While we are all of this world, not all of us will be born equal. Our birthrights and blood often determine who we are, and sets the stage for what our lives will be for the rest of our existences. Most societies will function in an hierarchical system, where the individuals on top rule over those below.
HIGHBORN:
A highborn is typically someone who is born into a life of ruling Houses, nobility and authority. They are often defined as someone who has noble blood, passed on to them through generations of careful and planned marriage and conception. When speaking of highborn individuals, there are mainly three types: royals, born nobility, and upraised nobility. These three highborn groups are most common in the kingdoms of the central continents.
Royalty are at the very top; leading monarchies or empires. These are often Houses that, through their own power or through divine providence, risen to rule nations from the birth of the nation. Royal Houses are long lasting and most reign over their nations for many centuries. In some cases Royal Houses might be overthrown by other noble Houses or even the commonfolk, or their line dies out due to a lack of legal heirs; prompting a race between noble Houses to declare a new royal heir from their own ranks.
Only children born of royal blood become royalty and may inherit the crown, and, depending on the rules of succession, it is mainly the oldest male who will be eligible to inherit. Those born outside of wedlock, so-called illegitimate bastards, might be taken in as wards due to being of partial royal blood, though they won't typically be able to inherit, unless officially legitimized by a head royal or group of nobles.
Highborn of born nobility, typical Lords and Ladies of their lands, hold landed, hereditary titles as first granted by royals. These are the typical nobility, who rule their lands and their people at the grace and behest of a royal monarch. Many noble Houses are old and stem from around the founding of their nations, although there are plenty that also rise and fall.
Some noble Houses might be created from non-nobles due to an elevation of upraised nobility, often as a reward for loyal or exceptional service to the Crown or nation. Other noble Houses might succumb to decline and disappear due to a lack of heirs or because of in-fighting between them, and a noble House could also lose its status of nobility because of treasonous acts; their lands and titles redistributed to other Houses.
As with royals, bastard-born children may not inherit any ruling titles or lands, but they often still serve their Houses. Bastards born to nobles are in most societies somewhat accepted (more so than royal bastards), but it's no less scandalous.
Upraised nobility are usually those of the highborn who weren't first born into nobility, although their children will most likely be of born nobility. They might have been elevated and legitimized by a ruling monarch, or given limited titles by head nobles. A typical example of upraised nobility are mages in certain societies, who, in their nation, are given lands and titles because of their Magical Awakening. Another example are elected officials, who, while not always considered nobility, still hold ruling power and belong in highborn society.
Most upraised nobility are given knighthood and earn the titles of Ser, and while they hold no lands they are recognized as highborn nobility; often serving as captains or generals in a nation's army during times of war, or non-related House-members (advisors, Master-at-Arms, etc.) in noble Houses.
Depending on the society, upraised nobility often don't qualify for laws of inheritance, and their children won't enjoy any titular and landed birthrights. The exception, of course, being upraised nobility who were given official lands and titles to rule, as opposed to elected officials, who typically don't own lands.
Unlike in commoner societies, highborn have more defined rules in regards to race and gender. It's generally expected (in some cases obligatory) that a House consists of the same race, and that males are first in line for titled inheritance. Women can be at the head of their Houses, but typically only when there are no other legitimate heirs to contest their claims. Highborn daughters are often traded off to be married to other royal or noble Houses; establishing alliances and such.
The rules of highborn men and women also states that marriage can't be of the same-sex, since any children they might procure from out-of-marriage intercourse will be of illegitimate status; thus halting the family line.
Highborn children are often tied down by familial rules and expectations, and must serve as examples to lowborn commoners. This means that highborn are heavily restricted by highborn traditions and customs, which affords them less freedom than one might think. Regardless, as highborn, they might enjoy more wealth and power, and they are afforded better education and opportunities to rule over the lowborn.
COMMONERS:
Commoners are those below highborn. These are lowborn individuals who have no bloodrights, can't hold landed titles, and won't rule. Most commoners will range from peasantry, to merchants, to city officials. They serve as soldiers, farmers, miners and other lowborn jobs and tasks; at best they might rise to jobs of some official authority, but never own ruling lands or titles.
Education is often scarce among commoners, depending on the nation. It is mainly due to a lack of wealth or privilege, which affords them little chance in rising beyond what they are born as. Commoners must earn their living, and through their own efforts they must rise if they ever wish to claim any true purpose in life. Many commoners become merchants or join Temples to serve as priests or temple servants.
Unlike the highborn, commoners aren't tied down by strict highborn standards, rules, customs and traditions. There might be commoner traditions and some commoner expectations, but otherwise there is little that restricts commoner freedom; save for those enforced by the local laws of the ruling Houses. Commoners can often be with and love whomever they want, regardless of gender or race.
Commoner women are more likely to freely choose their lives, though in some families strict parents and upbringings might force them into certain lifestyles or duties. Men are typically the head of their families, and women are brought up to cook and take care of children.
At most, a commoner could rise to a respectable military rank, or obtain advisory or mayoral positions if possessing sufficient education and influence. But they will rarely rise to nobility. In some exceptions they could become knights, but mostly they will only be considered lesser knights, who have no rights of nobility.
Commoners who experience Magical Awakening could be sent to a Mage Order, or, in the case of the Darion Imperium, be sent to the Magistarium and be trained then elevated to upraised nobility as magistrates; thus earning ruling titles.
In some nations, like in Thalon, it is far more likely for a commoner to rise to the ranks of upraised nobility, since those who become powerful merchants effectively control the economy of the Merchant Republic. In other nations, religious influence could see pious and dedicated commoners become high priests, who command just as much respect and privilege as individuals of nobility.
Adventurous commoners might join independent organizations, where rules are different. They could be far more likely to rise in the ranks of those organizations, and earning a living will often be more profitable, depending on the organization. Mercenary companies are typically well paid, and give opportunities for advancement without the worry of highborn/lowborn restrictions; with some leeway.
It is the commoners who are most likely to become criminals, due to an ever-constant state of poverty for many, if not most. The lure of easy coin makes many turn to lives as highwaymen, bandits, thieves, scammers, gang members or other unsavory types. It is, of course, highly dangerous and exceptionally illegal; and it is a rarity to see a commoner become rich because of criminality.
In tribal societies, there is no such thing as highborn or commoner or such, and tribesfolk more or less share their tribes equally, with a few select leaders like shamans, elders and chieftains garnering first-rights. Chieftains hold power over their tribes and clans for as long as they are allowed to by their peers (typically elders), and new chieftains are often chosen through simple votes or challenges of combat.
CASTES:
Unlike most societies that are divided between commoners and highborn, Caste Systems divide everyone into several specific class groups, and it's very rare for someone of one caste to be able to leave and join another on their own volition. Members of castes are branded at birth to ensure that there is no confusion as to where they belong.
Caste Systems rigidly sort the populations of cities or nations into marked and branded groups, where each caste is given certain expectations, rights and responsibilities. Those who decide and make up these castes are usually the only ones not affected by them, although in most caste societies, even those at the top must often subject themselves to them.
Depending on the society or culture, races and genders generally pay no importance in the division of castes, as it is typically very clear cut. Some obscure societies might be hard-pressed to maintain a population, and devise a caste primarily consistent of women to breed and raise children, while some societies could determine that one race is more suited for slavery or to be warriors. It really depends on the Caste System and the local society's current stance and situation, but in most caste societies the importance of race or gender is non.
Caste Systems are usually devised and used by societies that are focused on survival or preservation, and the many various Caste Systems can be very different between those societies. Dwarven and kafari societies, and the civilizations of southern Korash, are the best known who use extensive Caste Systems. Other places in the world, like in Canthar or the Darion Imperium, use partial Caste Systems.
A typical Caste System is divided into Royal Caste, Elite Caste, Warrior Caste, Worker Caste, Slave Caste, Criminals, and Casteless.
In the case of Casteless, these are individuals in a caste society who have been marked as exiles, or who were never part of a caste to begin with. It is also the caste where (along with Slave Caste and Criminals) where members of other castes might be "demoted" to for any transgressions, failures or breaking of laws.
In dwarven castes, the Elite Caste are similar to noble Houses, who elect a proven House to become the Royal Caste. Unlike typical highborn societies, children in a Royal Caste won't inherit any crowns, and might at best become princes or princesses. Instead, once a king or queen is dead, the Elite Caste elect a new one. If the prince or princess is chosen, the former Royal Caste continues, but otherwise the newly elected House becomes the new Royal Caste, and the former one becomes an Elite Caste.
The Royal Caste and the Elite Caste are the true powers in societies that make use of castes, as they decide who belongs where, what the castes' tasks are, and the laws of their society. While it is a sort of birthright or bloodright to be given power in those ruling castes, it is often recognized that weak leaders don't belong there, and they might be sent to a lower caste, whilst someone worthy could be elevated from a lower caste, although only rarely.
In castes, the responsibilities of that caste mean that there is little variation or freedom for those within that caste. Members of Warrior Castes will forever be warriors, as will their children, and those in Worker Castes will continue as they do in their caste, and so on. Abandonment of one's duty to their caste leads them to be branded for execution, slavery, or exile, depending on the specific society and culture.
Overall the Caste System is meant to create a sort of societal machine; whose purpose is to ensure the continuation of that society's existence through its parts, by sorting and assigning everyone to specific tasks and responsibilities. While highly functional, it puts a clear, harsh and noticeable limit to individual freedoms, and those born in their castes will live and die in their castes.