Noble Structure of the Kingdom of Stonegate
Writ of Noble Intent
All nobility shall place the defense of the land and her people above any and all personal interests. It is the true noble’s duty to uphold the laws of the land, to defend her from invasion both internal and external, and to protect the common people against savagery and vileness of all sorts. The respect and elevation accorded to the nobles in return for performing this necessary duty should always be required of the commoners, but never abused. Let any nobleman who would use such power to belittle, degrade, or otherwise compromise the integrity of any goodly commoner be stripped of his title and lands in the most shameful and derogatory manner. Let only the truly noble hold title, for without this trait our leaders shall become tyrants.
- Lord Palinor Lorne, August, 581
Writ of Noble Courtesy
When visiting the lands of another, a nobleman shall immediately present himself to the residing noble, no matter his rank, and announce his purpose and intended term of visitation. At the time of this announcement, the visiting noble shall bring a gift from his homeland. This gift need not be of any specific value, except that it should be some material or finished good that was produced within the visitor’s own lands. If the visitor is from within the Kingdom of Stonegate, and is in-fact a nobleman in good standing, his title shall be recognized in such a way as is consistent with the rules of governing. If the visitor is from another kingdom or land entirely, and is a first-time visitor, he will be required to present a sealed document penned in his liege’s own hand that verifies his title in good standing. Noblemen from another kingdom who present themselves accordingly will be treated with the respect that their position accords to them. These men will not be allowed any actual noble powers however, and their title and colors shall be allowed as a sign of respect and acknowledgement of their homeland only. In either case a visiting nobleman who shows the proper respect for the residing noble shall be accorded sleeping accommodations, so long as this is not at the expense of the local lord or lady. Every effort shall be made to accommodate a visiting nobleman, and only in the most extreme of circumstances shall a visitor not be allowed the use of his title. Visiting nobles will be responsible for presenting a gift to the lord of the manor or market day to which a visit is paid, and will not be responsible for gifting the vassals, knights, or liege of that particular noble. Let civility and respect dictate our interactions in both word and deed.
- King Balladan Lorne, modified December, 600
Noble Ranks
King: Final authority in the kingdom. He is the law. He will be addressed as “ Your Majesty.” Counts and/or the Queen, at their discretion, may address him as “My Liege.” No person, not even the Queen, shall address him by his given name in public. To do so would be considered extremely disrespectful.
Queen: Holds no real power within the kingdom, but can act in her husband’s stead if he deems it so. She will also often sit in on meetings of the King’s House, and will almost always be considered one of his most respected and trusted advisors. The Queen shall carry her husband’s importance while he still lives, and she will be shown the same respect as the King. While her husband still reigns, she shall be addressed as “Your Majesty.” In the event that she is widowed and one of her children assumes the throne, she shall be addressed as “Queen Mother.” In this latter situation, the Queen Mother will hold no real power, but will still receive the respect and courtesy due to one of her standing.
Prince/Princess: Children of the King or his designated heirs. The first in line for the Crown is the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince will be addressed as “ Your Royal Highness”. All other Prince/Princesses will be addressed as “Your Highness”. It is acceptable for the King to assign specific lands to his children in the case of multiple heirs. The King may divide the lands into Principalities. A Principality is larger than and would contain several counties within its borders. In this case, each Prince will exercise authority within his own lands only, and each will answer directly to the King.
The King’s House: The King’s house consists of the Royal Family, the King’s advisors and the King’s Knights. The King has five main advisors who aid him in the running of the Kingdom. These advisors also have assistants under them who are not within the King’s house. They are as follows:
Lord High Wizard - who handles any and all magical matters as they relate directly to the crown.
Lord High Marshall - who is in charge of military affairs, and is the King’s primary field commander.
Lord High Diplomat - who handles foreign affairs.
Lord High Steward - who is in charge of domestic matters.
Lord High Warden - who is charge of economic matters.
The King’s Knightly Order is the Order of the Lion. This is a council of ten knights. These men act as the King’s eyes and ears within the kingdom. They also serve as counsel to all other knightly orders within the kingdom, making certain that all of the knights follow the same standards of knighthood. If a knight is found to have broken any of his knightly oaths, either by this order or by his liege, this council will often be called upon to determine what restitution will need to be made to the land and the people in order for the offending knight to regain his good standing.
Count/Countess: This position is appointed by the King. He is the authority over a sizable portion of the King’s lands known as a county. His responsibility is to supervise the barons and knights that have sworn fealty to him. The Count has the final word for decisions made within his own county, and only the authority of the King or a Prince can overturn any such decision. A Count can add specific laws for his county, but these cannot contradict any laws within the Kingdom Book of Law, and the King and his advisors must approve each county law before it is put into practice. He will be addressed as “Your Grace,” and will answer directly to the King.
A Count’s House: This will be composed of up to two Viscounts, County Order of Knights, and their Squires, and any commoners that the count desires. The Count’s House shall never have more than eight members. Of these, only the Viscount and Knights will be considered nobles. Each member of the Count’s House will wear the colors associated with their liege.
Viscount/Viscountess: A Count appoints this position. He is an assistant to the Count who may act in his stead when the Count deems it necessary. He has no power within a Barony, unless the Count specifically gives this to him in order to complete a certain task. In areas outside of boundaries of a Barony, but within the county, they can enforce laws and conduct trials. He will be addressed as “Your Excellency”. They answer directly to the Count.
Baron/Baroness: A Baron controls a township and the vassalages surrounding it. A Baron is appointed by a Count and must be approved by the King. He is responsible for holding trials within their Barony. He is responsible for the day to day running of the Barony. They are granted a Lord’s Hold. They answer directly to the Count. They can make laws exactly as a Count does. He may establish a house. They will be addressed as “Good Baron,” or “Good Sir Baron.” A Baron may only name four Lords per Barony. If he wishes for more, he must get permission from the King.
Knight/Dame: A Knight is the defender of the lands. Their job is to search out the foes of the land and the people, and to bring them to justice. A knight is a master of combat and military strategy, and they will often be placed in command of local militias and garrisons in times of need. All Knights are equal, but certain Knightly Orders will have higher standards for joining. They are addressed as “Sir,” or “Dame” if female.
Baronial House: The purpose of the house is the personal protection and counsel of the Baron. The house is composed of the Baron’s Knightly Order, Squires, and any commoner advisors numbering up to eight. Each member of a Baronial house will wear the colors associated with their liege.
Lord/Lady: These are land-owning nobles. They are the prominent people of the realm who should stand as an example for the people of the Kingdom. These are men and women who can be counted on by the barons to help with the political and economic well being of the land and her people. These individuals are not knights, and as such will not be expected to defend the land through force of arms, although they can assist with this endeavor if they wish. They are addressed as “My Lord,” or “My Lady.”
Squire: This person is a knight in training, and each squire will be assigned to follow a knight as a kind of apprentice. When the knight feels that the squire is ready, the squire will be given a quest to complete in order to become a full knight. This quest must be assigned by the squire’s prospective liege, and must be completed to his satisfaction in order for the squire to be knighted. A squire answers directly to the knight who is training them, and it is the knight’s responsibility to discipline his squire in times of need. A single knight will never have more than one squire, and in rare instances a baron or a count can take a squire if there are no knights available for the squire to apprentice to. They are addressed as Squire.
Requirements of all Nobles of the Kingdom of Stonegate
1. All nobles of Stonegate must be able to read and write.
2. All nobles must pledge fealty to the King, either directly or indirectly by swearing fealty to a noble who has pledged fealty to the King directly. For example, if the Count swears fealty directly to the King, a Baron swears fealty to the Count, and a Knight swears fealty to this Baron, then it will be considered that the knight has sworn indirectly to the Count and King.
3. Nobles answer directly to the person they have sworn fealty to and to anyone that person has swore fealty to. While they must always follow the orders of higher-ranking nobles within the kingdom, the will of their liege and his direct superiors will always take precedence.
4. When traveling outside the Barony or County you represent, you should not be presumptuous about your title.
5. No noble, with the exception of Lords and Ladies, will join a guild. This is to separate the Noble Structure and the Guilds. However, all Nobles are expected to work with the guilds to strengthen the Kingdom.
6. To be recognized as a member of a house, members must openly wear their colors.
Requirements of the Counts: A Count’s primary duty is to make sure that his portion of the Kingdom is protected and is being prosperous. He does that through his Barons who watch over small portions of his land and his knights, which go where needed and defend the county.
1. The Count must appoint Barons to areas that warrant a Baron.
2. The Count must form, equip, and support a Knightly Order.
3. The Count must form, equip, and support a county garrison of Military troops.
4. The Count is responsible for the actions of his Barons, Viscounts, and Knights. Should they fail to adhere to their duties, it is the Count’s responsibility to dispense the proper response.
Requirements of the Viscounts: A Viscount is the advisor to the Count and knows much of the County business, in case the Count is unavailable.
1. The Viscount must be available to the Count at all times. This does not mean that they are never separated, only that the Count has a way to contact his Viscount.
2. The Viscount must be able to act as a Count’s representative, when needed.
Requirements of the Barons: A Baron’s duty is to make sure that his/her portion of the land and the people is protected, as well as aiding the Kingdom economically.
1. The Baron will appoint Lords to assist in the development of the Baronies.
2. The Baron must form, equip, and support a Knightly Order.
3. The Baron may form, equip, and support a Baronial Garrison.
4. The Baron is responsible for the growth and development of his Barony.
5. The Baron is responsible for the actions of his Lords and Knights.
Requirements for Knighthood: Knights are the defenders of the lands. Other than the King, only a Baron or Count have the ability to knight individuals. In some rare instances, the Queen or a Viscount can perform a knighting in the name of their liege. Individual Barons, Counts, or the King himself, can, at their discretion, create more rigorous criteria for the knights of their particular house, but all Knights of the lands shall be required to abide by the following guidelines.
1. A Knight must swing at least 4 dagger blows consistently without enhancement of any kind.
2. A Knight must follow the Code of Chivalry as outlined below:
Thou shall respect the weak and thou shall constitute thyself the defender of them.
Thou shall love the country in which thou hast sworn fealty.
Thou shall not recoil before the enemy.
Thou shall make war against evil without cessation.
Thou shall scrupulously perform thy noble duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of the land.
Thou shall never lie and thou shall remain faithful to thy word.
Thou shall be generous and thou shall give freely to everyone.
Thou shall be everywhere and always the champion of the right and good against injustice and Evil.
3. A Knight will not use poisons or blade effects that act as poisons as this not an honorable way to fight. Vorpal Coatings, Formal Magic, and other non-poisonous blade enhancements are permitted.
4. Knights will take a vow of poverty that will begin when they squire. All worldly possessions of the squire will be donated to his liege at this time. The Knight may retain a small coffer for his necessary living expenses, but he should not maintain any excesses. In exchange for this, the liege is expected to pay for the knight’s training, weapons, armor, housing, and anything else the Knight needs. In addition, knights that retire in good standing with 20 or more years of service to the kingdom will be provided with a plot of land and estate within their home county.
5. A Knight takes the responsibility for the actions of his squire.
Requirements of a Lord: A Lord is a person who aids the Baron in running the
Barony. They are the prominent people in the Kingdom who make it run. Most have
served the Kingdom in an active role for a period of time and are now looking
for a place to settle down.
1. A Lord is required to be an active member of a town guild.
2. Lords should be an example to the common people and to visitors of how if you work hard and work together, you can make the Kingdom a better place.
3. Lords should be dedicated to the Kingdom in both word and deed.
Requirements of a Squire: A Squire is a person who has chosen the path of Knighthood and has been taken in for training by a Knight of the lands.
1. A Squire must follow the order of his supervising Knight without questioning in public. A squire should never fear to ask for explanation of an order, but only when the Knight and Squire are in private, so as not to question the honor of his liege.
2. A Squire will serve at least six months of training before being tested by his liege. If the Squire performs to the satisfaction of his liege, then he will be granted full knighthood. A squire will only be tested when he is ready, and there is no upward limit on the amount of time that one can be a squire.
3. Squires will always be in training to fill an open position, and if there is no vacant knighthood (or soon to be vacant) available, no squire will be named.
Other Groups
Commoner Orders: These are groups with stated objectives that have pledged to aid all the nobles of the land, not one single noble. They are issued a charter by the Kingdom and are expected to join the Kingdom’s Guilds and aid local nobles in the lands where they travel. In return, the Kingdom will aid the Order in fulfilling its stated objectives with advice and information, when available. Nobles other than Lords may never be members of an Order, as this would conflict with their noble duties. Commoner Orders generally focus on a specific trade, politics, and/or common goals.
Requirements of a Commoner Order: Each commoner order has certain requirements that it must meet in order to be considered a group in good standing.
1. Each order will have a charter that states its purpose, the requirements for membership, and the colors and/or symbols of the order.
2. In addition, each charter will contain the following passage: As the founders of this group, we do hereby pledge to follow the laws of the land to the best of our ability. We will not harbor criminals, nor shall we have provisions of our charter, either secret or through vagary, that are contrary to the wishes and interests of the King and his subjects. We shall never harbor rebellious elements and we shall always be forthcoming with information concerning the safety and security of the land and the people, both noble and common. To these things we pledge ourselves, and all of those that follow our cause as members of this order.
3. In times of extreme need, the members of a Commoner Order will be expected to aid in the defense of the land and the people. This will be true if and only if all available members of the local nobility, knighthood, noble houses, and militia are insufficient to deal with the threat at hand.
Benefits of a Commoner Order:
1. Local barons shall be responsible for providing lodging for a chartered commoner order in good standing, so long as by doing so the baron does not compromise the lodging of his local nobility. This lodging will be provided without charge.
2. When conducting business and seeking trade, the kingdom nobility will always attempt to deal with the members of a chartered group before seeking assistance from any non-aligned commoner. At times, the local nobles may defer to the expertise of a Commoner Order on a certain subject by seeking the counsel of one or more of its members.
Types of Commoner Orders: All Commoner Orders receive the same benefits and requirements, and the specific type that the members of the order choose will not affect this. The designation of an Order as one of the following types simply helps kingdom officials to classify and recognize the focus of that particular group, and an adventuring company that also sells goods or the guild that also adventures is not in violation of any of its requirements and/or restrictions.
Adventuring Company: This is group of people who adventure together. They may be a group of four or a mercenary company of four hundred. Adventuring Companies are often considered to be more capable in battle than other Commoner Orders, but the primary difference is that these groups find their main activity to be adventure.
Fellowship: A Fellowship is a group of like-minded individuals. These groups most often come together for the purposes of discussion and learning. Some Fellowships may even go so far as to accumulate a small library or body of written knowledge within their subject area.
Guild: The main focus of this type of group is that of trade. The Guild is
most commonly a collection of artisans of one type or another who are interested
in better business through co-operative planning. The biggest benefit of kingdom-wide
recognition for this type of group is the free advertisement that comes along
with it.