High Court of Justice
Ervenian Era, 1051 AB
The High Court of Justice is a walled garden adrift among Asgard's earthbergs, a sanctuary of fairness and prophecy set within a plane that glorifies valor. Its marble curtain glimmers like moonlit water, its gates opening only to those who arrive in good faith or with honest need. Within, paths of pearl-dusted gravel wind through groves and reflecting pools, every plant and sculpture chosen to embody balance: roses with thistles, lilies with nettles, harmony by deliberate contrast. Justice here is personal and participatory; verdicts are shaped by oath, witness, and recompense rather than edict.
Customs
Justice here is a private covenant, not a state machine. A case begins when a wronged soul rings the Bell of Calling at twilight, and ends when balance is restoredת through apology, labor, payment, quest, or duel by consent. Oaths sworn before the Marble Scales bind by the speaker’s will; breaking them draws a white squall that scours footprints from the garden and bears the oathbreaker to the threshold until they return with amends. Confession lightens the body, literally, while stubborn deceit grows heavier with each step toward the temple, a burden that only truth or restitution can lift.Geography
Beyond the marble wall, the realm opens into terraces of living jurisprudence. The central walk climbs to the Temple of the Scales, a hall of alabaster and glass whose frescoes and mosaics retell mortal judgments from many worlds; the scenes shift subtly to mirror the conscience of whoever stands before them. Lanterns burn with steady, moon-pale fire that outlines glamers and reveals hidden intentions as faint halos. Groves of silver ash whisper along the periphery, and quiet cloisters host private reconciliations where two parties may speak without onlookers, while the garden itself records their oaths in the grain of living wood.
Access and Travel
The garden drifts along the same great “rivers of earth” that carry Everwatch and the Gates of the Moon. Way arches from Atgelaur open when the wind flips at dawn, and beacon-roads from Everwatch align under horn-signal to admit escorting Wardens. Moonlit causeways sometimes manifest from the Gates of the Moon on full nights; their light fades with dawn, but those who arrived in truth never lose their way back. Summons are always invitations; compulsion has no purchase at these gates.Notable Locations
The Temple of the Scales
The temple holds the open floor of judgment, flanked by alcoves for mediation and chambers for restitution pacts; its great windows overlook the drifting earthbergs like a gallery of possible futures.The Garden of Restored Names
The Garden keeps living trellises of carved wood where forgiven debts and reconciled feuds entwine; touching a leaf recalls the moment balance was found.The Archivum of Footfalls
The Archivum stores walking-stones inscribed with the steps that led to a verdict, evidence and context preserved for any who seek to learn, not to relitigate.The Portico of Return
At the east wall, The Portico offers a simple bench and a brazier; those who sit, speak their wrong, and promise redress find a road home no matter how far they’ve wandered.Inhabitants
Petitioners of the Vigil
fallen mortals who chose guard over glory tend the walks, keep ledgers of judgments rendered and debts repaid, and teach newcomers how to see what matters.The Justicars of Themis
Clerics, paladins, arbiters, and bounty-wardens souls, serve as ushers and mediators rather than gaolers, guiding disputants toward restitution or honorable combat when no other path remains. Eyes of Themis drift like slow fireflies, sometimes gifting fragments of prophecy; to meet their gaze is to feel your excuses melt and your choices sharpen. Envoys from Everwatch, the Gates of the Moon, and Atgelaur are frequent guests, bringing hard cases that demand witness rather than force. Angels and Agathions visit under parley to compare methods; they leave with respect but not jurisdiction.Localized Phenomena
The realm is gentle, but consequence is keen. Truthweight settles on those who hide harm, knees weakening until they acknowledge it. Torchlight licks along concealed blades or charms, making hidden malice uncomfortable to hold. When neighboring earthbergs grind, Bellquakes ring through the marble; veterans count the peals and step clear of shedding friezes before the fourth. None of these punish; all of them teach.
Trait Type |
Description |
|---|---|
| Gravity | As in Ysgard, floating “earthbergs” drift above seas lit by their fiery undersides. Islands rise and sink with each tide, creating ever-changing coastlines. |
| Time | Normal. |
| Shape & Size | Continent Sized. |
| Morphic Traits | Highly morphic to sworn oaths and songs skaldic magic, bardic performance, and oath-bound. |
| Elemental Energy | None Dominant |
| Alignment | Strongly Chaotic Good. |
| Magic | Divinations are enhanced while witnessed; Illusions are impeded and tarnished. Summonings here call only willing allies, and only for the span of a hearing. False testimony causes the lanterns to flicker and the frescoes to fade until the lie is withdrawn. |
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