Justice will be handed

In the halls of the House of the Holy Rollers, justice is a blade that cuts through all deceit, a relentless force of balance overseen by the Judges Guild. To walk outside its laws, even in the dimmest of shadows, is to tempt the reckoning of forces that show neither mercy nor hesitation.

The Duality of Justice

There are two paths that justice treads on Ertha—one guided by reason, the other by finality. The Council tempers its hand with shades of understanding, weighing deeds against circumstance and allowing the guilty to redeem or plead. The lines are not always clear, and the Council acknowledges this complexity with open deliberation.

Then there are the Arbiters—extensions of justice’s hand, cold and unyielding. They act, never debate. Sent forth to enforce decisions already weighed by the Star Chamber, in the Council or dictated by the immutable Eowüril, they are agents of inevitability. The Arbiters do not compromise; they do not falter. Their actions bring the guilty exactly what they are owed, without embellishment or hesitation.

 

The Path of Opportunism

Those who stray into the shadows often see themselves not as criminals, but as opportunists. A theft here, a swindle there—the world, they tell themselves, is but a game for those bold enough to play it. Yet, they fail to recognize the turning of the great wheel. Every act against the balance tips the scales, drawing the attention of forces beyond the ordinary—a shadowed ledger kept by the Arbiters themselves.

In Ertha, justice is a law older than the First Ones. It is written into the Eowüril, the Blood Oath, an immutable pact that binds the natural order. Those who take more than they are due, who steal not from men but from the spirit of balance itself, will find that the gears of justice turn slowly but unerringly.

 

The Death Carnival

Where words fail and crime festers beyond measure, there exists the grim and wandering Death Carnival—a harbinger of retribution carried forth by the Arbiters. This twisted procession serves not as a warning but as the final act for those whose misdeeds know no forgiveness. Its arrival signals the end of all appeals. The guilty are swept into the abyss under the banner of justice served.

The Death Carnival is not merely punishment—it is spectacle, a roving symbol of consequence that hangs heavy over Ertha. Those caught in its wake are judged by the purest law: their own deeds reflected back at them.

 

The Grammaton Blade

There is no weapon in Ertha feared more than the Grammaton Blade. This artifact, forged in the ancient fires of the First Age, exists as the ultimate arbiter. Its edge does not merely end life—it strips away all falsehoods, laying bare the transgressor’s truth. It is not wielded in anger but in service of justice, a final sentence dealt with clinical precision.

To face the Grammaton Blade is to face one’s truest self, reflected in the cold steel of inevitability. There are no masks before its edge, no lies to shield the guilty. Only truth remains.

 

The Law of Cause and Effect

The House of the Holy Rollers teaches that justice is not chaos—it is the wheel that ensures order endures. Every action, good or evil, righteous or vile, triggers a response that echoes across Ertha. Some may escape justice for a time, hiding within the gray folds of morality, but they can never escape forever.

The Judges Guild reminds all that justice is earned. It does not strike randomly or with cruelty—it arrives in precise measure to one’s deeds. The guilty may plead ignorance or accident, but the Arbiters listen not to words, only to actions.

 

Justice is blind to excuses, but it sees the truth.

 

The Inescapable Pursuit

The Arbiters do not rest. From the gilded streets of grand cities to the forgotten wastelands of Ertha, they tread wherever imbalance festers. They are shadows in the dark and the sun’s burning gaze. Their vigilance is eternal, their cause unwavering.

The Eowüril, that sacred Blood Oath, is their compass. It threads through the fabric of the world, binding everything in harmony or chaos. When you break the oath of balance, you break yourself, inviting justice into your life like a wolf to its prey.

The Arbiters do not ask for forgiveness. They demand accountability.

 

Truth Has Three Sides

In the Judges Guild, they teach that truth is a coin with three faces: your version, my version, and the immutable truth. For those who choose a path of darkness—who profit from the suffering of others or dare to exploit the trust of the guilds—know this: you stand on thin ice. The frozen lake may look solid beneath your feet, but every deceit, every whispered sin, brings you closer to the crack.

And when that ice gives way, the Arbiters will be waiting beneath, a force older than time, a judgment that never sleeps.

 

GM Tips

As a GM, the themes of justice and retribution in this article provide a wealth of tools to enhance your campaigns in Dicesongs or other RPG systems.

 

Introducing Conflict and Consequence

The Arbiters and the Council present an excellent way to establish moral dilemmas for your players. Use the Council when you want gray-area decisions where players must plead, argue, or strategize their way to survival. Alternatively, the Arbiters serve as a terrifying force of inevitability for those who overstep their bounds.

Did your players inadvertently steal from a sacred vault or break the laws of a powerful guild? The Council may summon them for judgment, creating opportunities for negotiation, betrayal, or unexpected alliances.

Have your players committed irredeemable acts? Send in the Arbiters. Their arrival can ratchet up tension in a campaign, signaling that a reckoning is at hand.

 

Using the Death Carnival

The Death Carnival is more than a plot device; it can become an entire quest. Perhaps the players are racing to stop its arrival, trying to rescue an NPC who has been marked for execution. Or maybe they must infiltrate its traveling path to uncover a dark secret hidden among its prisoners.

 

Artifacts of Justice

The Grammaton Blade and other justice-bound relics can serve as legendary items for your campaign. Perhaps your players must seek the blade to undo an ancient curse or prove their innocence by facing its truth-revealing edge.

 

Tension in the Gray

Justice isn’t always straightforward. Introduce NPCs who see themselves as righteous opportunists or Council members struggling with a difficult case. Let your players explore their own morality when justice comes knocking. Are they defenders of order, or do they blur the lines for personal gain?

 

Player-Driven Consequences

Actions have weight. When players make morally questionable choices, hint at the growing presence of Arbiters or Council observers. Let the tension build slowly until the hand of justice finally strikes, turning small missteps into significant turning points in your campaign.

This page is a tool for crafting stories of consequence, morality, and inevitability. Use it to challenge your players, push their characters to evolve, and create a world where justice is not a threat—it is a promise.