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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 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 |
| 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.