Judicial

Laws

There are four laws that can be set in the game by the realm's judge. The laws are statements of whether certain actions are legal, illegal, or both depending upon the circumstances. If an action is deemed illegal then the judge can set up an automatic punishment like a fine. If the legality depends upon the circumstances then the Judge will be notified and will have to manually determine if the action was legal or not. The laws of your realm can be found in the information menu.

The four laws:

Any kind of Looting.
Issuing or accepting a duel challenge.
Founding a religion.
Magic and spell-casting.

Aside from the laws based on the game mechanics there are also player enforced laws and even constitutions. Some examples of this can be found on the following pages:

Punishments

There are three punishments for breaking the laws of a realm: a fine, which is a requirement to pay a certain amount of gold; a ban, which results in being forced to leave the realm; and exile, which is where the ruler removes your right to access the bank, recruitment centers, and other realm infrastructure in an attempt to get you to leave. What determines breaking the law, however, is determined by the judge or ruler. This means that the judge can deal out most forms of punishment for any reason or no reason. There can be repercussions to the judge or ruler that deals out an unjust punishment. Depending on the government system, the appearance of tyranny may hurt the judge or ruler's chance at reelection. Along with the detrimental effects on reelection efforts there is also the choice of nobles to protest the actions of the ruler or judge. With enough people protesting it is possible for the judge or ruler to be stripped of their position. There is always the possibility of injustice giving rise to a rebellion.

Fines

The lightest form of punishment a judge can deal out is called a fine. A fine is used to force a noble to give up a certain amount of gold. Fines will be deducted from your tax income if you haven't paid the fine before tax time. For example, if you are fined 25 gold and your tax income would be 35 gold, then the fine will be taken out of your taxes and you are given the remainder of 10 gold. While you have an unpaid fine many realm functions will be unavailable to you. Once a fine is issued it can not be taken back by the judge. Either the fine will be paid or you will escape the payment by leaving the realm. There can only be one fine against a character at a time. The lowest amount that can be fined is 25 gold and the maximum amount is 1/3rd the entire realm's income.

Banishment

Information on an account ban: Ban

If the Judge of the realm decides that someone should be removed from the realm, they can choose to ban them. These are known as IC (In Character) bans. These types of bans are used for actions the character has taken.

Not all nobles can be subject to banishment. The following nobles cannot be banned:

Nobles of Royal rank.
Fellow council members. (Ruler, General, and Banker)
Nobles who are currently exiled. (You should have banned them when you had the chance!)

Once the judge speaks a ban, the troop leader has a few turns before it goes into effect. They should use this time to find a more hospitable realm. Once that time is up, if the troop leader is ever captured by the realm again, the judge can choose to deport or execute them.

For nobles of the realm not accused of a crime, there are two forms of banning:

Kick Out - When a noble is kicked out of a realm, they are removed from the realm in one day (~3 turns). Their bonds are revoked immediately, and most realm facilities are closed (repairs, recruiting centers, etc.). At the end of the three turns, they are declared rogue nobles.

Ask to leave - Asking a noble to leave allows the noble 3 days (~6 turns) to find a new home before they are removed from the realm.

The judge of a realm can also ban infiltrators who are caught committing sabotage in the realm. Leaders of failed rebellions will be automatically banned. Nobles caught trading in the black market are thrown in the dungeons, and may also be banned or, if caught by their own realm, deported. Priests can also be banned if they are caught causing trouble. Any who are arrested when they are not doing something wrong (e.g. caught by patrols while traveling or an adventurer who was arrested by a noble,) can not be banned.

Exile

Exiling a noble is a power granted only to the ruler of a realm. It is generally considered a last resort. A way to try and deal with a noble who the judge can't, or won't, take care of on their own.

Exiling a noble essentially instructs the realm to not have any dealings with that noble. They will no longer be able to use the banks, recruiting centers, shops, or any other such realm infrastructure. Unlike banishment, however, they will not be removed from the realm. They will continue to be a noble of the realm until they choose to leave on their own. While they will continue to receive their taxes as normal, any bonds received will not be able to exchanged for gold.

Anyone can be exiled by the ruler, even those who cannot be banned. This includes Royals and the other three council members. This makes it a powerful tool for dealing with these otherwise untouchable nobles.

Exile is not, however, without its own cost. It is a test of wills between the ruler and the exiled noble. For so long as the exiled noble remains within the realm, both he and the ruler will slowly lose both honor, and even prestige. This gradual loss will only end when either the exiled noble leaves the realm, or the ruler steps down from the throne.

Once exiled, a noble can no longer be banned. The contest between the ruler and the exiled noble can only end when one of them admits defeat.

Prison

Main article: Prison

When another realm captures you, you will be put in their prison, and a ransom in gold will be set. Every day that you are in prison, the ransom will decrease. While you are in prison you will not be able to conduct any of the normal actions. You will be restricted to only one letter per turn, and it is possible for the enemy judge to read your mail. A particularly dishonourable judge might steal all of your gold. You might even be tortured!