Maritime Law
Below are the laws and regulations written and upheld by the Crescent Council, that both protect their constituents and condemn their aggressors. Footnotes are attached to each law, explaining the law in plain terms.
Laws and Regulations
Article 1
All legislative powers1 granted herein shall be vested in the members2 of the Crescent Council, which shall consist of five High Lords3.
Article 2
The High Lords, Lords, and Sailors4 shall receive a compensation5 for their services, to be ascertained by the law, and paid out of the treasury of the Crescent Council.
Article 3
High Lords and Lords shall in all cases except felony6 or treason be privileged from arrest by government authority7 and exempt from government law.
Article 4
No High Lord, Lord, or Sailor shall, during the time for which they were registered8, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of any government9. No person holding any office under a land-based10 government shall be a member of the Crescent Council during their continuance in office.
Article 5
The Crescent Council shall have the power to lay and collect11 taxes, debts, imposts and excises, to pay the debts12 and provide for the common defense and general welfare of Visctherian waters.
Article 6
The migration or importation of such persons as any of the Cities now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Council, but a tax or fee may be imposed on such importation13.
Article 7
The Council shall not limit, forbid, or prefer any product or cargo that is carried or delivered by High Lords, Lords, or Sailors14.
Article 8
No High Lord, Lord, or Sailor shall under any terms receive, purchase, or divulge any property, goods, or services15 outside of Visctherian waters, such borders as determined by Visctherian Law.
Footnotes
1. While the first law of the Crescent Council refers to legislative powers, there's not truly that much granted in the law itself. Because of this, the Council has reigned supreme for centuries, using the vague nature of the law to strike down any legislatively - or physically - threatening opponents.
2. This first law continues to be vague in that it only refers to members of the Council, which over the decades has been interpreted as both the High Lords of the Council, and regular, everyday Sailors. This broader interpretation has lead to some of the legislative chaos mentioned in the previous note, creating contradictions throughout the history books of which party was - legally - in the right.
3. The High Lords have also continually been confusing and hard to find. While the Council does its best to remain anonymous, some members are occasionally uncovered, often ending in either the end of their rule - or the end of their life. However, when one Council member disappears, another reappears almost instantly, as if there is a waiting list for ruler of the seas.
4. Here are defined the ranks of the Crescent Council Sailors, and while colloquially referred to as general Sailors, there are the two ranks above. High Lords are numbered five, and command the seas, while Lords act as squadron captains. Sailors have a few smaller ranks within the general one, but most Visctherians who swear fealty to the Crescent Council are simply ranked as Sailor, be they captain, bosun, or cook.
5. This 'compensation' has been changed just as much as the legislative protections the law places on Sailors. However, while protections have increased and decreased over time, monetary value of the work has only grown. As countries develop and trade routes become more populous, more and more Sailors are needed to conduct the shipment and actual purchase and sale of the goods delivered.
6. The definition of 'felony' in this case is a bit promiscuous - the law continually changes with new iterations of the Crescent Council. The constant changing of rules has resulted in many false arrests and releases, simply for the fact that the authorities were not properly up to date on their Maritime Law. While many authorities attempt to stay up to date with each particular code released by the Council, some countries choose to work from the general Maritime Law, and simply leave Sailors alone.
7. While Sailors under the Crescent Council are exempt from arrest by any government, this particular law does not protect from the expatriated or unaligned. Piracy is a major issue among Sailors, as the only pirates they are protected from are other Sailors under the Council.
8. Registration is required for all members of the Crescent Council, with dues owed for membership. Many members are able to work off their dues - or fines, if incurred - by acting as guard for the Council themselves, or protecting trade routes from pirates.
9. Any government official is banned from membership with the Crescent Council. Any member of the Council must not run or be chosen for office, lest they lose their membership, their protection, and possibly their livelihoods.
10. While the Crescent Council is considered sea-based, all other recognized governments do qualify as land-based. Any true threats to the Council's monopoly were crushed by legislative prowess - or brute force - decades ago.
11. While the Crescent Council can impose taxes on whatever they please, they rarely do. Most of trade is entirely untaxed, leading to a beautiful free market of technology, food, and a workforce. That being said, the Council's tax collectors are often highly skilled, decorated, and retired pirates. They move with the largest squadrons, and are often flying the flag of the Council themselves.
12. While debt is rarely accrued by tradesmen under the Council, sometimes a bad call is made on a slimy salesman or risky waters. When this happens, an application can be put forth for review by the Council's treasurers to help with any debt incurred by the Sailors. Lords have slightly more protection in this area, as any applications from within a squadron are required to go through their Lord.
13. The trade of Visctherians themselves used to be a very profitable field. In recent years, it has died down as more and more freedoms are granted to previous slaves and indentured servants.
14. While the slavers have mostly been driven from the seas, some trade of persons does still exist, uninhibited other than the pressure of discovery, and subsequent ostracization.
15. Once a Sailor takes property of a sale or trade that occurs on land, they forfeit their membership to the Crescent Council. They give everything to their ship and their crew, and when they take their own property instead of having it gifted to them, their membership is revoked.
More on the Crescent Council
Sailors under the Crescent Council were protected no matter their background, be it merchant, pirate, or soldier. If you wore the badge of the Crescent, you guaranteed passage through the waters of the world that was safe from harm by your fellow sailors. Flags flown from ships protected them from arrest, granted them access to forbidden waters, and often armed them to the teeth - the coffers of the Council were bottomless and generous.
Located on the top of an Ostrello and founded by Ayda Northana, Aquavelle was the home of the Crescent Council. They were very secretive about their location to any outside the Council, and only the High Lords' direct correspondents knew where to find them.
The Godsent of the seas very commonly interacted with the Crescent Council. Ostrellos and Megalopods caused dangerous waters, Glothir created intense winds and ocean storms, and young Sailors were challenged to defeat Kraken on the regular. This reulgar interaction caused many members of the Council to become disillusioned with the wonder of the Godsent, some even falling to poaching the creatures.
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