THE PETRINE CONSTITUTION

[bickando 3967]

 THE PETRINE CONSTITUTION

 

 

PREAMBLE

 

We the disparate lords, gentrymen, and peoples otherwise of the Petra do pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to the establishment of this Constitution upon the foundations of liberty and meritocracy. Let this charter be the highest law of the land, an inalienable contract for the formation of this Commonwealth of the Petra.

 

ARTICLE I: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORDER OF THE PETRINE LAUREL

 

In the hopes that those that prove themselves worthy may find themselves climbing the ladder of our society; we put foremost in our Constitution the Order of the Petrine Laurel, our foundational knightly order and the basis for membership within our Gentry. Let these men and women embody our values, prevent the stagnation so oft found in the corrupt nobility of ages past, and provide the wisdom needed to guide the masses. Once, the Petrine Laurel defined the greatest works of Humanity; now it shall define the greatest Men and Women of our Commonwealth.

 

Section I

On the Order of the Petrine Laurel

 

The Order of the Petrine Laurel shall consist of all recognized knights within our Commonwealth, and be led by a Grandmaster, who shall concurrently be the Chancellor of the Commonwealth. 

 

Section II

On Admission to the Order

 

The primary means of entry shall be squirehood, capped by a heroic deed; secondarily, committed service to the Commonwealth and deeds plural. Either path shall require the nomination of an oathed knight and a confirmation vote by a majority of the Senate, and shall be confirmed via an Oathing and Ceremony of Accolade by a titled lord of the Old Régime in a fashion worthy of the new Brother or Sister.

 

Section III

On Privileges and Duties

 

Knights of the Commonwealth are enabled nomination privileges for the membership of the Senate and the Tribunal; shall act on behalf of the Commonwealth as its envoys and representatives; and shall be the arbiters of the law as required by circumstance. Where no other local government is present within our territories, they shall act as chief magistrates over townships and territories, castellans of fortifications, and protectors of the smallfolk. They shall take up arms in defense of the Commonwealth, and sully not its name; and the dereliction of any of these duties shall be grounds for removal from the Order.

 

ARTICLE II: THE OLD RÉGIME AND ITS DUTIES

 

Though we are of common mind on the rights and liberties of Man, our ancestors have bound us to this mortal coil. Where the first baron may be Great, and the second worthy in his actions, the third finds themselves among hedonists and debtors. So do we follow the endless cycle, unable - or unwilling - to create a new path. We the lords and ladies of the Petra vow to break this; to create and moderate a revolution capable of renewing the greatness in our leadership, whilst not leaving it to the brigands and hounds that so oft come with such states.

 

Section I

On the Old Régime

 

All those lords that submit to or join otherwise the Commonwealth of the Petra are bound by this Constitution; and in doing so are unable to hold knighthoods, and do relinquish their powers save those declared herein to the State. From among them shall there be a Regent, whose duty is solely the protection of the Republic and its virtues. The votes of the Old Régime on the new Regent shall be counted and confirmed in official address.

 

Section II

On the Inheritance of the Régime

 

The membership of the Old Régime may not be stripped of its nobility by any but its membership, unanimous save for the member in question; titles are passed down in the Rosemoor tradition, to the firstborn of a family, and then to the closest in relation.

 

Section III

On Knighthood among the Nobility

 

Those that hold titles within the Commonwealth are disallowed from being knights, and therefore unable to run for or be nominated otherwise to the Senate Eques or the Tribunal; they are disallowed from voting on any matters save those declared herein as the right of the common citizen or those especially attributed to the nobility, and they are disallowed especially from the unilateral appointment or accolade otherwise of knights.

 

Section IV

On the role of the Régime in the Knighting Ceremony

 

Upon the confirmation of a squire or worthy Man or Woman otherwise by the Senate Eques and their sponsoring Knight of the Commonwealth, they are to be given the choice of all Houses within the Commonwealth; and this House is mandated to Oath them to our Commonwealth according to its traditions. Houses may not create knights without the confirmation of the Senate Eques and a sponsoring Knight of the Commonwealth, and knights of such Houses may not take squires of their own surname and blood within two generations of immediacy.

 

Section V

On the role of the Regent

 

The Regent shall be the head of state of our Commonwealth, tasked with counting the votes in the election of the Senate Eques, swearing the Senate Eques into office and, if required, calling all Houses of our Commonwealth to an emergency denial of a law put forward - which may be done only by unanimous vote of all titled nobility within the Commonwealth. This power is to be used delicately and only in the defense of our Commonwealth from tyranny and malice. The Regent may not put laws forward to the Senate Eques, may not call votes otherwise of any kind, and may not vote for the membership of the Senate Eques themselves.

 

Section VI

Term Limit of Regency

 

One Regent may stay in office for no longer than two terms of twenty years each - after which it must mandatorily be transferred to another titled member of the Old Régime. This member may have been a previous Regent, though previous Regents are not eligible to be transferred within five years of transferring the Regency away.

 

Section VII

On the role of the Régime Otherwise

 

Lords of the Régime declared to the Commonwealth shall be allowed to continue to administer their individual ancestral realms, and their castles, towns, and villages otherwise shall not be confiscated from them. Instead, they shall be beholden to the rulings and laws of the Commonwealth and its Knights, and those farmlands, fields, forests, and territories otherwise not directly inhabited nor formally possessed by their House shall be made useable by all citizens of the Commonwealth; and as well, their castles, towns, and villages otherwise must be made open to the quartering of Knights of the Commonwealth upon allotment by the Questmaster-Envoy.

 

ARTICLE III: THE SENATE EQUES

 

Let us be reminded of the Senates and Assemblies of eld; of Man’s great achievements in the advancement of meritocracy over nepotism, of wit over blood. We of Petra know these histories; the first Dumas of the North, the Senates of the Empires; yet we also remember the failings, the silence of the weakened masses and the chaos of the Vesnians. Instead we shall raise up our most worthy to the pedestal; make it the privilege and duty of the gallant. Instead, we shall leave it to our Orders.

 

Section I

On the Senate Eques

 

The Senate Eques shall constitute the highest body of governmental power, and consist only of oathed Knights of the Commonwealth.

 

Section II

On Elections

 

Elections shall be held once every eight years; any Knight of the Commonwealth may be nominated to the office, and any landholding citizen or Knight of the Commonwealth may vote. Should a member of the Senate resign or otherwise be rendered incapable, an emergency vote may be called by the Chancellor. These votes shall be counted and confirmed by the Regent or their chosen representative of the Old Regime, who shall then ask the Senate-Elect to form a government in the name of the Commonwealth.

 

Section III

On the Composition of the Senate

 

Subsection A.

The Senate-Elect shall start by choosing from among their number a Chancellor, who shall be Chief among them; and this Chancellor shall serve also as the Grandmaster of all Knights of the Commonwealth, and Castellan of the Mardonkeep, its capital. Upon the choosing of the Chancellor, they are to be sworn to their duties by the Regent, and the oaths of office recited by the Senate, and thus the government shall be formed.

 

Subsection B.

The Chancellor shall then assign to the other Senators their portfolios, which shall consist of no less than a Questmaster-Envoy, a Procurator, a Chamberlain, and a Scrivener.

 

Subsection C.

The Questmaster-Envoy shall be charged chiefly with assigning foreign tasks and deeds otherwise to the membership of the Order and those that may wish to join its ranks; and they are to confirm that those wishing to be elevated to knighthood have completed at least one deed of real merit, and that the Commonwealth keep good and worthy relations with those foreign powers of note.

 

Subsection D.

The Procurator shall be charged chiefly with the prosecution of those Sers and Dames that break from the codes and tenets otherwise of the knightly Order, and of all those peoples that may break from the laws of the Commonwealth; and they shall represent the Government in all such trials before the Tribunal. The Procurator shall also bring to vote those laws that may be requested by Knights of our Order, and which may be passed by Senate majority.

 

Subsection E.

The Chamberlain shall be charged chiefly with the maintenance of the Commonwealth’s finances; and they shall lead the Treasury and maintain the proper taxation of the capital, the updating of old fortifications and modernization of infrastructure otherwise, as well as the allocation of resources within the Commonwealth.

 

Subsection F.

The Scrivener shall be charged with the maintenance of our Records and the Book of the Brotherhood, which shall host the roster, past and present, of all Knights of our Commonwealth. They shall too ensure the furthering of our cultural prosperity through the arrangement of activities and events otherwise internal and inclusive to the general populace of the Commonwealth, of documentation and reports otherwise regarding the deeds of our Knights, and tables and codices of our Laws and Ways.

 

Section IV

On the role of the Senate in the Knighting Ceremony

 

Whereupon a Knight of the Commonwealth determines his squire ready for the ceremony of accolade, and a worthy deed has been determined and completed by order of the Questmaster-Envoy and recorded by the Scrivener - or a member of the citizenry has been determined worthy of the ceremony of accolade, and a worthy deed determined and completed by order of the Questmaster-Envoy and recorded by the Scrivener; the Senate Eques shall vote on the worthiness of the citizen in the joining of the Order’s ranks. A simple majority from among the Senators shall be the final confirmation of such, after which the would-be knight shall choose from among the Houses a titled noble to enact their Oath, and they shall become a member of the Order thereafter.

 

Section V

On the Open Forum

 

Once every other year, and at most within every three years, the Senate must host a meeting open to the general population that enables the hearing of pleas, requests, and speeches otherwise to be heard by the highest body of the nation’s government. In such a meeting, Senators may open their vote to the forum however they might, if they so choose. At the forums, all those Senators that do not attend shall give their vote in the petition to the Knights in attendance at minimum, and may choose instead to give their votes to the property-holding citizenry or their representatives in attendance at maximum. Upon the calling of a vote on any petition or topic, if 50% or more of the knights in attendance discluding the Senate vote a certain way, then their vote shall be representative of those Senators not in attendance.

 

ARTICLE IV: THE PETRINE TRIBUNAL

 

Section I

On the Judiciary Tribunal

 

The Petrine Tribunal shall consist of exactly three tribunes, and shall interpret and enforce the Pretrine Constitution. One tribune must be present for a legitimate and legal trial. All three tribunes must be present to hear a challenge of the Constitution or state.

 

Section II

On the appointment of Tribunes

 

Tribunes shall be nominated by the Chancellor, and approved by the Senate Eques. They are appointed to their positions until life, resignation, or impeachment by a two-thirds majority of the Senate followed by that same threshold of the Régime. To be nominated, one must meet the following requirements:

Must be over the age of 25

Must be a member of the Order of the Petrine Laurel

Must have the nomination of at least one other member of the Order

Must be a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Petra

 

Section III

On Conflicts of Interest within the State

 

In the event that the Senate Eques or the procurator possesses a conflict of interest in a legal case or is otherwise unable to adequately fulfill their duty, the members of the Tribunal shall have the authority to appoint by unanimous vote a counsel. This counsel of the Tribunal shall have a mandate to investigate and prosecute that specific case before the Tribunal which he has been appointed to oversee unto its completion.

 

ARTICLE V: ON AMENDMENTS

 

Yet we do not see ourselves as omniscient, and recognize that future generations may find the need to amend our Constitution to ensure its continued relevance. Hereafter we expound upon such a process.

 

Section I

On Reason

 

The amendment of the Constitution is of potentially dire consequence; as such, all levels of society must be consulted. Potential amendments are to be made public and easily available to all literate citizens of the Commonwealth, and given a period of minimum one year to be discussed and debated before proceeding to a vote.

 

Section II

On the Vote

 

As it affects the entirety of our Commonwealth, so too is the entirety of its government involved; a majority vote is required, comprising of two of three Tribunes, a majority of the titled Old Régime, and a majority of the Senate Eques. Should this be unable to be accomplished, the amendment shall not be passed.

 

 

Dated 12 S.S., 1885 IC

 

 

 

Spoiler

Done in Convention by the Will of the Undersigned, we present this Constitution.
In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed Our Names.

His Excellency, The Regent of The Commonwealth {

                                                Paul Salvian Temesch et Moere

The Sovereign Order of the Petrine Laurel {

                                                Ser Bernard Luc Halcourt
                                                Ser Charles Temesch et Moere
                                                Dame Catherine of Furnestock
                                                Ser Jan de Merode
                                                Ser Valentin Mareno
                                                Ser Ludwig Johannes von Preussens
                                                Ser Steiner Alain von Richthofen

The Old Regime {
                                                Matilda Fredericka of Mardon
                                                Paul Salvian Temesch et Moere
                                                Arnaud Godwin Halcourt

Free Citizens Hitherto Assembled {

                                                Mariana Antoinette d’Azor       
                                                Adolphus Gloriana von Alstreim
                                                Justinian Nafis Basrid
                                                Carolina Theresa Temesch et Moere
                                                Johannes Hoffman
                                                Nicoletta Anastasie Halcourt
                                                Jack Edwards Helvets
                                                Antoine Coeur de Lyon
                                                Matilda Fredericka of Mardon
                                                Ulvr Half-Blooded
                                                Casimira Antonia Halcourt
                                                Frederic Bernard Halcourt d’Artois
                                                Arnaud Philippe Halcourt
                                                Irene Anne of Mardon

 

[Inkthorn 1434]

 

 

B. L. Halcourt happily sips a bottle of finely-aged wine at the holdfast of the House of Halcourt d'Artois, relaxing with his comrades after a day of hearty debate and the completion of his homeland's Constitution. He is particularly happy that his design proposal for the flag of the Petra was accepted, and has now become the official standard of the Republic.

 

He looks to his cousin, the Baron Arnaud Godwin Halcourt d'Artois. Wistfully, he murmurs, "We did good. So many brilliant minds, a trillion different paths, and we managed to chart a course for the people of the Petra -- a course toward unity." @KaiserJacobII

[Enlightenment 2300]

Steiner smiled at his signature, glad to finally see the constitution published to the world and the masses, "It feels good to be apart of such a progressive state, but there is still much to be done!"

[Franczhiz 4437]

Arnaud Philippe Halcourt Jr cheered despite not being able to read the constitution itself. "Woo!" He screamed into the ear of his mother Henrietta Wilhelmine.

 

@sondher

[sondher 797]

Carolina Temesch pushed her spectacles further up the bridge of her nose as she closely examined the Constitution. The ghostly-pale ginger beamed a bright smile upon spotting her signature. Her bony hand reached out, extending a glass of Port de Province towards the ladies gathered around, "To a glorious future, with many opportunities!" The Countess toasted cheerfully, "Now let's get to work."

 

Spoiler

@slattador@niya@capiital

 

[niya 180]

1 minute ago, sondher said:

Carolina Temesch pushed her spectacles further up the bridge of her nose as she closely examined the Constitution. The ghostly-pale ginger beamed a bright smile upon spotting her signature. Her bony hand reached out, extending a glass of Port de Province towards the ladies gathered around, "To a glorious future, with many opportunities!" The Countess toasted cheerfully, "Now let's get to work."

 

  Reveal hidden contents

@slattador@niya@capiital

 

Casimira Halcourt scans the Constitution, only being able to see it clearly with one eye. The scarred women would see her signature; her face wouldn't gleam anymore. "I don't remember signing it that small." She vociferated looking at the other women. "Time for Old Vienne to become new again!" She inclined her arm with her glass in hand going along with the toast.

[Dyl 2088]

Isa received word of the constitution, perking a brow. He was indeed curious about this project of his distant cousin, perhaps one day he'd visit see what had grown in his former homelands place.

[KaiserJacobII 1457]

Baron Halcourt, a member of that new Old Régime, raises the Petrine standard over the walls of his manor. A bright, proud smile grows upon his countenance as the folds of black and red flutter in the soft breeze. 

 

He looks over to his cousin, nodding his head. "Indeed we did," he replies. @Lyonharted

 

[AndrewTech 3330]

Catherine of Furnestock smiled in approval, pleased to see the publication of the Constitution which she had painstakingly assisted the Count of Temesch in drafting.

[seannie 7443]

"I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF PETRA AND TO THE COMMONWEALTH FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!" Charlie Charles Alstion sings as he showers

[Cepheid 4304]

Mariana Antoinette took a sip from her wine after signing the new constitution. Her misty hues glazed out the balcony that overlooked the Temesch throne room out towards the forests of Mardon that stretched for miles. For the first time in many of years, a smile crossed the young teens face. For she held the weight of her legacy overbearing on her shoulders as if it was crushing her from the inside and for once, the weight did not feel like a burden, but something to be empowered by. The Petite Dynastie shall live on, whether she did or not...

[Zhikarta 4064]

A certain Knight in shining armour penned down his signature with the brightest of smiles! "Long live the Commonwealth!"

[brujera 1152]

With a flick of his quill, Ludwig Johannes signed his name on the parchment. "Ave Petra."