Slave Trade

#### Imperial Commonwealth

The Buying, selling, and owning of slaves is illegal in the Imperial Commonwealth, a point often viewed with much pride by commonwealth citizens.

#### Dwarven Confederation

Slavery is illegal in the Dwarven Confederations as it is in the Imperial Commonwealth, but socially it is not a significant issue to those who have not had first hand experience.

#### Firisian Kingdom

Firisian law regard slaves as *chattel*, personal property, that can be bought, sold and traded at will like any other property. The murder or abuse of a slave is not illegal *per se,* but often incur a large fine and charge against laws of common decency. These laws are not considered for the sake of the slave per se, but to avoid violent excess and keeping with a cultural face.

Most households, and certainly anyone with a measure of power or import, have household slaves whose duties can range anywhere from cleaning or labour servitude to tutoring, organisation, and administration. Indeed, most wealthy households have an account slave who is in charge of organising the household finances, A slave whose job is to act as a manager of all other slaves, or slaves who act as tutors for their children. Slaves are not, as a rule, seen as subhuman or a lesser class, and a slave who saves enough money via an allowance or otherwise may buy their own freedom and citizenship in Firisia. However, this possibility is often well out of reach for most slaves, especially those without highly desirable talents who work in more labour intensive, menial jobs. Some slaves are able to rise to positions of great influence, such as tutors and household organisers for the wealthy. and despite their status as slaves may eat, dress, and expend free time as they wish, especially if granted an allowance.

### Slave Smuggling

Commonwealth Citizens illegally smuggled out of the Imperial Commonwealth into Frisian make up a significant portion of Frisian slaves. There is a booming industry of slave smuggling into Firisia from the Commonwealth, where slavers kidnap, trick, or otherwise force potential slaves into captivity and smuggle them over the border. Orphans, Homeless, and lower classes are particularly targeted - especially those that can be tricked into willingly crossing the border with the promise of employment or better conditions, but there is also a high demand for for skilled and educated slaves such as craftsmen or tutors.

### Commonwealth-Firisian Tension over Slavery

Slavery is a tense political powderkeg between the Imperial Commonwealth and Firisia, as a not-insignificant number of Firisian slaves - especially skilled and educated slaves - are Commonwealth Citizens, and despite diplomatic pressure Firisa refuses to take more then token measures against it. The Official position of Firisia is that they have no Commonwealth slaves, but IC officials claim this is based on flawed statistics: simply asking slave-owners if they have any Commonwealth citizens as slaves. The Imperial Commonwealth patrols the borders thourhgly looking for slaves and has, in the past, made military expeditions into Firisian territory to catch slavers at near-border slave-markets or in transit, but these actions are hotly protested by the Firisian government and only undertaken when high-profile citizens have been captured and there is overwhelming evidence.

Commonwealth officials have accused the Firisian Military of supporting the slave trade, after several unconfirmed incidents where commonwealth officers claim to have been stopped or held up in Firisian territory by Firisian military units, in sight of slavers making an escape. These allegations are denied by the Firisan government.

Despite these tensions, Firisian diplomatics and the Firisian embassy are allowed to maintain slaves in Imperial Commonwealth territory.