Law and Order
Guards and The Watch
Guards and watchmen may seem pretty similar to your average miscreant, but there are very important differences between the two groups.
Guards
Guards are effectively a faction's standing army. The primary responsibilities of the guards are to protect the citizens, and defend the settlement from monsters and raiders. As such they are trained to be effective and ruthless combatants. It is also the guards' job to defend against invading armies, however that sort of attack hasn't been seen in Ataland in over two centuries.
Guards report directly to faction central command, but also take orders from the local leadership. You can often find guards protecting the noble quarters, where they exist.
The Watch
Watchmen and watchwomen are sworn to keep the peace and uphold the law. More than simply trying to prevent lawlessness as it happens, the watch try the solve past crimes and find the culprits. They have broad powers to arrest and interrogate suspects, but do not deal out punishments. (See 'Justice' below.)
Technically each watch house is beholden only to the law. In reality, the local leadership has a lot of power over how it is run, including appointing its leader and writing ordnances for it to follow.
Either, or neither
While the above is true in larger towns and cities, in smaller settlements each group may take on more of the other's responsibilities. Some settlements may lack one or the other entirely. In which case the group that is there may entirely take on the duties of the other.
Very small settlements may lack both, but this doesn't make them lawless. These are usually sleepy little villages where not much ever happens anyway. If something dramatic were to occur, local citizens may be forced to do what they can. Guards may be called for from nearby settlements if needed.
Justice
So, someone's been arrested. What happens next? The quality of the justice you receive depends on where you are, as much as the crime committed. In larger, more liberal cities they might face a panel akin to a jury. In smaller and more conservative settlements, you might just have a quick chat with the local lord before a swift trip to the gallows.
Urban Justice
In larger settlements, justice tends to be more formalized and bureaucratic. The process may include:
- A Judge: A legal expert familiar with the faction's laws to oversee the trial or hearing, and often deliver the verdict. Judges can vary in fairness and many, but by no means all, are in the pockets of wealthy nobles.
- Advocates or Lawyers: A similar legal expert arguing on behalf of you, another person, or the settlement itself. That's if you can afford one to represent you. In kestiobar you are entitled to a public advocate.
- A Jury: A panel of citizens who weigh evidence and deliver a verdict. Not everyone is afforded this privilege, only if your case is deemed high-profile or controversial enough to need one. This system is designed to be impartial, though juries can be influenced.
Rural Justice
In smaller settlements, justice is often swifter and less formal. Usually taking one of two forms:
- Local Lord: The local lord, village elder, or leader acts as a judge. Typically making decisions based on personal judgment and local customs. This can lead to a wide variance in the quality of justice.
- Community Tribunal: A group of respected villagers hears the case and decide upon a punishment if warranted. Standing within the village is often an important factor in these tribunals, with outsiders often facing higher burdens of proof and punishments than locals.
Common Punishments
Minor Crimes
For petty crimes like minor theft, vandalism, minor violence, and the like, punishments can include:
- A Fine. Monetary penalties that must be paid to the victim, settlement, or both. From a single silver piece to a bag of gold, a fine could be any amount. It depends on the severity of the offense and how much money the perpetrator can afford.
- Public Service. Usually something mundane like cleaning, repairing, or digging. A frequently used option when the perpetrator is destitute.
- Public Humiliation. Displayed in public, usually in stocks, for the public to jeer at. If they are really lucky, some of the food thrown at them might still be fairly fresh.
Major Crimes
Serious crimes like murder, arson, or treason, or repeated minor crimes may result in harsher penalties:
- Banishment. The convict is exiled and banished from the settlement (and possibly nearby settlements.) They are forced to survive in the wilderness or find refuge elsewhere - often bandit camps.
- Imprisonment. Sentences can range from a few months to life. If the convict is really lucky their tiny cell will be above ground. More often, prisons have grim dungeon-like conditions - that's if they are not actual dungeons.
- Death. Reserved for the most heinous crimes, methods vary from hanging and beheading to more exotic forms like being thrown into a monster pit.