response. Those who invest stipend money or settlement funds in order to bolster their income in order to spend it are usually not considered among the ranks of "hat-in-handers", but those who actively invest their funds in order to acquire built-up wealth - like many non-noble investors - are considered to be undignified.
Urcean views
Public views on the Dispossessed are divided among the people of Urcea. Many hold a sense of social obligation to them due to Urcea's inability to keep them in their ancestral lands during the Second Great War and also because many perceive them to have rendered a service to Levantia over the previous millennia. Even among those who feel an obligation, however, find the excesses of the Dispossessed distasteful. Many Urceans simply view the Dispossessed as a "waste of space". Elected officials are also divided, though many perceive that even the excesses of the Dispossessed generate economic activity in Urceopolis especially considering that Urcea is not, by and large, responsible for paying their incomes.