One of the newest recruits to join the GFC is part of a Duckian race, no, i never heard of them either so we sneaked in and was able to get hold of some information about this new resident to our part of the universe.
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Duckian culture is largely shaped by their basic nature, which is mostly characterized by their instincts not to harm or kill one another (the most they can do is wrestle and pluck feathers). By in large this is true except in very rare cases of insanity. The ones who are not insane, usually end up becoming doctors since often times a doctor must hurt you to heal you, as such competent healers are always in short supply, many times having to rely on other species for these services.
As a natural result, violence as a tool for political power is simply out of the question. As such the social political structure resembles that of a highly organized Libertarian or Anarchistic society. To break it down, organization is built around a free market. Duckians form groups for mutual economic advantage and specialization of labor, called syndicates. A syndicate may be thought of as a 'company'. Groups of syndicates may form to create a Faction. A Faction facilitates free and fair trade among it's own syndicates and represents all the goods and services they produce on the free market to trade among other factions.
The Duckian free market, is truly free. Anything goes so long as it does not violate the One Law, which will be mentioned later. Fraud, scams, debt default, and all manner of schemes are legal, and accepted as the order of the day. Hence the need for all syndicates to band into Factions to make sure the dealings among themselves is truly fair. Each faction may have it's own rules, violating the rules may get you kicked out and deprived of your access to that Faction's own protected market. Banishment from one's Faction is the greatest punishment legally accepted under the One Law.
The One Law:
ARTICLE 1: Everyone must obey the One Law.
ARTICLE 2: No one shall require anyone to do anything, from under threat of physical force.
ARTICLE 3: Anyone who deals with these things: Water, medicine, food or land may not monopolize it to such an extent he may threaten the denial of these basic resources in exchange for unfair terms of labor or political influence.
ARTICLE 4: No other law except this one may be enforced, using physical force.
ARTICLE 5: Physical force should only be used to stop the violation of the preceding articles.
Types of Factions: There's hundreds if not thousands of Factions within the Duckian culture. There can be fundamental differences in each one depending on the rules laid out in them. Each one has a slightly different interpretation of the One Law. For simplicity I will only explain the main types.
Individualistic Factions: The most capitalistic faction there is, it caters to the most extreme individual ambitions as allowed within the One Law. It recognizes that the only one with a right to private property is the individual. To take that property is always a violation of the One Law unless it was taken by means of fraud or cheating. (since the victim is 'tricked' not forced.)
Collectivist Factions: The most communistic factions there is, they value the common good over individual ambition. Resources are shared and none is recognized as having private property. The land and resources are considered to be shared equally by all members of the faction.
Mixed Factions: These factions balance the needs of individuals and the common good as best they can, sometimes leaning more towards individualistic or collectivist tendencies as the situation dictates.
All types of factions can organize how they please, democracy, dictator, monarch, republic and so on. All Factions that accept the Way, are considered apart of the 'Empire', and are held responsible for upholding the One Law. All leaders must obey the One Law or they are considered exile. If a Faction violates the one law, every other Faction declares 'war' (bloodless if all Duckian, violence if a non-Duckian faction that's within the 'Empire') on them and all capital of that faction is looted.
Borders, political boundaries, jurisdiction: None really exist, Factions overlap in areas of influence as do their members, all living intermingled with one another. The only determining factor is which markets you have access to. Factions are best described as having 'Asymmetric Sovereignty'. It also means that one who was banned from a faction may continue to live next door to you! The one exception is that because collectivist factions regard private property the way they do, they tend to wall off their common areas and only allow their members inside. Often times whole communities are behind walls as to avoid any confusion that that property within, belongs to the Faction. The One Law is held to be universal, and has unlimited jurisdiction as far as most Duckians consider it.
Private property: This is something not clearly defined by the One Law, so there is always a great debate on this among Duckians. The results of years of conflict over this has formed a kind of general consensus on how things should be. One thing that is universally agreed upon is that stealing, in the real sense of the term is a violation of the One Law. Example, someone breaking into a house or taking an item from someone else kind of stealing.
Intangibles such as ideas, works of writing, or inventions are up for grabs. There's no copyrights or patients, everything which is made known is subject to replication by the free market. Land is recognized as not being actual property in as much as the amount of capital you have improved on it to be considered yours (houses, fences, gardens, etc.) Land in it's 'natural' state is subject to claim by anyone, as would be any improved property which is abandoned. Many factions offer 'house holder' services to hold your claim while your away from your house, so no one can walk in and claim it. In Duckian society, there is little who are homeless if at all.
Other species relations: This will tend to vary, Factions have formed on the very basis of their stance regarding other species who do not seem to obey the One Law. Some think the One Law does not apply to other species, and they can do what they wish to non-Duckians. Others feel that other species are not violators per-say, but need to be brought under the One Law as soon as that culture allows. Others prefer more aggressive conversion methods. Either way, adaptation of other species into the Empire has met with mixed results.
Written by Jason Determann (Draken Duck)
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