Foundation Charter of the Knights of Rhodes

Mario Unodeitanti was waiting in the office of the Grand Master on board the Mary. The Grand Master was late, and Mario was looking around. His curiosity attracted by the framed document on the bulkhead.

The document that is regarded as the start of the Knights of Rhodes is their contract with an Admiral of the Royal Navy, representing the British Crown, where they for the first time signed as their own entity, although still with the Vatican co-signing. Regardless that the Knights had been around in some capacity for three hundred years already, the signing date, 1766 is considered their starting date.

The contract stipulates that the Knights of Rhodes will help crew, in the role of sea-infantry/boarding crew, of five man-of-war's. And sail an undiscribed number of their own ships to the Caribbean to help battle the piracy problem there.

The piracy problem had been increasing as the British navy is to busy chasing after colonials who are upset about tax stamps.

According to the charter the Knights of Rhodes are payed 400.000 Pieces of Eight for their help for two sailing seasons. In four instalments six months apart.

Furthermore did the document talk about how the crew that joined the Brirish ships was to be equiped. That any caught pirates should be brought to justice and that their ship's and cargo belonged to the crown, but that the knights had the rights to the ship's inventory.

Actually that's all it says, it's a rather short and uninspireing piece of parchement given the historical consequences.