Code of Crimmor

The Code of Crimmor described the various rules and laws that determined which activities were permitted or forbidden in the Amnian city of Crimmor.

"Crimmor's laws are whatever the mayor says they are, and he speaks differently when the accused is wealthy than he does when a prisoner has few coins."

- Crimman rumor

Law Enforcement
Several organizations made sure the Code was respected and the inhabitants were kept safe:
 * The Crimmor Guard, strong of 500 combatants, whose patrols watched over the streets of the city.
 * The Bargemen, who patrolled the Alandor River, the westbound River Road, and the docks.
 * The Shadow Thieves guild, which regulated criminal activities in the city and enforced a strict no-theft policy.

Judgement
There where no jury in Crimmor, but six Suziers of the Thaeldorn who served as judges. Upon breaching the code, an offender would be brought before a Suzier or before the Mayor, who would decide of their punishment. This process was swift: an offender would usually be brought before a magistrate on the same day they were apprehended, or before noon if they were caught at night. On the rare occasion where more information was necessary, such as finding witnesses, the Suzier could decide to keep a prisoner in custody up to three days.

All trials were held publicly, and accused persons could speak freely to plead their cause.

Reputation
Some Suziers were known to have more patience than others, thus pleading offenders had to be careful not to hurt their cause. The mayor was said to be more lenient towards wealthy accused&mdash;which was sometimes true&mdash;but was overall recognized as a fair-minded and well-meaning individual, who truly wanted the best for the town and its inhabitants.

Citizenship
Some crimes were punished differently if they impacted a citizen or a visitor. In Crimmor, someone was considered a citizen if they owned land, paid rent, or resided in the city since at least one season.

Punishment
While the death penalty existed in Crimmor, it wasn't the norm. Most crimes would result in a fine (payable to the Thaeldorn) or some damages (payable to the victim or their family). Imprisonment and forced labor were not unusual, as was public flogging. More heinous acts could have the perpetrator branded or banished from the city.



Branding
Branding with a hot iron was usually combined with other punishment, and was reserved for very specific crimes.

Edicts
An edict was a public decree published by the Mayor, which was posted on all the city gates and on the doors of the Thaeldorn. Those decrees were proclaimed aloud when posted, and usually forbade a convicted person from doing something specific&mdash;such as repeating their crime. Some decree had more impact, and could for example forbid someone from taking part in a line of business. Violating an edict would result in further punishment, such as paying a fine and doing manual work.

Fines and damages
Fines were paid to the Thaeldorn, as opposed to damages which were paid to the victim or their family. In the convicted criminal was unable to pay a fine or damages, their property would be seized and the remaining amount would be converted to hard labor until the value of the work satisfied the court debt.

Flogging
Flogging was always done using a drover's whip on the prisoner's back, with the convicted stripped to the waist and wrist-manacled to restraints. To add to the humiliation, it was usually done in taverns as a form of entertainment. A patrol from the Crimmor Guard was always present during flogging to ensure the prisoner wouldn't be mistreated by the spectators.

Hard Labor
During hard labor prisoners wore leg-shackles and had to perform physically exhausting tasks such as repairing the streets and city walls, or dredging the river.

Manual Work
Prisoners sentenced to manual work didn't have to wear shackles. They would be required to perform simple tasks such as replacing wall-mortar, mending roofs and chimneys, clearing snow and ice during winter, or emptying chamberpots.

Laws

 * Arson was punishable by hard labor and exile. In certain cases it could also be punishable by death.
 * Assault resulting in an injury usually resulted in damages to be paid to the victim. Additional punishment would depend of whether the victim was a citizen of Crimmor, or not. In the former case, hard labor or flogging could be added to the sentence. In the latter case judges were more lenient, and required manual work or a fine.
 * Attacking the city was punished by hard labor and exile, or by death. Accomplices found guilty of providing information or assistance had to pay damages and a fine, perform hard labor, and could be exiled as well. The definition of this crime was quite wide, including but not limited to poisoning food or water supplies, casting spells that could cause mass destruction of property or many losses of life, or damaging the city gates. It also included heinous acts against citizens such as kidnapping, maiming or mutilation.
 * Bribery&mdash;successful or not&mdash;was punished by manual work, a fine, and the proclamation of an edict against the convicted. The amount of the fine was usually double that of the bribe itself.
 * Dealing in stolen goods was punished by damage to pay to the victim and a fine, both of a value equals to that of the stolen items.
 * Defiling or stealing from temples resulted in damages to be paid and hard labor, in addition to an edict against the convict. In some cases, exile would be added to the punishment.
 * Defacing or forging a public notice was punished by manual work an a fine.
 * Forgery of documents and counterfeiting currency was punished by branding, a fine, and damages to be paid to the victims. In addition it was common knowledge that counterfeiting badges used on draft animals was punished by the Shadow Thieves guild, by severing one finger from the offender for each of those badges.
 * Fraud was punished by branding, in addition to damages and a fine.
 * Hampering justice was cause for a fine and some hard labor. The exact definition of that crime was quite lax, but could include refusing to testify, hiding from the Guard or resisting arrest. It could also be used against someone preventing guards from doing their duty such as preventing them from entering a building, from chasing someone, or from seizing something.
 * Impersonating an official or a cleric was punished by a fine and by exile from the city.
 * Intimidation and blackmail were punished by a fine, damages, and flogging. The damage was usually double the value of what was demanded or taken.
 * Murder was punished by death, if proven intentional. It was punished by flogging and exile otherwise. The sentence could be reduced to a simple fine&mdash;or forfeited altogether&mdash;if it was proven that the killing was done in an attempt to prevent another crime from the Code, or if it was done by a Guard or Bargeman (whether they were on-duty or not).
 * Obstruction such as parking a wagon against a doorway or across an alley or route and preventing an easy passage, had varying punishment depending of the seriousness of the situation. It was usually punished by a fine and an edict, but blocking a city gate or a plaqued route could cost the offender a whole day and night of imprisonment in the Thaeldorn dungeon.
 * Rape was punished by damages paid to the victim, flogging, branding, and imprisonment in the dungeon.
 * Sedition included speaking against the rules and laws of Amn or Crimmor, and criticizing the behavior of specific officials. It was punished by half a day of imprisonment in the dungeon, and a fine of 25 gp.
 * Theft was punished by a fine and damages to be paid to the victim, and by flogging. The fine and damages were usually set to double the value of the stolen goods. In addition, any thieves would have to answer to the Shadow Thieves guild, who declared the city a theft-free zone.
 * Tomb Robbing was usually punished by a fine and damages to be paid, and the convicted criminals were branded.
 * Vandalism was punished by a fine, damages to be paid, and flogging.

Spellcasting
Crimmor had a set of laws regarding the practice of the Art. The laws specifically defined "harmful spellcasting" as any magic that would cause damage to a person or property, cause an immediate accident, or push a person to suicide. The cause could be indirect, such as a fear spell causing a horse to run down a street and trample a bystander, or a some enchantment magic causing a victim to believe themselves afflicted by a painful and inescapable condition and consequently ending their life.
 * Harmful public spellcasting was usually punished by a fine and damages to be paid to the victim, then manual work for up to a tenday. If the convicted wasn't a citizen, they would also be banned from the city for one year.
 * Harmful spellcasting targeting law enforcement such as members of the Guard, Bargemen, the Mayor, or any Thaeldorn official was punishable by death on the spot, without requiring a judgement. Exception could be made with prior permission from a high-ranking official.
 * Spellcasting in court&mdash;harmful or otherwise,&mdash; was punished by a fine and flogging, a tenday of imprisonment in the dungeon, and damages if applicable. An exception was made if the spellcasting was explicitly authorized by the Mayor or the presiding Suzier.

Rumors
According to Volothamp Geddarm, a punishment called hookfingers was reserved for artists, forgers, scribes, and clerks who had offended prominent families. It consisted in being hung from the city walls by means of fishing hooks driven through the offender's fingers and thumbs, causing one's weight to tear the body free and making future writing impossible or incredibly painful. In addition, guards armed with clubs would wait at the bottom to strike the convict after their fall.