Chaston's Edict

"By order of the Sun Throne, let it be known that all citizens of the Turamzzyrian Empire who are, or who are provably believed to be descended from Elven Stock, are hereby prohibited from owning land or business; Let it further be known that all lands and businesses presently held by those of Elven Stock are hereby, and in perpetuity, property of the Sun Throne;

Let it further be known that any citizen who resists, or is found to be in violation of this Edict, will suffer the ire of the Sun Throne."

— Emperor Chaston Kestrel

Chaston's Edict was a proclaimation by Chaston Kestrel, emperor of the Turamzzyrian Empire in the year 4310. At the heart of the proclaimation was the forbidding of all citizens of the Empire of non-human descent from owning property. This resulted in seizure of elven property and the migration of many elves and those of elven blood out of the Empire, many to Wyrdeep Forest.

The people of Gallardshold, the human city closest to Wyrdeep Forest in the Barony of Bourth, have a custom of wearing special symbols indicating whether they support the edict.

Travel guide tidbit

The guide says, "Parts of the Turamzyrrian Empire are very resistant to non-humans. So much so, that a decree was made a long time ago called Chaston's Edict, created by Chaston Kestrel, which barred all elves from owning land or businesses. Many elves fled the region during that time and the ones that remained were reduced to a life of slavery or serfdom."

The guide says, "Chaston's Edict was amended and replaced by the Rysus Codex in year 4694, though the Codex didn't abolish the discrimination completely. The Rysus Codex is a massive document detailing the laws of the human empire, and it established a feudalistic society, ruled by the noble human houses. Non-humans, especially elves, were barred from positions of nobility within the empire."

The guide says, "All this talk of Chaston's Edict reminds me of Baron Lerep Hochstib. He was a half-elf, or Hathlyn, as they're referred to in the empire. He recently attacked Wehnimer's Landing, you know, using a Crystal that rendered magic-users completely useless."

The guide says, "It was a long, hard battle, but the people of the Landing eventually toppled his forces when they destroyed the crystal. They even managed to destroy his crystal in Mestanir!"

The guide says, "For example of the allowances made for some half-elves, or Hathlyn, as they're known here. He sought to increase the land of his barony and set out to destroy Mestanir, an area of the human empire known for its skilled mages."

The guide says, "By way of the Mandis Crystal, a powerful anti-magic relic, and some backing from the empress, Hochstib was able to effectively battle the humans from Mestanir."

The guide says, "He also sought to claim Vornavis, the barony around Solhaven. Though in 5098, the caravan road we're travelling on right now was completed by Vornavis, allowing less necessary travel through the lands of Jantalar."

The guide says, "Baron Hochstib also tried to take Wehnimer's Landing through a series of drawn out battles many of which included use of the Mandis Crystal to quell the powerful mages and sorcerers of the lands. Hochstib was killed during a brazen attempt to control Wehnimer's Landing, Solhaven and Vornavis in 5103."

The guide says, "The severe restrictions on non-humans have abated somewhat since, until the reign of Empress Mynal'lyanna, who called for greater pride in humankind and a revival of Chaston's Edict. The empress was assassinated in 5103 by a rogue witch-hunter whose bolt was infused with Luukosian deathwort."

The guide says, "Empress Mynal'lyanna restored much of the Turamzzyrian pride within the empire, by reviving the restrictions imposed on non-Humans by the Chaston Edict. The infusion of racial pride is most prevalent in the military and nobility, and in cities nearest to the imperial capital."

See Also

• faded piece of parchment