By-laws Of the Isle of Tarns
The by-laws of the Isles of Tarns are the role play laws that the civic authorities (guardsmen, praetors, and magistrates) can enforce. While the General Laws of the Isle are those that govern the Isle and most often when a situation arises, a moderator (mod) is called to resolve, the By-Laws are enforced by the civic authorities under the High Magistrate. There may be occasions that the High Magistrate may employ a trial to determine a resolution, most often the magistrates will rule unilaterally.
All Citizens, Residents and Visitors, while in the Isle of Tarns, are subject to these laws.
These laws extend to the full extents of both the village and piers (main sim) and all housing (homestead).
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A Gates
A.0 All Visitors to the Isle of Tarns must enter the village or housing through either the main or resident gate.
A.1 Any person permitting a visitor to enter the Village of the Isle of Tarns must first determine the following from the visitor:
* Their name
*Their Home stone
* The purpose of their visit to the Isle of Tarns
A.2 Members of the Caste of Players, Poets, Musicians, and Singers may freely enter the city.
A.3 Assassins, when bearing the mark of the black dagger on their foreheads, are permitted entry into the city without interference.
A.4 Ambassadors are permitted entrance to the city and are immune from interference by any within the city.
A.5 Heralds bearing a gold slash on the left temple of their helmet or headgear are immune from interference by any within the city.
A.6 Initiates are permitted entrance to the city with their chosen guards and/or slaves.
A.6.a. Guards that accompany the Initiates are still required to store range weapons on the gate.
A.7 It is a capital offense to permit or assist in any way, entry to the village of any resident, citizen or property of any Gorean settlement that is known to be hostile to the Isle of Tarns, except:
* A herald of the enemy settlement.
* A Magistrate or representative of the enemy settlement seeking a peaceful resolution to the hostilities.
* A captive of the Red Caste that is to be held and/or interrogated
* An injured resident, citizen, or property seeking medical attention under the constant guard of the red caste.
A.7.a. The visiting ‘hostile’ must be kept under guard at all times by a member of the red caste, or held in the cells until a guard is available.
A.8 The punishment for a resident who permits or assists any visitor to illegally enter the village can range from a fine to impalement, depending upon the circumstances and severity of the crime, and as determined by the High Magistrate.
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B Legal Rights
B.0 Until such a time as a Magistrate is available, a suspect will be detained in the city jail.
B.1 All Free Persons must belong to a Caste (urts excepted, although generally they were born to a caste).
B.1.a. Caste Code violations should be resolved within the Caste.
B.1.b. A grace period is given for new city applicants, until a citizenship oath ceremony can be held.
B.2 Disputes regarding slaves or trade may require a Merchant Magistrate to resolve. Jurisdiction will be decided by the presiding Magistrate.
B.3 The Praetor of the Isle of Tarns, has the authority to act and convict any free person caught in the act of a crime, where they are clearly guilty. An example of such action is a free or slave caught with the goods stolen from a merchant or citizen in their possession, or in the act of acquiring such possession. The Praetor may declare the person guilty, and immediately enact the appropriate penalty, such as notch an ear for theft. The Praetor will file a report of each incident for the conviction records. If the crime is severe enough to potential enact a punishment of severing a hand, impalement, crippling, cutting of tendons or enslavement, the Praetor may use whatever means is available to them, including assistance from the Red Caste, to capture the criminal and incarcerate them for trial.
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C Free Persons
C.0 Gorean Men are held to a standard of conduct that is defined by their Caste Codes.
C.1 Free will uphold their caste codes and offer what help they can to those of their caste who apply for caste assistance.
C.2 A Free person’s property must be collared, and the collar must have some mark on it that gives clear IC indication of who owns them.
C.2.a. Any Free may instruct or punish your slave, subject to compensation for any damages they inflict. If you don't want that to happen, either keep them close to you or make sure the slave doesn't act in a manner that encourages punishment.
C.2.b. When out of your presence, the slave must be courteous and obedient to all Free, including Free Women.
C.3.c. A Free may attire their slave in the manner they deem appropriate.
C.3.d. Free Women are entitled to send slaves out of their presence if they don't like how they are dressed, or how they kneel.
C.3.e. If someone commands your slave around while in your presence, you are entitled to step in and assert your control. If they carry on interfering with them against your wishes after being asked not to, you can call a Praetor or act yourself to defend your rights to your property.
C.3.f. Registering slave ownership papers is mandatory and for your protection and proof of ownership.
C.3.g. If you buy or sell a slave, a Scribe is to witness the Bill of Sale since it is a form of legal Contract.
C.4. It is Gorean honour to ask an owner before using another man's slave, unless they are clearly designated as a slave for general use (e.g. paga slut, bath girl, or coin slut), where compensation for use is provided in the service price.
C.4.a. Unauthorized use of another man’s property may be deemed slave rape by their owner, and compensation for such use is at the discretion of the owner.
C.5 A Gorean male may offer their slave for use, as a courtesy and as a respect to their guest.
C.6 An owner is responsible for the proper training of their slave, including default position (kneeling), and proper modesty when in service to a Free Woman.
C.7 Your property is an extension and representation of you as an owner. Your property’s actions are accountable to you both legally and in terms of courtesy.
C.9 A Free Woman shall wear the Robes of concealment whenever in a public place. It is recommended that Free Women of high castes wear, in addition, at least the street veil.
C.10 A free woman should never travel without a male escort. To do so, she exposes herself to a potential collar.
C.11 General Rules sections 4 (Free Persons) and 5 (Citizen Rights) apply and are an integral part of these by-laws.
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D Slaves (Property)
D.0 Slaves obey their owners first.
D.1 Slaves must always, on command, kneel at the feet of any Free who calls them.
D.1.a. If a slave is on a task for their owner, they must state so if asked by a Free to provide some other service.
D.1.b. Any Free must allow a slave to complete the task set forth by the owner without punishment.
D.1.c. A Free cannot countermand their Owner's orders.
D.2. A slave may never run away from whoever holds them, even if that person is an enemy.
D.2.a. A slave who tries to run will be whipped for a first offense, may be hamstrung for a second, and put to death for a third attempt, at the discretion of their owner.
D.3 Slaves may not build anything that would be the craft of a Caste (in role play).
D.3.a. They may assist a Free in such work, and assist in the craft of items under their direct orders.
D.4 Slaves generally did not handle coinage with their hands unless under the direction of their Owner and in the course of their duties.
D.5 Slaves have no legal identity in any form other than as property.
D.6 A slave will have no assets or debts, make any agreement or contract, and are generally severely punished if they commit any crime.
D.6.a. A slave has no right of trial.
D.7 No slave may instruct the Free
D.8 Slaves are required to kneel to the Free when in service, including conversation.
D.9 It is not required that a slave stop and kneel when passing by, or when the slave is engaged upon some task or chore, but a slave must always kneel when explicitly told to do so.
D.10 Slaves will kneel (position), by default, as their Owner has instructed them to. An owner should ensure that a slave positions themselves modestly if in service to a Free Woman.
D.11 Slaves may not speak the name of a Free Person in their presence unless commanded to do so.
D.11.a. Outside of a Free's presence, slaves may speak the names of any Free including their owners (e.g. slave to slave).
D.12 Unowned slaves that enter the Isle of Tarns (pier, village, or homestead) are subject to immediate collaring (see 5.9 and 5.10)
D.13 Runaway slaves that enter the Isle of Tarns (pier, village, or homestead) are subject to immediate capture.
D.13 General Rules section 9 Slaves apply and are an integral part of these by-laws.
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E She-urts
E.0 She-urts are homeless Free Women who survive by begging, scavenging, and possibly selling sex for a meager amount of coin (any takers should note their smell and the likelihood of catching illnesses due to their poor living conditions.) They sleep wherever they find space, and usually wear a brief tunic instead of Robes of Concealment.
E.0.a This role requires someone who is flexible and able to withstand playing in the darker side of Gorean society. You will be looked down on, live in the cast-offs of society, steal and occasionally be in danger of the collar; however, you are still a Free Woman and still above the beast in the collar.
E.1 She-urts will likely be barefoot and wear rags; because they cannot afford the robes of concealment that Free Women wear, they will likely be showing some skin. A brief tunic such as what slave girls wear are also permitted garb for she-urts. She-urts do not wear veils. Due to their poor living conditions, they will likely have a rather foul odor and may be infected with one illness or another.
E.2 If you come into the village as a she-urt, keep in mind that you will not spend one day in rags and find yourself in splendid robes of a High Caste Free Woman the next day. She-urts take pride in her ability to survive. A she-urt’s meal is often found in the caste-offs (garbage) of the inns and taverns.
E.5 A she-urt is often a caste member that is down on their luck. Surviving as a she-urt often means adapting and surviving on the streets by your wits and willingness to do what it takes to survive.
E.4 She-urts are subject to the laws of the city and are liable for their conduct, if caught stealing or committing any other crime. The main difference between a she-urt and a FW is their mode of survival, and their attire. All other laws and rules apply to them within the Isle of Tarns. Be sure to read and be familiar with the laws of a Free Person.
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F Caste of the Assassin (Black Caste)
F.0 Evidence of the (IC) role play of the Assassin may be requested after either the mission is completed, or failed.
F.0.a. The evidence requested may consist of any and all of the following items:
* Means of entry into the village.
* How his information on the victim was gathered.
* How the mark was found and identified.
* How the assassin uncovered their victim's habits and traits to make the kill.
* How he attempted the kill the mark
F.0.b. The evidence above must be gathered over a minimum of 3 days of role play.
F.1 All kills need to be validate on a notecard and available upon request, if the kill is challenged..
F.2 Once an attack on a mark has commenced (weapon drawn), the assassin can be attacked.
F.3 The assassin must exit through the gates, as per any other visitor.
F.4 Any assassin hunting on the Isle of Tarns, must first discuss the hunt with the Master Assassin Kumori (arian.clip) of the Isle of Tarns.
F.5 It is important to remember that a BC has no home stone, and can give any name he wishes to use. Recognizing their features, or weapons, boots, something unique about them is proper role play.
F.6 Warriors may not interfere with a black wearing the mark but this does not mean they have to stand back and do nothing while a kill takes place in front of them. It is the place of the Scarlets present to determine if they are going to interrupt the contract or simply honor it.
F.6.a. Warriors ARE permitted to:
* Protect the mark and defend against the assassin at any point after weapons are drawn.
* Follow assassins and track their movements
* Form defensive rings around their commanders and city leaders when an Assassin is present in the village, if they choose to do so.
F.7 Free Persons of the Isle of Tarns interactions with Assassins:
* Innkeepers and shopkeepers may tolerate their presence and do business with them but only reluctantly.
* Do not approach, challenge, question, flirt with, sit with or or otherwise interact with Assassins as a rule.
* Any person seen sitting with an Assassin or conversing with them can and should be expected to be labeled as a potential informant.
F.8 Assassins carry out their mission in a stealthy, nondescript manner. Behaviour deemed contrary to the role play of an Assassin include:
* Widespread slaughter or destruction of property.
* Threatening every person who annoys them.
* Torture, mutilation, or humiliation of a mark or another Free Person.
* Using friendships in the village beyond information gathering.
* Parading the corpse as a trophy.
F.8.a. Indulging in behaviour unbecoming of an Assassin will be treated as a griefer, not an assassin.
F.8.b. An Assassin is expected to follow ALL of the principles of his Caste.
F.9 An Assassin may enter the Isle of tarns with a slave prior to the kill phase to scout and distract, but no one must know they are owned by you. The assassin should, of course, expect the slave to be impaled if discovered.
F.10 All property of the assassination victim is handled via inheritance law.
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G Miscellaneous
G.0 Tarns are not to be parked in the central courtyard, or any street.
G.0.a. Parking for tarns is available behind the Inn and will be used for that purpose.
G.0.b. Each offense of a tarn found parked in the central courtyard will result in fines of not less than 5 coppers, increasing with each repeated offence.
* Repeated offenses may result in incarceration.
* Punishment for repeated offenses is at the discretion of the Magistrate.
G.1. A locksmith may not make an unauthorized copy of a key.
G.2 Forgery of an official seal of the city is illegal.
G.2.a. Conviction for forgery of an official seal is punishable at the discretion of the Magistrate.
G.3 Theft is illegal.
G.3.a. The Isle of Tarns does not recognize the Caste of Thieves.
G.3.b. Conviction for Theft is punishable in the following manner:
* First Offense: Notching of the right ear.
* Second Offense: Free Men: Loss of Right hand. Women: Enslavement. (requires a trial conviction)
* Third Offense: Loss of Right Foot. (requires a trial conviction)
* Subsequent Offense: Impalement. (requires a trial conviction)
G.4 Capital punishment under these by-laws can only be administered after a trial, and when imposed by the Magistrate.