Codex Pannetone

Preamble

We, the undersigned, having it found worthwhile to record here the customs, traditions and rules pertaining to the prestige, precedence and protocol surrounding titles, arms and the surrounding ceremonial, we solemnly swear that this document contains our entire research, and at the time of this signature, contains no factual error, by inclusion or omission, that we know of. We succor the powerful's help in maintaining the privileges of each indepedant rank, and of all those with the right to bear arms in Arnd. This consortium also endeavours to emit clear guidance on flags, blazon and arms in all of Arnd, in a clear, concise and useful manner.

In this document we will first enumerate the classes of aristocracy and nobility in Arnd, as well as their degrees, expression, and the lineage therein. Those familiar with the topic, especially the ancient forms of nobility among the Fenici, and without interest in Kagomine, Nisan, Loran or Ozziland nobility, may skip to chapter two.

In the beginning, where writing was invented in Arnd, it was done so at the patronage and intention of the earliest Fenici nobles, most scholars postulating that wine was used as a pigment before it was used as a libation, in Ferrare, and that being attested in surviving writings almost sixteen hundred arnds old. Those nobles, were initially in two classes, the rulers of a city, known as Lucair, in the ancient Fenici language, and the city-state, as it was then known, being accounted for by the term Lucumon. The greatest of these, and indeed, for their mastery of writing allowed them much cultural impact and commercial success, became the Mastarna, lords over the early Mastareir, the earliest of which we have records being the Mastarna of Benevento.

Incidentally, one of the earliest forms of writing these early Fenici employed was to record their laws, and the description of their insignia and blazon, who were, they felt, reserved to a specific place, and could not be used of goods not coming from that place. Many years later, we see their influence in Typed Origin Restriction-type regulations, still enforced today, and for which the Eurani use the ancient symbol of the Fenici to designate.

One of the first laws of these early days was that outlining the powers of such Mastarna and Lucair, and specifically, which powers and duties were attributed to them and could not be claimed by others. The first power claimed by a Mastarna was the power to make laws that Lucair had to obey, for each Lucair was apportioned a part of the Mastarneir, and was expected to make it thrive. In return, laws laid upon the Mastarna the duty to keep the peace among the many Lucair, and the collecting of taxes, excises and fees, required either within the Fenici legal system, or without.

Mastarna survive on today, as the title just below a Komber, and indeed, the Komber rank was invented as one above a Mastarna, deliberately, and with intent to have Mastarna subordinate to a Komber. With Komberra, the socio-political organisation in fief to a Komber, comprising many provinces, each a Mastarna, divided up into Lucair, all was good, although, some enterprising Fenici Lucair did decide to divide up their lands, for profit, offering up the title of Sottosi, which is a rulership over a Sottostare. And all was well, up until some Sottosi tried to raise bands of mercenaries up against one another, in violation of the non-belligerance clauses of the early versions of the Pact of Eurani.

This... did not go well. But surprisingly, the Lucair could not, nor could the Mastarneir intervene within the early forms of legal compacts therein, and so the Komber, recently created, and indeed, the newly assumed title of Bresciani Komber was the only one who could call such to account.

Over time, some of the titles became associated with independant countries, or states, such as Komber or Mastarna, but even a Lucair was nominally independant, and many were quite large. Around 400 arnds ago, the Eurani Pact underwent an internal process that ended up redefining even what nations outside of the pact felt were customary. The Sammatri Codex was the result of this internal reflection, and became the gold standard for determining noble status.