NationStates Jolt Archive

FACTFILE: The Holy Empire of Pantocratoria

Ethnicity: 76.5% European (predominantly Greek, French, Slavonic, Italian, and Spanish), 5% Pantocratorian Indian (aboriginal population of the Exarchate of New Jerusalem), 18.5% assorted minorities
(100% human)
State Religion: Roman Catholic
Religious Affiliation: 100% Catholic (there is no question regarding religion on the census to confirm or deny this figure, provided by the Ministry of Cultural Development)

Head of State: His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty the Emperor Andreus I (Capet)
Governing Party: Pantocratoria First Party
Head of Government: Her Imperial Highness the Chancellor the Princess Irene (Capet)
Government Type: Absolute monarchy with powers devolved to a one-chamber Parliament

Parliamentary Make-up: 542 seats in total, Pantocratoria First Party (293 seats), Loyal Christian Front Party (259 seats)
Elections: All Pantocratorian subjects over the age of 18 may vote in elections.
Electoral Body (oversees elections): The Catholic Church

National Flag:
http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/pantocratoria.jpg

Coat of Arms:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/pantocratoria.jpg

OOC: In this thread, I will be posting general information about Pantocratoria and answering any questions you might have about the Imperial Government's positions and policies.

An introduction to the Imperial family of Pantocratoria

His Imperial and Most Catholic Majesty the Emperor Andreus I
The Emperor Andreus I is the ruler of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria, and has been for all his adult life. He is now in his mid-fifties (56), and is a pious Christian, like all good Pantocratorians. The Emperor takes an active interest in the social well-being of his people, and consults daily with his chancellor and the rest of the Imperial Government, whose members he appoints and dismisses at his discretion. The Emperor is a widower, his wife the Empress Theodora having recently passed away.

His Imperial Highness the Prince Andreus, Despot of New Constantinople
Prince Andreus, is the eldest son of the Emperor Andreus I. Although the eldest son is not necessarily the heir to the Imperial throne, Prince Andreus is the heir apparent, as indicated by the Emperor granting him the title "Despot of New Constantinople". Emperors of Pantocratoria have traditionally appointed their nominated heir to the despotate of New Constantinople, the second largest city of the Empire, so that the heir can gain rulership experience. Prince Andreus is 23 years old, and unmarried.

His Imperial Highness the Prince Constantine, Minister for Public Safety
Prince Constantine is the second son of Emperor Andreus and the late Empress Theodora. He is 19 years old, and holds the portfolio of Minister for Public Safety, a position in the Imperial Government which gives him control over the Imperial Police, amongst other responsibilities.

Her Imperial Highness the Princess Anna
Princess Anna is the lovely eldest daughter of the Emperor Andreus and his late wife Theodora. She is 17 years old, and will hold no official position in the Imperial Government until she reaches the age of majority ( 18 ), although she has already developed a rabid taste for politics.

Her Imperial Highness the Princess Theodora
Named after her mother, Princess Theodora is the second daughter of the Emperor Andreus. She is 15 years old, and has been the centre of a recent controversy after the Imperial Confessor forbade her to accompany the Imperial Family into the Sanctuary at Mass on the major feast days. To a deeply spiritual people like the Pantocratorians, this is deeply concerning, and there is a lot of speculation as to what exactly the young princess did to earn such a harsh penance.

Her Imperial Highness the Princess Zoë
The Princess Zoë is the youngest child of the Emperor Andreus and his late wife the Empress Theodora, at 13 years old. She generally stays out of the public eye, which is understandable at her tender age, although she accompanies her family at Imperial functions like Mass on the major feast days, or other ceremonies.

His Imperial Highness the Prince Basil, Leader of the Opposition
The former head of the Imperial Government and president of the Loyal Christian Front party, Prince Basil is the brother of the Emperor Andreus I. He is 49 years old.

As Chancellor he never bothered to curry public support, since for the period of his government, democracy had been suspended in the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria. Despite this, he is fairly well-liked, but he isn't associated in the public's eye with any particularly popular or unpopular piece of policy.

He is married and has two daughters. His wife's name is Princess Jacqueline, and his daughters are called Princesses Helen (20) and Marie (18 ).

Her Imperial Highness the Princess Irene, Chancellor of the Imperial Government
Chancellor of the Imperial Government, Princess Irene is the sister of the Emperor Andreus I, and is 51 years old. As former Ministry for Cultural Development under Prince Basil's government, Princess Irene was unpopular, and some described her as excessively pious, to the point of being an unreasonable zealot.

As Chancellor, she has instigated populist policies of making scapegoats out of non-humans, which have bolstered her popularity. She also led the country to a brief and relatively bloodless war against the Empire of Espario, which was committing acts of genocide against its minority caucasion population - the old Esperi regime was toppled and Princess Irene is helping the new Emperor of Espario rebuild his country with equal rights for all citizens.

Princess Irene has never been married, and has no children. Rumours persist that at a young age it was determined that Irene was barren, and her father the late Emperor Isaac V forbade her to ever marry as a result. She is accompanied almost everywhere by a priest named Father Michél Guillot, her confessor.

You can read about our history here:

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=74218

OOC:

Yup, I love the Byzanthese coat of arms! :D

Maybe because the Russian one was inspired from it :wink:

Nice job there!

OOC:

Yup, I love the Byzanthese coat of arms! :D

Maybe because the Russian one was inspired from it :wink:

Nice job there!

OOC: I'll explain where that coat of arms is from... so nobody thinks I can hand draw like that! There is an excellent French site called http://www.heraldique-europeenne.org/ . It pieces together arms by overlaying transparent background gifs... so I took some of their gifs and pieced together my own arms. The background (the double headed eagle) is actually from one of the later Holy Roman Emperor's arms - the Holy Roman Emperor used the same double headed eagle device as the Byzantine (and later Russian) Emperor used. The crown on the top of the shield is the crown of Hungary, which was originally given to the King of Hungary by the Byzantine Emperor before the Schism. I didn't draw any of it, I just pieced it together out of that excellent site's components! :oops:

Dear Friend

The Royal family of Blood Peak would like their first born son and heir to the throne to marry, your daughter Her Imperial Highness the Princess Anna. We feel that she is a suitable companion. We would like Prince Marcellus of Blood Peak to marry the daughter of another esteemed royal family, his age is 18.

We would like your thoughts on the matter.

Emporer Lawner of Blood Peak and Coldstream and Protector of the Peakian peoples.

Dear Friend

The Royal family of Blood Peak would like their first born son and heir to the throne to marry, your daughter Her Imperial Highness the Princess Anna. We feel that she is a suitable companion. We would like Prince Marcellus of Blood Peak to marry the daughter of another esteemed royal family, his age is 18.

We would like your thoughts on the matter.

Emporer Lawner of Blood Peak and Coldstream and Protector of the Peakian peoples.

OOC:

Heh, already you have clients!

*goes off to finish the description of the Shakhovskoy Dynasty*

Dear Friend

The Royal family of Blood Peak would like their first born son and heir to the throne to marry, your daughter Her Imperial Highness the Princess Anna. We feel that she is a suitable companion. We would like Prince Marcellus of Blood Peak to marry the daughter of another esteemed royal family, his age is 18.

We would like your thoughts on the matter.

Emporer Lawner of Blood Peak and Coldstream and Protector of the Peakian peoples.

Your Imperial Majesty,

Our beloved daughter the Princess Anna is most intrigued by the suit of Prince Marcellus, but His Highness the Prince should be aware that the King of Allemonde has announced his intention to court Princess Anna, and has done so by the way of a rather large diamond gift. We are concerned, however, since the King of Allemonde has not followed up on this initial declaration of intent, that this courtship may be over before it has begun.

Whatever the case, we cannot consent to the marriage of our daughter to the Prince Marcellus "sight unseen", as it were. If Your Imperial Majesty would like to arrange for Prince Marcellus and Princess Anna to meet, this would be most agreeable.

Filial regards to you, my fellow vicegerent on Earth,

ANDREUS I IMP. PANTOCRATORIA

Dear Andreus I of Pantocratoria

I feel that a meeting would be suitable and would like to invite Princess Anna and her entourage to Blood Peak maybe for a week or so.
This would give Princess Anna a opportunity to observe Blood Peak, its peoples and of course Prince Marcellus.

I would like to offer two gifts to the Pantocratorian royal house and of course Princess Anna.
For the royal house, a troop of Blood Peak's finest horses! These magnificant animals have been bred for racing and for polo, Blood Peak's national game.
For Princess Anna a symbol of peace and love in Blood Peak, a single rose or lily, athough this is a common practice in loving relationships in Blood Peak, we offer a bouquet of diamond and emerald lilies and a ruby and black diamond roses.

This we feel is a suitable gift for a princess of such importance.

Yours Faithfully

Emperor Lawner of Blood Peak and Coldstream, defender of the Peakian peoples.

Dearest imperial brother Lawner,

Our beloved daughter Anna is most pleased to accept your invitation. Her entourage shall travel to Blood Peak shortly (OOC: as soon as you post a thread for the visit, in fact. 8) ).

Warmest regards,

ANDREUS I IMP. PANTOCRATORIA

Capital: New Rome

Largest city: New Constantinople (8 million inhabitants, not including the estimated 2 million in the outlying shanty towns)

Principal port: New Constantinople

Oldest city: New Constantinople

Territories:

Demesne of the Emperor Andreus I
Territorial capital: New Rome
Territorial government: None.
Mainland Pantocratoria with the exception of New Constantinople and its immediate surroundings, is under the direct jurisdiction of the Imperial Government (it is the Imperial demesne).

Despotate of New Constantinople
Territorial capital: New Constantinople
Territorial government: The Despot of New Constantinople
New Constantinople and its immediate surroundings are directly administered by the Despot of New Constantinople, who typically appoints a governing body to rule the city in his stead. The present Despot of New Constantinople, His Imperial Highness the Prince Andreus, has appointed a council, whose members are personally appointed by him.

Exarchate of New Jerusalem
Territorial capital: New Jerusalem
Territorial government: The Exarch of New Jerusalem
The Exarchate of New Jerusalem is a strip of land separated from the Pantocratorian mainland by sea. Unlike mainland Pantocratoria, it was not unoccupied when the first settlers arrived - and much of its population is "Pantocratorian Indian", or descended from native stock. The current Exarch of New Jerusalem is Augustulus Comnenus. The position of Exarch is inherited according to the law of primogeniture (which makes its inheritance frought with a lot less difficulty and obscurity than the Imperial one!).

The most recent piece of legislation out of the Imperial Parliament:

The Act of Religious Sovereignty
UNDER THE SEAL OF HIS MOST CATHOLIC AND IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPEROR ANDREUS I, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IMPERATOR PANTOCRATORIA
http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/pantocratoria.jpg

WE, Andreus, Emperor, by the Grace of God, along with our chancellor, ministers and the esteemed representatives of all the parishes of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria, declare that no clergyman or woman, nor any religious missionary shall be allowed entry into the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria without our explicit approval unless he or she professes the true Catholic faith.

I. The Ministry of Public Safety will screen for any person affiliated with any religion in a non-layperson capacity, who enters the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria, at the same time as it screens arrivals for other purposes.

II. Any person which the Ministry of Public Safety finds to be affiliated with any religion in a non-layperson capacity will be asked to recite the Nicene Creed. If the subject professes to be a Catholic in full communion with the See of New Rome, and can recite the Nicene Creed, the subject will be permitted entry into the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria. Any subject which fails to recite the Nicene Creed or professes a faith other than the one Catholic faith shall be handed to the Pantocratorian Inquisition.

III. The Pantocratorian Inquisition will resolve whether the subject poses a threat to the Catholic faith in Pantocratoria, or the Pantocratorian Church. If the subject is determined to be a threat to the faith or the Church, the subject will be expelled from the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria with all due speed. If the subject is determined to not be a threat, the subject will be handed over to the Ministry of Cultural Development.

IV. The Ministry of Cultural Development will resolve whether the subject or the subject's faith will pervert the development of Pantocratorian culture. If the subject or the subject's faith will adversely affect Pantocratorian culture, then the subject will be immediately expelled from the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria.

V. The Ministry of Public Safety will decide whether the subject's presence in the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria would be desirable. If the subject's presence is found to be undesirable from any perspective, then the subject will be expelled immediately.

On this day, by our authority,

ANDREUS I IMP. PANTOCRATORIA

... double post ...

Far be it from Uncle Noel to question the diktats of His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty, Uncle Noel does find this new legislation somewhat troubling. Uncle Noel is fine with official religions and can see the importance they have in uniting the people into something greater than themselves and therefore building a more united society. Hegel, rejecting the Kantian division of church and state, argued that both should be as one since a man cannot split his loyalties.

But His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty seems to be attempting to extend this notion and thus have only one religion have than just one official religion. If His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty has faith in his people not to fall victim to demagogues from other faiths then such legislation is unnessecary. After all, missionaries would soon take flight if they realised their messages of redemption were falling on deaf ears.

However if these dangerous foreign radicals cannot be allowed to enter and therefore test the sincerity of the faith of the people of Pantocratoria then they are obvisously not religious enough. No ammount of diktats can resolve such a situation should it prove to be the case.

Uncle Noel has the honour to remain his Majesty's servant

Far be it from Uncle Noel to question the diktats of His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty, Uncle Noel does find this new legislation somewhat troubling. Uncle Noel is fine with official religions and can see the importance they have in uniting the people into something greater than themselves and therefore building a more united society. Hegel, rejecting the Kantian division of church and state, argued that both should be as one since a man cannot split his loyalties.

But His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty seems to be attempting to extend this notion and thus have only one religion have than just one official religion. If His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty has faith in his people not to fall victim to demagogues from other faiths then such legislation is unnessecary. After all, missionaries would soon take flight if they realised their messages of redemption were falling on deaf ears.

However if these dangerous foreign radicals cannot be allowed to enter and therefore test the sincerity of the faith of the people of Pantocratoria then they are obvisously not religious enough. No ammount of diktats can resolve such a situation should it prove to be the case.

Uncle Noel has the honour to remain his Majesty's servant

The Imperial Government of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria seeks to protect the religious and cultural identity of the Pantocratorian people. This legislation was principally introduced to stop the unauthorised spreading of the lies of the Yevonite sect, which calls itself the Church of Light. Foreign sects like this are an assault on the cultural purity of the Pantocratorian people - a thinly veiled assault conducted in the name of religion. The principal concern of the act is to protect the Pantocratorian cultural and religious identity against such sects - despite the groanings of my political opponents about slippery slopes and potentials for abuse and what not.

Her Imperial Highness the Princess Irene
Minister for Cultural Development
Imperial Government of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria

Exarchate of New Jerusalem
Territorial capital: New Jerusalem
Territorial government: The Exarch of New Jerusalem
The Exarchate of New Jerusalem is a strip of land separated from the Pantocratorian mainland by sea. Unlike mainland Pantocratoria, it was not unoccupied when the first settlers arrived - and much of its population is "Pantocratorian Indian", or descended from native stock. The current Exarch of New Jerusalem is Augustulus Comnenus. The position of Exarch is inherited according to the law of primogeniture (which makes its inheritance frought with a lot less difficulty and obscurity than the Imperial one!).


No one here linked to our nation?

Queen Mariah I of Jeruselem
Keeper of Holy Lands

Exarchate of New Jerusalem
Territorial capital: New Jerusalem
Territorial government: The Exarch of New Jerusalem
The Exarchate of New Jerusalem is a strip of land separated from the Pantocratorian mainland by sea. Unlike mainland Pantocratoria, it was not unoccupied when the first settlers arrived - and much of its population is "Pantocratorian Indian", or descended from native stock. The current Exarch of New Jerusalem is Augustulus Comnenus. The position of Exarch is inherited according to the law of primogeniture (which makes its inheritance frought with a lot less difficulty and obscurity than the Imperial one!).


No one here linked to our nation?

Queen Mariah I of Jeruselem
Keeper of Holy Lands

The city of New Jerusalem was named because it was conquered by a Pantocratorian crusader army which was heading for Constantinople but was blown off course. The name was chosen to make the crusade sound like less of a disaster than in fact it was.

(from the thread I linked to earlier)

The History of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria

http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/fall.jpg
The fall of Constantinople

In 1453 after Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, many hardcore loyalists to the dead Byzantine Emperor fled to the Morea, the last Byzantine hold-out. There they joined with people fleeing Turkish domination of Trabzon, Thessalonica, and Hellas. When the Orthodox Church broke once again from Rome thanks to the machinations of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, these loyalists realised that they would have no support against the Ottomans from Orthodox Christians, and so maintained communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Hoping to gather support for a new Crusade to recapture Constantinople, they formed an order of religious knights - the Knights of the Order of the Pantocrator, but few Morean Byzantines joined them, remembering the Fourth Crusade and preferring to keep their Orthodox faith.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/orderofpantocrator.jpg
The Arms of the Knightly Order of the Pantocrator

As the despotate of Morea fell to Ottoman dominion, the Knights of the Order of the Pantocrator fled in ships and set out to sea with their families. They tried to sail to Italy, but they were poor navigators, and managed to leave the Mediterranean altogether. Lost at sea, they prayed to Christ the Pantocrator, and were guided to new lands. At the harbour of this new place, they founded the city of New Constantinople, and soon thereafter founded the city of New Rome further in-land. They called their new empire Pantocratoria, naming it after the patron of their order.

Amongst their number was the bastard son of Demetrius Palaeologus, brother of the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Palaeologus. His name was also Demetrius, and since he was the closet relative amonst the knights of the last emperor, they crowned him Emperor Demetrius, but called him Holy Emperor of the Pantocratorians, rather than Emperor of the Romans in the Byzantine tradition, as Demetrius vowed to not take that title until Constantinople was reconquered. The Holy Emperors of the Pantocratorians continued the enumerations of the Byzantine Emperors, but have never reclaimed the title "Emperor of the Romans", and have long abandoned the Greek title basileus, preferring Latin terms along with the Latin rite and Roman Catholicism.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/pantocratoria.jpg
The Arms of the Emperor Demetrius I Palaeologus and his successors


Year - Event
1462 - New Constantinople founded.

1462 - Demetrius I Palaeologus crowned Holy Emperor of the Pantocratorians.

1467 - New Rome founded.

1500 - Despotate of New Constantinople established under the authority of the Emperor's son. The Emperor's nominated heir is traditionally appointed Despot of New Constantinople at age 21.

1553 - The First Pantocratorian Crusade against Constantinople sets out by sea. The ships sink and the 3000 crusading knights all drown.

1567 - Demetrius VI Palaeologus, last of the Pantocratorian Palaeologi, dies with no sons. His daughter Irene II Palaeologus becomes co-Empress, and her husband John IX Comnenus is crowned co-Emperor.

1593 - Greek rite abandoned in favour of Latin rite.

1603 - The Second Pantocratorian Crusade to Constantinople sets out by sea. The crusaders, led by the second son of the Emperor Constantine XIX Comnenus, Julius, are swept ashore on a nearby coast. They capture the city of the local pagan population, and rename it New Jerusalem, establishing the Exarchate of New Jerusalem.

1653 - The Third Pantocratorian Crusade to Constantinople sets out to sea. It too is swept to the shores of the Exarchate of New Jerusalem. After insulting the Exarch of New Jerusalem about having a native mother, the leader of the crusade, Sir Peter Phocas, sieges New Jerusalem. The native population comes to the aid of the city, slaughternig the Crusader army. The natives are proclaimed full citizens of the empire by the Exarch.

1672 - The Imperial Parliament of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria is established.

1703 - The Fourth Pantocratorian Crusade to Constantinople sets out to sea. It travels the wrong direction, and reaches the New World. Trading relations are established with the French and Spanish, and Pantocratoria starts to catch-up to Western Europe.

1712 - French becomes the official language of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria.

1753 - Instead of calling a new Crusade, Emperor Manuel VII Comnenus simply holds a great nation day of rememberance for the fall of Constantinople. The Knights of the Order of the Pantocrator riot, and are put down by the Emperor's legions. The Order of the Pantocrator is placed under the personal authority of the Emperor, and it is henceforth no longer a military organisation. The Emperor now admits men to the Order as recognition of their services.

1793 - The Revolutionary French government executes Louis XVI and orders the death of his son, Louis XVII, but the child's guard has pity on the boy, and smuggles him to safety through a Pantocratorian merchant in Paris. The child is brought back to Pantocratoria in secret.

1810 - Manuel VIII Comnenus dies, leaving his niece Theodora as his only possible heir. Empress Theodora II Comnenus marries Louis Capet (titular Louis XVII of France), who becomes co-Emperor Louis I Capet (the current Pantocratorian dynasty).

http://www.heraldique-europeenne.org/Composes/S_France.gif
The Arms of King Louis XVII of France (titular king only)

1862 - The death of the junior emperor Constantine XXI Phocas - Pantocratoria has never had more than one emperor at once again, whereas before an emperor could crown titular co-emperors (succession was still traced through the senior emperor).

1915 - Pantocratorian Imperial Navy ships join the British Royal Navy in the campaign in the Dardenelles. Catastrophe! All Pantocratorian ships are lost.

1919 - Pantocratoria goes back into isolation after Constantinople is given not to it, but to the Kingdom of Greece in the treaty of Versailles.

1940 - As the rest of the world is occupied with World War 2, Pantocratoria declares war on Turkey. The Pantocratorian Imperial Navy inflicts a devastating defeat on Turkey in the Bosphorous under the command of Michael Phocas, but no invasion can take place, as Pantocratoria was counting on being able to station troops in Greece, which had just fallen to the Germans. The Emperor Constantine XXIII makes Michael Phocas "Lord of the Bosphorous" as a reward for his victory.

1945 - As WW2 ends, Pantocratoria comes to a white peace with Turkey. The Pantocratorian National Democratic Party comes to power, and cuts the military budget to almost nothing. The Pantocratorian Imperial Navy is disbanded, and the Imperial Defence Legions aren't issued with any new equipment for another nearly 60 years!

1973 - Emperor Andreus I (presently reigning emperor) succeeds his father, Emperor Isaac V.

Exarchate of New Jerusalem
Territorial capital: New Jerusalem
Territorial government: The Exarch of New Jerusalem
The Exarchate of New Jerusalem is a strip of land separated from the Pantocratorian mainland by sea. Unlike mainland Pantocratoria, it was not unoccupied when the first settlers arrived - and much of its population is "Pantocratorian Indian", or descended from native stock. The current Exarch of New Jerusalem is Augustulus Comnenus. The position of Exarch is inherited according to the law of primogeniture (which makes its inheritance frought with a lot less difficulty and obscurity than the Imperial one!).


No one here linked to our nation?

Queen Mariah I of Jeruselem
Keeper of Holy Lands

The city of New Jerusalem was named because it was conquered by a Pantocratorian crusader army which was heading for Constantinople but was blown off course. The name was chosen to make the crusade sound like less of a disaster than in fact it was.

Sounds like the mis-adventure of the 4th Crusade (1204).

Exarchate of New Jerusalem
Territorial capital: New Jerusalem
Territorial government: The Exarch of New Jerusalem
The Exarchate of New Jerusalem is a strip of land separated from the Pantocratorian mainland by sea. Unlike mainland Pantocratoria, it was not unoccupied when the first settlers arrived - and much of its population is "Pantocratorian Indian", or descended from native stock. The current Exarch of New Jerusalem is Augustulus Comnenus. The position of Exarch is inherited according to the law of primogeniture (which makes its inheritance frought with a lot less difficulty and obscurity than the Imperial one!).


No one here linked to our nation?

Queen Mariah I of Jeruselem
Keeper of Holy Lands

The city of New Jerusalem was named because it was conquered by a Pantocratorian crusader army which was heading for Constantinople but was blown off course. The name was chosen to make the crusade sound like less of a disaster than in fact it was.

Sounds like the mis-adventure of the 4th Crusade (1204).

Voila, the inspiration! :)

The House of Bourbon-Comnenus-Palaeologus

http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/capetcomnenuspalaelogus.jpg

The present Pantocratorian dynasty is the House of Bourbon-Comnenus-Palaeologus. The family name of the Imperial Family is Capet, like the Kings of France from whom they are descended. Byzantine emperors are traditionally remembered in the style "Constantine XI Palaelogus" - by this style, the present Emperor's name is "Andreus I Capet".


The House of Bourbon-Comnenus-Palaeologus was created by the union between King Louis XVII of France* and Empress Theodora II Comnenus. The house of the Empress Theodora II was the House of Comnenus-Palaeologus, created by the union between Empress Irene II Palaeologus and Emperor Constantine XIII Comnenus. Empress Irene II was the direct descendant of the Emperor Demetrius I Palaeologus, who was the illegitimate son of Demetrius Palaeologus, brother of Constantine XI Palaeologus, the last Byzantine Emperor of Constantinople. Emperor Constantine XIII Comnenus was distantly related to the Comnenoi who had ruled Trabzon after the first fall of Constantinople in 1204 to the Fourth Crusade.


The present Imperial Family therefore is descended from the Emperors of the Romans of both Constantinople and Trabzon, and the Kings of France and Navarre. Emperor Andreus I Capet can trace his ancestry back to the successors of Charlemagne, first Emperor of the West, as well as the Emperors of the East.

*The enumeration "XVII" was reserved for the Dauphin Louis, son of Louis XVI, who disappeared after testifying at the trial of his mother Marie-Antoinette, never to be seen from again. In fact, a guard took pity on the child when given the order to kill him in secret, and smuggled him out of France through a Pantocratorian merchant he knew. The merchant returned the Dauphin to Pantocratoria, where he was crowned King Louis XVII of France. When Louis married the heiress of the last Comnenoi emperor, he became Emperor Louis I of Pantocratoria and King Louis XVII of France.

Can't get my own factfile to post. Keeps saying invalid session!

Can't get my own factfile to post. Keeps saying invalid session!

Perculiar... maybe Uncle Noel's team of hackers is attacking the forum to make sure that too much information about the fiefdom isn't given away! 8)

lol. I called it a CIA Factfile knowing full well that Uncle Noel would never dream of giving away such information.

Well it took me ages but I've posted it. Complete nonentity compared to this one though.

Well it took me ages but I've posted it. Complete nonentity compared to this one though.

Bah! You should see Tarasovka's! Besides, the beauty of a thread like this is that you can add to it whenever you feel like it!

My excuse is that the Fiefdom is a boring country without much history.


And not that I'm lazy.

The most recent piece of legislation out of the Imperial Parliament:

The Act of Religious Sovereignity
UNDER THE SEAL OF HIS MOST CATHOLIC AND IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPEROR ANDREUS I, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IMPERATOR PANTOCRATORIA
http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/pantocratoria.jpg

WE, Andreus, Emperor, by the Grace of God, along with our chancellor, ministers and the esteemed representatives of all the parishes of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria, declare that no clergyman or woman, nor any religious missionary shall be allowed entry into the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria without our explicit approval unless he or she professes the true Catholic faith.

I. The Ministry of Public Safety will screen for any person affiliated with any religion in a non-layperson capacity, who enters the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria, at the same time as it screens arrivals for other purposes.

II. Any person which the Ministry of Public Safety finds to be affiliated with any religion in a non-layperson capacity will be asked to recite the Nicene Creed. If the subject professes to be a Catholic in full communion with the See of New Rome, and can recite the Nicene Creed, the subject will be permitted entry into the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria. Any subject which fails to recite the Nicene Creed or professes a faith other than the one Catholic faith shall be handed to the Pantocratorian Inquisition.

III. The Pantocratorian Inquisition will resolve whether the subject poses a threat to the Catholic faith in Pantocratoria, or the Pantocratorian Church. If the subject is determined to be a threat to the faith or the Church, the subject will be expelled from the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria with all due speed. If the subject is determined to not be a threat, the subject will be handed over to the Ministry of Cultural Development.

IV. The Ministry of Cultural Development will resolve whether the subject or the subject's faith will pervert the development of Pantocratorian culture. If the subject or the subject's faith will adversely affect Pantocratorian culture, then the subject will be immediately expelled from the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria.

V. The Ministry of Public Safety will decide whether the subject's presence in the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria would be desirable. If the subject's presence is found to be undesirable from any perspective, then the subject will be expelled immediately.

On this day, by our authority,

ANDREUS I IMP. PANTOCRATORIA

Just a reminder- Vatican II's declaration on religious freedom (http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V2RELFRE.HTM).

Make sure your ruling complies with that.

God bless,

The Republic of Syskeyia

After consultation with the Council of the Church in Pantocratoria, we feel that the Act of Religious Sovereignty doesn't contradict the declaration of the Second Vatican Council. The Act of Religious Sovereignty doesn't stop Pantocratorians from converting to other religions nor from communicating with religious groups in other countries - it merely stops foreigners from entering Pantocratoria who have been identified as being missionaries from dangerous sects or cults. This is more an immigration control than it is an instrument of religious oppression.

We are, however, thankful that the Republic of Syskeyia took the time to remind us of the Second Vatican Council's wise declaration.

Your sister in Christ,

Princess Irene
Minister for Cultural Development
Imperial Government of the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria

Dear Andreus I IMP, Pantocratoria

The Princess Anna has arrived safetly at our captial Primus Deus.
She arrived in late afternoon yesturday, she then had a private supper with Prince Marcellus.
We have taken the liberty of arranging the Princess's appoints for the duration of her stay although she may withdarw from any of the arrangments given.
These are the appointments.

1. Watching a polo game, featureing the Prince himself.

2. A meeting with importent women of Blood Peak, for example the education minister.

3. Visiting the diamond mines of Blood Peak

4. A large party has already been arranged, in honor of her visit.

5. A flight in a BPAF observation aeroplane, so she may look over her possible kingdom.

6. A visit to Blood Peak national space program

We hope that Princess Anna enjoys her stay, Prince Marcellus has already expressed that he finds the Princess beautiful, charming, witty and intellegence.

Yours Emperor James Lawner, Blood Peak

Dear Andreus I IMP, Pantocratoria

The Princess Anna has arrived safetly at our captial Primus Deus.
She arrived in late afternoon yesturday, she then had a private supper with Prince Marcellus.
We have taken the liberty of arranging the Princess's appoints for the duration of her stay although she may withdarw from any of the arrangments given.
These are the appointments.

1. Watching a polo game, featureing the Prince himself.

2. A meeting with importent women of Blood Peak, for example the education minister.

3. Visiting the diamond mines of Blood Peak

4. A large party has already been arranged, in honor of her visit.

5. A flight in a BPAF observation aeroplane, so she may look over her possible kingdom.

6. A visit to Blood Peak national space program

We hope that Princess Anna enjoys her stay, Prince Marcellus has already expressed that he finds the Princess beautiful, charming, witty and intellegence.

Yours Emperor James Lawner, Blood Peak

Ooops... erm... actually... the Princess is receiving suitors in another thread at the moment! :oops:

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=76458

This is good stuff. Keep it up!

Shameless bump whilst working on new ideas. :D

The Cathedral of Christ Pantocrator, New Rome
http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/cathedral.gif

Built in the style of the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, the Cathedral of Christ Pantocrator only resembles the old Byzantine church on the outside. A few ancient icons on the inside speak to Pantocratoria's Eastern origins, but the rest of the interior is very much in the Western style. The Cathedral took a long time to complete, and the later interior work is much more influenced by the styles of Renaissance Rome than of Byzantine Constantinople.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/a_marrington/ns/ravenna.jpg
The icon at the entrance of the Cathedral.

The huge dome of the Cathedral is decorated with an icon of Christ Pantocrator, looking down on the congregation below.

In the sanctum of the Cathedral is an elevated marble box for the Imperial Family, accessible via a grand staircase. The marble box features a massive bronze throne for the senior Emperor. About the sanctum there are another six such boxes, with smaller thrones, which aren't elevated quite as high. Each of these were originally built for co-emperors, but the practice of sharing Imperial power has long since died out.

A virtual army of priests run the Cathedral.

Democratic elections have been reinstituted in the Holy Empire of Pantocratoria this very morning! A new election has been called, and the campaign is just getting started.

In a party-room coup today, Princess Irene and 275 other members of the Imperial Parliament left the United Christian Front Party in tatters, and formed a new Imperial Government with Princess Irene at its head under the banner of the Pantocratoria First Party. Those members loyal to Prince Basil have formed the Loyal Christian Front, and will now be running as the opposition party in the upcoming elections.

New Imperial Cabinet
Imperial Daily

HIH the Chancellor the Princess Irene has submitted her selections for the new Imperial Cabinet for confirmation by the Emperor. The Emperor is expected to officially appoint the Chancellor's selections in the evening.

Retaining the office of Treasurer is Isaac Comnenus, who has also been appointed Deputy Chancellor. Also retaining their offices are the Ministers for Health, Immigration, and Defence.

HIH the Prince Constantine has lost the Ministry of Public Safety to Guillame Armenian. Guillame Armenian is the relatively unknown Member for Louisville.

The new Minister for Cultural Development is Jean Gallipolitano, the Member for New Morea.

Sir Michael Phocas is no longer the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the portfolio being passed to Sir Jacques Antoniou. Sir Michael Phocas has been recalled from Aelosia immediately.

12 unportfolioed cabinet members have been replaced. The new Imperial Cabinet entirely consists of Pantocratoria First Party members.

OOC: I like seeing this thread on the first page. :D Election update coming soon!

Bump for updates to the Imperial Family and for the upcoming elections.

The National Anthem: God Save the Emperor

God save our glorious Emperor,
Long live our noble Emperor,
God save the Emperor!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Emperor!

O lord God arise,
Scatter his enemies,
And make them fall!
Confound their knavish tricks,
Confuse their politics,
On you our hopes we fix,
God save the Emperor!

O God him restore,
To our home of yore,
Constantinople!
Cast her Turk occupiers,
Into Hell's hottest fires!
Crown him with angelic choirs,
God save the Emperor!

From every latent foe,
From the assasins blow,
God save the Emperor!
O'er his thine arm extend,
For the Romans' sake defend,
Our father, prince, and friend,
God save the Emperor!

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On him be pleased to pour,
Long may he reign!
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Emperor!

The Holy Empire of Pantocratoria occupies two islands in the Pantocratorian Archipelago. The Pantocratorian mainland is the largest island in the archipelago, and the Exarchate of New Jerusalem is on a separate island altogether.

The Pantocratorian Archipelago is a region. If you'd like to join it, please telegram me, it is password protected.

OOC:

Heh, the God save the Emperor is based on the God save the Queen I see...

The God Save the Grand Duke will be based on God save the Tsar, as soon as I'll have the courage to translate that thing from Russian into English... :wink:

And great job on that factfile there :shock:

OOC:

Heh, the God save the Emperor is based on the God save the Queen I see...

The God Save the Grand Duke will be based on God save the Tsar, as soon as I'll have the courage to translate that thing from Russian into English... :wink:

And great job on that factfile there :shock:

Thanks! :)

Since God Save the King was the first true national anthem, a lot of European monarchies adopted their own version of it. I figure Pantocratoria can do the same! The major difference is the third verse.

Bump as a refresher for anybody who is about to witness the wedding of Princess Anna of Pantocratoria to Prince Joseph of Excalbia.

Bump for my return from exile...

Glad to see you're back!

Glad to see you're back!

Yes, I've apologised to Excalbia and Wyrmberg via telegram for taking off like that without any notice like a total jerk, and I was going to telegram you too, but since you've replied here, I'll apologise now!

If Excalbia and Wyrmberg (and any others) are interested in resurrecting the RPs we had before I disappeared, I'd love to finish them off!

I'll be glad to do it, Pantocratoria, it'll be a pleasure to have you as a partner in an RP again.

When people ask His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty the Emperor Andreus what his born-to-the-purple political ideology is, he answers by reciting the speech King Charles I of England and Scotland made from the scaffold before he was beheaded for high treason after losing the English Civil War:

I must tell you that the liberty and freedom (of the people) consists in having of Government, those laws by which their life and their goods may be most their own. It is not for having share in Government, Sir, that is nothing pertaining to them. A subject and a sovereign are clean different things. If I would have given way to an arbitrary way, for to have all laws changed according to the Power of the Sword, I needed not to have come here, and therefore I tell you ... that I am the martyr of the people.

The Emperor finds political classifications along a left/right axis to be quaint, and populism and democracy to be irrelevancies invented by rebels and malcontents to justify their illegitimate rule.

All authority comes from the person of the sovereign, and by that authority alone does a thing become law. The Imperial Government does not govern the Empire in the name of the people, nor even by winning elections, but through Imperial consent.

When Pantocratorian voters go to the polls this Sunday, they should remember that their vote is a privilege granted to them, a privilege which can be taken away, and a privilege which can and will be ignored if used irresponsibly.

Her Elegancy, the Grand Duchess of Luxornburg, finds such information in depth and comprehensive. Her Elegancy would like to inquire if such scribes could be 'lent' to the Grand Duchy of Luxornburg to see if a version about the Grand Duchy could be 'churned out'.

I would assume that there is an Inquisition to prevent and root out Heresies and witches.

~Grand Inquisitor Misha

I would assume that there is an Inquisition to prevent and root out Heresies and witches.

~Grand Inquisitor Misha

Why would you assume that? Pantocratoria is a modern Catholic country. It is the year 2004. Just as the Roman Inquisition became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 1920s, so has the Pantocratorian Inquisition evolved into a more modern organisation. Besides, there are no such things as witches, nor were Catholic inquisitions ever predominantly concerned with discovering such individuals. We can't understand why so many Catholic countries feel the need for nationally sponsored inquisitions when the rest of the Catholic world has progressively abandoned and marginalised them ever since the Council of Trent hundreds of years ago!

The Pantocratorian Congregation for the Protection of the Creed, the organisation sometimes also known as the Pantocratorian Inquisition, now has two principal responsibilities:

1) To guard against spiritual, moral and physical corruption in the Church by overseeing appointments, holding inquiry into strange behaviour in the clergy, and auditing the financial transactions of the Church in Pantocratoria.

2) To oversee the proper conduct of elections in the Empire, including supervising the counting of ballots (elections for the Imperial Parliament being held by the Church).

The Imperial Government doesn't interfere with the Congregation for the Protection of the Creed's activities, nor with the activities of the rest of the Church. The Holy Empire of Pantocratoria is a devout nation, but it is also a modern one.

Her Elegancy, the Grand Duchess of Luxornburg, finds such information in depth and comprehensive. Her Elegancy would like to inquire if such scribes could be 'lent' to the Grand Duchy of Luxornburg to see if a version about the Grand Duchy could be 'churned out'.
OOC: What did you have in mind? Would you like some help putting together a factfile of your own? Telegram me if you'd like some.

I forgot to mention that the Pantocratorian Inquisition aka the Congregation for the Protection of the Creed also has a role in immigration approval, as specified in the Act of Religious Sovereignty, which was posted earlier in this thread.

I would assume that there is an Inquisition to prevent and root out Heresies and witches.

~Grand Inquisitor Misha

Why would you assume that? Pantocratoria is a modern Catholic country. It is the year 2004. Just as the Roman Inquisition became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 1920s, so has the Pantocratorian Inquisition evolved into a more modern organisation. Besides, there are no such things as witches, nor were Catholic inquisitions ever predominantly concerned with discovering such individuals. We can't understand why so many Catholic countries feel the need for nationally sponsored inquisitions when the rest of the Catholic world has progressively abandoned and marginalised them ever since the Council of Trent hundreds of years ago!

The Pantocratorian Congregation for the Protection of the Creed, the organisation sometimes also known as the Pantocratorian Inquisition, now has two principal responsibilities:

1) To guard against spiritual, moral and physical corruption in the Church by overseeing appointments, holding inquiry into strange behaviour in the clergy, and auditing the financial transactions of the Church in Pantocratoria.

2) To oversee the proper conduct of elections in the Empire, including supervising the counting of ballots (elections for the Imperial Parliament being held by the Church).

The Imperial Government doesn't interfere with the Congregation for the Protection of the Creed's activities, nor with the activities of the rest of the Church. The Holy Empire of Pantocratoria is a devout nation, but it is also a modern one.

Theres never been an need to marginalize the Inquisition in Teritora. They have always been an great service in Teritora. Then again theres an active and strong order of church knights in Teritora dating from the Star and Cross Crusade.

Archbishop Vorn

I would assume that there is an Inquisition to prevent and root out Heresies and witches.

~Grand Inquisitor Misha

Why would you assume that? Pantocratoria is a modern Catholic country. It is the year 2004. Just as the Roman Inquisition became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 1920s, so has the Pantocratorian Inquisition evolved into a more modern organisation. Besides, there are no such things as witches, nor were Catholic inquisitions ever predominantly concerned with discovering such individuals. We can't understand why so many Catholic countries feel the need for nationally sponsored inquisitions when the rest of the Catholic world has progressively abandoned and marginalised them ever since the Council of Trent hundreds of years ago!

The Pantocratorian Congregation for the Protection of the Creed, the organisation sometimes also known as the Pantocratorian Inquisition, now has two principal responsibilities:

1) To guard against spiritual, moral and physical corruption in the Church by overseeing appointments, holding inquiry into strange behaviour in the clergy, and auditing the financial transactions of the Church in Pantocratoria.

2) To oversee the proper conduct of elections in the Empire, including supervising the counting of ballots (elections for the Imperial Parliament being held by the Church).

The Imperial Government doesn't interfere with the Congregation for the Protection of the Creed's activities, nor with the activities of the rest of the Church. The Holy Empire of Pantocratoria is a devout nation, but it is also a modern one.

Theres never been an need to marginalize the Inquisition in Teritora. They have always been an great service in Teritora. Then again theres an active and strong order of church knights in Teritora dating from the Star and Cross Crusade.

Archbishop Vorn

It should be noted since I can't find the original election thread, that tthe Pantocratoria First Party was returned to power, with its majority extended from 10 to 43 seats. Princess Irene remains the Imperial Chancellor.