Teletus: LAWS

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS

Section 1 - Governance of the Isle of Teletus

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1.1 – Authority and Governance

1.1.1 The Ubar governs the Isle of Teletus with the counsel, vote, and support of the High Council.

1.1.2 The Laws of the Isle of Teletus extend from the city walls to all surrounding lands under its protection.

1.1.3 The Codex of the Isle of Teletus includes City Law, Caste Law, Criminal Law, Free Women Law, Merchant Law, and Slave Law as enacted by the High Council Officials.

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1.2 – The High Council

The High Council consists of the Heads of the five High Castes—Initiates, Scribes, Builders, Physicians, and Warriors—together with the Head of the Merchant Caste.

1.2.1 – Voting Authority

1.2.1.a Each Head of a High Caste has one (1) vote.

1.2.1.b The Head Merchant represents the Low Castes and holds one (1) vote.

1.2.1.c A vote requires at least three (3) members present to be binding.

1.2.1.d In case of a tie, the Ubar—or the Ubara in his absence—casts the deciding vote.

1.2.1.e If a Head of Caste cannot attend, the Assistant Head may represent that Caste with the Ubar’s approval.

1.2.2 – Procedures

1.2.2.a The Ubar may postpone any vote if the required members are not present.

1.2.2.b Prominent politicians or emissaries may attend High Council meetings if invited, but may not vote.

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1.3 – The Home Stone

1.3.1 All Citizens and Residents must protect the Home Stone.

1.3.2 During conflict, the Warrior Caste may lawfully demand assistance from any able-bodied Free Man or slave. Refusal constitutes treason.

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1.4 – Treason

Treason undermines the safety of the Isle or the sanctity of the Home Stone. It is punishable by death. Treason includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Theft of, or deliberate damage to, the Home Stone.

(b) Selling information concerning the Home Stone.

(d) Aiding enemies or hostile settlements.

(e) Attempting to overthrow the High Council.

(f) Falsely pledging allegiance to the Home Stone.

(g) Making unauthorized maps or key copies of Ubarate buildings.

(h) Possessing a poison slave without the High Magistrate’s approval.

(i) Refusing to defend the Home Stone in conflict.

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1.5 – Entry to the Isle

1.5.1 Citizens and Residents hold keys to the city and may enter and depart freely.

1.5.2 All visitors, foreigners, and non-citizens are subject to Isle law; violations are punishable up to and including impalement.

1.5.1 – Diplomatic Entry

Emissaries, ambassadors, and heralds may enter if they wear a gold slash and declare their purpose.

1.5.2 – Assassins

Assassins with the black dagger mark may enter freely. If they draw their weapon, Warriors and Guards may act according to their Codes.

1.5.3 – Entertainers

Entertainers, players, poets, musicians, and singers may enter freely without risk of enslavement but remain subject to Isle law.

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1.6 – Citizenship

Citizenship requires a formal pledge of allegiance to the Home Stone. Citizens gain trial by law, the right to labor and trade, and protection from foreign debtors. In return, they must uphold the laws and defend the Isle.

1.6.1 – Revocation and Restrictions

1.6.1.a The High Council may revoke Citizenship for treason, expulsion from the Caste, failure to uphold the laws, or allegiance to another Home Stone.

1.6.1.b Any Free Person who falsely claims allegiance to the Home Stone commits a crime.

1.6.2 – Residents and Slaves

1.6.2.a Residents (loyal to another Home Stone) may live and work within the Isle but lack trial rights and protection from foreign debtors.

1.6.2.b Slaves hold no right to Citizenship or Caste.

1.6.3 – Records and Seals

1.6.3.a The Caste of Scribes shall maintain all Citizen and Resident records.

1.6.3.b All Citizens and Residents are required to register their seals with the Scribes for such seals to be recognized as having legal effect.

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1.7 – Households

The Head of Household must maintain order; failure to do so is punishable under Isle law.

1.7.1 – Household Authority

1.7.1.a The Head of Household handles minor offenses within his household.

1.7.1.b Magistrates may intervene in domestic disputes if necessary.

1.7.1.c The Head of Household may enslave his Free Companion or daughters unless a binding, certified contract forbids it.

1.7.2 – Supervision of Free Women

Free Women are advised, though not required, to remain under the supervision of a Free Man (father, relative, companion, protector, or guardian).

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1.8 – Civil Property and Contracts

The Scribes must prepare, certify, and seal all contracts, wills, and legal documents.

1.8.1 – Validity and Enforcement

1.8.1.a All contracts must include the date and time of signing.

1.8.1.b Merchant contracts not sealed by the Scribes may still be recognized under Merchant Law.

1.8.1.c Breach of contract or non-payment of debts may result in fines, imprisonment, or enslavement. Magistrates may order property seizure or enslavement of family members.

1.8.2 – Debts and Inheritance

1.8.2.a Free Women unable to repay debts may be enslaved, sold at auction, or compelled into labor.

1.8.2.b Property inheritance follows the Last Will Manifest. In its absence, inheritance passes in order of kinship, then to the Treasury.

1.8.2.c The estate of the deceased includes all property, businesses, and slaves.

1.8.2.d The property of any Free Person enslaved transfers to heirs or, lacking heirs, to the Treasury.

1.8.3 – Records and Fraud

1.8.3.a The Scribes preserve all sealed documents in the Hall of Records.

1.8.3b Forgery, falsification, or alteration of sealed documents constitutes fraud, punishable by fines or enslavement.

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1.9 – Free Companionship

1.9.1 A Free Person may have only one Companion at a time.

1.9.2 Companionship lasts one Gorean year unless renewed within two hands of the anniversary.

1.9.3 Companionship dissolves through enslavement, death, or failure to renew.

1.9.4 A Free Woman may adopt her Companion’s Caste if she fulfills training or apprenticeship requirements.

1.9.5 Children inherit the family name and Caste of the father.

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1.10 – Taxes of the Ubarate

All Citizens and Residents aged twenty-five or older shall pay quarterly taxes. Each Citizen and Resident shall pay taxes individually, irrespective of household size.

1.10.1 – Tax Rates

Citizen/Resident Tax: 30 copper

Shop Owner Tax: 30 copper

Stall Merchant Tax: 20 copper

1.10.2 – Collection and Allocation

1.10.2.a Taxes are collected every three Gorean months.

1.10.2.b The High Council appoints Tax Collectors and Scribes to oversee collection.

1.10.2.c The Tax Collector funds civic maintenance and infrastructure under the High Council and Treasury.

1.10.3 – Economic Crisis

A Free Person who is unable to pay may declare an economic crisis, provided that a civil advocate certifies the declaration. Upon such certification, the Ubar may authorize delayed or reduced payments.

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS

Section 2 – Caste Law of the Isle of Teletus

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2.1. General Requirement

2.1.1 All the free of Teletus must be within a caste, land working peasants, or law-abiding beggars. Otherwise, they will be considered outlaws and treated accordingly..

2.1.2 Admission into the Warrior Caste shall be restricted to those Free Persons who have sworn allegiance to the Home Stone.

2.1.3 Eligibility for appointment to the High Council, or to any other ruling office of the Isle of Teletus, shall be restricted to Free Persons who have sworn allegiance to the Home Stone.

2.1.4 Any Free Person found without Caste membership shall be required to petition for admittance into a Caste. Failure to secure membership shall result in outlawry and forfeiture of all rights and privileges of Citizenship.

2.1.5 Newly sworn Citizens shall be granted a period of 3 hands to obtain Caste membership without penalty.

2.1.6 Free Persons who are Residents but not sworn Citizens shall retain Caste membership but shall forfeit the right of Caste Sanctuary, defined as protection, financial assistance, and support in cases of crisis.

2.1.7 Free Women may hold membership in any Caste except the Initiates or the Assassins. Free Men may hold membership in any Caste without restriction.

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2.2. Caste Membership

2.2.1 Petition for membership in a Caste shall be submitted either to the Head of Caste or by filing a certified Caste Registration Record with a Scribe of the Isle of Teletus.

2.2.2 Where a Caste lacks a Head or official representative, registration shall be certified by the Ubar.

2.2.3 Any Free Person may petition to change Caste. Such a petition shall not in itself grant rights or privileges of membership.

2.2.4 Full membership shall be conferred only upon satisfaction of training and skill requirements, as determined by the Head of Caste.

2.2.5 A Free Woman may assume the Caste of her companion upon acceptance by the intended Caste. She shall not perform Caste duties until completion of apprenticeship training, as certified by the Head of Caste.

2.2.6 A Free Person may hold membership in only one Caste. Ownership of or employment within a business related to personal skill shall be permitted, provided that such activity does not constitute unauthorized performance of another Caste’s duties. Evidence of such unauthorized conduct shall permit intervention by the Magistrates.

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2.3. Caste Structure and Training

2.3.1 Each Caste shall establish and maintain explicit requirements, procedures, training systems, and ranking structures, which shall be made available to prospective members upon request.

2.3.2 The internal structure, ranks, and order of a Caste shall be determined by its Head, subject to review by the Ubar.

2.3.3 Heads of Caste shall ensure that all apprentices receive training that is fair, uniform, and consistent in application.

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2.4. Change of Caste

2.4.1 Any Free Person seeking to change Caste shall submit a petition to the Scribes of the Isle of Teletus.

2.4.2 Such petition for a Change of Caste shall bear the signatures of the petitioner’s current Head of Caste, intended Head of Caste, and certification by a Scribe.

2.4.3 No petition for change of Caste shall be valid unless approved by both the current and intended Heads of Caste.

2.4.4 Approval of a petition for Caste change shall not be presumed.

2.4.5 No Free Person shall be admitted into a new Caste without execution of a Change of Caste Contract, except Free Women assuming the Caste of their companion.

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2.5. Caste Expulsion and Denial

2.5.1 Provisional members may be removed from a Caste at the sole discretion of the Head of Caste, without the requirement of justification or evidence.

2.5.2 The Head of Caste may, at their discretion, remove an apprentice by issuing a written report. The Head of Caste shall submit the report to the prior Head of Caste, the apprentice’s Head of Household, and the High Council.

2.5.3 Full members may be expelled only upon presentation of evidence of misconduct, malfeasance, or dereliction of duty, where such offenses cannot be remedied through lesser punitive measures.

2.5.4 Any Free Person denied admission to, or expelled from, a Caste shall retain the right of appeal before the High Council.

2.5.5 Any Free Person found guilty of crimes during trial may be expelled from their Caste or declared outlaw by order of the High Council or the Ubar.

2.5.6 Any Head of Caste found guilty of abusing their position for personal gain, including but not limited to unjust denial of membership or unlawful expulsion, shall be deemed guilty of treason against the Home Stone.

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2.6. Duties and Obligations

2.6.1 Every Free Man shall be required to perform the duties of his Caste. Any Free Person who refuses to practice their Caste, or who alters Caste without lawful authorization, shall be stripped of membership and declared outlaw.

2.6.2 All uncompanioned women are expected to perform caste duties. Companioned Free Women may do so at the discretion of their companions.”

2.6.3 Any Free Man unable to fulfill his Caste obligations must submit formal retirement papers. Failure to do so may result in judicial proceedings.

2.6.4 Caste members who have lawfully retired shall retain Caste Sanctuary, the right to vote, and the right to attend Caste meetings

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2.7. Enforcement of Caste Law

2.7.1 Each Head of Caste shall be responsible for the enforcement of their respective Caste Laws and Codes.

2.7.2 Where enforcement is neglected, delayed, or unjustly withheld, the Ubar and the Magistrates of the Isle of Teletus shall retain the authority to intervene.

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2.8. Caste Rulers

2.8.1 The Head of Caste shall be the highest authority within their Caste. They shall represent the Caste in the High Council and ensure the enforcement of its laws and codes.

2.8.2 Heads of Caste, with the exception of the Commander, shall be selected from among the most qualified members of their Caste, through appointment by the membership in accordance with established procedures. Elections for Heads of Caste shall take place every six months. The Commander of the Warriors shall be appointed directly by the Ubar.

2.8.3 Members of a Caste may petition the High Council for the removal of their Head of Caste, provided that such a petition is substantiated by evidence.

2.8.4 The Head of Caste shall have authority to establish sub-castes, ranks, and offices as necessary for the administration of the Caste.

2.8.5 The Head of Caste shall have authority to discipline or remove members from office or position for failure of duty, neglect of Caste work, or dishonorable conduct. Punishments may include demotion, assignment of remedial duties, or expulsion from the Caste.

2.8.6 The Ubar shall retain supreme authority to appoint or remove any Head of Caste at their discretion.

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS

Section 3 – Laws Governing Free Women of the Isle of Teletus

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3.1 – Conduct and Rights of Free Women

3.1.1 – General Conduct

Free Women shall conduct themselves with decorum and modesty in public, in a manner befitting their station and political status.

3.1.2 – Freedom of Movement

Free Women may move freely throughout the Isle and may leave the town unescorted. They are strongly advised to travel beyond the town limits with a Guard or Warrior.

3.1.3 – Taverns

Free Women shall not enter taverns without the escort of a Free Man. The Tavern Manager may question any unescorted Free Woman. Magistrates shall prosecute repeat offenders, who may face fines, whipping, or enslavement.

3.1.4 – Entry to the Warrior’s Hall

Free Women shall not enter the Warrior’s Hall unescorted, unless they are members of the Warrior Caste, the Ubara, or members of the Physician Caste on official business. Warriors may question trespassers. Magistrates shall prosecute repeat offenders, who may face fines, whipping, or enslavement.

3.1.5 – Conduct with Slaves

A Free Woman who couches with a slave she does not own or lawfully rents, acts in a slave-like manner. The slave’s owner shall claim her as property unless the Master granted prior permission.

3.1.6 – Unveiling

Forcibly removing the veil of a Citizen Free Woman, or unveiling her in public, constitutes an offense equal to rape or attempted rape.

3.1.7 – Captivity and Escape

Free Women may flee captivity. Upon return, they regain Citizenship and protection under the Home Stone unless Magistrates find compelling evidence for enslavement.

3.1.8 – Insults and Disrespect

Insulting or disrespectful speech toward a man, by itself, does not justify enslavement. Magistrates shall review all other cases involving possible enslavement.

3.1.9 – Reporting Immodest Conduct

Any Citizen or Resident who witnesses immodest conduct by a Free Woman may report it to her companion, guardian, or protector, or may file a complaint with a Magistrate.

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3.2 – Dress

3.2.1 – General Rule

Free Women shall wear robes of concealment covering as much of the body as possible. They shall not wear sheer or transparent robes.

3.2.2 – High Caste Free Women

High Caste Free Women shall wear a veil. They shall style their hair up and off their shoulders. Only uncompanioned Northern women may wear a single braid.

3.2.3 – Low Caste Free Women

Low Caste Free Women may choose to wear a head covering or veil. They shall secure their hair off their shoulders in an orderly style. They shall not wear ponytails or slave-like hairstyles.

3.2.4 – Visibility

High Caste Free Women shall expose only the hair, neck, and hands in public. Low Caste Women may also expose their lower arms when necessary for caste duties.

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3.3 – Slave-Like Behavior

No Free Woman who holds Citizenship shall be enslaved without a Magistrate’s order, except under the following conditions:

3.3.1 – Voluntary Declaration of Slavery

A Free Woman who declares herself a slave before another Free Person in the presence of two witnesses may be enslaved immediately. If fewer than two witnesses are present, the courts shall decide.

3.3.2 – Immodesty and Indecency

A Free Woman who appears in public immodestly or indecently, such as with exposed chest, shoulders, arms, or legs, acts in a slave-like manner, and may be subject to enslavement.

3.3.3 – Refusal of Lawful Inspection

A Free Woman who refuses to bare her thigh upon lawful request of an authorized official, pursuant to a warrant, shall be subject to enslavement..

3.3.4 – Expression of Slave Desires

A Free Woman who expresses interest in bondage, unless she belongs to the Caste of Slavers, acts in a slave-like manner.

3.3.5 – Public Lewdness

A Free Woman who engages in lustful or lascivious conduct in public shall be subject to enslavement.

3.3.6 – Idleness and Criminality

A Free Woman who is idle, homeless, or engages in crime abandons the rights of her station and may be enslaved.

3.3.7 – Slave Dancing

A Free Woman who performs slave dances in public shall be subject to enslavement.

3.3.8 – Submission Before Men

A Free Woman who addresses a Free Man as “Master” places herself as a slave and may be enslaved.

3.3.9 – Branding

A Free Woman who bears a visible brand without documentation of manumission shall be deemed a slave.

3.3.10 – Debts

A Free Woman who fails to settle lawful debts shall be enslaved until she pays or resolves the debt by Magistrate order.

3.3.11 – Drunkenness and Disorder

A Free Woman who is habitually drunk in public or repeatedly dresses improperly shall be subject to enslavement.

3.3.12 – Adjudication

Magistrates of the Isle of Teletus shall adjudicate all claims of slave-like behavior. Their rulings are final and binding.

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS

Section 4 – Criminal Law of the Isle of Teletus

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4.1 – Jurisdiction of Law

4.1.1 The High Council, the Ubar, and the Ubarate shall hold supreme authority over the Laws of the Isle of Teletus. All acts of Treason shall fall under their exclusive jurisdiction, together with the High Magistrate.

4.1.2 Civil and City Magistrates shall preside over judicial cases involving Citizens of the Isle of Teletus, including felonies, permanent collars, and capital punishment. The High Magistrate shall retain authority to overrule their judgments.

4.1.3 Praetors and Merchant Magistrates shall adjudicate matters of Merchant Law and cases involving non-Citizens, including minor misdemeanors in both public and private hearings.

4.1.4 Advocates and Investigators shall be empowered to collect evidence, interrogate witnesses, and prepare prosecutions or defenses before the Magistrates.

4.1.5 Warriors and Guards of the Isle of Teletus shall be vested with authority to prevent and suppress crime, assist in felony investigations, execute warrants, and enforce lawful sentences.

4.1.6 Court Clerks shall maintain official records of all incidents and proceedings.

4.1.7 Warrior Clerks shall maintain records of all incidents specifically involving Warriors or Guards.

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4.2 – Conviction of Crimes

Misdemeanors

4.2.1 A first offense shall be classified as a misdemeanor and shall not require trial proceedings.

4.2.2 Misdemeanors shall be adjudicated by a Magistrate (for Citizens), Praetor (for non-Citizens), or a Merchant Magistrate (for Merchant Law).

Felonies

4.2.3 Repeated misdemeanor offenses shall thereafter be classified as felonies.

4.2.4 Felonies shall require a full trial before a Magistrate.

4.2.5 Felonies committed under Merchant Law shall be adjudicated by the Merchant Magistrate.

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4.3 – Crimes and Punishments

4.3.1 Property Damage – Willful or negligent damage to private or city property shall be punished by full restitution. Failure to pay shall result in public whipping.

4.3.2 Arson – Negligent or willful fire-setting shall be punishable by fines, public labor, enslavement, or death, depending on loss of life and destruction.

4.3.3 Slander – Knowingly spreading falsehoods shall incur a fine for the first offense. Repeated offenses shall result in escalating punishments as determined by a Magistrate.

4.3.4 Face-Stripping of Free Women – It shall be unlawful to strip the veil from a Free Woman of Teletus. Violators shall be fined or punished at the Magistrate’s discretion. Exception: This law shall not apply to captured non-Citizens, whose treatment is governed by Capture Rights.

4.3.5 False Claim of Caste – Any Free Person falsely claiming membership in a Caste, including by wearing its insignia, shall be subject to fines or enslavement according to the severity of the offense.

4.3.6 Unlawful Orders to Slaves – Any Free Person who commands a slave to commit an unlawful act shall bear responsibility and be punished as if they themselves committed the crime.

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4.4 – Specific Felonies

4.4.1 Theft

First Offense: Ear notching.

Second Offense: Loss of a hand (Free Men) or enslavement (Free Women).

All recovered property shall be returned to its rightful owner, or, if no claimant exists, transferred to the City Treasury.

4.4.2 Rape

Defined as compelling a Free Woman to sexual acts against her will or the will of her guardian or Companion.

4.4.2.a Conviction requires testimony, witnesses, or medical evidence

4.4.2.b Punishment: Restitution in silver or gold equal to her Companion price, with additional penalties as determined by Magistrates.

4.4.3 Assault - Defined as a willful attack with the intent to harm, excluding lawful duels or Warrior challenges.

4.4.3.a Punishment shall be proportionate to the severity, at the discretion of the Magistrates.

4.4.3.b Assault with a deadly weapon or force sufficient to cause death shall be treated as attempted murder.

4.4.3.c Assault upon a Teletian official (Warrior, Guard, Magistrate, Ubar, or Ubara) shall result in loss of a hand (Free Men) or enslavement (Free Women).

4.4.4 Murder

Defined as the unlawful taking of the life of a Free Person.

First Offense: Punishment at the discretion of Magistrates, up to and including death.

Second Offense: Death.

4.4.5 Justifiable Homicide

Homicide shall be deemed justifiable when committed:

(a) In defense of the Home Stone,

(b) In acts of war,

(d) In self-defense,

(e) In defense of others,

(f) In medical practice, if unintended,

(g) Against a slave (which does not constitute murder under the law),

(h) By a Warrior, under his Codes, against a Free Woman who has submitted and refuses to honor her submission.

4.4.6 Medical Reports – Physicians shall issue autopsy reports in all cases of unexplained death or homicide.

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4.5 – Arrests and Hearings

4.5.1 No Free Person shall be arrested without a warrant issued by a lawful authority.

4.5.2 Warriors may act without a warrant only in cases of immediate danger, detaining the accused until a Magistrate is available.

4.5.3 All suspects, Citizen or visitor, shall be entitled to a hearing for their first and second offense.

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4.6 – Trials and Convictions

4.6.1 A Free Person summoned before a Magistrate who refuses to appear may be seized and compelled to attend.

4.6.2 Trials may proceed in absentia if the accused cannot be located.

4.6.3 No Citizen shall be tried twice for the same offense.

4.6.4 False testimony shall be punishable by execution or exile.

4.6.5 Officials shall provide, within one hand of imprisonment, a full account explaining why a Citizen’s liberty is restrained.

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4.7 – Execution

4.7.1 Execution may be decreed by Magistrates, with the manner of death determined by the High Magistrate.

4.7.2 A certificate of death and autopsy shall be submitted by a Physician to the High Council, Law Officials, and the family of the condemned.

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4.8 – Pardons and Release

4.8.1 The High Council may issue pardons at its discretion, with full records submitted to the Magistrates and Scribes.

4.8.2 The High Council may issue posthumous pardons, thereby restoring honor to the deceased and their family.

4.8.3 Only the High Council may demand the immediate release of a prisoner, with lawful cause submitted to the High Magistrate.

4.8.4 The High Council, or Ubar, may reduce sentences imposed by Magistrates, though such reduction shall not absolve the underlying crime.

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4.9 – Outlaws

4.9.1 The High Council shall retain sole authority to declare any Citizen an Outlaw.

4.9.2 Outlawry shall be formally enacted by public refusal of bread, salt, and fire in the Council chamber.

4.9.3 The Caste of Scribes shall maintain permanent records of all persons declared outlaw or banished from Teletus.

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS
Section 5 – Merchant Law of the Isle of Teletus

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5.1 – Standardized Measurements
The weight and stone shall be verified four times each year, coinciding with the four Sardar Fairs of the Gorean calendar.

5.1.a All Citizens and Residents engaged in trade must employ a singular, consistent system of weights and measures, tested and confirmed against the official stone of the Isle of Teletus.

5.1.b Any Merchant found using false or unauthorized measures shall be subject to charges of fraud, with judgment and penalty determined by the Merchant Magistrates.

5.1.c Any Merchant selling goods or consumables with measures deviating by more than five percent from the Standard Scale of the Isle of Teletus shall be charged with fraud. Penalties may include the revocation of the Business Registration License.

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5.2 – Coinage
The act of shaving, clipping, or otherwise altering coinage constitutes theft and fraud.

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5.3 – Licensing
No Merchant may conduct business, establish a trade, or operate a company within the Isle of Teletus without first securing a valid Business Registration License. A license may be obtained from the Head Merchant, an appointed Scribe, or the High Council.

5.3.a A Merchant found trading without a license shall incur a fine for the first offense. Upon a second offense, the Merchant Magistrates may order the seizure of goods, profits, and business holdings. A third offense shall result in enslavement.

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5.4 – Sales Tax

A sales tax of one percent shall be applied to all purchases and remitted to the Ubarate with quarterly taxes.

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5.5 – Forgery
The falsification or misuse of the Official Seal of the Isle of Teletus upon mercantile goods is forbidden and shall be punished as deemed appropriate by the Merchant Magistrates..

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ISLE OF TELETUS LAWS
Section 6 – Slavery Law of the Isle of Teletus
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6.1 – Status and Nature of Slavery
6.1.1 The Owner holds sole property rights over the slave and may use, dispose of, or destroy the slave at will.

6.1.2 A slave owns nothing and holds no property.

6.1.3 A slave holds no right to Caste or Citizenship.

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6.2 – Authority, Punishment, and Capture
6.2.1 Any Free Person may punish a slave.

6.2.2 A Free Man may enslave a captured Free Woman not of his Home Stone, according to the rights of capture.

6.2.3 A slave shall not strike a Free Person. The penalty for doing so is prolonged torture followed by death.

6.2.4 Any Free Person may kill a disobedient slave. If the slave belongs to a private Owner or to the Kennels, the killer must compensate the Owner.

6.2.5 Failure to pay due compensation invokes the laws of debt. The Merchant Magistrate shall resolve any dispute over adequacy.

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6.3 – Restrictions and Prohibitions
6.3.1 Slaves may not enter the Temple of Initiates.
6.3.2 Slaves may not play Kaissa.
6.3.3 Female slaves may not touch weapons without explicit permission. Any slave who touches a Free Man’s weapon without leave shall be put to death.
6.3.4 A slave may not impersonate a Free Person.
6.3.5 Slaves may not instruct Free Persons. A Free Person may, however, observe a lesson taught by a slave to ensure propriety.
6.3.6 No person may knowingly sell a red-haired or auburn-haired girl whose hair has been artificially dyed. Doing so constitutes fraud.
6.3.7 Slaves may not lie. If a slave is caught in falsehood, the penalty may be death.
6.3.8 A slave who attempts escape shall be hamstrung upon the first offense. A second offense results in death.

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6.4 – Examination, Ownership, and Registration
6.4.1 A Physician of the Isle shall examine all slaves annually. Ownership papers require a current medical record.
6.4.2 All slaves must be registered. If an Owner fails to register a slave within 3 hands, the Kennels may seize the slave. If unclaimed thereafter, the Kennels gain ownership.
6.4.3 A Scribe of the Isle or a Kennel Scribe must certify and seal ownership papers for them to be binding.

6.4.4 A bill of sale is valid only when a Scribe of the Isle or a Kennel Scribe signs and seals it.

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6.5 – Kennels and Abandonment
6.5.1 The Kennels shall claim any slave whose Owner abandons the slave for 3 hands.
6.5.2 If the Kennels find a slave without an escort or purpose, they may hold the slave for 3 hands . If unclaimed, ownership passes to the Kennels.
6.5.3 The Head Slaver may dispose of Kennel slaves by sale, rental, or auction.
6.5.4 The Head Slaver may impose restrictions upon Kennel slaves.

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6.6 – Tokens and Status of Bondage
6.6.1 All slaves must bear a visible token of bondage (collar, brand, or slave garments).
6.6.2 Merchants may not sell an unbranded slave.
6.6.3 Owners may impose sexual restrictions on their slaves. Belting is encouraged but not required. Free Persons who knowingly violate sexual restrictions shall pay a fine. Slaves who violate another’s restrictions shall be put to death.
6.6.4 Offenders must pay fines within one hand. Failure to pay invokes punishment as determined by the Magistrates.

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6.7 – Manumission and Freedom
6.7.1 Owners may free their slaves at any time.
6.7.2 A Scribe must certify, seal, and file records of manumission in the Hall of Records.
6.7.3 Freed women must carry valid manumission papers with them at all times and be prepared to produce them upon demand. A free woman suspected of being a slave who cannot produce said proof of manumission will be held in the city jail for a period of one hand or until the papers are provided. After this time, if proof is not given, the woman may be subject to legal repercussions, up to and including death or enslavement.

6.7.4 A newly freed slave must dress properly within one day and petition to join a Caste within one hand.
6.7.5 The freed person must deliver proof of manumission to the City Records Keeper within three days.
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6.8 – Special Provisions
6.8.1 In legal proceedings, Magistrates may compel a slave’s testimony under torture.
6.8.2 Poison slaves are illegal weapons.
6.8.2.a Authorities shall immediately destroy any uncaged poison slave and charge the Owner.
6.8.2.b Any Owner who possesses a poison slave without approval of the Chief Magistrate commits treason.

6.8.3 The only recognized slave-property challenge is Kajira Canjellne.
6.8.3.a Kajira Canjellne is not a duel unto death. One may invoke it only to recover a stolen slave, protect a slave in mortal peril, or reclaim a previously owned slave. To invoke it against one of the same Home Stone, or against an unskilled swordsman, is dishonorable.
6.8.3.b If the challenger does not belong to the Warrior Caste, the challenged Free may refuse the match.

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Teletus

Friday, September 12, 2025

LAWS

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