The Voidwatch Charter

Practice of Magic

Certificate to Practice Magic

No individual may cast a spell or invoke a magical effect without a Certificate to Practice Magic (CPM). 

This Certificate must:

1. Have the name of the individual

2. Be issued or renewed within 1 year

3. List the individual's place of residence

4. List the institution that issued the license

5. Must be in the person's possession

6. Must be presented to any authority or Voidwatch representative who asks to see it

Accredited Institutions

Institutions capable of issuing licenses to practice magic must either:

1. Be of sufficient historical or cultural pedigree

2. Be evaluated by a Voidwatch committee for formal accreditation

Institutions that qualify by the first category include:

• Religious Institutions

• Bardic Colleges

• Order of Aru-Krak

Institutions that qualify the second category include:

• Wizard Academies

• Artificer Academies

Prohibited Sources of Magic

Even after obtaining a Certificate to Practice Magic, certain sources of magical aptitude are prohibited. These are:

1. Pacts, agreements, contracts formal or informal, written or spoken with any supernatural entity.

2. Sorcerous origins, whether anomalous or inherited. Individuals afflicted with sorcery may seek a Voidwatch representative for treatment.

3. Primordial, primitive, or ancient magic, including druidic circles, high-elf magic, yaulic, or barbaric. 

Registry of Certified Magic Users

Local law enforcement are to keep written records of all certified individuals. Those records are to be updated annually, and must be available to any Voidwatch representative who asks to see them.

Supernatural Entities

Heavenly Entities

Any creature or person native to the heavenly planes represents an unknowable and incomprehensible divine agenda. All celestial entities must be reported either to a Voidwatch representative, or a local religious institution. No accord is to be made with a heavenly entity without religious consultation.

Hellish Entities

Any creature or person native to the hellish planes represents a dangerous and malicious unholy agenda. All fiendish entities must be reported either to a Voidwatch representative, or a local religious institution. No accord is to be made with any hellish entity under any circumstance.

Fey Entities

Any creature or person native to Faeland represents an enigmatic and unpredictable fairy agenda. Fey are present in Blimnor, and depending on local law, are treated as friendly foreigners. It is strongly unadvised to make any sort of accord with a fey, as their cultural unpredictability often results in fraud.

Shadow Entities

Any creature or person native to the Shadowland represents a horrific and corrupting influence. Any such undead or aberrant creature should be avoided at all costs and reported immediately to a Voidwatch representative.

Void Entities

Any creature or person native to the Void represents an alien and volatile threat. Any aberrations should be avoided at all costs and reported immediately to a Voidwatch representative.

Elemental Entities

Any creature or person native to the elemental planes represents a destructive and inhospitable threat. No accord is to be made with an elemental entity. Any elemental entity should be reported to a voidwatch representative.

Sylvan Entities

Any creature or person of supernatural wilderness represents an ancient and primordial agenda. While they may be benign, no accord is to be made with a sylvan entity without first consulting a local ranger or Voidwatch representative.

Creatures

Aberrations

These are usually alien cratures invading from the Void. While some are benign, all of them should be treated as highly dangerous. Local law enforcement should not engage, and should instead direct Voidwatch agents to its location. These creatures are normally banished to the Void, but if destroyed in Blimnor, their corpses are to be treated as hazardous until Voidwatch representatives declare the area safe.

Beasts

These are natural creatures native to Blimnor. They are non-sentient and rarely possess any magical ability. Some can be domesticated, others should be left alone. Should a beast become hostile, it can often be dealt with by local militia.

Celestials

These are rare beings from the heavenly planes. While there have been no reported creatures in the Modern Age, it is important to note that not all celestials choose to reveal themselves. Religious institutions may be able to determine whether a creature is celestial or not. However, the standard operating procedure for Voidwatch is to first attempt to convince a Celestial to return to the heavenly planes willingly, and if not, then to forcefully banish it.

Dragons

These are enormous, intelligent, and destructive creatures. They resemble large reptiles with clawed legs, scaled body, membraneous wings, and a horned head. They are infamous for their destructive breath attacks that can coat areas in terrible elemental and magical effects. They are also possessive, devious, and territorial. While Voidwatch believes that they have successfully eradicated all dragons from Blimnor, it is worth noting that they are long-lived, patient, and can hybernate for great periods of time. Any suspected dragon presence should be reported to a Voidwatch representative.

Elementals

These creatures are comprised of an elemental substance such as fire, water, earth, or air, but are animated. Some are intelligent, but most are mindless forces of aimless destruction. They can either arrive from elemental planes, or be the product of some natural force such as an industrial machinery. As a result, most elementals are a hazard to their environment and should be treated as dangerous pests. It can be difficult to gauge the threat posed by an elemental, but most can be dispatched local militia. Should one prove to be too dangerous, it should be reported to a Voidwatch representative.

Fey

These creatures are strange and varied and are native to Faeland. However, Voidwatch suspects that they may have been present in Blimnor for most of history. Because of their various races, it can be difficult to identify them by appearance alone. They are mostly benign, enjoying mischief, wordplay, and luxury. However, they can also be quite malicious including kidnapping, murder, and slavery. For this reason, it is advised to avoid fey and if they are acting suspicious, to report it to your local authorities who will determine whether or not they pose enough of a threat to involve Voidwatch.

Fiends

These creatures are dangerous and malicious denizens of the hellish planes. While reports of these creatures are rare in the Modern Age, the intrusive agenda of hellish entities infrequently results in invasions through interplanar rifts. Any such creatures, or person suspected of being posessed by one, should report to a local religious institution or Voidwatch representative immediately.

Giants

These creatures are enormous and humanlike in shape. While many of them are sentient, they are mostly reclusive, and avoid civilization. They are rare in the modern age, but may be found in the Shadowpeak mountains, Vorduhr, Daeris, and Whilcyx. They are often indifferent to creatures, however their size may make them inadvertently dangerous and destructive. Giants should be avoided until they are safely distant. Then their presence should be reported to local law enforcement.

Humanoids

A common term for sentient races that mostly resemble humans in shape. They normally possess language, culture, and can learn to cast magic. Any humanoid suspected to have broken the law should be reported to local law enforcement. Should they determine that there has been a supernatural crime, then it should be reported to a Voidwatch representative.

Monstrosities

These creatures are difficult to categorize, as their origins may not be totally natural, but are rarely extraplanar either. As a result, the category mostly belongs to strange and dangerous creatures. Depending on their threat, they may be dealt with by sufficiently organized and equipped militia. However, should they prove to be too dangerous, they should be reported to a Voidwatch representative.

Oozes

These creatures are amorphous gelatinous substances. They are not sentient, however they do have instinctive behavior. Their structure is often destructive, corrosive, or poisonous. They can also move in unpredictable ways, such as through grates, pipes, cracks, or other permeable objects. Depending on their threat, they may be dealt with by sufficiently organized and equipped militia. However, because of their unusual physiology, it is often advisable to consult industrial experts who may have ways of containing and destroying them.

Plants

Some wilderness plants may be dangerous, whether by creating hazards, or through active carnivorous behavior. While these creatures are perfectly natural, and are to be expected in deep wilderness, they can become a nuisance should they grow close to civilized developments. Any dangerous plants should be reported to a local ranger, or else may be dealt with by sufficiently organized and equipped militia

Undead

Creatures that have died may continue to animate in a fashion. These can be very dangerous, as they often attack the living while ignoring each other. They are almost always the result of unholy magic. While they can be clumsy, slow, and unintelligent, they should always be treated as extremely dangerous. Report any undead to your local religious institution or a Voidwatch representative.

Interplanar Travel

Rifts

Temporary, unstable, or unintentional openings between two planes are strictly prohibited by Voidwatch. These openings admit dangerous and malicious entities to travel into Blimnor, and Voidwatch treats this as the greatest possible threat. Voidwatch employs experienced teams of specialists who defeat extraplanar threats and seal these rifts. Any individual found to have caused a rift to open will be prosecuted by Voidwatch, whose holds total jurisdiction over such acts.

Portals

Intentional or stable openings between two places or planes are strictly pro by Voidwatch and are subject to all the same laws as Rifts. However, under certain circumstances, portals may be opened under Voidwatch supervision.

Crossings

Openings between Blimnor and Faeland may be legal depending on local law. However, by international law, all known or suspected Fey Crossings must be reported to Voidwatch so that they may be catalogued.

Magical Transportation

Teleportation

Teleportation of persons or objects over distances greater than 500ft is illegal. Additionally, teleportation can be extremely unpredictable and hazardous.

Translocation

Teleportation of persons or objects under distances of 500ft is illegal in urban areas or other densely populated environments. Additionally, translocating through private property is considered trespass and may be punishable by law.

Jurisdiction

Local Jurisdiction

Local law enforcement shall have the following jurisdictional rights:

1. Mundane law

2. Magical law that does not cross plane or national border.

3. Any native or natural monsters

4. Local officials may request assistance from Voidwatch while retaining jurisdiction

5. Commission a Voidwatch representative for training, and advisement

Voidwatch Jurisdiction

Voidwatch shall have the following jurisdictional rights:

1. Magical law that crosses plane or national border

2. Any extra-planar monster or entity

3. Any extra-planar contact with Blimnorian

4. Magical law regarding prohibited source of magic

5. Any instance of magical transportation that crosses plane or national border

Punishments

In most national justice systems, magical crimes are considered especially heinous. The punishments for different severities is as follows:

Fines

Performing minor magic without a license, or failing to present a valid license will most often result in a fine to the perpetrator. Failure to report such a crime also carries with it a fine. Incidents such as these are normally handled by local authorities and do not require Voidwatch involvement.

Probation

Repeat offenders of minor magic offenses, failure to present a valid license, or accessory to other such crimes may result in probation. Even an isolated use of major, destructive, or malicious without a license may result in probation as well. During a probationary period, a perpetrator is monitored carefully by local authorities or designated Voidwatch representative, and any addition infractions may result in a more severe punishment.

Blacklisting

Repeat use of minor or major magic without a license may result in blacklisting. Misuse of major, destructive, or malicious magic may also result in a blacklist. A blacklisted individual's license is revoked, and their identity is shared with all accredited institutions. They cannot reobtain a magical license are not allowed to enroll in any such institutions.

Incarceration

Repeated or heinous misuse of magic may result in personal incarceration. These individuals are imprisoned in the continent of Voidwatch in cells immune to magical effects. While serving their sentence, they can appeal for parole or to shorten their sentence.

Execution

While this is exceedingly rare, those convicted of magical crimes so remarkably heinous that there is no possibility of redemption in the eyes of the Voidwatch may be executed. However, execution is always accompanied with option of being dispelled, and in spite of its side-effects is almost always preferred.

Dispelling

The most extreme punishment issued by Voidwatch is the act of dispelling an individual. While this punishment carries with it a total pardon, and a guaranteed early-release, it is still considered by some to be the worst punishment. Dispelling an individual involves a secret operation whereby a person's magical aptitude is permanently removed, making them incapable of performing magic, incapable of being affected by many forms of magic, and altogether disconnected from the metamagic that connects our universe. In addition, the operation also removes the memories of the crimes the individual was dispelled for. However, the process of modifying memory is imprecise and may remove other unrelated memories as well. Perhaps the most unfortunate consequence of dispelling, is that an individual freed following the operation may be disoriented and vulnerable, but carry all the stigma of their crimes.