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The Leadership of the Arbiters of Judgement shall be as follows:
1) There shall be three Lords, one of each alignment.
The requirements for Lord are as follows:
-Examples of Dedication and Devotion to the Law
-Consistent time spent in Thera
2) The duties of the Lords are as follows:
-Impeccable behavior in the eyes of the Law and the Cabal
-Conducting of interviews for applicants to the Hall
-Inducting new members on the approval of 2/3 of the Lords
-To serve and Uphold the Law to their best ability
-Uninducting unfit Arbiters; requires approval of 2/3 of the
Lords
3) Each Lord shall be responsible for choosing an Elder to assist them.
The requirements for Elder are as follows:
-Examples of Dedication and Devotion to the Law
-Consistent time spent in Thera
-Must be of the same alignment as the Lord they serve
4) The duties of the Elders are as follows:
-Impeccable behavior in the eyes of the Law and the Cabal
-Conducting prliminary interviews for applicants of the same alignment
-Posting of the results of said interview to all Lords and Elders
-To serve and Uphold the Law to their best ability
5) The chain of command is as follows:
-Bria
-Immortal Lords
-Mortal Lords
-Elders
-the rest by rank
Obey those above you. If you receive an order you feel is improper, write
a scroll to Bria. Until you hear from her, consider the order valid unless
it is in direct contravention to something written on the Pillar or in the
books. Similarly, write a scroll if you see an Arbiter actat
goes against the Pillar or the books.
There is no room for chaotic processes. You must abide by the hierarchical
structure of the cabal or you will find yourself outside it.
Some words are carved onto the stone pillar:
Arbiters are not above the law. It is your duty to uphold and enforce
the laws, and you will work within them at all times. The only exception
to this is when you are chasing a criminal, at which point you are to
follow the rules written on this pillar. Even then, however, you are not
to endanger bystanders inside protected towns, and are to refrain from
using any harmful area affects. This includes bardsongs which could
affect people other than the criminal in a negative fashion.
As an Arbiter, you are always on duty; you may not turn a deaf ear to the
cry of injustice, nor decide that you are too busy to chase one who has
flouted the laws.
The rules by which all Arbiters are expected to abide are carved into the
pillar on the 'front' and 'back'.
As an Arbiter of the Law, you must follow a code of conduct in
addition to adhering to the Laws of Thera. Failure to strictly adhere
to these rules will result in your immediate removal from the cabal.
1. Entropy is our sworn enemy. You will not group, trade, or associate
with them in any way, but rather will use all possible means to rid
Thera of their chaotic blight.
2. Special guards are to be used ONLY in conjunction with Arbiter duties.
They are not bodyguards, and they are not pets. Their presence is an
indicator that you are on Arbiter business, and anyone found calling
on them for trivial reasons will be treated harshly.
3. When marking someone as a criminal, you must immediately tell the
person what he or she has done to earn this status. You must be
visible when doing this.
4. Never remove a flag which you did not place yourself. If you feel
someone was wrongfully convicted, speak with the issuing Arbiter,
an Elder, a Lord, or Bria in that order. If you remove a flag for
*any* reason you must *always* send a scroll to Bria explaining why.
5. Once a person has been made a criminal, all actions taken by that
person are exempt from the law until the flag is removed. They cannot
be made a criminal again later for actions taken during this time.
6. A person may assist an Arbiter to kill a criminal in a protected area
provided that: a) they are lawful in ethos, b) you have asked them to
assist, and c) they are by your side. Should the assistant attack and
any of these conditions not hold true, you will flag them as per the
laws. It is your duty to ensure that they understand this.
The rules are continued on the back of the pillar.
The rules continue on the back of the pillar:
7. Anyone branded a criminal forfeits all right to their equipment. An
Arbiter may return some items to a downed criminal, depending on that
person's criminal history. This is at the discretion of the Arbiter.
Weapons are never to be returned under any circumstances.
8. You will not make a criminal of your cabalmates, no matter their
actions. If an Arbiter breaks a law, follow the chain of command set
out on the plaque found within the cabal.
9. No Arbiter will hold or raid for another cabal's sacred item, nor
bring one into the Arbiter Hall. Furthermore, they will not trespass
on another Cabal's territory except for Arbiter duties. The Entropy
Cabal and their Equation are the sole exceptions to this rule.
10. Arbiters do not cause disruptions in town. They neither kill or
molest those who live in protected cities (shopkeepers, citizens,
etc.) nor aid those who do, as such actions set a bad example.
11. Only Arbiter Lords or Elders may write scrolls to other cabals. There
are no exceptions. If you feel that an accusation needs a response,
write one and send it to the Lords and Elders for consideration.
12. No Arbiter will adventure or be seen working with a person who judges
as anything more than an occasional criminal.
13. No Arbiter will set foot inside any guild but their own, unless on
immediate Arbiter business. This means any guild, anywhere.
Remember that you are an Arbiter of the Law. If you want the cabal to be
respected and the law upheld, then follow the rules contained herein. The
Law is everything.
This book contains clarifications and expansions on the rules etched into
the pillar. If there is a perceived conflict between what is written here
and what is seen on the pillar, the pillar always takes precedence.
Rule 2: Special Guards
======================
This is important enough to repeat: the guards are to be called ONLY in
conjunction with Arbiter duties. They are not bodyguards; they are not
pets.
It is clearly acceptable to have guards at the following times:
- In a protected area, at any time.
- When actively chasing a criminal.
- When using the guards to transport a dead criminal's equipment from
the corpse to a place of safety.
- In accordance with Rule #1, when raiding the Entropy cabal or
striking down any known member of that cabal.
Rule 7: Equipment
=================
Criminals, by the act of being a criminal, forfeit any claim they have to
their belongings. When killed, all of a criminal's equipment is to be
confiscated immediately, and any stolen or looted property returned to its
original owner. After this the acting Arbiter may, return some of the
remaining equipment to the former criminal, subject to the following
restrictions:
- If the person judges as an occasional criminal, they may receive up to
three-fourths of their gear.
- If the person judges as a hardened criminal, or worse, return nothing.
Period.
- If he or she gave up without a chase, return all but their best item
(for occasional criminals) or one-half of their items (if hardened).
- Weapons are NEVER returned, and are not considered when making these
calculations.
Whether or not items are returned is always at the discretion of the Arbiter
who killed the criminal. Note that taking items from a corpse outside
protected areas is never a crime, even if that corpse once belonged to a
criminal.
Rule 9: Other Cabals
====================
This topic is covered in a separate book, OTHER CABALS.
This book and its companion volume (Powers2) describe the powers of an
Arbiter -- what they are, what they do, and how to use them.
JUDGE
When in the same room as someone, you may judge them to find out their
ethos and criminal status. A person is 'Not a criminal' if they have never
been flagged, but is considered a true 'Criminal' if they have been marked
as such six or more times. Between those two ranges, a person is noted as
an 'Occasional Criminal'. This information is important when one is
gathering evidence, assessing potential groupmates, or determining what
percentage of possessions to return to a fallen criminal.
MANACLE
Only usable on criminals. They remove the victim's ability to cast spells,
impose significant combat penalties, greatly reduce dexterity, and make it
much more tiring to run. Manacles can be placed on anyone who is wanted,
even you cannot otherwise affect them. ALWAYS manacle a criminal, even if you
are not strong enough to defeat them on your own.
VIGILANCE
This allows you to see hidden and invisible people. More importantly,
however, it allows you to tell true yells from false ones. Someone who is
truly being attacked will 'yell wildly', whereas someone who is merely
pretending will only 'yell'. Non-Arbiters cannot tell the difference between
the two -- which is important to recall when gathering evidence -- nor can
you if you are not vigilant. Therefore, be vigilant at ALL times. The power
of vigilance can also allow you to strip away the deceptions of Entropists
and reveal their true selves, if used correctly.
SHIELD OF JUSTICE
Creates a shield that can be used only by an Arbiter. The shield gets
better as you progress in your profession, improving as you attain 21st,
31st, and 41st standing in your guild.
(continued in Powers2)
Continuing the description of Arbiter powers and their use.
GUARD CALL
Summons two guards. This can only be done in protected areas, and only once
every 12 hours. They follow you everywhere, and will attack criminals on
sight. The guards you call are the same level of ability as you, so as you
gain in knowledge your guards will also get stronger. The use of these guards
is governed by the writings on the Pillar and in the books.
WANTED
This power marks a person as a criminal. You can make people unwanted using
this power, but should not do so unless you were the one who made them wanted
in the first place and have a very good reason to do so. If you ever do this,
for any reason, be sure to send a scroll to Bria explaining why. If you go to
make someone wanted and they cannot be seen or have left the lands, you may
write out a warrant for other arbiters to do so. See the book on WARRANTS.
GUARD CHANNEL
City guards and law-assisting protectors inform the Arbiters if they see a
criminal, and where. Ask a fellow Arbiter how to listen to what they say. You
should always be paying attention to them unless you have a *very* good reason
not to.
GUILDS
As an Arbiter, you have the power to enter any guild at any time; the
guildguards will step aside and let you and your guards pass. This privilege
is granted only for the purpose of pursuing criminals, and is not to be abused
for personal gain. Any transgressions will be dealt with harshly, as per the
pillar.
It is important that flags are placed properly and legally. Nothing loses an
arbiter more respect than if they screw up on this, their most essential
function.
The steps for flagging someone (assuming you hear the yell) are:
1 - Hear the yell. Make sure it is not fake, and that you are vigilant.
2 - Mark the criminal as WANTED.
3 - Ensure that the criminal is in the same room as the victim. Beware of
dopplegangers. (See the book on ENTROPY.)
4 - Speak to the crimimal and state why they are flagged, as per the rule
of the Pillar. Make certain that you are visible when doing this. If
you can rule out the possibility of a doppleganger at this point, you
should do so to avoid problems later. Ask a fellow Arbiter how to do
this.
5 - Kill the criminal. If you are unable to do this, hamper him in any way
possible. *Always* place manacles on the criminal, at the very least.
6 - Take the equipment from the criminal's corpse. If the criminal died in
town, be wary of any opportunistic looters and flag those who break the
laws.
7 - Get to a safe place, and look at what you took. Remember: always keep
weapons. After keeping the requisite amount, you may return the rest or
keep it; anything you don't immediately need should probably be donated
to other Arbiters or left at the pit in the cabal.
8 - Send the no-longer criminal a tell, and arrange to have them get the rest
of their stuff. This step is optional, and the amount you may return is
governed by the pillar and the book called PILLAR.
If you do not witness the crime, either in person or through a true yell, you
will have to investigate. See the book on INVESTIGATING.
If a crime is reported that you did not witness either in person or through
a hearing a yell when vigilant, you will have to investigate. You must always
listen to both sides, and try to be as impartial as possible. Note: An
arbiter should not investigate a crime which took place long before that
arbiter entered Thera (i.e. the corpse has decayed) unless it is a hand-off
from a departing arbiter.
You will need to find witnesses. Try and find others in the area who
saw the attack, heard the yell, etc. Ask the victim if there was anyone else
around who saw anything. Every witnesses' testimony is to be considered
equally. Whether the witness is Good or Evil, Dawn or Empire or Master or
Battle or what-have-you -- none of it matters in the eyes of the Law. All
that matters is their ethos and their criminal past. Be aware that people who
are with either party as a group are likely to be biased. Testimony from such
witnesses should be considered questionable, but not immediately dismissed.
If it comes down to the word of one person against that of another, it is
not likely that you will be able to decide the case with certainty. No one
can know the hidden motives of another, and the complainant may be lying to
try and get the other person into trouble.
Ultimately, you must assess all the evidence and decide if it is strong
enough to support a flag. If you cannot obtain enough evidence or proof to nail
down the accused's guilt with certainty, drop the case; it is better to let a
guilty person go free than to wrongly convict an innocent one.
If you go to place a flag after investigating, but the criminal is no longer
in the lands or is not visible to you, you should put out a warrant to have
him flagged. See the book on WARRANTS.
If at any time you go to place a flag on a criminal and find that he or she
has left Thera or cannot be seen by you (due to inherent abilities of their
profession) then you may place a warrant on them so that other Arbiters will
flag them at some point in the future.
Placing a warrant is done by writing a formalized scroll to both the Arbiters
and the person who is to be marked as a criminal. This scroll should clearly
have the words WARRANT ISSUED and the persons name in the title, and in the
body should explain the crime for which the criminal is to be made wanted, and
why you were unable to place the flag yourself. One such scroll might look
like this:
Subject: WARRANT ISSUED: SueCriminal
To: arbiter SueCriminal
SueCriminal is to be flagged for attacking BobVictim in Udgaard, based on
the testimony of BobVictim and three Dawn members who were present in the
city and saw the attack. She is a known Baron of Chaos, and by the time I
went to flag her, she was posing as someone else. She stayed in that state
for quite a while, and then left the lands.
If you see a person who has been named on a warrant, it is your job to flag
them for their previous crime. Tell them why they are being flagged, just as
you would normally, and then write a scroll to Arbiter stating that you have
served the warrant. This is a *very* important step, as it ensures that a
person will not get flagged repeatedly for the same crime. Forgetting this
step will earn you a reprimand or worse. An example:
Subject: WARRANT SERVED: SueCriminal
To: arbiter
SueCriminal has been marked, per JoeArbiter's warrant.
It is also important that the subjects of the warrants are all written in this
standard format, as it allows other Arbiters to quickly glance through their
notes and see who needs to be flagged and who had already had their warrants
filled.
The biggest headache of any arbiter is the Entropy cabal. As is mandated by
the pillar, it is the job of every Arbiter to abolish them from the face of
Thera. Here are some of the ways they can cause trouble.
GIBBERISH
Renders the target unable to speak coherently, making communication
extremely difficult.
DOPPLE
Their most potent weapon. An entropist using this power looks in every
respect like a copy of another person. It is a very difficult power to combat,
but there are ways around it. Vigilance will be of assistance in this task,
and fellow Arbiters may be able to teach you other methods. If you learn any
new tricks, share the knowledge with others in the cabal.
If there _is_ a dopple, look to see who is wanted after you place a flag.
If you have flagged the 'wrong' person, remove the flag, and try placing it
on 2.person, then look again. It should be corrected at that point.
MUDDLE
Confuses and slows the thoughts of the target.
DISPERSE
A Baron using this power in a room will teleport everyone standing with them
to another random location somewhere in Thera. You will be unable to tell who
in the room caused the dispersion, and when used in conjuction with dopple, it
will be very hard to identify the source.
CHAOS BLADE
Allows the Baron to call upon their powers and create a completely random
weapon of likewise random properties, which can also do several other things
in combat.
CHROMATIC FIRE
Similar to 'chaos blade', a Baron using this calls upon their powers to
send a ball of chaotic energy at their target, causing a random affect.
Many, many different things have been recorded as a result, everything from
devestating attack spells, to healing their target, to plaguing the Baron,
and everything in between.
RANDOMIZER
This power will create an 'aura' around the room it is used in, that utterly
confuses the senses of anyone within, causing them to loose their sense of
direction. The affected room will appear to have odd, random exits instead
of their normal paths.
* The following powers can no longer be cast at will by a Baron, but can still
be seen from other affects, as noted below.*
MIRROR
Barons can create many copies of themselves. If you are trying to flag an
entropy member, and you get back 'Mobs don't do crimes - their masters, do'
then try flagging 2.person, 3.person, etc. until you finally get an OK
message. Then check who is wanted just to be sure.
Requesting something from a mirror will cause the mirror to attack the
requester. This is a true yell (i.e. 'yells wildly') but the real person is
not attacking. A flag should not be placed for this, but you will have to
investigate it quite thoroughly.
While Barons of old could create mirrors at will, you will now find it almost
solely as a result of a 'Chaos Blade' wielded by the Baron in combat.
CONFUSE
Makes the victim unable to properly target their actions. Things are given
to the wrong person, attacks go awry, etc. When cast on a person or creature,
it may cause that person to randomly attack someone in the room, target a
spell or supplication on the wrong person, and hand things to the wrong
people.
Confuse is primarily seen as a result of moving about inside of the Circle
of Chaos, home of the Barons. Every time you move you may find yourself, your
guards, or the people with you, highly confused, causing the above affects.
As stated on the pillar, Arbiters will hold themselves aloof from the
squabbles of other cabals. Stay out of their territory, and do not raid to
take their item, nor to assist in retrieving any item save the Book of Law.
The Equation of Entropy is the sole exception to this rule. Arbiters may raid
the Entropy cabal at any time to try and acquire this item, and should place
it in safekeeping with the Arbiter Elder once it is obtained. Guards may be
used in this pursuit.
Should the Barons of Chaos try and retrieve their Equation, they are not to
be flagged for their assault on the Arbiter Cabal, as long as they are known
to be Entropists. Any non-Entropy members who assist them should still be
flagged for their part. Furthermore, if the Stern Guard falls, this is the
end of the Baron's assault; venturing further into the cabal, assaulting any
Arbiter within, or taking anything from the cabal will be considered a raid,
and the perpetrators should be flagged.
On occasion, a criminal will try and hide in their cabal. Arbiters may
chase the criminal inside, forcing their way in if necessary, but members of
that cabal are allowed to defend their territory. This means that if the
Arbiter or his guards come under attack while inside the foreign Cabal, the
Arbiter may not brand the attacker as a criminal. It is always a crime to
provide direct assistance to a criminal, however, no matter the location.
Thus, if the criminal's cabal-mates provide direct assistance to him or her
(such as healing, rescuing, re-equipping while still flagged, etc.) they are
also to be branded as criminals. Note that standing at a cabals outter
guardian, weather in combat or not, constitutes being inside and falls under
the above exceptions.
An immortal leader of Arbiter may declare that Arbiters are at war with
another cabal. In such cases, Arbiters are allowed to take that cabal's sacred
item. Such a situation should be treated as described above for Entropists and
the Equation.
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