Crimson Decree

Within the Kingdom of Dorwine, a well established hierarchy of vassalage was maintained. The king would petition the many dukes to provide the kingdom with soldiers, supplies, and armaments. Although it was officially a choice whether or not to provide these resources, every duke historically has complied and therefore enjoyed a healthy and beneficial relationship with the crownlands. This all changed with the Crimson Decree, authored by the prince Tristin Cambray. It put the obligations of the dukes into words, and therefore was enforceable by law and subject to punishement if not abided. This caused a marketed shift in the dynamics between the duches and the crownlands, and many view it as a catalyst for rising tensions within the kingdom.
The decree states that each duchy will provide the ruler of Warwick and the ruler of Blackshore, in this case the king and the prince, an equal amount of resources in the form of soldiers, equipment, and tradeable goods. If the quota is not met by the duchy, there will be a forced draft in which the crownlands can claim whatever resources they wish, for the good of the kingdom.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is two-fold. Firstly, it provies ample resources for prince Tristin Cambray to build up his own personal miltia, and secondly it saps the resources of the competing dukes within the Kingdom of Dorwine, allowing for a more centralized goverment and a more powerful ruler of Blackshore.

Historical Details

Public Reaction

Ultimately, this has caused the dukes within the kingdom to be extremely upset and hostile to the crown, either overtly or discreetly depending on their prior relationship. For example, the duchies closer to the crownlands such as the highlands and the marches may keep their relationship healthy with the king as not to incur the wrath of the prince, while duchies further away like the crescent may be in full on revolt against the crown.

Type

Decree, Royal

Medium

Vellum / Skin

Authoring Date

1054 AR

Ratification Date

1057 AR

Location

Dorwine

Authors

• Tristin Cambray