Slavery in Calimshan
Overview
The enslavement of sentient beings is a practice deemed immoral by most of Aralla's peoples, but Calishites are not among them. Regardless of what Calishites see as (at best) the unenlightened and youthfully naive attitudes of outsiders, Calimshan is fully and unashamedly a slavery-supported society. The well-to-do openly enjoy the profits and services gained by trading in living beings. From the Calishite perspective, it is a way of life that has been in place for millennia; it has always worked for them, and they see no reason whatsoever to change their ways. At least as long as slavery remains a profitable business, this vile practice will continue to be part of the darker side of Aralla and a necessary part of life in Calimshan.Slavers and Their Prey
Contrary to popular belief, Calishite slavery is not limited to humans enslaving demihumans and other sentient races. Calishite slavers are notoriously egalitarian: Every race and every person is a potential slave, including anyone in a small band of armed vagrant trespassers (an adventuring band) or "a thief who stole from my pocket" (a beggar requesting a coin or food). As long as the "owner" has more political influence within the system and no witnesses to argue to the contrary, enslavement is cut and dried, so many fighting or strong galley slaves claim to have once been a noble warrior or explorer of lost tombs. The most prized of slaves/servants are wizards, given the Calishite taste for all things magical. Captured wizards are kept under control by their owners, who restrict access to spells that might allow escape or threaten their own safety.Slave Bonds
The most immediate mark of a Calishite slave is a metal anklet or bracelet welded shut around the limb, marking that person as the property of another. These bonds (which often have loops for chains, should such discipline prove necessary) are branded to show ownership of the slave. The basic bond is a spartan band of metal, but it can be (and often is) made into elaborate jewelry to underscore the owner's wealth. Especially among owners who travel to ports where slavery is outlawed, a slave's bond is crafted to look like a delicate (but deceptively strong) arm or ankle bracelet with some decorative flourishes (the owner's mark). Of all the slave brands across Calimshan, the most notorious and recognized is that of the Arena of Blood in Nizwarin. These bonds are gold-plated steel bracers with a skull depicted on the outer forearm and a graven dagger positioned on the underside, along the inner forearm. The skull's teeth and the hilt of the dagger are closest to the wearer's wrist, so the skull faces a viewer when displayed, but the dagger can only be seen when offering a hand to someone. The point of the blade toward the slave is a symbol and reminder that the ones who forged the bond hold the slave's life in their hands.Escape from Slavery
Slaves generally can leave behind their lot only if someone ransoms their freedom with at least the sum that was paid for them, but performing a service of equal or greater value, such as saving the master's life or at least his treasure, can also buy a slave's freedom. Once more, freed slaves have a short life of freedom of them unless they immediately flee Calimshan or at least far enough away in Calimshan to start a new life, as any who remember that person as a slave are apt to capture and reenslave them immediately. (Few question the word of a classed person over that of a slave, and many slave owners' overseers or thugs carry a set of broken manacles as proof that an unlucky former slave has just escaped.) Fortunately, there are a number of folk willing to help an indentured servant or slave escape. However, Calimshan law vigorously prosecutes thieves, and those who help slaves escape are considered thieves of the worst type. The escaped slaves, themselves, are legally thieves of their own bodies and servitude, both of which are owned by their masters.
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