At the advising of the Guild of Slavers, Senate hereby Declares the following regulations regarding Slaves: 

A Slave is a person who has lost the right to freedom in the Empire, through debt. No person can be born a slave. If a slave gives birth, that child becomes either a dependant of the slave's owner, or is made a ward of state. Children may only become slaves if they are sold into slavery, or convicted of crimes for which they were deemed responsible by a court. 

A slave can be owned by an individual or a company. If owned by a company then all owners of the company or employees acting on the company's behalf have command over the slave. Contradictory orders must be resolved through the normal hierarchy of the company. 

A slave must undertake all tasks which their owner or a dependant of their owner commands. If a slave will require education or training before it will be able to complete an intended task, then the owners must provide that training, or not give the slave that task. If a slave refuses to undertake a task when ordered, or cannot reasonably prove it is not able to complete that task, then it may be punished. 

If a slave cannot understand the orders being given, by virtue of being a foreign captive and not speaking the Imperial Tongue, then language lessons must firstly be provided for the slave. 

If special equipment or protective clothing is required for a slave to complete a task without risk of injury or ill health, then the owner must provide it, or not give the slave that task. No other clothing need necessarily be provided. Any clothing, cosmetics or other decoration which an owner desires to see on their slaves must be provided by the owner, and belongs to the owner. 

Slaves with physical or mental handicaps may not be assigned tasks which they would not be reasonably able to complete. Healthy slaves must not be assigned tasks which a healthy free person could not also be reasonably expected to complete. 

A slave must be allowed to sleep in a dry sheltered place for at least 12 hours in every 48 hours. They may be bound during this time if required, but the bondage must not prevent easy sleep. 

When punishing a slave, they may not be deprived of drinking water for more than 24 hours, or of food for more than 72 hours. If physical punishment is undertaken, open wounds must not be inflicted, and bones must not be broken. Bruising must not last longer than 72 hours, and if a slave does not recover consciousness within 10 minutes medical help must be sought. If these limits of punishment are exceeded, this constitutes abuse of the slave. 

Except when being punished, a slave must be allowed at least 1 good meal every day, or the slave is being abused. 

If a slave becomes ill, medical help must be sought and paid for by the owner. The costs may be set against the slave's debt, but will not be recovered until the slave's debt can be repaid. 

Except when being punished, the slave must be allowed to clean themselves in clean water, with soap, at least once per day. Except when being punished, slaves must be allowed access to toilet facilities at least once every 4 hours, but preferably whenever necessary. 

An adult slave may be ordered to undertake any sexual act and, providing it would cause no more injury than is permitted during punishment, they must obey. A female slave may not be ordered to conceive a child, but she may be asked to do so, and can agree or not. No punishment may be inflicted for her not agreeing. 

A slave minor may not be ordered to undertake sexual acts. An adult commits rape if they use a minor slave for a sexual act. 

Any contraventions of these Declarations constitutes an abuse of a slave. An abused slave has the right to appeal to any other person, free or slave, for assistance to prevent the abuse from continuing. A person who is aware of the abuse of a slave must either act to stop that abuse, through direct action, or by reporting the abuse to the Military, a Judge or Magistrate, or the Guild of Slavers, or they become a conspirator to that abuse, and are equally liable under law. 

All public sales of slaves, and all slave markets are regulated by the Guild of Slavers. Private transactions between individuals not in the Guild may not include more than two slaves. Persons newly entering slavery must do so through the Guild. All slaves must be Identified, and must bear a slave collar stating the Identity of their owner. 

A slave is forbidden to try to escape. If a slave does escape, unless they were fleeing from proven abuse, the penalty is death. If they prove abuse, they are returned to the nearest slave market for re-sale, with half the proceeds going towards the slave's own debt. Penalties for abusing slaves are a matter for the Judge or Magistrate to decide. 

A Pilot cannot be taken into slavery, due to the abilities he possesses. Therefore, the punishment of Pilots for Crime or Debt must be allocated to the Guild of Pilots. 

Persons who are possessed of Magical Talent must be taken to the Temple of Medea to have that Talent suppressed, before they are taken into Slavery. It is declared to be a Capital Crime for a Slave to cast Magic or participate in Magical rituals.

© Tim Hart 2003
For further details contact the GM.