The Oathkeeper's Court
The Oathkeeper is worshiped across all of Rhina. The god of order is most commonly worshiped in war, providing rigid structure to militaristic organization. The Oathkeeper is also a god of justice, although his flavor of justice isn't integrated into government anywhere but in Skaia. For many, the Oathkeeper's harsh take on justice is too much, but it fits into Skaian society.
Purpose / Function
The Oathkeeper Court is the center of law in Skaia. Anyone accused of a crime is brought to [city containing the court]. This can be a lengthy process. All the while, the accused and accuser are held in custody. While the accuser is given more lenience than the accused (they will not travel in chains or be heavily guarded), both are required to travel to the court to testify. If the accuser flees, they are hunted by the law and found guilty of attempting to disrupt order.
Upon arrival at the court, both are given lodging. Here, the quarters are essentially the same for both parties: a locked room without windows or other access to the outside. They are fed respectable meals until the jury can hear their case. This is typically not a long wait.
When the case is heard, both parties get to attest actions relevant to the crime. After each is content they have been heard, the jury discuss the case and gives their verdict. If found guilty, the most common punishment is death. Something as minor as theft may be punished with death, and more serious crimes such as assault, rape, and murder are given death sentences. Minor crimes may result in amputation or sentenced to a lifetime of labor. This in itself is typically enough to prevent most crimes.
To prevent false accusations, if the accused is found not guilty, the appropriate punishment instead falls to the accuser; if the accused is found innocent of murder, then their accuser will be sentenced to death. This prevents any crimes that did take place from being reported. The court is still used, though, so the jury is content that the court is doing its job and using harsh punishment to prevent most crimes and serving appropriate justice to those that do commit (or fraudulently accuse others of) crimes. In reality, there are many crimes that go unreported for fear that justice will fall the wrong way and their life as the victim will only become worse if they seek retribution.
Architecture
The Court itself is a gorgeous building of marble stones. It has pillars on the outside and guardian statues on the roof. It has a lightly sloped triangular roof.
Founding Date
612
Parent Location
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