Races and Cultures: Culture of the Empire of Splendour
Law and Order
The Magisters Judiciary are responsible for judging court cases, with more serious crimes requiring a more senior magister to adjudicate. The Magisters are considered educated and wise enough to determine guilt and pass sentence without the assistance or guidance of others. The presence of a death sentence for a Magister Judiciary found guilty of corruption, and the concept of rao-shimvar (Duty to Society) means that this absolute power is not abused as much as might be expected. In areas where the Imperial authority has crumbled, however, corrupt Magisters find they can deal summary justice without fear of retribution from higher authorities.
The Oksan system, which is now becoming common within the Merchant's League, appoints a Magister Judiciary to act as a defence counsel to the accused. The Magister, known as Magister of Sightless Wisdom in this role, must be of equal authority as the prosecuting Magister. This mitigates some levels of possible corruption but since the defendant doesn't get to choose the Magister of Sightless Wisdom it is not unknown for an ineffectual Magister to be assigned to a case where a guilty verdict is 'required', nor is it unheard of for defence and prosecution to collude to predetermine a verdict.
The local Magister Administory is provided with a stipend to raise and equip a peace-keeping force known as the Guard of Unswerving Vigilance. Typically the guardsmen and women are armed with spears and shortswords or crossbows and dressed in leather armour. Quite often they carry light shields. The amount of money available to outfit the Guard depends upon the size and prosperity of the region, and the honesty of the magister Administory. In outlying provinces, many Magisters spend the money on luxuries rather than defence. More honest and well-funded Magisters, on the other hand, may be able to field an elite force of warriors clad in metal armour and wielding fine weapons. Magic is dealt with on an ad hoc basis, as discussed below. The Guards of Unswerving Vigilance all swear an oath of allegiance to the Empire and face harsh penalties for insubordination and failure. Their job is to patrol borders or streets to prevent trouble, and to raise a larger squad to deal with specific disturbances.
As well as maintaining the Guard, all Magisters (Administory and Judiciary) are empowered to subpoena witnesses and deputise agents from any Imperial citizen 'neither insane, criminal nor otherwise under the influence of supernatural forces'. It should be noted that Imperial Law considers insanity and criminality to both be the influence of supernatural forces. If, as the sage Manrupashnar once argued, 'All intelligent life tends towards Order' then only those possessed by evil spirits could possibly want to break the perfect order of the Empire. Punishment, however, is meted out on the body possessed by the evil spirit and may range from imprisonment and fines, to a public beating or execution (by a range of grisly methods but most commonly burning).
Magic in the Empire
Magic use is tightly regulated in the Empire. All magicians must report to the local Magister Administory upon arrival in a new area, and give details of lodgings, duration of stay and so forth. Registered magicians are known as jiunsami and are considered to be at the disposal of the local Magisters to deal with magical threats in the area. Magical crimes include setting curses, summoning malicious spirits and causing injury through magic. All are considered extremely serious and warrant death by burning. Unregistered magicians, known as tabusami, tend therefore to be desperate or secretive individuals. Where Imperial law is weak, a common form of magical crime are the Paper Lantern Gangs, a blanket term for protection rackets that demand payment under threat of magical harm. The name comes from the custom of hanging paper lanterns outside a house to keep away evil spirits.
Many magical disciplines are practised in the Empire, but the most common is the Path of Water and Mountains. Because of the Concordant nature of the Continent of Perfection, the most powerful magic requires complex rituals to 'unlock'. The principles of Geomancy are used a lot to provide resonances and metaphors for the rituals, and this style of magic is often termed Resonant or Ritual magic. The Path of Water and Mountains is taught in some Imperial universities, although magical theory is studied far more than practice. It is more common for a student of magic to learn as apprentice to a single master.
Imperial Courier Service
In order to maintain such a sprawling bureaucracy, the Empire needed to have a method of sending messages quickly and efficiently. Thus was born the Imperial Courier Service. Imperial couriers wear a distinctive yellow sash and ride the fast shandix. They are employed to carry dispatches and paperwork throughout the Empire. Imperial citizens are required by law to aid them wherever possible, including surrendering transport to them. Interfering with an Imperial Courier is a capital offence.
The Merchant's League copied this idea, the only difference (apart from the material carried) is that League Couriers wear a red sash, and the laws that concern them are enforced by the League. The couriers change mounts at Imperial or League Waystations and travel fast and light. A few hundred yards in either direction from a waystation is a gong that an approaching courier strikes to alert the staff of the to prepare a fresh mount and food. Misuse of the gong warrants a stiff fine (5000 yen or 50 gp) and sometimes a jail sentence
The courier services are only for official matters and not available for use by the public. Several postal services have appeared based upon the courier model, but they are less efficient and, being private ventures, do not have the vast legal might to protect their charges. Most mail is sent informally, by passing it on to someone going in the same direction.
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