A New Lex Magicus is Approved

[mrukpyr]

On Saturday, 23 Feb, many of the mages of the Omaha Lincoln Louisville Tri-City area gathered to socialize and talk.

One of the topics was the approval of the Lex Magica that I had crafted in 2007.

A representative of the cabals Modus Operandi (Mortemor) and of AC/DC (Tempest) discussed the Lex, and after some debate agreed that both their cabals would support it.

Each had spoken with their cabal members about the Lex in the past, and thus knew how their fellows felt about it.

For those who wonder, there *is* a way for the Lex to be amended should an individual mage or a cabal feel that it needs to be modified.

Further, while the Lex is cabal based, those who are not members of a cabal will find that they do have a voice within the council in the form of the Herald.

We have been without a Law. Let all know that that is now changed.

Cwrw y Gwin Gar
Alchemist and Brewer
Thyrsus of the Mysterium

(Martin Miller / US2002-023629)

[mrukpyr]

The Lex Magicus of Omaha Lincoln Louisville NE

We, the awakened society of Omaha Lincoln Louisville Nebraska, hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (regardless of race, sex, religion, or awakened status) are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

In order to secure these rights, establish justice, and provide for the general welfare of the awakened and non-awakened of Omaha Lincoln Louisville Nebraska, this Lex Magicus is instituted and established.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

- Mages who enter the lands controlled by the Omaha Lincoln Louisville Nebraska (here-after called the NE Tri-Cities) Consilium are bound by our rules and will be held accountable to them..

- The Mysteries are not for the Unawakened; do not by action or inaction reveal them to those who Sleep through word, deed, writings or trace of magic. All within the Consilium are charged with the protection of the Veil, both from their own actions and from the actions of others.

- Treat the Unawakened with due respect and care; within each living soul lies the potential of Awakening.

- Haphazard use of magic brings the Abyss Close to us. Do not fuel the Abyss with foolish magics, or forsake Wisdom for power.

- Deal honorably with your fellows in magic; do not steal from them, cheat them or break your given word to them. Honour your vows and duties: Whether they are made to cabal, order, Consilium or fellow willworker.

- The Consilium has final decision in all recognized disputes within its jurisdiction. Any dispute may be brought forth at open Council and the resulting decision is final.

- Murder by a Mage within the lands of the Consilium shall not be accepted. Only as punishment given from a trial before the Council shall the killing of a mage be sanctioned.

- Both the punishment of Soul Imprisonment and the punishment of Death may only be given by a unanimous Vote of the Council.

- Do not cause hurt nor harm to any rightfully invited guest within gatherings called by brother cabal, order or Consilii. That right belongs to the Consilium and their chosen representatives.

- There are creatures which walk this land which do not Sleep but are not Awakened. While interaction is not forbidden they must not know our ways or magics.
- A sworn Oath to cabal grants fellowship within it.
- - Each cabal may deal Justice to its fellows, except for those punishments claimed exclusively by the Council or proscribed by this Lex.

- The sanctity of another magus' residence is to be considered inviolate. To enter the sanctum of another mage without welcome will be considered in direct violation of our laws under the Precept of Protectorate
- - Only those sancta made known to the Council will be afforded protection by the Council under this Precept.

- When called for, and agreed upon, the traditions of the Dual Arcane must be observed. Duels to the death are forbidden, and if Mage kills Mage in Dual that mage will be in violation of the Lex and subject to its punishment.

- This Council respects the bonds of the Master and Apprentice, and considers that bond to be inviolate. Once a student has been released from the tutelage of his or her Master, the former Master is responsible for his or her actions for a year and a day.

- In times of War, treason or insubordination will not be tolerated. All recognized by the Consilium may be called to bear arms and the resources of all may be requested to be shared with the Consilium to be distributed as is seen fit.

- The following are granted NO PROTECTIONS under Consilium law, and the penalty of Death may be set upon them with impunity: The servants of the Exarchs and the Abyss. Seers of the Throne. The Accursed or Banisher. Tremere liches.
- - Any found to be willingly and voluntarily in league with or harboring these heretical groups shall be tried before the Council and punishment levied there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The NE Tri-Cities Consilium upholds the common Precepts of Secrecy, Recognition, Protectorate, Hubris and War within and in addition to their Lex Magica.

- The Precept of Secrecy – The existence of magic must be hidden from those who do not practice it. If a careless mage practices magic openly in front of Sleepers, and the Consilium is informed or aware, then that mage may face punishment from the Consilium.


- The Precept of Recognition – A mage must formally announce his presence to a Councilor, the Herald, or the Hierarch in order to be considered recognized within the NE Tri-Cities Consilium – all mages, recognized or not, must abide by our rulings and Lex; a sanctum that is recognized by a Consilium is accepted and protected by relevant laws within the Lex Magicus; a crime that is recognized by a Consilium is noted as precedent. Unrecognized mages are likely to be distrusted and viewed with suspicion

- The Precept of Protectorate – Sanctums declared to and recognized by the NE Tri-Cities Consilium fall under their protection, and a mage who shares such information with the Councillors can call on a degree of help and protection from them in troubled times. No Consilium member will enter a mage's sanctum uninvited, or cast ritual on their territory without permission, and no other mage is expected or will be commanded to do these things.


- The Precept of Hubris – Even the most established Consilii find it difficult to enforce the Precept of Hubris, but the NE Tri-Cities Consilium traditionally recognizes and will punish the immoral acts of the mages under their governance where possible. Mages who carry out acts of great immorality may themselves severely punished and used as an example to others.


- The Precept of War – The NE Tri-Cities Consilium works to resolve peacefully conflicts between individual mages and cabals within their regions. On the rare occasions that this does not work, however, the Precept of War may come into use to limit the conflict as rules of engagement.
** Street warfare sees a cabal announcing it will attack but not violate the sanctity of a rival's sanctum.
** Spiritual warfare sees the conflict taken to the Shadow Realm, beyond Sleeper eyes.
** Sanctum warfare sees a cabal confiding in the Consilium that they intend to strike at a rival's sanctum, without their expecting any redress or compensation for the retaliation that will follow.
** Shadow warfare sees a cabal confiding that they are about to strike against another supernatural society, and accepting sole responsibility for this action.
** The Duel Arcane, perhaps the most commonly used of the Precepts of War, sees an individual or a champion chosen for a cabal engaging in direct magical conflict with a rival or their champion, so that the conflict may be resolved without further bloodshed. The Duel Arcane has its own rules and traditions, and duels to the death are outlawed within the NE Tri-Cities Consilium. All conflicts engaged in under the Precept of War are, of course, still subject to the Precept of Secrecy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The NE Tri-Cities Consilium holds to nine of the traditional ten degrees – often referred to by the letters of the Tetragrammaton – of punishment known to mages the world over, dependent on the seriousness of the crime committed.

- Minor Reprimand – The Consilium formally states that what the mage did was wrong.

- Major Reprimand – The Consilium instructs other cabals and masters to limit their assistance to the mage.

- Payment of Debt – The mage must pay a debt, usually in the form of a favour, act or deed.

- Minor Penance – The mage must atone for their act by performing a minor service for the Consilium.

- Major Penance – The mage must atone for their act by performing a major – for example, risky or dangerous – service for the Consilium.

- Severe Reprimand – The Consilium declares that no one may aid or assist the mage, stating the duration of the punishment. Assisting the mage merits the same punishment, and the mage is then instructed to meditate in seclusion or abstain from magic. Further breaches lead to incarceration.

- Incarceration – The mage is magically confined, surrounded by wards that cripple their magical power, and instructed to meditate on their actions.

- Banishment – The mage is given orders to leave the Consilium area, usually for a set period of time. If they return, they face incarceration or worse.

- Spiritual Scourging – This is a rare and severe punishment, and requires a master of Death to seize and confine the mage's soul for the duration of the punishment. As this punishment is an act of hubris for the mage carrying it out, all must be sure that the crime deserves such severe sanction.

- Spiritual Oblivion – Is not a punishment condoned by the NE Tri-Cities Consilium. We are not God, and so we will not destroy a soul for all eternity.


The duration of a punishment is called a stigma.
Some examples of levels of punishment for breaching the common Precepts follow:


The Precept of Secrecy
- Casting vulgar magic in front of Sleepers – major reprimand

- Casting vulgar magic in front of Sleeper witnesses – minor penance

- Casting vulgar magic in front of Sleeper witnesses who tell others – major penance

- Speaking of the Mysteries before Sleepers – incarceration

- Betraying arcane knowledge to other supernatural societies – banishment


* * * * *

The Precept of Protectorate
- Approaching another mage's sanctum unannounced – minor reprimand

- Causing a Sleeper investigation near another mage's sanctum - major reprimand or minor penance (depending on how close they get or what harm they cause the sanctum)

- Testing the limits or security of another mage's sanctum – minor penance

- Entering the sanctum of another mage without permission – major penance
- - if damage is done the sanctum - Incarceration

- Magical attack upon a sanctum - major penance followed by incarceration

* * * * *

The Precept of Hubris
- Casting a curse against another mage – minor reprimand

- Forcing an unwilling transformation on another mage – minor reprimand

- Magically attacking another mage – minor reprimand

- Aiding spiritual possession against another mage – minor reprimand

- Casting a curse against a Sleeper – major penance

- Binding a Sleeper' s spirit – major penance

- Magically attacking a Sleeper – major penance


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Duels of the Mages
Grievances that cannot be resolved thru another manner may be resolved thru the Duel Arcane. For a Duel to be sanctioned by the Consilium, the Duel must be registered with the Herald prior to its taking place.
Any attempts at cheating that are caught or later found out shall instantly NULL the Duel and place the other dueler as the winner. In the case were both duelers are caught cheating, then the issue shall be declared voided. Anyone who cheats at the Duel shall owe six months of service to the Consilium.
The length of duel shall be set to First blood, 3 strikes, or Unconsciousness. NEVER will a sanctioned duel be to the death.


The Offices of the Consilium:
NO ONE may hold more than one office at a time.

COUNCILOR
- there shall be one Councilor from each Cabal
- Whenever possible, each seat shall have a Second
- - in case of the Councilor's death, the Second shall act as the Councilor
- For a Cabal to be represented it must have more than one mage sworn to it

HIERARCH
- shall be selected by the Councilors
- - shall be chosen from among the populace of magi w/in the Consilium
- - must have a supermajority (75% of the votes) to be voted into office
- Is removed from office if a supermajority of Councilors vote "no confidence"
- may name a Provost
- - the position shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Council
- - - if no vote is held within 3 months, then confirmation is automatic
- If neither Hierarch nor Provost attend 4 meetings of the Council
- - then both shall be removed from office as if a no confidence vote was cast
- may cast a tie-breaking vote if needed
- may nullify the first vote cast on any issue
- - except for “votes of no confidence”
- - automatically calling for the issue to be voted upon a second time
- - may NOT call for a third vote

HERALD
- shall be chosen by the Hierarch
- - the position shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Council
- shall take minutes of the consilium meetings
- shall hold his position until
- - steps down
- - removed by Hierarch
- - removed by Council on a majority vote
- shall act as a non-voting advisory Voice for those without a Cabal

SENTINAL
- shall be chosen by the Hierarch and confirmed by a majority vote of the Council
- - if no vote is held within 3 months, then confirmation is automatic
- shall hold his position until
- - steps down
- - removed by Hierarch
- - removed by Council on a majorityvote
- shall act as the Arm of the Council
- shall have the right to remove anyone from the meeting of the Council on the
grounds of their giving offense to the Council.

Trial by Council

In the case where a Member of the Consilium is brought before the Council for trial, the member may request that an Advocate speak on his behalf.
All Evidence gained by Post Cognition, Pyschometry, Scrying by Rooting through the Accuser or the Accused Mind’s (‘) MUST be presented to the council. The Council may discard any Evidence that they believe to be tampered with or is found to not carry the ring of truth.
All Decisions are Final in the matter. In the case of a Council Seat, or Heirarch, they shall step down and let there Provost or Second sit into place until the conclusion of the trial. ALL Mages are considered Innocent until proven Guilty.
ONLY the punishment of Soul Jarring shall be saved for the most Grievous offenses. It is the Duty of the defendant and/or his advocate to gather and present evidence to the council. If agreed upon by the advocate, the Council and the Prosecution, the deliberation shall take place in secret. Otherwise the Vote is done in public.
The Prosecution shall be chosen by the Hierarch and confirmed by majority vote of the Council, and shall have the same rights and abilities of the Advocate.


Limitations on the Powers of the Council

Bans on the Use of Arcana:
The Council does not have the authority to ban Outright the use of a particular type of magic or rote by all members of the Consilium. Exception in this case is the creation a Soulless. It does however have the authority to ban a specific Mage from performing a specific spell or group of spells for a specified time frame.

Fair Recompense for the Use of Arcana on the Council’s Behalf:
The Council does not have the authority to demand the casting of a particular spell by any Mage or Officer of the Court, except in the provisions already laid out in this document. If the Council desires such a spell to be cast, they must enter into negotiations for recompense with the caster. A caster may, if he chooses, offer his services to the council with no expectation of recompense, but this must be made clear prior to the
casting to prevent future claims of debt.


Soul stones:
The Council does not have the authority to compel an Awakened member of the Consilium to hand over a Soul stone or Demesne, either to the Council or to any other.


Thralls:
Neither is the Council required to intervene in matters where one member of the Awakened community has become enthralled to another via the possession of a Soul stone. The two exceptions are when the Possessor has stolen the Soul Stone from out of a member’s Sanctum, and thus violated this Lex, or when the Possessor continues to hold the Thrall’s Soul stone beyond the traditional three tasks performed. At this point, the Thrall may petition a Councilor for redress under the Lex Magica.


Thralls and Vendettas:
A Thrall in the position is permitted to claim a vendetta against the Possessor of his Soul stone who has violated the three-task tradition, and may recruit others to his cause. This is acceptable to the Council and Court so long as no section of the Lex Magica is violated during the course of the vendetta. Such a vendetta is expected to end upon recovery of the Soul stone.


Limitations on the Punishment of Servitude:
If an offender is sentenced to the punishment of Servitude to another, the following limitations apply:
- Sentences Carried Out by Councilors: An Offender is not required to submit to any spell placed upon him by anyone other than a member of the Council specifically for the purpose of his sentencing;
- Offenders Retain Personal Property Rights: An Offender is not required to relinquish any personal property to the one whom he serves;
- Offenders Must Be Held to Lex Magica: An Offender is not required to perform any action or inaction which could be considered a crime against this Lex
- Offender Retains Ownership of Soul and Self: An Offender is not required to sacrifice any portion of his essence into the crafting of a permanent weaving of any sort, on behalf of the one whom he serves;
- Use of Arcana While under Servitude: An Offender must cast magic as directed by the one whom he serves, unless doing so would harm him or another.
- We recognize the need for each of the orders to function. Those forced into Servitude cannot be made to betray their order.


Addendums Procedure:
If the populace wishes to have an addendum placed upon this Lex Magica, they must present it to the Council, and the council must place a supermajority vote in favor of the change for it to take affect.