Code of Charon

Responsibility I. Death Ore

A. Deposits of Death Ore are the possession of Stygia and administered by the Chancellors of the Legions.

1. Finds of Death Ore may be purchased by impost whenever discovered. II. Grave Goods

A. The collection and utilising of grave goods for the benefit of the wraiths of a Necropolis, indeed even of Stygia, is an essential administrative task. To this end the Chancellors of each Legion are bound to ensure the effective recording, storage and disbursement of any grave goods.

B. Relics of military or social function are of particular value and are to be assigned a value commensurate with their utility.

III. Necropolis Senate

Traditionally seating is three and four to a side of the table with the Senator of Fate sitting at the foot and any Stygian representative at the head. In absence of the Stygian representative, the Processional Mace is placed on the table at the head. Members of the Stygian Senate are referred to as Imperial Senators

A. Made up of the highest ranking member of each Legion present in the Necropolis, each given the title of Senator; this is independent of their Rank

B. The most senior Senator is sometimes termed Legate C. Voting is conducted by the seven legions D. The Legion of Fate provides advice and counsel to the Necropolis Senate, they do

not vote IV. Souls

A. By their Deathmarks shall a new soul be assigned to the Legions of the Senator that holds responsibility for the manner of their death.

B. In the matter of unknown or unclear Deathmarks, a Tribunal shall be called between the two Legions concerned with a third party of a Legion with no claim upon the wraith.

C. The trade of wraiths between Legions may be authorised only by Senators of the Legions involved

D. Pardoners of the Legions are held responsible for providing succour to all wraiths in the restraining of the Shadow’s worst depredations.

V. Stygian Steel A. Remains a possession of the Hierarchy; as such may be reassigned upon the

orders of a military or administrative superior.

Peacekeeping I. The Military arm of the Legions, commanded by their Overlords, are responsible for the

defence and security of Stygia and all its possessions. A. It is the responsibility of every military Commander, from Centurion to Overlord, to

make decisions in the field for the greatest benefit to Stygia and her possessions B. The Doomslayers of each Legion have the responsibility of sorties into the

Labyrinth to bring the opposition of Oblivion to the very door of the Spectres. C. The Specialist Legions owe obedience to their Overlord first, then to the

Anacreons of their Deathlord. II. The Administrative arm of the Legions, commanded by their Chancellors, are responsible

for the record keeping and application of policy in Stygia and all of its Possessions. A. All members of the civil Legions shall ensure that Stygian law, Legion policy and

Senatorial policy are followed at all times. B. Assessors

1. Pardoners of at least Marshall/Inspector (Rank IV) who have been created this title by a Necropolis Senate or the Stygian Senate (often called Imperial Assessors).

C. Magistrates 1. The judges of Stygian law and are held to a standard of impartiality and

jurisprudence.Magistrates are created this title by a Necropolis Senate or the Stygian Senate (often called Imperial Magistrates).

2. Magistrates have the authority to command Centurions to bind their Cohort to enforcing the dictum of the Magistrate

III. Shadows

A. Being that every wraith is burdened with a Shadow and where crimes against the Hierarchy are laid, if the activities are accorded to be caused or exacerbated by the Shadow then penalties are to be reduced by one­third. The exception to this is capital crimes where the penalty applies without modification.

B. Should it be suspected, or determined, that a military or civilian wraith charged with leadership has fallen under the influence of their Shadow, even if of a temporary duration, it is the solemn duty of their immediate subordinate to assume their role and responsibilities until such time as a Pardoner can confirm they are free of their Shadow’s domination.

Oblivion I. In all things, all wraiths of the Hierarchy are bound to oppose Oblivion at every

opportunity. Whether martial or administrative, every act taken must be considered in light of opposing and weakening Oblivion’s effects.

II. No succour nor support of Spectres may be authorised nor undertaken by any member

of the Hierarchy.

Laws of Stygia I. Whereupon a wraith is granted rank within the Legions, they are henceforth accorded as

freewraiths and entitled to the following rights: A. All freewraiths have the right and responsibility to bear arms in the defence of

Stygia and her possessions B. All freewraiths are entitled to a hearing before the judiciary in the event they stand

accused of a crime against Stygia or her possessions C. All freewraiths may charge other freewraiths for their services D. All freewraiths may, alone or in company, maintain a Haunt. E. All freewraiths are entitled to sancturary within a Citadel should a soul storm or

Maelstrom threaten their wellbeing. And bear the following responsibilities

F. All freewraiths are bound to abide by the Code of Charon, any Legion policies and any Senatorial decrees of Stygia and her possessions.

G. All freewraiths are bound to follow orders of their commanders if they are assigned to the military Legions

H. All freewraiths are bound to obey the instructions of their supervisors if they are assigned to the civil administration

II. Judiciary

Magistrates hear a case, the Administrative branch provides a Prosecutor, the accused provides an Advocate.

A. Necropolis Magistrate The lowest court, it has authority over its specific Necropolis.

B. Stygian Magistrate For offences in Stygia as well as serving as a court of appeal above the Necropolis Magistrate

C. Senate Appeal Wraiths holding Rank of IV or higher may appeal to the Stygian Senate, this is a meeting of Anacreons with a quorum of five.

D. Clemency of the Deathlord In theory those of Rank V or higher may appeal to their Deathlord for clemency.

E. Acting in concert or conspiracy to commit or conceal a crime, elevates it to te next higher category.

III. Capital Crimes A. Challenging the lawful rule of the Imperator Charon B. Guild Membership C. Heresy

As per the Banishment of the Fishers, and the declaration of the Heresies, any wraith declaring support, authority or power derived from a Heresy shall be

charged with a capital crime. D. Judiciary accepting bribes E. High Treason; any act designed to bring damage or disruption to Stygia’s

governance or organs of governance

Those convicted of a Capital Crime face The convicted is discorporated in the Soulforges.

IV. Greater Crimes

A. Breach of the Dictum Mortuum ­ causing the death, incapacitation or injury to the Quick

B. Bringing harm or loss to a wraith’s Fetters C. Contributing to the decay or loss of a Haunt D. Damage brought to a Citadel E. Members of the administrative or military arm disobeying the orders of an

Anacreon of their Legion. F. Members of the military arm disobeying an order from a superior in the military

arm G. Providing aid, succour or support to a Spectre H. Treason; being any act designed to bring damage or disruption to the governance

or organs of governance of any of Stygia’s Possessions

The convicted may face one of these penalties per offence Monetary fine in Oboli of no less than 30 o. Thralldom Loss of Rank and Title up to reduction to the Ranks Loss of possessions Permanent exile to a Necropolis Torture resulting in the loss of a permanent Corpus

V. Lesser Crimes

A. Affording false prophecy B. Breach of the Dictum Mortuum ­ communicating with the Quick, affecting the lives

of the Quick, conveying desires to the Quick C. Desertion of the Legions, military or administrative, and declaring oneself

Renegade D. Failure to render tithes to Stygia E. Fraud; being the misrepresentation of authority, Legion membership or

governance F. Members of the administrative arm disobeying an instruction from a superior in

the administrative arm G. Misrepresentation of Rank or Legion H. Providing succour or support to a Heretic

I. Providing succour or support to a Renegade J. Sedition; being the encouraging of acts which are crimes against Stygia and/or its

Possessions K. Theft of property

The convicted may face one of these penalties per offence

Branding Monetary fine in Oboli not to exceed 10 o. per offence Loss of one to two Ranks Loss of some possessions Temporary exile to a Necropolis

VI. Reapers

A. Upon the Reaping of an Enfant, the Enfant passes into the possession of the Reaper.

B. Possession of an Enfant may be transferred with an agreed price between buyer and seller.

C. Possessions of Reapers may buy their own freedom if they can meet the agreed price.

VII. Souls A. Souls that cross the shroud as Drones shall be prevented from falling to Oblivion

by being soulforged; either as implements of Soulsteel or as key tools of Stygian Steel..

B. Souls that are assessed by an Assessor as weak and likely to fall to Oblivion are to be consigned to Thralldom; so that they have time to gain strength while being of service to Stygia and protected against Oblivion.

VIII. Thralls A. A Thrall may only be released upon the examination and certification of an

Assessor. B. Should the Assessor determine a Thrall has not gained sufficient resilience

against Oblivion, the Thrall remains in service for another year. C. Should the Assessor deem the Thrall has come close to Oblivion then they shall

be remanded for Soulforging at the earliest opportunity. D. For a Thrall to be released, its price must be paid by its Legion to the owner.

Stygian Senatorial Decrees and Policies

The Decree of the Breaking On this day, Anno Stygia 246 Post Secundum, we decree that the Guilds be hereby dismissed and uncreated for the following crimes: That they would attempt to unseat the very power which grants them their place and position; that they would set those powers of their mastery against their Imperator and the populace;that their

foul machinations have attempted to unravel the very fabric of Stygia, her colonies and protectorates. Therefore, we decree the following interdictions be laid upon them: I. That the Guilds are hereby banished from Stygia. Let their Masters no more darken my

door; let their power be broken and scattered as a captive army. They shall find refuge not anywhere within the city or her lands where our banner floats.

II. That any wraith found belonging to a Guild or claiming membership to a Guild is hereby deemed to be a criminal of the worst sort. They shall be subject to the justice of Stygia that lords over every wraith.

III. That the Guilds are hereby dissolved of their power, their organisation, their membership and their authority. There is no longer such an organisation as a Guild and any claiming contrary will be arrested and sentenced by Stygian justice.

IV. That our Legions shall fill the vacancies left in the wake of the departure of the Guilds. They shall betrained in the ways of Arcanoi and thereby assume the empty posts abandoned by the prideful Guilds.

This is our will, our law and our decree. Woe unto the wretch who breaks the letter of the law. Done this day of April 14, Anno Stygia 246 Post Secundum, wherewith we set our hand and seal. Charon Imperator

Dictum Mortuum I, Charon, Emperor of Stygia, by the power of the words of the Lady of Fate, do hereby set those laws down that they may serve to bring order between this world and the former; that no wraith under any circumstances for any reason is to penetrate the barrier that divideth the Land of the Dead from the Land of the Quick; to engage in congress with those that have not yet passed over, or to speak to the Quick of events yet to come; or in any way,shape or form harass, threaten, injure or otherwise compel those in the Land of the Quick to do the bidding of those of the Land of the Dead; or impart upon those in the Land of the Quick any desire or compunction to take a life, be it their own or that of another, in order to effect the passing over of one or more to the Land of the Dead, be they friend or foe, child or lover. Charon Imperator

The Practice of Thralls Many have railed against the practice of using Thralls, calling them tantamount to slaves.

In the years of upheaval in the New World, such critics have grown louder and more vociferous. They call Thralls exploited, purposely laboured to insensibility and then made to suffer the ultimate iniquity of being forged. They call Charon’s doctrine bestialint he extreme for initiating this practice.

But such is far from veracity. Shall we let those drifting shades ride the whirlpool into the

ultimate void of Oblivion, and let the Darkness be strengthened? Shall we turn a blind eye to Spectres bursting up out of the Darkness to gobble those unfortunates whole, shall we shut our ears and hold out tongues when we are beholden to cry, Enough? Our great lord Charon refused to give an inch to Oblivion. He gave these wastrels, these dismal companies of wretched spirits whose lives knew neither praise nor infamy, an alternative to total destruction by the most primeval maleficence. Would that there were more like him. The Skeletal Lord Before the Stygian Senate