(A small ocean of legal obscurities prefaces this lengthy document.

Its rambling
length might conceal anything, but such hidden snares and poisons are the concerns
of the many-tiered dwarven legal system - everything of relevance to the Heroes of
Ferra is contained within a single surprisingly comprehensible section at the
document's end.)

CONCERNING THE UNDERSIGNED

Whereas it is found legally binding upon observance by an ordained notary

(Goldbound stops you here to note that he assumes this role, and that in dwarven
culture the weight of personal honor is such that there has never been the gnomish
taboo regarding service as your own notary) signatories to this document shall
enter into contract with one Garrimus Baublebounce Goldbound and be considered
obligated to its observance in letter and in spirit, as determined by a worthy
judge of character and integrity upon being given the facts of any transgression by
each involved party, or by the offended party in absentia of any signatory within a
week's span of consideration. (this honor, Garrimus informs you sadly, has by
contrast to notarization never been legally permitted to a gnome - a magistrate of
the Ascendant or Skyborn courts must instead suffice) Barring transgression, the
contract is considered binding until such time as the author deems its terms met to
satisfaction or its fulfillment is rendered impossible, such as by the death of all
signatories unto three generations descendant. ("Dwarves," Garrimus sighs)
Violation by signatories or by author may be answered by petition from the offended
party for either reparation, as deemed appropriate pursuant to (legal jargon), or
exile from the Royal Dominion of Ferra, applicable to no ancestors and to three
generations descendant.

- acquisition and proferring of either the heart of a dragon (this is defined in

oddly strict and specific terms - essentially, only either a fresh actual literal
heart, or one that has been carefully preserved by a mindful arcanist, will
qualify)
- conclusive claim to the Isle of Ejain, a concept which is a complicated affair
but requires the island have a minimum of fifty living sentient mortal citizens
willing to acknowledge his claim (he intends to supply these) and no sentient
entity willing to contest it at the time of declaration of satisfaction of the
contract.

- so long as the task is performed (legal jargon), the signatories have full access
to his knowledge (legal jargon) and he is bound to aid them as judged appropriate
by a magistrate (legal jargon). so long as the task is not complete, the
signatories are beholden to it and cannot offer the author contest in any legal
regard such as by competitive business dealings or a suit alleging impropriety -
this doesn't offer Goldbound any actual absolution of wrongdoing, merely ensures no
signatory can initiate a legal proceeding against him until task completion.

- any signatory who chooses may, upon task completion, name Goldbound as a patron
under law. this has complex legal implications (legal jargon) but essentially means
you are ALWAYS entitled to his knowledge and legal support, including the ability
to name him as an automatic co-sponsor of any personal endeavor and having access
to any estate or establishment he has formal (written) permission to access
himself, across the whole of Throne. In exchange, he is entitled to your support
(though not your knowledge) and can formally request you to perform further tasks
provided they are not judged by a magistrate to unduly endanger you or others
(within the law; this mostly protects citizens, but not fey or monsters) Either
party can end this arrangement at any time, (legal jargon)

DC 10 - patronage applies only on Throne - it doesn't apply while on another

island...and, technically, does not apply while onboard an airship specifically
(other kinds of flight have no provision and don't affect the arrangement so long
as you would be broadly considered "on Throne" by an appropriate magistrate). Also,
as adventurers and with recognized service in military conflict, there is atually
almost nothing considered to UNDULY endanger you. There's a partial workaround for
patronage in that if a member of the royal family claims or empowers you to claim
new land for Ferra, patronage automatically resumes there. This can include an
airship.

DC 15 - Ending the arrangement requires a formal process requiring at least a

month's contemplation in relevant courts. During this time Goldbound cannot assign
a NEW task, but a PRIOR task - such as one that prompted an end to the arrangement
- effectively is binding and requires fulfillment. However, Goldbound is no longer
required to provide aid or knowledge of any kind. As a slender defense, any task
must of course be legal by Ferra's law, and if two high clerics or a high cleric
and a member of the royal family both agree that the task would violate Ferra's
moral standard (as determined by them) it is void whether patronage has ended or
not.

(Legal jargon, DC 10)

The knowledge the party is entitled to is only that which is pursuant to fulfilling
their end of contracted tasks, as judged by Goldbound. There's a loophole, though -
in the absence of Goldbound, any of his legal descendants (IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE,
this includes ANYONE HE HAS HIRED for complicated dwarf reasons having to do with
geases and oaths; it is not ALWAYS THE CASE that a legal descendant includes
employees) - are legally obligated to provide such information as THEY judge
pursuant. The law requires you to make a good-faith effort to reach Goldbound
FIRST, but a subsection regarding quests of urgency essentially clarifies that you
could just mail a letter and then go tell a legal descendant it's urgent - which
would notify Goldbound of what you're looking for, but probably not until you've
already found it. Note that legal descendants are given the same leeway here as
Goldbound himself and cannot be held accountable by him for anything they choose to
reveal (though, conversely, their judgment is equally final and wherever they draw
the line is the end of discussion, legally speaking).

(Legal jargon, DC 15)

In cases of legal dispute where a magistrate's intercession is required, Goldbound

is the party who chooses the magistrate regardless of who the offender is. There's
a workaround, though - the personal intercession of several authorities able to
legally argue the matter falls within their sphere of interest can allow them to
serve as a secondary magistrate. Such authorities include the high clerics of Airk,
Phaerra, Daimos, Ralas, Makth, or Tael, the archwizard of the arcane university,
and any member of the royal family (though any OTHER suitable authority can then
FURTHER contest, and both authorities and the chosen magistrate form a triune as a
result, at which point the matter is closed to further contest save by duel to
surrender or death against one of the triune by a fourth appropriate authority to
take their place).\

(legal jargon, DC 20)