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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gamerprinter" data-source="post: 5236239" data-attributes="member: 50895">Trait: Druid and Keld LawTrait: DruidCategory: Social Requirement: Keld setting, sanctioned member of the Druid caste, which include all clan bards, oracles, sorcerers, witches and wizards.Description: You are a clan noble, and after years of training and testing have been given official sanction into the Druid caste. As part of the intelligencia, you serve the Ri (King or clan chief) as a neutral advisor and arbitrator for your specialty among the other clan druid caste members. You are the historians, law-keepers, scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, and masters of the arcane arts.Benefits: +1 bonus to Knowledge (clans) checks, Knowledge (clans) becomes a class skill. Keld Law prohibits the willful harm or slaying of any member of the Druid caste. Druid caste members are forbidden to directly participate in inter clan conflicts, although they can prepare warriors with enhancements prior to combat and aid them afterwards. Keld Law requires Druid caste members to remain neutral to Keld clan politics, and may only participate as arbitrators, unless they are one of the parties in dispute.Keld Law: (Draft 1)Using the Brehon Laws as a reference, but requiring a simpler code of conduct for Keld society this is my first attempt. (Note until further notice, the setting is now called Keld - Iron Age Celtic Clans setting)First Law - Restitution for all Infractions: capital punishment for crimes and infractions is prohibited, the law requires review by neutral arbitrators and judgement by king or clan chief with payment of restitution in the form of cattle and property called Honor-Price to the wronged party, based on status and levels of material wealth.[A table of offenses and restitution scaled to social rank will eventually be created.]Second Law - Trial by Combat: Arbitration and judgement can be set aside if both parties in a legal dispute agree to a trial by combat, between chosen champions or themselves fighting until pre-agreed terms of defeat have been achieved. While most disputes arise between two individuals, trial by combat can escalate to clan versus clan feuds which still technically qualify as trial by combat. Feuds by tribes and regions are considered wars and also fall under this category. In any case, neutral arbitrators can interceed at any time for a temporary truce to try and achieve equitable settlement between disputed parties.Third Law - Clan Division, Rights and Priviledges: all clans of Keld from top to bottom are divided between rulers, nobility, landowners, commoners, the poor, immigrants, slaves and criminals and have varying degrees of rights and priviledges due based on clan status and levels of material wealth, as well as additional unique rights granted by the Ri.King or Clan Chief (Ri) - as an elected leader of the clan or tribe, the Ri is the final judge on all matters. Through majority vote by the nobility and landowners, the Ri can be removed from office if considered unworthy for any reason. The Ri is entitled to lands and property to support his governorship in addition to his own material wealth, granted a warband of clan warriors, and a support staff of druids, artisans and servants.Nobles (Nemedh) - priviledged members and their immediate families of clan society are the primary landholders and wealthy property owners who serve official offices as members of the court of the Ri. All clan warrior's of the warband, all members of the druid caste, wardens (rangers) and scouts (rogues), as well as the most skilled and wealthiest clan artisans comprise the noble caste. Through majority vote by the Ri, noble caste members and  landowners, a noble caste member can be downgraded to lower status or removed from clan altogether due to acts of infamy or failure to pay restitution and considered an outlaw. The nobles are entitled to their own land and properties, a vote in government.Upper Middle Class (Aire) - wealthy non-noble landowners including rich farmers, herders or fisherman with more than a one ship - almost consider lesser nobles have many of the rights and priviledges of the noble caste, though less material wealth. With the acquisition of enough wealth, the aire are the only non-noble social caste that can be elevated to noble status, conversely with the loss of enough wealth due to circumstance, restitution or fortune aire can be downgraded to Ceile or lower status. The aire have a vote in government and can bear witness against the Ri and the noble caste.Middle Class (Ceile) - comprised of rent-paying land holders, skilled craftsmen, farmers, herders, tradesmen - the bulk of clan society. The ceile do not have a vote in government, but can bear witness against someone higher rank than their own. Like the aire through gains and loss of fortune, their status can move one caste level up or down, unless failure to pay restitution which relegates all to criminal status.Non Free Castes:Bathach (poor, unskilled, wasteland squatters) - having almost no material wealth, they survive at the good graces of the upper castes for employment. Having almost no rights, like the Ceile they can bear witness against those with higher rank than themselves. Though difficult to achieve the bathach can achieve Ceile status with the acquisition of enough wealth or aquiring more skills.Saer-Fuirdir (immigrants) - immigrants, both non-local Keld tribe members and non-Keld have come to the territory voluntarily and on general good terms with the authorities may pay rents for land to provide work and a place to live. They have no voice in government and cannot bear witness. With enough acquisition of wealth saer-fuidir can elevate themselves to near ceile status, but cannot gain the rights to bear witness at any time.Daer-Fuirdir (criminals and slaves) - criminals (those who fail to pay restitution for offenses committed) and slaves (war captives) cannot hold material wealth, have no voice in government, cannot bear witness and live at the good graces of their jailers and owners. Emancipation is the goal of Keld Law and through restitution payment, proven skill and trust can be elevated to Ceile status. Outlaws (those ousted from clan and/or tribal membership for gravest offenses and lack of restitution payment) and escaped criminals are considered the lowest members of society. Only through extreme circumstance and atonement can they return to clan society, at ceile or higher status.[A table describing levels of wealth and corresponding social rank will be created.][PCs in a typical campaign are all members of the Nemedh noble caste, the lower caste levels serve as the bulk of the clan NPCs, or as a lowered status placed onto PCs due to misfortune and circumstance. Non standard campaigns can begin at any level of clan society as appropriate.]Fourth Law - Druid caste guarantees: as neutral advisors, educators and arbitrators, druid caste members are proscribed from taking sides in a dispute, unless if they are one of the parties in dispute, and must remain neutral to arbitrate disputes when appropriate, doing so for all clan issues, and with the best interest of both parties. If their arbitration proves false, contrived or with prejudice, they are liable for the restitution of the offense. They cannot participate in non-druid challenges, combat or agression between parties, though they can prepare warriors for combat and aid them afterward. This applies to disputes between Keld clan members, clans, tribes and nations (Keld and foreign). [This means that druids can adventure and fight monsters, fey and natural beasts, but cannot direct participate in combat between members of Keld society, rather they can buff their allies and debuff opponents prior to the start of combat, but cannot otherwise engage in combat directly.]Consequently members of Keld society are proscribed from willfully harming or slaying a member of the Druid caste under any circumstance. Under extreme circumstances such as a druid's assault on an innocent, the Ri or directly, illegally participating in combat between two Keld parties, may be prevented (even killed) by another druid caste member only - though restitution will still be required for the harm, loss or death of that individual.Fifth Law - your word is your contract: in a society without written contracts, oral contracts are binding as long as conditions of duress, fear, ignorance or drunkeness between two agreeing parties do not exist. Contract discrepancies have a 10 day grace period to make alterations for unfair agreements made, after which is binding and irreverseable. Failure to transact the contract by either party may be subject to arbitration and penalties for contract default with restitution paid to the wronged party. A person's only point of honor is their word, and giving false witness (lying) is considered the most despicable breach of social conduct, and grounds for expulsion from clan and tribe.Honor-Price is your value in material wealth to your rank position in clan society (a table of wealth by rank will be provided). Normally you can only make contractural obligations up to your honor-price. Agreements in excess to your honor-price must be agreed with kin paying the difference in case of default.[A table containing incomes by profession and clan rank will be provided.][Note: exageration is considered poetic and not giving false witness.]GP</blockquote>

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