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VIRIUM - AMORUM - IUSTITIA

Hail and well met Elyrians,

A new land has appeared seeking citizens to man her walls, till her fields, and bind their stories to the fabric of her own.

The Duchy of Sanctaphandri (pronounced, Sank ta faun dree) is a sacred land emphasizing a strong military, a sense of community among the citizenry, and a focus on good governance and rule of law.

Players of all styles are welcome so long as they obey the law and respect the rights of their fellow citizens. While the Duchy has its own focuses, counts have the freedom to make the land their own in part and are encouraged to pursue their own passions.

The Duchy At A Glance

• Server: NA-West
• Kingdom: The Kingdom of Ashland, Join the Discord Here
• Primary Colors: Red, White
• Secondary Colors: Gold
• Aesthetic Themes: The Byzantine (Later Eastern Roman) Empire, The Hellenistic Greek Empires, and The Late Roman Empire (Pre Western Collapse) combined with a medieval flair specifically from the High Middle Ages.
• Roleplay: Roleplay is welcomed and something the Duke will take part in but is absolutely not required, efforts will be made on the part of the ducal structure to ensure,

Those who wish to roleplay can immerse themselves in areas designated for roleplay. Those who do not wish to roleplay can still take advantage and be a part of all mechanical aspects and positions of the Duchy.

• Website: In Progress
• Discord Server: Join the Discord Here
• Position Being Sought: Nearly all positions are being actively looked for at this time ranging from soliders to farmers, crafters, barons, staff of the ducal household, members of the ducal family, etc.

The Duchy is placing a moratorium on the recruitment of Counts for the time being!

Lore of Sanctaphandri

The lore of the Duchy is currently a work in progress mostly pending further information on the world of Elyria and its history to ensure the Duchy fits within the "feel" of Elyria. A main theme will be a local folk cult centering around the sacrifice of the Patron Saintess Lady Sanctaphandri and slight reverence towards her (this cult will NOT be forced on members). If you are interested in contributing to the lore of the Duchy or adding in your own story the Duke is more than willing to work with citizens on this.

Governance

The government acts on behalf of the Duke to ensure the general protection, welfare, and advancement of the people of the Duchy. As in most, the government is divided into three main branches, legislative, executive, and judicial. Legitimate rule of law derives from the Sovereign which is the Coronet and is embodied by the person of the Duke or Sebastarxchos, the ruler of the Dukedom.

Rights of the Citizenry

Serving as the foundation of protections of citizens of the Duchy from the excesses of the Government and the Duke, all citizens of the Duchy from the meanest beggar through to the Duke are protected by these rights.

• Right to Life: Citizens have the right to not be killed or gravely injured by another Mann except for reasons of the administration of justice and in accordance with the forms established by law.
• Right to Fair Trial: In matters of the administration of justice, citizens shall be afforded the right to a public hearing by a competent and impartial tribunal and to legal counsel on the laws of the duchy and kingdom.
• Right to Estate: Citizens have the right to own property alone and in association with their peers. No citizen shall be arbitrarily deprived of their property except for reasons of explicit public interest and in accordance with the forms established by law.
• Right to Wayfare: Citizens have the liberty to travel and reside in any part of the duchy insofar as this respects the rights of other citizens and to leave the duchy and to return to it at any time.
• Right to Expression: In matters of public discourse, citizens possess the freedom to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship insofar as their actions respect the rights of other citizens and subject only to limitations on libel, slander, extreme obscenity, and the incitement of crime.

Rights of the Vassals

Serving as the foundation of protection of the noble classes' privileges in their personal demesne from the excesses of the Ducal Government and the Duke, all direct vassals of the Duke are protected by these rights.

• Right to Sovereignty: Direct vassals have the right to legislate and execute all law in their domains, independent of their peer vassals, insofar as this respects the rights of the citizenry and does not conflict with ducal law in areas prescribed under the jurisdiction of the Dukedom.
• Right to Patronage: As the patron liege lord of his direct and loyal vassals the Duke guarantees the sanctity of their titles and lands from all threats, inside and out, by the force of his arms and the power of his station such that an attack on them is equivalent to an attack on the Duke's own person and station.

The Grand Council of the Realm

The Grand Council is the highest legislating body of the Duchy and is the deciding vote on whether a proposed bill becomes law. Consisting of the Duke and a number of peers, the exact composition of this council is still being determined but the rough structure is currently,

1. The Duke with 7 votes.
2. Representative Counts with 3 votes each.
3. Representative Barons with 2 votes each.
4. The Privy Council of the Duke with 1 vote total.
5. The Tribunus Civitas (Tribune of the Citizens) with 1 vote.

The Tribunus Civitas will have a voice and vote in Grand Council affairs but compared to the other votes the legislative system will overall favor the voices of the counts and barons.

The Esteemed House of Peers

Every count, baron, and appointed noble in the duchy is automatically a member of the House of Peers. This legislative house is capable of proposing new legislation in the form of bills, debating on and refining bills, and ultimately proposing these bills to the Grand Council for review.

The House of Peers further elects from its own members the Representative Counts and Representative Barons who sit on the Grand Council.

More information pending.