Stelavorni Letter of Marque

The Stelavorn Empire uses private ship crews as a force multiplier for its own navy and diplomats. A Stelavorni Letter of Marque grants a captain and the crew of his or her ship the right to conduct business under the auspices of the Explorer-Privateers.
This comes with some very real strings; Explorer-Privateers are to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the Stelavorni principles of self-determination and dignity for all sapient life. They are often the first people to contact a new civilization, and as such are expected to represent the Stelavorn Empire well.
Crews operating under this letter of marque have the following stipulations on their involvement with civilizations outside the empire:

• They are to offer membership in the empire on a voluntary basis. If the natives decline, they may offer assistance with any local problems, but must share all new knowledge and half of the monetary or magical goods they acquire in the territory of a neutral civilization with that civilization.
• In truly extraordinary circumstances, they may operate covertly or without permission in a neutral civilization's borders, but only to prevent existential threats or those involving massive loss of life to either the Stelavorn empire, the native civilization or an uninvolved party. A report must be filed immediately after the action is concluded, and a crew that is determined to have acted in an unjustified manner may lose their letter of marque and may even face criminal penalties.
• Any form of conquest or coercion to bring a civilization into the empire is expressly forbidden. Diplomatic persuasion is not - captains and crews are encouraged to describe the many benefits of being connected to the Stelavorn trade networks and the protections of the Imperial navy.
• All sapient life, whether a part of the empire or not, is to be treated with as much dignity, kindness, and fairness as possible. Cruelty, bigotry, and even indifference to suffering are not tolerated.

Type

Contract, Civil

Medium

Paper

Location

Liraj A'Talvo

Signatories (Organizations)

• Stelavorn Admiralty