Good to see 'old Arachne' up and running again. And isn't it great to see David Cheng back and posting! Gedday David. :)
BUBBLY DRIBBLY CHAOS Chris Bell on the Red Goddess:
> Her creation/resurrection during time directly contradicts the great
> compromise. So either the compromise doesn't exist, or her creation
> doesn't occur during time.
There's a third option: She's raw, bubbling, dribbly-round-the-edges Chaos and so is antithetical to the CG or to Law in general. If you want the straight answer on Lunar mythology, ask an Orlanthi. :)
HEORTLING JUSTICE Frank Rafaelsen sets a case before the moot.
First up, I should say that Heortling justice gets revisited in Thunder Rebels, which should be shipping in just another week or so.
> God-talker was killed with a garrote, by a 'Lhankor Mhy' cultist from a
> different clan. Both his head and a special Thunderstone was abducted. Now
> that is secret murder, theft of a holy item, and a very strong
> indication of Thanatar worship.
>
> The murderer is from a very powerful clan, so the player-characters
> are opposed to starting a blood feud with the other clan before other
> options have been examined. How would they go about to get his bloodline
> to court?
Capital crimes are usually handled differently, as they are insults to the sacred order rather than mere threats to social harmony.
Heortling Justice is usually a negotiation between two *groups* related by kinship, and *individuals* are not held directly responsible for misdeeds or infractions of the law codes. Law codes are primarily about harmony and compensation and value. The courts are primarily about consensus and compensation rather than punishment, and about finding social harmony and acceptable compromise rather than upholding abstract principles. Everyone must continue to live together following the dispute, and be satisfied with the outcome, lest feuding or even kinstrife erupt. The payment of weregild is not an admission of fault or guilt, merely an act of compensation.
Capital crimes are different. Firstly, it is the *individual* who is held responsible for the action. Secondly, the perpetrator's bloodline and clan *itself* is charged by tradition with "fixing" the problem. As one law code puts it:
"First are the crimes that none can bear, beyond justice, beyond compensation, beyond even exile. These deserve death and so much more, and none must shirk from wielding a swift blade. In shame I pronounce their names, for they sicken my breath as I speak: ...."
So serious crime involving chaos or secret murder is usually dealt with swiftly and informally by the perpetrator's bloodline itself. If bloodline elders believe you guilty of a capital crime, they will come to you with drawn swords.
So Frank's PCs should go to the chieftain or Ring of the clan concerned. No one wishes to have Thanatari living in their midst, and no clan wishes to have a reputation of permitting Chaos to thrive. They will listen to the evidence, investigate further if necessary, inform the tribal king and his lawspeaker, and if convinced, summon Uroxi, godi, elders etc. and perform the rituals to absolve them of kinstrife before acting. If your heroes act alone in stopping the Thanatari, they risk initiating an escalating cycle of violence with his clan.
Of course, it's not necessarily easy-going once the perpetrator's clan is involved, especially if the accused is powerful, has powerful patrons or supporters, or lives in an isolated stead. That pushes the scenario in entirely new directions :).
Cheers
John
Had they been other than they were, they might have written a new mythology there. As it was, they took inventory.
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