hose who violate the laws may be called to stand trial before a Hierarchy magistrate. In theory, it is possible to appeal a judgment to a “higher” magistrate, although this is normally only permitted to wraiths with some degree of station or status within the Hierarchy. In some cases, a judgment may be appealed to the Hand of Fate, in which case the Hierarchy almost always accepts the alternative judgment. This normally only happens in cases where the jurisdiction of a case does not clearly fall to one or another Deathlord, although certain cases have proved to be exceptions. This is the Justice System of Stygia.

The Shadowlands work a bit different. The highest authority is the legion’s Anacreon but the Chancellor will conduct the “trial”. In the case of a Legion member being accused of a transgression against their Legion or the Hierarchy, the Chancellor is responsible for holding a hearing to determine guilt or innocence. The Chancellor is judge, jury, and executioner. The accused party only has one chance at recourse… they may request an audience with the Anacreon. If they are denied this request, then the ruling of the Chancellor stands and is carried out. Most wraiths with any sense will automatically appeal the verdict to the Anacreon. The only hope they have of gaining an audience is that they have a legion level sanction or higher. If this is the case the offending wraith may call in this sanction in the hopes of getting the sentence commuted or dropped unless he might be willing to owe the Chancellor a Sanction… but not for helping him out of this situation…of course not.

In the case of wraiths from different legions being accused of something, then each legion takes care of its own member. A legion does not have the right to judge a wraith from another legion. All crimes are kept “in house” of their own legion.

The last situation: two wraiths are accused of a crime…both claim the other one did it and there is no proof. The person with the highest rank is right; if both have the same rank then the person with the higher status is right, plain and simple. Be aware if you are a low ranking wraith and a high ranking wraith is accusing you of something, the best bet is to find an even higher ranking wraith, offer them a sanction, and let them offer you an alibi.

Justice is meted out in the Shadowlands just as it is in the lands of the living. However, because it is virtually impossible to kill a wraith permanently, and exiling someone to the Tempest only strengthens Oblivion, executions of any sort are simply not practical. Some of the more common methods of punishment are described below:

Enslavement – The most common form of punishment is enslavement of the offending wraith. Chains are placed around the offender, effectively making her the Thrall of another wraith.

Torture – Far surpassing anything imagined in the living lands, wraithly torture is designed to mark the offender. While wraiths easily heal most ordinary wounds, marks inflicted by devices of Stygian metal are infinitely more painful and are extremely difficult to heal. Of course, because wraiths are creatures of spirit, the mot lasting pain involves mental anguish…

Imprisonment – Often the Hierarchy incarcerates criminals in Shadowlands reflections of prisons used by mortals, with reinforced walls and bars made of Stygian metal.

Branding – Branding is a way to mark criminals, thereby both ostracizing the criminal and deterring others from committing the same crimes. Serious criminals are branded upon their foreheads.

Discorperation – Certain criminals are taken to Stygia and hurled into the Artificers’ forges, where they are smelted into goods.