Lexion of Civil Mortality

Civil action

New law restructures Palladian legal criteria for citizenship and social classes.

Facing waves of human migrants as part of the Great Exodus of Man, Emperor Paxertes Leoclidas consults with the Imperial Senate, his advisors, and religious scholars of the Heavenly Council. After some deliberation, and testimony from mystical prophet, Doric the Moth, it is decided that humans are indeed mortals created by and subject to the favor of the divines of the Heavenly Council, and therefore are entitled to citizenship within the Palladian Empire. It was the most significant revision to Palladian doctrine on mortality and citizenship since the Synod of Boshra.   The decree allowed humans to own property, including land and slaves; represent themselves in legal disputes; hold civic and liturgical office; and serve in the Imperial Legion. Full-blooded elves and aasimar retained their status as "eldest and wisest of the races" but restrictions on intermarriage between them were relaxed.   The decree also notably recinded some of the edicts of the Synod of Boshra, specifically that smallfolk such as dwarves could never attain Palladian citizenship and must be considered only freefolk, serfs, or slaves. Smallfolk were not granted explicit full citizenship as humans were, but unless they formally renounced the doctrine of Zwahism and affirmed the supreme equality of all eleven of the Heavenly Council. In practice, this led to more halflings and gnomes granted citizenship than dwarves, who greatly outnumbered their fellow smallfolk. Dragonborn, goblinoids, tieflings, and other lineages were excluded from the decree, though further smaller gains to monstrous civil rights would occur with subsequent decrees in the Late Palladian Era.