Laws of Mortality

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The Laws of Mortality in tablet form.

The Laws of Mortality are a list of edicts created in 2555 AR in response to the devastation caused by the religious Oath Wars in northwest Garund. The Laws' authors include the philosopher Kalim Onaku and the militia of Azir.

History

Northwestern Garund had been suffering from the devastation of the Oath Wars for over 60 years when the Laws of Mortality were written in 2555 AR. The faithful of Sarenrae, Norgorber, and Nethys fought each other for supremacy until they were first driven out of Azir by its militia who had been convinced to follow Kalim Onaku's teachings. Within five years, the Laws of Mortality had spread throughout the region and the secular nation of Rahadoum was founded.

Principles

Although the Laws do not refute the existence of the divine, they forbid anyone from worshiping or giving any form of obedience to any god or other divine being. They are most widely used by the nation of Rahadoum and were instrumental in the country's founding. According to those who follow the Laws of Mortality, religion represents a type of spiritual servitude, akin to trading one's eternal soul. Furthermore, faith is perceived as a source of conflict and division among mortals, blinding them to rationality. While the Rahadoumi are frequently labeled as atheists, they never question the existence of deities. Instead, they reject the act of worship, viewing the gods as potent and whimsical elites who manipulate mortals as playthings. In the Rahadoumi perspective, it is preferable to live in liberty, despite its accompanying challenges, rather than becoming an eternal thrall.

Enforcement in Rahadoum

Within the nation of Rahadoum, the Laws are enforced by the Pure Legion, a trained militia who search any ship entering the country for religious paraphernalia, and harshly prosecute anyone caught proselytizing. However, as the gods are a powerful force in Golarion, this has not completely eradicated their worship. Native Rahadoumis find themselves called to a faith, and the country is also a tempting target for missionaries from all over the Inner Sea region. Small groups of worshipers exist throughout the land, but all are highly secretive.

Known laws

1. Let no mortal be beholden to a god.

References

Paizo referred to the laws as the Laws of Man in Pathfinder First Edition.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.