Silnaria/Constitution

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The contents of this page are not readily available to everyone, either because it is sensitive or because it is rare or otherwise little known knowledge. It is here for the purpose of archiving or making it more accessible to a certain audience, and this should be kept in mind while reading the contents of this page and all it's subpages.
In short, the contents of this page are to be considered OOC knowledge, except for characters who are nobles of Silnaria.

Article I - Sovereignty

Coria's Senate passes unto the Monarch of Silnaria its sovereignty over Coria in all matters, and through such, transfers to the State of Silnaria any standing diplomatic relations, territorial holdings and claims, rights, privileges, duties, including all right to any corian titles and demonyms, held by the State of Coria. This shall be reflected in that every Monarch of Silnaria shall also be titled as Duke of Coria. As final Consul of the Senate, Ravendon Eirikr is designated sole right to the honorific title Consul, to be used at his discretion.

Article II - Realm Council Governance

Section 1 - Council Selection

The Monarch shall be elected once with a single vote by all nobles. The General shall be appointed by the Monarch, from a list of nobles previously ratified by the Parliament as capable of general military command. The High Justice shall be appointed by the Monarch, with an advisory council of Silnarian Royalty. The Royal Spymaster shall be appointed by the Monarch's discretion alone.

Section 2 - Monarch's Duties

The Monarch embodies Coria's Senate and is the sole sovereign of the realm, with respect and deference given to fellow silnarian royalty. All orders and edicts of the Monarch are as absolute law as those of the Senate were, the only exceptions being those matters specified within this constitution. As the sovereign of the State of Silnaria, the Monarch is responsible for the wise stewarding of silnaria and internationally responsible for the actions thereof. It is the Monarch's preference in which duties they fulfill themselves or delegate unto others and as such, will transition from one Monarch to another. The Monarch is expected to issue a monthly report as to the diplomatic status with each recognized atamaran realm; refusal to do such is considered highly disrespectful.

Section 3 - General's Duties

  • Creation of strategic war plans issued to the War Council.
  • Coordination between marshals.
  • Sharing of contact details and communications from foreign generals and marshals with the War Council.
  • Tutoring the War Council on tactics.
  • Military infrastructure maintenance and improvement.
  • The Monarch may place additional requirements from the General at the Monarch's preference.

Section 4 - High Justice's Duties

  • Enforcing the law of the Monarch upon all levels of society, except for the silnarian royals. Royals are not exempt from the law, merely the judge's enforcement.
  • Maintaining an updated list of Parliament-ratified General candidates in their judicial bulletin.
  • Maintaining an updated list of nobles sanctioned from the Parliament and a short summary of the sanction and date.
  • Reserves the sole right to create a referendum of no confidence upon the Monarch, to be voted upon by the whole realm. If the referendum passes with a 50% majority of all nobility, it is expected thethat Monarch abdicate the throne.
  • The Monarch may place additional requirements from the High Justice at the Monarch's preference.

Section 5 - Royal Spymaster's Duties

The Royal Spymaster is excused from any duties, though not prohibited, in matters of finance or food, but serves at the Monarch's will with duties privately designated.

Article III - Silnarian Parliament

Section 1 - Role and Membership

The Silnarian Parliament shall advise the Monarch of any matters, both of their own preference and at the Monarch's request. Advice by a member is considered the member's advice alone, but a successful Parliamentary vote shall be accorded respect equal to a silnarian duke. No Parliament vote is binding as sovereign legislation beyond those rights specified in this constitution. The Silnarian Parliament shall consist of all landed nobles, all members of the War Council, all members of the realm council, and all Royals. Former lords, if they haven't abdicated or left the realm since their lordship, are included as landed nobles. Only Parliament sanctions may exclude someone from the Parliament.

Section 2 - Rights

  • A member may nominate a noble as competent in general military command. A simple 50% majority vote may add, or remove, a noble from inclusion in the list of candidates for General. This list is not restricted to any number, is to be reflective of the Parliament's confidence of one's general military command, and thus may be altered at any time. The judge is to maintain the list in their judicial bulletin. All nobles on the list have a right to sit on the War Council, if they want. This right is voided if one of the following is true.
    • The Monarch wishes them not to sit on the War Council.
    • The General wishes them not to sit on the War Council.
    • A 50% majority of the marshals wishes them not to sit on the War Council.
  • A simple 50% majority may compel the General or High Justice to issue a report. The Parliament may specify both the contents of the report, as well as the recipients, such as realm council, Parliament, entire realm, or designated individuals.
  • A 2/3rds majority vote may pass a resolution stating the Parliament's position on an issue, an official recommendation, or other text as having the Parliament's support. Such resolutions are to be especially accorded as equal to advice given by a silnarian duke with additional respect and consideration by the Monarch. The Monarch is not required to respond to such resolutions, but refusal to respond in a timely manner is considered highly disrespectful.
  • A 2/3rds majority vote may compel the High Justice to issue a ban upon a noble.
  • A 75% majority vote, of all sitting members, may alter the constitution. This is the sole vote where the vote total counts from all those within the Parliament and not all those participating in the vote.
  • The Parliament may sanction a member for exclusion from the Parliament, without revoking their lordly titles, with a 2/3rds majority vote. A 2/3rds majority vote is required for re-inclusion as a member.

Section 3 - Voting Procedure

All votes are to be publicly sent to the Parliament chambers as was done in the Corian Senate. All vote totals are to be counted from those participating in the vote, not from all those within the body of the Parliament. The sole exception to this is in votes on constitutional alterations; during votes on constitutional alterations, vote totals are to be counted from all those within the Parliament's body, not only those participating in the vote. All votes must allow a minimum of 3 full days, or 72 hours, for members to cast their vote, but may allow for a longer voting period if the terms of the vote's conclusion are specified with the proposal.

Article IV - Realm Hierarchy

Section 1 - Silnarian Royalty

Silnarian Royals shall be accorded respect equal to the consuls of the Senate without honor of the title itself. During times without a High Justice, the Monarch will summon their opinion, in council, for the appointment to the office. Any Royal may block an appointment to High Justice, but they have no right to choose the High Justice, only to offer counsel upon candidates.

Section 2 - Dukes

Subsection A - Selection

Dukes are to be selected in the exact manner that the Monarch is selected.

Subsection B - Ducal Responsibilities

  • Maintenance and improvement of infrastructure within their duchy.
  • Encouraging estateless nobility to acquire an estate within their duchy.
  • Avoidance and remediation of any starvation within their duchy.
  • Taxes to be provided unto the Monarch.

Section 3 - Lords

Subsection A - Selection

Vacant lordships will be filled by representative vote by all lords of the realm at the time of vacancy. Dukes reserve the right to appoint a lord to a region in cases of previous lordly service to the region. Exempt from this right are those who abdicated their regional throne through choice or dereliction of duty. In times of war, a referendum for lordship may be initiated early, in expectation of conquest, and the victor appointed their throne by the Monarch; such referendum must follow the exact same terms as the normal lordship election.

Subsection B - Lordly Responsibilities

  • Assigning vassals to armies when appropriate.
  • Maintenance of fortifications and other existing infrastructure.
  • The wise preservation of necessary foodstocks, including purchase of needed food.
  • The sale of surplus food at rates within 10 gold of the market range.
  • Ensuring constant bounties for eradication of monster and undead.

Section 4 - Noble Rights

Nobility have the following rights:

  • To have 2 full days, or 48 hours, warning of judicial proceedings against them. This includes the specifics of the charges against them.
  • To offer their opinion on matters.
  • To dine with any noble as one sees fit.
  • To choose one's occupation.
  • To join any faith and build any temple, with the sole exception of Magna Serpaensism. The right to found a faith is implicit in this right.
  • To found any army as one sees fit. All armies are under domain of General's orders, however.
  • To acquire as many concubines as one sees fit.
  • To treat any commonblooded vassals as one sees fit.
  • To join any tournament at one's pleasure.
  • To engage in relationships with a noble of any realm, faith, age, culture, or gender.
  • To found any guildhouse or secret society as one sees fit.
  • To sail upon the Baradian Sea at one's pleasure.
  • To construct any palace.
  • To regulate the merchant activities within their domain.
  • To publicly proclaim any noble as heir to one's holdings and titles.

Article V - Sanctuary and Asylum to Exiles

All those seeking exile from their realm are to be given sanctuary and diplomatic asylum in silnaria, regardless of past. Once a member of silnaria, the exiled is to be legally treated equivalent other silnarian. This includes landed status, titles, council membership, and honorifics as well as trials, sanctions, fines, and bans. But no one is to be turned away from their first week of asylum. Nobles are not guaranteed protection from criticism or disputes between them and other silnarians, but threats and assaults upon silnarians is prohibited.

Article VI - Judicial Processes

Section 1 - Trials

Subsection A - Domestic

A silnarian noble may call upon the first authority shared with the silnarian noble they wish to call to court. If the dispute is between two vassals of the same lord, the lord has first rights to resolve the dispute. If the dispute is between two members of the same duchy, the duke has first rights to resolve the dispute. If the dispute is between nobles of separate duchies, the High Justice shall resolve the dispute. Cases may be appealed from lord to duke or from duke to High Justice. The duke or High Justice have the prerogative to accept the case or not; if they do not accept the case, the previous decision is considered as enforced by the duke or High Justice.

Subsection B - International

A foreign realm of any standing, except hatred against silnaria, may request a trial against a silnarian noble, which shall be granted in all cases. Trials may be based upon common standards of justice, diplomatic agreements between realms, and realm law broken while a member of said realm. Those under asylum are not immune to international trials, but are given minimum 7 days of protection from any bans. International trials are to be presided upon by the High Justice, a foreign ambassador chosen by the suing realm's ruler, and a non-monarch silnarian duke agreed upon by the defendant, foreign ambassador, High Treasurer, and the duke themselves. To decide the matter of innocence or guilt, a 2/3rds vote is needed in favor. If guilty, unanimity of all three parties is necessary to pass a punishment. All parties must be dedicated to compromise in yielding a punishment that is not too lenient or too harsh. It is the High Justice's duty to encourage compromise by the other two parties.

Section 2 - Restitution Upon Assault

If a silnarian noble has an assaulted attempted on them outside of battle, restitution for the attempted assault will be pursued, whether the attempt came from a fellow silnarian or a realm with neutral or friendlier relations. Assaults from those at war or in hatred of Silnaria are unfortunate, but one should be careful to note enemy nobles' whereabouts. Restitution may be called from those at war or in hatred of Silnaria as part of a cessation of conflict, but it is the negotiating parties' prerogative.

Subsection A - Enforcement

Restitution may be levied by fining the assaulting noble or by transfer of bonds to the victim, if the assaulting noble is honorable enough. If an internal fine is levied, it is the High Justice's duty to ensure the amount is transferred to the victim. If a fine is rendered in a foreign realm, it is that realm's ruler's duty to ensure the amount is transferred to the victim (physical task may be delegated by ruler to another).

Subsection B - Non-compliance

If the noble, or the foreign realm, refuses to recognize the necessary restitution, the assaulting noble shall be banned and the restitution increased. The ban may only be overturned upon willing payment of restitution. If such a banned noble is captured, all his finances, even in excess of the owed amount, are to be provided to the victim as soon as the High Justice can act; the owed amount is not considered reduced and the banned noble is still subject to willing payment of restitution. If captured, the banned noble may not attempt to pay the restitution amount while imprisoned to alleviate his prison stay. The victim may forfeit their restitution in exchange for the execution of the banned noble. If the assaulting noble departs Atamara in any other manner than the High Justice's execution, the restitution shall transfer to the assaulting noble's last realm.

Subsection C - Restitution Standardized Calculation

In interest of a fair, standard means of measuring restitution to nobles whose lives are attempted upon, the following calculation will serve the State of Silnaria in its determining of restitution.

  • 20 gold per fame of victim's family. If family wealth is over 10,000, this shall be reduced to 10 gold per fame of victim's family.
  • 10% of collected bounty upon the victim's head.
  • 250 gold if victim is under trial or an exile within Silnaria for 30 days or less.
  • These three numbers shall be added together and multiplied depending upon the highest rank of the silnarian noble at the time of the assault.
    • Knights: 0.5X
    • Vice-Marshals/Barons: 0.7X
    • Marshals/Viscounts: 1X
    • Counts/Earls/Margraves: 1.2X
    • Dukes/Realm Council: 1.5X
    • Monarch/Royals: 2X
  • This newly calculated number shall be added to, if the following numbers apply.
    • 50 gold per full day, or 24 hours, victim spent wounded, if assault was successful.
    • 100 gold if assaulting noble has been banned for refusing to pay restitution.

Article VII - Constitutional Alterations

This constitution is legally binding upon the Monarch's sovereignty and accorded equal status to any reigning Monarch. The constitution may be altered via any one of three different methods.

Section 1 - Ducal Prerogative

At any time the dukes both number a minimum of five and are in complete unanimity, the constitution may be altered.

Section 2 - Parliament

A 75% majority vote, of all sitting members, may alter the constitution. This is the sole vote where the vote total counts from all those within the Senate and not all those participating in the vote.

Section 3 - Realmwide Referendum

A 2/3rds majority vote of all nobles may alter the constitution.