Declaration of Disownment

In light of recent events that have befallen unto our domain recently, and as a result of the recent and unfortunate of deaths of Lords Romanos and Demetrios Palaiologos, I, Tobias Palaiologos, the ruling head of the honourable and noble House of Palaiologos, hereby promulgate the following decrees:

•  The offspring of the Dame Quillian Serene and late Lord Demetrios Palaiologos de Savin are hereby considered disowned in regards to the House of Palaiologos, and the late Lord Demetrios Palaiologos de Savin.

• The offspring of Dame Quillian Serene and Lord Demetrios Palaiologos de Savin are hereby stripped and removed of all titles and honours associated with the House of Palaiologos, and they are removed from any orders of succession in regards to the Dukedom of Mystria.

•        All future claims to the Ducal Throne of Mystria by the illegitimate and disowned offspring of Dame Quillian Serene and Lord Demetrios Palaiologos are considered null, and void, as a result of the decrees above.

The decrees above are to be taken into effect immediately after the signage of this document.

Signed by the hand of,

Tobias Palaiologos de Savin, Prince of Santegia.

His Grace, Demetrios Palaiologos, Prince of Santegia, Duke of Mystra, Marqués of Valencia and Hagios Lothar, Count of Iris, Baron of AngeloKastro and Akros, Grand Knight of the Order of the White Stallion, Member of the Order of Eminence and Arch Chancellor of the Kingdom of Santegia.

Bestows upon Willem Hagelijn, by the Grace of God, the Fiefdom of the Barony of Gelre. Accordingly, he is to enjoy the rights and privileges granted, to have and hold the style of His Lordship, the title and honour of Baron of Gelre, unto him and his lawfully begotten male heirs.

Written in witness of God, by the Duke himself signed with his own hand, on the 10th of Sun’s Smile, 1635.

His Grace, Demetrios Palaiologos, Prince of Santegia, Duke of Mystra, Marqués of Valencia and Hagios Lothar, Count of Iris, Baron of AngeloKastro and Akros, Grand Knight of the Order of the White Stallion, Member of the Order of Eminence and Arch Chancellor of the Kingdom of Santegia.

Bestows upon Jonathan De Cantwell, by the Grace of God, the Fiefdom of the Barony of Blackwater. Accordingly, he is to enjoy the rights and privileges granted, to have and hold the style of His Lordship, the title and honour of Baron of Blackwater, unto him and his lawfully begotten male heirs.

Written in witness of God, by the Duke himself signed with his own hand, on the 1st of Malin’s Welcome, 1635.

The Order of Nicea

The Order of Nicea is a military Order tasked with upholding the peace, promoting justice, safety and security, as well as defending the lives of those residing in the Duchy of Mystra. Activities of the Order include combat training in both land and sea, monster hunting, criminal hunting, the completion of various quests and preservation of peace and justice.

 “Castles are to be conquered, not to be surrendered” - Ser Demetrios Palaiologos II

History of the Order

Ser Demetrios Palaiologos and his men making their last stand at Kraken’s Watch, dated 1562

   Named after the Akritian word for ‘Victory’, as well as in honor of the fallen soldiers in the great fort of old, the Order of Nicea was created by Duke Romanos Palaiologos, inspired by the defensive system of the First Akritians. That system, the Themata as it was called, stopped putting emphasis into armoured and professionally trained heavy infantry, to provincial spearmen and swordsmen. While it was a rather unheard of system during its time, it proved to be rather effective. The soldiers, now fighting for a cause they believed it and for something they wished to protect, battled with great ferocity, courage and a drive to win, pushing back and defeating standard armies. It wasn't until the battle of Nicopolis that this system collapsed.

   Romanos Palaiologos, desiring to protect his lands, as well as returning his family to it's roots, decided to use the old system of the Themata, with certain alterations to improve it so that the mistakes of old do not repeat themselves. Thus, after various preparations, the Order of Nicea was born, rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

The Order

Romanos Palaiologos leading his men in the battle for Trier, dated 1619

   The Order signifies the fusion of the old system of the Themata with the current sophistication of the military. The entire Duchy itself is split into various sections called ‘Orders’, with each order being led by a distinguished officer. The rank of the officer is dependent on the size of his ‘Order’ as well as the number of men under his command. The officer has total control over his ‘Order’ and is responsible for the population he is protecting, the training and equipment of the men under his command, the betterment of his land and the preservation of tranquillity.

   In times of peace, it is up to the officer to make sure that his men continue training, not desiring war but being ready for it. It is also up to the officer to decide what kind of training his men need, whether they be infantry, cavalry or a mixture of both.In times of war, the officer rallies his men, joins the rest of the Orders and as one single force they march to battle, ready to defend their homeland.

Chain of Command

“Follow the Banner as we carve ourselves a path through the ranks of those who dare go against us”- Thoros Phokas

High Command

   There are two ranks in the High Command, with each rank having almost the exact same privileges and obligations. Members of the High Command handle matters regarding the Order in it's entirety, as well as having a seat at the Ducal Council. Thus, it is mandatory that they have extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the Order, logistics,military experience, experience leading as well as commanding authority and respect. Only one man at a time can hold a position of High Command.

Thoros Phokas battling during the Siege of Rhewengrad, date 1537

Marshal

   The Marshal is the greatest position in the entire Order and it is a rank reserved only for the Duke. The Stratarches has total control over what happens in the Order and his word holds the final saying. However, it is not uncommon for him to stay out of most matters besides those of grave importance and give control to his right hand. When that happens, the military matters the Marshal handles is handing out land to officers, giving medals, titles and honors to distinguished soldiers, as well as leading the men into war.

General

   The General is the right hand of the Duke. It is the highest rank a man can possibly achieve within the Order if he is outside the Duke's family. The General has the exact same obligations as the Marshal, with the only exception being that he can't give out land.

Officers

    There are two ranks that signify a member as an officer, with the difference between each land is the amount of men and land at an officer's command, as well as some special positions and tasks they can carry out. An officer has control over the men in his Order and is responsible for them. However, he cannot command members of other Orders, no matter the difference in rank.

Grandmaster

   The Major is the rank given to those who hold an Order of large size, with a large number of men under his command. A Major is usually a battle hardened warrior, with leading experience. He is capable of organizing raids and in the rare absence of both the General and the Duke, a Major can lead the army into battle.

Sergeant

    The rank of Sergeant is given to those warriors who have proven themselves capable of leading groups of men into battle. They hold a good sized piece of land and a number of soldiers. They are charged with completing missions and various tasks and with permission from the High Command, patrol the Duchy.

Enlisted

   There are three ranks in the Enlisted. Members of the Enlisted in their majority are soldiers with little to no military training and experience. They spend their days practicing the art of War, as well as preserving and improving the land they live in.

The Akritian Cataphracts, famous for their battle prowess.

Man-At-Arms

   The rank of Men at Arms is given to the soldiers of the Order whose strength and loyalty have been tested time and time again. They hold considerable military experience, having spent years in the Order. While not officers, they are sometimes allowed to lead patrols and quests.

Footman

Akritian Footman, circa 1619

   Footmen are members who have fully joined the Order. This rank is the rank most members have, as it is given to those who don't have a good amount of experience in warfare. They are tasked with doing lots of hard labor, practising hard to improve their skills. As a result, an experienced and dedicated Footman tends to be more skilled than someone with a similar rank.

Recruit

   Recruit is the rank given to those who have just enlisted to the Order. They have no or little combat experience and their loyalty isn't tested. Thus, they are often treated rather harshly, giving them tough tasks to see if they can endure. Those who after a time limit have shown all the necessary qualities, stop being recruits and start being footmen.

Special Ranks

   There are some ranks in the army which require certain skills to attain. Some of these ranks may be available to only specific standard ranks, others may require certain years of experience and others may be a matter of ability. A member can attain such a position if he has the ability to do so, but without any privileges within the army. Whatever the prerequisite, these special ranks

mean that you have a talent in more than just warfare.

Quartermaster

   A quartermaster is responsible with making or acquiring and distributing equipment to the members of the Order he is part of. He must be at least a Footman.

Medic

   A medic is responsible with saving lives just as much as he is responsible of ending them. He is tasked with healing the injuries of men both in training and in battle. Depending on the skill of the person, a Medic can be a footman or a Man at Arms.

Varangian

The Varangians, after the battle for Trier, 1619.

   The Varangian is the rank of the mercenaries who have decided to serve the Duke of Mystra for as long as he affords their service. They are the elite force of the Order.

Levy

A lord who has sworn an Oath of Fealty under the Duke has permission to raise a levy force to guard his territory. Depending on the number of men under his command, that Lord will get the appropriate rank and will be responsible for his men. He cannot form an entirely new military organization but he is allowed to create his own uniform with the colours of his house. The General still has authority over his men.

Enlisting

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The Council of Mystra

Issued and confirmed by order of his Grace, Romanos Palaiologos,

11th, of Malin’s welcome, 1620

  In order for the proper function of a Duchy, a Council must be formed. Thus, His Grace Romanos Palaiologos has formed the first Council of Mystra. Each positions within the Council are to be held by Nobles, or lowborns that have proved themselves to the Duke himself. The Council is composed of the Duke, Lord Chancellor, Lord Steward, Lord Marshal.

Duke: The Duke is the head of the Council, the head of the Duchy itself. He may create and enforce new laws within his Duchy. He may hold courts, or appoint a regent to do so in his stead.

The Duke of Mystra is his Grace, Romanos Palaiologos.

Lord Chancellor: The Lord Chancellor is the Duke’s most trusted man within the realm, his right hand. He may act as a regent if the Duke is absent. He may create and suggest new laws to the Duke. He may also ensure the stability of the Duchy through internal diplomacy.

[Vacant]

Lord Steward: The Steward is the overseer of land and legistation within the Duchy of Mystra. He may order the construction or even the deconstruction of buildings within the Duchy. He has the duty of organising events within the Duchy of Mystra, such as feasts or tournaments or other kind of events. He has the right to record special events and the history of the Duchy. He may also appoint scribes to help him with the recording.

The Lord Steward is of Mystra is Gilondir Oronar.

Lord Marshal: The Lord Marshal is in charge of the entire Ducal army. He is also in charge of the defence of every single peasant of the Duchy for every life counts. While at war, his duty is to lead the army of the Duchy into battle. Whilst at peace, his duty is to keep the army fully organised and ready for command. He may hold trainings whenever he wishes. May arrest criminals, bandits and raiders in order to bring them at court. May call for wargames in order to keep the military fit for service.

The Lord Marshal of Mystra is Bennett Elwind.

     Signed by his Grace, Romanos Palaiologos, Duke of Mystra, Baron of Hagios Lothar, Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Lothar, Lord Justiciar of the Kingdom of Santegia.