The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[drtrollado 267]

The chaotic Salvian Justice System

 

Spoiler

 

A society dictated by law and respect relies on a judge, who after evaluating the arguments of conflicting parties resolves the dispute with a final and definitive ruling over it, which may or may not also be judged itself by a higher court. A respectable society which garners itself as progressive and fair executes justice in that way, what about a society that does not thirst for such ideals? How does a stateless society work? To be more precise, how do the rowdy, lawless, sinful and, above all, canonist people of the marshlands of Lurin resolve their disputes?


 

Cartoonish depiction of a Salvian Standoff

 

Well, the answer is as simple as it could possibly be, by MIGHT, of course! Conflicting parties resolve their disputes by beating eachother to a pulp, and whoever remains is declared the RIGHTEOUS of the cause. No judges but the Lord Himself, no help but their own two fists, if you got a demand, fight it on the grounds of the Barony of Salvos. If your case is GOOD, than the LORD will be favourable to you and you shall rise above your ENEMY, if its not and HE to judges you unworthy, then understand your cause LACKED from the beginning.
 

Though they lack a material figure of power that reigns over their disputes, they do not lack FAITH in what is sacred. In a land where scarcity is the rule and surviving requires constant fighting, the dividing line between GOOD and EVIL gets blurry every so often, but that is not to say that they abhor what is CIVIL, it is just that the bar is much lower when struggle is COMMON and misplaced trust can cost EVERYTHING. Added with the many different backgrounds and customs of its populace, it remains clear how civility fails, as those who live in CHAOS respect nothing but FORCEFUL ORDER.

 

Amidst the swamps surrounding Salvos lay an ancient bridge that once connected the main keep to the road, that rumour has it once belonged to an extinct Paladin Order, but as with the people residing there, its past matters not if it failed in becoming future. So, broken and abandoned, the Salvians used its carcass to build on it their court of justice, nicknaming it “The Tribunal”, it serves the essencial function of grounds on where disputes are resolved.

The two conflicting parties are to arrive in "The Tribunal" on a previously agreed time, wearing nothing but their clothes and carrying nothing but their fists on their hands. The attacker, who is denouncing a damage done by another, is to enter through the "A" Entrance, while the defendant, who is being denounced of the said damage, is to enter through the "B" Entrance. They, then, are to meet at the center so that a canonist priest can offer the LORD a prayer to validate the fight. After, the attacker is to loudly denounce the defendant of the damage in question, as well as set the possible terms of resolution of the conflict. If the defendant agrees to the conditions, then it is to be respect by ALL, for the LORD blessed the parties with diplomacy. If the defendant is to deny the terms, both the attacker and the defendant are to walk 10 (ten) steps away from eachother, for that represents how deep their graves are to be digged if they are to die on the fight. Once both are correctly apart, the priest who is overseeing the case will do a prayer for each of the two souls present on "The Tribunal" before starting the countdown (usually starting from ten). The parties are free to fight as they see fit, as long as they do not leave the combines of "The Tribunal". No one is allowed to interfere in the case till its ending, which will happen either by voluntary will, such as one of the parties admiting defeat, or involuntary will, such as a parties' death or passing out. After the fighting concludes, the WINNER is declared RIGHTEOUS of the case before leaving the grounds of "The Tribunal", the priest is to, then, check on the LOSER'S health state, if he simply passed out, he is to be taken out of the grounds and put in the safety of a nearby wagon, but if he died on the fight, he is to be buried on a unmarked grave nearby, 10 feet deep in the ground, with all of the belongings on his body remaining untouched.

 

Though the nearby Salvians are able to hear the thuds and screams of the fights happening in "The Tribunal" they prefer to just continue on their, exhausting, day, for the hours spent watching the fight can be better used to secure their survival. In the rare case a crowd forms, they usually are extremely quiet and expressionless as they watch the case unfold. On the occasion of death of one parties in the fight, they make sure to roam around the priest as he prepares the body and the burial of the fallen, and they make sure to remember the exact location of the grave.

Those who did not partake in the watching of the fight can always hear a distant sound of fighting in the night after someone dies in "The Tribunal", as those who've lost respect for the dead struggle against the living to obtain anything of value from the bodies, but they do not judge, for only the LORD can. If they spare a moment, which mostly don't, it is simply to mutter a well known Salvian saying "Peace, only in death, Honor, only in wealth".

 

Edited September 20, 2024 by drtrollado

[Caranthir_ 2533]

Tristan patted Randir on the back with an approving nod. 

 

“In all my years, might has always made right. A lawyer can write a thousand letters, but a swordsman only has to strike once. The Tribunal is an ugly business, but it delivers justice. It is up to God to determine the righteous. Men forget quickly.” He reflected, "Now get back to the ranch and breed me some cows."