Since Perfect Shadows is game mainly of social and political intrigue, how to behave properly (and how to misbehave properly) is rather important.

Some general points:
Strong religious belief and sometimes flamboyant acts of devotion and charity frequently characterise the behavior of the elite; and nobody sees any contradiction between the violence and the faith, or if anyone does, he or she prudently keeps his mouth shut. Everybody is usually very polite to everybody else, taking great care to respect everybody's honour and rank, because slights to a person's honour - real or perceived - are taken very seriously.

The consequences of offending somebody powerful can be fatal. Moreover, it is not likely to cause a duel, though this is plausible, the result of a mortal insult is likely to be a feud, carried out not merely by the offended person himself, but by all his kin, his hired thugs, all his allies, and their hired thugs.

Duels are a way of settling a matter by the will of God - whoever was right would win. They are sometimes to the death, sometimes not, depending on the severity of the matter. There are duels of honour but they aren't as common at this time as they will be in the future.

Some specific points:
Rank
Grades of importance were much more formalised and structured in the 14th century. Everybody was aware of how precedence worked - and rarely was anyone allowed to forget it. Of course, if one was a great wit or a great beauty, or possessed great wealth, those of rank usually would be happy to accept that person. This was the case of wealthy merchants, for example. Many 14th-century nobles were short on cash, and merchants with money to lend were always welcome. Aristocratic rank was considered to be ordained by God. It was considered the natural way of the world that some people were superior in birth to others. Nobody, except dangerous and deranged rebels, thought that people were fundamentally equal. One should always address other people by their proper titles (see guide below).

Being a member of royalty, of course, allows one some leeway in society.

Honour
First and foremost, one's reputation for honour is considered sacrosanct. To impugn another's reputation with accusations of dishonourable behavior is always a serious matter.

For gentlemen, there are three big accusations that are unacceptable: failings in family honour, cowardice on the battlefield, and treason to the monarch. For ladies, the suggestion that a woman is promiscuous or unfaithful to her husband, regardless of how true it might be, is never made directly - unless, of course, one is deliberately trying to provoke a fight. If any man were so foolish as to make such insulting accusations about another, he risks involving himself in a duel or a feud, which likely will involve attacks by hired goons on himself, his property, his family, or all three.

The penalties for a woman who insults someone else's honour, or transgresses her own, tend to be less publicly violent: she might be beaten by her husband or father to teach her manners; or she might be locked up for a time, in her home or even in a convent, with access to all resources taken away from her. As a general rule, a woman's closest male relative - husband, father, or brother - is expected to keep her under control or to punish her appropriately if she misbehaves socially. Usually husbands do not murder unfaithful wives, just beat them and lock them away (forever); but if a husband should catch his wife in the very act of cheating on him, he is considered within his rights to kill both his wife and her lover, and nobody will think any the less of him. Even if a woman gets caught committing treason, she will escape the lethal punishments dealt out to men in such a case; instead, at worst, she will be deprived of all her resources and locked up somewhere, such as a convent, for life. Of course, women can be as clever as men when it comes to getting around these things.

Witty, stylish, good-looking, well-dressed people are always welcome in society, as long as they have the pedigree, the cash, or some other useful resource to back up their charm. If, however, wit and style are beyond you, simply being kind and good-natured is an acceptable substitute. To be consistently annoying, obnoxious, boring, or crude, however, eventually will spell social death, no matter how high one's noble rank. It could spell literal death as well, if you insult the wrong person.

Never forget titles and precedence, and where you fit into the hierarchy. Formality is always acceptable. For example, if you exact rank of another player, or how to address a person of that rank, it is always safe to address that person as 'sir' or 'madam' instead. Informality, such as using the person's first name (unless your characters are family members or good friends), can get you chastised publicly, or worse. This is especially true in dealing with the king and queen. It is never acceptable to touch the king or queen unless invited to do so - e.g., the queen holds out her hand for you to kiss, and even their closest associates and family members will refer to them in public by their titles or honourifics. And speaking of which:

Honourifics
- In England, a king or queen is addressed as 'your Highness' or 'your Grace.' The title 'your Majesty' didn't come into use in England for some time. Princes may be 'Your Highness' but are more likely "my Lord". The children of a king other than the Prince of Wales are usually just called "my Lord" and "my Lady".
- A cardinal, archbishop and bishop is addressed as 'your Grace.'
- Other nobles - countesses, earls, barons, baronesses - are addressed as 'your Lordship' or 'your Ladyship', or 'my lord' or 'my lady.'
- Knights are addressed as 'Sir [first name]'. A knight's wife or widow is addressed as 'Dame [first name]'.
- Merchants are addressed as 'Master [last name]' if they hold no other title. Likewise, a merchant's wife would be 'Mistress [last name]'.

Remember, 'sir' or 'madam' is a handy catch-all for anybody and everybody, from a merchant up to and including the king and queen. It is generally best, however, to address nobles as appropriate the first time you are introduced. 'Sir' or 'madam' will be fine thereafter, especially for extended conversation, in which constant titling could get tedious. The etiquette of titles has not yet reached the more complex point to which it will evolve in later centuries.

Cursing
These days sex is the subject of the worse of our cursing, but in the Medieval period blasphemy was far worse. Saying something like "Damn you to hell!" was an absolutely appalling, but taking the Lord's name in vain, or that of any or all of the saints, was fairly awful too. Of course, calling upon God, Christ, or the Saints to be your witness, protect you/someone else was a fine and pious thing. Just be careful not to cross the line into blashphemy, and remember to cross yourself if calling upon Christ. What today we consider to be the most unpleasant swear words were common place and wouldn't raise even the tiniest flicker, the infamous c-word even being used affectionately! However, remember that we're only playing at Medieval manners, and use your judgement as to what you say - just because it wasn't offensive then doesn't necessarily mean you won't offend someone out of character.