Kiern Vale Handbook

Chapter 3: Life in Kiern Vale

Law, order and taxes in Kiern Vale

Since the collapse of the empire, laws and the way they are enforced vary sharply in different areas of the vale; while in more remote parts, there is almost no law or order.

The city of En’mirlor

Several powerful organizations, especially guilds, ‘assist the vale council’ to enforce law and order in the district city. Among other things, they collect taxes from guild members and those who are subject or related to them, providing some defense and other services in return – primarily through hired mercenaries loyal only to those who pay them.

In addition, there is also a city guard named “The Green Guard”, officially subordinated to the vale’s council, which got its name from a symbol of a green stalk of a wind-barley which serves as its crest. In practice, it is controlled by four rival families who share command. While the Greed Guard is meant to maintain order and enforce simple laws on all the city residents, its corruption and unreliability is an open secret. Since most guilds and other wealthy individuals are not keen on paying wages and covering costs for an independent guard force they do not control, the guard officers are forced (and sometimes all too happy) to make ends meet through ‘less official’ channels – either seeking patronage from powerful figures which cover their expanses, or by spreading their own ‘patronage’ and demanding “protection fees” from less powerful city residents.

In the impoverished city quarters, especially those outside the walls, there is almost no law and order. Tax collection – whether by one of the guilds or the Green Guard, occurs only occasionally, and is seen by locals as no more but extortion and theft.

The only law in those parts of the city, is brute force enforced by several extended local families, and occasionally the even more brutal fist of the Gurg clan Krig and their great egg-mother.

The Village of Tolo

The ancient shepherd village of Tolo and the valley surrounding it is entirely independent, and offer neither fealty nor taxes to anyone – even though the head of the village is part of the vale’s council. The dominant power in Tolo is held by the patriarchs of the larger families who form the elder council of Tolo. They enforce traditions that date back many centuries ago, some of which may seems strange or even savage to outsiders.

Matters such as compensation for property damage, reconciliation between rival families, and resolution of local conflicts are discussed between the heads of the families, and sometimes brought before the council of elders.

Tolo villagers do not bother with formalities like trials or imprisonment, but inflict beatings, or even more brutal punishments on those who violate their traditions, or the property and body of the community members. The respected family heads have almost total authority over family members, including the power (although rarely used today) to kill them with their own hands or order their death – without anyone being able to intervene. In practice, the ultimate punishment in Tolo is banishment and expulsion from the village, with the prohibition for any of the other Tolo residents to provide any assistance or even talk with the expelled individual.

Gren-A-Drum

The pass to Urgaka and its surroundings are controlled by a military fortress, essentially the only place in Kiern Vale where the imperial law still applies, enforced by the Ninth Red Legion and its officers.

The supreme ruler of the region is the legion’s Commander, who controls the garrison and is responsible, among other things, for collecting “defense tax” – partially in money, partially in goods and partially in labor. Since the legion's losses two decades ago, in a great battle against the Ogres, the commander has habitually complained about a shortage of both funds and manpower, and almost complete disregard by most nobles and other wealthy vale residents for the border defense and the obligation to contribute a fair share to its funding.

Crimes committed in Gren-A-Drum and its surroundings fall under the sole jurisdiction of the legion, and are practically handled by a few seasoned officers. These officers are authorized to impose fines, command imprisonment, lashes or even execution of offenders. Foreign troublemakers are often expelled from the region, with only their clothes on their back, after undergoing some weeks of imprisonments and lashes.

At times, punishment can also include forced recruitment or being sent to dangerous missions for the legion – often as a "voluntary" substitute for the traditional punishment.

Noble estates and their surroundings

The four major noble houses of Kiern Vale rule over a specific region around their fortified chief estate. They collect taxes from the villagers and other residents of this region – either in money, produce, labor or a combination thereof. In return, the nobles are supposed to provide protection, relying on either their personal guard or ad hoc mercenaries and peasant militias they support. The four major nobles do offer a measure protection and order, albeit to a varying degree and via highly personalized measures.

As a general rule: the closer the local peasant or craftsman is close to the noble estate, the more taxes of various kinds they are required to pay. On the other hand, they also have better access to local supplies, services, and protection. Conversely, the farther away from the estate a village is, the less they pay, if at all – but in turn they must provide for their own needs and defend themselves from bandits – or worse – without aid. Nevertheless, even remote villages sometimes benefit from occasional tax-free trade, including furs, meat and other goods from wild hunters; or braver then usual Gurg merchants, who travel between villages with their wares or concoctions.

All of the major nobles, and to some extent even lesser nobles, have the authority to enforce the law and to judge anyone who resides in their region, or even passing through it, whether directly or buy a judge employed on their behalf.

The laws and the degree of concern for justice, if at all, depends heavily on the noble. For example: Lady Carnilian from Lake Relarn is considered rather lenient, and demands that every severe punishment, especially execution, be personally approved by her before taking place. Other nobles, like Lord Avaril, are known to be much less merciful.

At times, certain nobles are asked to judge matters involving people who reside outside their region of control. Usually, it concerns villages or local families that show traditional respect for one of the ancient noble houses. It is a customary gesture for such people to occasionally seek the judgement of a lord or a lady in a local dispute, even if it occurred outside of the noble’s domain.

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