Martial Law

[Radog]

After watching a few incidents happen in Styne over time, I thought I would make a post on this subject. I had a pretty good idea of what it meant before today, but just to make sure I looked at a few definitions on the Web. Here is a short one:

Martial Law - The suspension of normal civil law and its replacement by strict military control. Often declared during times of civil unrest.

This came into effect when the position of Viceroy was recalled due to civil unrest, if I recall correctly...

To me, this means no democracy and you should tread lightly, not come into town and purposely try to anger a Knight and then claim abuse of power when he/she decides to go upside your head with his sword. I see it all the time and so does everyone else. I dont know how the other people with Knight characters feel about it, but Aviar will tolerate very little of it. I have heard a form of government mentioned by one of the DM's and until it is in place, Martial Law is meant to be a temporary solution to maintain order and there are very few rights involved. Don't forget that this is medieval times, not 21st century....

[Spathic]

I am in 1000% agreement... Even when the knights aren't there they should tread lightly (even though the guards seem to be statues now... i never see them react)

of course if we imprisoned all the button pushers we'd have to build a bigger jail...

[JoScMa]

I agree with Radog on this. Mac has been a little too merciful to people who like to cause trouble. He has been changing in this though. Although he hasn't been in this situation for some time, so I guess that's good heh.

As for the Styne Guards, better be careful. Never know when a DM might give them a little 'push.'

[Phoenix]

Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

[Silentus]

Bloody Peasant. ;D



Ummm... I am not exactly sure where we are now. I guess it is still martial law as the Knights have complete power. This is something that I wold like to see us change over time, probably soner than later, but I dont think it will ever go away as such.

The closest RL approximation to this fantasy realm probably fits in with a feudal system. I dont think that system implied martial law, but at the same time it might as well have been. Our big problem is that fuedal systems require peasentry - of which we have none (by nature of play and by in game explaination of the Island of Fredian itself). The chaos we have here with all things legal would likely pan our similarly (or worse) if you replaced the fuedal peasants with nobles.

[Phoenix]

I vote for an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.

Seriously, I kinda figured martial law was done with since the new CJ system was implemented. I mean what's the point on voting on specific laws and a whole CJ system if we are still in martial law where a knights word is the law?

[Silentus]

Kinda, but what is the differnce between the King saying that the Knights have autonomy and Us saying it. The result is still that the Knights have autonomy

We supplied them with a structure to try to follow is all. It is a living system though. I think maybe we can evolve to some kind of appeals court sometime down the road though. Has some fun RP potential.

[Hanah]

Phoenix said:

I mean what's the point on voting on specific laws and a whole CJ system if we are still in martial law where a knights word is the law? ???

This might sound kind of flip, but... why not?

My understanding of the system that we've established here places the knights squarely as judge and jury and maybe even executioner in certain situations. The voting on laws was OOC, but IC we all still have to deal with the deliverers of the law, the knights.

While I'm definitely not a historian I do read books from time to time... and my admittedly ill-informed opinion would suggest that this is a fairly realistic way of doing things. While by today's standards we would consider this barbaric and abhorrent (although if you want to see a recent incident of martial law imposed in North America do read up on the FLQ crisis, that was some scary stuff), what passes for 'barbaric' here shouldn't necessarily be so in Fredian.

From an OOC perspective (and I do grieve the thought that our knights have to deal with OOC garbage but c'est la vie) this makes sense. When someone is being a clown a knight can swoop in and put the spank on them. From an IC perspective, swift, harsh (and occasionally questionable) justice is not unreasonable and certainly offers a variety of RP opportunities. And in Radog's words, the notion of 'abuse of power' is likely to be an anachronism to the vast majority of Fredians.

Historically might has made right... and our knights are definitely mighty, whether they are always right in our OOC opinions really doesn't matter as much as how our characters deal with the situation IC. And come on guys, by and large our knights have been *more* than tolerant of us, whether it is sinister IC behaviour or just plain stupid OOC behaviour.

Hanah
... during preview: darn it Silentus, I'm using alllll these words and you use so few to say the same thing, better.... *sigh*

[Spathic]

the structure is there... but there is no ruler in styne so in order to quell the populace the knights need to be more heavy handed in their actions...

if at some point we can appoint a new local lord and not revolt after one day, maybe the knights can relax a bit...

[Makzimia]

Before this goes any further, clarification from me again perhaps Knights are now the law, you made them the law! Styne Guards are there for protection of West Styne due to Wren Havell being a long time friend of King Wend and asking for them. "Martial Law" is over long live CJ - you voted for it, the knights live by it's rules.

Makz.

[Phoenix]

I though that was the purpose of the CJ system. Thanks for the clarification Makz.

And your right Silentus, it's a breathing system, if we need to add more laws for the knights to enforce, or less autonomy, or whatever, so be it.

[AvengersWraith]

Now that 1.62 is out and Fal is back, chicken rustlers beware, if the knights or gaurds catch you be happy it wasn't me Fal sees the chickens as the children of Styne's food source, and Fal is extremely grateful for the citizens of Styne (especially West Styne) for being helpful and nice when he was ripped away from his home and brought here.

[Preedy1978]

Dont worry Raddog...martial law maybe over, but from what i have seen from you playing a Knight...you got no worries..*thumbs up*. (*mutters about making Karl too soft*)