The Mandate of Slaves

'There is not a single chain's rattle, that does not bring pain. Whether man or beast, none deserve it.' - Words of Freedom Rights Agent

Written by Yerran

'The Mandate of Slaves' was an official document, originally set up between the nations of Sabal and the Yeshi to allow the collection, trafficking and trade of slaves within and across their borders. The agreement saw slaves legally sold between the two countries, bringing great wealth and labour to each of the nations, as well as comparable laws for slave ownership and treatment. Both these nations rely heavily upon slavery for their economy and it has become a key part of their culture. Though its practice saw the founding of several refuge cities and even nations in the face of this law. Places where it is illegal for the trade of slaves, or owning people and creatures is entirely forbidden.

Clauses

The document contained many clauses about the treatment of slaves and how to categorise their worth based on skills, but the most important clauses were, how a citizen might become a slave, how that individual might earn freedom and a law allowing runaways to be pursued into their land:

1. Fall To Slavery: One will be subject to slavery to pay for fines, debt or in the case of criminal conduct. Each of these bears a specific debt of time, as stated in the local government offices and located on the addendum of this document as agreed by the signators. Reasons not listed on this addendum are subject to local laws and judges of an area, but must record the fall to slavery on their tally.
   
   
2. Freedom Clause: A tally of one's debt must be kept and sold alongside them. These tallies dictate the years of ownership that remain based on their value and time indentured. Infractions that add time must be confirmed and approved at the local government office pursuant to the law. If the slave passes before their debt is paid, it may be applied to their children, if born during the period of their slavery. Otherwise, the slave is set free when their debt is paid in full.
   
   
3. Pursuit of Slaves: The signators therein, agree that any nation may pursue slaves across borders for the purpose of recapture. If the nation does not allow this pursuit with foreign agents, then they themselves bear the responsibility to capture and return the escaped slaves in a reasonable time period. If they are unable or unwilling to perform this they must pay the remainder of their tally time within a year of their escape.

Party's Roles

Though the largest trade and ownership is between Sabal and Yeshi the other signators are party to the treaty though with slightly adapted roles in this trade, with neither directly owning their own slaves or buying them from the other nations. They are described below:

Paruga

The islands are no harbour for escaped slaves and a drunken night with the wrong sort may turn into a morning in shackles. Many slavers exist in Pargua and take advantage of the freedom and lack of rules to chain anyone they are able. These slavers usually sail beneath the 'White Cutlass's' banner and though slaves pass through Paruga it is rare to see them in the city, for there are also no laws on freeing slaves. This means anyone who takes offence can attempt to free them without fear of repercussions. The lawlessness in Pargua usually means this slavery happens around the southern islands where the White cutlass rule, and usually involves the capture and trafficking of slaves. The White Cutlass will capture slaves on their raids or other enterprises, then ship them to Sab Narath to sell in the markets there.

Kingdom of Alenian

Slaves and slavery do not exist in this nation in the same manner as in the others. Slavery is more of a penance for those who fail in playing 'The Game of the Council' and must make amends for their acts. Those thrown into this servitude become servants to one master for the time of their penance and cannot be traded to others. This means that slaves are not bought or sold from other nations, as they find the act of owning them abhorrent in many ways, especially those of other species than their own. The kingdom simply signed the mandate since it is a smaller nation sandwiched between the larger kingdom of Yeshi and Sabal and wanted to antagonise neither. This allows slaves to be transported through their land and sold by approved vendors to other approved vendors of the two nations. It also means slaves who fled to Alenian can't seek sanctuary and if captured will be returned to their original country. In these matters Alenian simply wants to be left out, though its position makes it a necessary partner with the Shattered Shelf unpassable to slave traders as ships would have to sail past Stormheld Bastion to offload their goods.

Created:

2290 A.C.

Upheld By:

Sabal, Nation of the Eternal Emperor
Paruga 
Kingdom of Alenian
Yeshi

Refuge

Amongst the nations of western Lenwir there are several distinct refuges and factions that arose in defiance of this law. Both The Red Refuge and their nation The Red Ushad formed largely from slaves that fled or were liberated upon the southwest of Sabal and joined the tribes that lived within the The Crimson Canyons. 

Upon the east of Sabal slaves have few options for freedom, with only the city of Karos as a sanctuary. Though reaching it is difficult with the Shifting Sands preventing slaves from making the journey alone.

The Vorago of Stormheld Bastion were once slaves to the Yeshi during their occupation of the Shattered Shelf and liberated themselves during the The Stormheart Rebellion. Since those days they have done all they can to disrupt and free slaves that travel through their oceans. It is forbidden to trade in slaves within their lands and those that are members of the Unitum Pact.

Opposition

Within Sabal there is a cabal that opposes the current rule and government called The Grey Moon. They also oppose the trafficking of slaves and many of their members were directly or indirectly affected by slavery. They help free slaves and disrupt the governments' trade of them as best they can, allowing the freed to join their order or help them escape to The Red Refuge or Karos. There is another such organisation in Yeshi, though must smaller and less organised than the one in Sabal, though they are both nowhere near strong enough to oppose the great nations or rise up against them yet, merely disrupting as much of their actions as possible.