Melhed/Government/Tyranny of Wolf
| Melhed Governments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pontifex of Flame
|
Overview | Philosophy | Structure | Offices | Laws |
 Empire of Sun
|
Overview | Philosophy | Structure | Offices | Laws |
 Republic of Balance
|
Overview | Philosophy | Structure | Offices | Laws |
 Tyranny of Wolf
|
Overview | Philosophy | Structure | Offices | Laws |
Tyranny of Wolf
Overview
The closing days of the fifth invasion saw Maharshl Yeux Serpentis frustrated at the aimless talk and laissez faire attitude of his fellows. Motivated by a zeal lacking in the more established elite he lead a successful rebellion and abolished the Senate before proclaiming the Kingdom of Greater Melhed in the honour of Emperor Tsu. King Yeux was quick to consolidate his power with the founding of a new dynasty through marriage to Lady Maya Tandaros, known as the Wrath of Iku-Turso to the peasants, who bore him a son named Hector Serpentis-Tandaros. Once again forging the Patricians into a military hierarchy efforts were made to temper his new weapon with renewed conflicts among his neighbours.
These efforts ultimately failed, with agitation within and military defeats from without setting the once great nation crumbling. After the first disastrous war the capitol, Agyr, was lost and the nation never recovered. By the end of the Age there was nothing save the vestiges of an exiled government scraping by in the city of Mhed. And so ended the tale of Melhed where it began.
For further information look in the Tyranny of Wolf.
Philosophy
The Tyranny was created as a reflection to the flaws within the Republic. They wished to be the left hand to the Republic's right. And so many of their fundamental beliefs were based on the foundation of what should be changed, on the inefficiency and weaknesses cut away from that vital core.
| Tyranny Philosophy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength commands | |||
| The inaction of the Senate has but one recourse, it must be abolished. In its place the Imperial office will be vacant no longer. This realm, its lands and people, is the sole property of the king who rules by divine right. His will is law. Failure to comply with the will of the king is a capitol crime of theft and treason. I have spoken, so it shall be. | |||
| Obedience above all | |||
| No longer shall debate and books clutter the halls. From now on all Patricians are in service to the army of Melhed. Failure to appear for military duty will lead to charges of theft and treason. Your estates will be managed for the good of the king, your actions monitored and movements noted. No longer shall frivolous waste squander our nations great wealth. | |||
| Heart of the Wolf | |||
| We are the true scions of the north, our hearts are pure and our goals noble. Any action is justified in the service of the king and all will be exonerated for their crimes. Be not bound by the strictures of the barbarians, in service to the crown you are infallible. | |||
Structure
All power rests in the king. He determines every aspect of realm governance by decree at a time and place of his choosing. All who do not agree are assumed to be treasonous.
| Tyranny Structure | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Fiat | |||
| Declarations of the King take precedence over all else. | |||
| Feudal Council | |||
| The Feudal Council of Melhed is composed of all legally appointed members of the Patrician Strata who are elevated to the position of Lord. | |||
| Duke Veto | |||
| The Dukes of Melhed are allowed to hold a vote of veto against the King's Judgement only in rare cases of emergency. Lords can request there duke to use there Veto if they believe they should.(dukes can veto everything except a King's Pardon, see the end of 3.2). A majority of the Dukes have to vote a veto in order for it to be effective, the King always has to obey a ducal veto, or the King can be trialed by the Judge for Tyranny, resulting in the King to be forced to abdicate his Throne and his Heir to take over for the safety of the realm. This is the only exception where the King can be punished by law. | |||
| Military Service | |||
It is mandatory that you get assigned to one of these armies. Your Lord can appoint you to that which he sees fit. You of course can request him to be in whatever army you wish for at any time.
If you fail to comply orders in any of the two, you are eligible for fining or even removal from your army. If you are unable to comply orders, report to your Marshal with an explanation. Melhed is in need of valiant nobles and, most of all, nobles willing to work hard. The armies are the place where you first show your duty to the realm, and where you can build your career. | |||
Offices
To cut down on waste and improve efficiency the King dictated all offices be removed save only the most vital.
| Primary Office | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | ||||
| The Crown | ||||
| The King is Melhed, and Melhed is the king. This realm, its lands and people, is the sole property of the king who rules by divine right. His will is law. Failure to comply with the will of the king is a capitol crime of theft and treason. I have spoken, so it shall be. | ||||
| Secondary Offices | ||||
| Praetor | Vicar | Imperator | ||
| The King's Law | The King's Coin | The King's Sword | ||
| The Preator is the supreme judge of the realm and speaks in the name of the King, appointed in his name. The King is responsible for the Preator to follow his law. | The Vicar is elected by the Lords of the realm every quarter year and is responsible for protecting the peasants right to food and helping lords manage there region and or export food, the Vicar is also part of the Feudal Council, like a local lord and the have the same rights apply to him. He’s thus the only eligible governmental position in the realm. | The Imperator is appointed by the King and is in full charge of the armies of Melhed and its military leadership. His orders can only be overruled by the King himself. | ||
Law Code of the Tyranny
Draft of the first Monarchical Constitution of Greater Melhed
The supreme book of Greater Law obliterates all other existing law books and declares them null and void in the name of the King. The same terms are used to describe social classes and some positions as in the original Republic of Melhed. as you can see here: Melhed/Glossary
1)The realm is ruled by the King and only the King per divine right, the ruler of Greater Melhed. He rules over the lands its people and his throne, The King requires a set of Heirs to take over the throne after his dead, which is the only legit heritage of the crown. Not until the King him self steps down, disappears for longer then a week or dies, his next in line Heir will be crowned.
1.1 The King may declare war or sue for peace on his demand, he is however obligated to listen to public opinion for the good of the realm and report the diplomatic changes to the realm before or during the actual declaration. An Alliance can only be signed as a military agreement of cooperation or it is not deemed official. A federation may be signed to solidify friendship with long term allies, but as long as there is no military cooperation, there should be no alliance.
1.2 As supreme divine ruler he may tax the people as he sees fit. To keep the realm safe a min of 15% taxes has to be taxed at all times. the King is obligated to keep at least 75% of the royal taxes saved up in his Treasury, the other 25% will have to pay for all his personal expenses. The King may decide to have his Vicar keep the treasury or use a guild for it.
1.3 The King is obligated to keep the nobility of Melhed regularly informed of the ruler channel communication and diplomacy as well as his view on various situations. if longer then a week no report has been shared, the people have the right to a reason.
1.4 The King can appoint as many Ambassadors as he wishes, the law demands at least one Ambassador of Greater Melhed. As Ambassador a noble has the full authority to speak and sign on behalf of the King. However the ambassador has no right to work diplomacy without the Kings notice and approval. The King should underline clearly to the Ambassador his intentions and demands from his ambassador(s).
1.5 The King is the law, he cannot break it.
2) Dukes of the realm are appointed by the King, he legally has to hear the plea of the nobility of that duchy in particular and report that with the event of appointing a new duke.
2.1 Dukes may tax there lords and appoint there Lords as they see fit. They may also sell or buy food within the Vicars margins freely.
2.2 Regions may change duchy with the approval of the Vicar or the King.
2.3 Duchies have the right to have ducal laws that abide this law book as its superior law.
3) The Feudal Council of Melhed is composed of all legally appointed members of the Patrician Strata who are elevated to the position of Lord. 3.1 The Dukes of Melhed are allowed to hold a vote of veto against the King's Judgement only in rare cases of emergency. Lords can request there duke to use there Veto if they believe they should.(dukes can veto everything except a King's Pardon, see the end of 3.2). A majority of the Dukes have to vote a veto in order for it to be effective, the King always has to obey a ducal veto, or the King can be trialed by the Judge for Tyranny, resulting in the King to be forced to abdicate his Throne and his Heir to take over for the safety of the realm. This is the only exception where the King can be punished by law.
3.3 The Feudal Council is the highest legal power under the King, where the Lords form the Jury and the Praetor holds its final verdict except in case where more then two thirds of the Lords (~66%) vote differently. Anyone can go to court for anything in Greater Melhed, and the Feudal Council is forced by the Preator to make a verdict for every case within 2 weeks time, the Preators responsibility. Dukes can be fined for appointing Lords who never attend to court meetings directly by the Preator. There is always the King’s pardon, he can pardon any convicted felon, but never a veto against a Lord vote or the Preators verdict.
3.4 Changes to the law by addition, subtraction or alteration require two thirds of all Lords to vote and be in favor of the proposal to pass or the King’s approval.
3.5 To oppose the Feudal Council is to oppose the Kingdom and is a capital crime. This also counts for the government and to a much larger extend the King. Any kind of disrespect or offense on there address is a serious crime in Greater Melhed. Nobles may object to there judgment with respect and acceptance.
4) The Preator is the supreme judge of the realm and speaks in the name of the King, appointed in his name. The King is responsible for the Preator to follow his law.
4.1 It’s the Preators responsibility to fight crime in Greater Melhed, if crime goes unpunished, the King may give a warning, with another warning the Preator may be asked to leave. The Feudal Council can always request the King to remove the Preator from his position by signing such request by 75% of the Nobility of Melhed, or 66% of the Feudal Council.
4.2 The Preator can call a verdict by its own, but once an issues has been brought to court he will have to abide to feudal vote (see 3.2). Everyone can bring an issue to the Council court and its outcome is also legal judgment.
4.3 All verdicts of Justice have to be reported to all realm members of Greater Melhed. A verdict can be made in court only after a feudal vote see 3.2. However if laws are broken and the Preator is aware of it, he may act on his own, without feudal approval in case of clear violation.
4.4 Every noble is free to follow the religion of his choice with the exception of those declared evil by the King, the Preator has to put this on his bulletin.
4.5 Every noble of Greater Melhed has the right to express there opinion respectfully if felt necessary publicly or privately. Serious objections ought to be petitioned to the King himself. Disobeying orders from your superiors is a capitol crime in greater Melhed.
5) The Imperator is appointed by the King and is in full charge of the armies of Melhed and its military leadership. His orders can only be overruled by the King himself.
5.1 Every Troop leader has to serve an army or face trial for theft and treason. Priests are excluded.
5.2 Marshals, Vice Marshals or Members of the War Council are appointed by the Imperator and Armies may only be funded by his approval or by his own hands.
5.3 The Imperator is not allowed to order the following but asked to request so: To loot as terrible as possible, instead of genocide, every troop leader can always choose to plunder instead due to moral objections.
5.4 Marshals may act within the given boundaries of the Imperator, where no boundaries are given; the marshal should ask permission to execute his orders.
5.5 The Imperator is granted 50 to 75% of the total royal treasury in times of war. If the King declares war he immediately hands min 50% of his treasury.
5.6 During war time, the Imperator has the authority to set a minimum income for every or certain troop leaders, this needs to be posted on his bulletin so it is public understanding. The Lords will have to act per his request.
6.0 The Vicar of Melhed (banker), is elected by the Lords of the realm every quarter year and is responsible for protecting the peasants right to food and helping lords manage there region and or export food, the Vicar is also part of the Feudal Council, like a local lord and the have the same rights apply to him. He’s thus the only eligible governmental position in the realm. His position is influential and important in within Melhed, he dare for is not allowed to share this position with the position of Duke or Margrave of a City. He has to be able to objectively do his job.
6.1 If starvation occurs in a region, the Vicar can order the Lord of that region to buy food and also order others to put it for him on the market and for what price. The Vicar can also order market transactions in case food is rotting.
6.2 Rotting of food is illegal in Greater Melhed and the responsibility of the Vicar, he can solve it by buying the food him self and personally sell it elsewhere or order lords to buy it off each other. If food is to be found rotting the Preator will punish the Vicar as he sees fit and possibly also the Local Lord(s) involved, forcing the realm to eventually sell of its food abroad.
Addendum: This article is just for times of global lack of food or in the eminence of help allied realms. In times of abundance, the Vicar and the Lords can manage their food as it pleases them without damages to the kingdom.
6.3 The Vicar has the authority and duty to set a max and minimum internal market price as well as export or import prices to protect the buyers and sellers from extreme prices. The Vicar should put this on his Bulletin, failure can lead to court or even direct punishment by the Preator. He may leave as much room for price difference as possible. If a Lord buys food for more or less then the Vicars norm, that Lord is breaking the law.
6.4 The minimum normal(with the exception of emergency, like looting where taxes can drop as low as the Lord sees fit) local tax rate for regions is by law 10%, the Vicar can set this to a higher value as he sees fit. In most cases all region can handle 18% without need of holding courts regularly.
6.5 In case any region is attacked it is the Local Lords responsibility that the least damage as possible is done by minimally executing the following actions: 1. drop tax rate as low as possible. 2. Put almost all or all food on the market. Failing to do this eventually will be considered an act of treason as judged by the Preator.
6.6 The Vicar has the right to set minimum income rates for troop leaders during peace time, this authority will be handed over to the Imperator during war time.
6.7 Every noble troop leader in Greater Melhed has the right to an estate. It’s the Vicars responsibility that every (new) noble is well integrated in the realm and serves the realm well in return of a decent share. If in court or the Preator notes that the Vicar work on this field has been lacking, the Vicar may be punished for not following his duty.
7) Commoners are either plebeian or foederati, plebeians are freemen and foederati are outlaws. An Outlaw always belongs to the Lord of the region where he is born in. Outlaws are not protected by any law, but only by the Lord that owes them.
7.1 In case a noble is offended by a proletarian (freemen) he may arrest him with a report of arrest noted to the Preator, without report the freeman is to be released asap. The Preator can then decide upon the punishment. A noble may never punish a freeman as he sees fit, the Feeman is protected by the law of Greater Melhed.
Slab V – Court
- 1)All citizens have the right to a fair trial, and know the charges that have been brought against them.
- 2)Trials are to be held in public so all citizens know the evidence and crime
- 3)When litigants wish to settle their dispute among themselves, even while they are on their way to appear before the Prætor, they shall have the right to make peace; and whatever agreement they enter into, it shall be considered just, and shall be confirmed
- 4)If the plaintiff and defendant do not settle their dispute, as above mentioned, let them state their cases either before the Praetor or the local Senator, should they be of low born Strata; by making a brief statement in the presence of the judge, between the rising of the sun one day and the next; and, both of them being present.
- 5)After hearing the brief statements, let the judge render his decision in the presence of the plaintiff and the defendant
- 6)The defender, or the surety of a wealthy man, must himself be rich; but anyone who desires to do so can come to the assistance of a person who is poor, and occupy his place.
- 7)The setting of the sun the second time shall be the extreme limit of time within which a judge must render his decision.
- 8)If someone is called to go to court, he is to go. If he doesn't go, then he should be captured to a region. If he eludes court he is to be banned.
- 9)All party must appear in court, in person, on the assigned day. Party's may then request for extensions if needed. The Judge will then approve or deny said request. If approved then the judge will assign a new court date to reconvene.
- 10)If one party is not in person on said date, and no letter has been received from said party stating reason of absents. Then the judge will issue a warrant of arrest of the missing party.
- 11)For matters where the Praetor is in doubt, but not so much so that they should be removed, the Senate should appoint another to oversee the trial and their decision abided by. If the Praetor is in great doubt he should retire from office so the patricians can elect another.
Slab VI – Tort
- 1)Those who tell falsehoods about their fellow citizens, and do not buy their peace, will suffer the penalty of shunning.
- 2)The property of a citizen is theirs, to do with as they wish so long as they break no laws.3
- 3)If one causes any harm or offence, accidentally or intentionally, one must buy the peace of the injured or offended. If not, let the injured or offended party declare it so before the public and be free to retaliate in kind.
- 4)Should a cycle of retaliation become a public nuisance the Praetor may assign a fee and close the matter.
- 5)Any person who destroys by burning any building or heap of food shall be bound, scourged, and put to death by beheading provided that he has committed the said misdeed with malice aforethought. However if he shall have committed it by accident, it is ordained that he repair the damage or, if he be too poor to be competent for such punishment, he shall receive a lighter punishment.
- 6)When any persons commit a theft and attempts to defend themselves with weapons, or with any kind of implements; and the party against whom the violence is committed raises the cry of thief, and calls upon other persons or guards, if any are present, to come to his assistance; and this is done, and the thieves are killed by him in the defence of his person and property, it is legal, and no liability attaches to the homicide
- 7)However if a thief attempts to make off with the property of another, or seeks to do harm to the owner of property and is caught, let that thief be brought before the Praetor and be bound, scourged, and put to death by beheading.
- 8)Stolen property shall always be his to whom it formerly belonged; nor can the lawful owner ever be deprived of it by long possession, without regard to its duration; nor can it ever be acquired by another, no matter in what way this may take place
Slab VII – Lowborn Tort
- 1)No member of the Plebeian or Proletarii Strata shall be permitted within the walls of the Curia.
- 2)Matters of justice among Plebeians and Equites are to be settled by the Senator who governs their province.
- 3)Mattes of justice among the Proletarii are the purview of the Tribune.
- 4)No low born strata may raise his hand against a high, nor hurl insults or make damage upon their property.
- 5)A member of a high born stratum cannot be found guilty of a crime committed against a lowborn stratum.
- 6)A high born may challenge a behaviour against the low born as being against the Divine Mandate to protect the lessers, by evoking the Jus ad bellum. Should the challenge not be refuted in debate is put to the ritual combat, where the Mandate is tested. Whoever loses owes the other reparations, which may in turn be paid to the low born. Refusal to meet the challenge is admittance of weak blood, and disgraceful.
- 7)The Tribune represents the interests of the Proletarii on the senate. They are responsible for conversing with the strata and arranging matters of the strata to be brought before the senate.
