Crime and Punishment

Attempting to have sex with a child before puberty or molesting a child before they've reached this age is an extremely serious offense. Any suspected of such an act are ostracized by all, and it's common that anyone convicted faces death. Child abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, etc) is a lesser crime, but still serious and likely to result in a death sentence for the perpetrator(s). 

​

The most prevalent crime is theft. 

​

Terra Deiens do see a difference between killing, murder, and execution.  

​

A killing is the cessation of life that meets the following criteria: it must be in the public realm without staging, or openly confessed to without boasting or coercion, or under a legally recognized contract, or the by-product of one's mental illness. -- Mental illness requires documentation, and it is illegal to criminally prosecute anyone for a crime when that crime was perpetrated because of their illness. This is not considered illegal. 

 

A murder is the cessation of life that is purposefully hidden from the public view, purposefully staged, or boasted about openly. This is illegal. 

 

An execution is the cessation of life recognized by the ruling regent and consorts. They are only permitted in cases of the following: rape, child molestation, and serial killers and the latter only without the presence of mental illness.

​

Punishment: 

Anyone, commoner or noble (member of a Great House) if found committing a crime can opt to have their punishment carried out by their House or the House whose territory they live on. (Punishments are reviewed by a team of Felis, who review for fairness and to ensure that a punishment is neither too light nor too severe). It may also go to the courts if the person committing the crime opts not to have it tried by their House. Intra-house murder tends to be investigated by the house, but it can involve Felis.  Inter-house murder usually happens before a change in rank, and tends to not be investigated once the rank shift has happened.  Other murders are investigated by House Felis. 

​

Rape is second only to the sexual abuse of a child and people convicted of this are left in an oubliette to live out what days they have left. However, it is not completely unheard of that someone found guilty of child abuse/molestation and/or rape to be drug out by anyone who finds them and beaten to death. It is worth noting that Terra Deiens are not violent by nature and most find it abhorrent.

 

Taboos

Terra Deiens have few taboos.  One of them is to tell another person how to worship their deity. Though violence does occasionally occur between houses, getting caught is more of a taboo. A small belch at dinner is taboo, but a loud, heartfelt one is not, and is considered a compliment to the ones that prepared the meal.

​

Being secretive is nearly imperative, while being caught is more likely to provoke censure.