Common & Charter Law

Common Law

Although each of the assorted settlements tend to have their own special and local laws, there are certain common crimes throughout Wyrlde, even within the savage lands. The reason dates to the Age of Dread first, with the Decrees of Belial, and then to the Age of Myth, with the Code of Mansa, and most recently with Chicory showing up to remind people, usually in ways that get very bloody and painful and destructive.

In all cases, the Powers That Be set forth a set of basic laws that were taught to everyone, with the expectation that they would be handed down over the generations. These make up the fundamental basic laws, and many Ikons have noted that the stories do not track with what their patrons have said.

These basic laws have been in place for as long as there have been people on Wyrlde, in any case. The full code lists one hundred crimes and describes a set of specific punishments for each (ranging from 1 day in jail to 50 years in jail). Over the intervening years, however, the punishments were altered even if the crimes themselves were not, and one of the driving reasons and underlying aspects of this is that no one wants to build prisons or jails – and so while there may be a relative few cells in a guard space, for the most part there are not very many jails, and Prisons are reserved for the worst offenders. Wyrlde only has criminal law.

Some Nobility use mines and orchards or farms as jails, essentially indenturing people to them, but suffering under the restrictions for such when they do.

Over time, the full list seems to have lost some of the crimes, but those that remain are still universal, with local Realms having additional crimes that will vary according to the culture. However, these crimes are all still enforced across the world, and remain the principal basis of laws throughout the Bright Lands.

It should be obvious that in some locations not all the laws are fully enforced. This is due to the way that many realms engage in punishments and determine guilt or innocence, as well as local corruption and laxity among those within The Agency, though few would ever say so out loud and within earshot.

Some of the laws are a bit confusing these days. For example, what is Accessory Disabling? What is temptation? While the laws do apply to nobles, it is not typically the common folks that punish and try them; it is the secretive and Powers-backed Agency.

Chicory is especially concerned with the laws. It is said she has special concern for the Charter, and woe betides those who break them and come to her attention.

The Charter Laws

Shortly after the start of building Sibola of old, there were certain laws set forth that were proclaimed to be inviolate, and that form the basis of all law throughout the civilized world – that is, everywhere but the Dread Realms. These laws were present before the God’s War, and had been lost, but were restored – though the agency that restored them remains somewhat controversial, as all the Powers claim to have done so.

They are laid out in 32 Laws, each with a light explanation. These laws are:

1. Nobility are the Agents of the People. Those Laws they create will be based in and drawn from this Charter.
2. All peoples are endowed with reason and conscience; they should act in a spirit of brotherhood where all are equal in dignity.
3. Everyone is entitled to all freedoms, without distinction of any kind.
4. Everyone can expect life, liberty, and security of person.
5. No one shall be held in slavery; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
6. No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment.
7. Everyone shall be recognized everywhere as a person before the law.
8. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.
9. Everyone must be treated fairly by courts.
10. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile, save that it be a punishment by a Reeve.
11. Everyone is entitled to a fair hearing by an impartial tribunal, in the determination of any criminal charge against them.
12. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty .
13. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon their honor and reputation by those with power, authority, or wealth.
14. Everyone has freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each realm. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country, unless under sentence of exile duly judged by a Reeve.
15. Everyone should enjoy asylum from persecution. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter.
16. Everyone has the freedom to have a homeland.
17. Adult People, without any limitation, have the freedom to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equality and freedom as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution, and must be wholly willing, without coercion.
18. Everyone is free to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their property.
19. Everyone has freedom of thought, conscience, and worship.
20. Everyone has freedom of opinion and expression, save that it cause direct, measurable harm to others.
21. Everyone has freedom of assembly and association.
22. Everyone has the freedom to take part in the government of their realm, in some fashion, and the freedom to be heard by those charged with governing.
23. Everyone, as a member of society, is entitled to realization of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for their dignity and the free development of their personality.
24. Everyone has the freedom to work, to free choice of employment, to conditions of work.
25. Everyone has the freedom to rest and leisure, including reasonable working hours and holidays with pay
26. Everyone has the freedom of a standard of health and well-being of themselves and of their family, including food, clothing, and housing .
27. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
28. Everyone may freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in its benefits.
29. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of their person is possible.
30. None of this may be denied or taken away without the due judgment and practice of Laws, including that of the Reeves.
31. Reves are subject to all of these Charters, in and of themselves.
32. Everyone has duties to the community subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of public order and the general welfare.

It should be noted that despite this, not all the laws of the many lands follow these entirely. However, most of the realms do at least make these the baseline effort, excepting Hyboria and Kahokia. It is rumored that the Exilians have even more of these for their own people.