The Magpies’ Code
Written by Kepler Winkelman, Eva Herzog, Gabriel Michaels, Renwick Gibbons, and Lilia Warwick ratified in 500 A.R.M. in West Haven
Agreed to by every man, woman or child baring the Dagger and Bird upon their left shoulder.
a. Fine: The local equivalent of one month’s wages for a commoner to be given to the guild leader for distribution among the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
b. If the misdeed can be rectified, the perpetrator must make all reasonable efforts.
c. If the deed can’t be rectified, the fine is doubled, and the additional funds are given to the aggrieved party.
d. All payments must be made within thirty days of the final ruling
2. Indiscretion
a. Fine: The local equivalent of one year’s wages for a commoner to be given to the guild leader for distribution among the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
b. If the misdeed can be rectified, the perpetrator must make all reasonable efforts.
c. If the deed can’t be rectified, the fine is doubled, and the additional funds are given to the aggrieved party.
d. All payments must be made within ninety days of the final ruling.
3. Major Indiscretion
a. Stripped of membership.
b. All property is forfeited to the guild to be redistributed to the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
4. Egregious Indiscretion
a. Death to be carried out immediately after the final ruling.
b. All property is forfeited to the guild to be redistributed to the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
Initiate: A junior member of the guild, working as an apprentice under a full member
Full member: A person beholden to The Magpies’ code and bares the Dagger and Bird upon their left shoulder.
Guild Leader: A person elected by the local thieves as the leader of the local guild.
Indiscretion: An act that directly or indirectly breaks The Magpies’ Code.
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a. Failing to give the guild its due is an Indiscretion.
2. The guild leader is to see that half of all funds received by the guild from its members are distributed among the poor of the local area.
a. Failing to distribute the wealth is a Major Indiscretion.
3. No Member or Initiate or Guild Leader shall commit a caper against another Member, Initiate or Guild Leader of the Magpies.
a. Committing a caper against a Magpie is a Minor Indiscretion.
4. A Magpies’ word is their bond. Once a Magpies’ word is given, they must complete whatever was agreed to per their exact agreement.
a. Failure to deliver on one’s word is a Minor Indiscretion.
5. Magpies don’t trade in blood. A Magpie is expected to keep the human cost of their caper to a minimum. Doing physical harm to another should be avoided. It’s terrible for business. Killing in self-defence or in defence of another is permitted. Still, it must be proven necessary for the continued survival of the person in question that was being defended.
a. Killing in self-defence or in defence of another is a Minor Indiscretion.
b. Killing in cold blood is a Major Indiscretion.
c. Partaking in slavery or human trafficking is an Egregious Indiscretion.
6. Failure to pay a fine as laid out by the Code automatically graduates the Indiscretion level of the offence to the next level.
a. A Minor Indiscretion becomes an Indiscretion.
b. An Indiscretion becomes a Major Indiscretion.
c. A Major Indiscretion becomes an Egregious Indiscretion.
7. All participants in a caper are entitled to a share of the bounty equal to their contribution. The shares are to be decided and agreed upon upfront during the planning. If the plan changes and one member or the job does more work than anticipated, the other members are expected to accommodate the change in good faith. The local guild leader will decide on the shares if a disagreement can't be resolved. a. Failing to award a fair share is a Minor Indiscretion.
8. Initiates are entitled to Half Shares. While they are learning, half their share is paid for their training and goes to their master. a. Failing to award an Initiate their Half Share is a Minor Indiscretion.
9. Helping those in need. The Magpies are a service to society. If someone is in trouble, a member of the Magpies that is aware and able is expected to help, especially if that person is of meagre means.
a. Failing to help the poor when the Magpie was able and aware is a Minor Indiscretion.
b. If failure to help results in that person’s death or serious physical harm, including incarceration, the consequence is a Major Indiscretion.
c. A Magpie isn’t obligated to help any who trades in blood or has made an attempt on said Magpie’s life.
10. Once per year, all Magpies of the local guild must gather to elect a Guild Leader. The guild leader must be nominated by at least two other members and carry the day with a majority vote. In the case of a tie, there must be a revote. If there is a tie three times running, the leadership for the year is to be shared.
11. The Guild Leader is obligated to ensure the fair distribution of wealth in the local area and look out for members. If a member can’t make enough money to live at a reasonable level, the guild must take care of their essential needs—food, water and shelter.
12. The Guild Leader is compensated for their efforts with 5% of the monthly income of the guild.
a. A guild leader that takes more than their due is considered to have committed an Egregious Indiscretion.
13. Any member may call a guild leader to trial by initiating Defiance. All local members are expected to attend the trial if a guild leader is officially Defied. The accuser may present evidence of the guild leader’s abuse of the Code, and the guild leader will be entitled to one month to muster a defence. Once the evidence and counter-evidence have been provided, the assembled members will vote and determine if the Defiance is Legitimate by the majority vote.
a. Any guild leader found guilty of abusing the Code is held to have committed an Egregious Indiscretion.
Any breach of the Code which doesn’t have specific repercussions associated with it’s to be assumed to be an Indiscretion.
Introduction
The Magpies are a criminal order, but we are an organisation with a purpose. Our role in society is the fair redistribution of wealth from the haves to the have-nots. It’s the way of the world that some have much and can turn what they have into goods to sell and acquire more wealth. On the other hand, some have nothing and, therefore, can make nothing of what they don’t have, so they remain destitute. Therefore, our moral obligation is to redirect the disproportionate flow of having such that those with nothing gain a path to a brighter future.Nature of the Code
This Code seeks to regulate the conduct of thieves, burglars, swindlers, con artists, and smugglers. It aims to ensure mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration, deign the proper flow of wealth acquisition from rich to poor and minimise the suffering caused by the activities involved in these acts. When one takes the oath to uphold this Code before Aeg, they are entitled to reap its rewards, and they are then to its rulings as decided by the local judicator in the form of a Guild Leader. Upon initiation to the Code, the initiate will show their dedication to it by taking the Dagger and Bird tattoo on their left shoulder to become a full member. All past Indiscretions are forgotten at the point of becoming a full member.Induction under the Code
To become a full member of the Magpies, which means to receive access to the network of resources, protection under the Code, sanctuary to act within the bounds of the Code in each area, and the support of the local guild, one must first prove worthy to join. An initiate must work under a full guild member as an apprentice to learn the trade for a period no shorter than 12 months and no longer than 36 months. After this time, if the initiate can’t pass the criteria for full membership, they are dismissed and must seek a new mentor. To complete the initiation, the initiate needs one full member who can nominate them for membership. They must then complete a caper of notoriety. A full member of the guild must be present to verify the act, and the local guild leader will judge if the level of infamy regarding the show is sufficient. If authorities identify the perpetrator as the culprit, the initiate will fail the test within one month. A guild leader has the right to reject any membership application.Punishments and Fines under the Code
The local guild leader judges indiscretions and all rulings are final. Indiscretions consist of four levels of Code violation. 1. Minor indiscretionsa. Fine: The local equivalent of one month’s wages for a commoner to be given to the guild leader for distribution among the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
b. If the misdeed can be rectified, the perpetrator must make all reasonable efforts.
c. If the deed can’t be rectified, the fine is doubled, and the additional funds are given to the aggrieved party.
d. All payments must be made within thirty days of the final ruling
2. Indiscretion
a. Fine: The local equivalent of one year’s wages for a commoner to be given to the guild leader for distribution among the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
b. If the misdeed can be rectified, the perpetrator must make all reasonable efforts.
c. If the deed can’t be rectified, the fine is doubled, and the additional funds are given to the aggrieved party.
d. All payments must be made within ninety days of the final ruling.
3. Major Indiscretion
a. Stripped of membership.
b. All property is forfeited to the guild to be redistributed to the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
4. Egregious Indiscretion
a. Death to be carried out immediately after the final ruling.
b. All property is forfeited to the guild to be redistributed to the poor. 10% stays with the guild.
Definitions
Caper: A deed where something of value is procured from another without the original owner’s consent, and something of equal importance wasn’t exchanged.Initiate: A junior member of the guild, working as an apprentice under a full member
Full member: A person beholden to The Magpies’ code and bares the Dagger and Bird upon their left shoulder.
Guild Leader: A person elected by the local thieves as the leader of the local guild.
Indiscretion: An act that directly or indirectly breaks The Magpies’ Code.
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The Code
1. Wealth must flow down. 10% of every share from any activity is considered a caper under the Code.a. Failing to give the guild its due is an Indiscretion.
2. The guild leader is to see that half of all funds received by the guild from its members are distributed among the poor of the local area.
a. Failing to distribute the wealth is a Major Indiscretion.
3. No Member or Initiate or Guild Leader shall commit a caper against another Member, Initiate or Guild Leader of the Magpies.
a. Committing a caper against a Magpie is a Minor Indiscretion.
4. A Magpies’ word is their bond. Once a Magpies’ word is given, they must complete whatever was agreed to per their exact agreement.
a. Failure to deliver on one’s word is a Minor Indiscretion.
5. Magpies don’t trade in blood. A Magpie is expected to keep the human cost of their caper to a minimum. Doing physical harm to another should be avoided. It’s terrible for business. Killing in self-defence or in defence of another is permitted. Still, it must be proven necessary for the continued survival of the person in question that was being defended.
a. Killing in self-defence or in defence of another is a Minor Indiscretion.
b. Killing in cold blood is a Major Indiscretion.
c. Partaking in slavery or human trafficking is an Egregious Indiscretion.
6. Failure to pay a fine as laid out by the Code automatically graduates the Indiscretion level of the offence to the next level.
a. A Minor Indiscretion becomes an Indiscretion.
b. An Indiscretion becomes a Major Indiscretion.
c. A Major Indiscretion becomes an Egregious Indiscretion.
7. All participants in a caper are entitled to a share of the bounty equal to their contribution. The shares are to be decided and agreed upon upfront during the planning. If the plan changes and one member or the job does more work than anticipated, the other members are expected to accommodate the change in good faith. The local guild leader will decide on the shares if a disagreement can't be resolved. a. Failing to award a fair share is a Minor Indiscretion.
8. Initiates are entitled to Half Shares. While they are learning, half their share is paid for their training and goes to their master. a. Failing to award an Initiate their Half Share is a Minor Indiscretion.
9. Helping those in need. The Magpies are a service to society. If someone is in trouble, a member of the Magpies that is aware and able is expected to help, especially if that person is of meagre means.
a. Failing to help the poor when the Magpie was able and aware is a Minor Indiscretion.
b. If failure to help results in that person’s death or serious physical harm, including incarceration, the consequence is a Major Indiscretion.
c. A Magpie isn’t obligated to help any who trades in blood or has made an attempt on said Magpie’s life.
10. Once per year, all Magpies of the local guild must gather to elect a Guild Leader. The guild leader must be nominated by at least two other members and carry the day with a majority vote. In the case of a tie, there must be a revote. If there is a tie three times running, the leadership for the year is to be shared.
11. The Guild Leader is obligated to ensure the fair distribution of wealth in the local area and look out for members. If a member can’t make enough money to live at a reasonable level, the guild must take care of their essential needs—food, water and shelter.
12. The Guild Leader is compensated for their efforts with 5% of the monthly income of the guild.
a. A guild leader that takes more than their due is considered to have committed an Egregious Indiscretion.
13. Any member may call a guild leader to trial by initiating Defiance. All local members are expected to attend the trial if a guild leader is officially Defied. The accuser may present evidence of the guild leader’s abuse of the Code, and the guild leader will be entitled to one month to muster a defence. Once the evidence and counter-evidence have been provided, the assembled members will vote and determine if the Defiance is Legitimate by the majority vote.
a. Any guild leader found guilty of abusing the Code is held to have committed an Egregious Indiscretion.
Any breach of the Code which doesn’t have specific repercussions associated with it’s to be assumed to be an Indiscretion.
The Oath
By Aeg, I solemnly swear to uphold The Magpies’ Code in all my dealings and subject myself to its rulings as laid out by the duly elected judicator. I won’t deal in blood or knowingly bring an innocent person to harm. I’ll do all within my power to see that riches are fairly distributed in society and that those who are of meagre means can live. I swear to uphold and enforce the Code upon all that take the Dagger and Bird. I won’t abide a false Magpie, and I’ll always help a fellow Magpie in exchange for my fair share, should they ask me. All these words are true, or may Aeg send rats and buzzards to feast on my entrails.Purpose
A code of conduct for the Magpies thieves guild.
Historical Details
Background
The Magpies Code started a movement that would swoop across the nation of Rendin and then the whole continent. There are even rumours that it has been established in Mura and Kur. Originating from West Haven, Kepler Winkelman, Eva Herzog, Gabriel Michaels, Renwick Gibbons and Lylia Warwick were thieves that saw a serious problem in the way society was working. They formed a guild around an ideal that they served a purpose in society and that it was their duty to live up to that purpose. All their members would operate under this code to redistribute wealth more fairly back to the poor. The code strives to minimise human costs in the process. Due to the popularity of the code, the guild has expanded quickly, and nearly every city in Azrea and some in Apour contain members who bear the Dagger and the Bird tattoo on their left shoulder.
History
The history of the Magpies begins in 475 A.R.M, during the reign of King Hershall du la Rent. Under his rule, the kingdom of Rendin was plagued by poverty and economic inequality. The King was known for his corruption and greed, and the poor suffered greatly as a result.
In response to this dire situation, a group of thieves from West Haven came together with a plan to fight back against the King's oppression. Led by a man known as Winkelman, they formed a guild with a strict code of conduct, known as the Magpies' Code.
The code held that their purpose was to redistribute wealth more fairly back to the poor, with the goal of minimizing human costs in the process. The guild quickly gained popularity among the people, who saw the Magpies as a way to fight back against the King's injustices.
The guild was able to expand quickly, and soon had members in nearly every city in Azrea and some in Apour. They were easy to spot as all members bears the Dagger and the Bird tattoo on their left shoulder. They started to carry out their activities across the whole nation and continent, becoming a powerful force for change.
The King and his followers, however, saw the Magpies as a threat to their power and wealth, and they did everything they could to stamp out the rebellion. Despite the King's efforts, the Magpies continued to grow in strength and numbers, and their code inspired many others to join the fight for a more just and equal society.
The Magpies' activities became so widespread that it even reached great cities of Mura and Kur. The guild, under the leadership of Winkelman, known as the Magnani Pie, became a powerful force for change and a symbol of hope for the poor and oppressed people of Rendin and beyond.
Type
Text, Philosophical
Medium
Paper
Authoring Date
495 A.R.M.
Ratification Date
500 A.R.M.
Location