Laws of Everhallow

The peoples of Realms of Adventure are as varied as its climate, and in different lands the rules and customs of society can be vastly different. Laws vary from place to place to suit the needs and ideals of the people they serve. For example slavery is highly illegal in the Twin Kingdoms and Agoria – but is an accepted practice throughout Solinaria and Al’Hazir. It is wise for travelers to be aware of local laws and customs before venturing into new territory because not every culture is forgiving of transgressions.

•  No common person within The Twin Kingdoms shall enter the private home of another without permission of the owner.

•  A common person within The Twin Kingdoms may not steal, damage, or destroy, the possessions, goods or money of another person.

•  A common person of The Twin Kingdoms may not strike or assault another law-abiding person with any part of their person (i.e. fist, foot etc.) or a weapon, or a spell, with the exception of circumstances of self-defense. Any assault or attempted assault is a crime to be brought before the judge, adjudicator or local Magistrate. Situations of self-defense will be judged according to the amount of force used and the appropriateness of that force.

•  Similarly, for a commoner, murder is illegal. Murder is defined as actions or deliberate negligence resulting in the death of another person, without justification or excuse. Causing the death of another will be judged according to the situation, justification and the appropriateness of that action.

•  Duels and honor combats are permitted in the Twin Kingdoms under certain circumstances. Both parties must be willing, and the rules of said combat must be clearly defined and abided by. Only a local noble, ranked Knight or higher, or the local Magistrate, Judge, or Bailiff may grant permission for the combat and a witness of that noble or town official must be present.

•  Slavery is illegal. No citizen or foreign resident of The Twin Kingdoms may keep slaves or enforce slavery. Slavery is the uncompensated and unwilling servitude of one individual to another. Indentured servitude is legal when there is reasonable compensation, willingness, and agreement of both parties, and the servitor is considered to be of sound mind and capable of making informed decisions.  The only exception to the above are temporary leaves granted by a noble of the rank of Marquis or Higher, and only as a temporary measure that may not be extended indefinitely.

•  A common person within The Twin Kingdoms may not imprison, capture or enslave another person against their will or in return for a ransom. This is considered kidnapping and will be regarded similarly to slavery. The only time a citizen may hold another against their will is in the case of detaining a criminal until such time as the proper authorities may take over.

•  A common person within The Twin Kingdoms may not employ torture on any creature. Only appointed representatives of The Twin Kingdoms including guards of rank Corporal or higher, Senior Scarlet Scarves and above, or licensed individuals may employ the arts of torture and only then in the function of official Twin Kingdoms business.

•  The use and possession of any lethal poisons and venoms are strictly forbidden, with exception of certain spells. Poisons of a non-lethal nature including but not limited to those which induce sleep or temporary paralysis are legal.

•  A common person within The Twin Kingdoms may not cast any magic, sorcery, or divine prayer upon another person without their consent. Infractions of this sort will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

• All mages must be licensed within the Twin Kingdoms in order to cast. However a master mage within the guild may take responsibility for a novice student for a short while until they are able to attend a formal Mages’ Guild meeting to become licensed.  During this interim time, the novice student may be taught. These temporary allowances shall be granted to an individual for no more than three days time at maximum, once, ever. (Though the master in question may grant this allowance to different individuals within the same year, an individual may only be allowed to benefit from this benefit under a non-scarlet-scarf-master only once)  Scarlet scarves may grant this allowance at their discretion in 3 day increments.  The same individual may not benefit from this allowance more than 2 instances per year.   Those without license may also seek permission to cast solely in the defense of themselves and others, however abuse of this to circumvent licensure will result in severe prosecution.  Any of the permissions granted above become the immediate responsibility of the granting mage to directly inform the local guild scribe, who shall be responsible for keeping a record of these permissions and exceptions that shall be available for inspection by Scarlet Scarves, Headmaster of the Local Mages Guild, or Judge.  Addendum: By Noble Decree, Rune Mages shall require licensure in order to cast spells. All Shavali shall require licensure via the Mages’ Guild in order to cast spells as well.  

•  The unlicensed use, practice or teaching of Necromancy is illegal. Further, no individual shall teach Necromancy to any other individual without express written prior consent of a duly appointed representative of EACH of the following: Magister of Emerald OR Scarlet Scarves (local or otherwise), Noble of Marquis or Higher. Recommendation from Local Headmaster of Mages’ Guild -OR- Town Magistrate. If any of the above requirements cannot be met, an individual may plead their case before a Mages’ Guild Tribunal, this may only occur in lieu of one of the above.

•  Persons may not worship, preach or call forth spells of infernal beings. The summoning of infernal forces or the willing casting of infernal rites are illegal activities in The Twin Kingdoms. Similarly consorting with infernal beings is illegal.  Consorting with infernal beings is only legal during the day and night surrounding Realms Night.  During the aforementioned time, casting infernal spells or performing infernal rites remain illegal.

• If the legality of a particular type of magic being cast or observed is in question, it is the responsibility of the individual witnessing or casting this magic to seek out either a Scarlet Scarf or Headmaster of the Local Mages’ Guild to make the determination.  If an immediate determination cannot be made, it is the responsibility of the Scarlet Scarf or Headmaster in question to seek out an official internal ruling from the Mages’ Guild.

•  Lying in any official capacity is highly illegal. This includes but is not limited to lying while testifying in court or being questioned by a guardsman or noble. This also includes the misrepresentation of oneself as something they are not, be it noble, guardsman, or any other official duly appointed by the government of the Twin Kingdoms.

•  Forgery and counterfeiting are highly illegal. This includes documentation, goods, materials or valuables.

•  All persons must fully cooperate and assist any representative of the Royal Guard, as well as any noble when legally requested.

•  All persons, regardless of citizenship, are expected to pay taxes and tithes to the local government according to present needs upon demand. If a person is unable to pay the taxes they should report this to the local magistrate who will try to resolve the matter. Intentional tax evasion will be punished harshly.

•  All persons, citizen or otherwise, are obliged to assist in the defense and protection of the Kingdom, in whatever manner they are able and with whatever resources they have. During wartime or in situations of emergency as deemed by the local baron or magistrate or guard of sergeant rank or higher, a person may be conscripted to provide for the defense of the Kingdom.

•  Any of the above crimes are punishable not only if committed, but conspiracy to commit a crime, or aiding and abetting another to commit a crime or concealing the truth, nature or existence of a crime is similarly illegal, and can be deemed treasonous if the crime is one against the state.

• Non-citizens and foreign residents of The Twin Kingdoms are still bound by these laws.

• Citizenship allows one to represent themselves before a judge or court. If a non-citizen or foreign resident of The Twin Kingdoms is accused of breaking a law, they must find a citizen to represent them and speak on their behalf.

•  Lastly, be it known that ignorance of the laws on any grounds, is not an excuse for breaking them. In the event you cannot read or interpret the laws, you may seek out a judge or Magistrate to explain them to you.