[Closed]Morpheus's Draft

Council,

I am posting what I was working on for reference, but I shall go back and use the official forms for submission. This was not completed and I was still making edits, but so as to show what I had prior to, it is below.

Morpheus

THE GREATER LAWBOOK OF THE FREE KINGDOM OF ARABEL

Governance of the Free Kingdom

Henceforth, By Declaration of the Queen Regent Kestrel, Matriarch of House Goldfeather, the following are the revised laws governing the order, discipline, and rulership of the Free Kingdom of Arabel. All sworn subjects, citizens, visitors, and adventurers are subject to all written laws, orders, and regulations, unless otherwise specified.
Article I. ) Arabel is governed by feudal rule with absolute authority residing with the Crown and powers directed down to the greater houses of the kingdom to govern their direct subjects.
Article II.) The Greater Houses are those designated as designated by decree of the Crown and responsible for significant areas of responsibility
Article III.) All power of the Crown of Arabel belongs to the Royal House Goldfeather, and their direct descendants.
Article IV.) Arabel Militia is the official Militia of the Kingdom of Arabel, dictated by the Crown of Arabel and lead by the Marshal of Arabel. None but the Monarchs and their Marshals may lead or establish any form of offensive force with over five hundred members within the borders of the Kingdom of Arabel.
Article V.) The Laws of Arabel apply to all lands in the realm. Nobility may add, clarify, or expound upon laws within their lands but may never conflict with Kingdom Law.
Article VI.) The Township of Immersea is entrusted to House Cormaeril to guide, secure, and direct. The expanded lawbook of Immersea details additional regulations (Link Here)
Article VII.) The Township of Slingdyke and the Moonsea Ride are entrusted to House Drakesbane.
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Criminal Code

Capital Crimes
The following crimes are considered gross and terrible offenses against public order, safety and trust. They are the most severe charges that can be levied, and apply to any noble or commoner without discretion.

Armed / Magical Assault on a Noble:
The act of assaulting the nobility with a weapon, magical implement or spell is considered a Capital crime. This includes unlawful magical influence upon a noble. An assault on a landed noble's retainer could, at the noble's discretion, be construed as an assault on themself. An assault on a retainer in this manner will be limited to fines as a punishment.
Attempted Murder:
If it can be proven that an armed assault was a premeditated attempt to have a victim murdered, then the charge is Attempted Murder. This is a Capital Offense. In the case of someone having been killed, and then raised, this is classed as attempted murder as there in no final forfeiture (Execution not sanctioned)
Conspiracy against the Nobility:
Any conspiracy or plot to take the life of a noble is considered a Capital Crime. Note that the action does not necessarily have to be taken. If there is evidence that there was intention, this crime is valid.
Menace to Society:
Repeated Serious Offenders can be brought to trial under the charge of being a Menace to Society. This charge is brought only when an offender has been arrested for repeated serious and capital crimes, and has shown an unrelenting fervor to continue disobeying the laws of Arabel. (Execution not sanctioned)
Murder:
If proven that someone is responsible for the murder of someone, accused is to be hunted down and captured. If those suspected of murder refuse to surrender, take subdual measures to apprehend them. All items will then be confiscated on arrest. Persons found to have contracted another for murder or assassination are also to be arrested under the charge for Murder.
Research of Dangerous Phenomena:
Research of any other strange phenomena deemed a possible horrendous threat to Arabel are capital crimes. They are not to be tampered with under any circumstances without Crown Approval.
Slave Trading:
Slave trading is highly illegal and will not be tolerated on Arabellian soil.
Pacts:
Making a pact with a supernatural entity is heresy against the Gods. A 'pact' is the transfer of unnatural power to a mortal by a powerful supernatural entity including, but not limited to; devils, demons, celestials (barring overwhelming evidence that such is the will of the Gods), fey creatures, the undead, aberrant creatures, and other supernatural entities to include spirits.
Torture:
Any form of torture is considered a Capital Crime. Torture is defined as the sadistic and malicious inflicting of extreme pain or discomfort upon a person for any reason other than to lawfully apprehend them, inflicted in battle, or to enact corporeal punishment (if legally decided in trial or by a Judge) for heinous criminal activity. It may not be used as a method of deriving information from a criminal or innocent by any person.
Treason:
Any domestic conspiracy, plot, or actions that are a direct attempt to overthrow the Crown is considered Treason. Working for a foreign power to spy, disrupt or undermine the interests of Cormyr is also treason. Acts that are deliberately engineered to direly threaten the interests of Arabel and to undermine its power can be construed as treason. Deliberate acts of unlawful sabotage against House Goldfeather or any of the designated Great Houses, can be construed as treasonous.

Serious Crimes
The following crimes are considered serious offenses against public order, safety and trust. Though not quite as dire as the above offenses, these are to be countered with just as firm a hand; a criminal that engages in serious crime often is as bad as one who commits capital crimes.

Abduction:
Kidnapping or abduction of any sort is highly illegal. As it is defined, abduction is the unlawful capture of any commoner or noble.
Armed / Magical Assault:
Investigate why it is occurring if possible. Instigator will be arrested for serious crimes. If instigator is identified and defender proceeds to attack while peace officer is present, defender is to be arrested for serious crimes as well.
Breaking Oaths:
Peace Officials are permitted to require witnesses to sign and agree to an oath of truth. To do so, the peace official must explain that should there be evidence that the witness has lied in his statement pertaining to a particular case, he will be charged with crimes against the city and Kingdom. A Peace Official should be present during the Oath signing.The charge for violating the oath will vary depending on the degree of the violation, as well as the severity of the crime being investigated.
Bribery:
Defined as any attempt to pay in currency or any tangible asset to a government official, or peace official in order to gain their support for or secure negligence towards any illegal activity. Peace Officials who take bribes to either of these ends shall promptly be fined for a serious crime, and lose their official status.
Defiling the Dead:
Animation of the dead is illegal. In extreme or repeat cases, the sentences may be considered Capital. These cases include, but are not limited to: Raising undead minions for nefarious purposes, raising undead to assault the city, peace officers, nobility, etc. Defilement of the dead is also defined as any interaction made with an undead creature that does not eventually result in the destruction of said undead or the prompt fleeing from it. Certain rare exceptions may be made if the creature is conclusively deemed by Peace Officials to never be capable of threatening the common folk. Affecting 'deals' with undead such as liches or other grossly evil, intelligent undead will be considered as defilement. Having an undead creature in your company or retinue is considered defilement. To strive to become undead yourself is defilement.
Note: Undead creatures have no rights in the City of Arabel; they are protected by no laws and may be destroyed immediately if discovered. Additionally no church or organization is exempt from this law and may be held accountable if it is discovered.
Drawing a Weapon on a Noble:
Drawing a weapon on a noble in threat to assault is considered a serious crime. Perpetrators are typically to be given a warning first to lower their arms, but the peace official is to use their discretion in neutralizing the threat, up to and including immediate apprehension.
Impersonation of Authority:
Impersonating royalty, nobility, noble retainers, foreign diplomats, peace officials, Kingdom officials, official clergy, or any position of authority is a serious crime.
Looting the Fallen:
If a person's belongings are identified, they are to be returned to the next of kin or to the owner upon their return to the living, those belongings are protected by the Laws of Arabel. Those who were not granted permission to gather the belongings by the owner and do so are to be arrested immediately. Peace Officials may also gather the belongings of the fallen if they deem necessary, in order to return to the fallen or their next of kin. (Limited to confiscation of property and fines)
Sacrilege:
Defiling a temple or officially established shrine, disrupting legal religious ceremonies, and defamation of High Priests is not tolerated. Note: This does not apply to small wilderness shrines and markers that are not consistently staffed by official clergy of the church.
Setting Traps:
Setting non lethal traps in the streets are considered to be assault with a weapon and therefore is a serious crime. Lethal traps can be interpreted as either assault with a weapon or Reckless Endangerment. In extreme cases, where murderous intent is evident, the charge can be capital.
Summoning the Occult:
Summoning intelligent outsiders from any realm, aberrations, or undead spirits. Those caught leading or controlling occult minions will be arrested immediately. In extreme cases, the sentences may be considered Capital. These cases usually include city assaults facilitated by the summoning of the occult. This does not include extra-planar creatures such as infernally tainted animals, but rather applies to powerful sentient extra-planar creatures that pose a serious risk to life and property. Those witnessed to be in the non-hostile company of an intelligent being of the occult(and not busy destroying them, fleeing from them, etc) can be assumed to be under extreme suspicion of having made a Pact or criminal association, and will be investigated as such.
Unarmed Assault on a Noble:
Unarmed assaults on nobility are considered serious crimes.
Unlawful Magical Influence:
The use of spells to influence or manipulate another's actions is illegal and will be dealt with harshly.
Use of illegal items:
The use of any item deemed illegal is grounds for immediate apprehension by peace officials. Provable, consistent use of contraband or grossly malicious and evil items can result in capital charges being levied. See the chapter on contraband for further information.
Possession of illegal items:
Possession of items declared illegal under the law is cause for a fine being levied. Multiple instances of this occurring will lead to arrest and interrogation.
Sale of illegal items:
Possession of item declared illegal under the law with intent to traffick is cause for arrest. This may be elevated to a capital crime if the seller has a truly heinous quantity of these items.

Minor Crimes
The following crimes are considered minor offenses against public order, safety and trust. These crimes are to be dealt with with a firm hand.

Arson:
The intentional burning of private property is considered to be of higher severity than destruction of property. Those found guilty will pay for all damages. Extremely severe cases of arson can range from serious to capital; its inclusion here represents the baseline severity.
Brawling:
Brawling is defined as unarmed assault against a commoner, usually occurring when passions are stirred up, typically in an alcoholic setting. These are to be broken up if they occur in proximity to other, uninvolved citizens. Assuming both sides seem 'invested' in the fight, it is to be directed to a sparring area to be settled with a warning levied. If one side is clearly harassed or feeling threatened by the unarmed assault, usually the attacker is to be fined. The harassed party can be assumed to be 'invested' in the fight if they provoked it through jibes or belittling comments.
Evasion of a Peace Official:
The provable avoidance or evasion of a Peace Official attempting to interact with one suspected of a crime (this also includes fleeing from searches or questioning) will be charged with a minor crime in itself, if no other crime is proven. If a crime is proven, that crime will be elevated one higher in severity, up to serious. (Limited to fines)
Religious Harassment:
Arabel practices a neutral tolerance to any and all religious faiths. The law will protect any religious organization or individual that does not engage in illegal activity from any forms of harassment regarding faith. Harassment is here defined as excessive heckling and slander against a faith; a person expressing their opinion on a faith is NOT harassment until said opinion is shared to the detriment and belittlement of said faith. Peace Officials are encouraged to use their best judgment.
Note: Investigation and questioning of heresies or little known faiths is not harassment, nor is religious debate regarding orthodoxy and heresies that does not lead to direct accusations.
Reckless Endangerment:
The act of bringing harm to another in an inadvertent fashion is considered Reckless Endangerment. Examples would be the act of fleeing from wild animals and drawing them into the city. Dueling in areas that could bring harm to bystanders is also considered reckless endangerment. Depending on the case, this will be either a minor or serious crime.
Slander of a Noble:
Slandering a Noble House is considered a crime. The severity can range from petty to minor, depending on the degree of slander. Slander is defined as untruthful statements made in the effort to damage the reputation of another. Statements made with significant proof of truth are not slander.
Trespassing:
Trespassing on private property is illegal. Offenders who refuse to leave on request will be arrested.

Petty Crimes
The following crimes are considered petty offenses against public order, safety and trust. These are to be dealt with with a firm hand, and can be mostly limited to fines or time in the stockades.

Causing a Scene / Disturbing the Peace:
Causing a Scene or Disturbing the Peace is a crime. Should a peace official believe a person is causing a panic or an undesired scene (public drunkenness, etc) they are to be warned. If they refuse then they are to be arrested.
Destruction of Property:
Destruction of any property, both public and private, is a petty offense. Fines can also be enforced in order to pay for the damages.
Disturbing a Crime Scene:
The act of disturbing a Crime Scene is considered an obstruction of justice and any such actions will result in sentence depending on the severity of the obstruction. Moving bodies, hiding bodies, or removing belongings off of a subdued or killed suspect are all examples of disturbing the crime scene. Can be upgraded to Minor or Serious crimes depending on the situation.
Drawn Weapons:
Citizens inside the city and towns will not have weapons drawn. A warning will be issued first. Failure to comply will result in a petty crime. Magical staves held by mages are not considered drawn weapons unless the staff is proven to be a dangerous weapon in its own right.
Failure to Comply with Official orders:
Failure to comply with any reasonable order from a Peace Officer is an offense. Reasonable orders include but are not limited to ceasing violent actions, search procedures, identification requests, helmet removal, and separation / departure from area.
Noble Respect:
Commoners are expected to exhibit proper respect to all nobility. All citizens, nobility and otherwise, are expected to exhibit the same respect to royalty. Proper respect includes bowing when requested and making use of proper titles. Those who refuse will be punished accordingly.
Prohibited Companions:
It is known that many adventurers take a liking to companionship, either with familiars, wild animals, or conjurations. Fey, birds, and domestic animals are not prohibited. Peace Officials will offer a warning before engaging said companion, and slaying it. The summoning of Undead, outsiders, and aberrations is considered a greater crime. The person responsible for bringing the prohibited companion will also be arrested for petty crimes. Should a Peace Official order the removal of an approved companion at any time, the companion is to be taken out of the city.
Slander of Peace Officials:
The act of intentionally defacing peace officials with untrue claims is illegal.
Theft:
Theft requires proof that an item was stolen. Pickpocketing is a petty crime, stealing from noble estates can be upgraded to serious crimes at the discretion of the peace official. Theft of items of extreme significance, such as relics or artifacts, from commoners can also be upgraded in severity. For very extreme cases, the thief's possessions can be immediately confiscated, including coin. Recovered items are returned to victim. All others are confiscated.
Unsolicited Magic Use:
Magic use is illegal, even if non-harmful, without the consent of the person it is being casted on. Spell-casters who wish to cast spells shall be advised to do so in more private areas as not to scare the citizens. Any harmful spells are charged under Magical Assault. Casters who cast spells openly in the streets, whether on themselves or on willing targets, will be warned initially. Repeated use of magic in the streets will result in Petty Crimes. Some circumstances may supersede, and that is at the discretion of the officer. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: Healing the injured, dealing with threats in the city, coming immediately from or to a martial task. Remaining obviously under the effects of magic within the cities and townships can create panic or fear in the local populous and is discouraged. If requested by a peace official or worrying the populace, you must dispel your magic or leave the public area.
Littering:
While often considered a very minor nuisance, the practice of this nefarious inconsiderate act quickly made it find its way to the list of Petty Crimes. Littering details the throwing of any item on the ground, in a public area, and leaving such items unattended or unspoken for. While it is a petty crime a Peace Official may decide to charge fines per item littered, so two items left to litter the ground may result in a fine of up to double the petty crime fine. Should a Litterer exhibits repeated offenses the fines can be elevated to higher severity.

V-Rage

Mostly good.

I'm against some of these though.

Namely the fact beings from higher planes such as Celestia would be included in this Summoning the Occult.

Whilst it shouldn't be done lightly there can be times Summoning celestials could be helpful such as expeditions into Deadwell to clear the undead.

Also. Littering really?

Don't people have better things to do than worry about that.

Michael

@V-Rage

It is a petty offense for a reason. A dirty city creates a dirty culture and a dirty culture leads to disorder and crime. I suggest changing it to "the guard will order the offender to clean up their mess and a fine will only come upon refusal." Have you seen how many adventurers just dump their wands in the streets like it isn't a problem?

On summoning celestials, have you seen what happened to Eveningscar? Mortals should not have any right or responsibility to summon powerful, sentient outsiders. I would not trust that with anyone outside of the High Clergy of a church, with the approval of the crown. Someone thought releasing a celestial on the Cyricists was a good idea and it lead to pandemonium that we are still cleaning up. I would not, in good conscience, recommend anyone doing that again, even to Deadwell.

-Morpheous

V-Rage

Also what is dangerous phenomenon?

Surely mages of the Arcane Guild, House Mossmere and Official Clergy of the faiths of Arabel should be able to research them to find ways to protect Arabel and the lands from them

Michael

Puffy

Split the draft into the categories arranged, one post with one massive chunk of discussion holds no merit. If there are new additions, create new topics for those.

The Arbiter of Arabel

//Split this into the relevant topics created by Professor, one chunk is too much. If there are new additions, make a new topic for discussion and make sure to mark those clearly in the categories.

Seter

I concur with the High Arbiter.
It will likely be far more productive for us to discuss each section separately, while of course remembering it is part of a whole.

Once separated I shall gladly comment on each with diligence.

Signed,

Lord Mordecai of House Cormaeril
Divine Champion of the Divine Right, Siamorphe
Head of House Chapter in the region of Arabel
Ruler of Immersea
Knight of the Realm of Arabel

///OOc this was mainly here so I didn’t lose it and to give some ideas for people to grab and throw in the relevant topics, not for the primary discussion.