To all and singular to whom these presents shall come,greetings:
Let it be known that it has pleased His Imperial Majesty,The Sovereign Viking Emperor to issue a new Charter for The Most Honourable Imperial Martial Order of the Battle-Axe.
Article 1:
The new name of this Imperial Order of Knighthood shall be:The Most Honourable Imperial Martial Order of the Battle-Axe.
Article 2:
The Emperor has,as the Fount of Honour of the Viking Empire of Stormark,the sole authority to appoint new members to this Imperial Order and He shall make appointments in His absolute discretion.
Article 3:
All appointments made to this Imperial Order before the transformation of this Imperial Order shall stand unmodified.
Article 4:
Only warriors may be appointed to this Imperial Order.
Article 5:
The Emperor shall be the Grand Master of this Imperial Order.
Article 6:
The Stallari of the Imperial Hird shall have the authority to recommend new members to be appointed to this Imperial Order.
Article 7:
The members of this Imperial Order shall be divided in four(4) classes,which shall be in descending order of seniority and precedence:
Grand Master.
Knight Grand Cross(to be abbreviated:KGCB).
Knight Commander(to be abbreviated:KCB).
Knight(to be abbreviated:KNB).
Article 8:
a)There shall be only one(1) Grand Master and six(6) Knights Grand Cross.
b)There be no maximum number of members in the other classes.
Article 9:
Any member of this Imperial Order may be stripped of his/her membership in this Imperial Order by the Emperor.Such action to be undertaken only in the case of a conviction of Treason,Subversion or another high or grave crime,or in the case of conduct unbecoming a knight or lady.
Article 10:
This Charter replaces the Charter of January 7,2003 and said Charter is hereby rescinded.
So be it!!
Done from the Imperial Hall on the Eighteenth Day of July of the Year of Our Lord the Two Thousand and Third and of the Second Viking Age the Second.
Harald Thorstein I the Generous Giver by the Grace of the Viking Law Sovereign Viking Emperor of the Viking Empire of Stormark and by the Grace of Other High Laws of His Other Realms King.