Alignment

Overview

The Declaration of Alignment is a critical tool used by the Imperial Conclave to interact with the eternals, the supernatural denizens that inhabit the six magical realms. It allows the Conclave to declare that a specific eternal (or a defined group of eternals) is an ally or enemy of the Empire, or remove one of those designations and restore the eternal to neutrality. These three states are often referred to as amity, enmity, or neutrality. Following the Autumn Equinox 386YE, a fourth option - that of acceptance - was presented by the Civil Service in response to several opportunities presented by eternals that were dependent on using Alignment in ways it was not intended to work.

More than just a political and legal tool, this declaration has a known magical effect. Eternals who are subject to this declaration find their ability to interact with the Empire changes to reflect the Conclave's decision. An eternal that has amity, for example, finds it easier to dispatch heralds and wield its supernatural power within the bounds of the Empire, while one that has enmity finds it significantly harder to perform these actions. Amity or enmity towards an eternal is considered to apply to all that eternal's heralds.

Each archmage has the power to raise a single Declaration of Alignment each summit for an eternal of their realm.

Necessary Details

The Declaration must name a specific eternal or known group of affiliated eternals The Declaration must be clear if the Conclave is extending friendship, neutrality or hostility towards the eternal

A Declaration of Alignment must name a single eternal or known group of eternals (such as the Whisper Gallery, the Lictors, or the Thrice-cursed Court). It must be clear whether that eternal is to become an ally of the Empire, an enemy of the Empire, or neither, or if an offer is being accepted. Amity and enmity are often used in the wording of such a declaration, but synonyms such as ally, friend, associate (for amity) or enemy, opponent, threat (for enmity) are acceptable.

It's not possible to place provisos or time limits on a Declaration of Alignment. If the Conclave wishes to give an eternal amity for a year (for example) they must use the Declaration to grant them that status, and then after a year pass another declaration to remove that status. Likewise, it's not possible to declare that amity or enmity is dependent on a specific action or situation - an eternal either has amity or enmity or it does not.

Examples:

The Imperial Conclave declares Irra Harah an ally of the Empire The Archmage of Winter declares that Wise Rangara has the enmity of the Conclave Neutrality for Callidus

Resolution

If the declaration passes, the result comes into effect at the end of the Conclave session as normal. The precise effects differ depending on which of the three versions of the declaration has been passed.

Amity

The eternal and their heralds are protected under Imperial law The eternal and their heralds can attend Conclave sessions and be nominated to speak by a grandmaster Their heralds find it much easier to enter the Empire and it is easier for the eternal to wield their powers there

The Conclave may declare a specific eternal, and any associated heralds, an ally of the Conclave. Members of the Conclave are encouraged to demonstrate courtesy and even aid these eternals, or their heralds, where it is possible for them to do so. This declaration automatically overturns a Declaration of Enmity.

An eternal (and associated heralds) under declaration of amity gains the following legal rights, enforced by the magistrates.

They receive protection under Imperial law They can attend Conclave meetings They may be nominated to speak before the Conclave by a grandmaster, although they cannot vote. The usual payment of crystal mana must still be made. They can make bequests to the vault of a specific order or to the Conclave as a whole. Bequests made to the Conclave as a whole are generally dealt with using a Declaration of Endowment.

The Declaration of Amity also has a significant magical effect. Eternals and their heralds find it easier to manifest in the Hall of Worlds and to move into Anvil. Eternals with amity also find it easier to wield their powers within the Empire; in many cases eternals require amity to be able to use their most powerful abilities.

In some cases, the Empire has successfully attracted the attention of an eternal they wished to initiate contact with through a Declaration of Amity or a Declaration of Concord. Success is rare however, by far the most effective way to get the attention of an eternal who is not currently interacting with the Empire is through the use of an archmage's plenipotentiary.

Enmity

The eternal and their heralds are considered to be barbarians for legal purposes Any ritual that draws on the power of the eternal is automatically interdicted Their heralds find it much harder to enter the Empire and it is harder for the eternal to wield their powers there

The Conclave may declare a specific eternal to be an enemy of the Empire. If this declaration is made, it becomes dangerous for anyone to consort with the eternal named in this declaration, or with their heralds. It is not illegal to talk to an eternal with enmity (as is often incorrectly assumed) but the offender risks being declared a sorcerer, and can face investigation by a magistrate for treason. A Declaration of Enmity automatically overturns and replaces a Declaration of Amity.

An eternal (and associated heralds) under a Declaration of Enmity suffers the following consequences:

Eternals and heralds under enmity are considered to be barbarians for legal purposes. Trading or dealing with an eternal under enmity is illegal and will be investigated as treason. Any ritual that deals directly with an eternal subject to enmity (Ephisis' Scale for Ephisis, Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust for Kaela or Missive for Sadogua for Sadogua, for example) is automatically considered to be interdicted; magistrates may seek the assistance of the archmages to clarify which rituals this affects, unless there is a separate Declaration of Interdiction against specific rituals. Any magic item that was created by an eternal (or their heralds) under enmity is automatically considered to be interdicted.

As with the Declaration of Amity, this declaration also has significant magical effects. Eternals find it much harder to enter the Hall of Worlds. Heralds cannot use the portal in the Hall of Worlds to travel to Anvil without assistance from an Imperial citizen. There is significant evidence that heralds associated with an eternal under enmity find it extremely difficult or impossible to enter the Empire through any regio without ritual assistance. They can still physically walk into the Empire if they enter the mortal world elsewhere however, so they are occasionally still encountered near the Empire's borders.

The archmage power of plenipotentiary circumvents the Declaration of Alignment to a small degree. An eternal formally invited to the Hall of Worlds for a parley may manifest itself or its servants regardless of its status with regard to these declarations.

Neutrality

Any Declaration of Amity or Enmity is automatically overturned and any benefits or penalties are removed Their heralds are no longer protected by Imperial law

This declaration removes either amity or enmity from the named eternal, returning them to a neutral legal status. Any benefits gained from, or penalties imposed by, the previous status are lost at the end of the conclave session.

The relationship with any eternal not listed as having either amity or enmity is neutral.

Heralds of neutral eternals are not protected by Imperial law - it is legal for them to be slain by Imperial citizens. They are however expected to abide by Imperial law while they are within the confines of the Empire.

Acceptance

Used to accept (or reject) an opportunity offered by an eternal Does not change the status of the eternal involved

On occasion, an eternal will make an offer to the Empire that is contingent upon the Imperial Conclave accepting the opportunity it presents. Granting an eternal amity or neutrality is a regular bargaining chip in negotiations with eternals, and it is not uncommon for boons to come with a requirement that includes a change of alignment. In recent years, some eternals have requested that the Conclave accepts a deal via a Declaration of Alignment, restating the relationship between Imperial magicians and the creature itself. Most often, this offer is made by an eternal with Amity, but there is no reason an eternal in a state of Neutrality or even Enmity might not request that the Conclave formally accept an offer or respond to an opportunity. It seems likely that one reason the eternals phrase their offer in such a way is to allow the appropriate archmage to have a role in determining if the offer is raised to the Conclave or not.

However, the formal declarations of Amity, Enmity, and Neutrality are not intended as methods of communicating with the eternals. As such the Civil Service have presented a fourth alternative; Acceptance. A Declaration of Alignment that proposes acceptance must be clear which eternal is involved, the nature of the agreement, and that it does not change the status of the eternal. Whether it passes or fails, the status of the eternal does not change, but the Conclave has formally accepted (or rejected) the offer made. An eternal will always be aware if the Conclave has passed a Declaration of Acceptance to an offer they have made.

It is possible for the Conclave to make a declaration of Acceptance without an opportunity from an eternal, but in most circumstances this won't have any effect. You can't formally accept an offer unless an offer has been made.

Historical Roots

During the Autumn Equinox 386YE, the Minister of Historical Research Silk Farkas instructed the Department of Historical Research to "send Octavia of Stream's Source Spire to research the nature and origin of Conclave's Amity, Enmity, and Neutrality." That is, the Declaration of Alignment. Octavia undertook the investigation and delivered her findings to the Minister at the Winter Solstice. They were then made publicly available to Imperial scholars across the Empire. They can be read in the Regarding amity and enmity historical research report.

Status of Eternals

These tables list the status of each of the eternals known to have an interest in the Empire.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Day

Night

Further Reading

Core Brief

Conclave Overview Arcane Colloquium Conclave order Conclave session Declarations Alignment Candidacy Concord Dissemination Endorsement Endowment Imperial lore Interdiction Sorcery

Additional Information

Conclave vault Key Appointments to the Imperial Conclave Archmage Grandmaster Prefect of the Conclave