Protocols

As a member of the Great Alliance Lunaria acts in accordance with established RoE (Rules of Engagement), however; Lunaria also has its own protocols.

Lunarian invocation and devotion Goddess Eterna

Grant, O Goddess, Thy protection;
And in protection, strength;
And in strength, understanding;
And in understanding, knowledge;
And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;
And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it;
And in that love, the love of all existences;
And in the love of all existences,
the love of spirit and all goodness.

Peerage

Hereditary titles (such as Countess Duchess, and Earl), often linked to lands, powers, or responsibilities. For instance, English and Scottish peers had the right of summons to parliament.

Viceroy & Vicereine

The governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign. a person appointed to rule a country or province as the deputy of the sovereign: the viceroy of India.

Duke & Duchess

A noble of the highest hereditary rank. A member of nobility; historically the highest rank below the reigning monarch. In England, the title was reserved for members of the royal family.

Marquess & Marchioness

A member of the peerage ranking below a Duke and above an Earl. Lords and Ladys responsible for guarding border areas, known as "marches." In some cases, the eldest son or daughter of a Duke is known as a Marquess or Marchioness.

Earl & Countess

A member of the peerage ranking below a Marquess and above a Viscount. The highest title attainable by an English noble who was not of royal blood. Also, known in earlier times as Ealdorman.

Viscount & Viscountess

A member of the peerage ranking below an Earl and above a Baron. The fourth level of peerage, a Viscount was a lieutenant or deputy of a Count (from"vice-count"), or the title of courtesy for the eldest of an Earl or Marquess.

Baronet & Baroness

The holder of a rank of honor below a baron and above a knight. Originally English Barons who had lost the right of their individual summons to Parliament. Often these titles were sold to gentlemen willing to set up plantations in Ireland or Nova Scotia.

Knight & Dame (Lord & Lady)

Knights were warriors who fought on horseback. In return for land, they pledged themselves as vassals to the king. Only the sons of lords could become knights. Candidates for knighthood began training as pages at the age of 7, learning social graces and skills such as fencing and hunting. At 13 or 14 they became squires and began to practice fighting on horseback. Squires served as assistants to knights both in the castle and on the battlefield. At 21 a squire could become a knight himself, kneeling before the lord of the manor to be "dubbed" on the shoulder with a sword. Kings, local lords, and knights were all part-of a ruling class that called itself noblemen.The Lords (knights) ruled over the fiefs or manors. They rented their land to peasants who worked for them. The trained knights were bound by oath to serve the nobles who had granted them their fiefs. The warrior (on retainer) who owed military service to his lord in exchange for payment of money, titles, and/or fief (land). Knights also aspired to the ideals of loyalty, generosity and courtesy, known as chivalry.

Vassals

(in the feudal system) a person granted the use of land, in return for rendering homage, fealty, and usually military service or its equivalent to a lord or other superior; feudal tenant. Vassals ruled lands granted to them by their king. Those lands were called fiefs. Within fiefs, a vassal acted as a local lord and could give portions of it to vassals of his own. Someone might be the vassal of one person, but the lord of another. Noblewomen were the wives and daughters of noblemen. They were in charge of the household servants and supervised the upbringing of children. They also helped take care of the sick and the poor. In certain cases, noblewomen themselves could own land. They could inherit it from their parents or from their husbands. When a nobleman was away, his wife ruled the manor. This meant that the noblewoman, if called upon by her lord, could send knights into battle, just as a man would. A free man who held land (fief) from a lord to whom he paid homage and swore fealty. He owed various services and obligations, primarily military, but he also advised his lord and paid him the traditional feudal aids required on the knighting of the lord's eldest son, the marriage of the lord's eldest daughter, and the ransoming of the lord, should he be held captive.

Armiger

A person entitled to bear heraldic arms.

Gentry

Wellborn and well-bred people. In England, the class below the nobility. An upper or ruling class; aristocracy. Those who are not members of the nobility but are entitled to a coat of arms, especially those owning large tracts of land.

Tenant-in-Chief

A lord or institution holding land directly from the sovereign. All Earls were Tenants-in-Chief.

Additional Resources

Debrett's Peerage

Burke’s Peerage

Forms of Address

Her Majesty: HM - Queen "Your Majesty" on the first occasion, and "Ma'am" thereafter

His | Her Royal Highness: HRH - Female members of The Royal Family who hold the title Her Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion, and then "Ma'am." and male members of The Royal Family who hold the title His Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion and "Sir" thereafter. (The prince consort is referred to as "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion and "Sir" thereafter)

Duke | Duchess
- Begin: My Lady Duchess or Lord Duke
- Address: Her/His Grace the Duchess or Duke of _____
- Speak to as: Your Grace (formal and employees), Duke (social)

Marquess | Marchioness, Earl | Countess, Viscount | Viscountess, and Baron | Baroness are addressed as Lord or Lady

Written Correspondent

Dukes and Duchesses – on the scroll/envelope, write His/Her Grace The Duke/Duchess of Place Name. Begin the letter with ‘My Lord Duke’ or ‘Madam’.
Marquises and Marchionesses – The Most Honorable The Marquis/Marchioness of Place Name (envelope); ‘My Lord Marquis’ or ‘Madam’ (letter)
Earls and Countesses – The Right Honorable The Earl/Countess of Place Name (envelope); ‘My Lord’ or ‘Madam’ (letter)
Viscounts and Viscountesses – The Right Honorable The Viscount/Viscountess of Place Name (envelope); ‘My Lord’ or ‘Madam’ (letter)
Barons and Baronesses – The Right Honorable The Lord/Lady Place Name (envelope); ‘My Lord’ or ‘Madam’ (letter)

‘Yours faithfully’ is an appropriate way to sign off.

Missive

Part One: Salutatio

The Greeting, Salutation or the part of the letter which lets the recipient knows to who it is addressed and from whom it is. The Salutation contains the names of both parties. Among equals, or from an inferior to a superior (or to show extra respect), the recipient should be mentioned first. From a superior to an inferior, put the sender’s name first.

General rule: the highest rank receives the most politeness and therefore goes first.

Feel free to add flattering epithets to their name, and suitably humble ones to your own. Refer to the recipient’s rank or office, to their superior skills and personal attributes, or to their relationship to you.

Part Two: Captatio Venevolentiae

This is the part in which the addressee puts the recipient in a good frame of mind toward the sender by sending good thoughts toward the health and wealth of the recipient and that of his family. Here is another chance to prepare the reader to look kindly upon you and the substance of your letter. This is also a good chance to let the recipient know of the support in any endeavor on the field at any moment.

Emphasize your own humility, praise the recipient, mention your achievements on their behalf or your worthy motivation. Say how important the letter is, how weighty its matter. The first sections of a letter are vital in securing the reader’s interest in your topic. They are not for talking business.

Part Three: Narratio

This part is the Narration and explains the circumstances of the sender. Telling the recipient of the general news and happenings of those in the area, and what gossip there may be and the deaths that may have happened in the timeline of the writing.

Put here a clear and concise narration of the matter. State your request, announcement, whatever. This is less important than the previous sections, despite the fact that this is the reason for the letter. The question can only be posed after you have secured the positive interest and goodwill of the recipient. Original impressions count. If you haven’t been sufficiently well-mannered by now, you won’t get anywhere.

Part Four: Petitio

In this part the recipient is finally given the true reason of the letter, with the request and all pertinent information with which to give judgment, this can be omitted if the letter is not requesting any favors. This is where you can offer prayers, advice, threats if necessary. Put in a reproving (and improving) example, or a stern admonishment for bad behavior. If you have written a pleading letter, this is an excellent place for even more fulsome praise of the reader’s generosity.

Part Five: Conclusio

And finally the part of the letter that brings all the above together tied neatly and goodbyes and more well wishing are expressed. Don’t repeat the subject matter. Salute the recipient again if you wish. You may also wish to ‘affirm’ – state your loyalty, write about the pleasant effects to result from their compliance with your desire (i.e.: “Believe me, your most loyal servant and humble petitioner while I live.”). Alternatively, you may wish to ‘deny’ – state the evil consequences of ignoring your request (i.e.: “If you fail in this, you will surely lose our alliance”).

Part Six: Signatures and Dates

The signatures and the dates are required to give the letter its authenticity. If the author of the letter will not sign it, then the letter could be considered a forgery by many and would have been a cause for jailing the delivery boy, or causing a war.

The Signature goes at the end of the letter, whilst the Dates are penned up at the top of the page with where the writer was in residence alongside it.

Part Seven: Folding and Seals

The folding part is what becomes rather tricky. There are some extant documents and many are in museums, but not many of the museums are fond of publishing instructions on how to recreate the folds. So I am instead putting in pictures on how to elegantly fold a document and instructions on how to put a seal so that it will look medieval enough. With further research and a little more urging; I am sure that museums will pull a few moldy documents out and take some nice pictures on how they were folded and create instructions as to how to do it so that it is not completely lost to history.