A New Shire

You have explored the world of historical recreation, and you are interested in the Adrian Empire. There are no groups close to you, but you are interested enough to think about starting a group yourself.

It is a time-consuming proposition, requiring dedication and commitment. This is not said to intimidate you, or to discourage you from trying. It is simply that you have a better chance of success if you know what you are facing.

How do you know if you're in Imperial lands?

The Adrian Empire encompasses all of the continental United States and Canada. Many areas have already been chartered and have an active presence. Some areas may already have a charter, but are not active. And still other areas have not yet expressed an interest in starting up a group.

If a region has a charter, and is active, then all lands included in the charter "belong" to that chapter, and all activity is coordinated through the chapter. If there is no activity, the charter is inactive, and may be reactivated by the Imperial Crown. If there is no charter, it is considered Imperial lands, and the Imperial Crown may work with you to create a shire (the smallest of the chapters).

Starting a Shire

A shire requires at least five paid members in order to even consider petitioning the Imperial Crown. Once there is paid membership in the area, look around to see if there is enough community interest to sustain a group for any length of time.

If you think there is, and are willing to dedicate your time, then you may petition the Imperial Crown for permission to start a shire. If they grant permission, they will appoint a viceroy in the region as a minister who will act in their stead. This viceroy has very limited rights and needs permission to do just about everything. The viceroy will consult closely with the Imperial ministers to run the shire and help it grow.

Starting a Canton

It may be that you live in an area that has no active group, but has already been chartered. Many of the chapters are chartered with very broad boundaries. This is so that they will have room to grow within the chapter. The Crown of that chapter is in charge of all activity within their borders. Contact them with your intentions. They may form a canton in your area and perhaps appoint you as the governor (or viceroy) to act in their stead. Like an Imperial viceroy, you would have no rights, and would need to coordinate your actions with the local crown. On the other hand, the local crown would help you in every way to grow the canton.