Discord
Changelog
05-31-2012, 07:42 PM
It seems to me the source material is clear in that Thay is bound by not so much a set of written laws but by the whims of the red wizards and some degree of tradition.
Let's look at that, we have some traditions here in the Thay PW.
1) It is well known that the red wizards word is law. Any one diserespecting or defying a red wizard courts disaster. We have a few PC red wizards and while some of them are more capricious than others *cough, Maurin, cough* ALL of them have been excellent at making pronouncements within the spirit of Thay that add to the setting, often providing impetus for the players to achieve something. It is a common occurence that when a dm event is run for players to go running to Isahn, Maurin or Kaiser to aprise them of the situation and ask what is to be done. Often an NPC red wizard is substituted when none of these are available.
2) Status is EVERYTHING and might makes right. These are they bylaws of Thay and yet I see VERY few cases of griefing. I believe that this is a testament to the community. When I play Vortar I often have him be extremely nice to apprentices because today's apprentice could be tomorrows red wizard. I think that we should stick with the laws interpretation by a red wizard or in some cases allow the legion to extort their way to justice. Almost every single PC is attached to someone more powerful and influencial whom they must obey or be punished for it, Vortar and other very powerful PC's have Aznar Thrul. Faction members of all but the merchant faction have their various guild masters and high priests. Even the most lowly pc works for the beggar, in my days as a legionaire it was tradition that any who work for the begger are exempt from being targets of protection money. The same holds true for each strata...Is it REALLY wise to steal from a priest of the temple of Kossuth? Maybe the thieves guild will protect you but MAYBE the high priest of Kossuth will take issue with it and demand justice. This sort of detante is what holds Thay together, an interwoven power structure where every person owes or is owed allegieance from another.
3) Punishment in Thay is simple There are only a few options:
Fines could be given for the most lowly of offences...I like to think of them as bribes to not bring the matter up for more official consideration. In lieu and somtimes in addition to fines beatings or other types of humiliation would be administered. This already exists when you offend an NPC guard.
A red wizard (or dm as a red Wizard) could hear serious cases but the severity of the offence would almost always result in death or enslavement for the guilty.
I am with Carcass in that what makes Thay interesting and engaging as a PW is it's dark setting.
I believe the player base does a pretty good job of enforcing the traditions of Thay by and large and really any laws put into place should encourage the excellent RP which we are known for.
Traditional laws and customs could be set down so the uninitiated would have some idea what was up, but I'm for the general approach.
1)The word of a red wizard is law (if a pronouncement offends another red wizard the pronouncing wizard will hear about it)
2)There is no law regarding assault unless the assaulter is much lower status than the assauled, then the assaulted can choose to pusue punishment as they see fit..if they have survived of course.
3)Murder of another Thayan that is not a slave is prohibitted by order of the Zulkirs. (This law in practice should just mark the Murderer for permadeath if killed by another player. Even mysterious allies will not cross the zulkirs.) Murder of a slave is not murder it is theft, recompense for the slave will be expected by the owner. *exception, Assassin guild faction members are exempt unless a red wizard pronounces them sentenced to death*
4)Theft of a Thayans property is punishable by death or enslavement. (in practice this simply marks pc for an additional assassination or enslavement attack) *exception, Theives guild members are exempt unless a red wizard pronounces them guilty*
Let's look at that, we have some traditions here in the Thay PW.
1) It is well known that the red wizards word is law. Any one diserespecting or defying a red wizard courts disaster. We have a few PC red wizards and while some of them are more capricious than others *cough, Maurin, cough* ALL of them have been excellent at making pronouncements within the spirit of Thay that add to the setting, often providing impetus for the players to achieve something. It is a common occurence that when a dm event is run for players to go running to Isahn, Maurin or Kaiser to aprise them of the situation and ask what is to be done. Often an NPC red wizard is substituted when none of these are available.
2) Status is EVERYTHING and might makes right. These are they bylaws of Thay and yet I see VERY few cases of griefing. I believe that this is a testament to the community. When I play Vortar I often have him be extremely nice to apprentices because today's apprentice could be tomorrows red wizard. I think that we should stick with the laws interpretation by a red wizard or in some cases allow the legion to extort their way to justice. Almost every single PC is attached to someone more powerful and influencial whom they must obey or be punished for it, Vortar and other very powerful PC's have Aznar Thrul. Faction members of all but the merchant faction have their various guild masters and high priests. Even the most lowly pc works for the beggar, in my days as a legionaire it was tradition that any who work for the begger are exempt from being targets of protection money. The same holds true for each strata...Is it REALLY wise to steal from a priest of the temple of Kossuth? Maybe the thieves guild will protect you but MAYBE the high priest of Kossuth will take issue with it and demand justice. This sort of detante is what holds Thay together, an interwoven power structure where every person owes or is owed allegieance from another.
3) Punishment in Thay is simple There are only a few options:
Fines could be given for the most lowly of offences...I like to think of them as bribes to not bring the matter up for more official consideration. In lieu and somtimes in addition to fines beatings or other types of humiliation would be administered. This already exists when you offend an NPC guard.
A red wizard (or dm as a red Wizard) could hear serious cases but the severity of the offence would almost always result in death or enslavement for the guilty.
I am with Carcass in that what makes Thay interesting and engaging as a PW is it's dark setting.
I believe the player base does a pretty good job of enforcing the traditions of Thay by and large and really any laws put into place should encourage the excellent RP which we are known for.
Traditional laws and customs could be set down so the uninitiated would have some idea what was up, but I'm for the general approach.
1)The word of a red wizard is law (if a pronouncement offends another red wizard the pronouncing wizard will hear about it)
2)There is no law regarding assault unless the assaulter is much lower status than the assauled, then the assaulted can choose to pusue punishment as they see fit..if they have survived of course.
3)Murder of another Thayan that is not a slave is prohibitted by order of the Zulkirs. (This law in practice should just mark the Murderer for permadeath if killed by another player. Even mysterious allies will not cross the zulkirs.) Murder of a slave is not murder it is theft, recompense for the slave will be expected by the owner. *exception, Assassin guild faction members are exempt unless a red wizard pronounces them sentenced to death*
4)Theft of a Thayans property is punishable by death or enslavement. (in practice this simply marks pc for an additional assassination or enslavement attack) *exception, Theives guild members are exempt unless a red wizard pronounces them guilty*
100 Rocks and squats later he had learned Hellslaps lesson well.