Main Page » Exile

The punishment known as exile is reserved for the most severe punishments that do not warrant execution, particularly crimes that are social or diplomatic in nature. Exile is also known as banishment.
Someone who is exiled is sent away from the realm, and forbidden from returning, if they ignore the sentence and return punishment is harsh, generally forced labor, death or mutilation. The sentence of Exile can be life-long, end after a set number of years, or last until some pre-determined condition is met. Exile that affects social interaction instead of physical location is called Ostracism. Someone who is ostracized is shunned by respectable society, in extreme forms the community will utterly refuse to acknowledge the ostracized person's presence whenever possible.
The Anuireans tend to people nobles committed of serious crimes when execution is politically impossible or when there is a need to 'punish' someone even though the ruler doesn't really disapprove of the guilty person's action - in the latter case the exile tends to be lifted as soon as the need for the ruler to please the wronged party ends.
The Brecht tend to believe that execution is unprofitable, exile on the other hand encourages the person to better themselves and. more importantly, seek out new markets for Brecht guilders. Accordingly young Brecht rakes who cause too much trouble are often exiled for a period of years.
Goblins are more likely to kill a criminal than exile them. The only goblin exiles are goblins that were caught in some crime and fled rather than face punishment. Since most goblins tend to take a might makes right approach to the law and consider murder of a 'weak' superior an acceptable method of seeking promotion the number of goblin criminals is inevitably low, most goblin exiles intend to return home as soon as they gain the strength to defeat their enemies.
The Karamhul consider exile worse than death, as it separates the karamhul from their family for all time. They reserve the punishment for those who betray their people and those who become awnsheghlien.
The Khinasi are prone to self-imposed exile for great loss of sayim (face). The Khinasi who feels that they are unfit to dwell in society leaves their former home and identity and travels until they find some way of redeeming themselves, many never succeed and die unknown. Although technically social mores dictate that someone who has declared that they are without sayim should be shunned, the fact that the person possessed the wisdom to understand their crime and honor to go into exile wins the Khinasi a good deal of respect. Anyone who aids a Khinasi that has exiled themselves is believed to win the favor of Avani and, if successful, gains great sayim themselves.
The Rjurik consider exile a terrible punishment, tantamount to death, for in the harsh north few can survive away from their community. Exile is very rare as a result with the exception of spell-casters, the Rjurik distrust magic and any who use it openly are at first ostracized, and then driven into exile.
The Sidhe exile people who cause great social offense for a period of years - generally a decade or so but sometimes for far longer. The target may be banned from attending a court, holding a position of authority, from a single province or the entire realm. The Sidhe tend to take exile fairly seriously but rarely enforce the sentence - the transgressor is expected to police their own conduct. The Sidhe frequently ostracize those who commit crimes, this can vary from exclusion from social events to the expectation that the sidhe ostracized will withdraw from society completely until they accept their wrong doing and apologize to the community.
The Vos rarely bother with exile - death is far more common. The priestesses of Kriesha and the priests of Belinik do sometimes exile people however, generally when the person is believed to be useful to the Vos - once they have redeemed themselves. Commonly, to end the exile, the Vos 'criminal' must defeat some great beast, perform some great act for the tribe, defeat an enemy of the Vos, etc. Once the Vos has proved themselves the original sentence of exile is forgotten.


Tags for this Page

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

Posting Permissions
  • You may not create new articles
  • You may not edit articles
  • You may not protect articles
  • You may not post comments
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your comments
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.