The Sovrans: A history

The Sovrans are the set of universal moral codes of Erenth. They make up the oldest taboos and customs known to the various peoples throughout all ages. While not necessarily written, they are nonetheless very well known and are appealed to by every culture in every Land. They are the common law basis of known law codes.

It is believed that they are what remains of the laws enacted in the Second Age. For that reason they are sometimes called the Holblaw, or Hoflaw. If it is not true, Halfling scholars do little to dissuade this belief. 

There are seven Sovrans known to the civilized people of Erenth. Two of them are positive assertions, while five are negative. Causing one of the Sovrans to be violated can merit a death penalty in many places, but most punishment is left for gods to impose. The prudent tend to keep out of a violators way, lest a stray lightning bolt intended for the malefactor strike them, as well.

The Sovrans: Kinship Marriage

Marriage and marital relationships between members of the same House is strictly forbidden by this Sovran. 

While it is considered a great taboo, it has long been considered a crime that only gods can properly punish. While those who engage in it are met with revulsion or pity; it is their children who are most often forced to bear the consequences.

The consequences of this taboo range from physical maladies to lifelong curses too varied to discuss including blindness and a propensity toward violating the other Sovrans across multiple generations. 

The Sovrans: Sapient Consumption

Sapient consumption is the practice of eating any creature which shares the mind of the creator. In other words, an intelligent creature that is self-aware and reflective. Sapient consumption is sometimes called cannibalism when the practice is practiced by one race against its own members, but the taboo is the same.

Every tradition holds that the extant races: Halfling, Gnome, Dwarf, Elf and Human are enjoined by this Sovran from eating one another's dead. With some notable exceptions, most cultures will also include Goblins, Dragons, Giants and other intelligent humanoids, along with talking animals and other monsters.

While this Sovran keeps the intelligent races from eating the dragons, as well as the monstrous descendants of the ancient Urok, it is well known that such beasts do not observe the restriction. Violation of this Sovran is commonly believed to have led to the downfall of the Vyrum Empire.

A related prohibition concerns the desecration of the dead.

The Sovrans: Self-defense

Except in matters of avoiding justice, it is a well-accepted tradition that all men have the right to defend themselves from harm, even if it means using lethal force.

Prudence dictates that a person ought use no more force than is necessary to stop a threat.

The Sovrans: Trial by Combat

The right to Trial by Combat is the right to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession. 

Under Trial by Combat, two parties in dispute may fight in single combat; with the winner of the fight being proclaimed to be in the right.

In Westrun the orders of chivalry have seen to official codification of such rules. They generally do not apply outside of that Land and when taken to by common people.

Trial by Combat can only be invoked by individuals of the same social class. Kings upon kings, nobles upon nobles, commoners upon commoners. No one has the right to duel someone above their station.

The Sovrans: Patricide

The intentional killing of one's own father, or the patriarch of one's own house is a deep taboo in all the Four Lands of Erenth. 

While self-defense is also one of the ancient Sovrans, there is some question as to whether it can be applied against one's father, and by extension the patriarch of one's own House. 

Some hold that even if the killing is unavoidable it is still accompanied by a deep and unshakeable curse. 

Violating the prohibition against patricide is an atrocity and therefore a capital crime.

The Sovrans: Hospitium

An ancient law of hospitality which precedes all written laws and is universally accepted in all Lands. Sometimes called the Hospitium, sometimes called the custom of Wine and Bread.

The Hospitium requires that a guest cannot attack his host and that a host must protect his guest for a period of up to three days. Further that a host must allow the guest who is leaving, to depart in his peace.

The guest has the right to room and board; to protection and to legal defense (if necessary) at the host's expense. In exchange the host has the right to be secure in his person and property and to be free of insult or injury of reputation by the guest.

The Hospitium is invoked whenever a person offers wine and bread to someone under his roof. Note that if money exchanges hands, the Hospitium is not invoked, but non cash gifts do not count as money.

So inviolable is this ancient law that violating the Hospitium is considered an atrocity and therefore a capital crime everywhere.

The Sovrans: Sacrilege

The act of insulting, showing contempt or evidencing a lack of reverence for a god or sacred place, is considered by many to a crime of the highest order. Though the most blatant, and serious, violation is considered to be combat on holy ground.

While also forbidden in the strictest sense, it is nevertheless common for the sacred things of one culture to be ridiculed in another. While this behavior is considered boorish, it is seldom considered an enforceable violation.

Despite being a Sovran, this one is also most easily ignored by the more rough and ready members of a society. Imprecations and oaths against the various gods are well known and often used in public houses and other places far removed from the influence of priests and other holy men.