Dwarf Lawbringer

The law in Karak Azgal is both simple and complex. The simple part is that the Dwarfs are in control and everyone else in Karak Azgal is here only with their permission. As long as you pay to get into the ruins, pay to get out, give the Dwarfs any items you have found they deem a “cultural artefact,” and pay a tax on anything left over, the Dwarfs are happy. The complicated part is trying to understand the myriad of cross-referenced and circumstance-riddled statutes in the Dwarf legal text known as the Great Book of the Lawgivers.

The most respected and battle tested Dwarfs, known as Longbeards, are handpicked by the Lord of the hold to enforce the laws in Karak Azgal. Longbeards are experienced veterans of many battles and they get their name from their great beards that often reach to the floor. They are given the title of Lawbringers and are the judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to the law in the city. Their interpretation of the law is final and very few appeals to the Lord of the hold are successful.

The slang term for them is “Three-beards,” because they always travel in groups of three. Lawbringers wield two-handed battleaxes and carry two loaded pistols. They wear expertly crafted full plate armour inscribed with the Dragon symbol of Skalf’s clan. Their primary duty is to make certain the legal entrances to the ruins are patrolled and all applicable taxes and fees are collected. They are also constantly on the lookout for illegal entrances to the ruins and any contraband they can find that has not been reported and taxed. Anyone found with valuables from the ruins that cannot produce a taxation receipt is subject to immediate imprisonment. It is not uncommon for Lawbringers to stop people in the streets and search them for such contraband. Finally, the Lawbringers are charged with maintaining order in the streets. They are far more diligent at patrolling within the walls of Skalf's Hold than they are in Deadgate, where they are mostly concerned with catching smugglers.

There are no formal courts in Karak Azgal, as the Lawbringers dispense justice quickly and on the spot. When major crimes are committed like murder, a special session of the High Council is convened to hear the case with the Lord of the hold as presiding judge. These cases are most often concerned with the death of a Dwarf or crimes against powerful citizens and their families. The Commander of the Lawbringers, most recently Thane Furagrum Kazorson, is responsible for deciding what cases reach this level.

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Karak Azgal
 * pg. 7

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