Thralls

A thrall is a former citizen who is now in bondage to a another citizen, or to an organization. A thrall's bondage is temporary: it may be punishment for a crime, payment for a debt, or offered in exchange for learning a craft. There are other reasons a citizen might sign a thrall contract.

The thrall is only a thrall for a predetermined duration. For that duration the thrall is like a slave, only with some rights and freedoms. A citizen can give or sell him/herself as a thrall, and thus be placed in bondage voluntarily. A parent can place a child of the appropriate age into bondage; this is usually an apprenticeship to a craft (e.g., engineering). A thrall loses citizenship for the duration of being a thrall, after which the thrall's citizenship is automatically restored. The owner of a thrall cannot place the thrall into true slavery, until the duration has elapsed or until the thrall formally repudiates the thrall agreement.

A thrall is a quasi-citizen, not property. Killing any thrall is murder. Killing someone else's slave is destruction of property. Killing your own slave is your own business.

A thrall's contract need not be for continuous service, if both the owner and thrall agree. For example, a citizen might owe a debt equivalent to 96 hours of his/her labor (based on his/her passions and other qualifications). The citizen may pay off the debt in increments, like 8 hours each day in a shop, or 4 hours each night in a bedroom. He/she might be expected to wearing his/her collar and kneeling in the appropriate spot each morning at sunrise, each night at sunset, etc.