So … events are starting again, which means there are courts, and scrolls, and wording!
Maneke was knighted at Murder Melee, and for his scroll to be given, the scribe Augusta wanted to do it in a Mongolian style to match his ceremony – she reached out to me for wording, and I collaborated with her by basing the text off of William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols, from the 13th century. Specifically in the Account, there is a detailed letter from the Khan to the King of France … I took elements from that letter, especially the warnings about losing your hands and feet, the authority of the Khan, and some flavour text.
If you are interested, an online copy of the William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols can be found here: https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html
The
commandment of the Khan and Khan Begam is the word of the Line of the
North. Whosoever hears this, be they
common or noble, present today or wherever ears can hear or wherever horses can
travel, let it be heard and known that Maneke of the Rozakii has heard the call
to the Order of Chivalry and understood the burden he undertakes this day,
therefore all know this order and proclamation, and celebrate this day and the
glory of Ealdormere.
Maneke
is known in many lands as a glaivesman without few peers, let him take up the
belt given to him by the Crown so all will know his prowess. Maneke is a noble man in heart and deed, so
he shall take up the spurs of the horseman so he can bring good to all corners
of the land. Maneke is loyal to the
kingdom and serves it well, so he shall take up the chain that binds him to the
thrones with the touch of iron, and Maneke cares for all people of the land of
the Inland Seas, so he shall take up the blade that protects all the people of
the north.
If
any hears this order and makes claim against it, they shall hear not even
though they have ears and see not even though they have eyes, they shall want
to hold anything they shall be without hands, and when they shall want to walk
they shall be without feet. This is the word
of Roak and Hyrrokin of Ealdormere.
Set
down by our scribes and given the great seal of authority and presented at the
occasion of Murder Melee in the Meadow, the 18th day of June in the
57th year since the first tournament in the Westernmost lands.
(Taken from the passage detailing a letter from the Khan to
the King of France in William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols, c.1270, as
shown below)
Finally,
the letter he sends you being finished, they called me and interpreted it to
me. I wrote down its tenor, as well as I could understand through an
interpreter, and it is as follows: "The commandment of the eternal God is,
in Heaven there is only one eternal God, and on Earth there is only one lord,
Chingis Chan. This is word of the Son of God, Demugin, (or) Chingis 'sound of
iron.' " (For they call him Chingis, 'sound of iron,' because he was a
blacksmith; and puffed up in their pride they even say that he is the son of
God). "This is what is told you. Wherever there be a Mo'al, or a Naiman
[J: Whosoever we are, whether a Mo'al or a Naiman], or a Merkit or a
Musteleman, wherever ears can hear, wherever horses can travel, there let it be
heard and known; those who shall have heard my commandments and understood
them, and who shall not believe and shall make war against us, shall hear and
see that they have eyes and see not [J: For the moment they hear my order and
understand it but place no credence in it and wish to make war against us, you
shall see that though they have eyes they shall be without sight]; and when
they shall want to hold anything they shall be without hands, and when they
shall want to walk they shall be without feet: this is the eternal command of
God.
"This,
through the virtue of the eternal God, through the great world of the Mo'al, is
the word of Mangu Chan to the lord of the French, King Louis, and to all the
other lords and priests and to all the great realm of the French, that they may
understand our words. For the word of the eternal God to Chingis Chan has not
reached unto you, either through Chingis Chan or others who have come after
him.
"A
certain man by the name of David came to you as the ambassador of the Mo'al,
but he was an impostor ; and you sent back with him your envoys to Keu Chan.
After the death of Keu Chan your ambassadors reached this court. And Camus his
wife sent you nasic stuffs and a letter. But as to affairs of war and
of peace and the welfare and happiness of a great realm [J: (and) subduing the
wide world and discerning how to act for the best], what could this woman, who
was viler than a dog, know about them?" (For Mangu told me with his own
lips that Camus was the worst kind of a witch, and that she had destroyed her
whole family by her witchcraft.)
"These
two monks, who have come from you to Sartach, Sartach sent to Baatu; but Baatu
sent them to us, for Mangu Chan is the greatest lord of the Mo'al realm. Now
then, to the end that the whole world and the priests and monks may be in peace
and rejoice, and that the word of God be heard among you, we wanted to appoint
Mo'al envoys (to go back) with these your priests. But they replied that
between us and you there is a hostile country, and many wicked people, and bad
roads; so they were afraid that they could not take our envoys in safety to
you; but that if we would give them our letter containing our commandments,
they would carry them to King Louis himself. So we do not send our envoys with
them; but we send you in writing the commandments of the eternal God by these
your priests: the commandments of the eternal God are what we impart to you.
And when you shall have heard and believed, if you will obey us, send your
ambassadors to us; and so we shall have proof whether you want peace or war
with us. When, by the virtue of the eternal God, from the rising of the Sun to
the setting, all the world shall be in universal joy and peace, then shall be
manifested what we are to be. But if you hear the commandment of the eternal
God, and understand it, and shall not give heed to it, nor believe it, saying
to yourselves: 'Our country is far off, our mountains are strong, our sea is
wide,' and in this belief you make war against us, you shall find out what we
can do. He who makes easy what is difficult, and brings close what is far off,
the eternal God He knows."