Ul"dah's brass blades tend to work like the Roman Vigiles, a paramilitary force maintained by private interests. Â Much like the Vigiles, who were privately owned slaves who expanded into hired and privately funded police and firefighters, the Brass blades are privately operated watchmen.
They look for petty thievery, and other lesser crimes like public drunkeness and brawls. Â Larger things like sedition, murder, and other "high" crimes are probably handled by the Immortal Flames who are "official" and as such are required to represent and protect the city for more high profile problems. Â
Meanwhile the Brass Blades keep the rich rich, the poor where they can, and Ul'dah and it's various outposts from burning down. Â They're not true public servants, but they do the day to day from guard duty at outposts to pick pocket chasing in Thanalan.Â
However, given Ul'dah's status, they often get called to handle things that are a larger and more immediate and mercurial threat to civic order. Â Riots, uprisings, disaster control (Like say: Fire), are also probably handled by the Brass Blades as WELL as the Immortal Flames.
As for courts, There's famous prisoners in Ul'Dah, but I don't suspect petty theives and the like are actually locked up. Â To draw from the Romans and Greeks: Prisons were a waste of real estate and resources. Â Long term imprisonment cost money, and LOTS of it, and there's no private prison network in Ul'Dah like there is in the US to print money from that. (Yet). Â Which means most people are probably turned to hard labor, given harsh fines, or told to fight in the bloodsands for redemption when they break the law and get caught (Key word, get caught). Â There's evidence of courts for this, but it also means that smaller more civic disputes are handled privately until they blow up large enough to attract the Blade's attention and to drag the parties involved to a magistrate. Â This probably means the bad blood involved has caused some sort of larger civic unrest or disaster, in which case, everyone that's getting hauled in is probably getting hosed because the court probably wants it's pound of flesh as well now. (Discounting the fine ul'dah traditions of bribery and favours owed, which is probably in full force in the legal system)
They look for petty thievery, and other lesser crimes like public drunkeness and brawls. Â Larger things like sedition, murder, and other "high" crimes are probably handled by the Immortal Flames who are "official" and as such are required to represent and protect the city for more high profile problems. Â
Meanwhile the Brass Blades keep the rich rich, the poor where they can, and Ul'dah and it's various outposts from burning down. Â They're not true public servants, but they do the day to day from guard duty at outposts to pick pocket chasing in Thanalan.Â
However, given Ul'dah's status, they often get called to handle things that are a larger and more immediate and mercurial threat to civic order. Â Riots, uprisings, disaster control (Like say: Fire), are also probably handled by the Brass Blades as WELL as the Immortal Flames.
As for courts, There's famous prisoners in Ul'Dah, but I don't suspect petty theives and the like are actually locked up. Â To draw from the Romans and Greeks: Prisons were a waste of real estate and resources. Â Long term imprisonment cost money, and LOTS of it, and there's no private prison network in Ul'Dah like there is in the US to print money from that. (Yet). Â Which means most people are probably turned to hard labor, given harsh fines, or told to fight in the bloodsands for redemption when they break the law and get caught (Key word, get caught). Â There's evidence of courts for this, but it also means that smaller more civic disputes are handled privately until they blow up large enough to attract the Blade's attention and to drag the parties involved to a magistrate. Â This probably means the bad blood involved has caused some sort of larger civic unrest or disaster, in which case, everyone that's getting hauled in is probably getting hosed because the court probably wants it's pound of flesh as well now. (Discounting the fine ul'dah traditions of bribery and favours owed, which is probably in full force in the legal system)
![[Image: tumblr_mjwxnlcz6Q1rl52wjo2_500.gif]](https://33.media.tumblr.com/224cfbd6e79103f0520a30eabfc5085d/tumblr_mjwxnlcz6Q1rl52wjo2_500.gif)
