Tyrian Citizenship

Being a citizen of Tyr gives characters a little more freedom than their non-citizen counterparts. To become a citizen in the free city of Tyr, the applicant must renounce all other allegiances (ie, to other city-states, merchant houses, tribes, etc.), and then he must conform to one or more of the following criteria:

1)	The applicant must have been born in Tyr.
2)	The applicant must file for citizenship, and thereafter live in Tyr for one year while being a productive citizen (ie, must be legally employed). The subject's employer must inform the city of the citizen's employment when paying taxes.
3)	The applicant must be vouched for by someone who has been a Tyrian citizen for a period not less than one year. The citizen in question (from here on known as the sponsor) is hereafter responsible for any actions that the subject may take for that year. If the subject commits a crime, causes damages to public or private property, or in any other way screws up, the bid for citizenship is canceled and the sponsor is held accountable for any damages incurred.
4)	The applicant must pay a one-time fee of 5 silver pieces.

Once the applicant has gained citizenship, he receives an identification chit marked with his name and right thumbprint. The identification chit is made from baked ceramic clay mixed with iron filings, and is 3 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/8th inches thick. The iron in the clay gives the chit a light rusty color, and the proportions of clay to iron are a well-kept secret in Tyr to prevent forgeries. A hole is drilled at one end of the chit, allowing it to be tied to a lanyard or worn around a citizen's neck.

Benefits of citizenship are many, and include (but are not limited to) the following :

1)	All legal earnings of the citizen are subject to a 10% tax, while the income of non-citizens is taxed 20%.
2)	Each citizen is entitled to one free gallon of water per day. Additional water costs 1 bit per gallon. Non-citizens must pay 1 bit for each gallon of water they wish to purchase from the city-state.
3)	State-sponsored soup kitchens will provide one meal a day to citizens.
4)	Citizens are entitled to a trial if arrested for a crime. Non-citizens who are arrested in connection with a crime are treated much worse than citizens, and are not usually given a trial before punished.
5)	Citizens are entitled to buy property within the city-state of Tyr, while non-citizens cannot.
6)	Citizens may vote in public elections.
7)	Citizens may enter and leave the city walls freely, while non-citizens are charged an entry fee. The entry fee of one ceramic piece that a non-citizen pays gives him a visa that is good for one week (fifteen days), after which time it must be renewed. If a non-citizen is caught within city limits without his visa, he will be fined and/or deported immediately. An extended visa can be purchased at the Administration Bureau for a fee of 20 cp., and is good for one year (note that those applying for citizenship or are sponsored are granted temporary visas automatically at no charge as long as they remain in good standing).

Tyrian Anti-Magic Legislation

While magic in Tyr is technically legal, it isn't something you'll see practiced in the streets. After all, the fear that the public holds towards the wielders of the arcane arts is still strong, especially considering what their former sorcerer-king attempted to do to them. Superstitions run rampant, and the public at large doesn't care if you're a preserver or not. Visible magic used in public can easily cause a crowd to riot in panic, or worse, lynch the offending mage.

After Kalak's death, the use of magic was legalized. This legislation didn't pass overnight, and many people opposed its ratification. The laws concerning magic were seen as a sort of magical "gun control," a way to catalog magic-users and keep them under close scrutiny.

Applicants must submit to a test wherein they are proven to be preservers or defilers (similar to the famous "Green Test"). Once the application is accepted, a fee must be paid (it varies, but is usually no more than one silver), and the license must be renewed each year (at an additional cost of 5 ceramic). A specially-marked identification chit is given to the mage, and it supersedes any other ID previously assigned. This allows the authorities to recognize a mage for what he is at a glance.

When renewing the license, the mage must again submit to a test to determine whether or not they've remained on the preserving path. It is only mandatory for a mage to renew his license if he intends to continue using magic. If a mage chooses not to renew his license, he is assumed to have left use of the arcane arts behind him, with the added incentive that his name is logged with the Security Bureau for the rest of his life.

Punishment for magic-related crimes varies depending on the crime committed. Mere possession of magical paraphernalia (components, spell books, phylacteries, laboratory equipment, and the like) by unregistered individuals constitutes a serious crime, akin to possessing drugs in our own paradigm. Any such material will be confiscated by the Security Bureau, most likely for use by its own magic-users. Additional punishments include heavy fines, and incarceration. Registered mages caught using destructive magic (see below) within Tyr's borders face more serious punishments, including revoking their license to practice magic, forced labor in the iron mines, as well as public flogging and execution. Unregistered mages who use such magic within Tyr's borders are simply executed.

In short, the Tyrian laws concerning the use of magic state the following :

1)	Defiling magic is illegal. Period. At the least, they'll exile you. At the worst, you'll be tried, convicted, and burned alive on Arena day, much to the amusement of the crowd.
2)	Preserving magic may be practiced freely by any citizen of Tyr who registers as a magic-user with the Administration Bureau. Copies of these forms are also sent to the Security Bureau.
3)	Destructive magic is not allowed to be practiced. The term "destructive magic" covers any spell that can cause harm or injury to people, animals, vegetation, buildings, or property. In addition, any magic used to animate or raise the dead, to summon vermin, to pollute the air and/or water, or to create new construction or structures in an area not zoned for such is specifically prohibited. The definition of "destructive magic" is kept very general and open, and as such makes using any magic (even priestly magic*) within the city walls risky.
4)	Mind-altering magic is not permitted to be used upon unwilling subjects in an attempt by the caster to charm, convince, cajole, or otherwise alter the emotional state of the subject. It is especially important to note that use of such magic on a templar constitutes a major crime, and if proven can be punished by death.
5)	Spell components and articles of arcane interest cannot be sold by merchants who do not hold the proper licenses. A license to sell such items is costly, and must be maintained from year to year. In addition, it is illegal for anyone to sell any such components or articles to an unregistered magic user.

(* - While not currently required to register with any Bureau, priests, clerics, and druids are equally bound by the Tyrian anti-magic legislation.)

The mages of Athas, by and large, are a paranoid lot. Most will not willingly step forward and allow themselves to be catalogued by any government for fear of later repercussions. Most of the mages who have registered in Tyr have done so in an attempt at public relations. These include several members of the Veiled Alliance, who have day-to-day affairs with the Tyrian council. In addition, several templar bureaus have been known to employ magic-users from time to time.

Since 90% of all mages in Tyr remain unregistered, the buying and selling of components is still a thriving trade on the black market. Many merchants are unwilling to pay the extensive licensing fees, and most refuse to suffer the stigma of publicly dealing with magic-users. Cost is based on supply and demand, though components are somewhat cheaper in Tyr than in most other "magic free" city-states.

Most open-minded merchants in Tyr will ask few questions regarding strange requests by their customers. If a man goes to a glass-maker looking for glass rods, the artisan will certainly wonder what the rods are needed for. Many will charge entirely too much for such items, while others will sell them cheaply without thinking about the implications. Still, others might report such suspicious behaviors to the Security Bureau, hoping to gain a reward when an unregistered mage is caught. This is rare, however, since Tyrian law allows those wrongfully accused to file for damages against their accusers.

A Note On Clerics and Elemental Magic

While the magic of clerics, druids, and the like is seen as much more natural and wholesome than that utilized by magic-users, it is still closely monitored by the Security Bureau. While clerics and druids are not required to register with the Administration Bureau, there are currently laws in the works which would require them to register their powers, much as magic-users do.