Lex Magica

The Lex Magica is the judicial code of Atlantis, preserved by the Diamond Orders. In addition to the "conventional" morality of Wisdom each mage adopts over short or long, the Lex Magica regulates the day-to-day affairs of Consilii.

Overview

There are many laws by which the Awakened govern the practice of magic. For the most part, one mage does not dare to tell another how he should perform his Art, but when magic endangers others (or the political goals of a powerful mage or cabal), the practitioner might come under the eye of the law. Centuries of jurisprudence determine the customs by which a judge or ruling body, such as a cabal's leadership or the Consilium itself, can impose punishments upon a mage for the malpractice. The only general law that all mages must conform to is the law of secrecy. It is a serious offense to speak of true magic to the unenlightened or to openly practice it before their eyes. While the latter brings its own punishment -- the lash of a Paradox -- the former also has its consequences. The Quiescence curses everything it touches, dampening the spark of the Supernal. To speak of magic to Sleepers is to risk tainting it, making it banal through their disbelief. This is an extremely subtle process, one that mages became aware of over the course of many years. Some believe that certain magical powers that can be claimed only by modern archmages were once in the reach of masters or even adepts. As the secrets of the Arcana are revealed to the unworthy, they become increasingly unattainable by even the Awakened. There are many theories about why this is so, but they are unimportant. It is simply an ironclad law by which all mages must live.

The Consilium expects each cabal to police its own membership and levy punishments for those who reveal magical secrets. Truly grand betrayals might bring the judgment of a Consilium, especially if other mages or cabals are directly harmed by the offense. Am excessively vulgar display of spellcraft might anger a rival cabal, especially if it was performed in their territory, and they might lobby the Consilium for justice. The degree of punishment depends on the offense.

Laws

The Lex Magica recognizes four kinds of laws, each layer overruling the ones following it — Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron. Gold Laws are those the Diamond believes were laws in the Time Before, gathered from Artifacts, from time-lost ruins, and by the agreement of multiple Consilia. Gold Laws are rare, and mostly concern the individual rights of mages to follow their studies unless they conflict with another’s, to maintain sancta and Hallows without fear of trespass, and to be recognized for greater skill in the Arcana.

Individual Consilia create local laws — called Silver Laws — as part of their charters or by “concord,” where all the Consilia in a Convocation agree to alter their laws in the same way to harmonize the Lex Magica. Bronze Laws make up the body of precedent — every ruling by a Consilium or its officers becomes a Bronze Law a later mage can point to. Silver and Bronze together form the bulk of the Lex Magica, and in the millennia since the Diamond Orders were founded, several Precepts are commonplace, found in almost every Consilium. These include:

The Precept of Secrecy: Also called “The Veil.” It is regarded as a serious offense to speak of magic to the unenlightened or to openly practice it in front of Sleeper witnesses.

The Precept of Protectorate: Prohibits cabals from trespassing in, spying on, or attacking another cabal’s sanctum.

The Precept of Hubris: Frowns upon mages who use magic to manipulate or harm others without good reason.

The Precept of War: Sets rules of engagement by which mages and cabals may engage in magical warfare. For disputes that cannot be resolved peacefully by the Consilium, the Lex Magica strongly encourages the use of the Duel Arcane, which minimizes bloodshed and the potential for accidental mayhem.

Finally, Iron Laws describe all rules, oaths, and treaties ratified by a small group of mages within the Consilium’s jurisdiction — such as cabal charters, a mutual protection agreement between two cabals, or a sworn oath by one mage to perform some service for another. Whenever two laws come into conflict, the Gold Laws take precedence over the Silver and Bronze Laws, which in turn hold more weight than any Iron Law, but the Consilium may choose to sit in judgment over any infraction within its jurisdiction.

Examples for offenses handled by the Lex Magica

• Casting vulgar magic witnessed by more than one Sleeper: A mild reprimand, accompanied by a form of penance, such as a night of watch duty or reorganizing the sanctum library.
• Casting vulgar magic witnessed by one or more Sleepers who then tell other Sleepers about the incident: A severe reprimand, with more extreme penance, perhaps including making good on one of the cabal's debts.
• Casting vulgar magic that leaves behind enduring evidence of magic, even if Sleeper Disbelief eventually destroys such evidence: The Consilium council might be convened (if someone files an official complaint) to decide the punishment, which might include a term of incarceration if the mage shows no remorse or regard for consequences.
• Speaking about the Mysteries within earshot of Sleepers: A mild reprimand, as above.
• Teaching uninitiated Sleepers about the Mysteries: A severe reprimand. This does not include intentionally diverting Sleepers from the truth, such as the Guardians of the Veils' fake cults and covens, used to baffle Sleeper attempts to discover the truth.
• Publishing secrets that Sleepers might read, including dissemination on the Internet: A Consilium might convene to decide the punishment. (Articles written in Atlantean do not count. It is considered a "safe" language, impossible for Sleepers to read.)

References

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