Justiciars of Maal
The justiciars are the clerical order of the courts of Maal. They keep the court systems operating, with the high justiciars overseeing the individual courts. They are looked to for their wisdom, good judgment, and counsel. The deepest purpose of the order is the recovery of the Sacred Laws, and this is what concerns most prolocutors, who are generally wandering, powerful clerics seeking these ancient artifacts of their god.
There are only two major alignments among clerics of Maal—lawful neutral and lawful good. Lawful neutral justiciars are the largest contingent of the courts. Their foremost concern is finding the twelve laws of Maal. While their complete dedication to legality makes them excellent judges, they often allow unfortunate outcomes by the standards of goodness, as they feel the preservation of the law is of paramount importance. For this reason, in cases where someone has broken the law but has done so for a good or very understandable reason, lawful neutral justiciars still condemn the criminal, and are uninterested in vague concepts such as “right” or “context.” Some people complain these justiciars do evil by adhering to law so completely, but the justiciars respond that the anyone who breaks the law for some shortterm good will likely do a profound evil, in the end.
Lawful good justiciars, however, are much beloved, for they believe that law exists to better the lives of people. They are the “live and let live” sort, associating themselves with people who, perhaps, bend the letter of the law to achieve great good. While they themselves do not stray from the law, and while they certainly try to explain to such people the importance of maintaining laws, one can find a lawful good justiciar adventuring with chaotic good heroes. Such justiciars are paragons of virtue, seeking to aid others through their wisdom and strength. They do not lie, do not swear, do not strike others in anger, and do not raise their voices. All in all, they seek to be exceptional figures of morality, temperance, and wisdom, as Maal is. Lawful good justiciars typically do not rise far in the court system, and it is rare for one of them to sit as one of the Four Justices.
There are lawful evil clerics who call Maal their lord. Likely receiving power from an infernal source instead of the god they proclaim, these deluded few believe life is misery, and save people from it by sending them to Maal. The clerics of this secret and blasphemous order are discussed in The Cult of the Bloody Blade.
Forms of address for the justiciars are varied, but all are introduced by name and position among the justiciars, such as, “Wilhelm, prolocutor of the courts of Maal.” When referred to without his name, a member of the order is called “a justiciar of Maal,” regardless of his personal title, or more formally, “a justiciar of the courts of Maal,” since the most important detail about them is that they serve the courts and can mediate disputes. They represent the faith and their order first, in all things..
Justiciar
New justiciars keep busy. Several justiciars operate in even the smallest courts, as running one involves a fantastic amount of work, given that most courts hear daily petitions from local people asking for help in serious matters such as resolving disputes and remedying cases of injustice. Justiciars operate as assistants to high justiciars, and must obey their superiors. New justiciars rarely adventure far from home, but it can happen when it involves court business. The courts consider it acceptable for justiciars not suited to minding the courts to defend the principle of organized laws abroad. Justiciars are addressed as “honored justiciar.”High Justiciar
With sufficient experience, justiciars can attain the rank of high justiciar, and might be given authority over a court. In major population centers, several high justiciars work in a single court. They form a council and ponder their decisions, but one justiciar is given supreme authority over the court from the Four Justices. High justiciars rise from the ranks of the justiciars after a time automatically, and without needing approval from higher church officials, but they must petition the Four Justices in order to run a court. Petitions can take a great while to grant, with some waiting up to five years before receiving an assignment. If a high justiciar can build a court with her funds, or funds raised, she automatically gains authority over the court. High justiciars are addressed as “lord justiciar,” or “lady justiciar.”Prolocutor
High justiciars who distinguish themselves are eventually hailed as prolocutors and are henceforth placed above day to day matters, such as operating a court. Prolocutors travel the world, quest for the Sacred Laws, visit distant lands, and bring law to the world, speaking the will of Maal to any who would listen. Prolocutors speak for Maal. When they declare something unjust, anyone with a shred of sense listens. Those prolocutors who prefer not to wander find the Four Justices interceding, instructing them to put aside their mundane labors and do Maal’s work abroad. It is rare for this admonishment to be required. A prolocutor is addressed as “most honored justiciar.”Four Justices
When one of the two Justices from the order of justiciars steps down or dies, a prolocutor receives a mysterious spiritual call to sit on the council of the Four Justices. They simply know it is their time. No more than one prolocutor has ever answered the call; the faithful believe Maal chooses the Justices. The call doesn’t always summon the strongest justiciar, and some join the Four Justices just months after being named prolocutors. The call can sometimes tell a Justice to step down, too. A Justice from the order of justiciars is addressed as “supreme justiciar” and might be introduced as, “Supreme Justiciar Mord, one of the Four Justices of the courts of Maal.”
Joining the Justiciars
Prospective members must undergo years of legal training before they can join the justiciars. Those already familiar with the law could become a justiciar without additional training, but otherwise a character would have to stop adventuring for two to four years while he learned the law.Upon completing training, they become clerics with the Balance Domain. Most justiciars favor the longsword to symbolize the sword Justice, which Maal has wielded since the war with Kador.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Parent Organization
Related Myths
