Cormyrean Adventuring Charter

''"To any ruler, in any land, there are no four words more likely to cause spontaneous outpourings of joy, and terrifying sleepless nights of sweating terror as the these. 'Sire, adventurers are here...'"''

-- Ziounilaksir, Sage Most Learned of the Royal Court at Suzail, The Year of the Pointed Bone, 1298 DR

Of primary note to all who would conduct adventures within Cormyr is that no adventuring band may operate as a group within the borders of the Forest Kingdom without first acquiring a Royal Adventuring Charter.

History of the Charter

The first drafts of the Royal Adventuring Charter were laid down as a loose collection of national prohibitions and bylaws during the reign of Palaghard II Obarskyr. Crafted over the course of the reign, there was little intention or direction behind them to craft a codified set of laws and initative to curb the power of the adventurers of the Western and Central Heartlands.

It wasn't until the death of King Rhigaerd II and the acension of Azoun IV Obarskyr in the Year of the Blazing Brand (1334 DR) that the Royal Adventuring Charter began to take shape. In his youth, young crown prince Azoun had made it a point to travel the lands of Cormyr and beyond, for much of it as an incognito member of his own adventuring party called the King's Men. It was this experience as an active soldier of fortune that hammered home to young Azoun the neccessity for a strong ruler to both curb and control the power of adventurers within the borders of his realm.

A search of the Court records by the newly appointed Sage Most Learned of Suzail, Alaphondar, swiftly uncovered precedent for the commissioning of Adventuring Charters within the Mercenary and Privateering Codices dating to the reign of King Palaghard II. Under the supervision of Royal Mage Vangerdahast, the Royal Writ of Demarcation of the Bounds and Strictures of Mercenary Treasure Hunting and Armed Intervention was signed into law on the Thirtieth of Kythorn in the Year of the Highmantle, 1337 DR.

Terms of the Charter

The Nature of the Charter

Cost: 1,000 golden lions
- Upkeep: 300 golden lions per annum, due on the anniversary of issuance.
  - Penalty: Late fee of 20 golden lions accrued per day for up to 10 days before the charter goes into default.
  - Default: A charter in default is inactive for all purposes. Reactivation of a charter requires the payment of all arrears fees and a one time assessment of 500 golden lions. Any persons attempting to utilize a charter for legal purposes can face serious penalties and criminal detainment.
Size: An adventuring band is any group of individuals who come together under the terms of the charter (which can be customized for each group) of a size no less than 5 members and no greater than 30.

Signatory Process

The signatories must present themselves before a lawful representative of the Royal Will. Valid notaries include:

Duke of the Western Marches Bhereu Obarskyr, residing in Suzail and the High Horn.
Duke of the Eastern Marches Thomdor Obarskyr, residing in Arabel and Castle Crag.
Lord High Chancellor , residing in Suzail.
Azoun IV Obarskyr, King of Cormyr, residing in Suzail.

The signatories must disclose their full names at the time of the signing.

The processing of adding additional names after the initial signing is significantly easier. The process can be carried out by any of the official Heralds of the Crown.

A close reading of the terms of the writ of charter will indicate to the legal scholar that it does not in any way give the Crown legal authority to arrest and detain any citizens or lawful visitors to Cormyr without prior suspicion or other just cause. Which might lead one to wonder what is the purpose of the adventuring charter.

The true purpose of the adventuring charter is to smooth over legal difficulties for lawfully chartered adventuring companies who may become...entangled...in local laws and community codes in the pursuit of their...professions.

What Doesn't the Charter Do?

The charter does NOT protect the signed adventurers from prosecution for:

Murder: Possession of an adventuring charter does not protect its signitories from prosecution for murder in neither the High Court nor the Low. It does provide for a certain small amount of leeway in the definitions of premeditation and self-defense, but magistrates are known to take a dim view of defendants hiding behind a charter. The only exception is in the advent of a dispute between two legally chartered adventuring companies in which they agree to a formalized duel in a duly appointed, Crown supervised venue.

Theft: Possession of an adventuring charter does not protect its signitories from prosecution for theft, neither grand nor petty. In this case there is a distinct difference between theft and salvage (see below).

Treason: Possession of an adventuring charter does not IN ANY WAY protect its signitories from prosecution for treason against the state of Cormyr, which can include (but is not limited to)assault upon the person of the King or the Royal Family, assault upon a Peer of the Realm, assault upon (or evasion of) an Agent of the King (including the soldiers of the Purple Dragon), assault upon (or evasion of) an Agent of the War Wizards, or any other act of sedition or treason against the lawful authority of the Crown.

Any Other High Crime: Possession of an adventuring charter does not protect its signitories from prosecution for any other high crime or misdemeanor accorded the Citizens of the Realm by Common Law or Royal Writ.

What Does the Charter Do?

After a discussion of what the charter does not do, it seems as if the use of the charter is diminished to night uselessness. This not the case at all.

Right to Arms: The possession of an adventuring charter comes with it the tacit permission of the King to bear unbound arms in the lands of Cormyr, meaning that swords need not be peace knotted in public and that weapons need not be worn openly.

Right to Enforcement: The possession of an adventuring charter extends the will of the King into the hands of the signitories. The bearers have the authority to make investigation and even citizen's arrest upon the residents of the Realm, though the expectation of ironclad proof of crimes against the Crown is even more heavy upon the adventurers who do choose to exercise this authority. A notable exception to this Right of Enforcement is when the target of investigation is a member of the Peerage of Cormyr. Nobility are exempt from investigation and arrest except by the hand of the expressly appointed agents of the Crown.

Right to Salvage: The possession of an adventuring charter extends with it the right to salvage and resale of any wealth, treasure, or bounty discovered upon undeeded land. Adventurers are expected to notate all such bounty (especially items of a magical nature) and to be able to produce said inventory list upon request by an Agent of the Crown. Such income is subject to taxation by the Crown at a rate of 5%, to be paid as swiftly as possible after acquisition to the local representative of the Office of the Royal Exchequer. Finally, any item of Art or Power that is deemed by the War Wizards to be unduly dangerous, or of great interest to the security of the Crown, must be turned over to their custody upon request in return for a generous, tax free compensation.