Common Lore from Pax Tharda
Note: the following was written for my campaign. Your comments are welcome.
In a society that is only 1/2 literate, and has no decoration (ring) for being free or slaves, there must be a way to tell the difference between the two. This story comes from the days of the Corani Empire, but is used in modern society to prove the point.
Gold rings for senators,
Silver rings for nobles,
Brass rings for citizens,
but the free and the slaves are ringless.
We know who they are
We know they can't get far
They have no horse -
and a stolen beasts trail is easy to follow
its hooves and its coat are recognizable
They have no family -
beyond what they left
and if they did it gives more places to search
They have one destination
and the free cities are known
and there people look for newcomers
in simple clothes
with a hungry look about them
Gold rings for senators
Silver rings for nobles
Brass rings for citizens
Iron rings for the free
Shackles for the slaves
But the free man sells his iron ring
And the shackles damage the slave
So how can one tell?
The free carry papers,
Perhaps they cannot read
They trust that somewhere
Their name is written beside the word "free"
We trust that it is so
For when we hire a freeman
to do our work - we are suppose to inquire
go looking to assure the free is indeed free
and not a slave in disguise
But we don't
We trust the slave's master will hunt him down
We trust the slave to show himself for what he is
by his hunger to be free.
Gold rings for senators
Silver rings for nobles
Brass rings for citizens
No rings for the free
No freedom for the slave
To wear the wrong ring is a fatal crime
To hide in the wrong caste is dire
But those who do it have no choice
Somewhere lists are kept
But who has the coin, or the desire to check
Slaves who go free make their own way
Free who wander take their life in their hands
For if they cannot tell a good tale,
If no one will miss them
They may soon become slaves anew
A Patron cares for his clients
A Patron assures a traveling freeman is protected
By words
By letters
By guards if need be
For if he looses a freeman out of hand
He will not be a patron for long.
If the Freeman has no patron -
He is not free.
He is instead only a slave who has not yet been caught.
For if he were free there would be someone
Somewhere who cared.
So the Freeman has a ring
It is a ring of protection
A ring of words from his family - telling of his place.
We'll miss him if he goes the ring declares.
A ring of letters from his patron - telling of his worth.
I'll notice if he's gone the ring declares.
A ring of people - showing his value.
We'll see if he disappears the ring declares.
And a slave?
A slave is property.
To steal a slave is theft.
To steal a freeman is death.
For it goes against the will of the people,
and the ring of the freeman.
Ask, then
when you see a ringless man walk by
Ask - who is your patron
Ask - from whence do you come
Ask - why are you traveling
And it is these answers that differ a slave from the free
For the free are quick to answer
They do not hesitate
But the slave may stumble
And when you are done asking -
If you have a doubt
Go find out
For this is the way to tell the slave from the free.
This page was last updated on
July 9, 2001
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All works are Copyright their respective
authors, 2002.