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DIVINE PROVERB 1: Types of Authority
❈ 1.1 The Divine Analects and Edicts herein and the authority of the Pontifex Maximus are of the highest authority known as Pious Authority. Documents issued with Pious Authority are to be referred to as Proclamations and take precedence over all others.
❈ 1.2 The authority of the Sovereign and the authority which flows from them is Royal Authority, and is subservient to Pious Authority. Documents issued with Royal Authority are to be referred to as Decrees.
❈ 1.3 The authority of the Legislatures, Chancellor, and the Judiciary is Legal Authority and is subservient to Pious Authority and Royal Authority. Documents issued with Legal Authority are to be referred to as Dictums.

DIVINE PROVERB 2: Access
❈ 2.1 This document, in its original state and all amendments thereof, must be publicly available to all persons, and efforts to stifle such access are unconstitutional.
❈ 2.2 All documents exercising authority under this document must be publicly available to all persons, within reasonable constraints, and efforts to stifle such access are unconstitutional.
❈ 2.3 All modifications to the Divine Analects must be publicly announced and shall not be conducted in secrecy.

DIVINE PROVERB 3: Foundership
❈3.1 The founder shall maintain the right to administer as necessary the region of Ravana with the tools and means provided by NationStates.
❈3.2 We shall not ratify any document of authority which restricts the founder from performing the duties and administrative tasks afforded to him through NationStates game mechanics, nor attempt to remove from the founder the right of sole administrative authority.
❈3.3 This authority extends to any platform utilized by Ravana for governmental, administrative, or cultural purposes. No platform may claim to be officially endorsed, supported by, or representative of Ravana if it is not owned by the founder or holds the direct approval of the founder. The founder may revoke such approval at any time.
❈3.4 The founder shall be referred to as the Pontifex Maximus.

DIVINE PROVERB 4: Alterations
❈4.1 We shall require all alterations of these DIVINE ANALECTS to be performed by the Pontifex Maximus and ruling sovereign jointly, through the composition of an Edict of Alteration.
❈4.2 We shall grant no alteration to the DIVINE ANALECTS if the Pontifex Maximus and Sovereign do not agree in full to the alteration.

DIVINE PROVERB 5: The Holy Church of Ravana
❈5.1 The Pontifex Maximus in addition to overseeing the responsibilities listed above shall serve as the figurehead of the Holy Church of Ravana. As its figurehead, he shall hold all authority granted to the church and reserves the ability to delegate such responsibility as he sees fit.
❈5.2 The Holy Church of Ravana has the authority to pronounce new houses (families) with Pious authority as well as recognize adoptions into existing houses.
❈5.3 The Holy Church will be tasked with managing the coronation of the Sovereign and shall be tasked with compiling an official list and roster of all recognized families within Ravana.
❈5.4 A house shall be composed of all citizens who have been adopted into a recognized house. Any citizen may ask the Holy Church to recognize their house if there is at least one noble member. A house must have at least one noble member to retain its status as a house.
❈5.5 The Holy Church will manage all matters of citizenship. The Pontifex Maximus shall have full authority over the citizenship process and may delegate this authority. The Pontifex Maximus may revoke citizenship from any nation that violates these Divine Analects, joins under false pretenses, disrupts the community of Ravana, or violates the nationstates rules of conduct or similar rules on other platforms that are in use. The Pontifex Maximus should not use the powers described in 4.4 for frivolous or political ends.

DIVINE PROVERB 6: Excommunication
❈6.1 Any nation may be excommunicated by the Pontifex Maximus and may not be permitted citizenship nor may have access to any platforms controlled by Ravana. Excommunications may be lifted by the Pontifex Maximus at any point.
❈6.2 Providing information with an excommunicated individual that they would be otherwise unable to see without being themselves a citizen is punishable with the revocation of citizenship.
❈6.3 The Pontifex Maximus may issue intent to Excommunicate the Sovereign, in this circumstance the two legislative chambers would be called to vote to approve or reject the Excommunication by a majority of votes caste in both chambers. Should the Sovereign be excommunicated they will be disposed from the throne, and their heir shall ascend to the position of Sovereign with the blessing of the Pontifex Maximus, or the Pontifex Maximus may crown another eligible Noble to ascend to the throne.
❈6.4 The Pontifex Maximus may excommunicate any Noble, at which point their status shall be demoted to that of a citizen and they shall be ineligible to hold any offices or titles that require the status of nobility.

DIVINE PROVERB 7: The Sovereign
❈7.1 The Sovereign shall be the official head of state in Ravana. As head of state, the Sovereign shall represent Ravana in military and foreign affairs and shall directly oversee any ministries tasked with managing foreign affairs or the military, and direct the functioning of the Guilds.
❈7.2 Upon ascension to the throne the Sovereign shall name an heir to rule following their succession. The Sovereign retains the right to abdicate the heir and name a new one at any point. In order for an individual to be named heir, they must be formally recognized by the Church of Ravana as being of the same house as the Sovereign, or receive the explicit recognition of the Pontifex Maximus.
❈7.3 The Sovereign shall not serve in any other office while acting Sovereign, and must resign from all standing legal positions.
❈7.4 Beyond Excommunication, Abdication, and removal by trial, the Sovereign may be removed by a process known as Popular Assent. Any Noble in the Royal Court may call for a motion to dispose of the Sovereign by Popular Assent. Voting shall last 48 hours in the Royal Court, and if a majority of voting nobles back the referendum, it shall be passed on to the citizens. If ⅔ of voting citizens back the referendum over a 48 hour period, the Sovereign shall be deposed. The Royal Court must anoint a new Noble to be crowned as Sovereign by a majority vote following a successful invocation of Popular Assent.

DIVINE PROVERB 8: Royal Court
❈8.1 The Sovereign and Pontifex Maximus may jointly recognize any citizen as a Noble as recognition for their dedication to Ravana, embodiment of Ravana’s values, and commitment to upholding the Divine Analects.
❈8.2 The Sovereign’s house shall automatically be considered a royal house. In addition to the Sovereign's house, there may be up to two other royal houses.
❈8.3 The first two additional royal houses shall be selected by the Pontifex Maximus. These, and all future royal houses may be removed from the Royal Court if another house petitions to be seated in the Royal Court. When any house petitions to be seated in the Royal Court a census shall be conducted by The Holy Church to determine the two largest houses, excluding the house of the sovereign. These two houses shall replace the previous two as royal houses.
❈8.4 Any member of a royal house who is both a citizen and a noble is automatically seated in the Royal Court, excluding the Sovereign.

DIVINE PROVERB 9: Royal Decrees
❈9.1 The Sovereign shall enact all decisions in regards to their authority via a Royal Decree. The Sovereign shall hold power over appointments lamented in this document and any other authorities vested to them by this document or other established documents of authority. Should the legislative chambers of Ravana grant additional authority to the Sovereign through the passage of a Dictum, that authority may be reascended by a modification or repeal of the Dictum in question.
❈9.2 Royal decrees may be rescinded by the same process by which they were established.
❈9.3 All royal decrees must clearly state their status as a decree, the action they intend to incur, and the power they intend to invoke.

DIVINE PROVERB 10: Guilds
❈10.1 The guilds of Ravana shall function as semi-autonomous actors in terms of their relation to the government. They may be established to run roleplays, serve as militias, act as intellectual associations, or take up other roles to develop the community of Ravana.
❈10.2 Guilds may be established if a charter is drafted and approved by the Sovereign and a majority of the Royal Court. A guild charter may be revoked following the petition of the Sovereign and a majority of the Royal Court.
❈10.3 Guilds shall be tasked with establishing, modifying, and upholding their own charters and structures. As such they will have internal leadership and codes dictating procedures within their established objectives. All guilds must have a clearly defined purpose within their charter. Guilds may dictate their own terms of membership, admittance, and expulsion.
❈10.4 Each guild must have a clearly defined leader and spokesperson.
charter. Guilds may dictate their own terms of membership, admittance, and expulsion.
❈10.5 Guilds shall be subservient to the Sovereign.

DIVINE PROVERB 11: Legislative Chambers
❈11.1 There shall be two legislative Chambers, hereby referred to as the Royal Court and Parliament.
❈11.2 All citizens, including nobles and excluding the Sovereign and Pontifex Maximus are eligible to be elected into the Parliament. The Parliament will hold elections on the first of every month and shall be composed of a total of 5 seats. Elections will involve an instant runoff procedure lasting 24 hours in which citizens may cast their ballot for up to 5 candidates and the top 5 candidates shall win. The new parliament shall take over immediately following elections. Parliament shall not pass laws or introduce legislation while elections are taking place.
❈11.3 Should there ever be vacant seats that are left unfilled after an election or become vacant during a term, the seats shall remain vacant and their votes on all considerations shall be considered abstentions. Any eligible citizen may declare their intentions to run for a vacant seat at least 5 days prior to the next monthly election, at which time a vote lasting 24 hours will be held to confirm or reject the candidate after 48 hours of consideration. Any other citizen may announce their intentions to run against that candidate within the 48 hour consideration, and whichever candidate receives more votes shall be elected to the Parliament.
❈11.4 All citizens may vote in Parliament elections. All citizens seated on the Parliament shall be referred to as Members of Parliament.

DIVINE PROVERB 12: The Chancellor
❈12.1 From among their own ranks the Parliament shall elect a Chancellor to represent their chamber, retain decorum, and preside over the Judiciary, and serve as head of the cabinet.
❈12.2 At the beginning of each term there shall be a period where the Chancellor is chosen. The Chancellor must secure the backing of a majority of elected members of Parliament. Parliament may not introduce any other legislation until a Chancellor is chosen.
❈ 12.3 As head of Government, the Chancellor will be charged with directing and enforcing dictums through the management of Ravana's ministries. The Chancellor may appoint or dismiss ministry heads at any point.

DIVINE PROVERB 13: Legislative Procedure
❈13.1 The Parliament holds the power to draft dictums and pass them with a majority vote of all voting Members. These dictums will be enacted as law if they receive either the approval of the Sovereign or the approval of a majority of voting nobles in the Royal Court. The Sovereign reserves the right to withhold their approval indefinitely and the Royal Court, by a majority vote, reserves the right to reject any dictum. All votes shall last 24 hours or until receiving a majority vote of all members of parliament.
❈13.2 The Royal Court may not draft dictums of its own, but reserves the power to approve or reject dictums from the Parliament.
❈13.3 The Royal Court shall be tasked with approving the appointment of all judiciaries.
❈13.4 By a 2/3 majority of all voting members the Royal Court may impeach a Member of Parliament or Judiciary.
❈13.5 Should a Member of Parliament be impeached, their seat shall become a vacant seat to be filled in the next election or by the process detailed in. Should a Judiciary be impeached the Sovereign must appoint a new Judiciary and receive confirmation from the Royal Court.

DIVINE PROVERB 14: Judicial Structure
❈14.1 The Sovereign, upon assuming power must appoint 2 Judiciaries to interpret and resolve violations of both Legal Authority and Royal Authority, so long as they don’t contradict Pious Authority or these Edicts.
❈14.2 These two Judiciaries must receive approval from the Royal Court before assuming office. Should a Judiciary resign or be impeached, a new one may be selected by this same process.
❈14.3 The Chancellor shall also be considered a Judiciary for all intents and purposes, and shall preside over Judicial hearings.
❈14.4 Judiciaries shall serve for a tenure of 3 months each, excluding the Chancellor who sits for the duration of their term in the Parliament. Upon the cessation of their terms, the Sovereign shall either re-institute one or both of them without requiring approval from the Royal Court, or appoint a new Judiciaire(s) with the approval of the Royal Court.
❈14.5 The Parliament reserves the right to pass legislation detailing judicial procedures, and should one not be established the Judiciary must unanimously decide on a procedure to implement.
❈14.6 Convicting individuals of violating dictums requires a 2/3 majority of the Judiciary. If the Pontifex Maximus or Sovereign is tried for overstepping their authority, they must be convicted with a unanimous verdict and then:
❈14.7 Should the Sovereign be convicted, the action they took in violation of the rules shall be reversed. Should the Judiciary feel compelled to, they may by unanimous vote call for the impeachment of the Sovereign. Should the motion receive a majority of votes in both the Parliament and the Royal Court, the Sovereign shall be deposed and the designated heir will ascend to the throne.
❈ 14.8 Should the Pontifex Maximus be convicted, the action taken in violation of the rules shall be reversed if the Sovereign deems the conviction to be in violation of the Pontifex Maximus’s authority.
❈14.9 All citizens reserve the right to appeal to Pious Judgment in their own defense. If this should occur the Pontifex Maximus shall issue a verdict in line with the law, or decline the appeal.
❈ 14.10 Citizens may bring a challenge to the Judiciary that an exercise in Legal or Royal authority has violated the sanctity of higher authority. Citizens may petition the Pontifex Maximus for Pious Judgement should they solemnly believe the Judiciary made the incorrect judgment. The Pontifex Maximus may refuse to hear a petition for Pious Judgement.
❈14.11 The Judiciary shall not have jurisdiction over matters of Pious authority; except in the case of violation by the Pontifex Maximus.

DIVINE PROVERB 15: Holding Offices
❈15.1 Clarifies that the Sovereign may serve in no other offices than Sovereign, the Pontifex Maximus shall serve in no other offices other than Pontifex Maximus, The Chancellor shall serve in no other offices than Chancellor. Should any situation result in an individual holding contradictory offices, they must resign from one or more to resolve the contradiction or face removal from all offices by the Pontifex Maximus.

DIVINE PROVERB 16: Ministries
❈16.1 Ministries may be established by the Parliament through the same process that a Dictum becomes law.
❈16.2 The Chancellor shall directly appoint the head of each Ministry established this way. These Ministries will serve directly under the direction of the Chancellor and the oversight of the Parliament.
❈16.3 The Parliament reserves the right to alter or abolish any Ministry through the same process that a Dictum becomes law.