From the desk of Lifeguard Commissioner Stephanie Kreiburg; I - Introduction II - On the Topic of House Guards III - On the Topic of Palests IV - On the Topic of Knights V - On the Topic of Servants VI - Conclusion I - Introduction It is my extreme pleasure to announce my newfound position as the Lifeguard Commissioner under the Bancroft Chancellery. That being said, it is my job to ensure that the lives and well-being of our grand peerage is safe and attained to. I do take my position very seriously and I intend to enforce all laws and decrees that exist and are followed to the tee. My father Donatus as well as the influence of the Kreiburg family has made me realize the importance of the House Guard despite my non-combative ways. House Servants are my expertise though and I look forward to working with the good leaders of our Peerage to organize them. That being said, all findings and observations that I have will only be presented to the Lord Chancellor, I swear confidentiality. This is to ensure that the privacy of noble houses are ensured and maintained. That being said, here is the crop of my labor and the recommendations for the Peerage. II - Concerning House Guards I will make this simple and concise as it should be for any noble house to comply. This applies to all noble houses, aristocrats are not obliged as they do not have a House Guard, though if they want to list to me their servants that will be taken in the form of a letter. All of the below must be abided by the house leader and the Leader of House Guards. Write a letter addressed to Dame Stephanie Kreiburg and ensure that it reaches her office at the Kreiburg estate. This letter must include the following; The Patriarch or Matriarch of the house, the House Guard leader, a list of all House Guards, and a date in which the Lifeguard Commissioner can observe a training event at a neutral ground. The last one is especially important as it is my job to determine whether or not the House Guards in your family are competent and disciplined. At this point I will write back with an agreement on the date or another date in mind should I be unavailable. Upon arrival I will have a joint interview with the House Leader and the House Guard Commander. Questions that will be asked are not hard and should just have a base one-word response. An example would be, which House Guard is your best? How many House Guards require plate armor? It should be simple, I will have two of my own House Guards with me when I come. The interview and training session can take place at an estate though if you like a neutral ground can be sought out, so long as you specify in the letter. I will oversee a regular training session if not a little shorter as to conserve time. This is to judge the martial ability of all guards within your house. Should a House Guard not have the time to make it, I will take the account of his or her fellow brothers-in-arms. After this I will take into stock how many House Servants are in the estate or they can be listed to me with someone who has that knowledge. After this I will depart and my reports will make its way to the Lord Chancellor. III - Concerning Palests Palests have it easier than House Guards as they are more trustworthy and should be more martially skilled than the typical guard. Because of this their orders are not as arduous as the house guards but till important nonetheless. Palests should personally send a letter to me detailing the noble that they guard and the weapons/armor that they use. They should detail their past martial experience and how long they’ve been serving their noble. After this, I will contact this noble who will briefly confirm or deny the contents of your letter, should all go well you’ll be registered without problem. As for the nobility, here is my personal philosophy on palests and how they should be dealt with and garnered. First and foremost, it is not required that a noble has a palest; however it is heavily encouraged to have one. A palest is vital to a nobleman or woman and to not have one could put yourself in future danger. A palest should be chosen on two factors, how much trust you have for them and their martial prowess. Trust is important with a palest as you will be around them often and they will likely overhear a lot of your conversations. On the topic of martial prowess, a palest is not a normal House Guard, they should be the cream of the crop in terms of guardians. It is recommended to have a knight as a palest though not required, they should also have experience in war. Although not necessary, it is encouraged to keep the palest separate from House Guards so that the point is driven that they are loyal to you specifically. IV - Concerning Knights Knights can be house guards if their code allows it, Lion Pelts in particular are a more infamous house guard. While this is true that they are loyal to their order and their House, as long as they are classified as a House Guard or Palest they are under my jurisdiction. The above applies to them just as it would anyone else if they are a palest or House Guard. It is my personal opinion that Knights are better suited for the life of a palest but if house guards are needed it’d be encouraged to hire a couple. That being said, if a knight leaves the House for any reason they must contact me as soon as possible. This can be in the form of a letter or a formal meeting, I do not mind. Knights are respectable soldiers though and it is encouraged that they are treated that way by nobles, they are not your average House Guard. Other than that, all previous topics apply to them for their respective job. V - Concerning Servants With servants there is far more leniency than there is to house guards and really a servant is more under the jurisdiction of the House it serves rather than myself. Servants are vital for the upkeep of an estate and the nobles living inside of it and personally I see them as the backbone of any good House. Because of this, here are some recommendations I put forth regarding servants. First and foremost, it is encouraged to have one servant per house member, for some Houses I’d say even two. On top of that, servants should know how to cook and clean but they can have specialty trades such as a house smith or alchemist. Every noble House should have a physician though, at least one employed but that number could go higher. On top of that, servants are not officially registered but if you feel comfortable it is encouraged to offer forward their names and trade. No interview is needed however, just a letter detailing what they do and their name. On top of that, servants should be brought in the stead of a House guard when it comes to casual events, such as sitting at the noble lounge or going out to eat. None of this is required though, just what I found best while working as the Mistress of Servants under House Kreiburg. VI - Conclusion With that said, it is time to wrap this rather lengthy Decree up in a bow with a few parting words. If a House Guard, servant, or palest is released under any circumstance it is the duty of the guard/servant/palest to come to me personally and explain why they left. If they fail to do this and it becomes public knowledge that they have left I will seek out the noble family for an explanation. Other than that, I look forward to working with the diligent peerage that calls out empire home and keeping them safe is my top priority. May no noble go without guards. It should be noted that all unregistered guards do not count and thusly do not pertain the rights of your average house guard. This does not apply to Palests or House Servants. -Stephanie Kreiburg Lifeguard Commissioner Dame of House Kreiburg Owner of La Vitalite Spa
