crime and punishment...

[agdhani.livejournal.com]

So, I have a kingdom of particularly peaceful individuals who possess a varying array of mental 'abilities', a land where serious crime is almost non-existent (the most common crimes, which are not particularly common at all, would be things like cheating someone out of fair payment, failure to pay, avoidance of taxation etc). There is very little history of things like kidnapping, rape, beatings or murder...but these crimes HAVE happened now and then, so there would have to be punishments in place to deal with these things.

The situation at hand is that three individuals (non-connected) have been proven to have been involved in the death of another (a church leader). One is the religious leader in a neighboring kingdom...I'm thinking he will be cut off from the church and left for the queen in his kingdom to punish. One of the other two is also a religious figure, the son of the poisoned man, and the third is a pawn manipulated into trying to poison someone else...but the poison ends up in the wrong hands. The third is also not a citizen of the kingdom in which the poisoning takes place.

My dilemma is determining what sort of punishment they would administer...both to one of their own race, part of their church, killing his own father, and the other being a blacksmith of a different race, from a different kingdom. Would a death penalty be too harsh for an otherwise peaceful people? Something quick and relatively painless...or something meant to be a public lesson? Just looking for ideas to spark the creative process, so all suggestions are welcome.

Comments

[agdhani.livejournal.com]

It's some of both really. Even when undergoing great persecution, most will not fight back. The kingdom has a small standing 'army'...mostly protecting the monarch and ecclesiastical dignitaries...and a few roads coming into the kingdom...but they are not well trained in physical violence. As some (probably about 1/2) have the capacity to cause physical harm through mental/psychic means, non-violence was something that came into their culture long ago in order to preserve their race (they live 200-600 years...and find conception difficult, so too much violence amongst themselves would destroy them as a race very quickly). a bit like Tolkein's elves, maybe, but less trained for combat.
I was thinking exile for the church member...as the other kingdoms can sometimes be harsh on members of this race, his life will be in danger, but it would mean the church does not have to execute him...and he does stand the possibility of returning one day. I don't think the public would call for his execution. The foreigner...I'm thinking they would likely send him home for punishment, but have not decided yet if that's 'logical' lol.

[witchyemerald.livejournal.com]

Well if the believe in preserving the race, but they are guilty, maybe some other form of punishment, like x amount of year in servitude, doesn't mean slavery, but forced military or working for the victims family for x amount of years until the sentience is paid.

Sending him home after guilty of a crime sound like a get out of jail free card, unless he get punished at home like a treaty pack with others.

Just tossing ideas

[agdhani.livejournal.com]

oh, his Queen back home has a definite interest in punishing him. There has been a lot of violence in her kingdom towards the other race...and as some of her advisers and best friends are part of that race (including the MC) she wants the kingdom to be safe for them. She's executed quite a few already for murder, so she won't hesitate to give this guy what's coming to him.

And since I do intend a meeting between the two monarchs, they can work this out between them.

[witchyemerald.livejournal.com]

sounds like a perfect pawn in a political move.