THE IMPERIAL LAWBOOK

[frill 2277]

 

THE COMPREHENSIVE LAWS OF THE HOLY ORENIAN EMPIRE;

OR

THE IMPERIAL LAWBOOK

 

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INTRODUCTION - PRINCIPLES OF LAW

TITLE I - CLASSIFICATIONS OF CRIME

TITLE II - EXORDIUM

TITLE III - LEX CRIMINALIS - CRIMINAL LAW

TITLE IV - LEX HARACCENE - CIVIL LAW

TITLE V - LEX KAEDRENI - MILITARY LAW

TITLE VI - LEX PISACTORIS - WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

TITLE VII - LEX LOTHARINGIUM, - SUCCESSIONARY LAW

TITLE VIII - LEX ARISTOCRATIA - LAWS OF NOBILITY

 

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INTRODUCTION
General Principles of Law

 

THE STOLISTES PRINCIPLE;

“A binding contract exists by an expressed offer that is taken up upon by an expressed acceptance of said offer”. 

 

THE VISCONTI PRINCIPLE;

“All soil, and the structures and elements upon it, are under Imperial ownership, unless specified otherwise by referenceable documents from the Imperial government”. 

 

 THE MARCHAND PRINCIPLE;

“A human with uncontested physical ownership of a good, legal tender or produce, with an absent pretext of criminality, is assumed to be the rightful legal owner.”

 

THE RUYTER PRINCIPLE;

“The gravity of a crime can exceed the amount of justice the conventional punishments could bring, and therefore might require the execution of the criminal”.

 

THE LEUMONT PRINCIPLE;

“Everything established within the physical, administrative and diplomatic dimension that is not in accordance to the rule of law; is considered to have never existed.”

 

EXORDIUM 

Excerpt upon the Nature of Imperial Authority

 

It is the crown of piety that adorns the Emperor above all other ornaments of kingship. Wealth vanishes; glory perishes, but the gift of God-given government is eternal, and it sets its possessors beyond the reach of oblivion. 

 

By the hand of Holy Pontiffs,  the Emperor is bestowed a dignity beyond all honors, for it is a dignity bestowed by God. His soul is rendered pure upon ascent and thenceforth reflects the state of his dominions; if sallow be his domain, his spirit languishes in its equal. He weighs the sins of man, and is thus burdened to toil towards a realm kin to the heavens.

 

By the nature of his body,  the Emperor is alike to other men--but by his authority, he is above all others, and no man can claim greater jurisdiction.  The Imperial Office is that of the Lord’s viceregent in this world, and is wholly unbound by common or temporal law. He is inalienable and indomitable, as he must be so as to govern justly and fairly.

 

In receiving this dignity, the Emperor is compelled to emulate He who granted it, for though all men serve him, he is servant to God. Earthly pomp degrades the majesty of his office, as do wickedness and laxity. To afford wisdom and mercy akin to the Lord’s is the Emperor’s greatest faculty; he is credited greater capacity than any other to work justice.

 

Yet no man is his judge, and God his only confessor.  The Emperor is eminent in all things; he is above the sun that retreats before darkness, and the seas which accede to the ravings of the stars.  He is greater than the winds which toss without abandon, and the earth that lays indolent still despite calamity. The Emperor is Oren manifest: successor to its prophets and master to the world, the sovereign of all humanity who provides that esteemed folk with just governance.

 

Prince-Father Charles Polycarp, Metropolitan of Felsen, 1527

 

ADDENDUM 

On The Rights of Man 

 

Humanity, created by God in the image of His Prophets, is bestowed upon through His Divine Power the guaranteed, inalienable rights of Man, held above all law and rule. Through the power of the Imperial Crown, they are enforced and protected immaculate and indefinite, only transgressed by committing mortal sin.

 

The Rights of Man include;

THE RIGHT TO LIFE, so no man will ever be taken to the Skies so soon.

THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY, so no man will ever be bonded by the shackles of slavery.

THE RIGHT TO TRIAL, so no man will ever be wrongly accused when not charged by a trial of their peers.

 

These rights are the backbone of human liberty and law, preventing the slip of chaos as seen in time immemorial, acting as a shield before the dark arrows of tyranny and selfish ambition. All sons of the First Prophet, no matter of blood, language, or culture, carry upon them these golden laurels of freedom, through right of birth and sapienic kinship.

 

Emperor Joseph I, 1718

 

 

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CLASSIFICATION OF CRIME

Monetary and physical punishments for the infringement of the laws

 

CLASS V Violent infringement;

Fines up to 125.000卅

Imprisonment up to 100 years

 

CLASS E Economic infringement;

Fines up to 25.000卅

Imprisonment up to 25 years

 

CLASS P Property infringement

Fines up to 200.000卅

Imprisonment up to 50  years

 

CLASS I Infringement of Imperium

Fines up to 400.000卅

Imprisonment up to 100 years

Execution

 

CLASS D Domestic infringement

Punishments subject to domestic laws of Imperial subjects.

 

LEX CRIMINALIS

Criminal Laws of the Holy Orenian Empire

 

TABLE I

On the Protection of Persons

 

 

1. Murder, deliberately acting to achieve the result of death for another person, is illegal.

2. Murder without the intent to achieve the result of death, but which has occured due to the circumstances that the perpretrator created, is manslaughter.

3. Violence, acting to cause harm upon another person with differing degrees of lethality, but not death, is illegal.

4. Causing injury, acting to inflict a singular wound, is illegal.

   1. Tournaments or consensual acts of inflictment are not illegal.

   2. Causing injury unintentionally, but as a consequence of a verbal conflict or a series of unpremeditated acts, is classified as battery.

5. Mutilation, the causing of injury with the specific purpose of altering the victim’s appearance or senses, is illegal.

   1. If an injury has affected the victim’s appearance or senses, but mutilation could not be proven as the motive behind the causing of injury, the perpetrator will have caused an injury, and would not have mutilated.

6. Kidnapping, acting to confine, restrict or restrain a person after or through an abduction against one’s will, is illegal.

   1. Imperial functionaries abducting and confining citizens under lawful mandate, are not kidnapping.

   2. A Kidnapping that lasts longer than a saints week, is considered to be slavery.

   3. A victim of kidnapping can legally commit violence and/or cause injury to his or her captor.

7. Slavery, acting to permanently confine, restrict or restrain a person after or through an abduction or purchase against one’s will, is illegal.

   1. A slave in name or de facto cannot lose his or her rights under Imperial law.

   2. A slave can legally commit murder and violence against his captor.

 

TABLE II

On the Protection of Property

 

1. Theft, the act of illegally acquiring one’s property, is illegal.

   1. Theft of items deemed to be of large quantity, or if the occurrence of the theft is considered often or commited on a large scale, is classified as Grand Theft.

 

2. Robbery, the act of doing theft facilitated by either the threat or the use of violence upon a person, is illegal.

3. Burglary, the act of trespassing with the intention of committing a non-violent crime, is illegal.

Trespassing with the intention of committing a violent crime is classified as a robbery. 

4. Extortion, the act of threatening any of the above for the sake of obtaining material or political benefit, is illegal.

   1. Threatening to release incriminating information if a human does not comply to certain demands, is considered blackmail, which is classified as extortion. 

5. Creating an expectation for a person that he or she is to experience any of the above, is illegal.

6. Doing all of the above through proxy, is illegal.

   1. If a party is to be determined to be the aforementioned proxy, either through voluntary confession or through discovery, the criminal-through-proxy and the target must also be known.

   2. The proxy and the criminal-through-proxy are both equally criminal. 

   3. Organizing with more than two people to either commit a crime through proxy, or in an organized collective fashion, is considered a conspiracy to do harm.

7. A conspiracy to do harm can be a part of, but is not the same, as a conspiracy against the state.

8. Facilitating, not stopping, ignoring or not alerting the authorities of upcoming crimes makes you an accomplice to the crime.

9. An accomplice is as equally criminal as the perpetrator. 

10. Sedition, the act of inciting disorderly conduct against Imperial functionaries or the Empire and hurting its majesty, is illegal. 

11. Insulting the Empire and its functionaries, while not inciting disorderly conduct, is still considered to be an incentive for others to act disorderly, and is therefore considered sedition.

12. Critiques on a legal basis or which commonly would be considered normal for the citizenry to express is not considered sedition.

13. Blasphemy, the act of insulting God and its representation within the human realm, is considered equally criminal to insulting the majesty of the Imperial Crown.

14. Heresy, the act of professing heterodox teachings condemned by the Church, is illegal.

15. Tax evasion, the act of not abiding by a legally binding contract that obliged you to pay tax, is considered a criminal offense.

 

 

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LEX HARACCENE 

Civil Laws of the Holy Orenian Empire

 

TABLE I 

On Persons

 

On Establishing Persons

 

The following are citizens of the empire by birth;

 

2. 1. Those born of an Orenian father.

   2. Those born within the empire with unknown filliation. Those with the first place of existence being within the empire due to mortis causa or otherwise shall be recognised as citizens of the empire.

   3. Those born within the empire, of foreign parents, if their parents were also born within the empire.

3. Birth of a man within the territory of the empire is not sufficient cause to grant citizenship to the man. Fealty may be sworn to the emperor and his lands on reaching the eighteenth birthday.

4. The possession and continued use of property within the empire for a period as so judged by a magistrate can be used as legal proof of citizenship if so requested by the citizen. 

5. Nationality may be granted discretionally by Royal Decree of the emperor.

6. Nationality and status of citizenship may be revoked discretionally by Royal Decree of the emperor, who may revoke it on grounds of public policy or national interest.

7. Foreigners resident in the empire enjoy the protection of the laws of the empire, and the rights they so afford. Should the foreigner breach these laws, they too nullify their protection of them.

8. Residency within the empire is verified on a regular basis through the office of a censure and the signing of the census by the citizen. A refusal to do this is an implied, but not explicit, implication of a rescission of citizenship.

 

On Establishing Entities

 

1. Corporations, companies, associations and foundations are recognised as entities under law and are accountable hereafter to the laws governing them.

2. People are recognised as entities under the law on reaching the age of majority.

3. Legal entities enjoy the same privileges, including the possession and acquisition of property, chattel et al. afforded to citizens.

4. Royal Decree may revoke legal personhood if so required.

 

On Marriage

 

1. The obligation of marriage is not the promise of marriage.

2. Men and women are those entitled to marriage in accordance to the Canon and these legal provisions.

3. There shall be no marriage without matrimonial consent

4. Persons already joined in marriage may not marry.

5. Minors may not marry without the consent of their father or guardian.

6. Direct line relatives of consanguinity may not marry. 

7. Collateral relatives by consanguinity of the third degree may not marry.

8. Any citizen may marry inside or outside of the empire before a member of the clergy.

9. The marriage shall not be affected by legitimate appointment of the member of clergy performing the marriage should both spouses and member of the clergy be acting in good faith.

10. Marriage must be performed before a member of the clergy and two witnesses of legal age.

11. It shall be assumed that the married partners share a domicile.

12. It is the right of the Emperor, his privy, and the church of the Canon to render nullity of marriage should this be deemed necessary.

13. All marriages require the consent of the man and the legal patriarch of the woman participating in matrimony. If this patriarchal prerogative is withheld and the marriage proceeds, it is to be considered unlawful and null.

14. In the case of marriages of the princes, landed lords and their immediate male heirs, express permission to marry must be sought from and granted by the Crown. If this Imperial prerogative is withheld and the marriage proceeds, it is to be considered unlawful and null. 

 

TABLE II 

On paternity, filiation and bastardry

 

On Filiation

 

1. Filiation is by birth alone.

2. Filiation determines surnames.

3. Filiation is determined by the paternal line.

4. It is the obligation of the father to care for the child.

5. Any person of significant interest may declare filiation or lack thereof. This is to be judged by the emperor and his magistrates if deemed to be acted in bad faith.

6. It is the right of the father to declare lack of filiation, or bastardy, of his children.

7. It is the right of the patriarch of the family to declare lack of filiation, or bastardy, of his kin.

 

On Guardianship

 

1. It is the right of the Church of the Canon to take wards of the church, should there be no sufficient guardian by blood.

2. It is the right of the emperor to decide wards of the state, should there be no sufficient guard by blood and the refusal of the Canon.

 

TABLE III

On Property Ownership

 

On Classification

 

1. All things subject to appropriation shall be considered either immovable or movable property.

2. The classification of property may be decided by the emperor.

3. Property is either public or private domain, as so decided by the emperor.

4. Should a piece of public domain property be ceded, enclosed or no longer be destined for general use, it shall become property of the imperial crown.

 

On Ownership

 

1. Ownership is the right to enjoyment and disposal of a thing, without limitation beyond the law.

2. Ownership is acquired through occupancy, by gift, testate and intestate succession, and as a result of contracts of tradition.

3. Nobody may be deprived of ownership by another.

4. The owner of a plot of land is the owner of the surface and that beneath it.

5. Property capable of appropriate without an owner, such as abandoned movable things or wild game, are acquired by occupancy.

6. Game that pass from their respective breeding place to lands owned by a different owner shall be the property of the latter, unless found to have been attracted through fraud, artifice or lure.

7. A person who finds a movable thing must return it to its owner, unless it is declared treasure. The movable thing must be held for two years, and the thing shall belong to he who found it after the lapse of this period of time. If it cannot be held without severe maintenance that would otherwise cause detriment to the value of the movable thing, it will be publicly auctioned. If unable to be auctioned, it shall be redistributed by the imperial crown.

8. If the owner is to appear within this time, the finder is entitled to a prize for finding equal to one tenth of the value of the thing.

9. Treasures belong to the owner of the land of which it is found, or if conflicted, to the imperial crown. The status of treasure is decided by judgement of magistrate. The imperial crown is entitled to fifty percent of the value of the treasure from the finder.

 

On Absence

 

1. Following a public absence, as decided by a magistrate or the Emperor, of eight years of more, it is the right of these parties to redistribute the patrimony of the absentee among his heirs.

2. If no heir is present to make claim to the patrimony, it may be placed under the imperial crown until such an heir should arise.

 

On Accession

 

1. The fruits of the property, be they civil, industrial or natural belong to the owner of the property.

2. Anything built, sewn or produced in another’s plot of land belongs to the owner of the plot of land.

 

On Boundaries

 

1. Any owner is entitled to mark and define the boundaries of their properties and lands and hold the right to define the boundaries as such when brought to a court of law.

2. These boundaries may not be defined if they infringe or encroach upon the boundaries of the lands and properties of another, if this is deemed a matter of legal conflict, it is the duty of the steward of the lands and the magistrates of the crown to decide the boundaries.

 

On The Intellectual

 

1. The owner of a literary work may exploit and dispose of it at will.

 

On Possession and Acquisition

 

1. Possession is the holding of a thing, or the enjoyment of a right by a legal person.

2. Possession is to be assumed to be being acted in good faith.

3. Hereditary property is transferred to the heir without interruption from the moment of death of the descendant.

4. Possession may not occur violently. If a man believes they have the right to deprive another of their property, it is to be brought before a court if it is refused to be delivered by the owner.

5. A possessor may lose the thing;

   1. By abandonment.

   2. By total destruction or loss.

   3. By another’s possession, even against their will, should the new possession last uncontested for more than ten years.

 

TABLE IV 

On Obligation

 

On Defining Obligation

 

1. All obligations consist of giving, doing or refraining from doing an act.

2. Obligations arise from law and contract.

3. Those that arise from acts or omissions of fault or negligence shall be governed by the following provisions.

 

On The Extinguishing of Obligation

 

1. The promise of the delivery of a thing is a promise of delivery of the thing with all fitting entirely, even if not so mentioned.

2. If a person obliged to do something has not done it, it is ordered to be done at his expense.

3. All obligations are enforceable from the present unless their performance depend on the fulfillment or action of a future event.

4. Obligations that face impossible conditions shall be deemed in bad faith and not written.

5. The condition should be fulfilled should the obligor purposefully prevent its fulfillment.

6. Obligations are extinguished by their payment or performance, forgiveness of the debt, rule of bad faith by a judge, or the loss of the thing owed.

 

On Private Documents and Deeds

 

1. Private documents shall have the same value as a deed between those who executed it and their successors.

2. Private documents may not alter the covenants of a contract if to the detriment of the debtor.

3. If a debtor wishes to accept private documents with provisions beneficial to him, he must also except those provisions detrimental.

 

TABLE V 

On Contracts

 

On Consent

 

1. There is no contract without the consent of the parties, cause of the obligation of agreement and object of agreement.

2. Consent is the coincidence of the offer and the acceptance over the thing and the cause which constitute the contract.

3. Minors may not consent to contracts, unless ruled otherwise by a magistrate.

4. Consent is null and void if caused by error, coercion, intimidation or fraudulent misrepresentation.

5. Fraudulent is not nullifying if used by both parties.

 

On Matter of Contract

 

1. All things not beyond the bounds of commerce between men of the empire may be bound by contract.

 

On Cause of Contract

 

1. Contracts without a cause, unlawful causes or false causes are null and void. An unlawful cause is a cause ruled to be against the laws or morals of the land.

 

On Interpretation

 

1. All parties must abide by the literal meaning of clauses of contracts if they are clear and leave no doubt to the intention of the contract.

2. Words with multiple meanings are to be understood in the meaning in most accordance to the nature and subject of the agreement, or, in cases when this may be conflicted, in the benefit of the debtor.

3. Obscure clauses may not favour the party who created the obscurity.

4. In the event of doubts of the intention of contracts and the intention cannot be known, the contract is null and void due to this obscurity.

 

On Rescission and Nullity

 

1. Contracts validly entered may be rescinded by agreement of both parties or the decision of the emperor and his magistrates of law.

2. No contracts shall be rescinded as a result of injury, unless the injury is a result of a fraudulent contract.

3. Rescission shall oblige the return the things subject of the contract and its fruits.

4. Rescission may not take place when the object of the contract is in possession by a third party.

5. If this third party acquired the object through bad faith, he must return the object disposed illegally on the rescission of the contract.

6. Contracts may be annulled by rule of law.

7. The action for legal annulment must be from a signing party.

8. Confirmation of a contract may be implied; written assent is not necessary.

 

TABLE VI

On Patrimony

 

Obligatory Heirs of the non-Imperial and Gentry

 

1. The obligatory heirs are the male children and male descendants with respect to their parents and male ascendants.

2. In the absence of the above, parents and ascendants regarding their male children and male descendants.

3. In the absence of the above, the female children, their children and descendants

4. In the absence of the above, parents and ascendants regarding their female children and female descendants.

5. In the absence of the above, it is the right of the imperial crown to redistribute the patrimony.

 

 

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LEX KAEDRENI

On Crimes Committed During the Execution of Military Service

 

Threat or violence towards a commanding officer

 

1. Battery, threat of battery, resistance with violence, infliction of minor bodily injury, to a commanding officer by a subordinate during military service is defined as threat or violence towards a commanding officer, a felony.

2. The same crime committed as a group or with the use of weaponry is classed as a severe felony.

3. The same crime, resulting in the death of the commanding officer, or committed as a group and with the use of weaponry is classed as treason.

 

Violence towards a subordinate by a commanding officer

 

1. Battery, threat of battery, resistance with violence, infliction of minor bodily injury, to a subordinate soldier by a commanding officer during military service is defined as violence towards a subordinate by a commanding officer, a misdemeanour.

2. The same crime, resulting in the death of the subordinate soldier or committed with the use of weaponry is classed as a felony.

 

Desertion

 

1. Desertion, defined as leaving of a military unit or place of military activity with the intent of evading service to the military, or failure to return from a medical institution committed by a soldier is classed as desertion, a misdemeanour of desertion.

2. The same crime, when committed by a senior ranked soldier, is classed as felony of desertion.

3. The same crime, when committed by a landed noble, or during wartime, is classed as treason of desertion.

 

Undue surrender

 

1. Intentional surrender, intentional withdrawal from sites of conflict, or leaving to the enemy fortifications by the head of a military unit when the situation did not warrant is classed as treason of undue surrender.

2. Refusal to take up arms due to fear or desperation by a soldier shall be classed as a felony of undue surrender.

 

Destruction of property

 

1. Intentional destruction of property intended for use during military exercises, excursions or conflict is classed as a felony.

2. The same crime, when committed by a landed noble, or during wartime, is classed as treason.

3. Destruction of state property intended to be used during wartime is classed as destruction of property, a felony. 

 

Disclosure or loss of state secrets

 

1. Disclosure or loss of documents, objects or activities which constitute a state secret by a person who was entrusted such data is classed as a felony. 

2. The same crime, when committed by a landed noble, or during wartime, is classed as treason.

 

Sale of property

 

1. Sale of property intended for use during military exercises, excursions or conflict is classed as a felony.

2. The same crime, when committed by a landed noble, or during wartime, is classed as treason.

 

 

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LEX PISCATORIS 

Weights and Measurements

 

TABLE I 

On Physical Measurement

 

On Length

 

1. The standard unit of length shall be the digit, equaling the width of the man’s middle finger.

2. An alternate unit of length shall be the inch, equaling the width of a man’s thumb or the total length of 3 barleycorns.

3. An alternate unit of length shall be the foot, equaling the length of a general boot or the total sum of 12 inches.

4. An alternate unit of length shall be the yard, equaling the length of a single man’s pace, the reach from nose to fingertip or the total sum of 3 feet.

 

On Land

 

1. The standard unit of land shall be the acre equaling around 500 square feet of a general boot or the land able to that plowed by a single ox in one day.

2. An alternate unit of land shall be the furlong, equaling around 660 square feet of a general boot or the land able to be plowed by two oxen on one plough in one day.

3. An alternate unit of land shall be the bovate, equaling around 15 acres, 7500 square feet of a general boot or the land able to be plowed by one ox in a single harvesting year.

4. An alternate unit of land shall be the carucate, equaling around 120 acres, 60,000 square feet of a general boot or the land able to be plowed by eight oxen in a single harvesting year.

 

TABLE II

On the Financial

On Currency

 

1. The standard unit of currency shall be the mark or mina, with a width of three digits and made of silver, bearing the symbol of the Holy Orenian Emperor on the head side and the symbol of the Aengul Dragur on the tail side.

2. An alternate unit of currency shall be the shilling, with a width and three and a half digits and made of silver, bearing the symbol of the Prince of Alstion (if vacant, then the Holy Orenian Emperor) on the head side and the symbol of the Prophet Horen on the tail side. A shilling is worth 5 minae.

3. An alternate unit of currency shall be the crown, with a width of four digits and made of gold, bearing the symbol of the Prophet Owyn on the head side and the symbol of the Cross of Lorraine upon the tail side. A crown is worth 50 minae and 10 shillings.

 

LEX LOTHARINGIUM

Successionary Law

 

TABLE I

On Eligibility of Succession

 

Affinity and Consanguinity 

 

1. Consanguinity is defined as two or more persons being related through a common ancestor, commonly through the same parent or grandparent (see Lexicon).

2. Any and all matrimonial or sexual affinity between two persons with first degree of consanguinity, that being brother and sister, daughter and father, son and mother, niece and uncle, or nephew and aunt, is prohibited within Imperial and Pontifical Law.

3. Any and all matrimonial or sexual affinity between two persons with second degree of consanguinity, that being a first cousin and a first cousin, is lawfully permitted in most cases. 

4. Any and all matrimonial or sexual affinity between two persons with third degree or higher of consanguinity is allowed without reserved or special restriction.

 

Majority

 

1. Age of majority is defined as the age where an individual is no longer deemed to be of juvenile mind and can take responsibility for one’s own actions (see Lexicon).

2. For rulers under the age of majority, they are to be referred to as underage and a regency due to infancy is required to be put in place.

3. The age of majority set by Imperial standard is sixteen.

 

TABLE II

On The Imperial

 

Line of Imperial Succession

 

1. The Line of Imperial Succession is maintained separately by the Imperial Chancery.

 

List of Reigning Holy Orenian Emperors

 

1. The List of Reigning Emperors is maintained separately by the Imperial Chancery.

 

Provision and Regency

 

1. Regency is defined as a person or persons chosen to administer an estate or office because of the incapacity of the current office holder, such as infancy, incapacitation or absence (see Lexicon).

2. A designated regent is chosen by the capable lord, to administer and rule in the name of the lord or his heir in the case of incapability of the office holder. The person or persons designated to rule as regent is to be defined and listed with the will of the office holder.

3. If no designated regent is chosen and an office holder becomes incapable to rule, a regent is chosen by the Imperial State.

 

Succession Crisis

 

1. A succession crisis is defined as a person or persons challenging a current incumbent lord for his or her office, through proper sanguineous claim and support of fellow noblemen and noblewomen.

2. A succession crisis, if brought forth, is o be first solved by the constituent parties through nonviolent and nonaggressive means.

3. If the constituent parties cannot resolve their matters through nonviolent and nonaggressive means, the crisis is to be brought forth to the Imperial State, to be decided on and resolved.

4. If any violent and aggressive actions occur between the constituent parties, it is to be considered a breach of the law of the Imperial State, to be seen as treason and the offending parties charged as seen fit by the Imperial State.

 

Imperial Diet

 

1. A diet is defined as an assembly of lords and clergy gathered for a purpose, typically to solve an outstanding issue or crisis between the body members (see Lexicon).

2. A diet may be called any lord, excluding clergy, and held at any location within the borders of the realm.

3. A diet, to be considered such, must have the numbering of at least three different lords and clergy of different affiliations.

 

Inter-vassal Conflicts

 

1. An inter-vassal conflict is defined as two or more direct vassals or fiefs sworn to the Imperial State entering a state of warfare and armed conflict, while maintaining loyalty to the sovereign and Imperial State (see Lexicon).

2. All inter-vassal conflict is prohibited within the realm, unless by sanction by the sovereign and Imperial State through the signing of a Pacta Conventa.

3. A Pacta Conventa is defined as a sanction given by the sovereign and Imperial State for allowance of an inter-vassal conflict, typically outlining specific restrictions and duties upon each party involved and swearing each party to uphold their loyalty and duties to the Imperial State (see Lexicon).

4. All inter-vassal conflicts may be ordered to stop by order of either the sovereign or the Imperial State as a whole, on threat of being charged of treason.

5. All inter-vassal conflicts are barred from the use of external allies and non-human mercenaries, as only human-led factions either sworn to the Imperial State or in affiliation with the Imperial State may be called into a war.

 

 

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LEX ARISTOCRATIA

On the Estates and Nature of the Nobility, the Clergy, and the Bourgeoisie

 

TABLE I 

On Establishment of Title

 

On Establishing Nobility

 

1. The Nobility is defined as the body of all individuals holding heredity or honorary noble or lordly titles, typically holding land in tenure to the Imperial Office or other lord (see Lexicon).

2. Nobility rank is given to every direct member of the noble title holder’s house, to be called lord or lady respect, and henceforth passed between kin.

3. Nobility rank includes the following sovereign positions and peerages:

   1. Emperor, defined as a sovereign or monarch of an empire, above the royal office of king, referred to as His or Her Imperial Majesty (fm. Empress) (see Lexicon).

      1. In relation to the monarch, siblings, offspring, and offspring of their male offspring carries the rank of Imperial Prince and is to be referred to as His or Her Imperial Highness.

   2. King, defined as a sovereign or monarch of a kingdom, above the princely office of prince and below the imperial office of emperor, referred to as His or Her Majesty (fm. Queen) (see Lexicon).

      1. In relation to the monarch, siblings, offspring, and offspring of their male offspring carries the rank of Prince and is to be referred to as His or Her Royal Highness.

   3. Prince, defined as individuals of direct relation to an emperor or king, above the ducal office of duke and below the royal office of king, referred to as His or Her Highness (fm. Princess) (see Lexicon).

   4. Duke, defined as a sovereign lord of a duchy, above the comital office of count and below the princely office of prince, referred to as His or Her Grace (fm. Duchess) (see Lexicon).

   5. Count, defined as a sovereign lord of a county, above the baronial office of baron and below the comital office of count, referred to as His or Her Right Honorable (alt. Earl; fm. Countess) (see Lexicon).

   6. Baron, defined as a sovereign lord of a barony, above the bourgeois class and below the comital office of count, referred to as His or Her Lordship (fm. Baroness) (see Lexicon).

 

On Establishing Clergy

 

1. The Clergy is defined as the body of all ordained ministers of the Canonist Church, including the High Pontiff (see Lexicon).

2. Clerical rank is only given to the officer holder, with successor chosen by the Pontifical Throne.

3. Clerical rank includes the following:

   1. High Pontiff, defined as the elected head of the Canonist Church, Vicar of God, and leader of the faithful, referred to as His Holiness (see Lexicon).

   2. Septarch, defined as one of the seven members of the ecclesiastical synod which elects the High Pontiff, referred to as His Eminence (see Lexicon).

   3. Patriarch, defined as a senior member of the Canonist Church, given responsibility over a Patriarchate, an administrator that oversees the clerical dioceses within non-human regions, referred to as His Beatitude (see Lexicon).

   4. Archbishop, defined as a senior member of Canonist Church, given responsibility over an Archdiocese, a Bishop who reigns over multiple diocese, referred to as His Excellency (see Lexicon).

   5. Bishop, defined as a senior member of the Canonist Church, given responsibility over an entire diocese or ordained holy orders, referred to as His Grace (see Lexicon).

   6. Priest, defined as the ordained members of the Canonist Church, typically placed in parishes or members of ordained holy orders (see Lexicon).

 

On Establishing Burghers

 

1. The Bourgeoisie is defined as the body of ignoble free, property-owning citizenry not bound by contract or tenure to a lord or sovereign, typically residing within a free imperial city (see Lexicon).

2. The Bourgeoisie rank is given to all property-owning persons who do not hold noble, clerical, or knightly rank, excluding those persons bound to the soil of a fief or estate.

 

TABLE II 

On Rights, Privileges, and Duties

 

Rights and Privileges of the Nobility

 

1. The right to hold noble title within the Imperial State, regarded in high degree with both the title holder and the title holder’s family, to be known by their respective titles.

2. The right to hold a coat of arms within the Imperial State, to distinguish and identify one’s ancestors and descendants.

3. The privilege to hold landed secular peerage appertaining to their estates within the Imperial State, the created nature of peerage conveyed through Imperial Letters, issued singularly by the discretion of the sovereign. 

4. The right to hold estates within the Imperial State, to manage and steward the allotted land as seen fit, and to pass forth their granted estates to their progeny and family.

5. The right to organize a force of armed men within their estates, to train and fit their militia as seen fit, and to protect their estates with their militia.

6. The right to call a diet of lords and clergy within their estates, to call petition to the Imperial State, and to congregate with their fellow peers.

7. The right to organize marriage between their houses with their peers, bounding lords together through the holy matrimony.

 

Duties of the Nobility

 

1. The duty to maintain their estates, manage them with good nature and uphold the law of the Imperial State within their estates, and to prohibit any estates’ decline into decadence and debauchery.

2. The duty to maintain their records of lineages, records of births, and records of marriages to combat against falsification of noble birthright.

3. The duty to maintain the faith of Canonism within their estates, to maintain orthodox views, and to uphold clerical teaching and law within their estates.

4. The duty to never draw arms against the Imperial State, to maintain the peace and law of the Imperial State, and to hold utmost loyalty to their sovereign and the Imperial State.

5. The duty to answer all calls to arm by the sovereign and Imperial State, to defend the Imperial State from all exterior and interior threats, and to combat all hostile forces in conflict with the Imperial State.

6. The duty to maintain a force of five-thousand soldiers of foot if the baronial rank, a force of ten thousand soldiers of foot if the comital rank, a force of twenty thousand soldiers of foot if the ducal rank, and a force of forty thousand soldiers of foot if of the princely or royal rank.

7. The duty to seek the permission of the sovereign for the case of the marriages of landed lords and their heirs.

 

Rights and Privileges of the Clergy

 

1. The right to hold clerical title within the Imperial State, regarded in high degree with the office holder, to be known by their respective titles.

2. The privilege to hold landed clerical peerage appertaining to their estates within the Imperial State, the created nature of peerage conveyed through Imperial Letters, issued singularly by the discretion of the sovereign. 

3. The right to hold estates within the Imperial State and to manage and steward the allotted land as seen fit.

4. The right to evangelize with the populace of the Imperial State and with any populace abroad, to travel the Imperial State as seen fit, and to be welcomed into any estate under the protection of the Imperial State.

5. The right to congregate in a diet, to deliberate and converse within the diet, and to join in a petition to the Imperial State.

 

Duties of the Clergy

 

1. The duty to maintain their estates, manage them with good nature and uphold the law of the Imperial State within their estates, and to prohibit any estates’ decline into decadence and debauchery.

2. The duty to maintain the faith of Canonism within their estates or their designated parish, to maintain orthodox views, and to uphold clerical teaching and law within their estates or designated parish.

3. The duty to never draw arms against the Imperial State, to maintain the peace and law of the Imperial State, and to hold utmost loyalty to their sovereign and the Imperial State.

 

Rights and Privileges of the Bourgeoisie 

 

1. The right to hold burgher title within the Imperial State, regarded in high degree with the office holder, to be known by their respective titles.

2. The right to not be bound by estate or lordly vow, to be free men within their own right, and to travel the land of the Imperial State as seen fit.

 

Duties of the Bourgeoisie

 

1. The duty to maintain utmost loyalty to the Imperial State and sovereign, to never draw arms against the Imperial State and sovereign, and to uphold the law of the Imperial State.

2. The duty to maintain their faith of Canonism, to never deviate from their faith, and to uphold clerical teaching and law