Chartula Procidens Aqua

"I pledge my lifelong support and loyalty to Conventum Procidens Aqua, and declare that the trials and fortunes of this conventum are now my own. Just as I am pledged to Lex Hermei, so do I pledge this conventum to Ordo Hermei and the authority of Tribunal Sarmatiae. I swear to uphold and protect Procidens Aqua regardless of the personal price. Over all the years of my life and throughout my studies and travels, I will neither betray this conventum nor give aid to its enemies. In times of need, I will aid this conventum in whatever way I am able, and I will devote myself to its service if the need is clear. I will abide by the decisions of the ruling council of Procidens Aqua, and I will treat these decisions as if they were my own. I will treat my fellows with respect and fairness, and I will not attempt to harm them in any way. Their blood is my blood. Where Procidens Aqua stands, there do I stand; how this conventum grows, so do I grow; should this conventum fall, then do I fall. This I so swear, upon the honor of mea Domus Fundatorque."

Membership & Governance

Membership in Conventum Procidens Aqua shall be limited to its founding magae, and any new member must receive approval from all current members. Procidens Aqua shall be governed by a council of all member magi, each of whom shall have one vote. The council may be called to meet by any member for consideration of matters justly grave, and all members shall be charged with attendence and diligence in the proceedings. Should it not be possible to convene all members in council, any quarum consisting of more than half its members shall be considered valid, else the discharge of the council's duty must be delayed until such time as the full council may be convened.

At a minimum, the council shall convene four times each year, one day prior to each solstice and equinox, regardless of call from any member, and all members shall endeavor to make themselves present.

Motions to be decided by the council must be introduced by a member, seconded by another member, debated fully and justly, allowing members who wish to speak to do so, and then proposed for a vote. All issues shall be decided by a majority vote of the members present, except that no issue may be decided by a majority less than half of the full membership, and any issues involving amendments to this charter or admittance or expulsion of a member require unanimous consent of the council.

The council shall confer the office of disceptator to a member of the council, to represent the council in matters of governance and temporal concern. This office is a duty of each and every member, and is cyclical and mandatory, with the responsibility rotating in sequence of Hermetic seniority amongst all members, with each term of service lasting seven years. The duties of disceptator are: to attend regular meetings of the council, to keep order at meetings, to break tie votes with a discretionary vote, to determine the yearly surplus of provision and store, and to act as a spokesperson for the council. The disceptator is not empowered to make decisions on the council's behalf, but instead is charged with ensuring that the decisions of the council are enacted.

Concerning Resources

Resources of this covenant are held in common by the council, and it is the responsibility of this council to maintain and defend them.

This conventum lays claim to all texts obtained by members of the council while acting at the behest of the council, and all texts scribed by members of the council where payment was received for this scribing from conventum resources. This conventum also lays claim to any texts gifted to the conventum as a whole.

This conventum lays claim to all magical items obtained by members of the council while acting at the behest of the council; and all magical items made by members of the council where payment was received for this manufacture from conventum resources. This conventum also lays claim to any magical items gifted to the conventum as a whole.

This conventum lays claim to all monies generated using conventum resources. This conventum also lays claim to all monies obtained by members of the council while acting at the behest of the council. This conventum also lays claim to any monies gifted to the conventum as a whole.

This conventum lays claim to the buildings, defenses, chattels, and inhabitants of the conventum. This conventum also lays claim to any such buildings, defenses, chattels, and inhabitants gifted to the conventum as a whole.

Surplus resources of the conventum will be determined at the Winter council meeting. Resources necessary for the continued existence of the conventum and the protection of its members’ rights are accounted for first; this includes payment for seasons of work performed on behalf of the conventum. Contributions to all debts owed to the conventum are decided by the speaker, and set aside. The remaining resources are deemed surplus, and shall be allocated to the settlement of requests from each member according to the decision of the council.

Concerning Vis

Vis distributed to Procidens Aqua by Tribunal Sarmatiae shall be allocated as follows; a stipend of vis for the casting of Aegis of the Hearth shall be set aside first, and then remaining vis shall be divided evenly among all members; remaining vis that is insufficent to be divided evenly shall be held in common until the next distribution of vis, or until the council allocates it for a common purpose.

Rights of Members

Each and every member of this conventum shall be entitled to the basic rights of the conventum; to whit, full and unrestricted access to the protection and support of the conventum within the boundaries of the conventum by all the rights and benefits accorded by Lex Hermei, the benefit of a sanctum which shall remain inviolate and the supply of materials thereof, access to the conventum library, and victuals appropriate to the status of a magus. These basic rights shall not be abridged except by expulsion from the conventum.

Each member shall have the right to attend council meetings, and shall have one vote in council, which she shall excercise dutifully with due prudence. Each member shall have full access to the services and skills of the servants and covenfolk, excepting only those servants and custodes who are particular to a member.

Responsibilities of Members

Members are obligated to obey Lex Hermei and Leges Peripheriae Sarmatiae, as demanded by the Oath of this charter; failure on this account will not be tolerated by the council, and the conventum reserves the right to expel those members who are convicted in just Tribunal of an offense against Ordo Hermei.

The responsibility of members towards the lasting success of Procidens Aqua is dependent on service to the conventum. The council will declare the duties that need to be performed at regular meetings of the conventum. Such duties include (but are not limited to) the safeguarding and harvesting of vis sources, the safeguarding and harvesting of conventum income, the well-being and discipline of conventum employees, the maintenance of conventum resources, the increase of conventum resources, and the maintenance of good relations with conventum allies. Duties that will not entail more than a week of service at low personal risk will be assigned by the council to its members, with no more than one being assigned to each member in each season. Such assigned duties attract no recompense or advantage to the member who discharges them, but cannot be refused without reasonable extenuation.

Duties which will entail a higher investment of time or personal risk will be offered up for service by the council. These services will attract a remuneration which shall be commensurate with the time, risk, and potential benefit to the covenant. This remuneration is decided by the council, but requires a minimum payment which shall be, for a single season of work at low risk with a low gain, two pawns of vis, of an Art or Arts to be decided by the council. If there is more than one claimant for the service, and each claimant refuses to share the duty, then the council will assign the duty by ballot. If there is insufficient vis to meet the demands of the council, the speaker may withhold payment for one or more years. Conventum work may be declared such retroactively with the approval of the council.

Expulsion of Members

If a member should contravene the decisions of the council, by vote or by charter, then the member may be expelled by a vote of the council.

Expulsion is enacted by a unanimous vote of the remaining members. Expulsion is the only means through which a member of the covenant shall lose his rights; and requires that the former member ceases to draw upon those rights subsequent to the first full moon after expulsion was enacted. Should a magus be cast out from Ordo Hermei, it is the duty and obligation of this conventum that he shall also and without delay be expelled from this conventum.

This is our Solemn Oath to abide by this chartula and any amendments as are approved by full council and confirmed by Conventum Millecavernae.

AD 1262