Table of Contents
The Law
When characters are caught breaking the law in the Kingdom of Nessex, they need to know a few things.
Status and Wergild
Each person in the kingdom is assigned a status or social position, with a corresponding wergild or “man-price.”
| Status | Wergild | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| King | 100,000gp | Ruler of Nessex, chosen by the Witan |
| Royal | 75,000gp | Members of the King's family to 2 degrees |
| Earl | 50,000gp | Ruler of a shire |
| High Reeve or Sheriff | 25,000gp | Appointed governor of a major town or king's agent in a shire |
| Bishop | 25,000gp | Head churchman of a shire |
| Abbot | 20,000gp | Head of a monastic house |
| Lord | 5000gp | Thane of a Hundred |
| Lordly | 2500gp | Family to 2 degrees of a Earl, High Reeve or Thane |
| Priest | 1500gp | Head church man of a parish/hundred |
| Housecarl | 500gp | Soldier in service to the king, earl or thane full time, includes knights |
| Clergy | 500gp | any ordained religious person who outranks a monk but does not lead a whole hundred's flock |
| Monk | 150gp | Member of a monastic house who has taken his vows |
| Churl | 120gp | Holder of 1 hide of land, tax payer and militia soldier and their families |
| Burger | 120gp | Holder of a household in a town or city, militia soldier and tax payer |
| Boor | 50gp | Landless freeman and family |
| Bondsman | 25gp | Indentured laborer |
The Burger class suffers from considerable status anxiety. They consider themselves better than the Churls, but the Law, the Lords and the Warrior class doesn't seem to agree. Likewise, the wealthiest merchants of the Burger class consider themselves the equals or even superiors of the poorer lords, who manifestly don't agree.
Crimes Against Public Order
Certain crimes are punishable by death. However, the sentence can be set aside by the Lord, Earl or King at the trial, usually with some recourse to wergild. The judge can also pass a sentence of outlawry, which means the defendant can be killed without consequence by anyone.
- Breaking one's Oath of Faithfulness: This is the only guaranteed death sentence.
- Fighting in the King's house: Can be forgiven if the fighters pay a fine equal to twice their wergild.
- Fighting in the Earl or Lord's house: Can be forgiven if the fighters pay a fine equal to their wergild.
- Fighting in a Churl or Burger's house: Can be forgiven if the fighters pay a fine equal to the owner's wergild.
- Using poison or black magic: Can be forgiven if malefactor pays twice his own wergild and seeks penance from the Church.
- Killing someone: You must offer the victim's wergild to the family (who splits it with his lord) or the family and/or lord has the right to seek bloodfeud. If they start the feud before a chance for wergild offer can be made, they are considered equally guilty.
- Theft: Can be forgiven if you return value of property stolen and pay value of your wergild.
THE COURTS
Hundred-Moot: the Hundred Moot or Hundred Court is where most criminal cases are decided. This is presided over by the Thane/Lord of the Hundred and the parish priest. Four or more times a year, the churls of the hundred assemble to settle legal disputes. Inhabitants of the hundred bring complaints to one of the Elders who create a docket of cases. The plaintiff and defendant make their cases, then the Lord proposes a resolution (innocence or guilt and proposed sentence), the elders make commentary as to whether the solution is according to law and custom, and the parish priest comments as to whether the solution is consistent with the laws of God. Then the churls vote on the lord's proposal. The lord then carries out any sentence. If there is no lord, a Reeve can run the court in his place, but any sentence of death or bodily harm must be delayed and the convict transported to the Earl for carrying out of the sentence. It is permitted to appeal a criminal case decision of the Hundred Moot, if a defendant can afford to pay for his confinement (his food, the salary of any guards placed on him and any inconvenience to the lord) he can have the case re-heard at the next hundred-moot, and he can even appeal a second time. If the hundred-moot decides against him 3 times, he can appeal to the Shire-Moot.
Typically, the lord of the hundred uses the Hundred-Moot to make inspection of the churls to see if their required militia equipment is up to snuff, and to do some basic shield-wall drill. Likewise, the churl's families, the boors and the bondsmen typically gather for a fair or market on Moot-day.
Shire-Moot at least twice a year each Earl must hold a Shire-Moot for the entire Earldom. The Earl establishes the docket, and runs the meeting jointly with the Bishop. The Shire-moot mostly deals with issues of property, the ordinary criminal cases being handled by the Hundred-Moots. The sherrif is always present at the Shire-Moot and has the right to delay implementation of any decision that may interfere with the rights of the King. The sherrif is also tasked with enforcing the decisions of the Shire-Moot. The Shire-Moot also decides any appeals from the Hundred-Moots. Like the Hundred-Moot, the Earl proposes a decision, and the Sheriff and Bishop comment on whether it is in accordance with Law and Custom of God and Man. Where the decision of the Hundred Moots rests in the hands of the 100 Churls of the Hundred, decisions of the Shire-Moot are made by the Earl, Bishop, Lords, Sheriff, Abbots, and senior priests assembled in council. A shire market or fair is common on Shire-moot day.