In Teshnos, a person pays for their own transgressions themselves. In Orlanthi culture, the clan is the culpable entity, thus the clan pays the weregild.
This has wide-ranging ramifications on the social mechanism for keeping people's behavior in check. The structure of laws are going to be significantly different when it is individual vs individual, instead of clan vs clan. The later can be viewed as a guided negotiation, in accordance with the traditions set by ancestors. The former (perhaps) would be a judging of the issue by the wise and long-lived souls.
Also, the view on crime victims is different. For a clan, they have suffered an injury (one of their clan members is slain) and are compensated, for the Teshnos, there is no recompense for murder. Does this hold for theft and other crimes?
(In fact, since the murdered is reborn, regaining their wealth and social position; is there any loss aside from earning potential as you relearn your skills and grow to maturity?)
Lots to think about here.
On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 11:27 AM, Peter Metcalfe < metcalph_at_f_PnW-OI6E13z-1Bw-qdifoWsF6HwL5Zv5DwdWJ-Hh6HF088KBw8STWrTxHHcf000WGEEmXddHVZsiEOAlWzlrWKivQE.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
>
>
> Todd Gardiner wrote:
> > This also suggests that the death penalty for crimes is sort of
> pointless?
> > How do you punish criminals when their death just means that they
> re-enter
> > society?
>
> Because the act of dying is considered sufficient restitution just as
> the action of paying weregild is considered sufficient restitution among
> the Orlanthi. If the murderer has murdered more than one person, then
> he dies multiple times.
>
> --Peter Metcalfe
>
>
>
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