"The apocalypse doesn't have time for people who aren't working together."

 - Casvienn Ahrn

Law and order in Altheria is maintained through a system of harsh measures born
of desperation, brought about by the unwavering dedication of those who faced
the end of the world and lived through the horror of those who sought to take
advantage of it. While the City Guard deals mainly with threats from dangerous
creatures that make their way out of the ruins, the system of justice in
Altheria is very simple:

* Minor crimes are generally dealt with through community service or counseling
through the temples.
* Severe crimes, however, have only one punishment: banishment.

Those who endanger innocents or the city, who are deemed too dangerous to allow
within its walls, are sent through the Barrier into the Blight. This sentence,
first proposed by Casvienn of the Nightblades, has proven to be a permanent
solution, from which not even the Lost or Rekindled have emerged again. Some say
it is the will of the city itself, while others say that there is no other
choice. The city simply does not have the resources to maintain a prison system,
nor any judiciary court to oversee it. After the events that nearly lost the
Lower City to chaos, the City Council has accepted the Nightblade solution as
the only feasible one.

Unranked members of the Vanguard and Nightblades, while expected to assist the
Guard in patrolling the city and defending it from harm, do not have the
authority to deal with injustice; it is expected that all citizens defer to the
official Shadowblades in such matters. Impersonating one is considered a severe
crime, regardless of intent.

With the establishment of the city's Sending House, all people within Altheria
have been linked to the Prime Sending Stone, the sending crystals serving both
as identification and a way to keep track of the populace. This makes getting
away with even the most sneaky of crimes almost impossible. It, along with the
mere suggestion of Shadowblade justice, is enough of a deterrent that such
activity is almost unheard of.

See also:
conflict, roleplaying, rules, nightblades, vanguard, guards, shadowblades

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