The subject of advies is definitely one that comes up quite often. I think Tom was quite clear in his posts on the topic. Advies are commoners. No commoner is ever the equal of a noble, let alone a superior. No noble could possibly ever think differently, unless he was clearly and obviously insane.
However, that does not mean that a character needs to conduct daily beatings of all of his commoners. He doesn't have to treat every commoner like they routinely bathe in filth and have carnal relations with pigs. You *can* be polite to them. You *can* respect their skills. Highly skilled commoners would definitely be very valuable and well rewarded for their work.
But even so, they are still commoners. Even the best of commoners is *still* a commoner. Even the lowliest of nobles is *still* a noble. *Any* noble is superior to *any* commoner. That's the entire basis of the medieval society upon which BM is modeled. If a commoner mouths off to a noble, then every noble who hears it *should* take that commoner to task over their disrespect. You don't give him a pass because, hey, I might want him to do something for me one day.
You can give them some protections in your realm laws. Say, no beatings or imprisonment without just cause, or no confiscating items from them that belong to other nobles. The key here is what you consider "just cause". If Sir Kepler says "That commoner insulted me, and should be whipped!", then a noble's first reaction should be "Whip that cur!", not "Let's hear the commoner's side of the story". The very fact that Kepler says he was insulted constitutes just cause for the beating. After all, Kepler is a noble, and that commoner is, well, a commoner. Seeking to hear the commoner's side of the story is a insult to Kepler. Actually believing the commoner over Kepler? That's a horrible insult to Kepler, and a very bad reflection upon the noble that accepted a commoner's word over a noble's. It's an attack on the very foundations of society. Is it arbitrary and unfair? Of course. Sucks to be a commoner, eh?
If your realm law requires a trial before a noble can beat a commoner, *you're doing it wrong*! If the noble said it happened, then it happened, and nothing the commoner says should change that in anyone's mind.
If your guild somehow treats adventurers as superior, or even equal, to nobles, *you're doing it wrong*! A commoner is still a commoner, regardless of what rank your guild gives them. If they have poor enough judgment to issue orders to a noble, then every noble in that guild should jump up and demand that they be punished for their effrontery. If you chastise a noble because he was rude to a commoner that may have a higher rank than the noble, then you're doing it wrong. In fact, I wonder why we even let advies be full members of guilds at all. These are noble societies, not trade guilds.
The key thing to remember is that advies are commoners. They are inferiors, and should be treated as such. No noble would claim otherwise. As Tom says: It's like gravity. Different people deal with it in different ways, but claiming it's not true is insanity.
