ARS STATION LAWS

AR'S STATION LAWS

SECTION 0 - CITIZENSHIP

• Citizens are any Free who have sworn to the Home Stone of Ar’s Station

• Residents are any Free living in the Station who have not sworn to the Home Stone and registered to pay tax

• Children are residents until of age

• All citizenship and residency are recorded by the Scribe Caste

• Residents and citizens are protected under Station law

SECTION 1 - GOVERNMENT

• Ar’s Station is governed by a High Council of the five High Castes

• The Council serves under the authority of the Governor of Ar

• Laws are made and amended by Council vote

• Magistrates and Warriors enforce city law

• Merchant matters fall under Merchant law

SECTION 2 - ALLIANCES & WAR

• Trade alliances are handled by the Ambassador and Merchant Head of Caste, with approval of the High Council and the Governor of Ar

• Private merchant agreements fall under Merchant law and do not require Council approval

• Ambassadors may be of any caste and are appointed with Council and Governor approval

• Military alliances and declarations of war are made with counsel from the Warrior Caste and approval of the High Council and Governor of Ar

• Safe Passage may be granted by the High Council or Governor for a set time; visitors must obey Station law while under such agreements

SECTION 3 - JUDICIAL PROCESS

Magistrates are recommended by the High Magistrate and the Head of the Scribe Caste, and serve under the authority of the High Council. In caste matters, they also answer to the Head Scribe.

SECTION 4 - CIVIL CRIMINAL ACTS

All citizens, residents, and visitors are subject to investigation, hearing, and judgment under the laws of Ar’s Station. Punishment follows Gorean custom and the severity of the offense.

Crimes include, but are not limited to:

• Assault, battery, or attempted murder

• Damage to property or Station structures, including arson

• Theft, vandalism, or desecration of the Home Stone

• Disobedience of lawful orders from Station officials

• Slander, false accusation, or false testimony

• Spying or acts against the Station's security

• Treason against the Station, its Council, or Home Stone

• Assisting in the escape of a prisoner

• Disturbing the peace or disrupting Station life

• Unauthorized access to restricted areas (such as rooftops)

• Forgery, fraud, unauthorized maps, seals, or keys

Additional Notes:

• Theft includes misuse of property, services, or slaves without permission

• Caste violations are handled by the appropriate Head of Caste

• Punishments may include fines, imprisonment, banishment, enslavement, or death, according to Gorean law

SECTION 4.1 - SLAVE OFFENSES

Slaves are subject to punishment under Gorean law, regardless of owner preference, for the following offenses:

• Striking or harming a Free without permission

• Touching a Free Woman without command

• Impersonating the Free or claiming a caste

• Carrying or using weapons without permission

• Playing Kaissa

• Correcting or instructing the Free

• Touching the Home Stone

SECTION 4.2 - OWNERS OF SLAVES are responsible for the actions and conduct of their slaves and may face fines or other penalties for serious damage, misdeeds, or disruption caused. 

SECTION 4.3 - ACTS AGAINST MERCHANT LAW

• Merchant Magistrates are appointed by the Head of the Merchant Caste and serve under the authority of the High Council

• Merchant Magistrates judge violations of Merchant law

Merchant crimes include:

• Fraud or deception in trade

• Use of false weights or measures

• Operating without proper registration or permit

• Altering or falsifying coinage

• Forged or falsified bills of sale or slave papers

• Misrepresentation of goods, including slaves

Serious violations may result in expulsion from the Merchant Caste and further punishment under city law.

SECTION 4.4 - ADDITIONAL FRAUD OFFENSES

Punishable under Merchant law according to severity:

• Failure to pay taxes or debts

• Avoiding dock or trade fees

• Selling items without legal ownership

• Sale or trafficking of stolen goods

SECTION 4.5 FRAUD INVOLVING SLAVES

• Public sale of an unbranded or uncollared slave

• Slaves falsely claiming Free status without proof

• Misrepresentation of a slave during sale, including undisclosed dyed hair

Such offenses are punishable under Merchant law according to severity.

SECTION 4.6 - IMPROPER / UNLAWFUL ENSLAVEMENTS

• Enslaving a member of the Players or Musicians Castes

• Enslaving a Free Woman without lawful authority, contract, or Magistrate approval

Such actions are punishable under city and Merchant law.

SECTION 4.7 - LAWFUL ENSLAVEMENT OF A FREE WOMAN

A Magistrate may order the enslavement of a Free Woman under Gorean law for the following reasons:

• Unpaid or lawfully adjudicated debts

• Voluntary submission

• Conditions within a valid Free Companion contract

• Interference with another’s slave without permission

• Proven slavish conduct unbecoming of Free status

• Being found branded or collared without valid manumission papers

All such cases require lawful review and Magistrate judgment.

SECTION 4.8 - CAPTURE & COLLARING OF CITIZENS

A Free citizen of Ar’s Station who is captured and collared by enemies or outlaws is still considered Free, unless clear evidence of voluntary submission exists.

A Free Companion may choose to recognise such enslavement as valid, provided their Companion Contract allows it. 

SECTION 4.9 - MAGISTRATES & APPEALS

• Civil and Merchant Magistrates determine whether laws have been broken and issue judgment

• Matters falling under Merchant law or Civil law may be transferred between Magistrates as appropriate

• Any Free accused of a crime is entitled to a hearing and may request an advocate

• The High Council may review, vary, or overturn Magistrate rulings through appeal

• Appointed Magistrates may issue immediate judgment within their assigned areas, such as docks or markets

• Appeals by citizens are heard by the High Council; appeals by visitors are heard by the High Magistrate 

SECTION 5 - INVESTIGATIONS & EVIDENCE

• Investigations are conducted by Magistrates and the Warrior Caste within their duties

• A determination will be made as to whether a trial is required

• Findings may be shared among relevant authorities

• Citizens may request an investigation by submitting an inquiry to a Magistrate

• Evidence must be credible; hearsay is not accepted

• Physicians must provide autopsies to the court when lawfully requested

SECTION 6 - ARREST POWERS

• Magistrates and the Warrior Caste may detain or arrest any citizen or visitor for breaches of the peace or investigation of law

• Lawful orders issued by the Warrior Caste or Magistrates must be obeyed, including disarmament

• If a matter falls outside a Magistrate’s jurisdiction, the case will be transferred to the appropriate authority

SECTION 7 - FAMILY LAW

• Households are governed according to Gorean custom, with authority resting in the appropriate male guardian

• Upon death or enslavement, property and estates transfer according to Gorean inheritance law

• Free Women may own property, businesses, and slaves

Conduct of Free Women:

• Free Women are required to veil

• Hair should be worn up or braided in public, except where circumstances reasonably allow otherwise

• Free Women are expected to conduct themselves with decorum befitting their status

• A Free Woman may not be collared except by lawful judgment, contract, or her companion

Public Restrictions:

• Free Women may not carry restricted weapons within the Station's walls

• Entry into restricted areas, such as taverns, is governed by Station custom and law

SECTION 8 - CASTE LAW

• Each caste is governed by its Head of Caste and internal codes

• Heads of Caste may be removed by majority vote of the High Council and their own caste

• All Heads of Caste and Magistrates serve with the approval of the High Council and the Governor of Ar

• Caste rules must align with the Station and Merchant law

• Any request to change caste requires approval of both the current and intended Heads of Caste, and Council consent

SECTION 9 - MERCHANT LAW

• Merchant law governs all trade and commercial matters within Ar’s Station

• Merchant law applies equally to citizens, residents, and visitors

• Merchant Magistrates enforce Merchant law; Civil Magistrates may act in their absence

General Principles:

• Fraud, false weights, altered coinage, and forged documents are crimes

• Registered crests, marks, and emblems are legally protected

• Debts, contracts, and lawful instruments of trade are enforceable

• Coin shaving, false measures, and misrepresentation are theft

Status & Slavery Under Merchant Law:

• All persons are either Free or slave

• Prisoners are not slaves unless lawfully collared or branded

• Ownership of slaves follows Merchant law regarding recovery, transfer, and sale

• Public sale of slaves requires proper papers and truthful representation

Debt & Enslavement:

• Lawful debt may be settled through service or enslavement under Merchant law

• Once enslaved, prior debts and crimes are considered erased

• Property of the enslaved transfers according to law

Violations of Merchant law are punishable by fines, loss of trade rights, expulsion from caste, or further judgment under city law. 

SECTION 10 - SLAVE LAWS & REGULATIONS

• All slaves within Ar’s Station must be registered with the city through the Scribe Caste

• A current physical examination by a Physician is required

• Slaves sold publicly must have proper papers 

• Privately acquired slaves must complete registration within a reasonable time

• Slaves must display a visible mark of slavery (collar or brand)

• Use of another’s slave without permission is theft

• Owners are responsible for the care and control of their slaves

• Slaves left without owner care for an extended period may be deemed abandoned

• Abandoned or newly arrived slaves fall under city custody

• Slave rental and sale practices are governed by Merchant law and Station oversight

SECTION 11 - TAXES

• Taxes are set by the High Council of Ar’s Station

• All Free citizens, residents, and visiting traders are subject to taxation

• Caste work and services are taxed at 3%

• Rental and real estate are taxed at 5%

• Goods sold are taxed at 2%

• Imports and exports are taxed at 1%, collected by the Harbor Master

Failure to pay taxes may result in penalties as determined by the Council.

FINAL NOTE

Ar’s Station follows By the Books Gorean structure, applied with patience, fairness, and respect.

Law exists to support roleplay, not replace it.

BTB in structure. Patient in practice.