tilly

"That is so not her color..." Renilde held the likeness at armlength, squinting and closing one eye to better understand it.

“So… the house’s traditions and values are to beat children, kill men, and generally display disgrace wherever they go? Noted.” Renilde forwarded a letter to her dear friend Azrielle, mentioning as such. 

Renilde, having heard the tales of Gwendel’s abuse over the years from the very Azrielle herself (who fought in The Petrine Civil War against her own misguided kin, won, yet found herself on the outside of her family), sent the missive to a the woman with a letter of her own that hedged along the lines of support and commendation. 
 

“Azrielle, my friend, a person who I’ve called family ever since the one you had did not cherish you,

I write to offer whatever encouragement you might need during this time. I apologize for your brother’s ignorant behavior backed only by poor excuses and unbelievably terrible judgement. 

I pray that he answers for his decades of crimes, wrongdoings, and generally bad etiquette regarding all things he’s been involved in, and that you may rest assured that this fool will no longer wield the power necessary to do what he has done for far too long. 
 

Godspeed, and may Justice find him,

~R. H.”

@Phersades

“I cannot wait!” Renilde said to the newest inductee to the River Court, proud of the proactive steps she had taken of her own volition. 

“I wonder when the Vavasour will return from his trip…” Renilde pondered, unaware that her Maresc has been brutally murdered - and without reason - in the forests surrounding the once-revel territory. 

"Damn he mad," Renilde uttered over the rim of her wine glass, struck by the conviction of the Aaunic King. "I must meet with this Regent of Adria and sign on with the 'Writ of Avoidance' like Haense. I wouldn't want to be caught up in Charlie's wrath." With a shudder, the Archduchess clinked her glass to her long-time drinking partner's own, sipping, then continuing. "Will you set that meeting up, Laurens? I will draft the writ in the meantime!"

@Chorale__

"I cannot fricken wait." The Archduchess held the Petran-Haeseni babies in her arms, only sometimes succumbing to their devoted father's pleas to cradle his 'little warriors'.

“Oy vey…” The archduchess remarked, all too familiar with the stresses of an internal conflict. She prayed for all of her friends involved, on either side. 

hehehe..

City Charter of Valfleur

1915

Penned by Ms. Edith Hope 

Born out of the remnants of the Harvest Confederacy, The Commonwealth of the Petra stands as the sole Knightly Republic in Almaris. In the brief history of the Commonwealth of Petra its citizens have been tried and tested many times by war, and difficult times. In the face of such adversity they have maintained their principles, it is with them in mind that we dedicate this document to the People of the Commonwealth of the Petra

SECTION I

The City Government of Valfleur

I - The City Assembly 

I.I - The City Assembly shall be composed of three Assemblymen, two of whom shall be elected from among the general populace of Valfleur and one shall be appointed by the Archduchess of the Petra. 

II.II - The City Assembly shall have a term of six years, after which they must seek re-election in a popular vote election after which the top two candidates shall take office. The course of the election will be nominations that shall last a single month after which candidates shall be granted three months of campaigning, which shall include a debate organized by the Registrar of Valfleur, and then the Election shall take place.

I.III - The City Assembly duties shall be the passage of laws pertaining to the City of Valfleur, approval of a municipal government that shall be created by the Lord Mayor, aiding the Lord Mayor in planning of festivities and serving on committees to aid the Citizenry of Valfleur. 

II - Lord Mayor of Valfleur

II.I - In order to be elected to the Office of Lord Mayor one shall be nominated to the race. After nominations conclude there shall be a debate held between the Mayoral candidates in public, and finally the election shall be held.

II.II - The Lord Mayor shall be elected by a popular vote from the populace. In the event that no candidate receives fifty percent of the vote a runoff election shall occur between the  two winners of the last round.

II.III - Tasks that are delegated to the Lord Mayor shall include festivities, delegation of committees to the Assembly, appointing a capable Deputy Lord Mayor who shall lead the City Assembly on behalf of the Lord Mayor and to create a municipal government to be approved by the City Assembly.

I.IV - There shall be  set term limits on the Office of Lord Mayor . Who shall serve no more than two terms in office totaling no more than twelve years. In the event the Deputy Mayor ascends to the office of Lord Mayor they will serve the remainder of the Lord Mayors term and have the choice to seek a single term of their own. 

III - The Registrar of Valfleur

I.I - The Registrar is given the task of running the elections of the City Assembly, Lord Mayor Elections, moderating Campaign Debates, and calling the City Assembly to order for a session. The Registrar shall be appointed by the Archduchess of Petra to a life-term or until resignation. 

I.II - The duties assigned to the Registrar of Valfleur shall be purely neutral oversight of the City Government and its elections to ensure that the City of Valfleur remains incorruptible.

I.III - As the de-facto Overseer of the City of Valfleur the Registrar shall take a seat within the Roundtable of the Petra to represent the City with a non-voting position.

SECTION II

Bylaws of the City Assembly

I - The Order of a Session
I.I - Once the City Assembly has convened and the Deputy Mayor has been introduced, they shall take the dais and declare a Point of Order for the session in which bills may be brought forth, and voted upon. 

I.II - A meeting shall be adjourned when an Assemblyman calls for the adjournment of the session in which the Deputy Mayor shall then allow the motion to come to an immediate vote.

Issued and proclaimed,

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD, Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere, Marchioness of the East March, Hero of the Petra

HIS EXCELLENCY, Sir Laurens Henri “The Unwavering” Halcourt d’Artois,

Chanzlé of the Commonwealth of the Petra, Marquis of Clermont and Warden of the West, Baron of Artois, Lieutenant-General of the Petrine Regiment, Knight of the Sovereign Order of the Petrine Laurel, Hero of the Petra

Her EXCELLENCY, Ms. Edith Hope,

Registrar of the City of Valfleur, Matriarch of House Hope

“What is an alcheme anyway?” Renilde asked the River Court’s alchemist with a smug grin, hoping to get a rise out of Manon. 

The Archduchess, Renilde I, could be found spending hours upon hours in the vast library, learning about her ancestors and their mistakes, as well as their victories.

"This looks quite familiar..." Renilde went over the release with her own Lady Chamberlain, Baroness Anne de Vilain. 

@ibiou

REKINDLING OVER THE RIVER

11th of Owyn's Flame, 1913

ARTICLE I - SOVEREIGNTY

The United Kingdom of Aaun and the Commonwealth of Petra, or henceforth ‘the signatories’, recognise each other’s sovereignty and the rule of their domains, and their respective monarchs.

ARTICLE II - NON-AGGRESSION 

The signatories pledge to each other to adhere to principles of peace between each other, they shall not wage war upon one another, nor shall they raise arms against one another, or try to bring harm to the integrity of one another’s sovereign nation.

ARTICLE III - TRADE AGREEMENT

The signatories are to exchange stalls free of rent in their respective capitals to foster outstanding economic ties. Any tariffs beforehand imposed are revoked, and the creation of new ones are forbidden.

ARTICLE IV - RECOMPENSE

The Commonwealth of the Petra restores the territories currently noted as the South March or previously known as the Cathalon Peninsula to the United Kingdom of Aaun in endeavour to foster greater relations and progress forward with their shared vision that ensures the prosperity of the Heartlands. The aforementioned land was in the jurisdiction of the Alstion Crown prior to the Treaty of Spilt Blood, wherein it was ceded in exchange for peace.

ARTICLE V - DURATION

This Agreement shall be in effect for a period of sixteen years, after which the realms shall convene once again for renegotiations.

HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Charles I Alstion, By the Grace of God, King of Aaun, Prince of Alstion, Duke of Corazon, Balamena, Protector of the Realm, and etcetera.

HER ROYAL MAJESTY, Eleanor of Provins, Queen-consort of Aaun, Princess-consort of Alstion, Duchess-consort of Corazon, Balamena, and etcetera. 

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of God, 

Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere, Marchioness of the East March

"This is incredible!" Renilde shakes the paper of colleges with excitement.

"Goodness, gracious! This is most excellent work, Anne; I cannot wait to see what we accomplish with these reforms. We'll be shaping the minds of the future!" The Archduchess latched onto the older woman's shoulder, and gave her an excited short of shake. "This is a nice change of pace from the stigma of traditional 'court'!"

"This is quite peculiar." Renilde pulled a fresh piece of parchment from a stack, and began penning a letter to her friend Eleanor.

"Ah, it is about time." Renilde cast a sorrowful simper in Mariana's direction, and touched her arm in a familiar way. 'I'm sorry it had to come to this, but we both know your darling girl will do a much better job of upholding the family name."

THE FIFTH ROUND TABLE

Issued and Confirmed by Her Grace, the Archduchess of the Petra, Renilde I 

13th of Owyn’s Flame, 1912

LO, unto the Petrans,

On this day, by order and approval of HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD, Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere, the Fifth Round Table has officially been formed. The new Chanzlé has been appointed to office to assist in the administration of the Commonwealth, and to counsel Her Grace. This Round Table swears to uphold the values and law of the Commonwealth and to endeavors to lead the Commonwealth to prosperity.

Let the Round Table Councilors be known to all who inhabit these thriving lands:
 

The Chanzlé of the Commonwealth: Sir Gerard Valcour @JamesTruwood

Maresc of the Petrine Regiment: Sir Laurens Halcourt @Chorale__

Régismont of the Commonwealth: Dame Emma Rhondon @Pompadour

Attachaunté of the Commonwealth: Sir Wolfgang de Vilain @Greehn

Bishop of the Commonwealth: Father Blackwater @Nectorist

The only seat left open on the Round Table is the Honne Chevaliyont (formerly 'knight paramount'), and that seat will be filled when the right candidate is found.

The Responsibilities of the Individual Round Table Councilors

The Chanzlé (formerly ‘chancellor’) will always:

-Maintain the confidence of the Archduchess

-Reserve the right to summon the Round Table Councilors 

-Attend matters of executive governance throughout the Commonwealth at the behest of the Archduchess.

-Hold regular sittings thereof for the gentry of Petra to discuss matters pertaining to governance and legislation as a collective body

The Maresc (formerly ‘marshal’) will always:

-Lead the Petran forces in the Archduchess’s name with integrity and honor

-Attend matters of dispute throughout the Petran realm to mediate and take proper legal action

-Raise a regiment of competent man/womanpower to protect the Commonwealth from all hostile forces

The Honne Chivaliyont (formerly ‘knight paramount’) will always:

-Defend the Commonwealth in the Archduchess’s name with integrity and honor
-Fear GOD and maintain His church

-Counsel the Archduchess and inform her government of changes within the knights’ realms

-To win glory and fame for the knightly orders on the field of battle

-Nominate knight-commanders to lead the three circles to prosperity

-Maintain the knightly orders through squiring only those worthy of becoming a knight of the Commonwealth

The Régismont (formerly ‘high steward’ combined with the roles of the ‘treasurer’) will always:

-Diligently collect the taxes from the Commonwealth’s taxpayers at the end of every Saint’s year

-Ethically report the monies taken in from said taxes, property sales, or trade deals on the behest of the Commonwealth

-Assemble a team of competent stewards and accountants to assist in city management

-Host the elections for city governmental positions

The Attachaunté (formerly ‘ambassador’) will always:

-Represent the Archduchess and her government with the utmost respect to foreign delegates 

-Assemble a team of competent Petran Délégines (delegates) to assist with large-scale meetings/summits in external nations/settlements

The Bishop will always:

-Provide pious guidance to the Archduchess and her council, to ensure that the standards of ethics in matters of conflicts are adhered to

-Represent the will of GOD within the Commonwealth with devout, pure intentions

-Perform religious sacraments for the people of the Petra in the form of mass, confession, weddings, baptism, etc.

O SAINTE RÈGNE PETRÉRE 

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD, 

Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere

The Relocation of the Prince’s Court

Issued and Confirmed by Her Grace, the Archduchess of the Petra, Renilde I 

18th of Sigismund’s End, 1911

TO OUR BELOVED SUBJECTS,

Let it be known henceforth that the court of the Prince of Sedan will be relocated to the Commonwealth of the Petra within the County of Garmont from this point on, a land whose boundaries are yet to be determined, yet lay north of the ruins of Mount Garmont. This decision was not made lightly, but certainly was made in the right conscience. As of late, Joannesport has been the host to many undesirable happenings; unwanted outside interference into our sovereign affairs, the attacks from the Roznians, and the looming threat of darkspawn. It is now that we must look to one another for support, and realize that in order to tame one threat, we must neutralize another. By pooling our resources together, and establishing a shared domain, we now seek to stabilize our entwined futures and live in harmony together.

With this announcement of our joined courts, I announce the retraction of Prince Fredrick I’s demands on the church, as a diocese led by a competent man of the cloth has been imposed in Petra, the clergy there being led by one Father Blackwater and all his wisdom. The Father has promised to make the Commonwealth’s clergy one of exemplary conduct and exceptional devotion to GOD’s will.

It will furthermore be known that, while Prince Frederick II, his family, and the members of his settlement will be invited to live in the Commonwealth and maintain their titles, they will be kept for ceremonious purposes and will not be able to be used to subvert power from the Archducal Throne of the Commonwealth of the Petra. However, in joining the Archduchess’s court, Prince Frederick II will be given a seat at the Round Table, it being the place where important decisions of the Commonwealth’s future are made.

 

O SAINTE RÈGNE PETRÉRE,

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD,
Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere

"Ought to meet these fellows..." The Archduchess of the Petra remarked on her nightly perusing of missives gathered by mail.

RENDEZVOUS BY THE RIVER

6th of Horen’s Calling, 1911

It is with great honor and pleasure that we announce the union of Her Grace, Archduchess Renilde I of Petra and His Highness, Prince Marius Audemar of Haense, the marriage taking place by the shore of the River Petra.. After the initial sacrament has taken place a feast shall be held within the town celebrating the union of the Archduchess and Archduke-Consort for their long lives and a fruitful marriage. 

Special Invitations Sent by Private Courier:

While the combined citizenry of the Commonwealth of the Petra and the Kingdom of Haense is wholly allowed and welcomed to attend, special invitations are extended to the following:

His Royal Majesty, Georg I, King of Hanseti and Ruska, and his noble pedigree

Her Highness, Princess Valyris Ibarellan of Celia’nor, and her citizenry

His Royal Majesty, Charles I, King of Aaun & Her Royal Majesty, Eleanor of Provins, Queen-consort of Aaun, and their noble pedigree, as well as citizenry

His Grace, Heinrik, Duke of Adria, and his noble pedigree

His Lordship, Wolfgang de Vilain, Baron of Acre & Her Ladyship, Anne de Vilain, Baroness-Consort of Acre, and their esteemed pedigree

Knight-Marshal, Ser Vlad of Haense

Additionally, any passerby with good intentions is welcome to attend the ceremony.

O SAINTE RÈGNE PETRÉRE

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD,
Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere

HIS HIGHNESS, Marius Audemar Barbanov-Bihar,

 Duke of Markev, Governor of the Silver Isle

NOBILITY AND TITLEAGE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PETRA

On the 6th of Sigismund's End, in the year Our Lord 1911
 

By the UNITY OF MIND of the GOVERNMENT in PETRA, serving always CHIVALRY, LIBERTY and JUSTICE, the ARCHDUCHESS does affirm this EDICT, delivered at MOUNT GARMONT

Concerning the NOBILITY and PETRAN TITLEAGE of the COMMONWEALTH of the PETRA

INTRODUCTION
 

As is our prerogative, we do lay forth in this proclamation direction regarding the Nobility, Titleage, and the granting of land in the Commonwealth. All matters concerning these should be laid within, but in any scenario orders from the Archducal authority can clarify or overrule such as needed. Some are new to the Commonwealth, well some are simply codified for the record.

THE MARCHES

The Marches of Petra are hereby established, and can be seen below in a rough form. The marches are a division of the land and nobility in Petra into geographical regions, overseen by a Warden. 

The Warden of each march is to be a landed noble appointed by the Archducal authority for each region, who must reside in that region or within the capital of Valfleur. Additionally, a Knight of the Realm may be appointed warden. During wartime they act as leaders of the militia in each region, rallying them and providing defense for the residents of the region. During an offensive effort, or by order of the Archducal authority, they would be subordinated to the Marshal. During peacetime, their duties are more subdued, as they are only responsible for maintaining the region’s armory and supply storage, as well as helping to organize or promote festivals and other such events for the region.

TITLES OF NOBILITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Nobility in Petra is granted by writ of the Archducal authority, and can be revoked by another writ by that same authority. Nobility is also inherited by default through Rosemoore-style succession if the holder of that title should pass, with the eldest child inheriting. Special dispensation regarding succession rules may be set for individual Houses pending approval from the Archducal throne. In the case of a succession crisis, a council of all existing Wardens will hear out the cases of the claimants.

The Nobility are granted the privilege of a trial by peer if accused of a crime, the privilege of being announced at formal Petran events by title, and the granting of an estate to be the established seat for their title. During times of peace they also have the privilege of private audiences with the Archduchess or the Chanzlé. The titles of nobility in Petra can be seen below.

Vavasour/Vidame: Given in recognition of noble lineage, and is unable to be inherited. 

Baron/Baroness: The most common form of nobility in the Commonwealth.

Count/Countess: The highest inheritable title outside of Archduke/Archduchess, in recognition of great effort and history in the Commonwealth.

Margrave/Marquis: Granted only to the Wardens of the Marches, and is not a title passed down by inheritance. Recognition of the Warden’s authority and efforts.

Archduches/Archduke: The leader of the Commonwealth, first and foremost among the peerage of the realm. 

Honorifics & Terms of Address

When addressing a knight or announcing them, the title of Sir or Dame should precede their name, suffixed by an epitaph should one have been given at the time of their knighting.

Nobles should be addressed by Lord/Lady (name), or My Lord/My Lady where appropriate. When announcing, they should be announced by their Name, then their full title. For example: Lady Alise, the Countess of Fairdame.

When addressing the Archduchess orGrand Count, address them by ‘Your Grace’. Announcing should be done as is for nobles.

KNIGHTHOOD IN PETRA
 

Knighthood in Petra is awarded for meritorious action, and is socially equal to Barons in the Commonwealth. Knighthood is not inheritable, but offers more honor and ability to help govern the Commonwealth and move up internally through membership of the Round Table.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE
 

When proceeding into a formal event within the Commonwealth, please see the precedence below for the order in which those should enter and be announced. If foreign royalty should visit or be in attendance, they should be announced after the Archduchess/Archduke, and before all others.

The reigning Archduchess/Archduke and her/his consort;

Children and other direct family of the Archduchess/Archduke;

The Margraves of the Commonwealth;

Knights of the Commonwealth in attendance;

Counts of the Commonwealth;

Barons and Vavasours/Vidames of the Commonwealth;

Members of Council;

Foreign Dignitaries;

LAND IN PETRA
 

Land in Petra is given through writ by the Archducal authority, inherited by standards established through nobility or writ, or bought as appropriate and available. An estate or hold is home to each title of nobility, but outside this specific bond, there are no prerequisites. Fiefs may also be granted to distinguished knights of the Petrine Order on an individual basis, though they are not to be automatically hereditary. The best way to approach if in search of land would be to attend court and petition.

Petra, Flowing Water! Ave! Ave!

HER GRACE, Renilde I, By the Grace of GOD,

Archduchess of the Petra, Countess of Temesch and Moere