The Accords

The Accords are peace negotiations signed between the Downworlders and Shadowhunters (the Clave). The Accords act as amendments agreed to be taken as the law of the land by all of the Shadow World.

Description

The Accords is a treaty that ordains how Shadowhunters and Downworlders interact with mundanes and one another, as well as each group's rights, responsibilities, and restrictions, stating that as long as the rules are not broken, they can live in peace without bother and may even provide each other help when the need ever rises. Although the Accords keep the two parties in good enough terms to avoid slaughter between them, hostility is quite unavoidable, and many from both sides still feel that the Accords are unnecessary or unfair.

Terms

The Accords dictates several resolutions and social reforms meant to ease the relationship between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Below are some of the known terms of the treaty:

• The Nephilim is recognized as the official law-keeping force of the Downworld.
• Shadowhunters and Downworlders cannot reveal the nature of the Shadow World to mundanes, unless such a revelation cannot be avoided.
• Vampires must abide by the same mundane laws against murder as any other Downworlders. In their case, though they may be allowed to occasionally feed on willing humans through some loophole,^[1] they cannot drain and essentially kill and Turn the person they feed on.^[2]
• Vampires cannot kidnap mundanes,^[3] and vampires cannot keep subjugates^[4]—mundanes to feed on constantly—and bags or containers of human blood.^[5]
• Shadowhunters cannot kill Downworlders for no apparent reason.^[6] Downworlders are entitled to protection and due investigation for their suspected violation of the Accords before any official form of punishment can be meted out,^[7] unless the Downworlder is caught committing a crime. Even then, when a criminal surrenders to the Clave, they cannot be killed on sight.^[4]
• Shadowhunters cannot torture Downworlders.^[8]
• Portalling to Idris without approval is not allowed.^[9]

See also

• See The Accords on the Shadowhunters wiki.

References