✠ Hadrian law of succession - The Imperial Council ✠

[Agrhendaer]

Heiligertag 16, Rotfall, 1541

By decree of the Imperial Council in the name of his Imperial Majesty, Kaiser Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts


Throughout the history of the Kingdom and now Empire of Hadriana, many dynasties have risen to greatness and fallen into nothingness. These dynasties have their own dynastic trees and pieces of history, which this document seeks to put into writing. To get a clear understanding of these dynasties, their claims and successions, a law has been put into place. This law of succession stands as the foundation upon which the noble dynasties and their claims are built. With a determined set of titles and a structured succession this article strives to provide clarity and prevent infighting over claims and other hereditary issues.


Inner workings of Inheritance
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The law of succession is a system based on a few simple rules. The succession within a Hadrian noble dynasty always goes through the male line of said dynasty. The first-born son of a Herzog will always be the rightful heir to the position of his parents. Should the first-born be unable to assume their duties, the second-born son will inherit and so forth. Should there be no eligible sons, the claim reverts to the eldest daughter. If there are no sons or daughters of the dynasty available, the eldest male can inherit, though the Diet can always object through voting if they so desire.

The sons and daughters of someone with a claim, be it a Herzog or Herzogin are always called ‘Fürst’ (♂) or ‘Fürstin’ (♀) and will carry the dynastic surname, therefore all double surnames are hereby expired. The rightful heir has his own title, ‘Krönfürst’.

Once a Krönfürst is elevated to the role of Herzog, his parents, brothers and sisters receive an official title change and are no longer allowed to use their old titles. Their official titles will be Edelherr (♂) or Edelfrau (♀), and are placed behind the new Herzog’s children in the line of succession.


Members of a Dynasty that have been adopted are solely able to use the surname, they hold no official titles and claims. Neither do children born out of marriage in which a female claim holder marries a male commoner or peasant, as in that case the male carries over his claims and titles, which are none, and the female claims and titles do not carry over.

Heads of House
​

All dynasties have a Head of their household. This head of the family has control over all individuals that entail his dynasty, yet there is a catch to it. When it comes to revoking claim and titles, and the banishment of members from their household the Heads of House must seek approval from the Imperial Council first. To be able to recieve this approval, the head of the household must be able to provide a grounded basis for the revocation of banishment.

Furthermore it is not possible for a head of house to change the heridetary line of the dynasty. The eldest born will always be first heir, and from their the regular progression system is always in place.

Finally, heads of households do have the right to forge and reject marriages. For this right they do not have to communicate with a higher body.

Noble Weddings​

When members of noble houses engage in marriage, both heads of households must agree to the marriage. When one of the heads disagrees with the marriage it can not take place. Marrying without permission of the head of the dynasty will be punished. This punishment includes, but is not limited to, an official revocation of all titles and claims.

Official titles of the Hadrian Empire​

Before we delve deeper into the structures of the Hadrian noble families it is essential to know the Hadrian titles and their meanings. Below depicted is a list of all officially recognized titles within the Empire of Hadriana. The titles on the left are male, while all titles on the right are female. The Hadrian titles have been divided into two categories. The first is High Nobility, in High-Attian known as Hoher Adel. These nobles are often direct dynasty members of the current claimholder of a province. The lesser category is that of Low Nobility, Niederer Adel in High-Attian. This class of nobles usually carry no titles and claims or are distant family members of claimholders.

High nobility - ‘Hoher Adel’

Kaiser / Kaiserin - Head of the Hadrian Empire
Kaisersgemahl / Kaiserinsgemahl - Spouse of the Kaiser(in)
Prinz / Prinzess - Issue of the Kaiser & Kaiserin

Großherzog / Großherzogin - Duke of a Grand Duchy
Großherzoggemahl / Großherzoginsgemahl - Spouse of a Großherzog(in)
Krönfurst - Rightful heir to a Duchy
Fürst / Fürstin - Issue of the Großherzog & Großherzogin

Herzog / Herzogin - Head of a Duchy
Herzogsgemahl / Herzoginsgemahl - Spouse of a Herzog(in)
Krönfurst - Rightful heir to a Duchy
Fürst / Fürstin - Issue of the Herzog & Herzogin

Low nobility - ‘Niederer Adel’

Graf / Grafin - Ritter with an allotted plot of land, no succession claim, and under the control of the local Herzog.
Ritter - Knight without succession claims.
Edelherr / Edelfrau - All family members of a Herzog(in) that are not in the direct line of succession and that hold no claim. (everyone besides the Herzogs children/grandchildren)

Noble families of the Hadrian provinces

These families hold claims to the Hadrian provinces and are allowed to use their official titles as depicted below.
With this inventory a small guide has been added. These symbols have been added to reduce the masses of text, and instead make this guide clear and understandable for all walks of life.

​

★ = Head of the family
↑ = High Nobility
↓= Low nobility
♛ = Rightful heir
† = Deceased

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House von Lichtenfelts
​

The Lichtenfelts dynasty is the current and former deliverer of the Hadrian Kaiser. Besides their role as royalty of the Hadrian Empire, they have a claim on the ‘Grand Principality of Brandenhafen’. This province is currently under the control of Interim-Herzog Hugo Alekzander von Lichtenfelts but will be granted to Wilhelm Sigismund II von Lichtenfelts, the current claimholder of Brandenhafen, once he becomes of age.

The Lichtenfelts Dynasty has several branches. The current branch will be called the ‘Diederick-Göbel Branch’, after Kaiser Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts who is the current head of the family. The other branch will be named after Diederick's brother Philipp Wilhelm II von Lichtenfelts, who in his high days as Kaiser of Hadriana was Head of the household himself.


Diederick-Göbel Branch

↑ ★ Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts - Kaiser
↑ † Catharine von Lichtenfelts - Kaiserinsgemahl
↑ Veredra Kerstin von Lichtenfelts - Kaiserinsgemahl

↑ ♛ Wilhelm Sigismund II von Lichtenfelts - Prinz (Heir of Brandenhafen)
↑ Karl II von Lichtenfelts - Prinz

Philipp Branch

↑ † Philipp Wilhelm II - Kaiser
↑ Anzhelika von Lichtenfelts - Edelfrau

↑ † Karl von Lichtenfelts - Krönprinz
↑ Hugo Alekzander von Lichtenfelts - Interim-Herzog
↑ Helena Theodosia von Lichtenfelts - Prinzess
↑ Katherina von Lichtenfelts - Prinzess

House Tzyrnowski
​

The Tzyrnowski dynasty is the current claimant of the Hertzland throne. This dynasty has a long history, starting in the Kingdom of Hadriana before it collapsed. After which they briefly became royals of their self-proclaimed Kingdom Radymié. Before eventually returning to the Hadrian Empire in the form of Janczyk-Mariusz Tzyrnowski.

The branches of the Tzyrnowski household start with the Kzrystof-Jan branch. Named after Herzog Kzrystof-Jan Tzyrnowski of the Hadrian Kingdom. The current active branch is named after Kzrystof's nephew Janczyk-Mariusz Tzyrnowski, who is the current head of the house, and Herzog of Herzland.

There also is a third branch, named Tzyrnowski-Kir. The origins of this branch are unknown, therefore its members hold no titles or claims.

Kzrystof-Jan Branch

↑ † Kzrystof-Jan Tzyrnowksi - Herzog
↑ † Celestine Tzyrnowski - Herzoginsgemahl
↑ ♛ † Jacek Tzyrnowski - Krönfürst
↑ † Mateusz Tzyrnowski - Fürst

Janczyk Branch

↑ ★ Janczyk-Mariusz Tzyrnowski - Großherzog
↑ Clarissa Tzyrnowski - Großherzoginsgemahl

↑ Cecylia Tzyrnowski - Fürstin
↑ Anastazja Tzyrnowski - Fürstin
↑ ♛ Bartosz Tzyrnowski - Krönfürst (Heir of Hertzland)
↑ Cedryk Tzyrnowski - Fürst

Tzyrnowski-Kir Branch

Kazimierz Tzyrnowski-Kir - No title or claim
Daphne Tzyrnowski-Kir - No title or claim

House van Leuveren
​

House van Leuveren, is a family that has existed since the days of the Hadrian Kingdom. During the period of the Hadrian Kingdom, they held claim on the Hinterlands. Same as the Tzyrnowskis they were briefly ‘royals’ of the proto-republic the United Provinces of the Hinterlands. They were then reinstated into the newly formed Hadrian Empire, before Arnoud van Leuveren started an international crisis and was banished, had his titles revoked, and got beheaded.

Then, a forgotten branch was discovered, when Silas-Moetieur van Leuveren, who grew up at the Luminion court, started the free-state of Raevendrecht as its Stadthouder. After a long period of independence, the Stadthouder was couped, and made his way back to the Hadrian Empire, to be installed as Herzog of the Southern Hinterlands.

The dynastic family that once held a claim to the Hinterlands has since died out and has been named after Gerardus van Leuveren, father of Johannes IV, Arnoud, Isabella, and Alice. The other two dynastic lines are named after Jan-Hendrik van Leuveren, brother of Gerardus, and Silas van Leuveren. The latter is an interesting instance since his official surname is Moetieur, yet he has formally requested to write away the Moetieur claims, and yet adopt the name of his mother.

Gerardus Branch

↓ † Gerardus van Leuveren - Edelherr
↓ Unknown wife - Edelfrau

↓ † Johannes IV van Leuveren - Edelherr
↑ † Arnoud van Leuveren - Stadhouder

↓ † Isabella Moetieur - Empress of Valegro
↑ Silas van Leuveren - Herzog (Claims written away to retain the van Leuveren name)

Alice van Leuveren - Title and claims revoked
Florence Rovelt - Title and claims revoked

Jan-Hendrik Branch

↓ † Jan-Hendrik V van Leuveren - Edelherr
Johan van Leuveren - Title and claims revoked

Silas Branch

↑ ★ Silas van Leuveren - Herzog

House von Herdorf
​

The Herdorf dynasty is a rather new one with Ser Markvart being its sole member at the current moment. After the assassination of Philipp Wilhelm II von Lichtenfelts this loyalist ritter fled towards the town of Lünburg. Once there he found a place to stay in Lünburgs Kremlin and met up with the then Kaiser in exile Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts.

After their return to the Empire, Markvart was rewarded for his unwavering loyalty, in the form of the province of Hölzland and charged with creating the first Ritterly Order in the Empire, the Order of the Golden Rose..

Markvart Branch

↑ ★ Markvart von Herdorf - Herzog

House Moetieur
​

The messiest dynasty of them all. Spread across three different nations this dynasty is so-called ‘all over the place’. Not only is it a historic noble house in the Hadrian Empire, it also includes nobles from the Empire of Anjyarr and the then ‘Empire’ of Valegro.

Though uncertainty rules, the Ashlyn branch, named after Großherzogin Ashlyn Moetieur, is believed to be the last pure one. The other branch, of which Silas van Leuveren coincidently is a part of, exists of a deceased Anjyarri noble, and the deceased former Empress of Valegro. Silas has written away his claims to this household and carries on the van Leuveren name his mother held by birth.

There are a few remaining names, of which their relation could not be traced. Any problems regarding this can be resolved with a letter to the Imperial Council.


Arndil Branch

↓ † Arndil Moetieur - Anjyarr noble
↓ † Isabella Moetieur - Empress of Valegro

↑ ♛Silas van Leuveren - Herzog


Ashlyn Branch

↑ ★ Ashlyn Moetieur - Großherzogin

Unknown relations

Adelaide Moetieur - No title or claim
Harold Moetieur - No title or claim
Amahri Moetieur - No title or claim

House Rovelt
​

The Rovelt dynasty, like the Tzyrnowskis and van Leuverens is one of the ancient houses still active since the Kingdom of Hadriana. Starting off as low nobility under the Withmond rule they vanished for decades when they decided to move off into a secluded mansion in the woods north of Füssland. Recently they returned after the fall of Raevkov, to take hold of the province of Flüssland, as a power vacuum was created when Janczyk wrote away the Tzyrnowskis claim on said province.

The Rovelt has only one branch, named after the head of the household Herzogin Victoria Rovelt. Herr Kisho Rovelt was adopted into the family, and therefore holds no claims or titles.

Victoria Branch

↑ ★ Victoria Rovelt - Herzogin

Kisho Rovelt - No title or claim
↑ ♛ Maximus Rovelt - Kronfürst
↑ Rosaline Rovelt - Fürstin

Grafs and Ritters​

These individuals hold a symbolic title and have no claims.

When Ritters are allotted a plot of land they become a Graf(in). After a Ritter dies this plot of allocated land will go back to the rightful leader of said province. There is no succession through blood, nor claims in the families of Ritters and Graf(in)s

Ritters of the Order of the Golden Rose
​

Founded during the exile of Diederick-Göbel von Lichtenfelts while being hosted by the House of Tzyrnowski in Lünburg, the Order of the Golden Rose recruits only from among the most promising candidates of the Attian populace. Those initiated into the Order vow to not attempt to further their own ambitions through their position, but toil endlessly to improve the lives of His Imperial Majesty's citizenry. To symbolize the fundamental ideals of loyalty and brotherhood, all members of the Order of the Golden Rose have vowed to stay loyal first, last, and always to the rightful Kaiser. Their purpose is to root out all that is considered dishonorable, disloyal, and evil, while in service to a worthy Kaiser. To be a Golden Rose Ritter is to become a beacon of hope to the populace, and through their efforts create a better version of Eden.

Ser Markvart - Hochmeister

Ritters of Salvor​

The Knights of Salvor is an order founded in the Hertzland region of the Empire after Kaiser Diederick retook the lands. These knights dedicate themselves to the Sentinel of War and Honour, Salvor. Those who join the order dedicate themselves to a life of martial prowess and the eternal duty of protecting the northern provinces and maintaining peace in the lands

Janczyk-Mariusz Tzyrnowski - Hochmeister