05. CATS OF CAMELOT
May 24, 2014 18:17:01 GMT -4
Post by Danish on May 24, 2014 18:17:01 GMT -4
CATS OF CAMELOT
HISTORY
The Court of Camelot began with a humble tom. He was given to his twolegs as a gift from parent to child. The little boy who adopted him was fascinated with the tales of Camelot, and it seemed suitable to the boy to name his new kitten after the greatest hero of Camelot: Arthur. The twoleg boy liked to play with his toys, weaving stories of dramatic heroics and the knights' chivalry as he played with his figurines. The young Arthur, drawn to the boy's energy, began playing with the boy as well, imagining himself as a knight of Camelot. The boy took notice of Arthur's interest in his games, and soon the games developed to be focused around stories woven specifically for Arthur, in which Arthur was the fair, just king who ruled the lands during a time of peace and prosperity.
As Arthur grew, he adopted this mentality about the Camelot way of life and began living his life by the knights' code of chivalry. Arthur's horizons broadened as he began exploring more and more of the town of Bridgewater, and with it the cats who lived there. He was astounded by their lack of order and common decency, so he took it upon himself to make a change. What began as merely preaching to the cat next door developed into the first cats of the peerage. Arthur taught every cat the Arthurian way of life, and after realizing the depth of his actions, began calling the group the Court of Camelot.
Almost immediately after they were named a court, the other cats decided they needed a king, and who better to lead them than their founder? And with that, Arthur became King Arthur the First. Not long after, he adopted a mate and had a litter of his own. The first princes and princesses of Camelot went on to lead the Court, and after that their own offspring became the Kings and Queens. Five generations have passed, and the Court of Camelot is still alive and thriving and with the same values that were instated when King Arthur I ruled.
LEADERSHIP TIMELINE
Current and NPC
01. King Arthur I
02. King Cearnaigh I
03. King Teddy I
04. King Leolin I
05. King Cronus I
06. Queen Antigone I
RANKINGS
KING/QUEEN: The ruler of the Court of Camelot. They make all of the decisions for the court, and their word is law. They are direct descendants of the Kings and Queens before them and therefore of King Arthur I.
ROYAL CONSORT: Mate of the King or Queen. They cannot succeed to the throne unless there are no princes or princesses to fill the spot. (Cannot be created unless the King/Queen has stated they have a mate in their application and/or puts their mate up for adoption. A cat will receive this rank IC.)
CROWN HEIR: Oldest prince or princess. They are next in line for the throne. Until they become King or Queen, they are trained by a Lord or Lady in the arts of the court and in battle skills. (Cannot be created unless King/Queen and Royal Consort have had a litter or adopted a kitten.)
CROWN CONSORT: The mate of the Crown heir. Must be a member of the court. (Cannot be created unless the Crown Heir has stated they have a mate in their application and/or puts their mate up fro adoption. Most likely a cat will receive this rank IC.)
PRINCE/PRINCESS: Offspring of the King/Queen and the Royal Consort. They can be adopted. They are trained in the arts of the court and battle skills. Their mate must be a part of the court. (Cannot be created unless King/Queen and Royal Consort have had a litter or adopted a kitten.)
LORD/LADY: A special title for the ranking of Knight and Dame. They are responsible for defending the court as they normally would as a Knight or Dame, but they are also responsible for the upbringing of the princes and princesses. They are the king/queen's inner circle and lead missions for the ruler. (Cannot be created. Must be raised from the rank of knight IC.)
KNIGHT: The warriors of the Court of Camelot.She-cats have the title of Dame, and toms have the title of Sir. They are required to have been a squire prior to becoming a knight and take an oath of fealty to the King/Queen. If the King/Queen sees fit, they may serve as either an aide-de-camp to a prince or a lady-in-waiting to a princess.
SQUIRE: A cat as young as 3 moons old studying to become a Knight. They are assigned to a lord/lady or knight and taught the code of chivalry. After they become 5 moons old they are permitted to begin learning hunting and battle techniques. A cat who wishes to join the court from the outside must squire before they can join the peerage.
KITTENS: The offspring of a member of the court under 3 moons of age.
TITLES AND HONORS
The King/Queen and their consort shall be addressed as his/her royal majesty.
The Crown Heir and their consort shall be addressed as his/her royal highness.
The Princes/Princesses shall be addressed as his/her grace.
Lords and Ladies shall be addressed as his/her lordship/ladyship.
Knights shall be addressed as Sir/Dame.
If the cat has been granted a Fief, they shall be address as of FIEF NAME.
TERMINOLOGY
ADULT: Cats are considered adults when they reach breeding age, around 6 months of age. Cats who are younger than 6 months are not yet eligible to take an oath. Any cat born of the peerage is expected to swear fealty at this age.
AID-DE-CAMP: A personal aid to King or Prince. Typically of the High Peerage, though sometimes a Knight.
AUDIENCE: A formal hearing in which the King permits others to approach and speak to him.
COMMONER: A cat who lacks a rank.
HIGH PEERAGE: Cats of the upper ranks. Lords, Ladies, Princes, Princess, Crown Princes, Crown Princesses, Queens, and Kings.
LADY-IN-WAITING: A personal aid to a Queen or Princess. Typically of the High Peerage, though sometimes a Dame.
LOW PEERAGE Cats of the lower ranks. Squire, Page, Dame, and Sir/Knight
OF AGE: A cat who is an adult is this.
PEASANT: A cat who lacks a rank.
PEERAGE: The name applied to the ranks of Knight, Dame, Lord, Lady, Prince, Princess, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, King and Queen as a group.
PEER: A cat of rank within Camelot. Cats who are not commoners.
ROYALTY: Cats of the highest rank. Prince, Princess, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Queen, and King.
SERVANT: A cat not of the peerage who has been taken on to serve some useful capacity by a peer. Ranked higher than a commoner/peasant, but not considered a peer.
MATING TRADITIONS
Members of the peerage are expected to take a proper mate for life. Switching mates is highly frowned upon. To be eligible to mate a cat must be of age. Any cat who is apart of the peerage is considered a suitable mate, though it is preferred that cats mate within their social tier.
LAWS OF THE COURT
No cat shall commit murder within the borders of the Kingdom. The penalty shall, when that murder was premeditated, be death. The penalty in the event the death is deemed accidental shall be service to the family of the deceased for a term of 2 years.
No cat shall commit theft within the borders of the Kingdom of Camelot. The penalty shall be flogging by an agent of the throne.
No cat shall bring violence to bear against another cat within the borders of the Kingdom, except by direct order of the throne in defense of the safety and sanctity of the Kingdom itself, or by an individual as a means of defense from violence being brought against themselves while within the borders of the Kingdom of Camelot. The penalty shall reflect the scale of the violence inflicted, at the discretion of the throne.
No cat shall, through plan or action, bring to bear a against the Throne of Camelot a plot intended to depose the Throne or any of the Agents of that Throne. The penalty shall be death of such conspirators.
No male shall, by virtue of force or manipulation, force copulation onto a female within the borders of the Kingdom of Camelot. The penalty in the first instance shall be service to the crown for 2 years. The penalty in the second instance shall be death.
No cat shall practice the arts of witchcraft, nor teach it, within the borders of the Kingdom of Camelot. The penalty in the first instance shall be flogging. The penalty in the second instance shall be flogging & a years service to the crown. The penalty in the third instance shall be death. IMPORTANT: The Court of Camelot considers the worship of StarClan to be witchcraft.
No cat can own property, save by order of the Throne of Camelot within the borders of the Kingdom of Camelot. All land not granted by the throne is considered to be property of the throne. The penalty for shall be exile if the claimant does not forfeit said claim.
A marriage shall not be considered legally binding until it is presented to the Throne for recognition by the Kingdom. The penalty shall be exile if the claimant refuses enter into a lawful marriage before the throne.
Agents of the Throne, comprising any cat who has received a Knighthood, Lordship or a royal seat, have within their powers the right to take into custody any cat found or suspected of wrongdoing in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom of Camelot. Refusal to bow to this right is strictly forbidden. In the case that a cat refuses arrest, the Agent of the Throne is hereby granted to the right to use violent force to make that arrest. Continued resistance authorizes that Agent to use further force, up to and including deadly force.
CODE OF KNIGHTHOOD
Humility, for a knight must not think so highly of themselves that they would abuse the authority they have been granted.
Kindness, for a knight must uphold and represent those things that are good, and must be trusted by those they are to defend.
Forgiveness, for a knight must be above petty grudges and other such scorns against others.
Diligence, for a knight must never waiver in the responsibilities they hold.
Charity, for a knight must give freely of that which they posses, be it their protection or their food.
Temperance, for a knight must always practice self control without fail.
Chastity, for a knight must be morally pure and beyond the distractions of the flesh.
