Baatezu Contract

by David Carroll

This document is posted here for Planescape DMs who wish to use it, and in the hope it amuses you. It was used in my campaign as a rider agreement to a contract the players drafted, to make it legal under Baator law (this was for Tales of the Infinite Staircase, if you're interested). They were told it was a standard, if minimalist, contract and after careful study agreed to sign (with a baatezu being a co-signatory). They regretted it two days later when the character who had signed went suddenly blind, and a handy noctral pointed out the trap. Can you see it?

In the original I used a good cursive font, and for the Baatorian bits (which are here in italics and Rot-13ed) something suitably alien, which worked well.

Contract of Law

This rider agreement ("Secondary Agreement") is a supplementary document to the legal agreement entitled
 

____________________________________________

as dated the ____________________ ,

between the undersigned parties, to clarify and protect the legal position of both parties. The signing of both documents indicates the understanding and agreement that:

• the clauses of the Secondary Agreement form an integral part of the Primary Agreement, not to be differentiated in importance or means of interpretation, to form a single legal entity ("the Agreement"). The Secondary Agreement must be signed by each of those signing the Primary Agreement. If the Secondary Agreement is signed by more parties than sign the Primary Agreement, then each additional signature must be made with the knowledge, understanding and approval of all signing parties to either or both agreements,
• The Agreement is made under the ruling of law as recognised within gur jbaqebhf Cevapvcnyvgl bs Onngbe ("Baator") under the jurisdiction of the Pbhapvy bs Rvtug zbfg Snibhenoyr gb gur Pyrnafvat bs gur Ynaq ("the Eight"). The undersigned do not otherwise place themselves under the jurisdiction of the Eight and no other connection is made or implied between the undersigned and the Eight or any other jurisdiction, structure or organisation of Baator or any other physical, non-physical or meta-physical location,
• Any of the undersigned has the right to seek the advice and councel of an external party regarding the contents of the Agreement before agreeing to the terms set forth in the Agreement. In the event that any undersigned party signs the Agreement without seeking such advice or councel, it is because the undersigned has agreed to forego such advice or councel,
• When a single signature of one of the undersigned represents a gestalt entity, as recognised by the Eight or their legally designated representatives, then the transfer of responsibility for the Agreement may be transferred from one member of the gestalt entity to another, but only upon the recognition and understanding of the second member of the gestalt entity of the unavailability of the undersigned to undertake such responsibility, An exception to this clause is that if any undersigned are members of a gestalt entity, as recognised by the Eight or their legally designated representatives, and do not wish transference of responsibility to be made under such circumstances, a clause within the Primary Agreement must indicate the status of the undersigned and the action to be taken instead of such transference,
• A translation of the Agreement may be made into boshfpngvat yrtnyrfr ("the legal language of Baator") at a later date for the efficient handling of the Agreement by the legal processes of Baator. Such translation need not be performed within the presence of the undersigned. However, if a request is made by at least one member of the undersigned to witness the translation, the document must be translated by the designated translator within the sight of all undersigned parties. If this is not possible by reason of absence or otherwise, the undersigned lose such faculty and no translation may be made unless specifically requested by one of the Eight or their legally designated representatives. The lack of any such translation does not invalidate the Agreement, and in case of a conflict of interpretation of the Agreement, the original document is to be used for the arbitration of disputes,
• The obligation of the Agreement extends through events such as, but not limited to, acts of war; insurrection; civil disobedience; natural and unnatural disaster; pestilence; plague; famine; bodily, spiritual or emotional change; bodily, spiritual or emotional transfer; bodily, spiritual or emotional domination; bodily, spiritual or emotional absence; bodily, spiritual or emotional death; insanity or poverty. However, acts of a being recognised as a divinity by the Eight or their legally designated representatives may nullify the Agreement.
• Any future legal agreement under the laws of Baator or within the jurisdiction of the Eight, or change to the law of Baator or the jurisdiction of the Eight, which nullifies or modifies the contents of the Agreement in any form, including but not limited to the setting of precedent regarding interpretation of the Agreement, or a change in the limits of obligation upon the undersigned, may legally affect the Agreement, but no further obligation is to be extended to the undersigned before they have the opportunity to legally argue for or against such nullification or modification, if such argument is possible under the laws of Baator,
• All disputes under the Agreement shall be submitted for mediation before a neutral third party to be jointly selected by the undersigned parties, within Baator. No action may be filed by any party to the Agreement unless and until the dispute is not otherwise settled within a span of ninety gvzrfcnaf (125 days) from first written demand for mediation.