Page One
A Righteous Jurisprudence
1360 DR
Vhaan de Luca, Sword of Tyr
“Right Eendeyouarrees – Justice Endures”
Page Two
Jurisprudence
“Keep a record of your own rulings, deeds, and decisions, for through this your errors can be corrected, and your grasp on the laws of all lands will flourish, and your ability to identify lawbreakers will expand.” – Dogma of the Just God
Jurisprudence is the foundation of Tyrran theology, it entails knowledge of Law and Order, and of its function in the proper maintenance of society. To practice jurisprudence is to commit oneself to prayer, study, and reflection on the doctrine of laws.
But it not enough to simply understand a system of laws. To truly serve order and law in faithful reverence to the Even-Handed God and His Triad is to practice a Righteous Jurisprudence. It upholds Truth, Obedience, Mercy, and above all, Justice.
Page Three
Order
“Grimjaws in nigh! In the name of Tyr, this land shall be cleansed of wickedness and anarchy.” – words said to have been spoken by Planetar Antonio of Hjordis.
Appearing more than a millenia ago upon Toril with a burst of light, Tyr gifted our realms with a vision of Absolute Order.
The foundation of Justice is Order. When Order exists, things occur as they ought to; peace ensues, duty is upheld, and communities are bound together under a common good.
Order is the basis through which Virtue can be consistently layered, and through which fairness can prosper. Order is maintained through Law and the devotion and vigilance of the Righteous.
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Law
A law is a code, a rule. It sets the precedent for what ought to be done, or what shall not be so. An effective law is worded so that its meaning is clear. A Just law is consistent with the body of law, warding against ambiguity and permitting proper judgements. And the Rule of Law is supreme; laws apply to peasant and ruler alike.
Sovereigns and other rulers are vested with the authority to make and revise laws, and they do so in Tyr’s name. Laws created or reformed without prayer to the Just God are without authority, and will inevitably crumble or corrupt.
Outside of proper society, Tyr’s Absolute Law applies; ‘an eye for an eye’. Lacking the sophistication of a body of law, the Absolute Law preserves consistency where there is little else. It entails Order through reciprocation.
Page Five
Punishment
Punishment upholds Law and preserves Order. It makes Right the Wrong. It does not reverse harms inflicted, but deters future wrongdoers. Mercy for the truly ignorant is encouraged where harms are not egregious, but a warning is only given once and is to be recorded.
Where a verdict of judgement has been made in Tyr’s name, all punishments must be delivered. A punishment reflects the damage inflicted unto Order, and to punish the guilty is an indiscriminate act that must be performed, with neither joy, fear, anger, or sorrow.
Deterrence, and the restoration of Order, is maintained by punishment. Having served punishment, one ought to seek atonement. Where a crime has been committed, redemption without punishment is corrupt.
Page Six
Temperance
Tyr brought Justice to the realms, and formed the Triad with Ilmater and Torm. While His Justice is Absolute, it is through Triadic unity that Justice flourishes in full Righteousness through the faithful.
This is so through the Triadic tenet of Temperance. When a judgement is pronounced, punishment ought to be swift and merciful. But to make a judgement one must act with Temperance, combining:
Tyr’s Justice, by learning laws, recording one’s judgements, and identifying lawbreakers.
Ilmater’s Mercy, by sheltering those harmed, and taking up the cause of the oppressed.
Torm’s Duty, by destroying corruption and evil, and serving faith, family, masters, and goodly folk.
Page Seven
Virtue
“May your judgement be fair and your hand tempered with mercy.” – Tyrran blessing
If Order is the foundation of a Righteous Jurisprudence, then Virtue is the material from which the foundation is created, and through which Order serves. To embody Virtue is to be honourable, honest, and true. Consistency to a moral life is the pledge of our faithful.
And yet, one is always confronted with a path that shall test one’s commitment, and one’s capacity to judge. Let duty, prayer, and resolve be one’s guide. It is the striving towards Virtue, in accordance with the tenet of Temperance, that preserves integrity. In the dark, a beacon of Virtue can always be found.
Have faith, and be resolute in the Just.
Page Eight
Justice
A system of laws reflects Justice when it is consistent, when it serves the people to live virtuous and orderly lives, and when its defenders work to ensure that the Rule of Law is maintained, and all guilty are punished. Just servants ensure that poorly worded laws are improved, and the legal doctrine is fit for purpose and executed in full.
No unjust law shall be enforced. An unjust law is one which contradicts other laws or which is out of compliance with the principles and definitions adhered to by other laws in the body of the legal doctrine.
The Blind Overland has revealed a Righteous path of Justice. He has sacrificed His maimed hand to preserve Order, and His blindness is a symbol of the price the truly just must endure on this path.
In the name of Tyr, Justice Endures.
