The Heldannic Order - Vaults of Pandius

SOCIETY
Both Non-Members: When an
individual who is not a member of the
Order accuses another such individual, a
Magistrate Priest acts as sole judge.
Credible evidence is required for
conviction. Crimes with a measurable
economic cost, like theft, normally incur
a punishment equal to twice the value.
The convicted must also pay an equal
amount to the Order.
Convictions for rape or kidnapping
result in a mandatory ten-year tour of
military service. The penalty for
maiming is computed from a base value
of 100gp, while murderers are hung.
Both Members: Should one
member of the Order accuse another, a
trial is convened with three magistrates
sitting. The standard of evidence required
is roughly the same as above but the
punishments are considerably harsher if
guilt is proved. Base values are often
weighted an additional 25%. Those
convicted of heinous crimes (rape,
kidnapping) are banished rather than
indentured to military service. Murderers
are hung.
Members of the Order may dispute the
findings of the panel and call for a Trial
by Combat. Such Trials are to
submission, except in the case of murder.
Then it is to the death. The panel
appoints the defender of its decision.
Member vs. Non-Member:
Should a member of the Order accuse a
non-member, guilt is assumed unless
proven otherwise. Evidence is only
accepted if it is provided by another
member. Such cases are presided over by
a single magistrate. Although this system
is manifestly unfair, malicious
accusations are treated extremely
seriously by the Order in those rare
occasions when they are uncovered.
Non-Member vs. Member: Those
outside the Order cannot accuse directly
those within of crimes. Instead they must
petition a member to make the accusation
on their behalf. There are now enough
sympathetic members within the Order
that the Voice maintains a “Public
Accuser” office to handle these
complaints. The offices at Freiburg and
Grauenberg have done well in this regard,
but the Accusers at Altendorf are
indifferent, and those at Hockstein rarely
plead a complaint to the magistrate.
There are a class of crimes that receive
special procedures. These acts are known
as Crimes against the Order. This
broadly includes “Insults to the Name of
Vanya,”, “Insults to the Name of the
Order,” “Disrupting Heldannic Interests,”
and “Treason.” Freyja-worship is
included in this class of crimes. Both
members and non-members are subject to
these laws, and accusations by nonmembers
are accorded more deference by
the Accusers’ Office than in normal
criminal proceedings.
These crimes are tried in the Star
Chamber at the Fortress of Freiburg. The
accused is taken to the capital and
delivered to the dungeon. There the
prisoner awaits twelve senior members of
the Order, four from each branch. Guilt
is assumed and evidence is only accepted
from one of the twelve. When the
defendant is found guilty they are hung
on the spot and the body destroyed by
fire.
Very occasionally (perhaps once every
few years) someone is found innocent by
the Star Chamber. They are immediately
released onto the streets of Freiburg with
a warning that speaking of their
experiences is itself a Crime against the
Order.
Social Organizations
The most important organization in the
Territories is the Order itself. The
Heldannic Order is treated in depth in the
section. Other organizations and
societies do exist, however. What
follows is a sample of those groups
known to the general populace.
The Company of the Orb
The Company of the Orb is a fraternal
organization for abbots and commanding
knights who have served aboard the
flying Heldannic warbirds. Most view
the Company as a stuffy, high-brow
military club for warbird officers.
The more illustrious Fellows of the Orb
are the Witnesses, those who have
actually served in outer space and thus
have come closer to the divine realm of
Vanya.
A cheerful and boisterous ceremony
awaits those who return from their first
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assignment in space. Their names are
engraved on a metal plate and hung on
the Wall of Fame inside the group's
meeting hall in Freiburg.
Although membership is not an
obligation of warbird officers,
commanders assigned to space missions
are drawn exclusively from the Fellows.
Though a military fellowship, the group
is under the auspices of the Heart.
Requirements: Knight bachelor or prior
with warbird experience, admission by
sponsorship
Cost: free (1 gp /mo for food)
Privileges: Selection for special missions,
can commandeer a warbird
Responsibilities: Hall upkeep,
maintaining warbird secrets
Hindrances: Rivalries from naval and
land officers; high-value target for
foreign agents
The Ears of Vanya
The Ears of Vanya is a small
intelligence gathering arm of the Voice.
Its existence is known but not widely
disseminated. Most of the actual
espionage is conducted by foreign
mercenaries or Heldanner informants.
The information gathered by the Ears is
used administratively, militarily, or to
hunt down outlaw groups.
Requirements: Knight or prior assigned
to the Voice; for spies, recruitment
Cost: none
Privileges: Selection for special missions,
opportunity for travel abroad; for spies a
retainer of 5gp/mo plus 500+gp per
mission or 100gp for unsolicited
information
Responsibilities: Integrity of the
Territories’ control, supervising the
mercenary spies
Hindrances: None; for spies, unfriendly
reaction from most Knights
The Experten
The Experten are a group of twenty
professional hunters of evil formed by the
Heart and based at Grauenberg. The
most common Experten are vampire
hunters, yet there are individuals who
specialize in other types of opponents
(e.g. witchfinders and ghostbusters).
The Experten are summoned wherever
evidence of vampire (or other) activity is