Jul 28, 2024 11:01 pm
Zhanniqua National History
Political Structure
The country of Zhanniqua is made up of six counties - Alinshir, Chaelleon, Eastvale, Southcoast, Sea Terrace, and Camborra.
The Capital Road that goes through the mountains from Alinshir County eventually comes out in Eastvale, where the capital, known as Jaxen's City, is located. There is a tributary road on the eastern side of the mountains, unsurprisingly called the Chaelleon route, that is the main artery between the county and the rest of the kingdom. Although the capital is physically in Eastvale, it is officially considered to belong to no county, falling directly under the rule of the Crown and the Royal Family. Each County, in turn, is the domain of it's Count or Countess and their vassals, as designated hundreds of years ago by the Crown. Officially, all titles of nobility go through the Crown when initially granted to a family, but Counts do have a lot of sway over who might obtain a Barony, and Barons, in turn, have sway over their designated lordships.
The Crown does not have the absolute authority of a true authoritarian monarchy. Each of the six Counties sends a duly appointed representative, chosen in their own fashion, to sit on the Council of Seven. The Crown Prince or Princess of the Realm acts as the seventh member. Currently, the Crown Prince is His Royal Highness, Bradley Valiere Zhanniqua, who is about a month away from his eleventh birthday. As he is under the age of twelve, he does not yet sit on the Council himself; his Uncle Gareth, Queen Jaylis Zhanniqua's brother, sits as Regent in his place.
Rise of the Zhanniqua Family Line
The Zhanniquan dynasty came to power a little over five hundred years ago. Little is known about the ruling family before the power shift, save that they did not carry the favor of the people and had begun to steadily consort with demons and dark gods. They also had a strong support base among the gnomes of the kingdom, which is perhaps why King Valiere Zhanniqua's first official act upon dethroning the previous rulers was to declare all gnomes the property of the state and remove their citizenship rights.
For hundreds of years, the country has historically taken a policy of complete neutrality in international relations, although tensions with the former nation of Brecca led to several small border skirmishes before Brecca was absorbed into the Lightscar Empire. Trade with Veutheil and Seasparrow have been fruitful enough, but Thor'Dael in particular has enjoyed a mutually prosperous relationship and held a special place in Zhanniquan politics. When Esternesse became a democracy two hundred years ago, relations cooled significantly, as then-Queen Belinda Zhanniqua saw the power grab by the common folk of the country as a threat to the Royal Mandate. While they still maintain mutual embassies and trade from time to time, relations have stayed cold ever since.
One recent exception to the neutrality policy involves the counties of Sea Terrace and Camborra, which used to be the sovereign Theocracy of Lochlain; they were annexed fifty-seven years ago by Zhanniqua and merged into the country. This annexation was largely reported to be in response to increased refugee traffic from Lochlain, a long string of humanoid rights complaints regarding the Lochlainian government, and the pre-emptive kidnapping of a prominent Zhanniquan noble. The high priest of Rilar was executed when Lochlain City fell to the Zhanniquans, and most of the churches in the land were sacked and looted. While there remain small pockets of resistance in those territories even now (particularly among the newly oppressed gnomes there), the general population overwhelmingly supported annexation and mostly speaks well of the Crown.
1178-79 - Civil War and Division of the Heroes' Guild of Shilstone
In 1178, the Baron Rynth Drynan of Kensington Barony, Southcoast County, along with several supporters, made a play for the throne of Zhanniqua. He claimed descendancy from an ancient royal line predating King Valiere's rise to power, and on the strength of said claim, declared Queen Jaylis a usurper.
The conflict was largely restricted to Southcoast and Eastvale Counties, and at one point early on Baron Drynan successfully sacked and held both Castle Zhanniqua and the capital city, leaving the Queen and her family in exile. A group of heroic adventurers acted as an advanced strike team and successfully allowed the Queen's forces to retake the city.
Meanwhile, an internal division of a different type was at play within the Heroes' Guild of Shilstone, an organization of state-funded mercenaries formed in response to a goblin incursion there a few years prior. Some of the masters insisted that the guild had a responsibility to come to the aid of the Crown which had helped establish it, while others insisted that the guild's primary obligation, the security of the country against outside intrusion, would be negatively impacted unless it stayed above the internal politics of the kingdom. Nearly forty members of the guild, including Master Kinder, resigned in protest, moving their flag to the capital after its recapture, where they immediately joined the war on the Queen's side. Their new organization, known as the Eyes of Kinder, still exists to this day.
Baron Drynan's campaign lasted longer than anyone expected, successfully holding five settlements in Southcoast County and two in Southern Eastvale, along with the capital, at its heights. However, it petered out in mid-1179 when the Baron was taken by typhoid fever and his daughter, the now-Baroness Patsine Drynan, swore an oath of fealty to Queen Jaylis, ending the conflict.
Zhanniqua National Holidays
New Year's Day (1I) - Self-explanatory.
First Court (12I) - Traditionally, the monarch will hold his First Court of the year in Jaxen's City on this date. It will include Her Majesty's version of a "State of the Union" address, and is traditionally the date on which new lordships and other positions of minor nobility are ratified. Court is typically held on the 12th of every other month following.
Feast of Sarthay (11D) - This is a feast of debauchery, typically celebrated by worshipers of Ademineiss and Essenei, although it has been formally adopted by the Crown. Children are discouraged (though not prohibited) from participation in the festivities, which are usually lewd and lascivious. In essence, the formal belief is that this is the one day when tranquility and serenity of order are replaced with a care-free, "anything goes" attitude, and as such, members of the common class are traditionally excused on this day from showing any courtesy, respect or adherence to the noble class.
Feminine Appreciation Day (9T) - Mother's Day and Valentine's Day wrapped up into one. It's said that this festival came about because of the late Princess Consort Florencia, who essentially ruled the country by dominating (some say with a Rod of Rulership) her husband during his tenure on the throne.
Festival of Souls (3IL) - Explained Below.
King Legawin's Requiem (1O) - At the conclusion of the Festival of Souls, if a newly-ensoulled child does not portray the qualities of the late King Legawin, the country cedes a day of mourning.
Liberation Day (11O) - Celebrated to commemorate a battle on this date in the year 1043, when the Capital was liberated from a 13 month occupation at the hands of a rebelling noble.
Falloo (10S) - A silly tradition dating back to olden times, when people in Zhanniqua used to believe that magic came from special chickens that had to be carried around under one arm. People commemorate the event with chicken races, egg tossing, and other goofy rituals, and then end the day over a nice, warm chicken dinner. Like on April Fools Day, prank playing on this date is encouraged.
Festival of Renewal (1-6IR) - Explained Below.
The Festival of Souls
It is the belief of the Zhanniquan people that everyone has two souls - one with which they are born, and the second which they obtain through a ritual known as the Ceremony of Souls. This second soul is the soul of a deceased countryman that has gone on before them.
[ +- ] OOC Note
Unlike most of the rest of my lore, where I don't tell you whether it's true or not, I think it is OOCly important to acknowledge that this is all complete bullshit and not even remotely accurate. It is, nonetheless, the prevailing wisdom of the Zhanniquan people (and a regional custom in parts of Esternesse as well, for that matter).
The child is also expected to choose their patron deity during this ceremony; usually the choice is determined by the job they hope to enter and excel in. Many families believe that the child should pick the same deity that the rest of the family has chosen, at least until they have a strong enough devotion to a different deity.
The ceremony usually takes place around the child's twelfth birthday, but by tradition may be held anytime between age the eleventh birthday and the fourteenth (in practice, it's mostly a human custom, so nonhumans don't really abide by it, but the few who choose to generally pick a racially appropriate equivalent age). The ceremony is planned from the day the child is born, and there are therefore very few conflicts for the chosen day; those who have failed to choose a specific day default to the official Ceremony of Souls, which takes place on the 3rd day of the Internum of Life. Tradition has dictated that everyone in the child's family who is able to make the journey is expected to attend the ceremony and join in the celebration, though in actuality the child and one parent or guardian are the only required participants. Usually, the mother is the participant for a daughter's ceremony, and the father is the participant for a son.
The child begins preparation for the ceremony upon his or her eleventh birthday, attending lessons with a priest or priestess of their chosen deity to learn prayers of the ceremony. There are three main prayers the child is expected to know, which provide the outline of the traditional ceremony. First is the Prayer of Requesting, which begins the ceremony, followed by the Prayer of Receiving, which forms the bulk of the ceremony. Finally, the ceremony is completed upon the recital of the Prayer of Rejoicing.
The beginning of the ceremony occurs with the child reciting the Prayer of Requesting, in which they ask The Pantheon of Gods to find them a soul of a certain type to bond with. As previously indicated, this is usually connected to their chosen profession; for instance, a boy planning to be a carpenter will use this prayer to request the soul of a great carpenter of ages past. For nobles, it is not uncommon to request a certain soul by name, especially if the child is a member of the royal family.
Due to the prayer's career-oriented connections, it is strongly believed that a child must have chosen their profession by the time the ceremony takes place, and that the parents consent to their choice. Perhaps the most common reason for the ceremony to be put off is a disagreement between child and parents regarding a career choice. Once the soul is asked for and given, there is no other chance to receive a different soul for a different career.
Following the Prayer of Requesting, there is a short period of waiting for the Pantheon to find the perfect soul. Traditionally, this time of waiting is observed by the mortal participants holding a feast. While it takes The Pantheon only a short time to find the soul they intend for the supplicant, They wait for the feast to finish and for the next prayer to begin before they start the joining. They may or may not provide a soul of the type asked for, depending on what They observe in terms of the child's devotion, faith, and potential. For this reason, if an apprentice is especially bad at his profession, it reflects badly on his or her parents, for it is assumed that failures in their religious upbringing process is the most likely reason that the gods chose not to honor the child's request. However, there is the possibility that They (the gods) may know better what Fate has planned for the child than the parents do, and their reputation can be redeemed if the child switches to a career they are more suited to and does well there.
Following the feast, the child stands to recite the Prayer of Receiving. During this time, any parent present must go far enough away from the child to be out of sight, symbolizing to The Pantheon that the child is prepared to receive the new soul independently, without any assistance from his or her parents. Any other people present traditionally circle around the child so that he or she is in the center, which symbolizes their endorsement for the child's readiness to receive a mature soul.
The child begins to recite the Prayer of Receiving, a long prayer which is the bulk of the ceremony itself. They recite it with their eyes closed to emphasize the aspect of individuality, and it must be said from start to finish with no mistakes. If a mistake is made, the child must return to the beginning of the section they failed to say perfectly and do it again.
At the completion of each of the prayer's four sections, The Pantheon provides a piece of the new soul. When the last section has been recited, the child's eyes remain closed and everyone becomes completely silent for forty seconds, with a priest or priestess counting and finally announcing when the time is up. At that point the crowd traditionally praises the child for a job well done, and the child may open their eyes to see the world through the lens of their new soul.
The final prayer is said immediately after the child is praised for their recital of the previous one. The parents are allowed to return and the child leaves the center of the circle for any place among everyone that previously surrounded him or her, symbolizing the child's joining of adult society. From wherever they now stand, the child begins the Prayer of Rejoicing, which the other members of the circle eventually join in reciting.
This prayer is recited with the child's eyes open. The theme of the prayer is that of the child asking to join his or her parents in the adult world, and the parents agreeing, while setting down the new rules for living as an adult within their community. In this prayer, the child also declares who they will worship as their patron deity. During this time, The Pantheon performs Its final part in the ceremony and actually merges the two souls into one, creating a complete being, now an adult. The child that has just gone through the ceremony is now no longer considered a child, and gains all rights and responsibilities that go along with adulthood.
Along with the benefits of adulthood, the former child now enters the next stage of life. This period of turmoil is called 'adolescence', and is caused by the struggle the child goes through to accommodate both his new and old soul. There will likely be certain external consequences of this period, such as rapidly switching from the maturity of the new soul to the immaturity of the old, and back.
Even though religious practice dictates that the child shall go through the ceremony and become an adult at the age that they do, parents tend to not always believe their child is mature enough to go through with it and complain that the ceremony should take place later in life. However, this is a belief that has been in existence for many generations, and the parents' parents probably thought the same about them. There seems to be no real religious movement to change the age at which the ceremony occurs, and there likely never will be.
Festival of Renewal
This festival is much easier to explain. The country falls into a state of total ease for a transition from the old year into the new one. The key events are the Ceremony of Wishes, where people write New Year's Resolutions and Old Animosities and throw them into a huge bonfire, and the Bah'Kinal, when all dead bodies are exhumed and thrown into the bonfire, so that their souls may become ready to be received by new children the following year.
The Law of the Land
The following is a (mostly) comprehensive list of the major laws of Zhanniqua.
Crime and Punishment
Offering disrespect to nobility:
If a commoner shall speak in a less than civil fashion to, or publicly speaks ill about, someone of rank and/or nobility, the punishment shall be: a public reprimand to be given to the offender and a public apology to be made by the offender, or a public reprimand to be given to the offended plus a fine to be paid by the offender to the offended in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks for a length to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging of the offender with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact.
Offering disrespect to a noble of higher rank:
If a noble shall speak in a less than civil fashion to, or publicly speaks ill about, someone of higher rank, the punishment shall be: a public reprimand to be given to the offender and a public apology to be made by the offender, or a public reprimand to be given to the offender plus a fine to be paid by the offender to the crown in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
Impersonating nobility:
If a commoner shall impersonate someone of rank and/or nobility, or act as if he has such rank and/or nobility, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid by the offender to the crown in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks for a length to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging of the offender with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or banishment, or death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Attacking a royal guardsman:
If a member of the nobility shall attack a member of the royal guard, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or a term served with the royal guard for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall attack a member of the royal guard, the punishment shall be: flogging of the offender with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
Attacking a member of the noble class:
If a member of the nobility shall attack a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or a term served with the royal guard for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall attack a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or banishment, or death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Attacking a member of the common class:
If a member of the nobility shall attack a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall attack a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Rape of a member of the noble class:
If a member of the nobility shall rape a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
If a commoner shall rape a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: banishment, or death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Rape of a member of the common class:
If a member of the nobility shall rape a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall rape a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Kidnapping a member of the noble class:
If a member of the nobility shall kidnap a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
If a commoner shall kidnap a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: banishment, or death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering, or a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Kidnapping a member of the common class:
If a member of the nobility shall kidnap a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall kidnap a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Murder of a member of the noble class:
If a member of the nobility shall murder a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or death by beheading, or loss of title.
If a commoner shall murder a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Murder of a member of the common class:
If a member of the nobility shall murder a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
If a commoner shall murder a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Treason:
If a member of the nobility shall commit treason against the crown of Zhanniqua, the punishment shall be: death by beheading, and loss of title, and a fine paid to the crown in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall commit treason against the crown of Zhanniqua, the punishment shall be: death by beheading, or death by boiling in oil, or death by burning at the stake, or death by hanging, or death by drawing and quartering.
Stealing from a member of the noble class:
If a member of the nobility shall steal from another member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
If a commoner shall steal from a member of the noble class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the liege in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or branding of the offender, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Stealing from a member of the common class:
If a member of the nobility shall steal from a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall steal from a member of the common class, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Avoidance of Paying Taxes:
If a member of the nobility shall willfully avoid paying taxes, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or banishment to the lands of the nobleman, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or loss of title where appropriate.
If a commoner shall avoid the paying of taxes, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the liege in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Disturbing the Peace:
If a member of the nobility shall cause a disturbance of the peace, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment.
If a commoner shall cause a disturbance of the peace, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Commitment of adultery by a husband:
If a male of the noble class shall commit adultery, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a male of the common class shall commit adultery, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact.
Commitment of adultery by a wife:
If a woman of the noble class shall commit adultery, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, and/or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, and/or imprisonment, and/or branding of the woman with the mark of adulteress, and/or loss of title.
If a woman of the common class shall commit adultery, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact.
Bearing a child out of wedlock:
If a woman of the noble class shall bear a child out of wedlock, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, and/or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, and/or imprisonment, and/or loss of title.
Assisting the Escape of a Slave:
If a member of the nobility shall cause or attempt to cause the unlawful release of a gnomish servant or other indentured being, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment.
If a commoner shall cause or attempt to cause the unlawful release of a gnomish servant or other indentured being, the punishment shall be: a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or time in the stocks the length of which is to be determined by the finder of fact, or flogging with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
Obstruction of Justice:
If a member of the nobility shall impede the work of the Royal Guard or a knight of Zhanniqua in the process of arresting a suspect, or if a member of the nobility shall impede the work of the Investigative Prosecutor in the matter of investigating a crime, the punishment shall be: a fine paid by the offender to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or confinement to their estates and/or dwelling for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact, or a term served with the royal guard for a length of time to be determined by the finder of fact.
If a commoner shall impede the work of the Royal Guard or a knight of Zhanniqua in the process of arresting a suspect, or if a commoner shall impede the work of the Investigative Prosecutor in the matter of investigating a crime, the punishment shall be: flogging of the offender with the number of lashes to be determined by the finder of fact, or a fine to be paid to the crown and/or the victim in an amount to be determined by the finder of fact, or imprisonment.
Inheritance Laws
The eldest noble, male legitimate child of a noble family will inherit lands. If there are no suitable male children, then the eldest noble, female legitimate child of a noble family will inherit lands.
If there are no suitable children, or the children are found unfit to govern, then the inheritance may be passed down to the next noble, legitimate heir in the following order of preference: siblings, nephews/nieces, cousins.
If there are no suitable family members, then the noble may select an heir in their last will and testament, pending the approval of the Crown.