Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Supplement: Grand Ducal Charter of 1002 4A

Grand Ducal Charter of 1002 4A

Mi Amore, by the grace of Faust Grand Duchess and Megas Doukea of the North, Protector of the Free Cities, Duchess of Raemaela, Karazan, Amided, Bors Katzog, and Allexed, Countess of Marea, Sinds, Norden Rock, Morfen, Petra’s Glade, Onneron, and Lupen Ride, Earlessa of Correnton, Withers, and Margol Stream, at the behest of and with the agreement of the Peers of the Realm, her officials and magistrates, and all of her loyal subjects, and for the Peace and Good of all realms under her crown does resolve the following:

I. First, that the lords of the realm may be referred to and addressed by either their traditional Imperial titles or modern Equestrian titles, and no preference will be shown based upon which title is personally adopted. Lords who profess different titles of the same rank shall be under the same obligations and have all the same liberties. Dukes and Doukes shall be treated identically. Earls and Jaarls shall be treated identically.
II. The obligations and liberties of the lords of the realm shall be set in the Table of Ranks, and where no consensus has been reached, the matter shall be decided by the Grand Duchess.
III. No Lord who owes fealty not to the Grand Duchess may inherit any title or lands beneath the Crown of the North and through inheritance diminish the integrity of the realm.
IV. No Lord who owes fealty to the Grand Duchess may inherit any title or lands beneath the Crown of Cant’r Laht and through inheritance diminish the integrity of that realm.
V. The Grand Duchess of the North may not inherit any title of greater precedence than the Crown of the North and through inheritance make the North a lesser title or possession.
VI. Any titles that fall vacant due to lack of a suitable heir, as well as any other reason which leaves lands without a lord or lady to rule over them, shall revert to the Grand Duchess.
VII. The Grand Duchess of the North has the right to offer any of her lesser titles to any pony of noble birth, from within the Realm or without, so long as they hold no other hereditary titles.
VIII. The Free Imperial Cities of the Crystal Empire shall maintain their ancient privileges as Free Northern Cities directly under the Crown of the North. All 437 Tenets of the Compendium shall be respected.
IX. The Free Northern Cities are under the direct protection of the Grand Duchess of the North, who will personally defend them against any attacks, including from bison raids and from her own vassals.
X. The Grand Duchess has the power to grant Free City status to any town of the Realm that has demonstrated that it would be better administered without intercedence between it and the Crown of the North.
XI. A Free Northern City can have its Free City status revoked only for Bankruptcy and Treason.
XII. Markets shall be open in all towns to bison herds who have acted in good faith. Markets may be closed to bison herds who have engaged in pillaging and plundering within the Grand Duchy of the North.
XIII. Bison may not be charged exorbitant rates in open markets or duties to engage in trade.
XIV. All peasants within the realm will be under the same protections as defined by the Grand Duchess.
XV. Peasants who have demonstrated ability in the management of land during the interim period where no lords ruled over them shall be granted freeholder status.
XVI. Peasants may collectively petition their lord or the Grand Duchess for limited freeholder status where the collective may govern themselves without the interference of a lord or his officers, while still remaining under his rule and subject to all other obligations.
XVII. Any peasants who relocate to the Grand Duchy of the North from another realm shall have the same rights and protections as peasants who originally dwelt within it.
XVIII. Provision for the slaying of monsters within the realm shall be left up to individual lords and magistrates.
XIX. Provisions for the slaying of monsters made by one lord applies to all beneath them.
XX. The Grand Duchess shall extend an invitation yearly to the grandmasters of the Hunters whose fortresses lie within the realm to consult them in the fair price for slaying of monsters.
XXI. The lords and magistrates of the realm are urged to follow the example of the Grand Duchess in the previous three resolutions.
XXII. The Peers of the Realm, being a traditional fixture of the North, shall forever remain to serve the Crown, guiding in its decisions, approving funds levied, and securing the Peace and Good of the realm.
XXIII. At the discretion of the Grand Duchess and with the approval of the Peers of the Realm, members may be added and removed as necessary and nothing shall bar a subject of the realm from membership, save Excommunication by the Holy Church.
XXIV. The Peers of the Realm hold the responsibility of guiding the Crown and enforcing the resolutions of this Charter.
XXV. All the aforementioned resolutions of this Charter shall be binding upon the Grand Duchess and all her heirs, as well as all vassals and subjects of the Crown of the North from now until the end of time.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

I don't get it. How can a story that updates this often still be incomplete?

[TasermonsPartner]

Neat! Really shows the work and detail you put into your world-building!