Templates for Our Documents

A) This project is in three parts, not fully filled-out, still under construction, and always subject to change in the linked documents.

B) My superiours and fellow Yeomen are invited to discuss the contents with me in our chambers or by PM or mail, as continuing review and revision are necessary and expected.

Templates:

My Lords and Ladies, gentle and common folk, people of Wessex and Hyperion, to all of you, greetings.

This is an outline in three parts of every kind of document this Duchy and this Kingdom keeps and cherishes, and of the proper and essential format of them, so that all the diplomacy, fealty, dedication, trust, chivalry, honor, duty, responsibility, history, pageant, ceremony, dignity, colour, distinction, information, law, justice, holiness and order we count on them to convey for us to posterity is most carefully preserved--

Or in other words, if you need to make an Oath, take a Vow, or end a War, you'll be able to look up how to write it down.

1. Feudal and Governmental:
   1. Diplomatic Overtures:
      1. Declarations of War
      2. Letters of Marque
      3. Non-Aggression Pacts
      4. Notices of Status
      5. Treaties
   2. Oaths: Fealty, Office, & Service (for Oaths, including those of Fealty, taken to the Church or to Knights of the Church and to Military Orders, see Section III. Spiritual)
      1. Fealty / Grants
         1. Arms
         2. Baronetcy
         3. Fiefdom
            1. Barony, Duchy, et cetera
            2. Knighthood, Landed
            3. Serjeanty
            4. Thanedom
         4. Knighthood, Bachelor
         5. Villeiny
      2. Office
         1. Cabinet
            1. Ducal
            2. Royal
               • Lord Constable of Hyperion
               • Lord Chancellor of the House of Lords
         2. Yeomen of the Court
            1. Clerk
            2. Envoy
            3. Herald
            4. Pursuivant
            5. Reeve
            6. Sheriff
      3. Service
   3. Proclamations
      1. Appointments
         1. to the Royal Cabinet
         2. of Lord | Lady Chamberlain
      2. Announcements
         1. of New Full Members of the Duchy (Formal)
   4. Proposals

Templates:

II. Legal: For reference,

• Carta Solis, the (as copied from the first Cathedral of Auros Apollon)
• Carta Solis, simplified (a plain-language version)

1. Acts (of Legislature)
2. Decrees
3. Sentences
4. Writs

III. Spiritual:

1. Ex Cathedra from the Church
   1. Edicts
   2. Treatises
   3. Rules of Order
   4. Other
2. From the King as the Head of the Church
3. Clerical
   1. Oaths of Homage
   2. Vows of Faith
   3. Ordination
4. Lay
   1. Baptism
   2. Confirmation
   3. Marriage
   
   

Caution: Wall of Text:

Potentially every item on this list will be the anchor of a link to a document from which one can copy, paste, and fill in the essential parts and form of everything from a Declaration of War to a Marriage Certificate-- and especially the feudal oaths we all take.

Here it will be possible to look up a format to follow: To copy and paste the basics, fill in the essential details and also see the essential elements which must be present in any individualised version, to find the appropriate response, view the correct form of witnessing by Heralds and others, and even discover the proper way of reversing, rescinding or renouncing the agreement explicit in the document.

Many of these forms are and will be drawn (though not necessarily word for word) from original documents posted in our Cathedral of St. Germaine and in the Cathedral of Auros Apollon at Hyperion Nova and from saved copies of documents once available in the ancient Cathedral of Auros Apollon at lumensolis.com.

The College of Heralds is looking for volunteers who'd like to send in useful translations (either into modern English or any language in substantial use by players in whatever game we find ourselves, or both) of some of the more archaic or complex terms and phrases from the material-- as we would like to be able to explain and have the documents understood by those who use them, rather than only offer forms to be copied by rote. We would also like to hear Questions about what some of the traditional forms mean as worded-- the kinds of Questions that get frequently asked. Please send a message if you wish to contribute to this.

These documents have had many royal, noble, distinguished or simply diligent authors, contributors, and editors, all of them helpful, and to all of whom we are very grateful-- however, any and all inaccuracy or incompletion in these results belongs solely to me.

My especial thanks to the gracious Lady Elevien, Baroness of Areneth in Hyperion Nova | Darkfall for the immediate inspiration she provided to this project.

http://duchyofwessex.org/sigs/seal-wessex-small.png
Lepida Nuykani
Herald Queen of Arms