Vorloupulous's Law

Created by Lois McMaster Bujold and used to complicate our protagonists' lives. No infringement is intended or implied.
Thanks to the folks at Vorkosigan Wiki for the tidy summary which we have promptly mangled.

Decreed:

That the responsibility of Military Force within the Tapani Sector must remain wholly within the domain of the Full Government;

That in the pursuit of Peace, our Civilization is best served by concentration of military resources under the command of those impartial to regional issues;

That it is the ancient Duty and Right of a Vor Count or Baron to maintain a small force of trusted vassal Armsmen, thereby to maintain the safety of the Vor and support the Vor Lord's service to the people;

It is hereby decreed that a High Vor House may hold the loyal oaths of no more than 100 Armsmen, whose oath may have been made to any member of the High Vor family but ultimately will trace to the ruling Count or Countess. A Low Vor House may hold the loyal oaths of no more than 20 Armsmen, whose oath may have been made to any member of the Baron or Baroness's immediate family but ultilmately will trace to the ruling Baronial Vor. A petty knight may hold no loyal oaths directly, but may have the dedicated service of three Armsmen oathsworn to the same Vor House to which the petty knight is sworn.

Only members of Tapani nobility, as defined within the Landsraad, are permitted by law to own weapons defined as "military equipment" by traditional Tapani Imperium strictures.

The requirements for possession or operation of weapons defined as "military equipment" by traditional Tapani Imperium strictures are permitted to only

1) actively serving Tapani Military;
2) actively serving Tapani Municipal Guard;
3) recognized ruling Vor and their immediate heirs;
4) oathsworn Armsmen engaged in duties assigned by their Vor oathholder.

Violation of this Decree shall be as treason to Tapani, with the harshest penalties available to the Law.

Henceforth let it be known

by all Tapani subjects

Our Rule in this matter is that armies, navies, and militias are the province of Our Government alone.
Let all Vor serve Our people diligently, assured that every neighbor shall continue the discourse of Tapani through civilized means alone.

This day,

D V

Emperor

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Federal Regulation 11142_06_18_20_21 Amendment Aurek, herefore known as
the Abbaji's Firethorns Guild Exemption:

This Decree shall not be interpreted to bar a legally verified mercenary guild from possessing and maintaining the tools of their profession, provided that they pass a semi-annual inspection by a Solicitor to conclusively rule out loyalty oaths. Any mercenary guild found to have served a single House for more than 2 consecutive years, or a single Great House for a collective 5 years within a span of 7 standard years, will be subject to eminent domain.

A mercenary guild which contracts exclusively to the Federal Government shall be subjected to additional tests for impartiality. If said guild accepts contracts with any Vor House, they must within a six month period have equivalent service contracts in service to all Great Houses. Failure to maintain impartiality among the Vor Houses shall carry the penalty of eminent domain, plus immediate eviction for all personnel with a territory ban of no less than four years.

This Amendment ratified 11143:03:24 by Tapani Parliament

Confirmed 11145:03:24 by Council of Counts

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Federal Regulation 11142_06_18_20_21 Amendment Grek, heretofore known as
the Grrtok's Band Clause:

This Decree shall not be interpreted to include rights of ownership, or of possession and operation, of vehicular-scale weaponry. Such items are exclusively the concern of Municipal Guard or Tapani Imperial Military.

This Amendment ratified 12592:09:06 by Tapani Parliament

Confirmed 12592:09:08 by Council of Counts

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Federal Regulation 11142_06_18_20_21 Amendment Jenth, heretofore known as
the Jobany Rodou Amendment:

This Decree shall not be interpreted to bar personal ownership of small arms, for defensive purposes only, by Tapani citizens under regulations set forth by their resident Provincial government.

This Amendment ratified 12633:07:21 by Tapani Parliament

Confirmed 12633:07:22 by Council of Counts

Historical Details

History

This law was originally decreed by Emperor Dorca Vortapani in 11142 T, having been ratified by the relatively new parliament called the "Council of Counts" and thus recommended by the prime minister. As the "Tapani Federation" worked through the steps to join the Republic, parliamentary leaders foresaw the wisdom of not allowing any one Vor House to maintain its own significant military.

For more than 15 centuries, this law mostly served as the reason each individual House must tithe resources and trained personnel to the shared "police forces" of the Great Houses -- collaborative organizations to patrol space lanes, combat criminal endeavours, conduct safety inspections, and generally keep the peace.

Occasionally the idea would resurface that these municipal efforts should properly be under the exclusive control of the Order of Solicitors, rather than answer in any way to a High Lord or High Lady.

Mostly, however, Federal Regulation 11142_06_18_20_21 spent the centuries being an unremarkable underpinning of The Emperor's Laws; it was part of the mandatory curriculum for young High Vor, recommended advanced education for Low Vor, and often included in the tax code rather than the main body of legal studies.

Until 12650, fifteen hundred eight years later on the Tapani calendar.

Lord Vorloupulous, heir to Count Vorloupulous of House VorCalipsa, decided that the best interests of Calipsa Province were not served by contractual arrangement with a mercenary guild. If his own High Vor House could only accept the oathsworn service of up to one hundred Armsmen, and his Great House could therefore not count on deploying two thousand Armsmen in a direct conflict against Pelagia or Mecetti, then he would bring into his service a vast "cookforce" of two thousand extremely loyal "chefs". Some would be "sous chefs". Some would be specialist "pantry chef" (supply specialists) or "fry chef" (incendiary specialists). Particularly versatile personnel would carry the title of "Master Chef".

All would be properly equipped with butcher knives, stun batons, and other "field cooking" equipment.

Lord Vorloupolous might have recieved clemency for this legal loophole nonsense if he had not then marched his "cookforce" to Estaph System, the terminal point where Calipsa Run intersects with the Procopian Shipping Lane.

The Tapani Federation prime minister charged Lord Vorloupolous with treason.

In the aftermath, Federal Regulation 11142_06_18_20_21 has been renamed "Vorloupolous' Law", and it is taught as part of the citizenship course to all Tapani citizens. Municipal Guard swear fealty to the Count's Law or Baron's Law, not directly to their regional ruling noble. They receive their arms not from the Vor but from the ranking Solicitor who presides over the highest regional courtroom.

Type

Decree, Governmental

Medium

Digital, Holographic

Ratification Date

12655

Location

Tapani Sector

Signatories (Organizations)

• Tapani Imperium