The individual tribes and clans largely determine the laws of the Dalmite nation but there are also laws that have been mutually agreed upon by all those clans under the Dalmite Flag.

Clan Laws

Within a clan, the Gwea is the absolute leader. She/he would have a council of advisors, usually chosen for their loyalty to the clan or their status based on age and reputation. It is not uncommon for a clan council to be made up of the elders of the clan, the affluent and ethical members of the clan and the religious leaders of the clan.

When a crime is committed within the clan, the council or the Gwea has the final decision, depending on the structure of the individual clan. The aggrieved, be it the victim of the crime or the family members or friends of the victim bring the particulars of the crime to the Gwea and council, asking for guidance in the matter. Laws and punishments vary, depending on the clan, but there are some general guidelines that all clans tend to follow.

Tribal laws follow the same guidelines as the clan laws but the tribal councils usually do not get involved in crimes unless they span more than one clan or involve outsiders from other cultures.

Nation laws also follow the same guidelines but they deal exclusively with crimes between tribes or crimes involving other cultures.

Domestic Cases - Within the Dalmite nation

Murder

The murder of a fellow Dalmite is a serious offense and it breaks the heart of Kainna when one of her children hurts another. Therefore, it is dealt with harshly. Both sides of the issue present their case to the council/Gwea and must accept their decision and the punishment. Punishment may be carried out using various means.

Death is applicable for a murder that has been pre-arranged or extremely violent and senseless. An executioner, who gives the criminal a poison to drink, usually carries out the death sentence. After his/her death, the body is treated as any other Dalmite. It is believed that the evilness of a human being leaves once death has occurred and he is now one with his deity.

When murder is the result of a fight, the murderer may be required to serve the family of the victim for a number of years, sometimes as much as life if the loss of the victim caused great hardship within his/her family.

Deaths resulting from accidents might be dealt with less harshly, requiring restitution to the family in the form of currency, food, housing, or work.

Stealing or destruction of Property

Dalmites are not materialistic people so property has less value among the Dalmites than people from other cultures. If food, clothing or currency is stolen and the victims decide to go before the council, usually the punishment depends on the needs of the criminal. If he/she stole to feed, cloth or otherwise care for his family or servants, the council will usually dismiss the case with a mild punishment. The criminal will be asked to perform work to repay the victim. If the criminal stole out of envy and greed, the punishment will sometimes be more severe, including serving as a slave for the family for a specific period of time. Repeated theft could result in loss of a hand.

Destruction of property is treated as vandalism and the criminal must repay the family, either in goods or currency, or in work. Failure to do so could result in forced servitude to the family. The only exception to this is the use of fire to intentionally destroy property or the death of animals. In this case, the criminal is often banished from the clan after being branded a fire user or an animal murderer. They become an outcast to the Dalmite society.

The destruction of trees is a special case and depending on the tribe/clan, the 'murderer' can be banished or put to death. The Dalmites entire purpose in life is to protect the trees and a member who breaks this covenant with the Mother is not considered to be a true Dalmite. Trees are taken and used for various items and for wood, but those with special permission to do so must take the tree. It cannot be taken by others without the presence of the shaman and only in special circumstances.

Rape

Rape is unusual among the Dalmites because the women are considered blessed by Kainna. It is the rare, and usually twisted, Dalmite who would evoke her wrath. While there have been women who use their power over men, again it is rare. The Dalmites do not impose the same sexual morals on themselves as some cultures do so sexual crimes do not occur often.

When rape does occur, it is treated as an assault. The only exception to this is the rape of children under the age of 12. These are treated with the same severity as murder. Any babies born due to rape are not ostracized or treated any differently than other children. They are still considered the children of Kainna and given equal respect and honor.

Assault

The Dalmites are a very physical people so assaults are not an uncommon way to solve a dispute. Punishment for this crime depends on the severity of the assault and whether it can be proven to have been provoked. Penalties include restitution if the assault caused temporary loss of livelihood or servitude to the family if it caused permanent disabilities.

Traitorous activities

Any Dalmite who breaks the trust he/she has with his/her tribe, clan, Nation or individual leader and either swears allegiance to a new leader or works to undermine the current leader is considered a traitor. Since trust and loyalty are very important to the Dalmites, these crimes are not taken lightly. While the punishment is up to the individual leaders and councils, they can range from death to banishment with or without branding.

Individuals or tribes who choose to leave the Dalmite Nation are usually left alone as long as they do not try to undermine the current leadership of the local clans or councils. If they do interfere, aiding and abetting the enemy, working as spies, etc., they will become an enemy of the clan/Nation and will be treated as such, often even hunted down and killed.

Other crimes

The council and the Gwea may make decisions regarding other types of crime, dealing out punishments as necessary. Such crimes might include lack of payment of debts, personal insults, slander, etc.

Avoidance of Punishment

A criminal who tries to avoid his/her punishment may receive further punishment. For example, if a person who committed a particularly violent crime escapes, the Gwea may send out a group of warriors to find and kill the criminal. If the crime was minor, the criminal may be allowed to escape but may not be welcomed back into the tribe in the future. A criminal who owes servitude or restitution to a family and attempts to avoid his payment may receive further punishment or he could find another of his family members being required to serve his time or pay his currency. It is not uncommon for affluent criminals to pay victims families with slaves and/or indentured servants.

International Crime

On occasion, crime occurs which involves Dalmites and people from other cultures. Such crimes are usually dealt with by the tribe or in some cases by the Nation and the Elder Council, including Teila.

Taking of Trees- this is a serious offense in the eyes of the Dalmites. Permits can be issued to individuals by clans and tribes for the taking of trees by outsiders. However, violation of these permits will result in punishment.

If a Salan or any other member of an allied nation is found to be taking a tree without a permit or without payment, they will be captured and brought before the local clan leader. If the criminal agrees to pay for the wood, including a fine for cutting down the tree, he is allowed to go free. If he refuses to pay or is caught doing the same thing again, his punishment is much harsher. He will be taken to the local tribal leader, a journey that could take a great deal of time. His local provincial leader will be contacted and an agreement will be arranged for his release. If the provincial leader pays his fine and the price of the wood, then the criminal will be released in the care of his own law enforcement. If the provincial leader refuses to pay, the criminal will become a slave to the local clan for a specified period of time. A brand will be applied to the back of his wrist identifying him as such and making it impossible for him to ever rid himself of the stigma attached to a tree-killer. If a criminal persists in taking of trees even after such punishment, he will be killed by the Le'dri if he is caught in the act.

It is not uncommon for such tree-killers to be killed rather than be captured by the Dalmites. They often fight back and deaths do occur. When this happens, the Salan families often approach their leaders and the clan leaders, demanding restitution. If it can be proven that the person did not take a tree, then the Dalmites will pay restitution to the families. If they did take a tree, then the family will receive nothing from the Dalmites. Dalmite Le'dri are considered to be very honorable and ethical Dalmite citizens and their word is never questioned by the Dalmites. This can cause a considerable amount of tension in some Salan communities and is the source of some animosity. However, the clans do not withhold agreements for permits to take trees from the local Salans without a very good reason based on the Dalmite Accords. Also, the Dalmites to not hold the Salans or any other culture responsible for protecting the trees…therefore, the punishment for a Dalmite destroying a tree is much greater than that of another culture.

Enemies taking trees are killed when caught in the act by Le'dri, usually hiding in the forest or high in the trees. Often, the criminal doesn't even know the Le'dri is there until he feels the sting of the arrow.

Neutral nations receive the same treatment as the allies, to some extent. Because there is no Dalmite Accords, the Dalmites are not required to make permits available. However, the clans usually will do so if the request is reasonable. Foreigners who do not abide by the Dalmite laws are captured and tried by the Dalmite council. Punishments include banishment from the forest, sometimes with a kill-on-sight order, or slavery, depending on the frequency and severity of the crime.

Murder

Murder of a Dalmite citizen by an outsider can result in serious diplomatic issues. If the criminal is a Salan, the clan leader of the victim may try to deal with the local Salan leader to resolve the issue. More than likely, they will demand the criminal be handed over to the local clan for punishment. If this cannot be resolved, the tribe leader may get involved. The same process and punishments apply for outsiders that apply to Dalmites accused of murder.

A member of a neutral nation who murders a Dalmite is tried by the local Dalmite tribe or clan. Their leaders are contacted if possible and are welcome to take part in the trial. If they choose to do so, the punishment will be mutually agreed upon. If they choose not to participate, the Dalmites will carry out the punishment.

A member of an enemy nation who kills a Dalmite is simply considered an enemy of the nation and if captured, is put to death immediately. No trial is necessary and usually does not occur. The exception to this occurs only if the murderer is a member of the Hands of Mercy, in which case a trial does commence.

The Dalmites with the cooperation of the local Salan leader will try Dalmites who murder Salan citizens, if possible. The Salans are allowed to present evidence and often, they are even allowed to have members work with the Dalmite leaders to decide the innocence or guilt of the defendant. Acceptable punishments are worked out between the tribe leader and the local Salan leaders. Their own Dalmite leaders often kill Dalmite criminals who do not accept the sentence and try to avoid punishment. Honor among the Dalmites is important, especially when involving other cultures.

The Dalmite leaders deal with Dalmites who murder citizens of neutral nations in the forest if the family of the victim or his/her leader files a complaint. Witnesses from the other culture are welcome to share information with the Dalmites. The Dalmites sentence the murder and carry out the punishment, often including restitution to the injured party.

Dalmites who murder enemies are considered heroes and no punishments will be dealt out by the Dalmites.

Dalmites who murder Hands of Mercy members who are also members of enemy cultures must prove they were provoked or that the murder was an accident. If they can do so, then no punishment is dealt. If they cannot, they will receive the same sentence as a murderer of a Dalmite.

Robbery, Assault, Rape, Destruction of Property, etc.

Other crimes committed by members of other cultures or toward members of other cultures will be dealt with accordingly. Committing such crimes toward enemies or by enemies is simply considered an act of war. Other cultures, including Salans will be dealt with according to Dalmite custom. Salan leaders will always be notified and can choose to participate. Other cultures will be welcomed to participate if they contact the Dalmite leaders. The same punishments apply to the outsiders as to the Dalmites with the exceptions of branding and banishment from a tribe. They can, however, be banished from the forest and in the case of rape or severe assault, they can be put to death.

Sometimes, a Dalmite merchant will bring a case before his tribe leader regarding a Salan or other cultural member who does not pay his debts. Depending on the situation, the tribe leader may agree to help and might contact the foreign leader to discuss the situation. More often than not though, the Dalmite councils will not agree to hear this sort of case and will simply recommend the merchant no longer do business with this individual. A description of the individual can also be placed with Dalmite clans, warning them of the person's untrustworthiness. Reputation is very important to the Dalmites and greatly affects their status in the community so it is not uncommon to use this to also harm the business of outsiders.

Definitions

Servitude - This is the forced labor of a criminal for a certain period of time. It could be for a few days or a lifetime. These indentured servants cannot be treated badly by the family. To do so could result in the release of the criminal and the dissolution of the agreement. Servitude is also granted for other reasons such as payment for debts.

Restitution - This is usually a payment in currency or goods to the victims family. Restitution is most common in cases where the death or injury of the victim results in hardship to the family or tribe or in cases of theft or destruction of property.

Branding - While uncommon, Dalmites who commit crimes such as destroying trees and who are traitors may be branded. The branding is used to mar the Dalmite tattoos, signifying that the person is no longer a member of the Dalmite nation. They will be permanently scarred and marked as a non-Dalmite to all who see them. The branding usually takes place on the back of the wrist, which is the method Dalmites use to identify each other. But branding can occur on any part of the body, including the face.

Banishment - Banishment occurs when a criminal is sent away from his tribe, clan, or even the nation. While they may be allowed to live in the forest, they will not be allowed to interact with any of the local tribes or clans. Such banished Dalmites often form renegade tribes, which usually live quietly in the forests. On rare occasion, these tribes can cause trouble and are dealt with harshly by the local tribes, clans, and by the Elder Council.

Execution - The life of the criminal is taken in extreme cases, such as murder or the rape of a child. Usually this is done by poison although it could also be done by other means, such as using a dagger to slit an enemies throat.