Posted by Oft-Arbiter on May 5, 2000 at 05:54:37:
This is an offshoot of Spheremaker's post below about the system of laws in Thera.
The way I see it is you've got your city ordinances, which all people just kind of take for granted because they're generally carried out by non-sentient beings. Some examples:
Seantryn Law is nearly non-existant. The city has been raped and pillaged by the minotaur and a horde of vagrants, thieves, and undesirables have taken over the streets. The guards have taken to horse back, maybe to be more ominous(which is usually what horses are used for in riot situations) or maybe just for better surveillance(think of those horseback police in New York). The Empress generally does not care what is happening outside of her own city walls, as long as her Palace is secure.
New Thalos Law is a port city whose main crime problem is smuggling. This, to me, is apparent from the numerous guards at each gate. I imagine them patting down everybody who wants entrance. The Smuggler's Inn is nestled away in a dark alley where the black market transactions take place. The Sultan has in the past taken a dull view on thievery in his city. See whatshisface the Thief of New Thalos.
Tar Valon law seems to be focused around protecting the White Tower. There are gate guards of course, but the majority of the city guards are on the Wall Road surrounding the Tower. Somewhere it says that people who steal from the Tower never make it outside the city walls. There also seem to be some lightwalker overtones. I don't remember seeing any "criminal" mobs in the city so I'm not aware of a city crime problem.
Ofcol is another city with lightwalking overtones. During the time of the Knights and their home within that city I would've said that the guards were there to protect the integrity of the Knight Cabal. Now I guess it's for the Citadel there. Again, I'm not aware of any "criminal" mobs in that city. As an aside, I think New Thalos and Ofcol are in dire need of rewrites. Ofcol sucks. Sacer, when's the new NT gonna be put in?
Udgaard is obviously an oppressive city state. There are a bazillion gate guards, watchmen, tower attendants, man-at-arms, greater watchmen and so forth. The citizenry is kept in check using force at all times with the judge playing the part of the cruel magistrate that gives the death penalty for any and everything. Think of his voice ringing throughout the city "Off with his head!" The oppressive nature of the city is further apparent by the folks hanging just outside the gates. They seem to say "fuck up and you'll be this guy". There is also a general tendency towards evil as any paladin is attacked as soon as he enters the city.
Galadon, being the bustling capital of the world, is focused on its own defense. Archers on the battlements are mounted to open fire on opposing forces that are coming to raid the city. Battlement guards are there to keep outsiders from using ladders to get over the walls when the gates are securely locked in times of war. There are fewer guards walking the streets so the law seems to be less worried about crime inside the city. There are also few, the Slayer is all I can think off right off hand, "criminal" mobs inside the city. That's why the Enforcer is chasing after him. Using this logic, it seems perfectly logical to me that the Enforcer is kinda like a vigilante law enforcement official. He's "above the law". The Captain of the Guard oversees the battlement guards, archers, and cityguards. The Enforcer is there more for the general welfare of the city.
Now, Arbiter law is indeed like Nato as Spheremaker said. It's an organization that has its own set of laws that it enforces because it sees them as being good for the city. The leaders of the city have allowed them in. Arbiter law works separate of city law, but Arbiters are expected to obey city law which to them includes no yelling in town, no killing of the city's citizens, and so forth. Arbiters don't enforce city law because that's the job of the guard-mobs of each city(of which the enforcer is one). However, the guard-mobs are expected to assist in the enforcement of the Arbiter Laws because the leader of each city wants them to since the leader was the one that invited them in.
Imperial Law basically only applies to the Empire's citizens. The Emperor has thus far been an Emperor only in his own circle. I haven't seen an Emperor yet try to take the leadership position over the city(maybe once in New Thalos). He/She can't be the Emperor of the city if there's another leader of it already that needs to be overthrown. Imperial Law is the lowest of laws, superceded by city law(I'm sure the enforcer would kill an Imperial killing battlement guards just like any other person) and by Arbiter Law. The Empire won't admit to this, but they are. They're ability to attack within the city is severely limited to only a few situations, but the Arbs don't recognize these situations and flag them anyhow.