Err, you don't want them to escape unpunished, but you do want them to escape unpunished?
What kind of campaign are you running, is it dangerous for the player characters? Do poor character actions have appropriate consequences? In Glorantha, as in the real world, some actions (stupidity in particular) are punishable by death. If you don't want your players to slaughter everyone, simply allow them to play how they wish, kill the player characters in the inevitable vengeance bloodbath and have the players generate new characters. The players will be more careful next time round.
Wergild IS the only alternative to unceasing slaughter, in Orlanthi culture.
I dimly remember reading somewhere that Europe has two legal traditions: the Roman/Christian and the (barbarian) Germanic. The first was concerned with motives and contrition, the second with consequences and amendment. Thus the first would focus on whether a killing was premeditated, whereas the second would focus on the fact that someone was dead. The Germanic tradition is more appropriate as a model for Orlanthi culture. Thus the fact that the characters are sorry that they have killed someone is not important. They must make good the loss.
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