Pavis - Possible New Pavis customs based on Greco-Roman Laws

[ChalkLine]

 

This was something I wrote up for a Pavis campaign where the characters were members of the Royal Pavis Constabulary. I took pains to avoid the 'Guards Guards Guards' tropes.

Pavic Law and Customs

Pavis is a polis; a city-state with surrounding lands that answer to the central town. Oddly enough, it is also a colony of a battered old polis; The Real City in the heart of Old Pavis and this complicates things. It is also even more than this as the Empire has appointed a Count to oversee, tax and govern this state it is what is known as a colonna. This means a series of unusual relationships has arisen and these have had strange effects on law and customs.

As an Imperial colonna Pavis is subordinate to the Empire and its hierarchy. However, even after years of occupation the Imperials still know little of what they have come to own and on a mystical level they are almost completely ignorant of the mythic mechanisms of how and especially when Pavis operates. The total indifference of the higher members of the Pavis temple to the dangers of marrying in the Lunar Pantheon have caused some imperial mystics to wonder if they know exactly what they are dealing with and has caused some misgivings. The worst dangers are buried deeply.

Regardless of this Laws and Customs reflect these three factors; The Real City and its history of unceasing war with Prax and the Uz. New Pavis and its legacy of Sartarite disenfranchisement and its strong Sartar clan structures and overlaying this the blanket of Imperial Provincial Law.

Pavis Citizens

Citizenship is a vital requirement for living in Pavis for any time and those deliberately remaining outsiders are known as a Metic or 'resident foreigner'. A metic has severely curtailed rights, and may not vote, has less credibility in court than a citizen has, may not be given food rations in times of hardship or siege, has no ties to the local community and is considered inherently suspicious. A metic has all the burdens of citizenship but none of the benefits,

To be a citizen one must become an initiate of Pavis and then must be adopted by the citizenry as a fellow. In practice it is easier to become an initiate than to become a citizen and only by tying one's fortunes, and those of your descendants, to those of large Pavis clan (and in a subordinate or 'client' role) can a metic hope to become a Pavis citizen.

A citizen has many benefits and not just the dole and a lesser gate tax.

Citizens have more rights in a legal dispute than metics and as they have familial, ritual, mystical and political ties to the city they are considered more trustworthy. Citizens do not pay more than a token payment for places in the markets, the craft guilds must accept them if they are qualified to join and then the guilds actively persecute their metic competition. Citizens may vote, and by showing their support for a candidate they place themselves, by affiliation with a faction, in the debt of the candidate and faction they support. Citizens also have equal rights as Imperial citizens within the bounds of the County of Pavis. As a citizen it was unlikely that they would be enslaved by the state unless the citizen was found guilty of an extremely serious crime.

Slaves

Pavis is a culture that allows the ownership of slaves. Slaves form the very bottom rung of Pavic life and only 'enjoy' the rights they receive as the belonging of a citizen or metic. Slaves are not killed they are destroyed. This simple definition shows the total lack of rights they have; their death is only noted as the reduction of another person's wealth.

Slaves may not give witness in court. Slaves may not belong to the cult of Pavis and by enslavement the terrible ritual of disenfranchisement rips the person from life as an equal citizen and hurls them into the purse of another citizen. Most relatives, friends or patrons of a citizen condemned to slavery undergo great hardships to prevent this terrible event and many of those condemned to perpetual slavery will suicide instead.

However, there is more than one form of slavery of which perpetual slavery is only the worst. Temporary slavery such as Seasonal Slavery (usually for chronic debt) or Year And A Day Slavery (for serious crimes) 'merely' reduce the ex-slave afterwards to the status of metic but it is usually easy for the to be readmitted as a citizen unless they are disowned by all those who know them.

While it is possible for a slave to own money it is actually illegal for a slave - a possession - to own their own possessions so the owner of the slave keeps the money 'owned' by the slave in trust. Obviously some owners refuse to do this making the slave unable to save up to buy their freedom. Slaves have no right to their own bodies and a male owner can legally force a slave to have sexual relations with himself or with another male of his choosing at any time. The reverse of this shows that Pavis is still something of a patriarchal society as a female owner having sexual relationships with a slave is considered to have committed bestiality and the slave is destroyed and the woman brought up on charges. Imperial citizens have decried this practice. All the children of slaves are considered slaves in their own right.

Slaves who cause damage, lie, steal or are otherwise disruptive may or may not be destroyed according to the 'crime'. The owner of the slave is held accountable for any outrages a slave causes. A similar situation is if the owner of a dog allowed it to bite someone and is the example used in the Pavic court.

Any owner freeing a slave, a common practice among some groups, agrees by the act of manumission to become the patron of the slave (who is now a low-class metic). The former slave, now a 'freedman', becomes a client of the former owner but can leave that owner's patronage after a year and a day.

Imperial Law

The Lunar Empire sees Pavis as a typical borderlands set of contradictions and has set its Provincial Army and Provincial Administration to the task of making the colonna friendly to the Empire and its goals.

The aim of the Empire is simple; Assimilation.

In time and with constant, impartial and pervasive administration the Empire aims to make Pavis an Imperial Outpost at the edge of the Empire, within the Glowline and with the regional variations expected within every satrapy. Should Sor-Eel prosper in this position his family will add the satrapy of Prax to their honours and Sor-Eel has the attitude that he and his dynasty are here to stay. It shows. Sor-Eel is slowly 'going native' and building a power base here on the borderlands.

Unfortunately Sor-Eeel is saddled with Jotoran Longsword, who has the 'crush them under your heel, tax them 'till they squeal' mindset almost guaranteed to create unrest in a border town. Jotoran is almost undoubtedly sabotaging Sor-Eel's efforts but it is unknown who he is working for among the Imperial factions. Everyone is keenly hoping that Pavis gets to witness a Dart War to 'thin the Lunars out'.

The Imperial Administration has decreed that an Imperial citizen is on equal standing in the eyes of the law as a Pavic citizen, and Imperial merchant interests have immediately appeared to try and suffocate the native merchant houses and craft guilds. This led to a fair bit of street fighting and assassination. This, and the ongoing Sartarite unrest, has meant that martial law has been extended indefinitely.

The basic Imperial Directives of Occupation are as follows;

• Anyone convicted of committing violence upon the person or possessions of a Lunar Citizen or Ally (including Pavic Citizens) will be crucified.

• All taverns, eating houses and places of entertainment must be closed by midnight and no citizens, metics or slaves may be on the street after then without a pass issued by the Imperial Administration or Pavic Constabulary.

• All weapon masters, weapon schools and their students must be registered with the Imperial authorities.

• All foreigners entering the city must register with the Imperial Authorities at the gate.

• All expeditions into The Rubble must;

• • Register with the Imperial Authorities before entering The Rubble stating both their objective and the expected time of their return.

• • Pay a set tax of One Per Centum of any monies in excess of 100L per individual to the Gate Clerk on exiting The Rubble.

• • Declare and display for inspection any artefacts found on the expedition at the Imperial head quarters.

• • Deposit maps of explored areas with the authorities at the Imperial head quarters on return from any expedition to the The Rubble. If the expedition members are incapable of submitting a suitable map as per the Mapping Requirements (Rubble Expeditions), a scribe will be made available to the expedition for a suitable fee.

• The Temple of Orlanth, being a hotbed of seditious activity, will remain closed and sealed indefinitely.

Ransoms

In Pavis, like anywhere else in Glorantha bar a few strange spots, the family and clan is everything.

Family and clan guarantee to pay weregild - a 'life value' in coin rather than suffer the loss of a family member's life. Paying a weregild means that the the prisoner must be kept well and fed adequately. After a weregild is agreed on a prisoner must not attempt to escape nor may they be rescued by armed intervention of the family or clan.

Weregild is paid usually to a third party who is considered trustworthy. In Pavis at this time this is almost solely the function of the Lhankor Mhy cult. The clan pays the cult who then notifies holders of the prisoner. The prisoner is delivered to the cult, who pays over the sum, and the cult notifies the family or clan that the prisoner may be collected. Note, the Lhankor Mhy cult, in total contrast to every other of their activities, does not charge anything for this function. This is due to the mystical criteria that the Lhankor Mhy cult may not engage in taking sides and payment could allow the cult to manipulate the outcome of the exchange.

Anyone attempting to subvert the process once the Lhankor Mhy cult is involved lays themselves open to attacks by the Lhankor Mhy spirit of reprisal who will attack when the offender is asleep within a month of the transgression.

It is not against any law or custom to refuse to accept a ransom, and some bitter conflicts preclude 'quarter'. However if a group consistently refuses offers of ransom and executes prisoners then they may well be investigated by the authorities to see if such killings are murder. Normally if a murderer is shielded by a clan or family then the whole group is considered responsible.

Vendetta

Vendetta or Feud is the technical term for 'Private Warfare'.

Only clans; groupings of extended families, may legally engage in vendetta. Usually only large and powerful clans are granted the right to do so.

To claim Vendetta the following procedures must followed;

- The civic and imperial authorities must be unable to reach a verdict or arbitrate a solution on the basis of contention.

- The Count of Prax must approve a request for clan warfare. If approved, and a surprising amount are, the following stipulations are usually mandated:

• Vendetta must be declared in the city central square, naming the clans involved and the restrictions mandated by the authorities. The combatants have one season from that day to reach an agreement before hostilities may begin and earnest efforts are expected.

• No non-combatants may be harmed.

• Arson is strictly forbidden.

• Ransom must be accepted if offered.

• Combat or theft within the city is strictly forbidden.

• Interruption of trade, tax gathering and official business may never be hindered.

• The vendetta can but cut short at any time by County Decree. Ignoring the Count's Decree brands the clan as 'rebels', and leaves the clan open to punishment by the Pavis Constabulary and the Imperial Legions who do not have to abide by any restriction on Vendetta.

• Vendetta may not continue beyond a year and a day. At this time the parties must reapply to the Count of Prax.

Burial Customs

This really depends on religion. Pavis people from The Real City have graveyards inside Greater Pavis (The Big Rubble)

Most people are buried (or at least dealt with) on the other side of the river beyond the sable camp. Here the sun worshippers burn their people in hot fires, wind worshippers burn them with smoky fires, New Pavis people and knowledge worshippers bury their dead with a stone pillow and usually a marker of some sort. River people sink the body in a special sealed basket like a lobster pot and after a season retrieve the bones. Especially important people are sent on unmanned funeral barges that seek out the Homeward Ocean and thus the underworld. Humakti tend to deal with bodies however is convenient but never what is traditional for the member's family (as they are sundered from the kin). Nomad peoples deal with bodies, often by cremation, on the steppe. Cremated bodies usually have the ashes retrieved and placed in urns then put in household shrines or placed in temple under-vaults.

Criminals are crucified on the road to the city and left to rot, the stench is appalling and is yet another thing that the people of Pavis resent about the empire. Prior to this they were usually throttled (a wind custom, in Old Pavis they were stoned) and thrown in a mass burial pit over the river (this pit has a bad name for hauntings and only Daka Fal godi dare tend the pit.)

Edited February 22, 2019 by ChalkLine

[soltakss]

It sounds interesting. I am not sure about the patriarchal slave rules, though, it doesn't feel particularly Pavic to discriminate in that way, especially as Pavis' Daughters once ruled Pavis.

For me, one of the interesting things about Pavis is that there are different legal systems in operation at once. Pavic Citizens have their own legal system and can choose to be tried under Pavic Law. The Lunars have their own legal systems and these take priority over other systems, at least in principle. Sartarite Exiles have their own Clan-based legal system. Normally, Pavic Citizens follow Pavic Law, Lunars follow Lunar law and Sartarite Exiles follow local Sartarite Law, but interesting things happen when someone breaks someone else's law when such an act is not illegal under their own legal code. Who judges them? Which system do they follow? Who can uphold and enforce the law in such a case?

Edited February 22, 2019 by soltakss

[ChalkLine]

Yeah. I was a bit unsure as I thought the Sartarite exiles with their higher level of sexual equality might not condone it as they were the dominating force behind New Pavis for three (?) generations, but I went with a more unpleasant ancient oppression. It's easily discardable, it was a Roman law after all and Romans don't fit easily into Glorantha when you look at them closely.

[Runeblogger]

The rules for vendetta are especially interesting and can lead to lots of adventures.

[The God Learner]

2 hours ago, soltakss said:

For me, one of the interesting things about Pavis is that there are different legal systems in operation at once. Pavic Citizens have their own legal system and can choose to be tried under Pavic Law. The Lunars have their own legal systems and these take priority over other systems, at least in principle. Sartarite Exiles have their own Clan-based legal system. Normally, Pavic Citizens follow Pavic Law, Lunars follow Lunar law and Sartarite Exiles follow local Sartarite Law, but interesting things happen when someone breaks someone else's law when such an act is not illegal under their own legal code. Who judges them? Which system do they follow? Who can uphold and enforce the law in such a case?

Pavis: Gateway to Adventure - practitioners of international tax law will love this intricate saga. The sleeper hit at Lincoln's Inn!

[Darius West]

Firstly I commend your efforts to bring a bit of legal structure to New Pavis, but a Roman model of citizenship isn't really compatible with what is essentially a Heortling style of settlement.  I also don't think that it is compatible with the older model of what an EWF citizen would have expected from back in the pre-Rubble days, but it might be a better fit.  All the same, I think that the fact that Pavis is all about the Man Rune and inclusion, that deliberately exclusionary laws would not have been acceptable.

For a start, I think that citizenship must clearly be open to outsiders, just not so easily obtained.  I mean, Dorasar and his settlers are clearly able to become citizens, and New Pavis is a city which encourages migration, and would likely die without it.  I don't think that it is necessary to be a member of the Cult of Pavis in order to become a citizen, but that certain high city ranks require Pavis Cult membership, by law and custom.  These would include city administration roles such as Chief Administrator of the Granaries,  City Housing Administrator, City Treasurer, City Auditor, Chief of the City Watch (until the Lunars stop this), Assessor of Tax Collection, Assessor of Construction (Flintnail), Assessor of Antiquities, and of course every city judge.  In short, joining the cult of Pavis is an inside track to important civic office, but is essentially open to anyone who is prepared to make the spiritual and temporal sacrifices necessary to prove their loyalty to the city and its continuing existence.

Here is a quote on Pavic Citizenship from Pavis:Gateway to Adventure (p155):

"To qualify for the status of citizen, an individual (or his clan) must own the land on which he lives, be gainfully employed or have income, pay taxes to the city, reside in Pavis and be a laymember of his cult, and bear arms (if able) to defend the city (or else pay for a replacement). These requirements are subjective. Interpretation of them is determined by the city council. If a current citizen fails to meet the above qualifications, he is stripped of his rights. Citizenship is not automatic; it must be requested by an adult.

Benefits of citizenship include: the right to speak at the Popular Assembly, the right to be tried for crimes at the Citizen’s Court, respectful protection by the watch and the militia, the right
to become a guildmaster, the right to a portion of the city food supplies, and the right to a discount on a stone house. The customs of citizenship are inherited from Sartar. There, tradition holds that any man who bears arms, recognizes his kin lord, and tends to his property properly deserves the status of clan citizen and, by extension, tribe citizen. Citydwellers eventually substituted their city for the clan and tribe."

[Joerg]

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

Firstly I commend your efforts to bring a bit of legal structure to New Pavis, but a Roman model of citizenship isn't really compatible with what is essentially a Heortling style of settlement.  I also don't think that it is compatible with the older model of what an EWF citizen would have expected from back in the pre-Rubble days, but it might be a better fit.  All the same, I think that the fact that Pavis is all about the Man Rune and inclusion, that deliberately exclusionary laws would not have been acceptable.

While the founder of the city was from a Heortling environment (although not necessarily a Heortling himself) and a lot of the original settlers would have been Heortlings, too, the lawmakers were the Pure Horse-descended Zebra Rider kings of the Arrowsmith Dynasty who might have some ancestors with ideas about how to lord above grounders in a walled city on a different river.

I still think that Karakorum is a great parallel, with the Middle Sea Empire and the EWF creating a north-south anti-parallel to Karakorum' east (Chinese) - west (Persian and beyond) conflagration.

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

For a start, I think that citizenship must clearly be open to outsiders, just not so easily obtained.  I mean, Dorasar and his settlers are clearly able to become citizens, and New Pavis is a city which encourages migration, and would likely die without it. 

New Pavis is a Sartarite city foundation compromising with whatever Arrowsmith laws survived through the troll occupation. The rules for the city outside of the old wall were probably prepared by Sartar himself in 1490 when he negotiated the Pol Joni compromise with the Praxians when the Rubble still was sealed off.

At my guess, Tarkalor first received his nom-de-guerre Trollkiller in the Pavis Rubble. His later career remained true to that, though.

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

I don't think that it is necessary to be a member of the Cult of Pavis in order to become a citizen, but that certain high city ranks require Pavis Cult membership, by law and custom. 

I do think that citizenship does mean obligatory lay membership in the cult, with duties. Not necessarily automatically vice versa.

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

These would include city administration roles such as Chief Administrator of the Granaries, 

A radically new concept to the Rubble dwellers, really. But yes, food distribution was the major role of the cult during the survival centuries.

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

City Housing Administrator, City Treasurer, City Auditor, Chief of the City Watch (until the Lunars stop this), Assessor of Tax Collection, Assessor of Construction (Flintnail), Assessor of Antiquities, and of course every city judge.  In short, joining the cult of Pavis is an inside track to important civic office, but is essentially open to anyone who is prepared to make the spiritual and temporal sacrifices necessary to prove their loyalty to the city and its continuing existence.

The rule of the mayor and his council is very much that of the Sartar-founded cities. The mayor's authority more or less ends at Dorasar's walls and the original wall, though.

Given that Dorasar was a teenager when he founded the city (possibly even before Saronil's death), the law details will have been provided by his companions (possibly inherited from Sarotar) well versed in Sartar's laws.

[soltakss]

3 hours ago, Darius West said:

I don't think that it is necessary to be a member of the Cult of Pavis in order to become a citizen, but that certain high city ranks require Pavis Cult membership, by law and custom. 

The quote that you made says that you have to be a Lay Member of the Pavis Cult to become a Citizen.

 

[jeffjerwin]

20 hours ago, soltakss said:

The quote that you made says that you have to be a Lay Member of the Pavis Cult to become a Citizen.

 

My impression is that City gods take as lay members anyone who lives in the city - no further action is needed.

[Darius West]

On 2/25/2019 at 5:43 AM, soltakss said:

The quote that you made says that you have to be a Lay Member of the Pavis Cult to become a Citizen.

Oh, sorry, I don't really consider Lay Membership worth mentioning most of the time.  By a member I generally mean an initiate, not a blow-in.  With no power comes no responsibility and all that.

[soltakss]

1 hour ago, Darius West said:

Oh, sorry, I don't really consider Lay Membership worth mentioning most of the time.  By a member I generally mean an initiate, not a blow-in.  With no power comes no responsibility and all that.

It is actually quite important to a City God.

I would generally say that you can't become an Initiate of a City God unless you are a Citizen. You can become a Lay Member, as that it is the entry point to becoming a Citizen.