Sitomumäär (Writ of Committment)
A sitomumäär is a Rhûn civil contract that transfers the debts, contracts, and obligations of one individual or organization to another. Everyone living in a Rhûn community is faced with at least one of these documents at some point in their life, either when they take on the responsibilities of another, or they transfer those responsibilities to someone else. It is commonly used when an organization closes its doors with obligations still owed, either financial or otherwise, or when an individual is no longer able to meet their obligations, so another must do so. This latter circumstance can happen when someone becomes permanently incapacitated or dies, more commonly it occurs when a child becomes an adult and their parents transfer those obligations that they previously maintained on behalf of their progeny to them. This transfer can occur voluntarily when one chooses to help another by undertaking their burdens, or under duress where an individual was permanently maimed or killed by another. When this happens, the responsible party is forced to undertake the commitments of the individual they so harmed.
Like all Rhûn contracts, sitomumäär are long, detailed, and specific in their terms, often directly incorporating the texts of the surrendering party's previous contracts, although the execution of such is commonly grounds for certain terms and conditions of the original contracts to be renegotiated, adding exit penalties and such to allow all parties to gracefully part ways while still making injured parties whole. Initial drafts are prepared on vellum, but the final versions are stamped into thin sheets of metal for permanent record-keeping.
In order to be binding, a sitomumäär must have at least two witnesses that are not direct parties to any of the involved transactions. At need, the community's Uldovende may stand as one of the witnesses, as they are representing the community as a whole, but this is a worst-case scenario where non-involved parties cannot be readily identified.
Document Structure
Publication Status
Sitomumäär in Rhûn communities are public documents and can be researched where such contracts are kept.
Legal status
Sitomumäär are binding within the Rhûn Freeholds and are also used in Rhûnic enclaves within other societies. They are recognized as civil contracts everywhere in the world where civil contracts exist. Whether or not a given government will enforce a Sitomumäär depends on the political realities of the specific case.
