There are only three social classes in Nordland: Jarls, who are the nobility or aristocracy, karls, who are the freemen, and thralls, who are the serfs. Outlaws are outside the protection of the law and they have no rights! Anyone can do anything to them without breaking the law.

There are two types of conflicts in Nordland, affairs of honor and affairs of wealth. Criminal acts, including assault and theft, are affairs of honor and are handled personally whenever possible. Skalavik is a relatively peaceful and civilized place and it is expected that vendettas should be settled non-lethally. But the Hunted Lands are dangerous and a vendetta settled out there and out of sight could probably be blamed on (un)natural causes.

Affairs of wealth involve profits, ownership, and land-rights and arise when two parties draw different conclusions from the same facts. Judicial duels may see either the wronged parties or their designated champions fight to prove who is in the right. A cleric or paladin of the Lawgiver or the Snowequeen must witness such a fight. But in Skalavik, the Hammer (if she’s around), the Anvil (if he can be bothered), or one of the leaders of a Temple fist usually suffices.

The Steward wishes to keep intra-citizen violence to a minimum and attempts to resolve affairs between important citizens, or visitors, with as little violence as possible. Murder, child-killing, kidnapping, mind control, assault, and blatant necromancy will take you to a duel where you either win or you die.

Stealing someone else’s property is punishable by outlawry or serfdom. The honorable thing would be to instead challenge the owner to combat for some real or perceived slight and if they win, claim spoils of battle. People who are completely equiped with weapons and armor that have been won in this way are called glory-mad behind their backs and are given the same sort of respect you give a scorpion, venomous snake, or feral dog.