Svorta Viez
Svorta Viez is an ancient and time-honoured tradition in Sevnóni culture, held is similarly high esteem as customs such as Khleb i Sól (Wythian: Bread and Salt) or Gostulnost (Hospitality).
History
Since the earliest days of Sevnónicha, it has been the belief of the Sevnóni that guests, especially strangers and foreigners, have certain divine rights granted to them by Myrvûs. The Sevnóni word for guest itself, Hość, is derived from the Proto-Sevnóni word for blessed, Błohoświon. As such, in the Pre-Imperial era it was considered a great honour to house a stranger or foreign visitor, and the responsibilities of the host were numerous. These included housing, feeding, and clothing a guest, and guaranteeing no harm would come to them while they dwelt under the host's roof. This belief would often backfire during wartime, however, when Sinopans or other hostile entities would take advantage of the Sevnóni's hospitality to infiltrate key locations and wreak havoc. The Sevnóni were thus presented with a dilemma; how to reconcile their faith and customs with the cold realities of politics and warfare. The solution, after several generations, was the tradition of Svorta Viez.
Execution
In practice, Svorta Viez is exceedingly simple. When entering the country in the company of foreigners, a native son or daughter of Sevnónicha may choose to invoke Svorta Viez. By doing so, they vouch for the intentions of any number of foreigners in their prescence, claiming them as wards and effectively taking responsibility for the entire group's actions. This is not often done unless there is a high level of trust amongst the group, because any crimes or offenses committed by the foreigners are treated as if they were committed by the one who vouched for them, including crimes punishable by banishment or death. Following the end of the Imperial occupation, Svorta Viez has frequently been the only method with which foreigners can legally enter Sevnóni settlements.
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