Rashio's Rationale

Rashio's Rationale was a set of universal beliefs based on the teachings of the Loregiver that united a continent, literally transforming the burning land of Suh'laan into the Land of Demons.

Purpose

Legend stated that the Loregiver transcribed the Law for the benefit of all Suh'laani.

Document Structure

Clauses

• That which is Required (Required Acts)
• That which is Encouraged (Encouraged Acts)
• That which is Tolerated (Tolerated Acts)
• That which is Discouraged (Discouraged Acts)
• That which is Forbidden (Forbidden Acts)

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Forbidden Acts

Forbidden Acts were those whose nature was heinous in the eyes of civilized Suh'laan and the Enlightened gods. Forbidden Acts included:

• Consuming the flesh of a sentient creature
• Murdering an innocent
• Enslaving an Enlightened soul
• Threatening the Grand Caliph, his court, or the lands he ruled
• Preaching that the Enlightened Gods did not exist
• Disobeying the Grand Caliph
• Malicious theft (Defined as stealing or cheating a man out of his livelihood or the majority of his goods. This could also be punished with severing the right hand of the offender.)

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Discouraged Acts

Discouraged Acts included crimes that were unpleasing to society and the gods, but not nearly as severe as Forbidden Acts. These included:

• Theft
• Assault
• Justifiable homicide
• Bribery
• Reckless endangerment
• Public drunkenness
• Destruction of property
• Fraud
• Disobeying curfew
• Preventing someone from performing a Tolerated Act
• Negative actions against any agent of the Grand Caliph or his court.

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Tolerated Acts

A Tolerated Act was a basic right of an enlightened citizen and part of their daily life. Tolerated Acts were not punished, nor were they rewarded. These included:

• Trading or loaning
• Worshiping any god within a mosque
• Public celebration, including smoking and drinking so long as they were not excessive
• Free speech, so long as it did not defame or slander others or speak out against the Grand Caliph or the Enlightened gods.

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Encouraged Acts

Encouraged Acts were pleasing to the gods and enlightened citizens, serving as the mark of Suh'laan civilization. Individuals who performed Encouraged Acts on a regular basis were often viewed as pillars of their society. Encouraged Acts included:

• Worshiping the Enlightened gods
• Tolerance
• Paying taxes
• Providing charity and hospitality
• Enlightening an unenlightened soul.

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Required Acts

Required Acts were necessary for maintaining Suh'laan civilization. Directly opposing these actions was considered treason, heresy, and/or slander against the state. They included:

• Belief in a greater force (including both common and Enlightened gods)
• Obeying the proclamations of the Grand Caliph
• Pilgrimage to Huzuz and the Court of Enlightenment. Every Suh'laani , no matter where they lived on the great continent, was expected to partake of a pilgrimage to Golden Huzuz at least once during their lifetime. This pilgrimage exposed Suh'laani  to great travel and allowed them to see how their brethren lived, helping to unify the population.

Caveats

Forbidden Acts

Death by beheading was usually the penalty for committing such acts. Other punishments included permanent enslavement, permanent exile, or disfigurement by either removal of a body part or branding the forehead. In addition to other sentences, those convicted of murdering an innocent usually faced a diyya charge in the amount of 1,000 dinar per surviving family member of the deceased.

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Discouraged Acts

A qadi usually ordered some kind of restitution be made to the offended party for a Discouraged Act. Other punishments included temporary enslavement, imprisonment, and exile.

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Encouraged Acts

An individual known to perform Encouraged Acts was likely to receive leniency and mercy from a qadi or the courts should they ever find themselves brought to justice on criminal charges.

Legal status

Suh'lanni

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Rashio's Rationale

Nature of the Law

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Suh'laan readily accepted Rashio's Rationale because it was simple, easy to understand, and based on obvious factors needed for a society to function. Even some of the raucous corsairs of the Corsair Domains would not attack a ship if they knew it belonged to someone with whom they shared a salt bond or if they knew the ship to be the only vessel that a merchant owned. The Law stressed tolerance, established uniform prices and commercial methods, and detailed oral and legal traditions. Rashio's Rationale had three distinct parts. The first part dealt with the relationship between Suh'laan and their gods, the second discussed the relationship between the Grand Caliph and those he ruled, and the third part was concerned with civil law or the relationship between citizens.
A sense of right and wrong was set down through the Law, but enough freedom was given so that unique circumstances and grey areas could be addressed correctly. The Law categorized all actions performed by citizens, or anyone inhabiting Suh'laan, into the following groups:

• That which is Required (Required Acts)
• That which is Encouraged (Encouraged Acts)
• That which is Tolerated (Tolerated Acts)
• That which is Discouraged (Discouraged Acts)
• That which is Forbidden (Forbidden Acts)

For a crime to be committed under the Law of the Loregiver, it must be both witnessed and reported. In all cases the individual accused of committing a crime needed to be found and presented before a magistrate. All rulings involving crimes committed under the Law were swift and efficient. Judgment was given on the same day when an accused was brought before a qadi unless unusual circumstances presented themselves, at which point the qadi would hand down judgment on the following day.

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Type

Text, Legislative

Medium

Papyrus

Authoring Date

0 N.D.

Ratification Date

777 S.D.

Location

Suh'laan

Authors

• The Loregiver