The Articles Of Urguan

[Fimlin 1997]

*This document is held in the Royal Vault, the only keys being held by the Grand King (Fimlin Grandaxe), and the High Rememberancer (Grungron Irongut). Any of these individuals would allow you to view the documents under their supervision, as they are public record. The Articles are guarded safe behind a giant vault door, locked iron doors, walls of obsidian, lava moats, dragon glass, locked iron bookcases, two large golems, and the constant watch of the Brathmordakin, incvluding, but not limited to: Kjellos, Yemekar, Ograhad, Drungrimm and Wyvrun. Valen and Morgrim's ghosts also hover over them constantly. These Paragons also command an army of ghost paladins and undead.*

 

THE ARTICLES OF URGUAN

 

PREAMBLE

The Articles of Urguan

 

THIS DOCUMENT, be it enacted in the Court of the Grand King of Urguan with the assent of his Council and his people, does supersede and render void and previous documents of state, acting as sole and supreme governing constitution of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan.

 

• PREAMBLE

  • The Revised Articles of Urguan

• ARTICLE I

  • Supreme instruments of government

• ARTICLE II

  • Competencies and succession of the Crown of Urguan

• ARTICLE III

  • Competencies and composition of the Clan Council

• ARTICLE IV

  • Competencies and composition of the Court of Mountains

• ARTICLE V

  • The Code of Laws of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan

• ARTICLE VI

  • The Rights and Clans and Dwarves

• ARTICLE VII

  • The Establishment and Maintenance of Corporate Bodies

• ARTICLE VIII

  • Administrative divisions of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan

• ARTICLE IX

  • Alterations to the Articles of Urguan

 

ARTICLE I

Supreme instruments of government

 

THE GOVERNMENT OF URGUAN, alias “the Government,” “the Royal Government,” etc., comprises three supreme bodies of government with divided areas of responsibility and competency: the Crown, the Clan Council, and the Court of Mountains.

 

THE CROWN, held by the Grand King of Urguan, shall act as the focal point of national unity and leadership, with paramount and unchecked executive power.

 

THE CLAN COUNCIL, comprising one Thane from each of the five Great Clans, shall act as supreme legislator and corporate authority of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, whose laws shall be enforced in full by the executive power of the Crown of Urguan.

 

THE COURT OF MOUNTAINS, comprising an appointed representative of the Crown, an elected representative of the Clan Council, and an appointed representative of the High Prophet, shall act as supreme judicial authority in the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, dispensing justice to those brought to charge by the Crown of Urguan.

 

ARTICLE II

Competencies and succession of the Crown of Urguan

 

THE CROWN OF URGUAN, whose holder is titled the Grand King of Urguan, shall be held by a trueborn son of Urguan duly elected by the entire dwarven population of the nation upon the death or abdication of the previous Grand King.

 

THE GRAND KING OF URGUAN, as inheritor of the executive authorities of the defunct Lords’ Council and the King’s Council, is vested with the following authorities, to be used in pursuit of the good of the dwarven people:

 

• The authority to direct the foreign policy of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, to declare war and peace, and to initiate or terminate defensive alliances.

• The authority to direct the military of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, appointing its officers and establishing its strategic goals.

• The authority, with the assent of a majority of the Clan Council, to declare a solely defensive or retributive state of war, or to negotiate peace.

• The authority to administer the mines and colonies of the nations, and establish regulations managing the same.

• The authority to administer the Homeland and its territories.

• The authority to purchase and sell land for the Grand Kingdom

• The authority to unilaterally pardon any person convicted or sentenced by the Courts.

• The authority to veto a law passed by the Clan Council of less than ⅘ majority.

• The authority to enforce the laws of the Clan’ Council by detaining residents where necessary to refer them to the Courts for conviction.

• The authority to grant or revoke the status of Hold or Homeland territory.

• The authority to enact and maintain a system of criteria used to judge and record the prestige of the official Clans of the Grand Kingdom.

• The authority to grant or revoke any royal authorities listed herein to or from an official of the Grand Kingdom. The recipients of such delegated authorities shall be titled Courtier.

• The authority to depose a member of the Clan Council provided such a Thane has served a consecutive term of not less than one stone month, and receive a replacement Thane from the offending Clan chosen by their own traditions.

 

THESE AUTHORITIES, in order to ensure an opportunity for the Clan Council to prevent their usage, shall when exercised not enter into official enforcement until after a period not less than one stone day from their proclamation.

 

 

UNAUTHORIZED USE of these powers by another dwarf is considered Treason which is a crime of the first-degree.

 

 

ARTICLE III

Competencies and composition of the Clan Council

 

THE CLAN COUNCIL, whose members shall be titled Thane, shall comprise one representative from each of the five Great Clans, as selected by the traditions of their respective clan.

 

THANES, in order to maintain a clear and unhindered dedication to the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, may not during their tenure take or hold any other position of authority, including but not limited to liardship, position as a Courtier, or governorship of a corporate body.

 

THANES, may not hold a seat on the Court of Mountains whilst the position is held, this means that one can not hold the position; Grand King, High Prophet, or Arbiter whilst Thane position is held.

 

THE CLAN COUNCIL, as inheritor of the legislative authorities of the defunct Lords’ Council and King’s Council, is vested with the following authorities to be utilized with a ⅗ majority for the good of the dwarven people:

 

• The authority to enact laws of any size or purposes except where such purposes conflict with these Articles or the Rights of Dwarves as enumerated herein.

• The authority to approve or deny applications for citizenship.

• The authority to declare a Courtier as appointed by the Grand King to be unfit for office, and summarily depose and ban him from further positions as Courtier.

• The authority, in the absence or incapacitation of the Grand King, to declare a Lord Regent who shall assume all royal authorities.

• The authority to declare a family of dwarves as an official Clan of the Kingdom of Urguan, with all pursuant rights and authorities.

• The authority to establish or disestablish a Chartered Company.

• The authority to establish or disestablish a Guild, or to expand or reduce the competencies of a Guild.

•  

FURTHERMORE, the Clan Council is vested with the following authorities to be utilized with a ⅘ majority for the good of the dwarven people:

 

• The authority to depose the Grand King of Urguan.

• The authority to prevent the use of any of the royal authorities as enumerated in Article II in the intervening period of one stone day between their proclamation and actual enforcement.

 

ALL MOTIONS BY THE CLAN COUNCIL, and the votes of its individual Thanes, are a matter of public record and must be registered in the Royal Archive in full in order to be considered official and binding.

 

UNAUTHORIZED USE of these powers by another dwarf is considered Treason which is a crime of the first-degree.

 

ARTICLE IV

Competencies and composition of the Court of Mountains

 

THE COURT OF MOUNTAINS, whose members shall be titled Justices, shall comprise a representative appointed by the Grand King of Urguan, a representative elected by majority vote of the Clan Council, and a representative appointed by the High Prophet.

 

MEMBERS OF THE COURT, may not obtain Thaneship and are banned from such whilst the position is held.

 

THE COURTS OF MOUNTAINS, as supreme judicial authority of the Kingdom of Urguan, is vested with the following authorities to be used with the assent of at least ⅔ of its members, for the good of the dwarven people.

 

• The authority to try and convict those guilty of breaking the Grand King’s Peace, the laws of the Clan Council, or the Code of Laws of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan as established by Article V.

• The authority to sentence those convicted to punishments within the regulations as established by Article V.

• The authority to establish subsidiary courts with particular and enumerated jurisdiction over certain regions or crimes.

UNAUTHORIZED USE of these powers by another dwarf is considered Treason which is a crime of the first-degree.

 

ARTICLE V

The Code of Laws of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan

 

THE CODE OF LAWS OF THE GRAND KINGDOM OF URGUAN, as established in full by these articles, shall be the chiefmost legal system of the Grand Kingdom excepting this very document, and shall not be superseded by any law of the Clan Council.

 

THE CODE OF LAWS OF THE GRAND KINGDOM OF URGUAN are a matter of public record and available for inspection by any citizen of the Grand Kingdom.

 

ARTICLE VI

The Rights and Clans and Dwarves

 

THE CLANS OF URGUAN, as chief representatives of the dwarven people and the interests of the Grand Kingdom, are vested with the following rights to be used in defense of their ancient traditions.

 

• The right to meet publicly or privately at any time, provided the substance of such meetings is not inherently treasonous.

• The right to claim and operate a clan hall of reasonable size and value proportionate to the prestige and history of the clan.

• The right to keep and hold an armory and treasury of a size appropriate to the armament of the clan in times of war.

• The right to rule their members as a subsidiary entity of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan with minimal and only justifiable interference from the Government of the Grand Kingdom.

• The right, in the case of the five Great Clans, to recommend to the Grand King a candidate for a Courtier position.

 

THE DWARVES OF URGUAN, as the chosen children of Urguan and most ancient and beloved race upon the face of creation, are vested with the following rights to be used in defense of their ancient traditions.

 

• The right to purchase ale at a public establishment for a reasonable price.

• The right to work in a role productive to the Crown and greater dwarven society.

• The right to speak or publish publicly and unhindered, provided the content of such speech does not encourage open revolution or treason.

• The right to market their wares and services at a price that is reasonable to the expectations of the King’s Peace and the rights of dwarves.

• The right to a maintenance of dignity and honor that is appropriate to their station as a child of Urguan and chiefmost race upon creation.

 

NO RIGHT HEREIN ENUMERATED, regardless of cause or purpose, shall be infringed upon by any person or governmental body of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan.

 

ARTICLE VII

The Establishment and Maintenance of Corporate Bodies

 

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE GRAND KINGDOM OF URGUAN, as director of the financial health of the dwarven nation, reserves the right to establish and maintain corporate bodies.

 

CHARTERED COMPANIES, whose leaders shall be authorized by the Clan Council upon the acceptance of their Charter and may be granted titles in recognition of their service, are established with the assent of the Grand King and a ⅗ majority of the Clan Council. In return for a percentage of profits set by the Clan Council, the Chartered company is granted limited or exclusive sale and extraction rights over a certain market area at the discretion of the Thanes.

 

GUILDS, whose leaders shall be appointed by the Clan Council upon the registration of a Charter and may be granted titles in recognition of their services, are established with the assent of the Grand King and a ⅗ majority of the Clan Council. In return for training residents of the Grand Kingdom in their particular vocation, a Guild is granted a limited or exclusive right to practice their trade in the Grand Kingdom, as defined by their Charter.

 

MAJOR ALTERATIONS, including alterations of organization, policy, or purpose, to a corporate body of the Grand Kingdom must first be approved by a ⅗ majority of the Clan Council and amended into the charter of the corporate body.

 

ARTICLE VIII

Administrative divisions of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan

 

THE GRAND KINGDOM OF URGUAN, as a large and diverse nation, is divided into several types of administrative divisions in order to more fully express the unique traditions of each region.

 

HOLDS, which are territories of chiefly dwarven composition with a recognizable uniqueness of culture that separates them from the homeland, are governed by Jarls appointed by the Grand King of Urguan with the ⅗ approval of the Clan Council. In return for meeting a quota of fighting men, they receive the ability to establish their own legislative bodies and taxes, which may not supersede or replace those established by the Clan Council or the Crown. Holds under the Grand Kingdom may not create their own military, but may raise a militia. Holds are not allowed to direct foreign diplomacy, one who attempts such will be tried for treason, being a crime of the first-degree. Holds are also granted the right to free trade.

 

 

THE HOMELAND, which extends over all territories of the Grand Kingdom which are not Holds, is governed and policed directly by the Grand King, the Clan Council, and the Court of Mountains.

 

ARTICLE IX

Alterations to the Articles of Urguan

 

THE ARTICLES OF URGUAN, representing the foremost concerns and structure of the dwarven government, shall not be altered by any method except the unanimous agreement of the Clan Council, the assent of the reigning Grand King, and the assent of the reigning High Prophet.

 

 

THE CODE OF LAWS

 

FIRST LEGESLATION

[Fimlin 1997]

AMENDMENT I

Concerning the Succession to the Crown of Urguan

 

THE GRAND KING OF URGUAN, in order to ensure a speedy and orderly transition, shall be elected by the dwarven population of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan from a list of at least two candidates chosen by majority vote of the Thane Council upon the death, abdication, or deposal.

 

The compilation of the candidates by the Thanes Council shall take place over a time period not exceeding three stone days from the vacancy of the office of Grand King. This period may be ender early if Thanes agree in a majority vote. If, at the end of such a period, a list of at least two candidates has not been compiled, then the candidates for the office of Grand King shall be the five Thanes of the Thanes Council.

 

Any potential candidate possessing less than full dwarven heritage, who serves as Lord Regent, or is judged stark raving mad is debarred from participating in the election as a candidate, with no exception.

 

The election of the Grand King shall take place over a period of one stone week immediately preceding the end of the candidate compilation process. Each dwarven citizen of the Grand Kingdom shall be permitted to vote for one candidate from the compiled list. At the end of the election week, the candidate with the most dwarven votes automatically assumes the office of Grand King of Urguan, notwithstanding any coronation or other ceremony.

 

In the case of a tie, a tie breaking conclave shall be held at a location designated by the High Prophet on the stone day immediately preceding the election stone week. In this conclave, only the votes of Prophets who attend in person shall be counted, and votes may only be cast for the tied candidates with the highest number of votes. In the case of a tie at the conclave, the High Prophet shall choose the candidate who he considers most personally honorable. The candidate chosen by the conclave automatically assumes the office of Grand King of Urguan, notwithstanding any coronation or other ceremony.

[Fimlin 1997]

AMENDMENT II

Concerning the Emulation of Royal Authorities

 

THE CLAN COUNCIL OF URGUAN, in order to ensure an equal and efficient balance of powers among the Grand King and his Thanes, may, with a ⅘ majority, emulate the use of a royal authority as if it were enacted by the Grand King himself, yet not including the following:

• The authority to unilaterally pardon any person convicted or sentenced by the Courts.

• The authority to grant the status of Hold or Homeland territory.

• The authority to enact and maintain a system of criteria used to judge and record the prestige of the official Clans of the Grand Kingdom.

• The authority to grant or revoke any royal authorities to or from Courtiers.

Such an emulation of royal authority, shall, as all normal uses of royal authority, take place only after a period of one stone day from its proclamation, except in such a case where the emulation was unanimous, where it shall take effect immediately.

 

In the intervening period between the proclamation and enactment of an emulation of royal authority by ⅘ majority, the Grand King may choose to veto its use, nullifying the emulation.

 

When a royal authority is emulated by the Clan Council, its use must be clearly outlined and publicized, and furthermore shall take effect only for the particular bill for which it was approved. Such a bill must be signed by all Thanes who approved the use of the authority.

[Fimlin 1997]

New Law

 

AMENDMENT III

Concerning the Definition of Great Clans

 

In Relevance to Article II, Section I

GREAT CLANS, dwarven clans who have ranked up at at least 5th place in the system of recording prestige. When one clan out does another each is given 3 stone days to improve their prestige, the clan with the higher amount in the end becomes a Great Clan, and a select member of said clan may gain Thaneship. Should there be a tie in prestige between two clans, the one that has more members is granted the title.

[Fimlin 1997]

The First Alteration

[Birdwhisperer 1174]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.