Duirt is located between three nation states (South Vorus, Eccles and the Silver Rain Republic), each having territory within the city. It hosts the neutral Central Quarter within the city, and has 14 noble houses, who each hold certain rights and authority. It therefore should come as no surprise that the laws in Duirt can be a complicated matter.

In most cases though those differences are academic. Murder is murder, no matter who's jurisdiction you are in, and thieves can expect roughly the same thing regardless of where they steal. Judges care very little for the letter of the law - they use their own gut and common sense to deal with criminals and generally do so harshly.

The Reivers are a special case in this - Reivers work to stop those who do dark deeds (and don't generally chase small time crooks like pickpockets or small time bandits) and do not generally care about borders. They operate all over Urt

Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement within the city is handled by the guards of individual city quarters. In the South Quarter, the Port Authority handles most criminal matters, and they also enforce the law at sea. In the East Quarter, the Voran Watch keeps the peace while in the West Quarter and the lands surrounding it, the Church Guard enforces the law. The neutral Central Quarter is watched over by the City Guard, and the area also hosts the Reiver Hall, one of the bases of the Reivers. Arch-Magus Bianca Charline has a group of Elite Mages called the Red Robes that go out and hunt down the criminal element that are beyond the ability of the rest of the guard. Red Robes use magic and teleportation as their primary use of seeking and catching criminals. Though limited to the East Quarter by rule of law it is not unusual to see a Red Robe in another quarter if they can get around the issue without being seen.

Nobles shape the laws of the different nations, but they are not in the habit of enforcing those laws themselves, leaving this to the state that they are part of.

Guards have some authority to order people around, such as telling them to leave an area or arresting them - this authority is limited to the area patrolled by their organization. For example, a Voran Watch is not allowed to arrest someone in the Central Quarter. That being said, considerable leeway is given when chasing a suspect or when catching someone in the act.

Criminals and Punishment

For small offences, the guards usually keep someone in jail overnight or sometimes for a few days and then let them out. A fine may be levied or money taken to pay for damages incurred, and this is generally the end of the matter.

For serious offences like arson, murder or attempted murder, treason, grand theft, etc, a criminal will be brought before a judge in service of whatever nation the offence happened in, or for the central quarter the matter will go before Heggir.

Trials are generally handled publicly and may be a bit of a spectacle. Those found guilty may be punished with fines, banishment, forced labour, public humiliation or death, depending on their crimes.

Specific Laws

This section contains a list of specific laws that may not seem intuitive.