Laws of Vesper

The Vesper Legal Code

The following offences are classified as Section One. Group One offences shall not require a trial, and may be dealt with by any militia member on duty. They are punishable by either a fine of no more than 1000 gold pieces, or imprisonment for no more than one hour.

Verbal abuse of a member of the militia

Public Nudity

Abuse of illegal substances:

Disturbing the Peace

Animal Cruelty

Harassment

Spying

Section Two offences are more serious. Punishments range from A fine of not more than 5000 gold pieces, or a prison sentence of not more than two hours. These offences may be punished by any militia member above the rank of Partisan. If no such member can be found, the guilty party is to be held imprisoned until such time as punishment can be dealt. Time spent waiting shall count against any prison sentence. Corporal punishments are authorised for these crimes. These may range from floggings to small brands. In serious cases, more extreme punishments may be decided by the Lord Baron.

Theft

Mugging

Assault

Possession of illegal substances with the intent to distribute

Public endangerment (defined as any act which may put the lives of Vesper citizens in danger, without clear specific intent to harm any citizen or legal guest of Vesper)

Section Three offences are the most serious. Punishments for these offences may only be given by the Lord Baron after guilt has been proven by trial. Suspects for these offences are to be kept imprisoned until such time as punishment is decided. Punishments are likely to consist of banishment or hefty fines in cases of slave trading, kidnap and spying. The punishment for Treason and murder will always be death, unless lowered due to rare extenuating circumstances.

Kidnapping of Vesper Citizens

Slave Trading

Treason (defined as any act designed to cause harm to Vesper or the Lord Baron, committed by a citizen of Vesper)

Spying

Murder (defined as any attack on a Vesper citizen or guest with the aim to cause death, whether or not the victim has survived said attack)

Trials
For serious crimes, guilt shall be determined by a trial held to an audience of Vesper citizens. Final guilt shall be decided between the Lord Baron, the Captain of the Militia, and one Vesper citizen chosen at random. A vote of two against one shall decide the guilt. The defendant may choose to plead his case himself or hire an attorney to handle it for him. The Defendant gets a set amount of time to convince the judge of his innocence or the reasons behind his actions, then the judgement will be announced.

Any citizen of Vesper may, on being accused, or wishing to accuse another, of a crime or civil dispute, request a Trial by Combat. Said trial will take place as a fight to the death between the accused and the accuser. Both sides must agree to take part.

Given that our Lord Greenie is wholly good, he would never allow an innocent party to be killed in such a trial, and so will intervene to ensure that the victor of the combat is righteous in his cause.

The vanquished party shall be treated as guilty, and cremated, to be scattered outside Vesper borders.

Failure of both parties to agree to said Trial by Combat shall cause the case to default to the standard legal procedures.


Honour Duels

In any situation where one citizen of Vesper feels that his or her honour has been defiled by another, he may challenge his opponent to an honour duel. Said duel shall be free from any legal matters regarding assault or murder. Both parties shall agree on terms before the duel begins, such as whether the duel is to submission or death. If a duel is arranged to lead to submission, but one party is intentionally killed by the other, it shall be counted in Vesper Law as murder.

Forbidden Races of Vesper

Drows, Orcs, Undead, Lizard-like, any non-humanoid or evil creature. If a forbidden race should ever enter Vesper it should immediately be escorted outside of the towns borderlines and warned never to return, if the creature resists any means necessary can be used to drive the creature from Vesperian lands. Exceptions should always be carrying a Racial Pass issued by the Baron or Captain of the militia.

Warrants

Arrest and search warrants can be applied for at the captain’s office, a search warrant grants the holding guardsmen permission to search the specified establishment within the Vesperian republic and an arrest warrant grants the holders permission to arrest the specified suspect anywhere within Vesperian territory.

Illegal Substances
Blackrock
Any item or substance associated with necromancy
Explosives (Without authorisation or verified reason)
Poison (Without authorisation or verified reason)