Charter

Preamble

This document is the proposed charter for Ambitus Obscura, a covenant of the Novgorod tribunal located in the far reaches of the Northern Oceans. It is divided into several sections pertaining to the workings of the covenant.

Service

Upon becoming a member recognized by the charter, each magus will be understood as having three seasons of service owed to Ambitus Obscura, except the founding members who owe two.

Each member of Ambitus Obscura will provide one season per year of service towards the covenant. The Archon shall direct this season, and should the Archon not so direct, the season will become indebted to the covenant. No magus may hold more than 7 seasons of debt; if a magus should hold so many seasons, the Archon shall be required in directing the work of the magus. This service will be for and to the benefit of the covenant at large. The Archon may request members to dedicate more service, and if the performance is agreed to and made, these seasons shall exempt the magus from seasons of service for future use.

Vis

Personal vis, that which belongs solely to a magus without contention either through personal production or pre-existing rights, shall forever be recognized as owned only by that magus.

Sites which are capable of producing vis found by members of the covenant (or guests in the service of the covenant) shall remain the property of Ambitus Obscura. For the first 7 years, the finder shall collect half of the vis produced at the site (with the benefit of an uneven division going to the covenant). After 7 years, the covenant shall hold sole rights to the vis.

If vis is recovered by members of the covenant, the greater half (chosen by the covenant) shall be given to the covenant coffers.

Vis expended on behalf of the covenant shall be returned to the magus.

Vis may be distributed at the Archon's discretion if that vis is in excess.

The Archon has the authority to trade with all parties, with the assumed approval of the Council. The Council may choose to not approve any such trades, and dictate remedy for trades made in error.

All trade of vis not made between two or more private individual magi who are members of the covenant must be made public to the Council. No trades shall be made with a visitor until the covenant finishes all business with the visitor.

Mundane Resources

Mundanes resources are at the disposal of the members of Ambitus Obscura. Abuse of the aforementioned resources shall be subject to punishment by the Council, at its discretion.

Mundanes may bring complaints of abuse and other nature to the autocrat, who may bring those of import to the Council.

All mundanes not specifically under the protection of a magus shall be deemed under the control of the covenant as mundane resources.

Magical Resources

The covenant of Ambitus Obscura can take and control possessions as would an individual magus. The Archon shall manage all owner property of the covenant with the assumed approval of the Council. The Council may choose to override any decisions made, and dictate remedy where error is present.

The covenant shall have the right to obtain copies of all written work obtained or created by the magi, with the exception of personal lab notes.

All items obtained from foreign sources shall be presented to the Council for examination and investigation.

Tyranny

Should the need for decisive action and unquestioned authority arise, a unanimous vote, with no more than one dissent, by the Council may begin a Tyranny, and designate a Tyrant from amongst the members. During the Tyranny, the Tyrant shall have full and complete authority over all resources of the Covenant, and may demand service from members has he sees fit. He may ignore all provisions of the charter except for those in this section, but may not actually change the charter. The Tyranny shall last one year, except if the Council shall meet prior to then end and with a majority vote end the Tyranny, or the Tyrant voluntarily ends the Tyranny. During a Tyranny, the Council may take no action except to end the Tyranny. The Tyrant may not impede the Council from meeting to such an end.

Amending the Charter

This document dictates the rights and duties of the members of Ambitus Obscura. Any article within the document may be changed with a unanimous vote of the covenant, with not more than one dissent.

Members

This section of the charter details provisions governing the members of Ambitus Obscura.

The members of Ambitus Obscura shall give no allegiance to mundane, magus, or other power beyond the Order of Hermes, the Covenant of Ambitus Obscura, and the sole House within the Order.

A new member may be admitted to the covenant of Ambitus Obscura with a unanimous vote of the covenant, with not more than one dissent.

All members shall have the following rights, which shall not be abrogated by the Council, the Archon, or any other member of the Covenant.

To be fed and clothed in a fashion commensurate with the resources of the Covenant.
To designate a space of the Covenant grounds as a Sanctum under Hermetic Law; but members shall have priority over guests.
To be equipped with a laboratory sufficient to carry out magical researches.
To carry out magical researches unimpeded, except as they violate the Code of Hermes, and as service may be demanded by the Covenant.
To bond a familiar or train an apprentice without interference from fellow members or the Covenant.
To the use of Certamen for the settling of disputes, except as restricted in the following section.

Certamen shall not be used to directly influence votes of either the Council, or to influence an officer of the Covenant in the performance of his duties pertinent to his office.

No vis shall be drawn from the Aura of the Covenant without the consent of the Archon, even for the personal use of the magus.

Vis shall be loaned to the members of the covenant for use in making longevity potions or for the bonding of a familiar, at the discretion of the Archon.

Archon

The powers of the archon are all those listed in this document. In addition, the Archon shall be responsible for the running of Ambitus Obscura. The Archon shall only be limited by the power of the council.

The Archon shall serve for a period of 5 years. At the end of this time, the Archon may name any member of the covenant to be a successor (including herself). The successor will assume the possession of Archon with the approval of a majority vote of the council.

The Archon may step down with the approval of the council. Should the council wish to remove the archon, a unanimous vote is required. Should the Archon be incapacitated, the council will name a member of the covenant to fill the Archon's duties until such time that the Archon is again able to perform such duties. If an Archon dies or is fully incapacitated (as determined by a unanimous vote of the council), a new Archon will be chosen by the council.