Slavery in Caphiria

Slavery in Caphiria is a legal and significant part of traditional Caphirian society and culture. While deeply rooted in its historical and economic framework, the practice has evolved to reflect contemporary values through stringent laws and practices designed to maintain order and uphold societal standards and regulations.

Slavery has existed in Caphiria since antiquity - giving it the longest unbroken chain of slavery of any society in history, spanning about 1,500 years. Still, it was transformed significantly from the Third Imperium onward as slavery came to play a diminished role in the economy. Laws gradually diminished the power of slaveholders and improved the rights of slaves by restricting a master’s freedom to abuse, prostitute, expose, and murder slaves. Under the influence of Christianity, views of slavery shifted: by the 10th-century, slaves were viewed as potential citizens (the slave as a subject) rather than property or chattel (the slave as an object). Some scholars consider the Caphirian system of slavery as serfdom; the nature of Caphirian slavery is a source of debate. Historically, most slaves were known as veliteneanturi—outdoor slaves which resided at a distance and differed little from tenant farmers or commoners. In rural Caphiria, veliteneanturi are assigned two pieces of agricultural land: the produce from the first land is paid to the master, while the produce from the second land is kept by the slave to consume or sell. Although less common today, the concept persists in some rural areas where agricultural labor is needed.

Contemporary slavery is practiced through Cautio (Cautio System), the traditional and most widespread form of legal slavery in Caphiria. Under the cautio system - which is the most regulated and state-controlled - slavery is a complex form of debt bondage: slaves are bound by a "cautio," a formal contract that outlines the terms of their servitude. The contract includes specific details about the duration of service, the duties to be performed, and the conditions under which the slave can be emancipated. These borrowers are not legally able to purchase land, allowing this practice to perpetuate across generations. A slaver is known as a redemptore (contract-holder), and a contractually bound slave is called a teneantur - literally meaning "one who is bound to." The maximum length of a cautio contract is five years with a single contract-holder; a teneantur may enter up to 25 total agreements at once. Most teneanturi serve as personal retainers and domestic servants, and most receive a small percentage of the taxes upon completion of their contract. To gain freedom, teneanturi can serve out the time on their contract, purchase it, earn it through military service, or receive it as a favor from the government.

An alternative system of slavery known as Cautio Imperialis (CI system) exists, which is distinct from the traditional Cautio system and reflects the complex needs of Caphiria’s military-industrial complex and global economic ambition. The CI system is designed to be a modern, regulated form of slavery integrated into Caphiria’s global trade network. The most popular form of this system is the Forum Commercia Servi (FCS), which allows for the trading of bulk cautio contracts as commodities on specialized exchanges; allowing corporate and government entities to acquire large numbers of slaves efficiently, facilitating the rapid deployment of labor across various sectors. Only a small number of corporate entities are authorized to hold a FCS license, with Comandivius being the first, oldest, and largest. Comandivius controls approximately 90% of slave trading activities both domestically and internationally. This system plays a critical role in supporting Caphiria’s military-industrial complex; slaves are employed in various capacities, including manufacturing and assembly, supplementing militia and auxiliary forces, and more.

Despite stringent regulations, illegal or black market slavery persists in Caphiria. This form of slavery operates outside the legal frameworks and is often associated with organized crime. Black market slaves are typically acquired through illicit means and are subjected to harsh conditions, with no legal protections. The government actively combats illegal slavery through rigorous enforcement and severe penalties for those involved in these activities. However, the clandestine nature of black market slavery makes it challenging to eradicate completely.

Cautio system

The cautio system was first proposed in 1964 by ZZZZ - a Consul of Caphiria, economist, and political theorist. He developed it to respond to the modern world's universal repugnance towards slavery and as the League of Nations campaigned to outlaw slavery worldwide. Titum wanted to preserve the ancient traditions of Caphiria while bringing the slave trade up to a standard fit for the modern age. Titum also developed the controversial aequatio animae, often simply called the "formula for the soul's worth." This formula is complex and includes factors such as market price, the slave's age, the duration of the contract, as well as extracting their theoretical maximal productive capability. The two most critical components of the formula are the "productivity quotient" and "contract quotient." The productivity quotient is a function of the slave's age turned into a decimal, and the contract quotient is a function of how long is left on the contract.

Under the cautio system, any individual age 16-80 is eligible to sign a cautio contract. The maximum length of a single contract is 5 years with a single contract-holder; a teneantur may enter up to 25 total agreements at once, however.

To mitigate the sociopolitical consequences, Caphiria enforces a double taxation system on the slave trade. Individuals must pay a 33.3% sales tax, in addition to a $1,000 annual registration fee at the time of purchase. The second tax is known as the mPQ tax, derived from the aequatio animae formula. The effective mPQ tax rate is then determined by a fractional multiple of the mPQ, which is then applied to the post-tax purchase price.The mPQ is a multiplier based on the age of the slave, with a logarithmic increase from 16 to 31.5, a linear decrease from 31.5 to 48, and a linear increase from 48 to 80. It is then multiplied by the square root of the contract duration. Taxpayers with slaves under an active contract are also subject to property taxes on the slave, which is based on taxpayer's social class.

See also

• Slavery in Great Levantia
• Chattle slavery