Zandru
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Darkovan Honor, Law and Custom
Darkover is often compared to a feudal society and there are similarities but it's the differences that matter. There is an hereditary nobility - the Comyn - and a host of lessor families that maintain social control. Compared to Terranan social mobility, there isn't much on Darkover, compared to historical feudal society, there's a lot. There are no peasants on Darkover; everyone who works land is a freeholder. They owe allegiance to the lord who's Domain they live on, provide tithe in goods/services and serve in their armies if necessary but they are not slaves.
The Comyn, as well, do not have a hierarchy of power - all Comyn are equal in law and council except for a few mostly ritual functions.
There is no written body of law on Darkover. Instead, crime and punishment is based on oral tradition, custom and a sense of personal justice that is often a source of friction between Terranan and Darkovan. Except in specific circumstances, most people are expected to defend their own honor, property and family. Men should be able to hold their own in a fistfight or knife fight and stand for their sisters, mothers and daughters. If an individual is overwhelmed, their family and friends should pitch in. If that group is overwhelmed, their lords pitch in and so on…. If someone is murdered, their family has the right to avenge themselves on the murderer, in turn the family of the murderer may avenge themselves and so on … blood feuds that last generations aren't uncommon on Darkover and are the major failing of their system of justice.
Darkovan honor and justice is personal. If someone steals from you or yours, it's your responsibility to deal with it. Those who look to others are considered less honorable or 'manly'. Those who protect others are considered honorable and worthy of respect. Because of this equation, the Comyn spend a great deal of their time maintaining their own personal honor through helping their sworn followers and allies; otherwise they lose power. This effect trickles down to the poorest family.
The head of a household (usually the oldest, fit man) is the one who controls that family. They can apply punishments to children and women; younger men are more difficult. In turn, the head of a landholder is the law for everyone on it and so on up to the Comyn themselves. If someone is unhappy with the justice served by their father/lesser lord, they can apply to the next highest level, again, up to the Comyn. In general the Comyn will not interfere in the rule of another Domain, no matter how abusive it is.
There are a few 'laws' that are held in the highest respect on Darkover and apply across Comyn boundaries. The Compact is the first and greatest of them; no weapon that reaches beyond a man's hand shall be used. Violation of the Compact will turn every man, woman and child against you. The expectation that if you wish to harm or kill someone you must come under risk yourself is a core ethic on Darkover.
The Law of Valeron is also commonly accepted in the Comyn lands. Under this law, no woman may be parted unwillingly from the father of her child. Thendara, as the seat of the Comyn government, also has the thirteen-day rule of mercy. For one day, thirteen days a year, anyone may come to Thendra, no matter their crime, in order to plead their case with the Cortes or Comyn Council.
The Cortes, a judicial body that handles day-to-day governing of the city and its citizens, administers Thendara itself. They work closely with the City Guard (also called the Comyn Guard), the Comyn Council and so forth. For squabbles among merchants about accurate weights or city residents about filth on the street, it's the Cortes that handles the problem. Other large cities have similar local systems.
Darkovan boys are adults when they turn fifteen and responsible for their own honor. Girls are adults when they marry but remain the legal responsibility of male relatives - husbands, brothers or whoever is closest. Legally, children are the father's legal responsibility; both to support them and to have rights over their upbringing. Oathsworn Renunciates may retain custody of their daughters and their sons (until they are five) unless the child is the sole in-wedlock heir to a household, in such a case the father does not have legal responsibility to support the child.
There are two types of marriage on Darkover, the more common freemate marriage, which is a simple declaration between witnesses and the di catenas marriage. Di catenas marriage happens only among the Comyn and the lesser noble families and must be approved by the Comyn Council. Di Catenas is a political tool, issues about rulership of Domains, the legal status of any children and so forth are part of the process. Freemate marriage between same sex couples is legal though a marriage between two men is considered perverse (though not between two women).
The Comyn Council deals with issues between Darkovans and the various non-human races as well as Dry Towners, Terranans and so forth.
Customs
Darkover has some specific customs that form a polite society in their eyes. Personal courtesy is important, though Darkovans are an emotional people, they are rarely rude. Darkovans do not shake hands or touch strangers casually - this is especially true of the Comyn and is often read as arrogance or standoffishness.
Darkovans are, generally, more expressive and affectionate than Terranans. Among friends they do touch, they do express feelings of love and friendship. Sexual relations between members of the same sex is fairly common, youngsters sometimes lose their virginity to close friends before getting married. Virginity does not have the same moral weight on Darkover it does in other cultures.
Women do not look men in the eye and they do not bare the nape of their neck to anyone but their intimate friends. Except for Renunciates, women do not wear pants, it's considered immodest. Men do not stare at women. Nudity between close friends, family members and people of the same sex isn't uncommon, as long as the people are all of the same generation.
Men carry daggers, it's a symbol of adulthood and are not excepted to disarm themselves. An exchange of personal daggers is a very intimate, binding oath between men; they become bredin, which is a lifelong bond of mutual responsibility and affection. Culturally, the bredin oath between men is valued more heavily than between women.
Because marrige and family is so important on Darkover, exclusive homosexuality is not respected, but as long as a man (or woman) gets married and has children, lovers of the same sex aren't considered too troublesome.
Last edited by Zandru, 10/26/2005, 9:30 am
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10/25/2005, 2:01 pm
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Piedro Aillard
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Re: Darkovan Honor, Law and Custom
There is a legal body called Cortes that functions in Thendara. The Cortes deals with the governing of the city and common legal matters concerning the everyday life of the citizens, such as land disputes, disputes among and between craftsmen, merchants, their customers etc.
There is also a separate body that arbitrates between and among the various Guilds.
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10/25/2005, 11:44 pm
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Zandru
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Re: Darkovan Honor, Law and Custom
Thank you.
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10/26/2005, 8:28 am
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