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Kharadron Code

The Kharadron Code is the constitution of the thriving and powerful Kharadron Empire.[1]

History

Those duardin who escaped the fall of the various kingdoms had to fight hard to even survive, some retreated to the Realm of Azyr, but once its gates were closed, that avenue of escape was lost. Many sought refuge in the sky-ports and with the sky-dwellers they sought to make a new civilisation, shedding the weaknesses that had helped bring down the old empires. They would no longer look to gods or hereditary nobles and kings, instead, they would form a meritocracy and structure their society around a series of rules and regulations that were agreed at the historic Conference of Madralta. These rules had grown from the simple Artycles that had governed the conduct of the sky-ships and ports that promoted and enforced discipline, personal profit and also compensation for injury or death in service.[1]

The Code in practice

The Code specifies all the rules of commerce and helps their society run like an expertly crafted machine. Decisions about who and how to trade, when to assist those under attack all come under the auspices of the Code as are the procedures for the claiming of aether-gold deposits.[1]

Originally the code was a series of nine Artycles, each subdivided into many highly specific sections. Amendments to the code have been made many many times, although these are often disputed – especially by the traditional Barak-Thryng. In contrast Barak-Mhornar is notoriously adept at interpreting the code to suit their own needs and requirements.[1]

Artycles and Amendments

  • Artycle 1 - The Rules of Governance
    • Point 1: Leaders shall be chosen by proof of skills. No title of nobility shall be granted by the Kharadron Overlords. Titles and ranks are earned by mehret.[1]
    • Point 2: No endeavour should be undertaken if the outcome results in the loss for the sky-port.[2]
    • Point 5: If backed by either the majority or full vote of the Tommraad, a Krenkha grogna can be called. The entire crew (or equivalent) must vote. A majority of ‘out’ results in the election of a replacement as appropriate.[1]
    • Point 7 The title of Lord-Magnate is given to any whose profit-reaping brings them into the top ten per cent of earners within the last wind cycle. The Lords Magnate are afforded first choice of fleets and will be amongst those considered to replace any fallen, decreased or incapacitated members of the Admiral Council. [5a]
      • Amendment 12 In the event that the Admirals Council cannot come to a majority consensus regarding matters of commerce (as defined in Artycles 2 and 7 of the Code), then the Lord-Magnate with the largest contribution in aether-gold shares over the last wind cycle shall provide the deciding vote. [5a]
  • Artycle 2 - The 7 Rules of Prosperity
    • Point 1: An act that does not make profit or lead to eventual profit is not worth doing. [3a]
    • Point 2: Admirals, Captains and Master Shareholders shall each receive two shares of a galkhron.[1]
    • (addendum) Point 3: An Arkanaut shall receive one share of a galkhron. Deductions from this share will be made for maintenance of skyvessels, aether-armour and aethermatic equipment, plus supply of borg and gorog.[2]
    • Point 26: If in the pursuit of duty, a captain encounters a threat that might impact the financial or physical well-being of their shareholders, they are expected to respond with all reasonable force. Any external entity that threatens the accumulation of profit should be subjected to immediate destruction. [6a]
    • footnote 21: Make fair use of all the gold in the sky.[1]
    • Sub-clause 12 During an active state of war immediate sanctions shall be imposed upon the enemies of the Kharadron Overlords, the severity of which is to be decided by the Geldraad. As long as the enemy draws breath, they shall be subject to a total trade embargo, and any officer of the fleet who attempts to open negotiations with such a party shall be considered guilty of the highest treason and punished accordingly. [5a]
      • Amendment 3, Footnote 16 Representatives of the uzkulrik clearly cannot be considered subject to be second stipulation of Sub-clause 12 of Artycle 2, as they do not breathe. [5a]
  • Artycle 3 - The Artycles of Justice
    • Point 1: The profit margin must be evaluated before the deployment of sky-fleet assets.[2]
    • Point 2: Upkeep of a skyvessel is essential, even over Kharadron lives.[2]
    • Point 5: All hazkal brewed within a sky-port is subject to regular inspection, to be carried out by the Board of Brewmasters. Any guild-company found guilty of thinning their product with bilgewater, using inferior hops or failing to allow appropriate fermentation time shall be fined to the full extent that the Code permits, and its owners de-bearded and branded with the mark of the guzungrim [5a]
      • Amendment 21. Footnote 6: Brewing stations located within the high airs cannot be subject to point five of this artycle. In addition, the sale of inferior hazkal within foreign ports shall be permitted, because the umgi are content to drink any old swill. [5a]
  • Artycle 4
    • Point 1: Every ship-hand is to obey orders without question. [3a]
    • Point 5: In times of war, allies must be aided unless to do so would prove pointless. Waste no duardin blood on unguz throlt. [1]
  • Artycle 5, Point 6: All boarding actions must be authorised by the captain (or the highest ranking officer).[2]
  • Artycle 6 - The Rules of the High Airs
    • Point 2 On the high airs a vessel from any sky-port may seize airships deemed to be a piratecraft of taken by piracy and arrest the persons and confiscate all property on board. The Admirals Court of the sky-port which carried out the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed. If the suspect vessel refused to adhere to the rule of law and surrender its cargo for inspection, the use of lethal force is acceptable in order to encourage compliance.[5a]
      • Adendent 10, Footnote 13 An Arkanaut Captain or Admiral has the right to recover salvage from the wreckage of any vessel destroyed upon the aether-tides of the Garaktormun. This shall not be considered an act of piracy as defined by Artycle 6, and all material recovered shall be considered the property of the recovering crew. [5a]
  • Artycle 7- The Rights of Ownership: In order to make a valid claim upon minerals or salvage one must first ensure that the object of said claim is not currently under claim. Newly discovered aether-gold deposits must be marked with angazuben before they can be considered the property of any sky-port. Once a claim is staked, it is illegal to harvest at the site without the site without the owner's permission.
    • Sub-Amendment 327B: In Order to prevent the integrity of the Code against further frivolous and mendacious alterations that undermine the grand tradition of this constitution, no further sub-amendment regarding Artycle 7 shall be brought before the Geldraad. [5a]
    • Point 4
      • Subsection B: In the case of shipwrecks, a ship, its cargo, or other property can be claimed. The recoverer of another's ship or cargo after peril or loss upon the high airs is entitled to a reward commensurate with the value of the property so saved. [3a]
    • Point 5: Any untended barrel of ale or strong liquor may be considered salvage. [3a]
  • Artycle 8- The Tenets of Defence
    • Point 12: Guild representatives must be received and accorded all honours due their rank. Their skills are at the fleet's disposal.[2]
    • Section 3 Each wind cycle a Musterpress shall be held upon the Brynruf. This shall consist of six days of physical competition and rigorous examinations, the nature of which shall be decided individually by each sky-port's Admirals Council. Upon the culmination of the Musterpress, Admirals and Captains of the fleets shall have seven days in which to offer contracts of service to the contestants. [5a]
      • Sub-Amendment 3F In times of crisis - as decreed by the Geldraad - representatives from the Grundstok Corporation shall have first option upon all candidates chosen by Musterpress, and shall be allowed to buy out the contract of any Arkanaut at seven twelfths of its set price. [5a]
  • Artycle 9
    • Point 7: Use of excessive firepower is permissible as long as the end justifies the means.[2]
  • Artycle 14
    • Amendment 73: Declarations of affection may be issued without prior approval of the Admiralty Board when expressed within periods of not less than 1 (ONE) hour before commencement of business activities. [8]
  • Artycle 37:4: The appropriate response to mindless aggression is heavy firepower, coupled with a retrograde advance.[4b]

Unclassified Amendments

  • Amendment 3: If a duardin obtains a properly signed and approved grudge-clause, they are given the Rune of Mark and considered exempt from any other statutes of the Code. Any plunder seized during an act of vengeance must be taken to the Admiralty’s Court so that galkhron can be performed.[1]
  • Amendment 11: The Kharadron Code cannot be altered.[4a]

Unclassified Excerpts

  • Regardless of circumstance, a skyfarer must consider the most efficient routes to victory.[4c]
  • All salaries are subject to change based on the condition of the paymaster.[4d]
  • If exceptional initiative is shown, a bonus of a one-hundredth share may be considered.[4e]
  • If a skyfarer is separated from their vessel, all other duties are suspended until the vessel has been rejoined.[4f]

Translations

For more information see: Khazalid
  • angazuben: aetherically anchored banner-poles left in cardinal directions around a claimed plot.
  • galkhron: The dividing of plunder.[1]
  • Krenkha gorogna: A vote of no confidence.[1]
  • hazkal: a strong duardin ale, brewed and fermented over the course of many wind cycles
  • mehret: A combination of success, experience and profit.[1]
  • unguz throlt: When an error occurs in the brewing process of alcohol and good ingredients are lost. [1]
  • uzkulrik: literally bone kings, a Kharadron term for the Ossiarch Bonereapers [5a]

Quotes

The Code saved us, and made us what we are.

~ Grand Admiral Varsk Hunniger of Barak-Urbaz.[1]

Sources


Kharadron Overlords
Units Aether-Khemist - Aetheric Navigator - Arkanaut Admiral - Arkanaut Captain - Arkanaut Company - Brewmaster - Codewright - Endrinmaster - Grundstok Thunderer (Black Marine) - Logisticator - Skyrigger (Endrinrigger - Skywarden)
Skyvessels Aetherhulk - Arkanaut Frigate - Arkanaut Ironclad - Basthal-class minelayer - Cloud-Dredger - Grundcarrier - Grundstok Gunhauler - Gyrohauler - Krontanker - Khrundhal-class Battleship - Makaisson-class Hauler - Ornithopter - Siege-Carrier - Sky-Trawler - Thrunghal shieldship - Tork-class torpedo boat - Wing-Carrier
Characters Njord Aethersson - Imoda Barrasdottr - Bengtsson - Horgrumm Brand - Njord Brondt - Bragga - Jakkob Bugmansson XI - Durek Coghammer - Bryge Colsstarn - Durbarak - Njarn Firewhiskers - Drak Grolsson - Olgrimm Grundstock - Brokk Grungsson - Hengtsson - Dagnai Holdenstock - Drongon Humboldsson - Khrag - Gronki Klarruz - Grubda Klarsdottr - Borri Kraglan - Nelriksson - Bulwark Norgrimsson - Kragi Ranagsson - Grymm Sternbok - Grund Tahlihro - Khurngrim - Dhurak Thengisson - Lhux Zadum - Zunggt - Drekki Flynt
Sky-ports Barak-Dren - Barak-Durmmaz - Barak-Glöm - Barak-Jazbaz - Barak-Khazzar - Barak-Khrum - Barak-Kling - Barak-Laskar - Barak-Mhornar - (Barak-Thrund) - Barak-Mor - Barak-Nar (Barak-Minoz) - Barak-Shunti - Barak-Skarren - Barak-Thargar - - Barak-Thryng - Barak-Ungrin - Barak-Urbaz - Barak Var - Barak-Zilfin - Barak-Zon - Barak-Zhoff - Karak Ohrgaf - Toba Lorchai
Background Aethercraft - Aether-gold - Geldraad - High Airs - Kharadron Code - Sky-fleet - Sky-path - Steamhead Pioneers
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