Véinsørmoot/Treaty of the Maroccidens

1. PREAMBLE In recognition of the long friendship between the nobility of Maroccidens, and according to our firm desire to see these lands peopled and prosperous, we, the nobles and governments of Barca, D'Hara, and Terran, deem it fitting that our amity should be established as law, for the good example of other peoples, and that all our actions may be held to the right standard of conduct and performance, that the world may ever be convinced of the sincerity of our purpose.

2. PROVISIONS

A) General Provisions

i) All nobles of Barca, Terran, and D'Hara shall be granted full freedom to travel within the boundaries of the signing realms, either individually or in groups, unaccompanied or with associated units.

ii. Whenever a noble of any signing realm, leading healthy troops, is in an ally's region, they shall immediately aid in the defense of that region against man, beast, or abomination.

iii. Traders of each realm shall be granted equal access to purchases and sales in other realms.

iv. No signing realm shall prohibit its nobles from adhering to any faith which is permitted in another signing realm.

v. A signing realm shall be free to regulate religions within its borders as it sees fit, provided it does not damage the lands or security of other signing realms.

vi. Any noble of the signing powers shall be allowed to access the smithies and workshops of the other signing realms.

B) Judicial Provisions

i. Any legal dispute shall be resolved under the laws of the signing realm wherein the act has occurred. Black market activity within a signing realm shall be judged under that realm's laws. Religious violence within a realm shall be judged under that realm's laws. Infiltrator actions likewise, and rebellions, as well as prostitution, theft, graft, usury, murder, witchcraft, or any other act which is prohibited in the civilized places of the world. Each signing realm shall recognize the laws of the other signing realms within their borders.

ii. Should a noble of one signing realm be convicted of a crime by the judiciary of another signing realm, the judiciary of the noble's own realm may be responsible for enforcing the penalty for the crime, if the prosecuting authorities are unable. That is, the legal decision shall be made within the realm wherein the crime occurred, but the execution of that legal decision shall be carried out by any and all legal authorities within the signatory powers' borders.

iii. By extension of i) and ii), any noble banned in one of the signing realms is effectively banned in all, so that all realms shall agree not to harbor persons regarded as criminals or malcontents in other realms.

C) Diplomatic Provisions

i. At least 10 days prior to the formation of any alliance or federation beyond this one, and similarly prior to the declaration of any war on a non-signing power, a signing realm of this treaty must notify the other parties through official diplomatic channels, and through the eldership of the Véinsørmoot.

ii. Any signing power has the right to form treaties, alliances, and declarations with, concerning, and against non-signing powers, provided they do not conflict with this agreement. Such agreements are not subject to the review of other signing powers. Advance notice must be given, however, as outlined in i).

iii. All signing realms have an obligation, insofar as it is possible, to provide military aid for the defense of other signing realms, if they should come under threat by man, beast, or abomination. In particular, the cities of Paisly, Chesney, and Rettleville are regarded as joint security responsibilities of the signing realms, given their nearness to threats from man, beast, and abomination, and their nearness to one another.

iv. While it is impracticable to offer a perfect definition of "possible" in iii), it shall be noted that, if a realm has mobile forces available in excess of what is necessary to provide surveillance of its borders and repel impending threats from man, beast, or abomination, and it fails to deploy those forces, it should give an account of its failure through official diplomatic channels and the Véinsørmoot.

v. No rebellion or secession from any signing realm shall be recognized by the other signing realms without the approval of the parent realm, unless it be the case that the secession or rebellion be in fact by the parties most nearly associated with this agreement. Where there is great and extended unclarity and dispute that cannot otherwise be resolved, the representatives of the realm in question shall be temporarily suspended while the eldership determine the legitimacy of the new government(s).

D) Economic Provisions

i. No signing power is obligated to supply food to any other signing power or purchase food from any other signing power in any quantity or at any price.

ii. All signing powers are obligated to inform other signing powers of any outstanding trade agreements with other realms or entities.

iii. All signing powers, if they possess food reserves in excess of what is necessary to feed their populace and survive the winter, shall give an account to other signing powers of their trade policies and, if they are not selling their food, they shall give an account of why through official diplomatic channels and the Véinsørmoot.

E) Informal Provisions

i. Signing powers shall pledge to support one another in gold and food during times of great duress, such as in D'Hara's difficult days during the later monarchy, and Barca's early colonial period, in order that the federation should remain strong.

ii. It shall be the endeavor of the signing powers to promote accountability within and between their realms as much as possible, so as to promote a unified and strong Maroccidens.

iii. It shall be the official policy of the signing powers that the wilderness ought to be colonized by human powers, and that this colonization is of the highest priority.

iv. It shall be the objective of the signing powers to promote military coordination between themselves.

F) Enforcement

i. Should a violation occur, no policy response may be deployed for 7 days by the other parties, unless their immediate security is at risk. During those 7 days, reconciliation shall be attempted through official diplomatic channels and the Véinsørmoot.

ii. Should any party violate the provisions of this agreement and refuse reconciliation, the other parties may seek justice by retaliatory renegement on similar provisions. Where judicial reciprocity (B) is denied, it may be denied in response. Where military aid is illegitimately denied, it may be denied in response.

iii. Should reconciliation and retaliatory renegement both fail, then concerned parties may lawfully terminate this agreement.

G) Expansion and amendment

i. No realm shall be admitted to this agreement which has not adopted a republican style of governance.

ii. A realm may be denied membership to this agreement based on its failure or refusal to adopt any provision in the above agreement. This failure or refusal could be in regards to any provision, be it diplomatic or military obligations, economic obligations, judicial obligations, or any other clauses of this treaty. Such exclusions shall be handled by the same procedure as admittance.

iii. No realm may be admitted to this agreement without the consent of the legal bodies of all other signing powers (Senates of Terran and Barca, House of Lords of D'Hara), and without a majority vote of the eldership of the Véinsørmoot.

iv. No realm may be admitted to this agreement unless it has at least 1 city or stronghold south of the Unterstrom/Itau line (not including those cities), meaning that Swordfell, Luria Nova, Fissoa, Falkirk, Aurvandil, Barca, D'Hara, Terran, Asylon, and the Farronite Republic are within the realm of geographic eligibility.

v. This agreement may be amended in the same fashion as it may be expanded, as in iii).

3. CONCLUSION

These things being established as law within the signing realms of Barca, D'Hara, and Terran, and being the common vision of our realms, we affirm them as a bond of unity and brotherhood between the nobles and governments that constitute our Maroccidental society.