Mark of the Banished
I wear long sleeves in the heat of summer because I can't stand looking at. I can't stand the disgusted looks from the Irocrans who don't know anything about me but what they can see. Do you have any idea what that's like? To be hated so much by the place you once called home that you can never go back?The mark of the banished, or tolna va c'loscaterre (often shortened to tolnascaterre) in Irocran, was a special enflux tattoo traditionally given to those who have been banished from Irocai society for horrific crimes not involving murder. While not a common practice in modern day Irocra, it is codified in the Irocran penal code and is used in extremely rare situations.
Design
The mark of the banished is easily noticeable from a distance. It consists of a solid band of black ink around both wrists with six elongated diamonds stretching up the forearm to the elbow. Rings at the halfway point of the diamonds connect the corners of each diamond with the one beside it. Within the rings are colored symbols which indicate the nature and severity of the offense.
History
The Irocai people were known for being aggressive toward others and having a very strict penal code. While executions were among the punishments for crimes involving death or murder, the Irocai philosophy of mortinso bénsaraba mortinso (death begets death) prevented executions of those who committed heinous crimes that resulted in no deaths, such as large-scale arson, certain sexual or abuse related crimes, or attempted murder. The alternative was to banish the perpetrator. Those who returned after banishment were subject to untold horrors that made them wish they were dead.
In order to inform those who encountered the individual of their status as a heinous criminal, the Irocai designed an unmistakable tattoo that stretched from wrist to elbow on both arms. This enflux tattoo was done by specially trained acufists able to tie the mark to the surrounding energy of Irocai territory. If the person were to cross into Irocai territory, it would trigger the effect laced into the ink of the tattoo. This effect varied depending on the crime of the criminal, their behavioral history, and the talent and intent of the acufist administering the tattoo. Effects ranged from ink permanently changing color to triggering a permanent burning sensation. Legend holds that there was a talented acufist who created an enflux tattoo so strong it would burn the criminal's hands straight off.
Following The Great Invasion and the formation of the Queendom of Leland, the process was continued in the territories that occupied what was previously Irocai territory as well as areas in modern day Reisouth where the majority of Irocai refugees who didn't return home remained. It was done at the behest of the ruling Golden Noble and was done to prevent the criminal from reentering the territory. Without the limitations of Irocai culture, those who returned to a territory they were banished from were generally executed.
While banishment is codified in the penal code of Irocra, it is extremely rare and is usually only used in situations where a confederate High Inquisitor steps in to review a ruling and determines that the punishment is inappropriate. The enflux effect is legally limited to a burning sensation as a warning when getting near the Irocran border and a color change upon entry to the province.
Recent Examples
In the last twenty years, the mark of the banished has been administered twice. In 1261, fifteen year old Abbelithe Olevera was found guilty for killing her father by extinguishing his aura. She was sentenced to death. Due to the requirement that a High Inquisitor review all felony convictions involving minors, High Inquisitor Kozan Murano reviewed the case and discovered that many corners were cut in an attempt to expedite the conviction and execution. Abbelithe's father had had significant political power and his allies had wanted his murderer made into an example, even if that murderer was his abused fifteen year old daughter who had been in fear for her own life. Unable to simply throw out the conviction due to legal restrictions, Murano negotiated banishment and a lifetime of service to the greater good. Abbelithe was marked and returned to Deamei City with Murano. In 1270, Enric Valdeor was convicted of tax evasion, financial fraud, and racketeering. Fancying himself a savior of the poor, Valdeor had scammed wealthy individuals out of significant amounts of money and distributed it to charities throughout Irocra. Due to his reputation as a philanthropist and the gratitude of those who had benefitted from his charity, sentencing him to any form of severe punishment risked rioting by the lower class. Instead he was stripped of all property and banished from Irocra. He relocated to Harmonil, just across the Coativan River, where he claims to live with the constant burn of his tolnascaterre as a reminder of the people now suffering without his help.
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