The Treaty of Monte Carlo
The Treaty of Monte Carlo, also known as "The Bodyguard Treaty," is an arms and troop limitation treaty which sets out the laws by which the station of Bodyguard is governed within the Great Houses, as well as laying out the laws governing the neutral territory of Iceland, it being the location of the Great Library, and of Monte Carlo, the location of The Watching Dogs, a kind of "Bodyguard's neutral ground."
There have been amendments to this treaty, and further amendments are open for discussion. One amendment allows for an expansion to the number of Bodyguards. Another establishes "the Neutral Territories" in Europe, in the wake of the disappearance of The Missing House.
To date, each House is allowed five bodyguards, and each bodyguard is permitted twenty underlings, of which five are permitted to be Literomancers. The organization structure of each bodyguard team is variable, although it is generally accepted that the ranks are as follows:
Under the Treaty of Monte Carlo, the permanent control of nuclear, chemical, and/or biological weapons by bodyguards is prohibited, although control of such weapons may be seized in times of war. The BWC, CWC, TPNW, Geneva Protocol, and all other treaties that may affect the usage of biological, chemical, and/or nuclear weapons are not affected by this treaty. As such, a Bodyguard may incriminate themself by using such weapons during a period of temporary control.
| Rank | Used By |
|---|---|
| BR-1 through BR-9 | Bodyguard Underlings ie. "Security Squads" |
| BOf-1 | Junior Bodyguards ie. "Lieutenants" |
| BOf-2 | Senior Bodyguards, ie. "Commanders" |
| BOf-3 | Heads of the Bodyguard Teams, ie. "Owsla Captain," "Feral Major" |
| BOf-4 | House Leaders |
Purpose
Historically, the Great Houses once kept large numbers of personal guards that almost constituted private armies. This made monarchs and other House Leaders nervous, and treaties limiting their numbers are not new.
With the reformation of the Great Houses and the Protectorates following The First Word War, this remained a point of concern for the House Leaders, who were still wary of one another. Further, with the limited numbers of Tome Knights, it was believed that too many Bodyguards would diminish the overall pool of combat Literomancers available to fight The Undead Horde in subsequent Word Wars. Limiting the use of literomancer Bodyguards by mercenaries and House Leaders was seen as a way of effectively addressing both concerns.
Document Structure
Clauses
The Treaty of Monte Carlo is divided into a Preamble and two Parts, with Amendments following these.
Chapter I is divided into five Articles (1 through 5).
The first three determine the number of Bodyguards permitted within a House or mercenary organization, how many are permitted to be in the service of the different types of leaders, and who is permitted to claim the Bodyguard rank.
the last two Articles define the term of service for a Bodyguard and specify that a Bodyguard must volunteer for the position.
Chapter II, divided into two Articles (6 and 7,) permits up to 20 militants to serve directly under each Bodyguard's command, five of which may be literomancers.
Chapter I, divided into three Articles (11 through 13,) defines the Monte Carlo administrative area of Monaco as a neutral space in which no one may incite hostilities, and specifies that each Bodyguard force must send a representative to Monte Carlo to meet with other representatives on the 17th of October each year. Presumably, this is to coordinate plans for the Word Wars.
Chapter II, divided into four Articles (14 through 17,) defines Iceland, the location of the Great Library, as a neutral territory, forbids any House more than a battalion of troops in Iceland in a time of peace, and places the obligation of Iceland's defense, whether through supernatural or mundane forces, on all of the Great Houses jointly.
The first three permit organizations to declare their neutrality in literomantic matters, define "The Watching Dogs" as an organization that has declared neutrality, and states that organizations that have declared neutrality will be governed by the laws of Monaco and the administrative area of Monte Carlo.
The last two specify that an active roster of current Bodyguards must be posted at the Watching Dogs by each Bodyguard force by the first of November, and delineate how copies of the treaty will be archived and how certified copies will be shared.
Amendment I modifies Article 1 to permit five Bodyguards per House instead of four.
Amendment II, Article 23, limits the number of Bodyguards for a crowned House Leader to four.
Amendment III, Article 24, limits the number of Bodyguards for a Regent or non-crowned leader of a literomantic organization to two. This Article has generally been interpreted to encompass Seneschals without requiring further amendments.
Amendment IV, Article 25, limits the number of Bodyguards for a House Heir to one.
Amendment V, Article 26, expands Part II, Section I, Chapter II, the section on the Neutrality of Iceland, to apply to the entirety of Europe, following the disappearance of the Missing House. It also specifies that these conditions shall continue until such time as another House is able to undertake Europe, or parts of Europe, as its Protectorate, and the The Council of the Great Houses must unanimously agree to this.
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Preamble
The Preamble identifies the initial Parties and signatories to the Treaty.Part I. — Military and Munitions Clauses
Section I — Personnel Clauses
Is divided into two Chapters:Section II — Armament, Munitions, and Material
Is divided into three Articles (8 through 10,) which specify that Bodyguard forces may not be in permanent and direct control of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.Part II. — Establishment of Neutral Territories
Section I — The Neutrality of Areas
Is divided into two Chapters:Section II — The Neutrality of Organizations
Is divided into five Articles (18 through 22):Amendments:
Additional Signatories:
Houses and literomantic organizations that did not exist at the time the treaty was originally drafted have signed on to the treaty in this final section.Publication Status
Certified copies of the treaty are available for public viewing at the Watching Dogs in Monte Carlo and the Great Library. Most Houses and literomantic organizations also keep a certified copy of the treaty. The digital text has been published online as well.
Legal status
The Treaty of Monte Carlo is legal in all Protectorates, the Neutral Territories, and Monaco.
Historical Details
Public Reaction
In general, the public knows the Treaty of Monte Carlo exists, but take little interest. Most people are aware that the Great Houses have some sort of treaty that limits the numbers of Bodyguards they can possess, but are unaware of the specifics or the reasons behind this, and probably could not give the formal name of the treaty if asked.
WIP
Streamer
Missing
Status: Location Unknown
Deceased
Status: Deceased Character
Retired
Status: Retired Character or Article
Navigation
Type
Treaty, Diplomatic
Medium
Paper
Authoring Date
April 7, 2021
Ratification Date
April 29, 2021
Location
Authors
Signatories (Characters)
Comments