Law of the Loregiver

"The Law is not Justice, nor is Justice the Law."

- Zakharan proverb

The Law of the Loregiver was a set of universal beliefs based on the teachings of the Loregiver that united a continent, literally transforming the burning land of Zakhara into the Land of Fate.

History & Legend
Legend stated that the Loregiver transcribed the Law for the benefit of all Zakharans. However, at that time the population of the Burning Land was not ready for such radical adjustment, so the Loregiver hid the scrolls containing the Law within a cave where they waited for centuries until they were found by a young man. The man recognized the potential benefit of mankind presented on the scrolls and decided to share them with the people of Zakhara, unifying them under its doctrines and eventually becoming the first Grand Caliph.

The House of the Loregiver, within the Golden Mosque, contained lacquered wood displaying the oldest known transcription of the original scrolls containing the Law of the Loregiver. The Grand Caliph would typically give similar transcriptions to new mosques for them to display with honor.

It was believed that when the first Grand Caliph neared the end of his life, he took the original scrolls deep into the desert, returning them to the very spot where he first discovered the treasured words.

Nature of the Law
Zakharans readily accepted the doctrine because it was simple, easy to understand, and based on obvious factors needed for a society to function. Even some of the raucous corsairs of the Corsair Domains would not attack a ship if they knew it belonged to someone with whom they shared a salt bond or if they knew the ship to be the only vessel that a merchant owned. The Law stressed tolerance, established uniform prices and commercial methods, and detailed oral and legal traditions. The Law of the Loregiver had three distinct parts. The first part dealt with the relationship between Zakharans and their gods, the second discussed the relationship between the Grand Caliph and those he ruled, and the third part was concerned with civil law or the relationship between citizens.

A sense of right and wrong was set down through the Law, but enough freedom was given so that unique circumstances and grey areas could be addressed correctly. The Law categorized all actions performed by citizens, or anyone inhabiting Zakhara, into the following groups:
 * That which is Required
 * That which is Encouraged
 * That which is Tolerated
 * That which is Discouraged
 * That which is Forbidden

Punishment
The punishment for committing various Acts depended on the severity of the offense.

Forbidden Acts
Forbidden Acts were those whose nature was heinous in the eyes of civilized Zakharans and the Enlightened gods. Death was usually the penalty for committing such acts. Typically, all Forbidden Acts were punishable by death. These included:
 * Consuming the flesh of a sentient creature
 * Murdering an innocent
 * Enslaving an Enlightened soul
 * Threatening the Grand Caliph, his court, or the lands he ruled
 * Preaching that the Enlightened Gods did not exist (In less severe cases the offender's tongue was cut out)
 * Disobeying the Grand Caliph (Optional punishment included being branded and exiled)
 * Malicious theft (Defined as stealing or cheating a man out of his livelihood or the majority of his goods. This could also be punished with severing the right hand of the offender.)

Discouraged Acts
Discouraged Acts included crimes that were unpleasing to society and the gods, but not nearly as severe as Forbidden Acts. These included:
 * Theft
 * Assault
 * Justifiable homicide
 * Bribery
 * Reckless endangerment
 * Public drunkenness
 * Destruction of property
 * Fraud
 * Disobeying curfew
 * Preventing someone from performing a Tolerated Act
 * Negative actions against any agent of the Grand Caliph or his court

The punishment for committing a Discouraged Act was in the hands of local qadi who usually ordered some kind of restitution be made to the offended party.

The Law in Huzuz
Huzuz, the City of Delights and capital of the Land of Fate, added a few unique conditions to the Law of the Loregiver. Tolerated and Required Acts were the same in Huzuz as they were elsewhere in Zakhara.

Forbidden Acts in Huzuz
Forbidden Acts within the City of Delights included the following offenses:
 * Using the minarets of the Golden Mosque for any purpose other than a call to prayer.
 * Stealing from either the Grand Caliph or any of the great mosques.

Crimes involving the minarets of the Golden Mosque were punished with penance, imprisonment, or possibly severing the vocal chords.

Discouraged Acts in Huzuz
Discouraged Acts within the City of Delights included the following offenses:
 * Blocking any public thoroughfare. This also led to another Discouraged Act—preventing others from participating in tolerated actions.
 * Displaying prejudice against racial differences.

Encouraged Acts in Huzuz
Encouraged Acts within the City of Delights included the following actions:
 * Buying slaves with the sole intent to free and/or teach them about Enlightenment.