The Bargemen Contract
Possibly the greatest feat of diplomacy since the foundation of the Terran Expedition Accords which lead to a global agreement to share technologies, allowing mankind colonise space and leading to the slow death of civilisation on Earth we know as The Exodus, the Bargemen Contract was agreement between the main clans that controlled great areas of the Ruins of Liverpool and the enigmatic group known to all as The Bargemen .
Through this it established a neutral transportation network of traders which would claim no other territory than the waterways and footpaths of the old canal network and the Albert Dock that they could freely pass through, without hinderance of any kind and would serve all clans equally, so long as they could pay.
Purpose
The contract was designed to primarily protect the way of life of the Bargemen and their right to navigate the waterways at their leisure, without having to pay "taxes" or "fees" and removing their requirement to pledge allegiance to one of the great clans, but has managed to also create a ruins wide economy as a by product, making the Bargemen the de facto traders guild in the ruins in charge of everyone's wealth and ability to survive
Document Structure
Caveats
All parties who have agreed with this document have all accepted that should any member of a clan bring harm or destruction to the person or property of a Bargemen or their vessel, or whom commits an act of aggression against any of the Bargemen property holdings, will automatically be considered an outlaw.
Upon being declared an outlaw, a person will have a rewards placed on their head and unless they are able to atone for damages through appropriate compensation or offer themselves as indentured servitude, that person can legitimately be hunted down and killed or captured by any person of the ruins, without fear of reprisal from the clan or settlement whom the aggressor belonged to.
Furthermore, if it is discovered that the act was carried out under the instruction of anyone else, even the head of a clan, then the person who authorised it will too be considered an outlaw. Should this be a clan or settlement ruler, the entire settlement will be banned from dealing with the Bargemen until the matter has been resolved.
Legal status
Although a centralised judicial system did not survive the Exodus, this agreement is ratified within each of the signatories holdings, so clans such as the Matlows, Reds, Blues and Stevedores all accept the terms on penalty of being cut off from the services of the Bargemen, whom ensure that such a fate would see the slow death of that clan
Historical Details
Background
As clans were establishing their powerbases and their territories within the ruins, a group of nomadic barge owners holed themselves up at the moorings in the Albert Dock began sharing their fears that the clans were coming and would either see them as easy pickings and kill/maim/loot them, if not anything worse , particularly as they could see the Blues and Matlows either side of the dock heading in their direction. For years, some even generations, they had chosen a lifestyle which was now under threat
Many options were floated among the boating community - run away, make a choice and voluntarily join a clan, even make a final stand for their freedoms- but it was then a loud voice quietened all and suggested another way - the way of neutrality, which would not only keep the communities way of life in existence, but could see them protected from all harm. The source of this notion was a person of whom had extensive knowledge of the history of the canals and also the confidence of dealing with a real and present threat. Not many details have survived over the decades, so the name and any further origins of this person remain unknown to this day, but all that is known is that is was a female, whom history, and the Bargemen, simply know as The Lockkeeper
The Lockkeeper's idea was simple. They would draw upon the industrial nature of the canalways and narrowboats and offer themselves as impartial traders and ferries along the canal network, insisting that they would trade with anyone and everyone, so long as they were protected from harm both from the clans and from independent bands of raiders. They would bear arms, only to defend themselves and would never step into clan territory, with the canals, their towpaths and the Albert Dock being Bargemen territory, The majority agreed with this solution, especially when the Lockkeeper stated they would personally get assurances from the clans, so noone else would have to risk themselves on this chance for freedom from oppressions and fear
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