Grand Charter of the Stormwind House of Nobles

ANDUIN, by the grace of the Holy Light, King of Stormwind, to his archbishop, bishops, abbots, dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, greeting.

KNOW THAT, BEFORE THE HOLY LIGHT, for the health of our soul and those of our ancestors and heirs, to the honour of the Holy Light, the exaltation of the Holy Church, and the better ordering of our kingdom, at the advice of our clergy, nobility, and other loyal subjects,

FIRST, WE GRANT TO THE HOLY LIGHT, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the Church of the Holy Light shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired. That we wish this so to be observed appears from the fact of our own free will. We grant and confirm by charter the freedom of the Church's elections - a right reckoned to be of the greatest necessity and importance to it. This freedom we shall observe ourselves, and desire to be observed in good faith by our heirs in perpetuity.

AND, WITH RESPECT TO THE HOLY LIGHT, we, the aristocracy of the realm, here recognize that we are a people of many divergent and peaceable faiths, all of which recognized and indulged within our great Kingdom, and so we have determined that we, the nobility of Stormwind, shall not and must not show any favor or ill-will to any one faith in its practices, its legislation or its ministries, so long as that faith, in its practices, canon, presbytery and divinities, does not present any belligerent opposition to the Light or to the Kingdom of Stormwind.

TO ALL FREE MEN OF OUR KINGDOM we have also granted, for us and our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

Right to Due Process

There shall be passed no bills of attainder, nor shall any free man be stripped of his rights without due process of the law of the land.

Right to Petition

Free men shall hold the right peaceably to bring grievances the King and the King’s servants and request that they might be addressed.

Freedom from Unlawful Imprisonment

No free man shall be held in custody by the King’s servants without a criminal charge for more than one day. A prisoner held unlawfully may within his rights call upon the royal courts to uphold his right of habeas corpus. The King is at all times entitled to have an account why the liberty of any of his subjects is restrained, wherever that restraint may be inflicted.

Right to Trial

Except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land, no free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so.

Right to Confront Accusers

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to be confronted with the witnesses against him. All evidence brought before the King’s servants shall be cross-examined for validity in the eyes of the royal courts.

Right to Representation

Free men shall hold the right to represent themselves or contract an agent or champion to represent them when brought to account by the law of the land.

Freedom from Double Jeopardy

No free man shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb for the same offence against the law of the land.

Freedom from Ex Post Facto Punishment

No free man shall be retroactively punished for actions committed at a time where said actions were considered legal within the bounds of the law of the land.

Right to Appeal

Free men shall hold the right to appeal for verdicts for serious crimes to be heard and reconsidered by the high court.

Freedom from Egregious Fine

For a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. In the same way, a merchant shall be spared his merchandise, and a villein the implements of his husbandry, if they fall upon the mercy of a royal court. None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighbourhood.

TO ALL DUKES, MARQUISES, COUNTS, VISCOUNTS, AND BARONS,  in addition to the rights of free men we have granted, for us and our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

Right to Lordship

Nobles of the realm shall be granted the right to lord over and maintain the lands of the King as appointed by their betters. Nobles of the realm shall be treated with utmost courtesy and respect by the King’s servants.

Right to Redress

To any noble whom we have deprived or dispossessed of lands, castles, liberties, or rights, without the lawful judgment of his equals by the law of the land, we will at once restore these. In cases of dispute the matter shall be resolved by the judgment of the King or by a court of their peers and betters.

Freedom from Unwarranted Seizure

Nobles shall not have their persons or private properties searched or seized without presentation of a warrant issued by a royal court.

Right to Trial by Peers

Nobles shall hold the right to demand their trial be heard by a jury of their equals.

Right of Bail

Nobles may not be imprisoned before being found guilty of an offence. They are always bailed pending trial where bail is secured against their property and titles.

Right to Peerage Fines

Nobles shall be fined only by their equals and their betters, and in proportion to the gravity of their offence.

WE, THE NOBLES OF STORMWIND, under guidance of the Virtues Three, here establish our great house as one purposed for the execution of the King’s will. We shall appoint as justices, constables, sheriffs, or other officials, only men that know the law of the realm and are minded to keep it well.

TO BETTER EXACT THE KING’S WILL, we shall convene as a great house for the express purpose of addressing grievances, electing officials, and together aiding the king with the lordship of his lands regarding matters within our purview. This House of Nobles shall be empowered to pass acts and laws concerning the finances of the Realm, the general care of the populace, and any measures of governance allowed it by the Crown.

Those acts advanced by the noble peers of the House of Nobles shall be titled as either laws of resolution, governance, or of the realm. Those laws of resolution shall be acts of minor nature, those laws of governance shall be acts of significant nature, and those laws of the realm shall be acts of paramount important. All acts which alter, interfere, expand, or in any way alter the Grand Charter shall be Laws of the Realm.

Dukes, Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons shall here be considered hereditary nobles of Stormwind. Those who are appointed to land title whose offspring do not inherit them shall here be considered life peers. Together they are the LORDS TEMPORAL of the house.

   

Priests of the Church of the Holy Light may observe and be called upon as CONSULAR SPIRITUAL to speak on matters regarding the purview of the Holy Church.

   

Nobles of allied kingdoms may observe and be called upon as LORDS FOREIGN alongside their diplomats and ambassadors to speak on matters regarding their respective lands.

   

THE LORD HIGH STEWARD shall advise and direct the house in all matters not addressed by the King. He shall be responsible for hosting the election of a Council of Ministers every four months. The Lord High Steward may himself serve on the council in one additional role, reserving the right to disband the Council of Ministers and host a new election to reform it in times of great unrest.

   

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS shall aid with the upkeep and maintenance of the house and its duties. Life peers and hereditary nobles of Stormwind may be elected to office by vote of the hereditary nobles of Stormwind. New positions on the Council of Ministers may be enacted by motion and a two-thirds majority vote of the hereditary nobles of Stormwind. Existing positions on the Council of Ministers may be removed by the same vote. Ministers may be replaced by election by motion and two-thirds vote of no confidence of the hereditary nobles of Stormwind. No noble may run for election to or hold two positions simultaneously on the Council of Ministers.

   

Should a member of the Council of Ministers, or the general body of the House of Nobles, be found to have committed a crime or offense involving the misuse or abuse of his influence, power of office, or bring question as to their ethical fortitude, such member may be impeached by the House of Nobles following a two-thirds vote in favor of impeachment.

   

Upon impeachment, all rights, privileges, and other luxuries granted by any office they might hold within the House shall be suspended, and the impeached shall stand trial before an en banc proceeding of the House of Magistrates, which shall be overseen by the Lord High Chancellor. Should the Lord High Chancellor be the impeached party, the Lord High Steward shall appoint a temporary minister to the position. Should the impeached be found innocent, they shall immediately regain all previously held rights, privileges, and luxuries of their office. Should the impeached be found guilty, they shall be removed from office, and shall undergo further punishment determined by the Court in accordance with the severity of the convicted offence by the proper criminal or civil procedure.

   

Each member of the Council of Ministers shall appoint a singular Deputy Minister who shall stand to take on the ministerial duties should the Minister resign or be deemed physically unable to dispense their duties during their term of office. If a Minister is impeached, their appointed Deputy Minister shall lose their status as such. Appointed Deputy Ministers shall lose their status at the end of each election cycle. The Deputy Minister must be affirmed by the House as having all prerequisite qualifications needed to be appointed to the Ministry.

   

THE LORD HIGH SPEAKER, the voice of the council, shall host the great house and fairly address grievances brought forth by his peers, utilizing Sir Rothbert’s Rules of Order when yielding the floor to speakers. He shall present acts and amendments to the laws of the land to the house for Lords Temporal of Stormwind to vote upon their adoption. Only acts authored or sponsored by a Lord Temporal of Stormwind may be voted on by the house. Responsible for scheduling meetings of the house, the Lord High Speaker must give two-weeks notice before posting any meeting date and must consider the availability of the rest of the council.

   

THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR shall manage the organization of the royal courts. He shall deliver a report on the status of the royal courts during meetings of the great house, outlining any major appointments or judicial decisions. He may himself serve as a Magistrate in cases he deems of high importance. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding the royal courts.

   

THE LORD HIGH PROSECUTOR shall manage the prosecution of all criminal cases brought before the royal courts. He shall assign prosecutors to handle cases and he may himself serve as prosecutor in cases he deems of high importance. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding the royal courts.

   

THE LORD HIGH MARSHAL shall be responsible for upholding all royal military laws and shall represent the interests of the royal army to the house. He may deliver a report on the status of the royal army during meetings of the great house, outlining any major campaigns or events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding the royal army.

   

THE LORD HIGH CONSTABLE shall be responsible for coordinating the many units of the royal constabulary in their efforts to enforce the laws of the realm and shall represent the interests of the royal constabulary to the house. He shall be responsible for coordinating disaster relief within the Kingdom. He may deliver a report on the status of the royal constabulary during meetings of the great house, outlining any major appointments or events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding the royal constabulary.

   

THE LORD HIGH CHAMBERLAIN shall manage the Kingdom’s diplomats and ambassadors, and shall receive any Lords Foreign, foreign diplomats, and foreign ambassadors that seek to attend meetings of the house. He shall keep record of the population of the Kingdom and be charged with the dispensation of Stormwind Citizenship. He may deliver a report on the Kingdom’s diplomats during meetings of the great house, outlining any major appointments or events. He shall bring to the great house the grievances of the Kingdom’s allies so that they might be addressed. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding Stormwind Citizenship and foreign policy at large.

   

THE LORD HIGH EXCHEQUER shall manage the Kingdom’s finances and economy. He shall be responsible for the collection of taxes and fines from the subjects of the King, and the formation of a budget for the house. He may deliver a report on collected taxes and trade deals during meetings of the great house, outlining the current stock of the royal coffers and any significant economic events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding finance and economics.

   

THE LORD HIGH FORESTER shall manage the Kingdom’s interior and natural resources. He shall be responsible for upholding all laws regarding the King’s forests and land usage. He may deliver a report on the Kingdom’s interior during meetings of the great house, outlining the current status of the royal forests and any significant ecological events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding the King’s lands and their ecology.

   

THE LORD HIGH PHYSICIAN shall be responsible for upholding the health of the Kingdom and shall represent the interests of the Royal College of Physicians to the house. He may deliver a report on the status of the Kingdom’s health during meetings of the great house, outlining any major appointments or events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding health and medicine.

   

THE LORD HIGH MAGE shall be responsible for upholding all laws that encompass magic and shall represent the interests of the Stormwind Circle of Magi to the house. He may deliver a report on the status of the Stormwind Circle of Magi and its cadet circles during meetings of the great house, outlining any major appointments or events. He may be called upon by the Lord High Speaker to offer expertise in matters regarding magic.

THE LORD HIGH PATRON shall be responsible for hosting all official ceremonies sponsored by the house. He shall orchestrate the arts within the Kingdom and may, during his term of office, sponsor ceremonies, tournaments, balls, and other salons for the purpose of bringing honor and prestige to the great house in the eyes of the King, his servants, and his subjects.

   

ANY MAN who so desires may take an oath to obey the commands of the Council of Ministers for the achievement of these ends, and to join with them in assisting us to the utmost of his power. We give public and free permission to take this oath to any man who so desires, and at no time will we prohibit any man from taking it. Indeed, we will compel any of our subjects who are unwilling to take it to swear it at our command.

   

WE, THE STORMWIND HOUSE OF NOBLES, shall swear to obey all the above articles faithfully, and shall cause them to be obeyed by others to the best of their power. We have sworn that all this shall be observed in good faith and without deceit.

   

We will not seek to procure from anyone, either by our own efforts or those of a third party, anything by which any part of these concessions or liberties might be revoked or diminished. Should such a thing be procured, it shall be null and void and we will at no time make use of it, either ourselves or through a third party.

We are the protectors of Stormwind and the executors of the King’s will. By our blood we are granted the privilege of domain over the subjects of the crown. May the Holy Light ever guide our hands to justice in the name of the House of Wrynn.