toil and trouble

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Thai is part one, I’ll compile everything into one post once it’s all done. Still upset it won’t let me format it like I want

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Crimes

Highwaymen and highwaywomen

Villages are often connected by long, winding, dark roads.

Those who travel between villages may encounter a highwayman. The will take the traveller’s valuables are leave, very few will kill the traveller.

Its quite an easy crime to commit, it is easy to escape after stealing and all are masked.

For some, they steal to survive. Others, as a hobby or as a pastime.

Witchcraft

Witches in Minecraft chose how to live their lives. Unfortunately, the few who decided to abuse their abilities left a lasting impacts on the villagers.

Originally, the fear was caused by not understanding magic, now it is caused by what a witch may decide to do with their magic.

Witch crazes fuelled by paranoia ensued all across the world. Many innocent witches lost their lives as a result. Though the craze has simmered down, a lingering fear remains.

Some profited of the witch hunts, they include with hunters, those who held trials and those who claimed to sense witches.

Accused witches were burnt at stake with little or no trial.

Smuggling

Many villages have heavy import taxes in goods, to avoid it, many resort to smuggling said goods.

Common smuggled items include cloths, books and items that come from far.

In some villages, larger ones in particular, gangs take advantage of the demands.

It only really annoys the ones who govern the villages, they do not make as much money as they could. Rich villagers are in favour of it, they get goods at (often) a cheaper price.

Blood feuds

These are less common now, but bitterness may still stand and new ones may emerge.

Villages often have strong sense of family. After a murder has been committed, villagers may choose to stand with the victim or the perpetrator.

It drives villages apart through a dizzying chain of revenges.

Theft

Large villages have issues with poverty. Resorting to theft may not be as uncommon as you think.

Punishments may vary across villages and may also depend on the value of the item that was stolen.

Some thieves are seen as heros by villagers.

Treason and/or heresy

neither is taken lightly anywhere, it is an instant death sentence with little or no trial.

The reason it says ‘and/or’ is because in some villages, the one in charge is seen as a god-like entity.

Poaching

In larger villages, vast areas of land were privatised. This meant that villagers could no longer just go out to hunt or forage for dinner anymore. It caused fury.

Eventually, villagers turned a blind eye to those who were hunting on land that wasn’t theirs.

Black market meat is huge in these areas.

Being caught leads to severe punishment, but villagers have saved poachers on many occasions.

Punishments

Punishments focus heavily on deterrence. Many argue that some punishments are disproportionate to their crimes, therefore many prisons have started emerging thanks to the efforts of reformers.

Banishment

Was the most common form of punishment, until the illagers emerged.

It was used for the most serious, ‘unspeakable’ crimes. They included murder, treason etc.

Capital and corporal punishments

These are currently the most common form of punishment, but they are becoming more and more disliked.

It seems prison are replacing them.

These punishments are reserved for major offences and reoffenders. In fact, many minor offences use corporal punishments.

Debtors prison

These are special prisons for those who cannot pay back debts.

They are common in large villages, but are becoming more general prisons for all types of criminals.

Isolation

This was seen as a better alternative to banishment.

Most who are subjected to this go insane from loneliness. Villagers are not solitary creatures. It’s cruel and pointless.

Trials

compurgation (trial by oath)

If the accused can find a certain amount of villagers who could say on an oath that the accused was innocent, the accused would be found innocent.

The number of people to swear varied on village and the number is usually symbolic of something in that village.

trial by ordeal

If a verdict cannot be reached, a trial by ordeal will take place.

The accused will have some sort of injury inflicted onto them and if it healed in the given time, it would be an indication that a higher power has declared that the accused was innocent.

These can be extremely rigged.

trial by combat

The accused would fight the accuser until one dies.

These are seen as sacred events and often draw large crowds from all around.

This is the least common form of trial, this is only used in extreme cases or when a strong accusation has little proof.

Policing

Relies heavily on the village itself, they are responsible for catching criminals and enforcing their laws. There is no formal police system.

Hue and cry

If one villager witnesses a crime, they must ring the village bell to trigger a hue and cry.

Everyone in the village must stop what they were doing and assist in catching the criminal.

It’s quite effective in small, rural villages. It’s a lot harder in larger villagers because there are many alleys where the criminal can escape.

Constables and watchmen

It’s their job to keep on the look out for crime and to uphold the law.

They lead the hue and cry.

However, they are open to bribes from criminals to keep their mouths shut and can be very corrupt.

Commitment to their jobs and how competent they are varied highly.

Coroners

They only really exist in places where murder and as such death is common.

Villagers must report all unnatural death to them so they may investigate it.

They are usually very committed to their jobs and will not tolerate any hint of incompetence.

(I have such a cool character idea)

yay you made it to the end! Thankss 😭. These headcannons are just so that the story on my blog (when it starts) makes sense.