Clanlaw

The Clanlaw is a legal code created by pre-Disjunction communities of Dwarfs — known as the Conclave of the Gelek Çeng — that were ultimately subsumed into the Vekhen Empire after its domination of Syvat. The code is primarily concerned with matters of family and lineage, laying out the structure of the Dwarf Clans, how they inherit, and the rights and duties of their members.

Document Structure

Clauses

The Clanlaw dictates the nature of Dwarf Clans, how they inherit, and the duties of each Clan head — known as a Jude — towards their own people. 
Clans are inherited matrilineally, and kept for life. The position of Jude falls to the eldest daughter of the previous Jude, and they have final say over all matters of law among their Clan, except in regards to the Clanlaw, which can only be overseen by a council of seven other Judes not affiliated with the Clan in question. A Jude is expected to clothe, house, and feed any Clan members on request, for as long as required, without hesitation. All possessions of a Clan member ultimately belong to the Jude, except in where those possessions are required "for the reasonable function of life", which is typically interpretted to mean one's personal tools, home, weapons, clothes, and food, within reason. All Clan members are given a Clan Dagger on birth, covered with the sigils of that Clan, as a badge of membership. Touching another Dwarf's Clan Dagger is punishiable by the severance of all of their fingers.
A Dwarf may choose to leave their Clan and form their own once they give birth. Doing so is freely allowed, making the new mother a Jude in her own right. The new Jude must negotiate which possessions are inherited into the new Clan from the previous Clan with their old Jude. A Jude refusing to allow a new mother to form a new Clan is a great taboo, and worthy of removal from their position.
Lastly, a Jude may abdicate their position, handing it down to another woman in their family, at their discretion.

Historical Details

Background

The Clanlaw was laid down originally to stop infighting amongst siblings and the small scattered kinship networks of the Dwarves before the Disjunction occured. Ultimately, this legal code — being the first of its kind as an agreement between mortals — enabled the Dwarf Clans to rise to prominence despite the magical chaos that existed on Harmony before Madam Midnight's intervention. Therefore, many Dwarves see themselves as being apart from the other mortal ancestries, as their enlightenment was not dependant on the God. Cultists of Madam Midnight consider this the deepest heresy, and the Church of Eighteen Eyes is officially critical of the Clanlaw, though has not outlawed it due to its overwhelmingly wide reach.

Type

Manuscript, Legal

Authoring Date

Circa 4500 BE