Missive from the White Forest Trading Company

Greetings citizens of Oak Harbor,

Your settlement, as of late, has suffered from a blockade, a siege, and labor unrest. My business partners and I, the White Forest Trading Company, have entered into negotiations with Sei Horatio Ternacenti, and will be taking over the ownership and management of Oak Harbor.

Our company holds that Oak Harbor has been the victim of both a lack of structure and an overabundance of opacity. In the next several weeks, we will publish a charter for the settlement. We intend to establish infrastructure and regulation for self-governance, law, security, and entrepreneurship. We hope you will see the value of these things.

We look forward to a new era of peace and prosperity.

– Gale Nighthrush,
Senior Partner,
White Forest Trading Company

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OAK HARBOR CHARTER

It being resolved, that the WHITE FOREST TRADING COMPANY owns and operates the settlement of OAK HARBOR on the edge of the WITCHWOOD FOREST on the continent of MARSEGA.

  • Therefore, the White Forest Trading Company, herein referred to as the WFTC, is responsible for the administration and well-being of Oak Harbor.
  • Therefore, the residents of Oak Harbor, permanent or temporary, all contained within, are subject to the laws set forth by this Charter.
  • Therefore, the lands and building of Oak Harbor are owned by the WFTC.

Oak Harbor shall have a CONSTABLE responsible for enforcement of laws, collection of dues and fines, and keeping of the peace. The Constable shall be paid, directly by the WFTC, 20 leaf per gathering. Oak Harbor shall have up to two DEPUTIES responsible for assisting the Constable, and acting in the Constable’s stead when the Constable is absent. A Deputy shall be paid, directly by the WFTC, 10 leaf per gathering.

  • The Constable and Deputies shall have access to a building, set forth by the WFTC.

Oak Harbor shall have a MILITIA, commanded and organized by a MILITIA CAPTAIN. The Militia Captain shall be paid, directly by the WFTC, 150 leaf per gathering, to be distributed to the Militia at the Militia Captain’s discretion.

  • The Militia Captain may specify a proxy in the case of his or her absence.
  • The Militia shall defend Oak Harbor from military and/or violent threats.
  • The Militia shall provide support to the Constable when needed.
  • The Militia may receive further payment from the WFTC for supplemental or extraordinary work, on a provisional basis.

Residents of Oak Harbor wishing to take a role in the leadership of the settlement can become INVESTORS. Investors shall pay dues, equal to 50 leaf per season or 100 leaf per year, payable to the the WFTC via the Constable. A season is defined herein by two consecutive gatherings in the spring or two consecutive gatherings in the fall.

  • Oak Harbor shall be governed by a COUNCIL of Investors, meeting at least once per gathering at a time determined by the WFTC.
  • The Council shall consist of any Investors present, and any WFTC Partners or Senior Partners present.
  • The Council shall make decisions by vote of attending members.
  • The Council may create LAWS, that may not contradict this Charter, subject to final approval of Senior Partners.
  • The Council shall choose the Constable and up to two Deputies.
  • The Council shall choose the Captain of the Militia.

Oak Harbor shall have CHARTER LAWS, enumerated by this Charter, that shall not be contradicted by the Council.

  • MURDER shall be illegal. Murder is defined as the willful killing of a human, galatura, dwarf, elf, or lyra.
  • Any individual engaging in the selling of goods or services, must purchase a BUSINESS LICENSE. This shall cost 5 leaf per gathering, payable to the WFTC via the Constable.
    • Membership in the Militia, or as the Constable or a Deputy, neither requires nor constitutes a Business License.
  • Any individual or group may RENT the use of an Oak Harbor building for 20 leaf per gathering, payable to the WFTC via the Constable.
    • Sleeping quarters are excluded from rent requirements, unless they are used as places of business.
    • If demand for rented buildings exceeds supply, rent shall be resolved by auction, per gathering.
  • Any individual or organization wishing to open a gate or gates between Oak Harbor and any area outside Oak Harbor’s environs must purchase a GATE LICENSE. This shall cost 10 leaf per gathering, payable to the WFTC via the Constable.
    • The penalty for opening such a gate without a license shall be 20 leaf.
    • The opener of a gate may be held responsible for damage done by beings that come through the gate, as determined by the Council.

I will happily put my name in the ring for Constable or Deputy!

Aside from my other previously stated concerns about the WFTC, I have no interest in running a militia beholden to a civilian law enforcement organ. I would also suggest to the other members of the previous Oak Harbor Militia that they should think very hard about precisely what that organizational structure entails before putting their name in the ring for the position of Militia Captain.

Frankly this entire document reeks of a bunch of dilettantes from a nice city somewhere playing at colonialism and profit extraction. With the amount of research you’ve had to have done already to contract Floodwater and conduct the operation to change ownership of Oak Harbor, the fact that you’re taxing microeconomic transactions and attempting to institute a unified law enforcement / military protection structure tells me that either you’re malicious or incompetent. I can’t tell which, but at the very least, after posting a contract like this publicly, my estimation of your business sense has gone through the floor and if I ever work for you, you’re paying double.

– Vance Goldenforge O’Canagh

Also, uh, have fun taxing the fae for gate fees. I’m sure that will go well.

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The movement of money detailed here seems remarkably poorly thought out. Unless this is another dream, in which case I’ll just go ahead and change it.

…Okay then.
Putting power in the hands of people with money is definitely always a good idea. Everyone knows there is no way to contribute to the well being of the town besides moving money from person to person. Definitely not. And all those items I make for defense of the town or the well being of its citizens without being paid for? Those aren’t worth thinking about. I’m sure the materials I’ve been preserving for the creation of a certain very necessary item would survive just fine outside of reverie with no help from myself. I sure hope I can afford the gate fee since should I die, I need to gate back to Evren. But I’m sure that won’t come up. Especially since there are laws protecting-- oh, I see, it’s actually completely legal to murder me. Or Raf for that matter. Or any fey passing through.

I’m so very excited to have to pay to access my sanctum in this version of reality. I’m sure my not being able to will not disrupt anything I do for the town’s sake.

To void with all this. I’m going back to bed.

So query, are members of the militia under the previous charter still contractually obligated to the militia, or is that prior agreement null and void with the implementation of a new charter requiring the establishment of a new militia?

-Alexei Vulkir

I would be interested to hear from White Forest what “infrastructure” they plan to provide. Does this merely refer to the right to rent facilities that were previously available for free?