Scofflaw
A Scofflaw is a person who has sworn the Scofflaws' Oath, and joined the Scofflaws' Guild. However, as the Scofflaws' Guild is a relatively informal organisation, the title itself is largely temporally informal. However, the title is anything but informal from a cultural, religious, and metaphysical perspective, so it is not one taken lightly, nor one which is ever donned via deception.
Appointment
To become a Scofflaw, one merely needs to call themselves one, and by doing so they are assumed — by the Oath itself — to have sworn to it as a magical pact. This is a curiosity barely understood by theologians or those learned in Oathlore, for it breaks all known conventions of divine, infernal, or any other form of magical pact: all living beings are in some way aware of the Scofflaws' Oath, and have a base understanding of what it entails, if not its exact terms. Indeed, it is this instinctual understanding that allows the Scofflaws' Guild to work at all, for those who hear one declare themselves as a Scofflaw intrinsically understand that a) they would not do so without being bound to the Oath, and b) they are at least somewhat trustworthy for fear of divine retribution.
Duties
A Scofflaw is expected to uphold the Scofflaws' Oath, though this is a somewhat nebulous duty, as the Oath has never been fully codified. Indeed, theologians debate whether it can be codified, as if it was created by the Lord of Bridges & Baubles as legend suggests, it is unlikely to have been formed in any spoken or written language. This issue is one of the main points of contention between the clergy of the Lord of Bridges & Baubles and that of Banner Bearer.
In short, Scofflaws are expected to act in the pursuit of freedom, the dismantling of tyranny, and the safety of the innocent. They are expected to explore the unknown, and to slay monsters that threaten communities and efforts to form connection throughout Creation. They are bound by laws of kinship, and see the harming and abandonment of one another as being anathema.
Benefits
By swearing oneself to the Scofflaws' Oath, a Scofflaw opens themselves up to a wealth of power far beyond the normal limits of mortals. From a temporal point of view, they forgo the protections of any mortal laws, and instead become "legal outlaws," allowed to act as they see fit without threat of prosecution (though with no guarantee of safety). From a metaphysical point of view, their expression in the Song of Creation is said to be untethered and allowed to resonant louder and stranger than most. It is for this reason that Scofflaws often express the strangest of powers, and have been recorded performing feats that rival the most powerful of monsters, and even the Saints themselves.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
It is of note that nothing — not even breaking the Scofflaws' Oath — will remove one's status as a Scofflaw. Indeed, it is believed that this status remains even after death, marking the Soul itself.
Type
Informal
Form of Address
Scofflaw
Source of Authority
Length of Term
Life
Related Organizations
Comments