High Noon

From: MOBTOTRM_at_vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 00:10:36 +1100


G'day all,

High Noon

Martin Crim, Attorney at Law wrote:
>Sounds like an invitation to me. The challenge is to make them interesting,
>comprehensible to a non-specialist, and (most of all) capable of being plot
>drivers.

I concur absolutely (and I hope I managed to accomplish this in the forthcoming scenario in Tales #16).

Here's a legal snippet:

In several of the Dara Happan cities, the following is a time-honoured legal tradition -  

"If a verdict is for acquittal it may be spoken today; if for death, it cannot be pronounced until tomorrow."

There are several explanations for this tradition:   *so that the accused has time to make his peace and prepare himself;

  *so,in certain cases (usually involving the high born) the accused can    'accidentally' kill themselves and thus avoid family dishonour and    confiscation of assets - though note that in Red Fish City the only    the only acceptable way to do this is by staging an apparent spontaneous    human combustion;

  *so that the judge (who, in the guise of Yelm Imperator is required to be    infallible) can reflect upon his judgement, which must be correct because    there is no appeal and sentence is carried out immediately after it is    pronounced;

  *and, in recent Lunar times, so that the accused can crave the indulgence of    Moonson and beg for mercy. This is rarely bestowed, if only because unless    the Emperor is close by (or it is Sacred Time), the time frame is probably    too short to present the petition to him. (Note that unsuccessful    petitioners are likely to be thrown into the Crater or designated    'Bat Meat')

Here's a plot idea:
PC/important person is framed and at the trial, the judge announces he will give his verdict on the morrow - the other PCs then have until High Noon tomorrow to find the real culprits and bring them before the court!

MOB
Bachelor of Laws (failed)



>From the Notes From Nochet files:

(XXIX.13-42)
A translation from the Code of Enkidu, co-founder of this city: "He who is convicted of the abominable crime of marrying his own grandparent shall lose his foot and his roof."
A marginal note by Telgonius, law-master: The un-named commentator has, I fear, made a mistranslation of the punishment. In reality, the malefactor loses his foot and his *liver*.

Powered by hypermail