Lasanar/Constitution

The Constitution of Lasanar

---

This document is presently a work-in-progress and is not fully applicable to Lasanar until the Grand Council has completed revisions and voted on it.

The Grand Coucnil of Lasanar

Lasanar is ruled by the Grand Council, which is made up of four ministers (two elected and two appointed) and the five Dukes of the realm. No noble shall hold more than one title of ministry, though it is permissable for a noble to hold both a landed title (i.e. Duke/Count/Baron) and a ministry position.

Matters Before the Council

Bringing a matter to a vote requires that a motion be raised by one councillor and then seconded by another; a vote must then be completed within 72 hours. Any councillor not voting shall be considered to have abstained. Each councillor receives a single vote, regardless of whether they hold one or two positions on the council. In most cases, a simple majority settles any vote. In the instance of a tie, the Prime Minister shall determine the result and is not permitted to abstain.

Certain matters fall under the jurisdiction of individual Ministers or Dukes and do not require council votes; these are outlined in Sections 2 and 3.

Other matters may concern the whole council but still largely be under the jurisdiction of a single minister or Duke. These may be brought to a vote without being seconded.

The Prime Minister may bring any matter to a vote without requiring a second.

Jurisdiction of the Ministers

As a matter of course, Minsiters are empowered to manage the responsiblites of their office without requiring the support of the Council. The Grand Justiciar may dispense sentencing; the Minsiter of Defense may re-organize the military; the Minsiter of Finance may alter food distribution or taxes all without a vote. The council may later reverse any of these actions with the support of the Prime Minister and a majority vote.

The Positions of the Council, Elected and Appointed, and the Requirements of Office

Ministry positions are as follows:

===Office of the Prime Minister (Elected -- "Your Excellency")=== Lasanar's head of state. Empowered to conduct foreign negotiations on behalf of Lasanar and given certain executive privileges over council procedure.

===Office of the Grand Justiciar (Elected -- "Your Honor")=== The judicial arm of the Grand Council, the Grand Justiciar is responsible for enforcing the Laws of Lasanar and maintaining protocol and procedure on the Grand Council as they are laid out in the Constiuttion. The Grand Justiciar is charged with the correction of disobedient troop leaders, the sentencing of captured foreign nobles, and the oversight of the Homeland Security Force, which is in turn charged with region maintenance.

===Office of the Minister of Defense (Appointed -- "Your Lordship")=== Commander-in-chief of the armies of Lasanar. Develops long-term strategic military policy based on the foreign relations policies dictated by the council. The Minister of Defense is directly responsible for all free nobles. Coordinates military planning with the Marshals of the realm.

===Office of the Minister of Finance (Appointed -- "Your Lordship")=== Charged with the oversight of realm taxes, food distribution, and trade. Coordinates with region lords to assist in their management of local taxes.

The Hierarchy of Lasanar: The Dukes, their Jurisdictions and Duties

Lasanar consists of several Duchies, federated into a single union, or Republic. While the Ministry Offices oversee the various Federal aspects of governing Lasanar, the Dukes are the highest Feudal titles in the land. Within the borders of each Duchy, the Duke is almost as a King; only a majority vote of the Council can set aside the command of a Duke.

Appointment and Duties of the Duke

The Prime Minister may nominate any noble for elevation to the position of Duke. A simple majority vote is required to confirm a candidate. Any councillor may recommend a noble to the Prime Minister, but only the Prime Minister can make a nomination.

Dukes must oversee the appointment of region lords and marshals (below) and are responsible for everything that goes on in their Duchy. They are also required to participate in matters before the Grand Council.

Removal of a Duke

A motion to remove a Duke may be put forth by the Prime Minister and confirmed by a majority vote of the council. The Duke in question is excused from the vote.

Appointment and Duties of Barons, Counts, and Marquis

A Duke may nominate any noble to be a region lord within his Duchy, but the appointment must be confirmed by the council. The council may recommend any noble to the Duke for consideration, but only the Duke may put a nomination before the council.

Region lords are responsible for maintaining the health and happiness of everyone within their region. They may request assistance from the Homeland Security Force for bureaucratic support. They are required to coordinate with their Dukes regarding taxes, construction and maintenance of recruitment centers, and militia.

Removal of a Region Lord

A motion to remove a region lord may be put forth by the Prime Minister and confirmed by a majority vote of the Council. A Duke may remove his own region lords at any time.

Appointment and Duties of the Marshal

A Duke may appoint whatever Marshal he pleases, though historically the Dukes consult the council beforehand as a matter of courtesy.

Once appointed, the Marshal is subject to the Minister of Defense as well as his own liege.

Removal of a Marshal

A motion to remove a Marshal may be put forth by the Minister of Defense and confirmed by a majority vote of the council. A Duke may remove his own Marshal at any time.

The Armies of Lasanar

Lasanar's armies are organized by Duchy and coordinated by the marshal of the Duchy. The Minister of Defense oversees all military action and organization. In times of peace, the Duke may act as the Commander-in-Chief of his own army. In times of war, that power is given to the Minister of Defense. Each Duke is obligated to place the entirety of his army at the service of the Minister of Defense until the realm is no longer at war.

Laws of Lasanar

Law of Application

It is the right of any Lasanarian to apply for any available position in the realm, no matter their current liege or status. No penalty or reprimand shall befall any knight expressing an interest in any appointed position, and the Council shall, on request, make clear their desires for the requirements of any available position.

Prohibition of Looting

No Lasanarian is ever to loot, rape, or pillage any lands of the Far East, whether inside Lasanar's borders or not. Doing so is a severe violation not only of the law, but also of the principles upon which Lasanar was founded. Nobles violating this law are subject to fine and possible banishment.

Dueling

Dueling until surrender is legal in Lasanar. Dueling to the death, whether with a local or foreign noble, is highly discouraged, though whether or not it is permissable is ultimately up to a noble's liege lord (who may request that the Justiciar punish the offending noble).

Lasanar Code of Conduct

Lasanar encourages free and constructive speech, but this is not the same as free license to say whatever you wish. All nobles are required to be courteous to one another; being rude or insulting to a fellow noble may be grounds for a fine, at the discretion of the Grand Justiciar. Any noble is free to disagree with the council and protest their decisions without fear of reprisal, but be careful of the manner in which you do so.

OOC Issues

Activity and Notification

It is the inalienable right of all BM players not to be concerned that inconsistent activity will result in some form of punishment. As such, Lasanar has many positions and duties available for people of all levels of activity. If you commit to a position that requires a high degree of activity (such as Minister or Duke) and fail to carry out your responsibilities, you may be asked to surrender that position.

If you know you are going to be unavailable for any length of time, we ask that you notify your liege lord and the council OOCly. We all have real lives that are more important than BM and want to work with your schedule rather than against it!

OOC Disputes, Arguments, and Discussions

Lasanar is not the place to have OOC arguments. If you have an OOC question or comment that is relevant to what is going on, feel free to make it, but we try to keep the infamous 'gray background' messages to a minimum as we are focused on being a roleplaying realm. If you have an OOC complaint or dispute, under no circumstances should you bring it before the entire realm. Take it up with our Prime Minister or the Titans -- those are the only two groups empowered to do anything about OOC issues. Being OOCly abusive or insulting in-game will get you in hot water with one or both of them. Please do everything you can to keep a sporting attitude, both with your fellow Lasanarian players, but (even more importantly) with other realms' players.

Names

We do ask that new players use feasible Medieval names or nicknames. If you aren't sure if your name is appropriate, ask on your first day and we will be happy to help.