Asphodel - Rules of a New Society

[BLOX]

With the establishing of a brand new Asphodel, Viscount Marina Vranovo has taken to rewriting the archaic laws of the past. The woman's word is absolute, as these new laws are written into Asphodel's society. The intention is to clarify Asphodel's position within Esshar as a society, and point to strict laws for when their territory is intruded on. Of course, these new published laws also come with a doctrine from the Viscount, as well.

"With these laws published, I hope the rest of Esshar expects no quarter when entering our territory.

I've given you your warning. Any who enter Asphodel's territory now, ignorant or otherwise,

will not be spared. You will pay the tithe. I also hope to make the idea of living in Asphodel

more attractive for those who are willing to contribute to society. With how soon our enemies

will fall... wouldn't it be better to ally yourself with the ones who will eventually rule everything?

For those who wish to fall into the fold, we welcome you.

To the ignorant, we'll prey on you.

To our enemies, we will kill you.

Hic Sunt Sanguis."

• Those who do not benefit from citizenship or are present for otherwise diplomatic reasons must pay a tithe to a Vampire upon entering Asphodel’s limits.
  
• These limits end by the palm tree on the beach. (708, 497, 1) Any who enters and is not affiliated with Asphodel is expected to pay the tithe, and ALL are expected to provide respect to the vampires present and the monarchy.
  
• Those who refuse to pay the tithe are subject to extreme force and imprisonment within Asphodel's walls, to the discretion of the assailant.
  
• Those who cannot pay this toll, either due to already being bitten and not disclosing it, or due to intentionally turning themselves to a Dreg, will be subject to extreme punishment and robbery.
  
• Citizens who pay the tithe willingly are free to roam Asphodel until their bite heals. Citizens who pay unwillingly are not subject to this same treatment. If a citizen who received an unwilling bite returns, they will be forced to endure a severe bite, upon which point they will be kicked out. If they return once again without having healed their gentle bite, they will be subject to robbery, torture, imprisonment, or even death.
  
• Dregs are not allowed within the walls of Asphodel without the approval of a Viscount. Anyone found to be harboring a Dreg will be punished.
  
• The worship of any deities or persons that are not a high-ranking immortal within Asphodel, or Cain, is not allowed within city limits.
  
• Only those with citizenship are capable of owning property or engaging in trade. Peddlers will not be tolerated.
  
• The buying or otherwise solicitation of Vitae through Drugs, I.O.U’s, Coin, or any other commodity or currency is illegal for all citizens of Asphodel.
  
• The selling of Vitae is perfectly legal, so long as the vampire doing-so has made their affairs known to a Viscount or higher ranking official.
  
• The practice of illicit or dangerous magic should not be done within Asphodel’s city limits without a Viscount or higher being alerted to the fact such magic is being performed.
  
• Murder, maiming, attacking, or any other violent acts which include physical and/or magical exertion as a way to inflict pain on others is not allowed for the citizenry unless observed or allowed by a Viscount or higher ranking position.
  
• The transformation of a Ghoul into a Vampire or a mortal into a Thinblood must be done either under the observation or the approval of a Viscount or higher ranking position. If this is not done, the vampire in question and the recently sired vampire/thinblood will be executed in a blood feud.
  
• For willing bites, including the tithe, any and all forms of coercion or comfort are allowed, including hypnosis. 
  
• WAR-TIME PROVISION: As a consequence of the heavy blood costs due to war, Citizens are required by law to submit their Vitae if they, themselves, are not participating in combat or have not otherwise participated in the betterment of Asphodel. Otherwise, it is strongly encouraged.
  
• WAR-TIME PROVISION: Those who are at LEAST on an intermediate level of training may attempt to prove themselves by attending war. Otherwise, it’s expected that all citizens remain on the home-front.
  
• Citizens who abandon Asphodel without notice have committed treason, and any and all force is allowed to bring them back for proper questioning. Those who join the ranks of Asphodel's enemies are subject to execution on the spot.
  

Meat

• Refers to a person or persons who are not associated with Asphodel, and therefore only have value as livestock.
  

Blood Feud

• Refers to a duel between vampires in which the consequence for losing is the entirety of the loser’s vitae, and likely their life. These have been recorded as having happened for ages. 
  

Dregs

• A person or persons who qualifies for the role of meat, but cannot offer vitae. This includes Skeletons, Saraddians, and those who have turned themselves into Mudbloods. Being one without authorization is punishable.
  

Immortals

• Refers to a person or persons who have transcended mortality, and are thus afforded respect as long as they associate or are looking to associate with Asphodel and her people. While this includes Vampires, they are not exclusive to vampires.
  

Vampires

• Refers to a person or persons who have transcended their mortality with the blessing of Cain, and are capable of taking or holding on to Vitae. These are considered, for all intents and purposes, the elite of Asphodel society.
  

Tithe

• A blood toll made to a vampire, exchanging wellness for Vitae, or blood, for temporary, restricted access to Asphodel.
  

Vitae

• Blood, or liquid life, used to strengthen a vampire and extend their life-span. Vitae is the warmth of the living and the light of their soul that sustains their existence, containing everything from recent memories to their hopes and dreams. This is what a vampire needs to thrive as an immortal: The blood of animals or creatures of lesser intelligence will not suffice.
  

Bites

• Refers to the action of taking blood from a mortal by a Vampire. This can either be a Severe Bite, which is debilitating and lasts for life, or a Gentle Bite, which expires after a year. Regardless of how they go about it, the end result is a tether that links the person to the vampire and siphons away their vitae, the remnant poison within their system weakening them until it's fully expunged through time. Regularly doing so can form a subtle psychic connection between the two.
  

Court & Red Monarch

• Refers to the government of Asphodel- the Viscounts and the Red Monarch. The court is by no means a democracy- the Red Monarch chooses her Viscounts based on attributes that she requires in the ruling class. They are required to be vampires, and have an extreme amount of loyalty to the Red Monarch.
  

Meat

• The legal term to refer to anyone without citizenship, diplomatic immunity, or anything to offer the citizenry. Also referred to as Livestock, Stray Dogs, Blood Dolls, or Blood-bags. These are the people who enter Asphodel and are expected to pay a tithe to stay here.
  
• Meat MUST pay the tithe when entering Asphodel.
  
• Meat who have blood forcefully taken from them and return once again will be given a Severe Bite as compensation for the trouble given, regardless of if they were given a Gentle Bite. If they have already been permanently bitten, another severe injury will be dealt out- a punishment.
  
• Meat DO NOT benefit from any kind of immunity or special benefits.
  
• Citizens are actively encouraged to stay away from Meat, as they’re dirty, and only good for the Vitae that flows through their body. Anyone found harboring Meat that has not paid the toll without alerting a Viscount or higher ranking official will be taxed and/or punished, depending on severity. People who qualify for the ranking of meat that cannot offer Vitae (Skeletons, Sarradians, etc.) are titled dregs, and are outlawed from entering Asphodel without approval from a Viscount or higher. The punishment for this varies depending on the severity of the offense, and the observing vampire.
  

Citizen

• Someone who has been accepted into the general populace of Asphodel, either by being born there or being inducted in by a Viscount or higher ranking. These are the people who ensure that the Vampires of Asphodel live as comfortable a life as possible by working for their benefit, bringing in their talents and trades from the outside as a way of strengthening the city.
  
• Non-magi citizens and those who are lesser magi are referred to as villagers rather than citizens for the purposes of legal distinction.
  
• Citizens DO NOT have to pay a tithe upon entering Asphodel.
  
• Except in times of war or right before an invasion, citizens are not usually expected to offer their vitae. However, it is highly encouraged, as willingly submitting yourself to a Vampire of Asphodel is considered incredibly respectable and many do so to rise in society, hoping to become immortal themselves.
  
• Citizens DO NOT benefit from any kind of immunity or special benefits.
  
• While the citizenry are free to come and leave as they please, they’re still considered the lower rung of society, and are subject to much poorer living conditions than those who are at the top.
  

Crafters/Traders

• Someone who has mastered their craft and was either born in Asphodel as a citizen or has been granted a visa by a Viscount or something of a higher rank. These are people integral to the structuring of Asphodel, and as such, are given special benefits for loaning their abilities and tools of the trade to Asphodel. Those who are not Asphodel citizens may be given this ranking after a thorough vetting to ensure the program isn’t abused, but they’ll often be required to stay in Asphodel as a result.
  
• This includes Artificers, Alchemists, Medics, and anything else that may offer financial benefits.
  
• Crafters DO NOT have to pay a tithe upon entering Asphodel.
  
• Except in times of war or right before an invasion, crafters, like citizens, are exempt from paying the tithe.
  
• Crafters DO benefit from immunity or special benefits.
  
• In tandem with their ability to come and go from Asphodel as they please, spare materials, property, and food are all offered to those who wish to join Asphodel. In addition, Crafters are usually the first people considered for Thralldom.
  

Soldiers/Retainers

• A rank for powerful magi who have made themselves loyal to Asphodel. Soldier refers to a person who has sworn loyalty to Asphodel and the court, specifically, while Retainer refers to a soldier who serves directly under a vampire. soldiers and retainers can also be thralls, which places them slightly higher in the social hierarchy of Asphodel compared to other soldiers or retainers who are NOT thralled.
  
• A vampire can have any number of retainers at a time.
  
• Soldiers DO NOT have to pay a tithe when entering Asphodel, nor to the court.
  
• Retainers MAY have to pay a tithe to their lord.
  
• Some vampires take on Retainers specifically to have a source of blood nearby. While this position in society still affords them some degree of nobility within Asphodel, the degree of how humanely they’re treated varies from vampire to vampire.
  
• Extracting blood from the retainer of another vampire is considered a show of great disrespect.
  
• Soldiers and Retainers DO NOT benefit from any particularly special privileges.
  
• Thinbloods also fall onto this rank, as their inability to sire robs them of nobility.
  

Thralls/Ghouls

• Thrall refers to a person or persons who have taken Vitae from a vampire, and are now connected to them through the bond that the consumption of Vitae takes. A Ghoul is a person who has taken that bond one step further, and has started to dip into the power of the curse of Cain, capable of using a fraction of that power.
  
• Many thralls fall under the soldier and retainer rank. It’s very rare for a thrall or ghoul to be sired by someone who is not their retainer.
  
• Thralls and Ghouls DO NOT have to pay a tithe when entering Asphodel.
  
• Thralls and Ghouls DO benefit from special privileges.
  
• As they are considered on their way to immortality, Thralls and Ghouls often come first when it comes to most affairs. Political discussion, purchasing goods, property, and anything else, if they’re fast enough, are claimed by thralls and ghouls.
  

Vampires / Immortals

• A vampire is someone who has ascended past a ghoul, and now lives a life of immortality and vitae drinking. Relative to other settlements, these could be considered the nobility of Asphodel- the upper-class who sustain on the lower. Immortals are classified as any other being who is or was an Asphodel citizen prior to becoming an immortal. An example would be a lich. Within the hierarchy of Asphodel’s society, you can go no higher than a vampire.
  
• Vampires DO benefit from special privileges.
  
• Vampiric citizens benefit from a wide array of willing people who offer their blood in the hopes of advancing within society. If you desire power, there is a vampire who will offer it in exchange for a bite. If you desire status, there is a vampire who will offer it in exchange for your vitae. Some even approach vampires willing to be bitten for nothing. Not only this, but vampires have first call on most property, special items, and anything else that may make their eternal life limitless.
  
• Vampires are also allowed to collect tithes on behalf of the court, which ensures that they have a steady supply of blood at all times.
  
• Vampires DO NOT have to pay a tithe.
  
• Except in the case of Blood Feuds, where a vampire’s life and blood are forfeit upon loss, vampires are expected to never spill their blood unless in tribute to the court or their monarch.
  

Viscounts

• A vampire of exalted status that works within the court. They each fulfil a particular role in the day-to-day maintenance of Asphodel, and hold higher social and economic status as a result. While there have been viscounts who do not hold the rank of vampire, with the new rule of Queen Illythia pyr Docro, all three currently possess the curse of Cain.
  
• Viscounts DO benefit from special privileges.
  
• Viscounts are the first line of approval when it comes to any and all Asphodel affairs. The upheaval of laws, the punishment of traitors, and sanctuary for victims. These duties fall squarely on the viscounts, which give them an obscene amount of power over the citizens. There is only one who surpasses them- the Red Monarch.
  
• Viscounts DO NOT have to pay a tithe.
  
• As a point of order, Viscounts, regardless of who asks, will only ever donate blood to the Red Monarch.
  

Red Monarch

• The lord of all vampires, and the rightful owner and ruler of Asphodel. They rule with an iron grip- a totalitarian dictatorship where the Red Monarch cannot be overthrown. Her responsibilities are what she chooses them to be. The power she holds is ultimate. There is no equal. The Red Monarch has no societal or social responsibilities, and will never, ever pay blood if they don’t want to.
  

[BLOX]

(1865AC | 08/25)

• New Law: Those who refuse to pay the tithe are subject to extreme force and imprisonment within Asphodel's walls, to the discretion of the assailant.
  
• New Law: Citizens who abandon Asphodel without notice have committed treason, and any and all force is allowed to bring them back for proper questioning. Those who join the ranks of Asphodel's enemies are subject to execution on the spot.
  
• Correction: Citizens who pay the tithe willingly are free to roam Asphodel until their bite heals. Citizens who pay unwillingly are not subject to this same treatment. If a citizen who received an unwilling bite returns, they will be forced to endure a severe bite, upon which point they will be kicked out. If they return once again without having healed their gentle bite, they will be subject to robbery, torture, imprisonment, or even death.
  

(1866AC | 08/26)

• Correction: It has been clarified that it is illegal to sire thinbloods without permission, in addition to vampires, without permission from a viscount or higher.
  
• Correction: The place of Thinbloods amongst the hierarchy has now been clarified.
  

(1868AC | 09/07)

• Addendum: The territory of Asphodel has been clarified as beginning at the beach where her land meets the mainland.