Law, Justice, and an Orc?

[Nydardomond]

11th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

Nyd knew he was in for a busy cycle when he was informed that he would report for weapon training as well as being educated in the basic law of the land as well as Nexus Prime in particular but he had not realized just how busy the schedule would be.

He had already gone through a few candlemarks of training in the early light of the new brightening. Receiving a break from that training, he was now required to report to a room located somewhere deeper within the Citadel. He followed the directions on how to find the place and after a few close-calls of almost getting lost, he found it. The room was a small office located in what he considered a maze of a building. The office was slightly larger than many of the others he had passed along the way. The walls were lined with various books and scrolls; their contents as of yet unknown to him.

There was a large yet simple desk positioned at what could be considered the front of the office while four smaller tables with chairs were placed before it. The chairs of course were not empty as three other would-be constables sat waiting. Although Nyd had heard that the local university taught all manner of classes, including ones on Law, he was told that this was where more constable-specific training would take place.

The other constables watched as he entered the room and took a seat at one of the empty tables. There was some muffled whispers between the others but Nyd ignored them. There was a small blue-covered book placed on the tables in front of each chair. Nyd flipped the book open and saw that it detailed various laws; both universal and city specific.

A few moments later, someone else entered the room. A man dressed in the blue uniform of a constable and wearing symbols depicting his rank as being superior to the rest of those in the room. He was human and appeared to be of an early middle age. He carried a persistent scowl and serious posture.

"Good brightening gentlemen. I will not bore you with insignificant introductions or useless conversation as my time is valuable as I am sure your is as well. My name is Irithin but you will call me sir. For the next few sessions I will be working to make sure all of you know what the laws are that you are to uphold. That said, I won't waste any more time." Irithin sat at the large desk in the front of the room and flipped open his own copy of the Annarian Code of Law.

[Nydardomond]

Irithin began the first session of Nyd's education on law with the first Law of Justice. Nyd and the other constables in the room followed along and Irithin fielded questions and spurred on discussion.

"The first of the Laws of Justice is 'The Sacred Three shall be Thine Primacy.'
This law states that citizens of the Allerian Empire must be committed to upholding the laws and participating in their communities to maintain the local and larger order through justice's pursuit. So in essence, we expect all citizens to obey the laws and work to support them." Nyd followed along in his book while looking up and listening as Irithin spoke.

"Of course not everyone acknowledges this basic principle and thus that is where our criminals come from. The breaking of this basic yet important law is the foundation from which all crime is born." Irithin's voice was filled with a hint of passion as he spoke about the law and Nyd could tell that this was a man who took his position quite seriously.

Nyd agreed with the first law and found himself unable to full understand why anyone would choose to go against such a basic concept. It was so simple yet its importance was profound. If people did not work to uphold the laws of the land and strive to maintain order, society would collapse into a form not unlike that of the orcs whom he was tied to by blood.

Irithin looked to the constables in the room and asked, "I can see by the looks on your faces that you see this law as pretty simple. It is yet so many choose to break it on a daily basis. That is why we are here gentlemen. Never forget that."

[Nydardomond]

Irithin fielded questions from a couple of the constables yet Nyd couldn't find anything to ask about the first law. It seemed so clear and simple to him that questioning it would have felt inherently wrong. After a short discussion on the first law, Irithin continued the session with the second law.

"Now gentlemen we have the second law, 'Thou Shalt Swear Fealty to the Empire.' For those of you slow in reading, it says that the subjects of the Empire must swear fealty to the Crown and to the institutions of law and government which represent it, obeying the directives and orders of their elders and superiors without question in exchange for the protection that this nation offers its citizens. So tell me, what does this law mean to you?" Irithin went from constable to constable with the question and listened to their answers. Nyd was last to answer and all eyes were on him.

"Sir, for me this law means that if I, a citizen of the Empire, am to expect protection, public services, the ability to freely choose a productive path in life and the choice to decide my own fate, I must obey the laws put in place to provide such things and accept the decisions made by those whom have been placed in charge of such things. To act contrary to this would mean forfeiting my rights as a citizen to receive these things and in turn I would be labeling myself an enemy of the Empire." Nyd took a soft breath and awaited Irithin's response to the answers he and the other constables had given.

"Not bad, half-orc. I am impressed. You may make a good constable yet. As for the rest of you, most have a grasp on this law although I suspect that you don't yet give it the serious attention that you should. The Empire owes you nothing. You must earn what it gives to you by obeying the laws it has put in place. This goes for us as constables perhaps moreso as we are tasked to uphold it. If I find any of you lacking in attending to this law, I will toss your sorry asses in the dungeon myself." Irithin said the last part as he leaned over his desk and spoke with a sinister tone.

Nyd was left unsure as to whether or not to take Irithin's response as positive or derogatory. In the end however, he decided it was probably meant as something of a compliment.

The session was ended moments later however as the constables were ordered to return to weapons training and come back the next brightening at the same time and place.

[Nydardomond]

12th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

Nyd returned to his class on law the brightening after his first session. Again he arrived shortly after finishing his second session of weapons training. He was rather tired and his hands were covered in a few more blisters from training with the quarterstaff for several candlemarks. Nevertheless he did not allow the slight annoyances to discourage him in the least. He found the sessions of discussion and study to be quite exciting and refreshing from his normal brightenings of wandering the city and hanging out in a tent in the slums outside the city.

Irithin was waiting for the small class of constables when they entered. Again Nyd took a seat at an empty table and opened his law book to where they left off the previous session. Irithin began the discussion almost immediately.

"Good brightening gentlemen. I would tell you that it is a pleasure to see you but to be honest I don't even consider you worthy of my time as of yet. Prove me wrong. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, on to the third law, 'Take not what is not Thine.' Now as you even you all can see, this means that thievery in any form in the Allerian Empire is strictly prohibited; citizens shall respect the integrity and value of the associations and possessions that each possesses. In other words, you steal, you burn. I don't need to elaborate much more on this one but know that it is considered a crime, the severity depends on what is stolen and of course who it is stolen from. You will find that politics plays a heavy role not only in this law but most others as well." Irithin flipped through his own law book to the next law. He waited a bit before continuing to allow the constables to think about the third law and what it meant. Although pretty cut-and-dry, the third law was broken more than any other law in the land. This made it one of the most important ones to be understood.

Nyd, himself holding a rather strong sense of honor, could not fathom the idea of theft and found it quite distasteful. Although he had it within him to take pretty much anything he wanted by force with relatively little resistance from most, the thought of actually doing such a thing never seriously crossed his mind.

Irithin continued onto the next law in the book.

[Nydardomond]

Irithin cleared his throat and put both hands, palms down, on his desk as he looked at the constables and spoke. The next law is one that I take very seriously. It is one that is broken by every living being with any level of intelligence, no matter how pure and honest they may claim to be. This offense however is on the grand scale harmless but in some cases can be dangerous and possible deadly. The law is, 'The Truth shall be Thine Liberator.' It states that subjects of the Allerian Empire shall speak only the truth, and shall nor purger themselves before the State. So, citizens will speak the truth and not lie to those who would decide their guilt or innocence in regard to accusation of committing a crime. Tell me, what are your thoughts on such a concept?" Irithin leaned back in his chair and gave time to the constables to think about the question and respond.

Nyd listened to the other constables speak. Their answers seemed almost rehearsed and dry as if they were merely telling Irithin what they thought he wanted to hear. They all said something about how dishonesty was attrocious and how they could never comprehend the idea of lying to cover-up sins and crimes. Nyd however found his answer to be more involved and perhaps not quite as simple.

"Sir, my quick response to such a question would probably be similar to that which has already been given however I think there is something more to it."Irithin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, nodding for Nyd to continue.

"Well, I think dishonesty is a natural response toward a challenge to one's actions. As you said, everyone lies. This is especially the case when someone is in danger of losing their perceived freedom or even their lives. They will do anything to protect themselves from such a fate. When physical defense against such an attack is impossible, they will resort to dishonesty in order to protect themselves. It is up to those who uphold the law to weed through the deceit and find the truth. Perhaps it is not the duty of a constable but it does fall upon a servant of the State. It is our duty as constables to uphold the laws as they are written. It is not our job to interpret beyond what is necessary to accomplish our duty. I guess I feel that we as constables will be lied to all the time as we will be encountering situations where we challenge the integrity and threaten the freedom of others. In this we must rely on training and the Law to back us up." Nyd was not sure if his answer was what was desired but he could not simply tell the constable the same thing as the others had as he did not feel it was so simple. Every moment on the job, one who upholds the law would encounter such situations and simple automated thought would not allow them to address the situation in a way that would preserve justice.

Irithin and the other constables just looked at Nyd and were unable or unwilling to speak for a few moments. Finally Irithin broke the silence, "I must say, Nyd was it, you continue to not only impress me with your well-thought answers but your ability to challenge my initial opinion of you. Keep it up and I may even begin thinking of you as an actual constable."

Again Nyd was left not knowing if he should take Irithin's comments as complimentary or insulting but the looks from the other constables were definitely not ones of kindness.

After a bit more discussion on the current topics, Irithin dismissed the constables to return to other training. Nyd wasn't sure if it had been a good session as far as the responses he received from Irithin and the other constables but he was finding that his interest in the law was increasing ever more.

[Nydardomond]

13th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

Nyd returned to the Citadel early in the brightening. He had just finished his first of two routine sessions of weapons training and made his way into the confines of the Citadel to undergo another session of learning about the laws that governed the Empire and the city of Nexus Prime. He entered the 'classroom' along with the other constables; whom made it a point to avoid him. Taking a seat, the class began with Irithin tapping on his desk and getting the attention of those present. He began speaking without a bit of greeting.

"So gentlemen, what is law anyway? Why should you be required to learn it? Who is it that implements the law? I assume you have been doing some research outside of class on such things." Irithin waited expectantly of the constables to begin answering his questions. Fortunately, Nyd had indeed spent some time in thought about such things and had even gone so far as to take his book of law back to his tent in the Markus Quarter for further study.

When the other constables had given there own perspective on Irithin's questioning, it was Nyd's turn; of course all eyes were on him.

"The law as I see it is what reinforces society. Law does not create society but it does uphold its structure. Without it, those who would not follow what society considers to be normal, would threaten the very structure of the society in which they infest. I feel that we as enforcers of the law, must know what it is and how it applies to others in order to be able to effectively implement it and maintain the order of society." Nyd paused for a moment before continuing.

"As for who implements the law? The Law is implement by all of the Alleria Empire. Anyone has a right to Law. The executioner of Law is the Alleria government. Of all these government officials, the Prefect is the official in charge of Law in a city or town, while the Justicar is charge for the whole province. We, the constables, are the hands of Prefect." Nyd took a breath and waited for Irithin's response.

The rest of the constables looked at Nyd, some with surprise, others with a hint of anger and jealousy. Their responses, although correct, lacked the effect of a half-orc speaking with such grace, the concept of law as it pertains to those whom enforce it.

Irithin too looked a bit surprised after Nyd had spoke but after that brief pause, he responded to the class, "Well spoken, constables. Know that indeed you are enforcers of the law and as such you are held to a higher expectation than the average citizen. Never forget that."

[Nydardomond]

After the discussion on law in general, Irithin went on to the next law of the Annarian Code.

"The fifth law of the Annarian Code states that, 'The Weak shall be Defended' which translates to those of limited means, spirit or capacity, either physical, mental or otherwise, shall be protected from those stronger than they are, who prey upon their weaknesses, in the name of Justice and Righteousness." Irithin paused and then continued.

"For those of more simpler minds, this means that those unable to protect themselves for whatever reason, are ours to defend from those whom would exploit or harm them. Any questions or comments?" Irithin allowed the constables a chance to think about the law and speak if they wished.

Nyd felt that the fifth law truly spoke to him above all others learned thus far. As he held great size and strength compared to most around him, he would be one of the greatest defenders of the weak by his physical structure alone. He did however realize that one not only of his strength but others in a position such as that of a constable would also be in a position where if they wished, they could cause those weaker than them great anguish.

Nyd spoke his thoughts aloud, "Although the weak are to be defended, we as constables must be pure of thought and deed else we could find ourselves in a position where we could fall to abusing the weak and taking advantage of them. This I feel would be the greatest of crimes. I believe that is why this law is found to be important enough to be written into the Code."

"That is exactly right, Constable Nyd. We as constables are not bullies or thugs; we are defenders of the weak and must be above that which brings down those of lesser morals." Irithin stood from his desk.

"That will be all for now. In your weapons training, find time to ponder what we have spoken of and I will see you here for the second session." Irithin nodded and waited for the constables to exit before taking leave himself.

[Nydardomond]

Irithin was waiting for the constables as they returned to class from their second session of weapons practice. Nyd, although rather well skilled in the art of Shaasskah, found it a relief to be able to sit down as he had been using muscles in staff fighting that he hadn't used in unarmed training. When he and the other constables had finally taken their seats, Irithin began discussion on the laws anew.

"Welcome back. We will now discuss the sixth and seventh laws of the Annarian Code. The sixth law states that, Law is Common and Public, not Thine to Monopolise. Allerians shall not take the law into their own hands, or dispense with Justice in their interpretation. Powers which are limited to the State alone - the power to kill, incarcerate and eject through banishment - shall never be exercised by a Citizen without approval from the Imperial Government, or in the pursuit of Honour."Irithin paused for a moment to take a drink from a mug sitting on his desk.



"So no vigilantes gentlemen. Your job is to enforce the law and dispense with justice as it is interpreted by the State. The citizens rely on you for this. Fail in your duty and I assure you they will rise up to take your place. What do you think would happen in that event? Constable Nyd?" Irithin looked to Nyd as did the other constables.

Nyd thought for a brief moment and said, "It is rather obvious, sir. If we as constables fail in our duty to enforce the law, the people will take it into their own hands and abuse will run rampant. A new system of rule would form and the State would be no longer serve the people but instead fight against them in order to regain control. That would be the worse case scenario of course but one I feel we should all strive to avoid." Irithin nodded and continued on with the discussion, asking other constables to take part. When enough talk had been done over that particular law, Irithin continued on to the seventh.

"That brings us to the seventh law, 'Mankind's Cruelty must be Vanquished' which states that life is inherently selfish and self-serving, for benevolent or malevolent intent, and as such, all citizens and subjects shall place forth an effort to vanquish the cruelty and evil present in us all. Those under trial must prove that they are Innocent, for their Guilt has already been established through Nature's predestination." Irithin took another sip from his mug which Nyd could smell was some sort of tea.

"Yes gentlemen, we are all selfish by nature and thus are easily swayed into cruelty and evil. We as constables must be every wary of this in others. Evil is a plague that must be stamped out within the tenets of the law." Irithin opened the topic todiscussion.

The rest of the constables spoke of how they as constables were above selfishness and how their very presence within the constabulary should be enough to prove that they have overcome such flaws. Nyd however felt they were too full of themselves to see the truth. He knew better than any of them that they, including himself, were all subject to falling into the darkness inherent in all beings.

When he could take no more of what he felt was mindless egos speaking, he voiced his own opinion over the rest. The constables fell silent as he spoke.

"I, more than anyone, can tell you that none of us are excused from having the potential of falling from grace so to speak. Pick up a book and read the stories within, watch and listen to those walking the streets, smell it in the air and taste it on the wind. Selfishness and self-serving attitudes are a part of every living being. Whether or not we choose to act upon these in a positive or negative manner is a moot point." Nyd took a quick breath and continued.

"How many of you have been tempted to lie, cheat, or even steal? I don't mean you act upon it but we all have thought of it at some point. This law is telling us that such thoughts and feelings are a part of all of us. We as citizens of the Empire must be ever vigilant of such things as to not allow them to take control of our senses." He couldn't help but challenge the thoughts of others and combat their egos. His continued with renewed passion in his voice.

"I am here not because I think I am above others or am pure of heart and soul. I am far from that. I simply wish to help those who can't help themselves. I want to push back the darkness that threatens the everyday lives of all people. I want to make sure that order is maintained and that evil and cruelty do not win. That should be the driving force of all of us present in this room." Nyd took another breath and sat back in his chair as he tried to focus his thoughts and keep from getting too angry.

The rest of the constables bore a mixture of anger and guilt on their faces as some of them realized what Nyd said was true while a couple others obviously felt that the half-orc should know his place and shut his mouth. Irithin was quiet for many moments before speaking.

"He is absolutely correct. None of us are above this law and it should be the duty of the constables to see to it that evil and cruelty is vanquished. When accused of a crime, it is up to the accused to prove themselves innocent. It is the way of the Empire and you will abide by that. And I think that will end our session for this brightening. We are nearing the end of this class and I expect you all to be studying your law books as they not only contain the Annarian Code of Law but also the laws specific to Nexus Prime. Get familiar with them and be here on time tomorrow." Irithin closed his own book and gathered his papers. Taking a long drink from his mug he exited the room.

As the constables filed out, the two that displayed a bit of anger toward Nyd ignored him and muttered things to each other as they left. A few of the others nodded to him respectfully if not hesitantly before taking leave themselves. Nyd gave them a nod in return and gathered his things before also exiting.

[Nydardomond]

14th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

The final day of class had come for Nyd and the other new constables. As with each brightening before, the constables had just completed their first session of weapon's training for the brightening and filed into the office/classroom. Irithin awaited them. Although the class was nearly over, the constables and Irithin would not part ways as they all would end up working with each other at various points and times of their time as a constable of Nexus Prime.

Irithin waited for the constables to be seated before beginning. When they all had sat down at their respective tables, he said, "Welcome to the final brightening of class. Although it has been short, I hope you all have gained at least something from it that you will carry on with you throughout the rest of your time as a constable. These basic laws are ones that should guide all citizens throughout their lives as by doing so, one will find that they will live productive and fulfilling lives. That said, we now come to the final law of the Annarian Code; 'Thou Shalt comport Thineself with Honour,' which states that subjects and citizens shall act in Honour, to do pride to family and friends, and to ameliorate through success, prosperity, benevolence and temperament the very gifts of consideration and respect inherent in life's creed. This law is not one that is actually enforced but is one that if followed will ensure that all other laws are acknowledged."

Irithin scratched his chin as he looked upon the gathered constables. WIth each new class he wondered how well they would prove themselves as constables. Irithin took his job quite seriously and was one of the few remaining constables who really took the Annarian Code to heart and lived by it. As he looked at each constable, he wondered who would stay and who would not be able to cut it. He had to admit that when told that a half-orc was signing up, he was more than a bit skeptical. Having spent a few brightenings discussing law with Nyd, Irithin had come to see that perhaps this creature could bring about something of a turning point to the constabulary. Of course, it could be Irithin getting old and hoping too much. He chose to think more positively though.

Nyd however took the final law to heart. Honor was a way of life for the half-orc. WIthout it, he felt as though he would be giving in to his dark nature and thus become the very thing he swore to combat. Ever since the journey with Titus and others to the White Crane Village, Nyd knew that the Tenets of Aslan would guide him.

After a small amount of discussion; wrapping up the study of the Annarian Code, Irithin bid the constables farewell and informed them of the final test to come in the second session after their weapon's training.

[Grim]

Irithin's scowl seemed stuck to his face that brightening, as the time for the final test grew near. The Constables were called in to see Irithin in a private office, one by one, till they had passed the test. First one, then another.

Last of the Constables was Nyd. The office being a small cramped place, wreathed forever in thick smoke. Irithin sat behind a large desk, piled high with papers, "Sit," he said, not overly happy to see the half-orc.

A somewhat rickety and uncomfortable looking wicker chair was in front of the desk. Light came in through a pair of windows. "All right. We'll do this Grammatics fashion." he drawled, "If Boris goes to the market, takes an apple from the apple salesman, telling him that he will return just after he has picked up money at his place, leaves, while eating the apple. Then he pushes a child out of his mother's cart and drives in that to the butcher's yard, selling the horses there and using the money from that to pay the man selling apples. What breaches of the Annarian Code has Boris committed and why?"

That, it seemed, was the test.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd carefully sat in the fragile chair in front of Irithin's desk. It had been a long few brightenings since he had began his training and studies at the Citadel. Irithin had never really carried himself as a man of high spirits and even temper and this day must have been one of his more foul ones. Of course having to test constables all morning could not have done much for his patience.

As Nyd sat down, he could feel the chair creaking at his weight. He tried to get somewhat comfortable but to no avail. At the back of his mind he thought that perhaps discomfort was the whole point.

The half-orc listened as Irithin presented the scenario and then asked for what parts of the Code were violated in the theoretical situation.

Nyd took a few moments to run it all through his mind. He decided he would go through the list of Laws in order as he broke the scenario down and addressed the crimes committed.

"The first and second laws were broken the moment any other law was. Boris is guilty of not participating in upholding the order and justice of his community and disobeyed common law put in place by the government of the community he was in by engaging in theft, assault, and overall dishonesty." Nyd thought a few brief moments further and then continued.

"Boris had no intention of paying honestly for the apple and did not exchange coinage upon taking the apple. In addition, he stole the woman's cart. These acts break the third law as taking someone not thine own is illegal." With a short breath, Nyd spoke further without needing time to think.

"Boris engaged in dishonest acts to be sure. Although he did return to pay the salesman, Boris did not return to his place to get the money, he committed other crimes in order to attain it thus breaking the forth law and the fifth law was ignored as Boris pushed a child from a cart. A child obviously would be weaker than Boris and thus by assaulting the child, he harms one who is incapable of defending themselves." Nyd hoped that he was addressing everything properly as he had not known what to expect from his test and was unable to truly prepare.

"The sixth law does not directly apply to this situation however the seventh law was broken before Boris even met the salesman by not combating his own cruelty and predisposition to evil. He displayed no remorse for his dishonest and cruel actions else he would not have continued to act as such. Finally the seventh law was trounced by Boris' dishonest ways and outlook on what he was doing." Nyd took a deep breath upon finishing his response but thought of something else and quickly added, "The sixth law I guess could be interpreted as being broken as Boris may have seen himself as above the law and able to follow or disobey it at will. That however would be something that may be revealed through questioning and judgment passed by one other than myself."

Nyd shifted slightly in the chair as his tolerance for the annoying discomfort of it was finally starting to get to him. He was sure not to move too much as to avoid destroying the chair and making a fool of himself.

[Grim]

If Iritihin was aware of Nyd's squirming he showed no particular signs of it. Perhaps he was simply too used to students coming in here by now to really care anymore. He waited patiently while the half-orc composed his answer though. Or at least he seemed patient enough, what he was actually doing was lighting his pipe.

As the answer was given though the older guard nodded along, before finally mulling over the answer he had been given. "Seems you got 'em all," on the whole'he didn't seem very happy about this fact.

"You pass," he said, "send the next man into my office on your way out."

And with that, it seemed, it was over.

OoC: Basic Law approved