A recent game saw "shit get Lloegyr," and with that, came a spat of Honor violations. After several discussions, I realized that many players have limited understanding of how Honor works in the society of the North, and why I focus so heavily on a relatively unpopular rule. Given that your intrepid storyteller generally tries to respond to his player's wishes, some more exploration of honor will help establish how important the concept is to Lloegyr.
The important thing to realize is that honor is indicative, and the only punishment for breaking norms and mores is enforced individually by the various characters in Lloegyr. There is no such thing as "law" within Heorot or Kraki society, and it is indistinguishable from religion in Aelic culture. Instead, behavior is controlled by individuals taking matters into their own hands, avenging wrongs against them and their family. Because violence is both difficult and risky, it is the threat of violence that keeps individuals in check. Honor is really a system of indicating who behaves, and accepts the indirect link between one's actions and the potential for violence.
At its most basic level, honor indicates who is deserving of violence... there are paragons who are so honorable, violence against them is unthinkable, and cravens, who will likely need some violence to keep them in line. Abominations have no place in society, and ought be dealt with violently before they can transgress against whoever they encounter. What's important to remember is that one doesn't deserve violence because one has low honor... one just gets to low honor by doing things that have to be dealt with violently.
The entire concept of "justice" as modern Americans know it is foreign to the Heorots and the Kraki and the Aels... instead, it's a matter of righting wrongs done to you. Authority is the ability to right wrongs done against others... an Earl's authority comes from his ability to bring order to his Earldom, and a King's authority comes from his ability to control his Earls. When someone asks "what does the law say," the answer is "ask the Earl" (or priestess, or captain, etc). If someone asks "who does this belong to" in regards to stolen property, the answer is "ask the Earl." This concept is independent of honor; "justice" is what the individuals capable of enforcing it say it is. Instead, honor indicates whether or not violence is going to be necessary to enforce it.
The important thing to realize is that honor is indicative, and the only punishment for breaking norms and mores is enforced individually by the various characters in Lloegyr. There is no such thing as "law" within Heorot or Kraki society, and it is indistinguishable from religion in Aelic culture. Instead, behavior is controlled by individuals taking matters into their own hands, avenging wrongs against them and their family. Because violence is both difficult and risky, it is the threat of violence that keeps individuals in check. Honor is really a system of indicating who behaves, and accepts the indirect link between one's actions and the potential for violence.
At its most basic level, honor indicates who is deserving of violence... there are paragons who are so honorable, violence against them is unthinkable, and cravens, who will likely need some violence to keep them in line. Abominations have no place in society, and ought be dealt with violently before they can transgress against whoever they encounter. What's important to remember is that one doesn't deserve violence because one has low honor... one just gets to low honor by doing things that have to be dealt with violently.
The entire concept of "justice" as modern Americans know it is foreign to the Heorots and the Kraki and the Aels... instead, it's a matter of righting wrongs done to you. Authority is the ability to right wrongs done against others... an Earl's authority comes from his ability to bring order to his Earldom, and a King's authority comes from his ability to control his Earls. When someone asks "what does the law say," the answer is "ask the Earl" (or priestess, or captain, etc). If someone asks "who does this belong to" in regards to stolen property, the answer is "ask the Earl." This concept is independent of honor; "justice" is what the individuals capable of enforcing it say it is. Instead, honor indicates whether or not violence is going to be necessary to enforce it.
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