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Laws of Malador

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 4 months ago

Excises and Licenses

Other than laws covering obvious criminal acts, such as murder, theft and assault, most of Malsdor's laws are concerned with the generation of income. Many activities are subject to taxes and licensing fees, such as:

 

  • Treasure recovered from the Drowning Towers is taxed at a rate of 50 percent of its appraised value. This is achieved by having Excise officials calculate the total value of the items recovered and pay half that value to the agents who recovered them.
  • The sale of arms and armor within the city is subject to a tax of one-fifth of the price for which they are sold. This means that weapons and armor purchased within the city generally cost 25% more than normal list prices.
  • Characters need a weapons license if they intend to carry weapons or wear armor in public places within the city. These licenses cost a daunting 2 gold pieces per week, payable in advance. Few people can afford such an extravagant sum, however all members of the city militia receive a complimentary license in exchange for their service.

 

Enforcing the Law

Malador has a Town Guard approximately 200 strong, who are charged with maintaining law and order. This force is split into equal shifts for night and day, with each shift working 12 hours. These guards wear bright red tabards and leather armor, and carry a spear, a club, or both. They usually travel in groups of five, consisting of 4 guardsmen and a squad leader.

 

Clifftop maintains a separate guard force, paid for by the citizens of that district.

 

It’s important to understand that neither group of guards is a police force in the modern sense. They do not investigate crimes and track down culprits. Their job is merely to arrest anyone they catch committing a crime, and to respond to any hue-and-cry raised by citizens. In theory, this means that only guilty persons are arrested, and therefore the onus is on the defendant to prove innocence when brought before a judge.

 

Arrested characters are immediately placed in a cell at the guard barracks, where they generally remain for until the next trial date. Trials are held at the end of every week. During the time they are in the cells, the prisoner is given water once a day, but no food unless they have the funds to pay for it. Once brought before the court, the accused theoretically has an opportunity to plead his or her case; in practice, the charges are only ever dropped when the judge is bribed.

 

Crime and Punishment

Maladoran justice recognizes only three types of crimes. These are crimes of property (arson, burglary, theft, or vandalism, and performing a licensed activity without a license), crimes of person (assault, murder, or rape), and crimes of state (treason).

 

Crimes of Property: The standard sentence for a crime of property is a fine equal to three times the value of the stolen or damaged goods. Of this amount, one-tenth goes to the guards who captured the culprit, one-half goes to the victim, one-fifth to the judge, and one-fifth to the Malador city coffers.

 

Crimes of Person: The standard sentence for a crime of person is a fine based on the nature and extent of the injury. For common assaults that leave no permanent injuries, the fine is 10 gold pieces. For assaults that leave permanent injury, the fine is 100 gold pieces. The fine for sexual assault is 500 gold pieces. Murder is always punished with death by hanging.

 

If the accused cannot pay the fine assessed for a crime of property or person, he is given an alternative sentence based on the fine amount. For fines under 30 gold pieces, he is placed in the stocks for three days. For fines between 30 and 300 gold pieces, he is given twenty lashes, then three days in the stocks. For fines above this amount, he is hanged until dead.

 

Crimes of State: The punishment for all crimes of state is death by hanging.

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