Idea For A Villiage/Town. Is it evil?

[El_Gringo]

Upon entering, the characters find all of the townspeople to be pleasant and friendly. Excessively pleasant and friendly. No crimes are committed, accidents are amicably settled, and even the children are well behaved. It's impossible to find a citizen that doesn't have a smile on their face. The streets are clean and clear of debris. Houses are kept in good shape.

There's a very good reason for all the kindness and friendly behavior. The town's law states that every citizen is born with the right to one free kill. All a person has to do is notify the sheriff of the citizen they want killed. Of course, no one actually does this. One killing would snowball into an outright massacre. Besides this, there are no other laws in the town. My question is this: Is this an evil government/town?

 

[hong]

My question is this: Is this an evil government/town?

No, but this is an evil thread.

 

[Crothian]

How does this type of law structure get set in place? It's not so much evil as absurd. I'd just declare that someone I hate needs to die to the sheriff and then leave town. How does the clergy feel about this? What about a group of adventurers that the Sheriff just can't easily kill? I doubt even a LG character would abide by this law in a town.

 

[Wicht]

Its rather silly. And human nature being what it was, it would never work.

 

[Limper]

Not evil. Funny but not evil.

An armed society is a polite society.

 

[Skald]

I'd have to agree that a law such as this is rather absurd without an understandable precedent for it.

I'll assume that you're familiar with Viking society; killing a man was acceptable within the boundaries of their culture, but it had to be performed as a personal duel. Death only resulted if one refused to yield (and most chose death, for by yielding they became slaves to the victor). Even still, the victor had to pay the survivors of the deceased a weregild (or payment) to cover his funeral expenses and provide for his widow and children. There were many such duels and instances within Viking society, but by and large this atmopshere did make these barbaric Northmen rather polite with each other. With the rest of Europe, however...

Renaissance Europe also had duels over honor, and it was acceptable to kill for quite some time as long as these disputes were resolved according to 'gentlemen's rules' and the such; think of any swashbuckling film where formal challenges are issued and you'll get the idea.

Feudal Japan and the Samurai class also had acceptable terms when it came to kill a man, although many samurai were really nothing more than cruel bullies that murdered rather innocent folks over misconstrued insults to their honor. With the support of their daiymos behind them, these samurai got away with murder.

I'm not against your idea entirely, but do put some considerable effort into making these 'free kills' understandable within their own context. It will make this city far more interesting and memorable, and can quickly bring to light that in such a settlement many, many people will actually become far more cordial than people living in societies where killing is outlawed and condemned, while abusing and violating others in non-lethal ways is seen as an acceptable 'test of manhood' or not punishable as serious offenses.

An interesting thought a martial arts instructor once told me... people will abuse others freely when they are forbidden to kill, but they will be far less likely to kill when they are forbidden to abuse...

 

[med stud]

Not evil. Funny but not evil.

An armed society is a polite society.

Limper, please leave politics outside.

On topic, I think that village would live for a very short time. If someone wanted to commit suicide, he just had to name some people. What if someone named the town lord or sheriff? Would they be killed? When everyone names everyone, would the sheriff and his men go around the town killing each and every person? After the death sentences were handed out, I think most people would run away, or the law had to be put in the bizarre situation that they had to kill an entire village, thereby robbing themselves their income.

I think it's an interresting concept, though!

 

[Fayredeth]

The concept has hope yet!

Perhaps if you throw some magic into the pot? Divine right, mind altering spells, or maybe a long standing tradition based upon ancient magics? I really like the thought and what a problem in the village would do to a small group of adventurers. Heh heh heh....

 

[Crothian]

Or the fun an evil enchanter get to have by chariming a person, convincing him to use his one kill against someone who hates the enchanter. Then charm another perosn and repeat.

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

"An armed society is a polite society."

Limper, my friend, I *love* this expression! I believe it, too!

(SHARK looks at his well-oiled Glock .45 pistol resting in it's holster.)

Limper, how's this--

"In a world of compromise, some men don't."

(Picks up the Guns&Ammo magazine with the HK advertisement in it...)

Cheers Limper!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK