At 3:32 PM +0000 7/31/01, Ian Cooper wrote:
> >You don't have to go to court for this, it is handled by the jurors
>or by the offender offering self-judgement to the wronged party .<
>
>I mean you don't always - court means the offender doesn't agree that
>you deserve compensation and wants to fight it. This suggests the
>beginning of hostility between two groups.
Again, I don't think this is quite right. The pattern might be:
- Clan A raids clan B, Hrut injures Eoin seriously; Eoin can't be
healed and loses an arm.
- Eoin's bloodline complains to the ring of Clan B.
- Clan B announces that its bringing a case (or steps on Eoin's
bloodline's rights and causes trouble in the clan).
- The Clan A ring can refuse to hear the case -- resulting in open
hostilities between the clans (this would be very insulting, I think,
and almost never done).
- Clan B gathers jurors, witnesses, etc and goes to a gathering at
Clan A's tula (this might be a market day, feast day, law day,
whatever).
- Clan B presents its case.
- Clan A presents its rebuttal.
- The jurors add their 2 cents, the lawspeakers make any rulings or
appeals to law and precedence, any Truth magics are used, and an
agreement for compensation is reached.
- Either clan can, at this point, refuse compensation, and demand
blood, either through trial by combat or refusal to accept the
arbitration (declaring a feud). (Frankly, unless the bloodlines in
question are willing to take responsibility, I doubt many clans would
put up with this -- why should they pay with blood or cows for Hrut's
excess of zeal/bloodthirstiness/bad luck?)
- Assuming 9 doesn't happen, the promise of payment is made.
- Clan A pays up (making up the cost largely or entirely from
Hrut's bloodline) and Clan B distributes (mostly to Eoin's bloodline,
minus gifts to the ring, jurors, lawspeakers (for their time and
efforts, not as bribes).
- If Clan A won't pay up, Clan B has to collect. This may fall to
Eoin's bloodline, depending on Clan B's politics. Jurors may or may
not help, again depending on how politically powerful Eoin's
bloodline is. Essentially, everyone supports a winner, while losers
are often left to hang.
That's a quick synopsis without references. Further
examination of sagas, history books, and Thunar Rebels will no doubt
modify it. It also probably tends to change somewhat from tribe to
tribe and especially between the various Orlanthi Cultures.
Peter Larsen
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