Law and Custom

Laws and Punishments

The King's Laws were the law of the land, and each monarch added to them or removed from them over more than three hundred years of rule.

In practice the law was applied unevenly. Those of lower rank had fewer rights and suffered harsher punishments. A commoner was likely to be maimed, tortured, or executed, while one of the highfolk was likelier to be fined, imprisoned, or simply believed. The system caused constant friction, and some nobles worked to balance it so as to avoid revolt. Those who did not took other precautions.

The process was swift, unceremonious, and brutal. Cases were usually heard at a noble's court, and the noble served in almost every case as judge, jury, and executioner. Many heard witnesses and testimony about the accused. Some heard nothing and simply decided. Punishment usually came during the hearing or soon after, and executions were staged as public spectacle.

Holidays of the Kingdom

King's Day

Held in the 1st moon, this holiday marks the rise of the Ardan monarchy under King Edric Bannon I and Queen Catherine. Oaths of fealty were sworn and reaffirmed, treaties were signed, and no conflict was allowed in the kingdom.

Feast of Flowers

Held in the 4th moon, this feast welcomes spring and the planting of the crops with the last of the winter stores. It is a romantic holiday, when couples exchange flowers and favors and marriages are often declared.

Midsummer Tournament

Held in the 7th moon and usually hosted by the local noble, the tournament names its winner King or Queen of Summer. The one who receives the winner's favor joins them as co-ruler.

High Harvest

Held in the 9th moon, this feast gives thanks for the harvest with eating contests, smashed gourds, and scarecrows burned at dusk.

The Darkest Night

Held in the 10th moon, this holiday remembers the dead with a feast. Before dark, people lock themselves in their homes and open the door to no one, because the spirits of the dead and the creatures of the dark are said to walk freely.

The Festival of Light

Held in the 12th moon, in the coldest and darkest part of the year, this festival fills every hearth with fire. Candles burn through the night to ward away the darkness.

Marriage

Most people in Arnesse regarded marriage as a social and legal contract about goods and property, although some did marry for love. Negotiations almost always came first, whether between parents, appointed representatives, or the couple themselves. Inheritance was usually the central question. Men and women inherited equally in most regions, while the Sovereignlands tended to favor men and the Northern Marches tended to favor women.

The eldest child usually inherited, and a widowed spouse was normally entitled to a lifetime interest in a third of the land. Nobles often charged a fee called merchet when their serfs married. The kingdom had no law requiring that a marriage be between a man and a woman, and adoption could supply an heir.

Marriage had no official celebrant. A village elder or official usually presided, although a friend or a noble might do so. The Aurorym kept customs of their own, and a faithful couple sealed their engagement by each dedicating a deed to the other.

Annulments

Annulments returned to Arnesse under King Giles I after being largely abolished in the early Age of Kings. They were uncommon. The law did not make clear whether the noble who annulled a marriage had to be the one who had granted it, and some people fled to another noble's territory to obtain one.

Bastardy

A bastard was a child born in defiance of an agreed marriage contract or out of wedlock, and so had no established rights of inheritance or lineage. Known bastards among the gentry bore a surname that showed where they were born and did not name the family, so that the child carried the shame in place of the house.

The Aragons and the Rourkes were the most accepting of children born outside marriage. A bastard could rarely win recognition as a member of the family.