1. Journals

Codex Juris Mage-Law

CODEX JURIS MAGE-LAW

The Arcane Statutes of Goldcrest

Ratified by the Crown of Goldcrest and maintained under the authority of the Lancers, the Arcane Athenaeum, and the Magistrates of Crownward.

PREAMBLE

Magic is a tool of great benefit and great danger.

The City of Goldcrest recognises the lawful practice of magic as a cornerstone of commerce, learning, healing, defence, and civic prosperity. However, no citizen, guild, academy, or organisation shall wield arcane power in a manner that threatens public safety, undermines lawful authority, or endangers the stability of the city.

The following statutes govern the use of magic within the jurisdiction of Goldcrest.

ARTICLE I

Licensing of Arcane Practice

Statute 1.1 — Personal Casting

Any citizen may cast spells of the First and Second Circle for lawful purposes provided such casting causes no public harm.

Statute 1.2 — Professional Practice

Any individual accepting payment for magical services must possess a valid Arcane Practitioner's Licence issued by the Crown.

Statute 1.3 — Restricted Circles

Spells of the Fifth Circle and above may only be practiced by individuals possessing an Advanced Arcane Certification.

Statute 1.4 — Revocation

The Crown may suspend or revoke magical licences where negligence, misconduct, or criminal activity is demonstrated.

ARTICLE II

Public Safety

Statute 2.1 — Reckless Spellcasting

No person shall cast a spell in a manner reasonably likely to cause injury, panic, structural damage, planar instability, or mass disruption.

Statute 2.2 — Spell Duelling

Arcane duels may only occur within approved venues.

Statute 2.3 — Summoning

The summoning of extraplanar entities within city limits requires prior registration.

Any summoned creature causing damage remains the legal responsibility of the summoner.

Statute 2.4 — Hazardous Conjurations

The creation of uncontrolled fire, acid, poison, necrotic contamination, or unstable magical phenomena is prohibited.

ARTICLE III

Enchantments Upon Citizens

No individual may employ enchantment magic to influence another person's decisions without their informed consent.

Statute 3.2 — Commercial Manipulation

Charm effects used during trade, negotiation, gambling, elections, auctions, or contractual agreements constitute fraud.

Statute 3.3 — Coercion

The magical domination of another individual shall be prosecuted as aggravated assault regardless of physical injury.

ARTICLE IV

Divination and Privacy

Statute 4.1 — Scrying

No citizen shall be subjected to magical surveillance without lawful authority or consent.

Statute 4.2 — Protected Locations

Government buildings, military installations, banks, archives, and designated secure facilities are protected against unauthorised divination.

Statute 4.3 — Evidence

Information obtained through unlawful magical observation is inadmissible before the courts of Goldcrest.

ARTICLE V

Necromancy

Statute 5.1 — Preservation of the Dead

The remains of deceased citizens are afforded legal protection.

Statute 5.2 — Reanimation

The creation of undead servants requires special licensing and registration.

Statute 5.3 — Unregistered Undead

Any unregistered undead discovered within city limits may be destroyed without notice.

Statute 5.4 — Sentient Undead

Sentient undead shall be subject to separate legal review and may retain rights where recognised by the Crown.

ARTICLE VI

Teleportation and Planar Travel

Statute 6.1 — Registered Circles

Permanent teleportation circles must be registered with the city.

Statute 6.2 — Border Circumvention

Magical transportation designed to evade customs inspections, taxes, or lawful searches is prohibited.

Statute 6.3 — Planar Breaches

The intentional creation of unstable portals is considered a Class-One Arcane Emergency.

ARTICLE VII

Magical Commerce

Statute 7.1 — Counterfeit Enchantments

The sale of falsely represented magical goods is fraud.

Statute 7.2 — Cursed Objects

The sale, distribution, or concealment of cursed items without disclosure is prohibited.

Statute 7.3 — Arcane Patents

Recognised magical inventions may receive protection under Crown Patent Law.

Statute 7.4 — Public Arcane Advertising

No individual, business, guild, or organisation may employ magic to display advertisements, promotions, endorsements, or commercial messaging within public spaces without a valid Arcane Advertising Permit.

Statute 7.5 — Skywriting and Atmospheric Displays

The use of magical effects to create visible messages, symbols, images, or illusions within the skies above Goldcrest is prohibited except under permit.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Skywrite
  • Major Image
  • Programmed Illusion
  • Permanent Illusion Displays
  • Summoned Creatures Used for Advertising
  • Magical Fireworks Containing Commercial Messaging

Statute 7.6 — Mass Messaging

No spell, enchantment, illusion, magical mouth network, sending network, or similar effect may be used to distribute unsolicited commercial messages to more than twenty-five individuals simultaneously.

Statute 7.7 — Arcane Spam

The repeated transmission of magical advertisements after a recipient has requested cessation constitutes Arcane Harassment.

Each instance shall be treated as a separate offence.

Statute 7.8 — Impersonation and Endorsement

No advertisement may falsely imply endorsement by:

  • The Crown
  • The Lancers
  • The Arcane Athenaeum
  • The Wandspire Arcanum
  • Any recognised religious authority
  • Any living individual without consent

Statute 7.9 — Visual Pollution

Arcane advertisements must not:

  • Obstruct navigational landmarks.
  • Interfere with defensive wards.
  • Impair visibility of the sun, moon, stars, or official signal beacons.
  • Cause distraction to airship traffic, flying mounts, or skycarriages.

Statute 7.10 — Emergency Override

Authorised officers of the Lancers may immediately dispel, suppress, or seize any magical advertisement deemed hazardous to public safety.

ARTICLE VIII

Arcane Emergencies

Statute 8.1 — Emergency Authority

During an Arcane Emergency, authorised officers of the Lancers may temporarily suspend portions of this Code to preserve life and property.

Statute 8.2 — Compulsory Assistance

Licensed spellcasters may be required to assist in disaster response.

Statute 8.3 — Magical Quarantine

Areas affected by magical contamination may be sealed by order of the Crown.

ARTICLE IX

Forbidden Practices

The following acts are considered High Arcane Crimes:

  • Creation of uncontrolled magical plagues.
  • Large-scale soul manipulation.
  • Mass enchantment of populations.
  • Unlicensed creation of permanent portals.
  • Attempts to alter the city's wards.
  • Rituals threatening the integrity of reality.
  • The manufacture of sentient magical weapons.
  • The deliberate destruction of magical infrastructure.

Conviction may result in imprisonment within The Verdict, permanent revocation of magical privileges, exile, or execution.

ARTICLE X

The Villcroy Amendments

Following the Black Lantern Affair and subsequent reforms led by Lieutenant Villcroy Dray:

Amendment X.1

Intent is irrelevant where negligence involving magic causes mass harm.

Amendment X.2

Any magical effect capable of influencing more than fifty individuals simultaneously must be disclosed to city authorities.

Amendment X.3

Arcane research conducted within city limits must include documented containment procedures.

Amendment X.4

The phrase "I did not believe it would do that" shall not constitute a legal defence.

Amendment X.5

The defence of "it was technically an illusion and therefore not physically present" shall not exempt a person from charges relating to public nuisance, unlawful advertising, obstruction, fraud, or stupidity.

CLOSING DECLARATION

The law does not fear magic.

The law exists so that citizens need not fear it either.

— Final passage of the Codex Juris Mage-Law