The Unseelie Accords are a set of agreements (like the Geneva Conventions) that govern behavior between its signatories, who are the major powers of the magical world.
Description
The Accords include protocols for etiquette, hospitality, formal duels, and neutral ground, among other things. They were instigated by Queen Mab.
They were last updated in 1994, when the entire city of Milwaukee allegedly disappeared for two hours.[1]
Contents
The following are known portions of the Accords, in approximate order of appearance in the books:
- There is no spirit of the law, only its letter.[2]
- Beings have license to deliver and receive messages, and to have safe passage granted them so long as they do not instigate violence[3].
- Part of a pledge of safe passage or conduct is the promise not to drug any directly offered food or drink[4]. If it is targeted at a group, rather than a specific individual, however, then it is acceptable.[5]
- If a member of the Accords is killed by another member of the Accords, one who has close relations to the deceased can demand a weregild in compensation for their death.[6]
- Should a member of one faction wrong another faction, the aggrieved party has the right to challenge their enemy to single combat. The dueling laws are based on the Code Duello[7]:
- The organisations that represent the duelers pick an emissary from the list of neutral emissaries.
- The chosen emissary decides on a list of available weapons, such as magic or will.
- The challenged picks the weapons, and the challenger picks the time and location.
- The available weapons are not necessarily restricted to those usable by both parties. If the challenger can't use the weapon the challenged chose, they can force the challenged to take their second choice.
- Each party must have a second.
- The seconds collaborate with the emissary to work out the terms of the duel.
- Certain places can be signed on as Accorded Neutral Territory (such as McAnally's Pub). This means that signatories of the Accords do not start any conflict on the premises, and are bound by their honor to take any fights outside.[8][9][10]
- An individual can sign onto the Accords as a freeholding lord[11]:
- The signatory is entitled to rights under the Accords, such as right of challenge.
- To be signed on, the potential signatory must have three current members of the Accords vouch for them.
Known signatories
- The Archive (who is an emissary)
- The Denarians - Nicodemus Archleone no longer a signatory as of Skin Game[12]
- Donar Vadderung, CEO of Monoc Securities
- Both Faerie Courts
- John Marcone (the first non-supernatural to sign onto the Accords)
- Vampire Courts
- White Council
- Drakul
- A semi-immortal shapshifter guru in Ukraine
- Two Dragons
- The Fomor[6]
References
- ↑ Storm Front, ch. 5
- ↑ Grave Peril, ch. 38
- ↑ Grave Peril, ch. 8
- ↑ Summer Knight, ch. 17
- ↑ Grave Peril, ch. 26
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Even Hand
- ↑ Death Masks, ch. 8
- ↑ Death Masks, ch. 17
- ↑ Dead Beat, ch. 30
- ↑ Proven Guilty, ch. 19
- ↑ White Night, ch. 43
- ↑ Skin Game, ch. 26
See also
- Code Duello
- Laws of hospitality
- Unseelie Court
- Mab
- McAnally's Pub
- Dragons
- Donar Vadderung
- Johnny Marcone
- Freeholding Lord