The Book of Castes is one of the Ai-Naidari Books of Civilization and contains multiple volumes, beginning with the titular one on all the castes, their history and their general place in society. Every Ai-Naidar House has a copy.
The Book discusses labor, rights, responsibilities, privileges, behavior unworthy of hasmera. It always includes sample prayers, petitions, apologies, methods of stating agreement, ways to reach compromise.
The book, along with the Book of Exceptions, covers inter-rank interactions, inter-caste interactions, movement between ranks and castes, House behavior (alliances, marriages, agreements), family behavior (winter and summer trysts, births, deaths, succession), Cries of Insult (who can do it, over what kind of behavior, to whom), the "behavior of the strange" (children, elderly, infirm, insane), Reward and Punishment (discusses sasrith), Correction, and appropriate behavior for lords and such (as in the ribbons and the bairek narili).
The Regal Volume[]
The Noble Volume[]
The Public Servant Volume[]
There is a section on the matter of apologies, organized by offense given and subdivided into a Public Servant's proper apologetic behavior based on the caste-rank of the person they have offended. The relevant section is excerpted.
- For private disruption caused by emotional excessiveness, particularly expressed verbally, from osulkedi to Ai-Naidari of unknown rank (duinikedi): Three apologies of acceptable form accompanied by a single held bow, as if to an Ai-Naidari of rank below Thirukedi.
There is no entry for the appropriate number of apologies for an osulkedi guilty of private disruption caused by emotional excessiveness, particularly expressed verbally, to an aunerai.