Stormwind city laws

Thick law books would be found in the SW library, the cathedral of Light and the guard houses. They include various blank pages to be edited easily by appropriate council members. Smaller, hand-written and unofficial copies might be included under personal responsibility.

Crimes against the Crown
Crimes against the Crown are the most severe transgressions one can make against the kingdom of Stormwind, as such a magistrate is always required provided the matter is not settled in court-martial.

1.1 High treason
Involvement in attempts on His Majesty King Varian Wrynns life or directly aiding foreign powers considered enemies of the kingdom of Stormwind through any means. 

1.2 Treason
Attempts to undermine the rule of His Majesty King Varian Wrynn trough undermining, exploiting or violently opposing his officials or institutions.

Punishment for either: banishment or execution in the presence of the ministry.


2.0 Major crimes
Guidelines from the ministry of justice states that major crimes be handled by a magistrate.

2.1 Armed assault
Attacking a Stormwind citizen or an ally of Stormwind with use of lethal weapons or dangerous magic with the intent to harm or kill.
Punishment: confinement of weaponry, a day in jail, 5 lashes and a fine of 20 silver. Repeat will result in stripping of rank, being branded with the letter "A" (assault) etc.

2.2 Blackmail
Threatening to reveal information about or to cause harm to a person, their family members, associates, organization, property or belongings unless demands are met.
Punishment: a day in jail or 5 lashes

2.3 Forced influence
Influencing the thoughts or actions of another by means of magic, enchanted items or any other, be it with intent to cause harm or not.
Punishment: a day in jail or 5 lashes, in addition to punishments required for any possible forced crime.

2.4 Contempt of court
Repeatedly disrupting or preventing the work of a Stormwind official on-duty.
Punishment: a day in jail or 5 lashes.

2.5 Cultism
Being part of or aiding an organization or worshipping a being or power declared an enemy of the church of Holy Light. 
Punishment: all convicted cultists are to receive a brand with the letter ”C” (cultist) somewhere on their body, in addition to their sentence.

2.6 Improper use of magic
Irresponsible or criminal use of magic or magical abilities, where it may cause harm to persons or property.
Punishment: one is to be presented in front of the ministry of magic where punishment will be determined, in addition to their sentence.

2.7 Murder
Taking the life of another individual without lawful cause (defined in section 4.9).
Punishment: stripped of all titles and belongings as well as banishment from the city.

2.8 Oathbreaking
Breaking an official oath witnessed by a magistrate of the realm. Also applies to cases where documentation from an oath has been confirmed genuine by a magistrate of the realm.
Punishment: dependant on the oath in question, whatever was agreed between the subject and the magistrate.

2.9 Use of forbidden magic
Practicing magic within the city walls that is restricted by the Stormwind magi tower including tapping into necromantic, demonic or shadow sources of any kind without approval from the Stormwind magi tower, the Stormwind ministry of magic or the Stormwind army. This also includes artefacts or objects infused with said energies. Exceptions in section 4.4 applies.
Punishment: one is to be presented in front of the ministry of magic where punishment will be determined, in addition to their sentence.

2.10 Escaping detention
Escaping from a facility where the subject is lawfully detained trough any means.
Punishment: double the jail time + more restrictions (additional shackles etc).

2.11 Kidnapping
Abducting any person or multiple people for any reason.
Punishment: a day in jail or five lashes.


3.0 Minor Crimes
Minor crimes are crimes that can be handled without the involvement of a magistrate unless deemed severe or there is doubt of guilt. Suggested punishments are specified for each crime and should be administered shortly after arrest if not overruled by an officer of appropriate rank.

3.1 Adultery
A married man or woman repeatedly engaging in activities of sexual nature with someone other than their spouse without the express consent of said spouse.
Punishment: Grounds for divorce, financial compensation to the one the crime is committed against. Optionally the letter "T" (traitor) branded on the back of the right hand.

3.2 Breaking and entering
Breaking into or entering restricted property without a written search warrant. 
Punishment: a fine of the cost to repair the damage. In cases deemed more severe or in case of repeated offenses individual fingers may be removed.

3.3 Desecration of holy ground
Vandalising a site deemed holy by the church of the Holy Light.
Punishment: up to two weeks service to the Church of the Holy Light to repent depending on severity, a fine of the cost to repair the damage to the church.

3.4 Severe harassment
Disrupting a Stormwind citizen or ally of Stormwind through severe physical or verbal actions.
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver or up to 5 lashes.

3.5 Disturbing the peace
Upsetting the order in a public space trough disruptive actions or vocal expressions.
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver or a day in jail.

3.6 Failure to pay taxes
Failure to pay taxes within the allotted time frame.
Punishment: penal labour to repay the amount not paid.

3.7 Forgery
Forging official documents, contracts, deeds, records or identification.
Punishment: confiscation and destruction of said documents and a fine of 10 silver.

3.8 Resisting arrest
Refusing to cooperate when being arrested by law enforcers.
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver. In more severe cases additional prison time or penal labour may be issued, in addition to their sentence. The guard or magistrate is allowed to apply the necessary force to encourage arrest.

3.9 Defamation
Verbal attempts, including written versions, to challenge the authority of the Crown or its representatives.
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver or up to 5 lashes.

3.10 Smuggling
Bringing goods into the kingdom without paying appropriate tariffs, or bringing illegal goods into the kingdom.
Punishment: compensating the kingdom for the lost tariff money through coin or labour. Optionally branding with the letter 'S' (smuggler).

3.11 Theft
Stealing the property of a Stormwind citizen, the kingdom itself or an ally of Stormwind.
Punishment: compensating the victim for the value of the items stolen trough coin or labour and/or returning the stolen property. In cases deemed more severe or in case of repeated offenses a hand or individual fingers may be removed, or one can be branded with the letter 'P' (pickpocket).

3.12 Unarmed assault
Attacking a Stormwind citizen or an ally of Stormwind without the use of weapons or dangerousmagic. Note that attempts to kill an individual is charged as attempted murder. (see sections 2.7 and 4.1)
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver or a day in jail.

3.13 Vandalism
Defiling or destroying property of the kingdom of Stormwind, the church of Holy Light, Stormwind citizens or allies of Stormwind.
Punishment: a fine equal to the cost of repairing destroyed property.

3.14 Threatening & bribery
Bluffing, bribing or threatening another with lethal or non-lethal means, through voice or actions, with coin or others, with the intent to lure information or deeds from the victim.
Punishment: a day in jail or up to 5 lashes.

3.15 Obvious allegiance to the Scarlet Crusade
Wearing the colours or tabards of the Scarlet Crusade within the city walls or performing actions in their name is not allowed, as they are an enemy of the state. There will be -no- exceptions.
Punishment: confiscation and destruction of tabard and a warning. If encountered again, a day in jail and 5 lashes in addition to any other possible sentence.

3.16 Drunk and disorderly behaviour
Minorly inconveniencing citizens or property of Stormwind by act of unreasonable, highly annoying or loud behaviour, intoxicated or otherwise.
Punishment: a warning.

3.17 Drugdealing
Trade or possession of certain drugs that are acknowledged as damaging and addicting as well as the use thereof. This list includes:
- Gnogaine
- Blue Heaven
- Moonshine
- Azshara Azure Cigarettes
- Moonglade Arcana
Punishment: confiscation and destruction of said drugs and a warning. On repeated offence, a day in jail or a fine of 10 silver.


4.0 Additions

4.1 Attempted crimes
A crime that was attempted but did not succeed is still eligible to be punished as a crime that has succeeded. 

4.2 Instigated crimes
Encouraging others to commit crimes and succeeding is a criminal offence and may be punished as if the instigator committed said crime depending on circumstance.

4.3 Assisted crimes
Aiding others in any way to commit a crime may be punished as if the person assisting the convict committed said crime depending on circumstance.

4.4 The Ebon treaty
Death knights affiliated with the Ebon Blade is considered an exception from section 2.9 when it comes to practising necromancy and shadow magic as per decree of His Royal Majesty King Varian Wrynn. They are also exempt from article 4.5. Restrictions on using necromantic and shadow related abilities still apply while within the city walls unless given clearance, as long as they do not break any other laws.

4.5 Undead and demons
Undead or demons that has not been reanimated or summoned with express permission of the Stormwind Magi tower, the Stormwind army or the Stormwind ministry of magic is considered illegal and is to be turned in to the authorities for disposal if possible. Exceptions as per section 4.4 apply and arrangements made by the Stormwind army or the Stormwind ministry of magic.

4.6 Torture
Minor physical violence applied by guardsmen in order to interrogate a captured prisoner is allowed in cases where considered justified legal. Major physical violence, magical and alchemical methods of interrogations can be approved by the ministry of justice and defense. Suspicions of misconduct can be reported to the ministry of justice.

4.7 Repeated crimes
In the event in which a person repeats committing similar crimes after having been sentenced, additional or more severe judgment might be applied, such as increased jail time, higher fine or more lashes, depending on the present magistrate’s judgment.

4.8 Unwilling crimes
In case crimes were committed unwillingly, most noticeably through magic influence, punishment might be excused depending on the circumstances. Precautions should be taken to prevent similar events from re-occurring.

4.9 Murder with lawful cause
In the event where an individual kills another out of self-defence or defence of others, murder could be excused depending on the present magistrate’s judgment.

4.10 Good behaviour and regret or accidental crimes
In the event where an individual committed crime without direct intent or shows clear remorse and understands his or her guilt, the punishment might be reduced depending on the present magistrate’s judgment.

4.11 If the fine can not be paid
In the event the convicted criminal does not have the resources required to pay his or her fine, he or she may be put to fulfil community service until the debts are repaid.

4.12 Arrest without evidence
If one gets arrested by a magistrate of appropriate rank due to suspicion, one is to be held in captivity or under supervision (dependant on the suspected crime as well as levels of cooperation) until proven innocent or after a small period of time has passed in which no proof of villainy could be shown.

4.13 Applying force during arrest or chase
A guardsman may apply force, through magic or physical actions, during the arrest or chase of a potential criminal if they do not cooperate. This force must be within reason depending on the circumstances.

4.14 Ministry approved magi
A group of magi will exist, approved by the ministry of magic through a series of trials, working together with law-enforcers to further encourage the safety of the citizens. Their main goal will be to assist in investigating and handling crimes caused by other magic-users as well as training the guards in specific anti-magic-user combat strategies.

OOC note:

Community service

On a case-by-case-basis, a minor offender could be offered community service rather than paying the fine or sitting in jail. This includes free labour given by willing organisations such as taverns, carpenters, farmers, guards, etc. Labour will continue under supervision as much as is deemed necessary by the guard(s) in question until the debt of crime is deemed to be paid.

Participating organisations are:
- The Slaughtered Lamb tavern
- The Disciples
- The Crimson rose
- Stormwind Regiment

(( Want in on this? Let me know! For in-game participation, consult between participating organisations and/or guard guilds! ))

Some FAQs:

- Why laws?

We strive to try and get a balance between realism and roleplaying possibilities for one, as difficult as that is, mostly between the upholders of the law and so-called thugs. We want to underline that criminals: you can't just go around pillaging, kidnapping and murdering all day long, there are consequences. And guards: you can't just abuse your power to arrest whoever you want and punish them as you see fit. There are limits and regulations, and this goes both ways.

The laws are often described somewhat vaguely to allow for flexibility. 'A small period of time' could be anywhere between an hour and two days or so, for example. It often allows for choices as well, so guards and criminals can come to a consensus as to how to solve a situation, what punishment would fit best without disrupting too much rp. This is done so it isn't too restrictive.

Finally, we also want some consistency. Without laws, one day you kidnap someone and you sit in jail for a day. The next day, you steal some silver and you might get whipped and sigh behind bars for a week. If most people roughly follow the law, similar crimes will be punished accordingly.

Bottom line: realism, balance, flexibility, consistency, and above all, offering rp opportunities!

- Why should I follow the law?

You don't have to. ICly your character might say 'fruit the law', be he a criminal, a guard, a noble, a citizen or anything. There are cultists who do shipsloads of illegal stuff, and there are guards who will abuse their power. And that's fine.

OOCly, maybe you don't like the concept of it at all. While it does try to offer roleplay, it will also restrict it in other areas. And that's fine: the law is merely a suggestion you can follow, if you want to. If you want to play without it, feel free to do so.

- OMG I see a mistake!

Definitely possible!

Some mistakes are made on purpose. With some loopholes in the law, we offer wrongdoers a chance to escape judgement prematurely, or the other way around, for a power-hungry tyrant to punish someone without cause. Some of them are made with the intent to release people earlier than intended: obviously we can't put an rp character in jail for literally months, or even years. Perhaps you were blamed for murder, be it true or not, and you don't wish your character executed: there are outs for that as well (just please don't abuse these outs).

See anything you think that -has- to be changed? Well, it's possible, which I'll explain in a bit!

- What do you have to do with all this?

I don't actually make the laws. I just make sure they are posted here nicely and organised, I answer questions, and I serve as a person to address if you don't know where else to turn. I try to uphold the law, IC and OOC both, and encourage people to play with it if they so choose.

Want a law changed, added or removed? Send me a PM either on the forum or in-game (Avérin) and we can talk about it.
Think someone is horribly abusing the law to grief you? For example continuously killing and refusing punishment, or putting you in the cells for two weeks without any reason? Send me a PM either on the forum or in-game (Avérin) and we can try to solve it.

But then WHO makes the law? Well, that will be a combination between the community and the Stormwind council.

- Stormwind council?

The Stormwind council has changed quite a bit since the start of 2014, at the request of most of the roleplaying community. With the new system, it was hoped to be more fair and efficient. Let's hope that's true hm?

At the moment, the council offers ministers that each have responsibilities depending on their subject. The main purpose is always to try and create more rp for the people in Stormwind/help people/keep things organised and clean, such as server-wide events, or keeping track of a long list of numbers and text.

There are also representatives: one trusted, active member of each big/active guild that often plays in Stormwind. Each representative has voting rights for new petitions or suggestions. That way, every guild that plays in or around Stormwind has a chance to voice their opinion, and hopefully this allows us to make fair decisions. Is there a better way? Probably. But this is how it goes for now.

On a sidenote: the council meets every Tuesday evening in the SW library at 21.00 servertime. Pay it a visit to voice your opinion, or simply to see wazzup!

- So how are laws made/how can I make a difference?

Anyone can come up with changes. You, me, your dog, a minister, a baker, a guard, a farmer. If you have an idea and proper reasoning why, you can bring it up either OOC or IC. ICly, you can either personally attend the council to make a petition (or ask a friend to do it for you), or write Averin a letter (who will then make the suggestion in your place).

All members of the council will then talk about it. The pros and cons. OOCly and ICly both, in public (so people are free to shout or whisper their opinions to one another). After proper argumentation has been made, a vote will then commence. Majority decides.

If the vote passes, I will make the changes in this topic as soon as possible.

Feel free to visit council members separately before the council to try and convince them of your right cause.

- But won't you sometimes have to break character / laws might get faulty?

Yes. We are a player-made council only, and we can not enforce anything on anyone, and we can definitely not impact major decisions. For example, if the suggestion was made 'ban all elves from Stormwind'. Some of our characters might desire that for whatever reason, but obviously we can't make that happen. If such a situation arises, some of us might have to break character temporarily, or we have to make sure that there are enough no-voters before actually making the vote to make sure it doesn't pass.

The other way around, some people enjoy the idea of a corrupt council with one or more members solely in it because they're power hungry, want a certain law to work in their favour, or perhaps even a demon in disguise(!). And this is possible. If you find yourself in a situation like that, you'll just have to play it very smart, IC and OOC both!

--

And that about sums it up I think, thanks for your time, lemme know if there are any suggestions/remarks/complaints/funny things/whatever!

Changelog

30/09/14
- Section 2.9 has been removed.
- As a result, the numeric values of some laws have changed.
- Section 3.9 was edited to be more specific concerning hostile or degrading comments versus the crown and its representatives, rather than extending towards innocent banter towards guards. This should cover the recently deleted section 2.9 as well.
- The law against firearms did NOT pass.
- Community service will become a more valuable option for guards and criminals alike, implementation will start next week when final details will be made public.

GONE:
2.9 Sedition
Inciting hostile, agressive or violent action to undermine the rule of His Majesty King Varian Wrynn, including his officials and institutions trough any means.
Punishment: a day in jail or 5 lashes.

EDITED:
3.9 Defamation
A disrespectful expression against the rule of His Majesty King Varian Wrynn, including his officials and institutions through vocal, written or physical means.
Punishment: a fine of 10 silver or up to 5 lashes.

15/10/2014
Added the community service options for criminals/guards/organisations who are interested! Goal is to avoid jail rp if disliked and introduce cross-guild rp instead!

Spoiler:

I have a question regarding this, would people showing obvious allegiance to the Defias Brotherhood receive the same punishment and such as with the Scarlets?

Surely won't get thrown flowers and chocholate at. Hard to say what kind of action would be taken against such person though. Supose something like that, but it would depend specifically on the situation and the person giving the punisment.

Would the Defias Brotherhood, of all the enemy factions in WoW, be 100% considered an enemy of the kingdom though? Either way, I was just curious as to why the Scarlet's are mentioned, who were based all the way in Lordaeron, while the Defias Brotherhood, who actively worked to bring down Stormwind and were based in Westfall aren't even mentioned.

You bring up a good point, so let me try to expain:

Becouse of the fact that RPers write these "law" things and most of the time most things just don't get put in becouse one reason or another or in other words nobody is gonna make a perfect list of laws for a fantasy world.

Not even fully sure if this is the latest stormwind city laws thing while we're talking about this. Might be, but I don't follow it too much. (there is a pretty new discussion about law updates and such [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] so if you want you can bring up the matter there as well)

And probably becouse common sense lacked more with the scarlet RPers then Defias Brotherhood RPers I guess? Or just that scarlets were a problem more often.

Can't say for sure but that's what i can say. Don't take the laws written by RPers 100% to heart becouse they are just guidelines rather then "These are all laws and nothing more nothing less". I mean at one point someone didn't have written that kidnapping is illegal and of course some people started asking ICly about it. These threads are usually always a work in progress as well or they just get "outdated" or something.

Why are the scarlets mentioned and defias aren't? Because in WLK we had an RP guild that went around commiting acts of terrorism, setting fire to the cathedral and executing people on the streets. They were scarlets. We haven't had a Defias Brotherhood guild doing that so we haven't had to write player laws about them, because as far as the server history of Defias Brotherhood goes the Defias have been largely absent.

I'd like to request for this to be taken down as sticky, yet please preserve it for it should by no means be deleted. The laws have simply been updated and those updates can be found here;

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Why this second thread?
For I am unable to edit the original thread! I'm hoping it may be taken down as sticky and kept around as archive, while I copy/paste the important bits over to these laws that were updated on 26-04-2016. At the time of posting, CrusaderElly hasn't been on the forums for quite sometime and I am unsure if she remains active here or not, considering the changes were voted through yesterday at the council, I felt it best to make these known as fast as possible. :T

Are these laws still in effect in this manner?

These laws are out-dated, you will want to look at the laws in the stickies.