House Jakoric
Membership to this House is available to Freemen. Members work to improve the lot of the common working people. House Jakoric possesses the power to obtain search warrants and thus serves as a counter-balance to the judges of House DeVris. Jakoric also prefers to believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Members are also encouraged to know non-lethal means of apprehending suspects.
Members of Jakoric have the ability to postpone a trial of a person they believe is innocent, so that they can investigate and inform DeVris of their findings. A member of Jakoric will inform DeVris of whatever they discover be it good or bad.
Members are expected to continuously collect information on the people.
Those members that can quickly find evidence during searches are given a great deal of respect.
It is rumored that House Jackoric has a secret internal group that handles ‘delicate’ matters for the good of the crown and her people when necessary. It is uncertain if such a group exists, but those who abuse the common folk and hide behind the law often find themselves dealt with and little to no investigation into the matter taking place A strange coincidence considering the fervor with which most members of house DeVris pursue crime.
House Heads
The House Head serves on the Town Council and has the protections provided a Gentlefolk.
The Watchers
House Jakoric maintains a background network of members and peasants that for whatever reason do not wish to participate in politics or have their affiliation known. This group is called The Watchers and serves the function of observing certain areas such as places on a road, taverns, inns, shops, etc. Powerful Jakoric members have even been known to seek out individuals hiding in towns and villages in the area.
Special Dispensation
Postpone Trials, Investigate Crimes, Carry and Use Poisons.
Invoke the right of search to aid an investigation. – With a written script from the Constable, a member of Jakoric may search for evidence, provided:
-Items and dwellings searched are in the possession of those of a rank equal to or lower than themselves in the Kingdom of Silverthorne.
-Beings searched belong to those of a rank equal to or lower than themselves in the Kingdom of Silverthorne.
Members of Jakoric may invoke the right of emergency search and search without a script if they feel:
-The evidence may be destroyed or become unavailable before they can obtain a script from the Constable.
– The welfare and safety of the people may be at risk if the search is not immediate.
– Delays in searching will cause a trial to be delayed or go on without proper evidence. All declarations of emergency search must be reported to a Jakoric
member’s superior and the local Constable for review.
The Bardic Circle
Until recently, the Bards within the Kingdom of Silverthorne were an unorganized group of traveling musicians that spread their stories and songs across the countryside. The King saw in this group a great benefit to his Kingdom and has organized them into an arm of House Jakoric. The Bards are offered a limited form of immunity when speaking out about their betters. As they are tasked with spreading stories about the happenings within the Kingdom, the King has offered this limited immunity in order to keep them disseminating information. The Bards can tell stories and speak out about people up to two stations above them; this will not allow them to speak out against the Royal family, however.
The Bards also act as eyes and ears for House Jakoric. As they often travel the length and breadth of the Kingdom, they see and hear many things that other members of Jakoric do not. The Bards are not often used during trials as the House does not want to jeopardize the Bard’s position within the Kingdom. Bards are tasked to learn the stories and histories of the Kingdom and to pass them on to the people, they also listen to the recent events as they travel and use their own judgment as to which information to pass on.
Where House Toevass are the masters of the written history of Silverthorne, the Bards are the masters of the spoken histories. They have learned a large amount of information that has never been recorded in book.