Baronial Ordinance I: Gentlemen-at-Cudgels

[Aurangzeb Khan]

01/1388: An Ordinance Making Provision for the Establishment of a Public Order Force Known as the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels
3559 ASC

Ardashir Piroz Moqtada al-Osmani, Khan of Vijayanagara, Baron of Eliria &c. doeth by this ordinance hereby decree as follows:

1.0. Gentlemen-at-Cudgels:
1.1. There shall be established within the bounds of the Barony of Eliria a force for the maintenance of order and discipline therein. This force shall be known as the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, collectively, and individually by titles graded according to rank, area of command and proficiency, as shall be set out hereafter.

2.0. Structure:
2.1. The Gentlemen-at-Cudgels shall consist of a graded structure as intimated by Article 1.1;
2.2. At its apex shall be the Bludgeoner-General, who shall act at the behest of the Baron and in that manner shall operate an effective command over all subordinate gentlemen-at-cudgels whom he shall appoint in the Barony of Eliria for public service with cudgels in the manner instructed by higher authority;
2.3. Appointed by the Bludgeoner-General shall be a Superintendent Officer of Cudgels for each of the two counties of this Barony. The Superintendent Officer of Cudgels shall have primary responsibility for the conduct of cudgelling in the County under his charge and shall answer to the Bludgeoner-General for the same;
2.4. In each city Bailiwick of the County the Superintendent Officer of Cudgels shall appoint a Master of Cudgels who shall be charged with the expediting of writs of cudgelling and other similarly civic-minded duties. The Master of Cudgels shall answer to the Superintendent Officer of Cudgels for his conduct in the exercise of his duties. The Master of Cudgels shall have the services of a retinue of twenty Gentleman-Cudgellers and as many cudgel-carriers and apprentice cudgel-carriers shall be deemed appropriate;
2.5. The Baron may at his discretion establish ad hoc Commanderies or fortified outposts within his Barony under the civilian authority of a Reeve assisted by a Gentleman-Cudgeller, who shall answer to the Superintendent Officer of Cudgels in the County where the Commandery is established. The Gentleman-Cudgeller shall have command of twenty cudgel-carriers, being the lowest rank of non-apprenticed cudgellers.


3.0. Writ of Cudgelling
3.1. A writ of cudgelling may be issued by the Baron for any act that may be reasonably accomplished through the application of cudgels provided that it is discernibly for the benefit of public order and discipline and is to the commonweal of the greater portion of the denizens resident in the Barony;
3.2. The writ shall specify which Bailiwick or Commandery shall be responsible for the cudgelling, what or whom the cudgelling is to be against, and what is to be done with the cudgelled subsequent to the act of cudgelling;
3.3. To be valid the writ must be signed by the Baron of Eliria and the cudgelling thoroughly expedited by no later than twelve days after the issuance of the aforementioned writ;
3.4. A writ of cudgelling shall not be considered to be lawfully applicable outside the bounds of the Barony and authorisation to pursue miscreants and fugitives for the purpose of cudgelling must be sought firstly from the Duke where they are known to have fled and be at large in Elwynn or from the Kaiser if they have fled elsewhere;
3.5. The Earls of Eliria and Utasia & Alalehzamin shall enjoy immunity from cudgelling, this privilege not necessarily being extended to their retainers, avatars, alter-egos &c. subject to the discretion of the Baron.

4.0. Enabling Provision:
4.1. Excepting where it has been legislated to the contrary; the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels may undertake its duties in such fashion as is conducive to the material well-being of the Barony without fear of censure.

5.0. Enactment
5.1. This ordinance shall be in force from the date of its publication.


[signed]
Ardashir pîroz Moqtada al-Osmani
Khan of Vijayanagara
Baron of Eliria
Earl of Alalehzamin

[b3n|<3r|\|]

Gentlemen-at-Cudgels.

[Leo Fenrir]

3.1. A writ of cudgelling may be issued by the Baron for any act that may be reasonably accomplished through the application of cudgels provided that it is discernibly for the benefit of public orer and discipline and is to the commonweal of the greater portion of the denizens resident in the Barony;

Such a scary passage. And who gets to decide what is for the "benefit of public order and discipline" of the Barony?

[Aurangzeb Khan]

3.1. A writ of cudgelling may be issued by the Baron for any act that may be reasonably accomplished through the application of cudgels provided that it is discernibly for the benefit of public order and discipline and is to the commonweal of the greater portion of the denizens resident in the Barony;

Such a scary passage. And who gets to decide what is for the "benefit of public order and discipline" of the Barony?

Well for the most part the Baron, evidently, but also the Baron may logically issue a writ for cudgelling at the behest of any higher Ducal or Imperial authority or, on a discretionary basis, at the request of some or other of his counts if they ever have to contend with local issues which fall under this remit.