§5.1 - Charter of Trade and Regulation of Goods

(a) The Council of Rivermarch shall possess exclusive authority to charter, regulate, tax, and oversee all forms of trade and exchange conducted within its territorial jurisdiction, including material, magical, and extraplanar commerce.

(b) No person, guild, consortium, or foreign agent may lawfully engage in regular trade within Rivermarch without:

• (i) Compliance with Council standards and lawful tariffs;

• (ii) A recognized presence, license, or trade affiliation registered with the Office of Commerce;

• (iii) Submission to civic laws regarding goods, weights, magical safety, and dispute arbitration.

(c) Exceptions may be granted by treaty, emergency edict, or temporary license issued by the Treasurer or Envoy and recorded in the Council Register.

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§5.1.2 - Chartering of Markets, Guilds, and Trade Posts

(a) Any person or collective seeking to establish a permanent or seasonal trade site, open-air market, bonded warehouse, or merchant guild within Rivermarch must petition the Council for a Trade Charter.

(b) A Trade Charter shall specify:

• (i) The nature of goods or services to be offered;

• (ii) The proposed location, duration, and administrative structure;

• (iii) Compliance with arcane, sanitary, and civic regulations;

• (iv) Identification of any magical, extraplanar, or volatile materials to be handled.

(c) Council approval shall require majority vote following review by the Treasurer and Warden. Conditional charters may be issued in contested areas or zones of magical sensitivity.

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§5.1.3 - Prohibited and Controlled Goods

(a) The Council shall maintain and publish a Register of Prohibited and Controlled Goods, the possession, sale, or transport of which is restricted or forbidden without specific license.

(b) Prohibited Goods shall include, but are not limited to:

• (i) Soul jars, cursed relics, or magical items of unstable or destructive power;

• (ii) Substances with known mutagenic, addictive, or planar-warping effects;

• (iii) Weapons or armor enchanted beyond safe calibration without Guild-certified runesmith inspection;

• (iv) Creatures, parts, or residues of extraplanar beings classified as Hostile Entities under §10.1.

(c) Controlled Goods may be traded or handled only by licensed vendors, subject to inspection, magical tagging, and quarterly declaration. Examples include:

• (i) Potent elixirs, offensive spells in bottle, or ley-reactive crystals;

• (ii) Animate constructs, bound spirits, or summoned laborers;

• (iii) Magical communication devices with interplanar reach.

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§5.1.4 - Inspection, Certification, and Enforcement

(a) The Office of Commerce, under direction of the Treasurer, shall maintain a corps of Trade Inspectors authorized to:

• (i) Enter any market, shop, caravan, or warehouse during business hours;

• (ii) Examine, weigh, and test goods—mundane and magical—for conformity with declared content and lawful standards;

• (iii) Seize unlawful, cursed, or undeclared contraband for tribunal disposition.

(b) Merchants found in violation shall be subject to:

• (i) Confiscation of illegal stock;

• (ii) Fines not exceeding three times the value of the offending goods;

• (iii) Suspension or permanent revocation of license;

• (iv) Tribunal proceedings under Title IV where harm, fraud, or magical destabilization is shown.

(c) False enchantment claims, counterfeit sigils, or illusion-disguised goods shall constitute Commercial Deception and be punishable as a Major Offense under §4.1.3.

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§5.1.5 - Trade with External Parties

(a) Trade with non-citizens, outlanders, or foreign entities shall be permitted only under:

• (i) Conditions of parity and non-hostility;

• (ii) Compliance with tariffs, tolls, and market duties as set by the Council;

• (iii) Registration of goods, conveyance methods, and magical cargo with the Office of Commerce.

(b) Trade caravans or ships from foreign powers must declare sponsorship, contents, and route of travel no less than three (3) days prior to arrival, except in emergency.

(c) The Council reserves the right to embargo, restrict, or inspect foreign goods at any time for reason of public safety, economic balance, or magical contamination.

(d) Oleg’s Trading Post, while not within Rivermarch territory, shall be recognized as a treaty partner and granted provisional trade rights, subject to periodic renegotiation.