OOC: Court Begins (Day 2 of Court Opening Week)
Court is basically the means by which the people of Ferstaal gain access to the King for the setting of disputes, for diplomatic embassies, and for certain ceremonies.
Court is held in the main hall of the palace. There are seats set up for the King, the Steward, the Corwn Prince, the heads of each noble house, and the leaders of the Church and Guild. Seating is drawn by lot each morning, so there is no perception of favorites being seated nearer to the King.
The other major participants in court are the Chief Herald, the Captain-At-Arms, and the Fool. The herald handles announcements of petitioners. The Captain-At-Arms is in charge of security. The Fool provides entertainment as requested by the King.
The heads of the noble houses are not obligated to attend court. They may come and go as they like, or they may have a representative sit in their place (although the word of the representative is considered binding).
Outside of the main hall, petitioners must first pass through a series of questioners who determine whether their business is worthy of the King's time. These staff members, in service to the Herald and the Steward, may redirect a petitioner to some other venue, such as the city courts in Medbobd. Anyone has the right to petition the King, but there are no guarantees that he will even receive the message. That being said, the current King has a good reputation for taking time to hear the disputes of commoners as well as nobles.
Sometimes a crimminal will petition the King to hear his case. The king has the power to dispense immediate justice. However, because he also has the power to order a prisoner put to death, many would rather take their chances with the magistrates of the courts. Executions may be ordered only by the King (for any crime), or by the ruling head of a noble house (only for crimes committed on that lord's land). Technically, the King also has the power to overrule an order of execution from a noble lord, but in practice this has taken place only very rarely.
Court usually begins about an hour after dawn. Around noon, petitioners are cleared out, and lunch is served for court. The King then usually re-opens court for several more hours of business, although he may declare the court closed at any time.
Court is held in the main hall of the palace. There are seats set up for the King, the Steward, the Corwn Prince, the heads of each noble house, and the leaders of the Church and Guild. Seating is drawn by lot each morning, so there is no perception of favorites being seated nearer to the King.
The other major participants in court are the Chief Herald, the Captain-At-Arms, and the Fool. The herald handles announcements of petitioners. The Captain-At-Arms is in charge of security. The Fool provides entertainment as requested by the King.
The heads of the noble houses are not obligated to attend court. They may come and go as they like, or they may have a representative sit in their place (although the word of the representative is considered binding).
Outside of the main hall, petitioners must first pass through a series of questioners who determine whether their business is worthy of the King's time. These staff members, in service to the Herald and the Steward, may redirect a petitioner to some other venue, such as the city courts in Medbobd. Anyone has the right to petition the King, but there are no guarantees that he will even receive the message. That being said, the current King has a good reputation for taking time to hear the disputes of commoners as well as nobles.
Sometimes a crimminal will petition the King to hear his case. The king has the power to dispense immediate justice. However, because he also has the power to order a prisoner put to death, many would rather take their chances with the magistrates of the courts. Executions may be ordered only by the King (for any crime), or by the ruling head of a noble house (only for crimes committed on that lord's land). Technically, the King also has the power to overrule an order of execution from a noble lord, but in practice this has taken place only very rarely.
Court usually begins about an hour after dawn. Around noon, petitioners are cleared out, and lunch is served for court. The King then usually re-opens court for several more hours of business, although he may declare the court closed at any time.