Hamlet
No formal Justice buildings
The Golden Encyclopedia
Justice
A player-driven legal system built from territorial authority, human judgment, persistent conversation, and consequences the world remembers.A living legal system
Justice belongs to the players
The world never automatically punishes a crime. When someone steals, attacks, damages property, breaks an agreement, or commits another wrong, the affected players decide whether to forgive, negotiate compensation, or involve the authorities.
The game provides offices, jurisdiction, Courts, prisons, enforceable limits, and permanent records. It does not calculate guilt. Justice exists because players choose to use those institutions and accept responsibility for their decisions.
“The game does not decide who is right. It gives players the tools to build a civilization—and the responsibility to live with the consequences.”
Justice evolves with civilization
Formal law begins at Town rank
Hamlets and Villages cannot administer formal justice. An explicitly promoted Town is the first Settlement organized enough to establish both a Guard House and Courthouse. Population creates promotion eligibility only; it never changes the stored Settlement rank automatically.
Village
No formal Justice buildings
Town
Guard House + Courthouse
City
Expanded judicial administration
Metropolis
Largest judicial administration
The heart of the system
Every case receives a Golden Messenger Court room
A player reports a wrong or a Marshal encounters one.
A Marshal investigates and presents the facts to a Judge.
The Judge alone decides whether to open a Court Case.
Opening creates a dedicated Golden Messenger conversation.
The Judge invites the accused, victim, Marshals, witnesses, lawyers, supporters, accomplices, or other relevant participants.
Participants present text or voice testimony asynchronously.
The Judge issues a verdict and sentence before the deadline.
The sentence is enforced and the concluded case enters permanent history.
The Judge administers the case conversation. Nobody must be online at the same time: testimony can be left today, answered tomorrow, and reviewed as one durable record. Case membership is invitation-based while proceedings are active.
Evidence and time
The Judge—not an algorithm—decides
Human judgment
There is no hidden evidence score and no automatic guilt calculation. The Judge evaluates testimony, arguments, explanations, witnesses, and supporting statements, then decides what they believe.
Conflict of interest
A Judge cannot judge themselves. If involved in a case or arrested, the appointing ruler removes or suspends them and appoints a replacement immediately. The replacement inherits the case, conversation, testimony, and participants.
No timely verdict means automatic release without penalty.
Execution as a possible sentence permits additional deliberation.
Consequences
Broad discretion, physical costs
DismissalWarningMonetary fineRestitutionImprisonmentForced laborRelease on bondExecution
Bond
A Judge may grant release on bond. Physical coins must be delivered to the Courthouse Treasury Chest. Only the Mayor or treasury-authorized officials may access them; the Court decides whether bond is granted.
Prison
Standard imprisonment requires the prisoner to serve the sentence. It creates no automatic labor requirement.
Forced labor
A Judge may instead require quarrying, timber cutting, mining, transport, public construction, or another lawful task. The Judge defines completion. All output belongs to the State and enters the Courthouse Treasury for government use, including victim compensation or public works.
Death is different
Only Justice may permanently execute a Character
Combat may cause unconsciousness, grave injury, robbery, or required medical treatment, but cannot permanently kill another player’s Character. Execution is rare, judicial, and irreversible. The estate then follows established House succession and the Character’s legacy continues through their heirs.
Review
Only death sentences may be appealed
Most judgments are final. A death sentence may travel to the next higher territorial Court when one exists. The higher Court reviews the prior decision before execution may proceed. Appeals are intentionally faster than original trials, but their exact deadline is not yet defined.
Town Court→County Court→Ducal Court→Royal Court
A permanent history
Nothing concluded is forgotten
Every concluded Court Case becomes part of the permanent historical archive. Every person officially added to it—Judge, Marshal, victim, accused, witness, lawyer, supporter, accomplice, or other invitee—is permanently associated with that case through their stable public Account-level identity, with the participating Character retained where applicable.
Future generations may read famous trials, notorious convictions, celebrated acquittals, and the legal history that shaped the world. Judicial history is not a temporary chat transcript; it is part of the living record of The City of Gold.