In this letter, you will find a bill written and edited by various Ordinants, including me, Javier Kanthil, to propose additional laws that affect Sanctuary, the Spellguard, Watch, and the Society when dealing with the ever-present aberrant threat.

I ask for the Council to vote on whether or not the bill entirely, or certain laws are passed.

Proposed Anti-Aberration Law of Sanctuary

Article I: Aberration classification.

Section A: The governing council and mayoral body of Upper Sanctuary hereby recognizes that the illithid (mindflayers), beholders (eye tyrants), Intellect Devourers, and Hook Horrors are aberrations, twisted monstrosities that pervert the natural means of life in the Realms. The governing entities of Upper Sanctuary (referred to simply as “Sanctuary” henceforth) condemn the existence of aberrations, and declare that no aberration is ever to be permitted free entry, citizenship, alliance, trade, or association with Sanctuary. Aberrations are prohibited from entering or associating with Sanctuary, either in the form of its government, its authorities, or its populace. Its government, its authorities, and its populace are in turn prohibited from entering into any form of association with an aberration. Sanctuary recognizes that the aberration is not a proper form of life as the humanoid races (including but not limited to humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings) are, and based on this recognition Sanctuary refuses any of the rights bestowed upon the living to an aberration.

Section B: Sanctuary recognizes that humanoid and monstrous individuals who have been taken into mental and physical servitude to an illithid are termed “thralls.” These thralls, in receiving implants or allowing their minds to be dominated by an illithid, cease to exert control over their own lives, and instead become virtual slaves of their host illithid. In doing so, these thralls cease to be humanoid and monstrous individuals, and instead become virtual aberrations. The act of becoming a thrall to an illithid host involves the domination of the thrall’s mental and physical impulses, making it nothing more than a humanoid or monstrous extension of the illithid’s will. Sanctuary recognizes that individuals who have become thralls, either through physical implantation or psionic/magical domination, are no longer humanoid or monstrous living individuals, but are themselves aberrations. In becoming an aberration, these thralls forfeit all right to citizenship, rights, and protection under the laws of Sanctuary.

Section C: A thrall within the territory of Sanctuary is in violation of the above-stated laws expressly forbidding the entrance of aberrations into Sanctuary. A thrall found within the territory of Sanctuary is to be immediately arrested and isolated by the law-enforcement authorities of Sanctuary.

Sub-Section C1: If this thrall is discovered to possess a physical implant, the Society of the Ordered Mind is legally required to remove the implant with all efforts made to ensure the survival of the thrall. The implant is then to be destroyed in the presence of a Sanctuary Watch, or Town Council member. Should the Society of the Ordered Mind find that destruction of an implant is beyond its means or is too dangerous to attempt, independent verification of the advanced or hostile nature of the implant must be given by the Sanctuary Town Council. Should the Sanctuary Town Council agree that destruction of the implant is beyond the safe means of the Society of the Ordered Mind, the implant is to be isolated and locked away on the Society of the Ordered Mind's Premises, with a member of the Sanctuary Town Council present to witness the isolation of the implant.

Sub-Section C2: A suspected thrall will be lawfully detained on the Premises of the Society of the Ordered Mind, within thrall holding bays.

Sub-Section C3: A suspected thrall will be detained on the Society of the Ordered Mind's Premises (given above in Article I: Sub-Section C2) in order to determine whether the suspected thrall is under psionic/mental domination. If the Members of the Society of the Ordered Mind all concur that a suspected thrall is under some form of psionic/mental domination, then the thrall is to be released from his/her psionic/mental domination by the Society of the Ordered Mind, with a member of the Sanctuary Watch, or Sanctuary Town Council present to witness the abjurative process that will free the thrall from psionic/mental domination. If the thrall is found to be under psionic/mental domination that is beyond the means of the Society to remove, all of the above-mentioned independent factions of Sanctuary are to be summoned to attempt to release the thrall from his/her psionic/mental domination. If neither the Society of the Ordered Mind nor the entirety of these independent factions are able to remove the psionic/mental domination from the thrall, then the thrall is to be executed by the Society of the Ordered Mind for posing a non-rectifiable danger to Sanctuary, with the members of the Sanctary Town Council present for this execution as witnesses.

Section D: A thrall who has undergone the removal of his/her implant is subsequently to stand trial before the Sanctuary Town Council for associating with an aberration and any crimes that he/she might have committed while in the service of that aberration.

Sub-Section D1: If the thrall was found to have been forced to accept an implant, and admits regret and recognition of the nature of his/her crime(s) in associating with the aberration, then the former thrall is to be released, with the warning that any further serious crimes (with the nature of a crime defined by the Sanctuary Code of Law) committed by the former thrall will result in immediate execution, and that any further voluntary association with an aberration will result in immediate execution, to be conducted by public stoning with the populace of Sanctuary present as witnesses.

Sub-Section D2: If the thrall is found to have voluntarily accepted implantation and service with an aberration, then the thrall is to be summarily executed by public stoning with the populace of Sanctuary present as witnesses.

Sub-Section D3: If the Sanctuary Town Council is unable to determine whether a thrall willingly accepted an implant, then the former thrall is to be imprisoned for a length of time to be set by the Sanctuary Town Council based upon his/her situation. Further punishment, up to an execution by public stoning, may be dispensed by the Sanctuary Town Council based upon the severity of the crimes, if any, committed by the thrall while he/she was under the effect of his/her implant(s).

Section E: A thrall who has been removed from aberration control by means of either implant removal or the dispelling of his/her psionic/mental domination links to an aberration host is to be no longer considered an aberration. The former thrall, once the aforementioned judicial processes have been resolved, is to be considered a living humanoid, with all the rights of Sanctuary that the condition provides. Denial of citizenship to a former thrall may be exercised by the Sanctuary Town Council should it be deemed necessary.

Article II: Aberration technology.

Section A: Sanctuary recognizes that any items created or enchanted by aberrations, specifically beholder and illithid crafts, are dangers to the city and its citizens. Therefore, any citizens of Sanctuary found to be in possession of aberration-created items are guilty of endangering Sanctuary, and as such are to be imprisoned by the law-enforcement authorities of Sanctuary until such time as the Society of the Ordered Mind may confiscate the aberration crafts. Further charges and penalties, up to execution by public stoning, may be brought against the holders of aberration item if the Sanctuary Town Council agrees that the individual(s)’ possession of these items posed a dire danger to Sanctuary.

Section B: Sanctuary lawfully requires the Society of the Ordered Mind to destroy confiscated aberration crafts, with a member of the Sanctuary Watch, or Town Council present as a witness to the destruction of these items. Should the Society of the Ordered Mind not be able to destroy the aberration craft, then it is to be placed in locked isolation on the Society of the Ordered Mind Premises.

Section C: Should the Society of the Ordered Mind declare that it wishes to stay the destruction of an aberration craft in order to study the device, the Society of the Ordered Mind must inform the Sanctuary Town Council and declare the status of such aberration craft. The Sanctuary Town Council will then allow a hearing to decide whether the device is to be permitted to remain in the hands of the Society of the Ordered Mind for further study. If the Sanctuary Town Council decrees that the Society of the Ordered Mind has no valid motive to retain the device for study, then it is to be destroyed with a member of the Sanctuary Town Council present as a witness. If the Sanctuary Town Council decrees that the Society of the Ordered Mind may continue to study the aberration craft in question, then the Sanctuary Town Council may at any time open the study of the aberration craft to faction of its choosing, in consultation with the Society of the Ordered Mind.

Article III: Chazbash.

Section A: Sanctuary recognizes that the beholder warren/city located to the west of Sanctuary’s territory, hereby referred to as “Chazbash,” is a preeminent danger to the survival of Sanctuary. Sanctuary recognizes that all of the beholders of Chazbash are to be considered enemies of the city, and recognizes that a state of cold war exists between Sanctuary and Chazbash.

Section B: Sanctuary, due to the acknowledgement of the state of cold war that exists between Chabzash and it, refuses to enter into any trade, negotiations, settlements, or agreements with the city of Chabzash. Further, no citizen of Sanctuary is allowed to enter into any association with the city of Chabzash, under punishment of willfully endangering and betraying Sanctuary.

Section C: Sanctuary declares that any beholders or beholder-kin of Chabzash are to be declared kill-on-sight by the Sanctuary law-authorities and security forces, and that no beholders or beholder-kin of Chabzash are ever to be permitted freely within Sanctuary’s walls.

Article IV: Ysinode.

Section A: Sanctuary recognizes that the illithid warren/city located to the west of Sanctuary’s territory, hereby referred to as “Ysinode,” is a preeminent danger to the survival of Sanctuary. Sanctuary recognizes that all of the illithid of Ysinode are to be considered enemies of the city, and recognizes that a state of cold war exists between Sanctuary and Ysinode.

Section B: Sanctuary, due to the acknowledgement of the state of cold war that exists between Ysinode and it, refuses to enter into any trade, negotiations, settlements, or agreements with the city of Ysinode. Further, no citizen of Sanctuary is allowed to enter into any association with the city of Ysinode, under punishment of willfully endangering and betraying Sanctuary.

Section C: Sanctuary declares that any illithid or illithid servitors (including but not limited to intellect devourers, umber hulks, and psionic hounds) of Ysinode are to be declared kill-on-sight by the Sanctuary law-authorities and security forces, and that no illithid or illithid servitors of Ysinode are ever to be permitted freely within Sanctuary’s walls.

Article V: The Sleeping Pyrimo Inn.

Section A: Sanctuary states that the creature known as “Intryzz,” the illithid proprietor of the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn, is an enemy of the city of Sanctuary. Sanctuary recognizes that the creature Intryzz has, and continues to attempt, to repeatedly infiltrate, undermine, and sow dissent among Sanctuary’s citizens by use of thralls and psionic/magical manipulation. To this end, Sanctuary declares that Intryzz is a paramount danger and threat to the safety of the city and its citizens, refuses to enter into any trade, negotiations, settlements, or agreements with Intryzz, and declares any association with him to be willful endangerment of Sanctuary. Further, Intryzz is to be considered kill-on-sight by the law-authorities and security forces of Sanctuary, and is to be prohibited from entering Sanctuary territory at all cost.

Section B: Sanctuary declares that the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn itself, reached via portal and located in an unknown location, is off-limits to all citizens of Sanctuary. Any citizen of Sanctuary who is found to have entered the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn without express permission from the Sanctuary Town Council is to be arrested by the law-authorities of Sanctuary for trial by the Sanctuary Town Council, on charges of endangering the city and potential betrayal of the city to a dire enemy.

Section C: All individuals arrested on charges of violating the ban on entering the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn are to be examined by the Society for the Ordered Mind for potential implants or psionic/magical mental/physical domination (see Article I, Sections C, D, and E).

Section D: Sanctuary condemns the experiments conducted by Intryzz and his thralls, and declares these experiments abhorrent and vile to the city and its citizens. As such, any experiments created by Intryzz are to be considered destroy-on-sight by the law-enforcement and security organizations of Sanctuary.

Section E: Sanctuary declares that any citizens found to be marketing entrance to the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn, including selling “keys” that reveal the portals that lead to the Sleeping Pyrimo Inn, are guilty of associating with aberrations and willfully endangering Sanctuary. As such, they are to be arrested and tried by the Sanctuary Town Council.

Article VI: The Society of the Ordered Mind.

Section A: Sanctuary recognizes that the Society of the Ordered Mind is the most knowledgeable and prominent authority near its territory that faces the aberration threat. To this end, Sanctuary resolves to honor the agreement made between Mayor Yorick Bresley and the founding members of the Society of the Ordered Mind fully, and declares that the law-enforcement and security forces of Sanctuary are also to respect and honor this agreement.

Section B: Sanctuary resolves not to interfere with the Society of the Ordered Mind’s actions taken against aberrations, and/or suspected thralls; and instructs its law-enforcement and security forces not to interfere in the actions of the Society of the Ordered Mind. Sanctuary also resolves to assist the Society of the Ordered Mind in its actions against aberrations, if those actions are deemed important to the security of Sanctuary when presented to the Sanctuary Town Council.

Sub-Section B1: Thus Sanctuary Town Council, accords the Society of the Ordered Mind the unrestricted right to subdue amd remove suspected thralls for testing in any area of Sanctuary. The Society of the Ordered Mind must notify the Watch of their intention to subdue and remove a suspected thrall by asking at least one Watch Member to accompany such an action conducted within Sanctuary.

Sub-Section B2: Under the conditions listed in Sub-Section B1 above, the Society holds the right to subdue, remove and detain suspected thralls on the Premises of the Society of the Ordered Mind with the express intention of testing such individuals for thralldom. This test must be conducted as immediately as is recognisably possible by a member of the Society of the Ordered Mind in accordance with the tenets of Article I: Sub-Sections C1, C2, C3.

Sub-Section B3: In the course of performing such duties mentioned in throughout Article VI and its Sub-Sections, Members of the Society of the Ordered Mind cannot be held legally responsible for performing justifiable and necessary actions in order to detain a suspected thrall within the boundarys of Sanctuary.

Section C: Sanctuary decrees that the Society of the Ordered Mind is an expert source on the nature of the aberration threat. Sanctuary also reserves the right to call for members of the Society of the Ordered Mind to provide consultation and serve as witnesses during arrests, legal proceedings, trials, and actions regarding aberrations, thralls, and aberration crafts.

Section D: It is recommended by the Society of the Ordered Mind all Sanctuary Officials willingly submit to an enthrallment test once per month, conducted by the Society of the Ordered Mind. Sanctuary officials are listed as follows: Sanctuary Town Councillors, Town Watchmen, the Lietenant of the Watch, the Sheriff of the Watch, the Sanctuary Town Mayor, and all Ordinants of the Society of the Ordered Mind). If after a request or prompting by an Ordinant of the Society, and/or ongoing avoidance or refusal to willingly submit to an enthrallment test, such Sanctuary Officials with be formally arrested and fined $2000 gold, and will be safely detained for enthrallment testing by the Society of the Ordered Mind, until such a test is completed to the satisfaction of the Society of the Ordered Mind in consultation with the Watch and the Town Council.

~Javier Kanthil

I have skimmed this, and put it before the Council. I do have a question. What is an "abberation created device?" How can anyone, without training, recognize such a device beyond a shadow of a doubt, and link it to the abberation that created it?

Andrew Deepingdale

It can be a bit difficult for an individual without training to identify such devices, but there are a few key things one can pay note to:

*Certain aberrant devices are, for the lack of a better word, organic in shape, it appears as if they -are- made from organs of a dead thrall, or some such, to be exact. They are formed in a practical way, for easy use and transporation.

*Another commonly seen aberrant device are used for healing purposes, and function similar to divine, arcane wands or svirfneblin healing devices. The difference is in shape, which are in no way similar to svirfneblin technology or the wands made from bone or ivory for divine or arcane healing purposes. Instead, to the normal eye, they appear quite exotic, and somewhat unusual in shape.

*Certain aberrant devices are soft and pulpous to the touch.

These are the most notable signs by which one can identify an aberrant device.

Javier Kanthil

Giving a description of a "soft or exotic" item does not comfort me. How would one differentiate an "organic" abberant device from a device made out of a plant?

As before, I will forward this to the council.

Andrew Deepingdale

Forgive me, I will give more detailed descriptions. With the term organic, I should have been a bit more detailed. The object appears to be made from the innards of a creature, extracted after a cold-blooded murder to be imbued with magical properties and to be shaped into a more preferable form by its illithid creator.

The "soft or exotic" descriptions I will also attempt to elaborate on. To the touch, the object appears to feel quite malleable, as if it is not fully solid. It reshapes easily by touch. But that description only applies to a diminutive amount of illithid crafts, few of which will be found by anyone. Nonetheless, a description is necessary regarding the rarer kind of aberrant devices.

Javier Kanthil

Reduce this proposal to a workable size, and I shall consider it. As it stands, it is too drawn out. Sheriff Azzam and I are a fan of short and concise. This is no such thing!

Respectfully,

-- Councilor Donrick

This will never pass until the order manages to define things in more exact manner. I have seen this proposal in some form or another at least 5 times, and everytime it fails to pass due to complexity. In the past, we adjusted laws slightly (added enemies of Sanctuary section) partly based on these proposals, but that is it.

Respectfully, Wyric Crowshire