Daily Life: Crime and Punishment

Crime is a major problem in Tirenia. The great cities of the north have established effective methods of dealing with lawbreakers. Most of them have special civic guards whose job it is to maintain public order, such as the Guardie d'Argento of Medilano or the Pacificatore of Fiumenze. These are, effectively, private soldiers whose job it is to protect their masters' interests by keeping the peace. Smaller towns may have an official, known as a potestas, who is responsible for providing their own men to help combat violent crime; in some areas, the potestas also serves as mayor. However, many crimes committed against individual citizens may be ignored. White-collar crime, however, is rife throughout Tirenia's cities. With these sorts of crimes, they may be taken to a public official such as a magistrate or the potestas for arbitration; more often, those wronged will take matters into their own hands. In southern Tirenia, where organised crime is more widespread, the Benevoli are extremely aggressive at rooting out crime committed by anyone else.

In the countryside, however, violent crime is much more common. The common people of Tirenia have few options available to them in case of economic disaster; resorting to banditry is one of the most common. The roads and wilderness are plagued by bandits preying on travelers. These bandits range from desperate ruffians to well-organised bands of out-of-work mercenaries. These more experienced bands will ply their trades, moving from area to area to avoid detection, and sometimes hiring their services to local lords in exchange for shelter. The dragon princes, by and large, accept banditry as simply a cost of doing business, but then they are not the ones who must travel the roads and risk attack. Travellers would do well to be armed and travel in groups.

Art: 'Bandits on a Rocky Coast.' Salvator Rosa, c. 1655.