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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 304594" data-attributes="member: 177">Having a separate judge, jury, and executioner is a very modern concept.  Don't apply modern judiceprudence to a pseudo-medieval setting.The usual form of justice in such settings is either vigilante, or "bring him before the local lord, who'll hear the case and decide what's to be done" (which is judge and jury in one, without the help of a defense attorney, either!).A paladin is specifically designed for this sort of work - being the arm of a good and just god in areas where the normal civil authorities cannot reach.As for duplicity in coralling your evildoers being unlawful...I unfortunately forget the details - one municipality (Los Angeles?) found it had a problem (I believe it was a large number of "deadbeat dads" not paying their legally appointed child support, but I could be incorerect).  Rather than perform a lengthy, manhour-intensive and possibly dangerous roundup, they sent out letters: "Dear Mr. X - We are happy to inform you that you have won a prize in our lottery.  Please come down to our clearing house to collect your prize." The prize, in my memory, was a large TV set, though I could be mistaken.When the miscreants arrived..."Hello, you are Mr. X?  Can I see some ID?   ... Okay, will you sign here, please?  Thank you.  Sir, you are under arrest.  You have the right to remain silent..."  And the guy is hauled off to another room, and the next guy comes in to get his prize.All the paladin has really done is use camouflage of a type reasonable for the area.  So long as he's straight up with the guy once he's found him (no killing him without telling him why), there's little problem.  There's most certainly no problem with the trial-by-combat, as in most places, the miscreant brought to trial for this crime have gotten executed with no chance of self-defense.  Disintegrating the bodies?  Hrr. That depends on the burial customs of the area.  If, in this culture, the body is merely an epty shell of no import, then disintegration is okay.  If they have deeply seated burial rituals, though, this wasn't good...</blockquote>

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