One of the key cornerstones around which Queen Ása established Ásaterra was the rule of law. Before her rule most of the powerful people in the realm were able to perform any despicable act without being held to account. As such when Ásaterra was founded, Queen Ása decreed that none should be above the law, not even herself. While this principle was somewhat undermined by the later monarchs, it was re-established under the council and holds true to this day. Therefore, within Ásaterra, all can be found accountable for their actions under the law (although the manner in which law is enforced does make it difficult for councilors to be held accountable).
National Laws[]
The national laws of Ásaterra are those that cover the whole of the land and apply to all the people within the borders. As such, they are considered one of the cornerstones of Ásaterran society and are enforced by all important figures. None are above the national laws.
As these laws are so important to the land as a whole, a new law must undergo a number of stages before it is considered a national law. The three stages are as below;
- Approval by the council.
- Approval by the assembly.
- Approval by the Goddess Annatarra in a ritual circle.
By undergoing these three stages, the law has gained the approval of both those who rule over the land, and divine approval by Annatarra, giving the law the backing it needs to be enforced throughout the land.
The Current National Laws of Ásaterra[]
The national laws of Ásaterra are split into two categories; The Core Laws and the supplementary national laws. The Core Laws were those laid down by Queen Ása upon the foundation of Ásaterra, whilst the supplementary laws are ones that have been established since that time. Because of the high value that is placed on the core laws, they are unique in that they may be enforced without a trial by any Lawkeeper. However when dealing with influential members of Ásaterra, the suspect normally undergoes a trial, as the aftermath of a core-law execution has on several occasions led to full-scale war.
The Core Laws (CL)[]
High Treason[]
(CL-HT:1:1:1)
“The First law of Ásaterra is that of High Treason. The act of taking up arms or magics against the Council and its’ representatives is a crime that, by the divine will of Annatarra, is punishable by death.
Furthermore, by the divine will of Annatarra, this law is one of the core laws of Ásaterra and therefore can be enforced by any Lawkeeper without trial under extenuating circumstances.”
- High Treason: Rebellion[]
(CL-HT:1:2:1)
“The act of Rebellion against Ásaterra, her representatives, or her people is a Crime. Whether you are an incitor, or a part of the Rebellion, it is illegal to be part of any active Rebellion.
The punishment for this crime ranges from jail time with a fine up to execution. The punishment of execution would only be given to those in positions of power."
- High Treason: Rebellion - Rising an Army Against Ásaterra[]
(CL-HT:1:2:2)
“The act of rallying a group of people/soldiers to fight against Ásaterra and/or her people, or to use to undermine Ásaterra and/or her people is a crime.
The punishment for this crime ranges from jail time with a fine up to execution. The punishment of execution would only be given to those in positions of power."
- High Treason: Espionage[]
(CL-HT:1:3:1)
“The act of selling/trading Ásaterran secrets, or secrets regarding the health and safety of Ásaterra and/or her people to other countries or criminals/people(s) with nefarious intent is a crime.
The act of spreading information (true or otherwise) that is detrimental to Ásaterra and/or her people, with the intention of undermining her or any leaders of Ásaterra is also in breach of this Law.
The punishment for this crime is execution and a fine."
- High Treason: Espionage - Withheld Information[]
(CL-HT:1:3:2)
“Withholding information that is important to the health and safety of Ásaterra and her people is a crime. If one is found withholding information that is deemed imperative for the leaders of Ásaterra to know, that person(s) is in breach of this Law.
The punishment for this crime is turning over any information that is linked to this law, along with either jail time and a fine, or execution depending on the withheld information."
Murder[]
(CL-ML:1:1)
“The Second law of Ásaterra concerns that of Murder. The act of taking the life of another citizen of Ásaterra who is unable to defend themselves with weapon or magics is, by the divine will of Annatarra, a crime punishable by death.
Furthermore, by the divine will of Annatarra, this law is one of the core laws of Ásaterra and therefore can be enforced by any Lawkeeper without trial under extenuating circumstances..”
The Supplementary Laws (SL)[]
Theft[]
(SL-T:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the act of taking a possession that belongs to a citizen of Ásaterra without the consent of the owner or the owner’s liege is a crime. The punishment for this crime shall be the returning of said stolen possession plus the equivalent value in coin shall be paid to the person from which the object was taken.
If the possession cannot be returned to the original owner, then double the equivalent value of the stolen item shall be paid to the original owner in coin. If the convicted is unable to make the payment required to the original owner, then by the divine will of Annatarra the state will pay the value of the possession to the original owner and the guilty party will repay that debt to the state through labour.”
- Theft - Western Punishment[]
(SL-T:1:2)
“The above law consists in the West, but the punishment has an additional sentence: Community service equating to the cost of the fine."
Assault[]
(SL-A:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the act of attacking a citizen of Ásaterra without a prior declaration of war from a Liege, is the crime of assault. The punishment for this crime shall be determined by the judge depending on its’ severity.”
Treason (AKA Low Treason)[]
(SL-LT:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the act of betraying the state is considered the crime of treason. The punishment for this crime shall be determined by the judge depending on the usefulness of the guilty to the state.”
False Imprisonment[]
(SL-FI:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the act of depriving an individual of their freedom (unless done so under the penal system) is the crime of false imprisonment. The punishment for this crime shall be the release of those imprisoned from the guilty parties keeping, followed by the punishment deemed suitable by the judge.”
Necromantia[]
(SL-N:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra the act of raising the dead after 24 hours of the individual's demise is a crime. By the divine will of Annatarra, this crime is punishable by the removal of the guilty parties tongue.”
Impairing Investigation[]
(SL-II:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the act of impairing an investigation into an individual by lying to those given authority to conduct the investigation, knowingly withholding evidence, or withholding an individual under investigation from the conductors is a crime. This crime is punishable by imprisonment of the said individual for a length of time deemed suitable by the judge.”
- Impairing Investigation - Resisting Arrest[]
(SL-II:1:2)
“Anyone attempting to fight a Lawkeeper or flee the Lawkeeper during an arrest is in breach of this law. This crime is punishable by imprisonment of the said individual for a length of time deemed suitable by the judge."
- Impairing Investigation - Encroaching on Duties[]
(SL-II:1:3)
“Anyone attempting to encroach on the duties of a Lawkeeper during an investigation, mission, or duties is in breach of this law. If a Lawkeeper has deemed you “in the way” of their duties, you must follow the directions of the Lawkeeper, including vacating the area so that the Lawkeeper can continue their work.
This crime is punishable by imprisonment of the said individual for a length of time deemed suitable by the lawkeeper, along with a possible fine depending on the severity of the infraction."
Possession of Illegal Goods[]
(SL-PIG:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra, the possession of goods listed under the "illegal goods" tome, is a crime. This crime is punishable by the removal of said goods followed by a fine deemed suitable by the judge.”
Desertion[]
(SL-D:1:1)
“By the divine will of Annatarra the act of abandoning your Liege in a time of war when your Liege has called you to arms, or the act of renouncing or breaking your oath of allegiance to your Liege is considered the crime of desertion. The punishment for this crime will be one deemed suitable by the Liege upon which this crime was committed.”
Religious Prejudice[]
(SL-RP:1:1)
“By the Divine will of Annatarra, acting in prejudice towards someone based on their Religious Belief (or lack of) is a crime. Denial of work, refusal of acts of service, preventing religious acts, controling or restricting one’s ability to worship are all examples of Religious Prejudice. The punishment for the crime is a fine paid to the illed party, along with any denied services/the recouping of any goods/removal of constraints."
Vampire Binding Laws[]
(SL-V:1:1)
“A Vampire must be bound at all times in Ásaterra. If an individual(s) is to be turned into a Vampire, the appropriate Binding Ritual must be prepared ahead of time so that they can be Bound immediately after turning. If a vampire unwillingly has their binding broken, they must be rebound as soon as physically possible. Any individual(s) that is turned without a proper Binding Ritual prepared faces a fine and jail time after being Bound to an item designated by the Lawkeeper carrying out the punishment."
- Vampire Binding Laws - Hunting[]
(SL-V:1:2)
“It is illegal to hunt a Vampire based on the characteristics of their Vampirism, regardless of Religious teachings. The only exception to this is if the individual(s) is a criminal and this is a bounty. The punishment for the crime is jail and a fine."
- Vampire Binding Laws - Age of Turning[]
(SL-V:1:3)
“A minor (anyone under the age of 18 for Humans (and equivalent for all species) is prohibited to be turned into a Vampire. The halt in ageing for Vampires upon turning would perpetually keep them at an age where they would be unable to progress in life. The punishment for the crime is jail and a fine."
- Vampire Binding Laws - Tenure Before Turning Others[]
(SL-V:1:4)
“You must have at least 10 years of existence as a Vampire before you are allowed to turn another individual. This is to stop individuals from building an army, as well as providing said individual enough time to come to terms with their new immortality, and the difficulties it can bring. The punishment for the crime is jail and a fine."
- Vampire Binding Laws - Permit to Turn[]
(SL-V:1:5)
“You must obtain a Legal Permit from your local governing body to turn anybody into a Vampire. The exception to this is Medical Emergencies. Failure to do so will result in a fine and jail time. The punishment for the crime is jail and a fine."
Unethical Experimentation / Research[]
(SL-UER:1:1)
“Research or Experimentation that is dangerous in nature cannot be tested on an individual without their consent. They must be fully aware of the contents of the Research and Experimentation ahead of time, and have ample time to make a decision, devoid of mind influencing effects. Any experiments that endanger someone’s life, or could impact their life over an extended period of time, must be done with local Lawkeepers consent, and with a trained Expert Lumomancer on site the whole experiment. This crime is punishable by imprisonment of the said individual for a length of time deemed suitable by the judge, as well as a fine, paid towards the wronged party."
Disturbing the Peace[]
(SL-DTP:1:1)
“Anyone found causing a disturbance in a public place or private setting is in breach of this law. This disturbance can include, but is not limited to:
- Shouting in the streets for prolonged periods of time.
- Spreading information (true or false) that is causing panic or mass worry.
- Refusing to leave an area, despite being asked to.
- Trashing an area through littering, vandalism, destruction.
Protests are exempt from this as long as they have a permit / a local Lawkeeper is aware of the time, place, and general number of participants. This crime is punishable by imprisonment of the said individual for a length of time deemed suitable by a lawkeeper, along with a possible fine depending on the severity of the infraction."
Collusion[]
(SL-C:1:1)
“A Lawkeeper that is close to the individual that has broken a law cannot be the judging Lawkeeper in any of their sentences. Any Lawkeeper found to be colluding with a criminal to overlook crimes / give lenient or nonexistent punishments is breaching this Law. This crime is punishable by the Lawkeeper having their status revoked and a fine. Depending on the crime that was being covered up, the Lawkeeper can also see jail time. The crime of Collusion will be added to the individual that has broken a law’s details as well."
Regional Laws (RL)[]
Throughout Ásaterra there are many laws which are limited to regions. These are the laws which are Decreed by the Liege of the region and are thus a law which applies to only the region in which it is passed. Because there is no official way to pass these laws other than the local Liege’s approval, these laws vary wildly from laws on taxes, laws which abide by the local customs and the occasional law made by an eccentric liege which is widely ignored by the residents of the region.
Examples of Regional Laws[]
“(RL-HT:1:1) By decree of Councilor Constantine II of Hynafoltre, all residents of Hynafoltre shall pay 10% of their income from trade and wages to the upkeep of both the state and the city.”
“(RL-PDT:1:1) By decree of Councilor Constantine II, all production of purple dye within the lands of Northern Ásaterra shall be exempt from tax. Furthermore within the north the wearing of the colour purple shall be limited to those members of the Legion of Maor Dlí, the Cataphract order and forces of the Byzantine family.”
“(RL-HC:1:1) By decree of Elector Elizabeth, all lieges within the Electorate of Albion shall upon the harvest festival, take five of the most needy individuals in the land and treat them to a place and food at their table as part of the harvest feast.”
"(RL-WFM:1:1) By the Decree of Mayor Guy Zorlo, any festival held in the West that requires Masks to be worn are subject to the temporary Regional Law: “Removal of another person(s)’s mask, except when requested by a Lawkeeper, or for medical emergencies, is finable of a price determined by event organisers or Florintina."
Glossary of legal terms[]
Liege: this is a catch-all term for a variety of titles which grant authority over other specific individuals (usually based by land) including; Lord/Lady, Elector, Count, Thane. As the law of Ásaterra was founded in the north of the land, the system is based around the feudal system, where the authority to impose the law is based on the rank of the landed noble within the feudal system.
Lawkeeper: This is another catch-all term for those who have the legal authority to enforce the law. These are normally; Lieges, individuals given lawkeeping authority by their direct Liege, members of the Legion of Maor Dlí and paladanic orders given authority to do so, such as the Cataphracts.
Law Enforcement in Ásaterra[]
Please see Law Enforcement in Ásaterra (Coming soon)
The Frithstede Agreement[]
At the end of the Ásaterran Second Civil War, an Agreement was written regarding the country of Ásaterra and her place in the wider realm, along with how she and her people must act in general and in war.
While this is not restricted knowledge, it is not as readily available as the National Laws of Ásaterra, and are therefore treated with the same respect as the Regional Laws in regards to privacy. A request can be made to any Lawkeeper for a copy, and it shall be provided at the earliest convenience.