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Abermore Laws

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♚ THE ABERMORE LAWS ♚

♚ Laws of Royalty ♚

The Monarch
The Monarch is to be granted the title of King or Queen, whichever is appropriate for the Monarch’s gender. The Monarch is the head of the Royal Family and the head of Nobility. It is from the Monarch that all other Noble titles and fiefdoms originate, for it is the Monarch who owns legal title to all lands of the Kingdom of Abermore except those granted by Royal Edict, and it is the power of the Monarch to distribute legal and equitable title of said lands.

The Monarch is also the head of the Nobility. He or she is to be considered to be the highest ranking in nobility within the kingdom. The Monarch’s own set of rules and laws for his lands are considered default for all Lords, Ladies, Barons, and Gentry.

The Monarch’s Consort

The Consort of the Monarch shall be granted title of King or Queen, whichever is appropriate for the consort’s gender.

The Consort of the Monarch is entitled to the position of Confidant, which means that the consort shall have the full faith of the Monarch to make general decisions on the Monarch’s behalf. This means that the Confidant may issue Royal Mandates of any order, but are revocable by the Monarch upon showing the Confidant’s actions were not in the legitimate interests of the Kingdom. If the Monarch is unmarried, the Monarch shall nominate three candidates, and the Council of Lords shall elect one by majority vote. If no majority is obtained, the candidate with the least number of votes shall be dropped and the election shall be recommenced.

Lineal Descendants
Lineal descendants of at least one of the Monarch or the Monarch’s Consort shall be the only other members of the Royal Family who hold official title. Male descendants shall be called Princes, and female descendants shall be called Princesses. The descendant’s consorts shall have their appropriate honorary title, but are not eligible for succession by right of marriage.

Other Members of the Royal Family
Members of the royal family who are not the Monarch, the Consort of the Monarch, or a lineal descendant of at least one of the aforementioned do not hold title solely by being members of the royal family. They and their Spouses do, however, hold appropriate honorary title.

Line of Succession
A ledger for the line of succession shall be maintained, with the order determined by a ranking procedure. It is important to note that while the throne shall pass to an individual in the first category as well as the Consort without pause, a simple majority vote of the Council of Lords is needed to confirm the ascension of an individual who is not the Consort of the Monarch who falls into the second category, or who falls into either the third or fourth category. It is the intention that the vote be “ceremonial” in nature, but the Council of Lords may deviate if so desired.
  1. The ledger shall first record and rank the lineal descendants of the Monarch by legitimacy of sanguinity, by generation, and then by age. All fully legitimate children of the Monarch and his current Consort, regardless of generation or age, shall be ranked higher than children of the Monarch born by prior marriage or out of wedlock. After legitimacy is determined, lineal descendants are to be ranked generationally, such that the Monarch’s children are a higher rank than grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Finally, within each generation, the descendants are to be ranked by age from eldest to youngest. A child who is younger than a grandchild is still considered closer to the throne than the elder grandchild.
  2. After the order of the Monarch’s lineal descendants have been determined, the ledger shall next list the Consort of the Monarch, followed by the Consort’s lineal descendants not sharing the blood of the Monarch. The order in which the ledger records said lineal descendants (who do not share blood with the Monarch) shall be determined first by generation, followed by age. Lineal descendants are to be first ranked generationally, such that the Consort’s children are a higher rank than grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Finally, within each generation, the descendants are to be ranked by age from eldest to youngest. A child who is younger than a grandchild is still considered closer to the throne than the elder grandchild.
  3. The ledger shall next consider the collateral relatives of the Monarch, who are blood related but not lineal descendants. The order of which shall be determined by the degrees of kindredship, followed by generation and age. Parents shall be related in the first degree, followed by grandparents (2nd degree) and great-grandparents (3rd degree) and so on and so forth. Members of higher degrees shall have higher claim to the throne compared to members of lower degrees. Within each degree, the ranking will continue by generation, such that those descendants closer to the degree-establishing generation shall have higher rank than those of generations further. Within each generation, the ledger shall rank members by age, from eldest to youngest.
  4. Following the members and spouses of the Royal family are the Nobility of the of the Kingdom who hold actual, and not honorary, title through Patent of Nobility. Within Nobility, the Lords and Ladies shall inherit the throne before the Barons and Baronesses. Within each level of nobility, rank shall be determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to age of Patent, political influence, wealth and land holdings, and reputation.
♚ Royal Mandates ♚

Patents of Nobility
The Monarch shall have the power to issue Patents of Nobility to any citizen of the Kingdom of Abermore for acts committed in furtherance of the interests of the Kingdom. Likewise, the Monarch shall issue Patents of Nobility to any Gentry who meets the default requirements of Nobility. In both instances, no Patents may be issued without the subject of the Patent swearing fealty to the Monarch and to the Kingdom of Abermore. Nothing more than fealty is required, though the Monarch may ask for additional reasonable terms.

A Patent of Nobility grants Noble Title to the subject of the Patent. It is proof of Nobility, and a copy of said Patent shall be kept in the Archives maintained by the Church of Abermore. A Patent of Nobility is in fee simple, and thus is heritable. If there is no heir, the title escheats back to the possession of the Monarchy. Any Monarch, including subsequent Monarchs, may revoke a Patent of Nobility if the subject or subsequent legitimate bearer of the Patent is found guilty of a High crime against the Kingdom.

Royal Charters
The Monarch shall have the power to issue Royal Charters to any Gentry or organization. Said Charters shall grant the bearer the right to found an organization, or equitable title of property, meaning right of possession of lands in the Kingdom of Abermore. Title is heritable and transferable, so long as the new possessor qualifies. If not, the land escheats to the Kingdom of Abermore. Legal title remains in ownership of the Monarch, though his power to enforce legal title is limited. No Charters may be issued without the subject of the Patent swearing fealty to the Monarch and to the Kingdom of Abermore. Nothing more than fealty is required, though the Monarch may ask for additional reasonable terms. Any Monarch, including subsequent Monarchs, may revoke a Charter if the subject or subsequent legitimate bearer of the Charter is found guilty of a High crime against the Kingdom.

Royal Edicts
The Monarch may issue Royal Edicts, which shall grant full legal and equitable title to the bearer, thereby granting right of ownership and possession in fee simple. The Monarch may only issue Royal Edicts to the High Priest of the Church of Abermore or to the Governor of the Capital city. Copies of Royal Edicts shall be kept in the Archives of the Church of Abermore. Royal Edicts cannot be revoked. It is important to note that the Monarch may not forcibly take back any lands given in fee simple.

Royal Decrees
The Monarch may issue Royal Decrees, which shall be statements or revisions of laws entirely within the scope of the Monarchy. Copies shall be kept in the Archives of the High Church of Abermore. Any Monarch, including subsequent Monarchs, may revoke a Royal Decree if the subject or subsequent legitimate bearer of the Decree is found guilty of a High crime against the Kingdom.

♚ Laws of Nobility♚

Lords and Vassals
The position of Lordship or Vassal may be bestowed by the Monarch to a Baron for acts committed in furtherance of the interests of the Kingdom. Should the Monarch wish to grant such title, the Crown Council must approve. Likewise, the position of Lord or Vassal shall be bestowed upon Barons who swear fealty to the Kingdom and possess land or radiant assets worth at least 250,000 radiants in furtherance of the Gentry requirement of 50,000 radiants (If you are warden in prestige, it counts, but we’ve added another way). Family members of Lord or Vassals hold honorary title. If a Lord or Vassal loses his house/wealth/needed knowledge or experience he is to lose title; his presumptive heirs lose their potential interest as well. If a Lord or Vassal dies with an heir, said heir must swear fealty to the Kingdom before inheriting land and title. If a Lord or Vassal dies without an heir, the position is lost. Lord or Vassals do not enjoy immunity.

A Lord or Vassal proves his title by showing a Patent of Nobility, which he obtains from the Monarch. A Lord or Vassal shall acquire his landholdings via a Charter from the Monarch. Said landholdings are called Fiefs. Lord or Vassals are also eligible to own private Estates in the Capital; said right is also obtained through Charter.

All Lords and Ladies, or Vassals, who hold actual and not honorary title are eligible to join the Council of Lords, which shall meet as necessary to carry out old and new business as indicated in the writings on the Government of Abermore.

Barons
Barons shall be below the Lords and Ladies and Vassals of Abermore. The position of Baron may be bestowed by the Monarch to any citizen for acts committed in furtherance of the interests of the Kingdom. This must be approved by the Crown Council. Likewise, the position of Baron shall be bestowed upon all citizens who swear fealty to the Kingdom and possess land or radiant assets worth at least 125,000 radiants in furtherance of the Gentry requirement of 50,000 radiants (note the difference from prestige nobility to ours; in prestige you just have to own 1 plot, but for us you have to either have 125k worth of rads or plots). Family members of Barons hold honorary title.

If a Baron loses his house/wealth/needed knowledge or experience he is to lose title; his presumptive heirs lose their potential interest as well.If a Baron dies with an heir, said heir must swear fealty to the Kingdom before inheriting land and title. If a Baron dies without an heir, the position is lost. Barons do not enjoy immunity.

Barons participate in yearly Governor elections.

A Baron proves his title by showing a Patent of Nobility, which he obtains from the Monarch. A Baron shall acquire his landholdings via a Charter from the Monarch. Said a landholding is called a Barony. Barons are also eligible to own private noble houses in the Capital; said right is also obtained through Charter.

♚ Laws of Citizenry♚

Gentry
The Gentry class consist of Knights, priests, those who possess “honorary” noble title, and other landless but well-to-do commoners such as merchants, artisans, et cetera. The position of Gentry may be bestowed by the Monarch to any citizen for acts committed in furtherance of the interests of the Kingdom. Likewise, the position of Gentry shall be bestowed upon all citizens who swear fealty to the Kingdom and possess radiant assets worth at least 50,000 radiants (purchase Gentry from the prestige plugin). Family members of Gentry hold no honorary title and must specifically be bestowed the title of Gentry as aforementioned to join the Gentry class.

If a Gentry loses his wealth/needed knowledge or experience he is to lose title; his presumptive heirs lose their potential interest as well. If a noble dies with an heir, said heir must swear fealty to the Kingdom before inheriting title. If a Gentry dies without an heir, the position is lost. Gentry do not enjoy immunity. Gentry participate in yearly Governor elections. Gentry are not eligible to possess land outside of the Capital unless specifically granted by the Church of Abermore.

Commoners
Commoners are not nobility; they possess no land and no Noble title. They may possess limited property in the capital and outlying fiefdoms and baronies. Commoners do not enjoy immunity. Commoners participate in yearly Governor elections and may serve as Advisors or even Governor.

♚ Laws of Fealty ♚

To obtain Patents of Nobility or to be granted a Charter, a citizen of the Kingdom of Abermore must swear fealty to the Monarch and to the Kingdom. Fealty means undying loyalty; breaking an oath of fealty is considered a High crime against the Kingdom. In addition to fealty, the Monarch is entitled to require reasonable conditions, such as but not limited to military service, radiant or goods in advance or through taxation, participation in the court of the Monarch, and such.

In some cases, the Monarch may deem it necessary to hold a ceremonial Oath of Fealty, in which the citizen swearing fealty must utter the following:

“I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the Kingdom of Abermore, never cause the Kingdom harm and will observe my homage to the Kingdom completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.”

♚ Laws of Fiefdoms and Baronies ♚

Authority of Nobles Inside Own Land
The subject who possesses title to the Fief or Barony shall have ultimate authority on laws not covered by the founding documents of the Kingdom of Abermore or by subsequent Royal Mandate. As such, the laws in the founding documents and in Royal Mandates take precedent; a title-holder may make laws that do not conflict with said laws and may make laws that cover areas that the founding documents and the Royal Mandates do not cover. If the founding documents are amended or Royal Mandate issued that conflict with a law of a fiefdom or barony, the law of the founding document or royal mandate still supercedes.

Authority of Nobles Outside Own Land
All nobles enjoy some sort of recognition outside their own lands, however they hold no power outside lands they do not own or control. And, there is no legal obligation to treat them any differently from a non-noble citizen. When breaking the rules and committing crimes they ought to be treated the same as the rest of the citizens.

♚ Laws of the Capital ♚

Royal Edict
By Royal Edict, the Monarch hereby relinquishes any legitimate claim to all present and future lands and their improvements in the Capital, except for the palace and the palace gardens and any lands required and reserved for the Church of Abermore. This Edict is consistent with an order of the Crown Council, declaring the Governor’s office equitable title holder of said lands. The Governor’s office holds equitable title to these lands. The Monarch’s office retains legal title to the land and retains legal and equitable title of the Palace and its gardens. It is important to note that the Monarch may not forcibly take back any lands given in fee simple.

The Governor’s job is to facilitate and maintain the Capital, including conducting its day to day business. The Governor must be elected once a year, and serves as the Head of the Commons.

  • The Governor is to ensure that the infrastructures of the capital are running smoothly as well as make defensive decisions for the capital. The Governor is expected to retain the services of a civic engineer, the Master of Architecture, to facilitate that responsibility.
  • The Capital is to be regulated by a city watch. The Master of Defense is to ensure a proper building and resources to the city watch. The city watch would report to the Master of Defense directly.
  • The city watch may arrest people who are suspected of a crime, stop riots and defend the common citizens from robbers, murderers and thieves. They are allowed to use deadly force if needed but preferred not to. The City watch are generally immune to all crimes but High crimes against the Kingdom of Abermore which were committed in their line of duty.
  • The Governor maintains the finances of the Kingdom of Abermore and is expected to retain the services of an advisor, the Master of Coffers, to facilitate that responsibility.
  • The Governor may subdivide and sell or lease subdivisions of the Capital to any Alteran. Some areas of the city shall be respectively reserved for diplomats, Gentry, Barons, or Lords.
  • The Governor may issue the laws of the Capital, so long as they aligned with his authorities and do not conflict with the other Head’s authorities.
♚ Laws of Faith♚

Royal Charter Establishing the Church of Abermore
By Royal Charter, the Monarch hereby recognizes the Church of Abermore as the one true and legitimate church of the Kingdom of Abermore.

Laws of the Church of Abermore
The Church of Abermore follows the pantheon, and shall be led by the High Priest.

The High Priest is the authority of the faith in the Kingdom. The High Priest’s position is granted by the main church of the Kingdom. Once a year, the church will join together to celebrate the gods, yet a shift of power is unlikely unless the High Priest dies. However, once a year, there would be a chance to all of those who question his ruling to speak up.

The Church of the Kingdom shall respect all gods of the pantheon, and as such the High Priest shall also have the power to designate priests for each of the gods.The High Priest should be dedicated to balancing the many divinities, as the Kingdom of Abermore believes in the need of equal worship to all the divinities. Its citizens are free to choose any or all of the deities for primary worship.

The High Priest ponders on the divine decrees given by the divinities and decides which decrees of the gods can be followed to allow a normal and balanced life. However, the Divine Law is still to be followed as given.

The High Priest has the responsibility to name a Lord Justice, who shall investigate and bring to trial at the royal court those who break any laws in the Kingdom of Abermore, including the laws of the divines. In that case, the Lord of Justice shall serve as Judge, and the High Priest shall serve as the appellate authority. The Lord Justice is the highest legal authority in the land, aside from the High Priest and the Crown Council. The Lord Justice is in charge of maintaining and publishing the laws of the land, administering fair and swift legal justice, and advising the Heads on legal matters. The High Priest may overrule the Lord Justice, and the other two Heads must both vote against the High Priest to overrule his decision.

Justice
In general, the Lord Justice’s decisions shall make up what is known as the “Common Law”, which shall be used as precedent in further decision making until superseded by Royal Mandate or by a decision of the High Priest or Crown Council.

Archives
The Church of Abermore shall further have the responsibility for maintaining the Archives, which shall be the source of knowledge and laws in the Kingdom. As such, the High Priest should name a Master of Scrolls. The Master of Scrolls is the highest scholarly authority in the land. The Master is in charge of maintaining an archival record, advancing the academic interests of the Kingdom, and advising the Heads on historical and academic knowledge.

Royal Edict Granting Lands to the Church of Abermore
By Royal Edict, the Monarch hereby relinquishes any legitimate claim of lands and materials required to construct and maintain the Church of Abermore, including legal, academic, and cultural institutions. The Monarchy hereby recognizes the office of High Priest as legal and equitable title holder to said lands.

Modified Reawakening Doctrine and Inheritance
The Kingdom of Abermore, believing that mind and body have but one life, does not recognize the legitimacy of resurrection. A resurrected citizen shall be treated as a person separate from the decedent. As such, claim to any noble or leadership position, including to the Throne of the Kingdom of Abermore, shall pass upon death of the subject holding said claim. Resurrected citizens will have to work their way back up to nobility. These rules apply only to nobility. (OOC Note: A death that one doesn’t consent to, or a death that the cause of unrealistic or lame circumstances won’t count. Said death would probably be retconned anyway, and any retconned deaths do not count. One is not required to consent, but should be a good sport when agreeing to realistic things like overthrown attempts, dangerous rp, et cetera.)

After a noble’s passing or denouncement of titles the first born child of the noble is by default the noble heir. The noble may declare another person as his heir without regard to any family relations or history, but must receive the blessing of the Church of Abermore.

In the event of having no children the spouse will stand as heir. If the noble had no spouse the lands would be transferred to the next of kin of the noble, as established by common law. In case that the noble has no next of kin, the lands would be escheated back to the possession of the Monarch, the Governor, or the High Priest


♚ Laws of Real Property ♚
All of the land not subject to Royal Edict or Royal Charter shall belong to and be managed by the office of the Monarch, which in turn means it is collectively owned and managed by the Crown Council.

A Noble or Gentry wanting to purchase lands outside the Capital, a fiefdom, or a Barony, may do so. All negotiations are to be done with the Monarch, and Fealty is required. The Monarch may refuse to sell land to a noble. The noble may contest his decision and demand audience with the three heads who will vote on the matter. The Council may overturn a Monarch’s decision on a transaction of real property.

A citizen wanting to purchase a property otherwise located within the borders of an already established Fiefdom, Barony, or the Capital, must receive title to said property from title-holder. For lands not previously sold, the title-holder is the highest respective authority of the Barony (the Baron), Fiefdom (the Lord), or the Capital (the Governor). For lands that have been previously sold ,the title would belong to the current owner. The title of the citizen may be determinative as to whether the citizen is allowed to hold a title of property.


♚ Laws of Personal Property ♚

Any citizen is entitled to purchase and own any property they would like to trade with as long as they meet the requirements (fealty, rank).

The following may not be considered property and cannot be sold, bought or exchanged:

  • Any intelligent races and subraces (Included but not limited to: Humans, elves, dwarves, Earthspawns, Greylings, Halflings, Capariis, and Nakams)
  • Natural elements (Rivers, mountains, skies)
  • Forced labor
  • Divine powers and abilities
  • Magic and all its forms
♚ Laws on Seizure of Property♚

The Abermore Government may seize property from any citizen under the following circumstances:
  • Investigating a crime- Can only be done with a warrant from Lord Justice and executed by officials from the kingdom. The property is to be returned once the investigation is complete, either to the person or the next of kin according to the inheritance laws.
  • State of emergency- During a state of emergency, a member of the Crown Council may seize any property it needs to keep the people of the kingdom safe.
  • Default- If the owner of a property is no longer able to pay his creditors, the Lord Justice may seize the owner’s property and use it to pay off the owner’s debts. If the debts are not satisfied, the former owner may be forced to go to debtor’s prison.
  • (Inactivity- If a player goes inactive for five months without activity, said player’s property will be repossessed, but items/materials will be stored. If a player goes inactive for an additional month (6 months total) then the items/materials will also be repossessed.)
♚ Laws of Procedure ♚

Each citizen of the Kingdom is entitled to due process and to a fair hearing, including the right of appeal.

Jurisdiction
  • Capital Jurisdiction- The Capital shall have local jurisdiction over all acts committed in the Capital, violation of all laws common, enacted by the Governor, or enacted by Royal Mandate or the divine law. In such cases the Lord Justice presides over any proceeding.
  • Local Jurisdiction- If the crime is committed outside the Capital and does not pertain to a Royal Mandate or laws common, then the closest court in proximity to the scene of the crime, shall have local jurisdiction. A local trial is conducted at the place that has local jurisdiction. The trial is held and judged by the authority of the local Noble (Lord, Vassal, or Baron), who may have their own appointees working as judges. Even in a local trial all participants ought to obey the rules of the kingdom and the fair conduct of the trial. A local lord is to send detailed protocols of the trial to the office of the Lord Justice. The Lord Justice would review the protocol and the judgment given. The Lord Justice may decide to nullify the trial and overturn the judgment if he finds the ruling and the conduct of the trial unfair and hold a royal trial instead.
  • Appellate Jurisdiction- The decision of any court of law in a local jurisdiction shall be appealable to the Lord Justice, or if the Lord Justice has already heard the case, to the High Priest. The appellate decision shall be based on the facts established and will not be a full new trial unless bias is suspected.
  • Supreme Jurisdiction- In extreme circumstances, the Crown Council shall have Supreme Jurisdiction to overrule the Judgment of the High Priest. To do so, both the Governor and the Monarch must agree.
♚ Laws of the Crown Council ♚

The Crown Council shall consist of the Monarch, the High Priest, and the Governor. Collectively, they shall be known as governing rulers of the Kingdom of Abermore. This document, and the document recording the structure of the government of Abermore, divides the governing responsibilities between the three Heads, thereby separating powers. Because they rule collectively, however, the Crown Council united governs the laws, land, and coffers of this Kingdom.

To ensure that the management of the Kingdom does not fall on the whims of any one individual, any decision that a Head makes about an issue that falls within the scope of his responsibility can be vetoed by an agreement of the other two Heads at an official Crown Council meeting. Further powers have been delegated to the Council of Lords and to the Nobility and Citizenry at large to ensure that the government of the Kingdom of Abermore does not become overcome by the tyranny of corruption, greed, or evil.

Furthermore, the Council is expected meet and rule on issues that fall outside the scope of any one Head’s responsibilities. A 2-1 or 3-0 vote will carry a vote.

(Written by Antilogy, Mryosi, and AdmiralAegir)
 
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