The Charter of Nobility

The Charter of Nobility is a series of rules and accords that dictate the behaviour of Nobles in the Royaume. These include taxes, the maintainance of the army, and the various behaviours expected in a noble court.

The Charter of Nobility is also referred to as the Chivalric Duties, a term used to refer to the proper behaviour of the noble. As the Royaume only recently started accepting women into the army and noble families in leading positions, many parts regarding the treatment of women have been called into question and removed or replaced.

Should a conflict in the behaviour according to the Chivalric Duties arise, a representative from or selected by the Royal House will make a judgement call upon hearing both sides of the case.

## The Chivalric Duties

To behave with Chivalry as according to the code is the behaviour one must follow in all situations, but particularly in court settings. Although many nobles will skirt the edges of the acceptable, this thin veneer is often what stops them from breaking into an all-out civil war over disputed lands. These dictate that a noble is to...

1. Comport themselves with appropriate reverrence towards the Crown, the Royal Family, and their social betters.
2. Address with the correct title at social functions.
3. Proudly protect the symbols of the Royaume.
4. Honour a duel on the field of honour.
5. Collect a reasonable sum from freemen who live on their lands.
6. Protect those who cannot protect themselves.
7. Never to gorge while their lands go hungry.
8. Afford all offspring, bastards included, with an education befitting status.
9. To care for their wife, their children, their mistress, their bastards, and finally their land and citizens in this order.

## The Field of Honour

Meaning duels, and the art of duelling, the Field of Honour has it's own rules and regulations, as well as correct procedure that must be followed.

1. The Slighted party (Challenger) must have a legitimate grievance (Such as loss or damage of property, honour, dignity or a breach of the Chivalric Duties)
2. The Challenged must have a legitmate reason to back down (Such as failing health, or an event on the day of challenge)
3. The Challenger may pick the day, however the Challenged must pick the time and the weapon of choice. (Commonly swords, although pistols have become popular among the young.)
4. Both the Challenger and the Challenged must pick a Second, who will each organize the event with the other and, in the event of a no-show, take the place of their First. The Second must willingly accept these terms. Should no second be found, the duel is postponed until one is.
5. A Duel must be supervised by a member of the clergy, as Witness.
6. A Duel must be stated to the blood or to the death by the challenger.
7. In the event of a death from a Duel to the Blood, the widow and bereaved are to be paid a sum equivalent to one year's earnings by the killer.
8. A Duel can only be held between two people of Noble standing.
9. A higher noble may challenge a lower-status noble, but the opposite is strictly forbidden.
10. Once a duel ends, the issue it was over is resolved. One cannot duel twice over the same fault.

## Protection of the Crown

The Protection of the Crown is the mandate of a noble family to maintain a functioning battalion, as well as the rules on the use of this battalion.

1. A Noble must maintain a set of armor for themselves and all male children of age.
2. A Noble family must maintain an army of the equivalent of 1/10th of the financial product of their lands
3. This army is free to move as they see fit within their own lands, but to move the army to another land requires the permission of the Royal House
4. This army is to obey the orders of the Royal House above all others, even the Noble.
5. The duty of this army is to protect the citizens of the Royaume, to ensure the safe gathering of taxes, and to protect from malevolent forces, foreign and domestic.