The Lex Magica

Lex Magica of the Mount Pleasant Consilium

1. Charter
We, the Awakened minds of Mt. Pleasant, unite in setting forth this document as the basis for our Consilium and the Rule of Law in Mt. Pleasant. We hold this Lex Magica to be the word and spirit of Law as well as the bearer of future precedents as lawfully decreed by the will of the Consilium. The virtues of privacy, equality, justice, honor, and wisdom are values we hold sacrosanct and no judgment or precedent shall be made which violates these values nor shall the written laws be used or manipulated in such a way that they mitigate or violate our core values.

2. Membership
All Awakened and cabals which present themselves before a Councilor or Herald and conduct themselves in accordance with the Lex Magica shall be afforded equal rights, protection, and representation in the Consilium of Mount Pleasant. All who present themselves as such are to be offered this Lex Magica and the opportunity to swear an Oath to abide by it thereby gaining full membership status. No cabal who swears to the spirit of this document may be denied full membership for more than one month. No solitary mage who abides by the spirit of this Lex Magica and judgment of the Council may be denied for more than 3 months. All Awakened known to the Consilium and afforded equal rights and protections except the right to vote, hold office, propose an item to the Esbat, or be appointed to a jury which are the privileges of full membership.

3. Policing
This Consilium holds each Awakened responsible for policing their personal behavior and the behavior of their cabal mates. The Consilium will only intervene in matters in which the infraction is extreme, the infraction is not addressed, or when specifically requested by a member of said cabal. Any Awakened has the right to appeal decisions levied by their cabal to the Council. A majority council vote is all that is necessary to intervene or overturn a decision.

4. Secrecy
No evidence magic should ever be revealed to sleepers. We recognize that at times this is difficult but it is never acceptable. We recommend minor punishments to first time offenders which are escalated on further breaches. In no case should any punishment be less severe than a major reprimand and in no case should such a breach be overlooked, encouraged, or unpunished.

5. Free Magic
No rule shall be made which inhibits the Consilium as a whole the right to cast any spell from any Arcana. No Arcana or spell shall be limited or denied. A specific Member may be denied the right to cast a specific spell by ruling of the Council. No member may be forced to cast any effect except by majority vote of the Council. A member forced who casts a spell must be offered fair recompense for the use of their talent unless they agree to cast the spell without recompense prior to the casting.

6. Conduct
All members are expected to uphold the virtues of the Consilium. Members are expected to honor their word in all dealings with the Consilium and other members. Respect the rights, property, and sanctum of all members. Sleepers should be afforded the same respect as a member of the Council. No member may violate the rights of a sleeper nor interfere with their free will or their basic human rights. No Consilium member is above the laws made by Humanity. We abide by the laws of sleepers. Violations of mortal law will be handled as any other crime and supersedes the jurisdiction of the mortal legal system wherein Consilium members are concerned.

7. Esbat
The Hierarch must call an Esbat of the Consilium once per lunar cycle. The event should be declared no less than one week prior the date to be held and should be advertised to every recognized member of the Consilium who can be reasonably reached by the Herald. Obstructing or deceiving any member as to the time and place of the next Esbat is a violation of the Law. All Consilium members get 1 vote each. No member of the Consilium may be denied their right to vote. During an Esbat any issue which is presented and seconded by one other Consilium member is to be voted on by the Consilium. Seconded issues must be voted on and may not be denied. Simple majority is usually all that is needed to pass any issue at the Esbat unless otherwise formally declare by another article. Votes to remove an officer who has not been found guilty of a crime or to pass or change a law must achieve more than a 2/3 Consilium majority. Consilium members may vote by proxy.

8. The Council
Council members are elected by the Consilium. There is one seat on the Council for each of the five Paths. The Seat of each Path may only be held by a member of that path. All members of the Consilium who do not hold an office other than Advocate are eligible to be elected to the Council seat of their Path. Each cabal may be represented once on the Council. Each seat must be represented if there is even a single member of that path in the Consilium. A Councilor may be removed by a motion at the Esbat or by majority agreement of the other members of that Path. A Councilor who is removed may not be elected to serve as the next Councilor. Serving on the Council is not a right or a privilege; it's a responsibility and an honor.

Each Councilor gets one vote, and may never be denied the right to vote except on issues in which they are the defendant in which case they may never be granted the right to vote. The Council passes most issues by simple majority. A unanimous vote (not including the Hierarch) is required to overturn a punishment decided by the Hierarch, declare a state of emergency, declare a punishment of death or greater, or remove a mages full membership to this Consilium (Removal of Membership must be approved by the Hierarch). All councilors are expected to voice the justification of their votes and opinions on decisions and may not be denied that right for any reason.

9. The Hierarch
The Hierarch is chosen from the Council by the Councilors. Each Councilor gets one vote and no Councilor may vote for herself though they may abstain. If there is no clear majority after the initial vote there is a second runoff vote to determine the Hierarch. If there is no clear winner after the second vote, the Councilor who has the most Path members in the Consilium may assume the position. If there is still no clear winner then the issue is voted on in an emergency Esbat. As with any elected officer, the Hierarch may be removed by a vote of more than a 2/3 majority of the Consilium. The Hierarch may also be removed a guilty trail verdict where the punishment is greater than a severe reprimand, or by agreement of any 3 Councilors. A removed Hierarch may not serve as the next Hierarch nor as the next Councilor for the seat which they are eligible for.

The duties of the Hierarch are as follows. The Hierarch must call the Esbat to order at least once per lunar cycle with proper notification. The Hierarch decides the order in which issues and people are addressed if necessary in all Consilium and Council meetings. This includes the order in which Councilors vote. The Hierarch may not vote on Council matters except in the case of ties. The Hierarch has the right to break ties in any voting circumstance except in a trial for which he is the defendant. The Hierarch may appoint and remove the Herald and the Sentinel at will. The Hierarch determines the sentence of a Consilium member found guilty of an offense. Only the Hierarch may serve as a judge, if the Council chooses to appoint one, in cases in which the possible sentence is death or worse. It is the Hierarch responsibility to arrange and conduct punishments. The Hierarch is the sole arbiter of all of the resources of the Consilium during a state of emergency. The Hierarch is expected to issue a statement when settling ties and passing sentence.

10. Trial
Not every issue requires a trial. In the case where the guilt is confessed too or the evidence is overwhelming the Council may skip trial though the accused must be given the opportunity to speak in their defense. The Council determines if trial is to be held in all cases. In the cases of criminal trials (as opposed to civil) the council must determine the maximum sentence the Hierarch may declare though the Hierarch may petition to increase the maximum sentence after the trial. The Defendant has the right to be tried fairly and quickly. The Sentinel or a Guardian of the Veil may be granted secret trials. The trial must proceed promptly and may not be delayed without a Council decision. In no cases should the Council put off performing the trial for more than one lunar cycle in total after deciding to go to trial. The accused has the right to retain an Advocate if they so choose. The Council hears all trials unless they agree to appoint impartial judge. In cases where the maximum sentence is death or worse the Hierarch is the only Consilium member who may be appointed judge. No member may serve in more than one capacity in any given trial. Officers brought to trial may not influence the trial with the powers of their position nor may they serve as judge or vote on the verdict though they serve their office in all other capacities until found guilty. In the case where the Hierarch is brought to a trial where the punishment may be greater than death the Council may choose any impartial Consilium member they see fit to serve as the Hierarch in the case of that trial only. No member may be tried for the same crime twice. Magic may not be restricted during a trial or investigation.

11. Dual Arcane
Members may use the Duel Arcane as an alternative method of resolving disputes. Both parties of the dispute must agree to participate in the Duel and to results of winning. There must be 2 witnesses to the agreement and the Duel itself. Consilium members are honor bound to abide by the terms and results. Interference in a legal Duel or violation of the terms agreed upon is considered an obstruction of justice, a breach of honor and respect, and a defiance of the will of the Council and Consilium. The results of a fair Duel may not be appealed, contested, or brought to trial. The dispute that caused the Duel is considered finish and the Dueling parties may not enter into another Duel over the same issue. The results of a Duel may not be used to change or subvert the law, the spirit of this Lex Magica, nor the will of the Consilium and are not grounds for precedent. There is to be no Duels to the death under penalty of death to both parties involved.

12. Officers
The Hierarch, Councilors, Sentinel, Herald, and Provosts are considered Offices of the Consilium. Only full members may hold office though no member may ever hold more than one office at a time. It takes a single Officer of the Consilium to end a declared state of emergency.

i. Hierarch appointed positions

-Herald- The Herald serves as the messenger, and emissary of the Hierarch, Council, and Consilium. Only the Herald may proxy votes without a proof of proxy. The Herald is honor bound to speak the truth to all members of the Consilium and as such any statement of the Herald is as true as fact until proven otherwise. A Herald found guilty of deception may never hold the office again. The Herald serves as the primary diplomat when dealing with other Councils and other supernatural creatures who may interact with the Consilium. It is the Herald's duty to spread announcements, new laws, Esbat information, and check in on solitary members or those who have had little or no contact with the Consilium in more than one month. The Herald is to be afforded the right of Hospitality by all Consilium members. Barring, obfuscating, or otherwise hindering the Herald from a Council appointed task is an attack on the Council itself. Because they are often the most widely traveled of the Consilium it falls upon the Herald to look for and report any sign of unusual supernatural activity to the Council. The Herald may be appointed or removed by the Hierarch at any time.

-Sentinel- The Sentinel is the chief enforcer and defender of the Council and the Consilium. The Sentinel is responsible for enforcing the will of the Council and is the only Officer permitted to use force on other members through the course of their duty, though they are still bound by our core virtues. They are expected to exercise wisdom and honor at all times. The Sentinel is responsible for the protection of any official gathering of the Council or Consilium. The Sentinel is in charge of martial affairs of the Consilium including offensive measures against threat or rivals to the Consilium. It is the Sentinel's responsibility to bring in witnesses, suspects, and criminals as well as to interrogate them at the Council's request. During a declared state of emergency the Sentinel serves as the Hierarch's second in-command. The Sentinel may be appointed or removed by the Hierarch at any time unless serving the Council's orders to bring the Hierarch in for questioning or trial.

ii. Hierarch and Councilor appointed positions

-Provost- A Provost is an officer appointed by the Hierarch or a Councilor who is responsible for carrying out the will of the Council. A Provost acts with the authority of the Council in fulfilling the duties requested by a Councilor. The Provost may act as a full Councilor in the absence of their Councilor provided they were appointed Provost by said Councilor and they meet the Path requirement of that Council seat. Any Provost may sit in on a Council meeting or proxy their Councilor's vote in their Councilor's absence regardless of their Path. In the event that a Councilor abdicates their seat for any reason that Councilor's Provost shall take the empty seat provided they meet the Path requirement. The Hierarch's Provost may serve in a similar capacity but is not limited by Path requirements. Each Provost serves at the whim of the officer who holds the seat which they serve and may be removed or replaced by that officer at anytime for any reason. A Councilor may appoint more than one Provost by a majority council vote. In the case of multiple Provosts, the appointing Councilor must designate a primary Provost or a chain of command to the Council to determine who may represent them in their absence. Common duties of a Provost include investigations, polling, acting as first point of contact for their Councilor, and acting as the Councilor's liaison with the Cabals.

iii. Non-Officer positions

-Advocate- Any full member may be an advocate so long as they have support from at least two other Consilium members. An advocate can be appointed at any time and may relinquish the position as they see fit. Any member who wishes to may retain an advocate when brought to stand trial or presenting an issue before the Consilium. An advocate may not be appointed against their own wishes. The counsel of an advocate is private and protected by the Consilium. During a trial an advocate has the right to call and interview witnesses in private and before the Council, Jury, or Judge. No full member in good standing may deny the summons of an appointed advocate and the Sentinel may exercise all necessary force to bring in a summoned member. An advocate must be permitted to study the Lex Magica if they so request as soon as it is available. No advocate shall deny or block another's access to the Lex Magica. Advocates requesting to consult the Lex Magica during trial are to be given immediate to the Lex Magica.

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