Companies of Justice"If there's a way to make a piece of gold in this world, someone will do it." - AnonymousA large portion of criminal law and the backbone of civil law in Cilantia is based upon
Trials and Duels. Because a champion can be assigned for any reason, it was soon popular for strong fighters to hire out their services to local lords and wealthy landowners who were physically unable to perform their trials and duels, or simply wanted to win them. This practice was soon wide-spread, even men of meager fortune seeking to fill their pockets by challenging individuals to duels and then laying down their life-savings to hire a skilled fighter to win that duel.
The Principality, while at first wary of this, soon saw it as an economy that could drive itself. Which in turn meant it could be taxed. As a result, official "Company" legislation was passed, offering legal protection from the military to champions, so long as they filed the correct paperwork and paid their taxes.
Of course, a individual Champion-for-Hire is not bound by Company legislation, but the benefits to companies soon became clear to the average fighter looking to become a professional combatant.
A Company cannot represent opposing clients in a single trial or duel.
Company StructureAll companies are different, but generally speaking they follow a similar pattern to how they are operated.
Governing body: Whether it be autocratic, oligarchic, democratic or dictatorial, all companies have some method of directing the decisions of the company as a whole, setting standards, rules, and overseeing promotions.
Ranking system: Though the terminologies and number of ranks can vary, companies usually employ a ranking system in order to determine how much money a champion can reasonably charge their clients, as well as who could be assigned to what type of trial or duel should a request be sent to the headquarters of the company. Certain ranks may also have teaching and administrative responsibilities.
Training program: Many an orphan, urchin, or other bored youngster wants to venture into the land of the professional champion, but few of these have the combative skills. Many larger companies will take in these people and train them in the arts of combat as well as applicable laws, hoping to shape them into profitable young champions.
Company AdvantagesMembers of a company have portions of the fee charged for their services diverted back to the company, and a portion of that is taken for taxes. As such, a young champion (especially one who owes the company the cost of their training) may not earn much personal wealth during their early years. However, being a member of a company has many other advantages that makes this path much more lucrative than venturing on one's own. Generally these advantages only occur in larger companies.
Room and board: Many large companies pay local inns and taverns regularly to allow their members to have paid room and board while they are traveling.
Equipment and training: Large companies have extensive armories and continuing training, allowing a champion to become more skilled in the arts of combat, and thus earning more money for the company.
Notoriety: Any champion can make their own clients simply by traveling through the world looking for conflicts, however a company is often contacted with high-priced duels or trials requesting champions. This work can then be passed on to a champion. Furthermore, champions associated with a company, especially a well-known company, are considered to be more reliable for hire and can offer an edge against other champions trying to get the same client.
Protection: A young champion can make a lot of mistakes in the world: a company can help protect them from those mistakes, including paying for and providing medical treatment.
ClerksThe job of a clerk is to keep track of the accounts of champions, knowing local laws and preventing infraction, serving as a witness during trials and duels, and writing reports to the companies. Some clerks go beyond this job description and serve as price negotiators for the champions or help with other menial tasks that a champion does not want (or is unable...) to perform (travel arrangements, procuring information, buying equipment and supplies, etc.)
Clerks need to be educated. There are special clerk-training schools, though anyone that finishes formal education is more than qualified to serve as a clerk. Clerks is an equally lucrative job in the world of Trials and Duels. Many companies assign clerks to teams of champions, while others simply have them placed within regions. Some larger companies have their own clerk training program, hoping that it will inspire some larger sense of loyalty to the company.
Clerks are sometimes in an awkward position. As keeper of the monetary transactions, it is up to a clerk to make sure the government and the company gets their cut before paying a champion. Because of this, many champions and clerks do not get along, since the clerk tends to be seen as more a representative of the company, while champions tend to be representatives of themselves. Because banks are not always convenient or available, clerks at times carry a tremendous amount of money on them. More than one clerk has been murdered because of this. Champions, in turn, are charged by many companies to protect their clerks at all cost.
The intelligent, but adventure-seeking, young people become clerks. Clerks are paid a regular salary, unlike Champions who only make what they earn in trials and duels, which allows clerks to create a modest, but comfortable life while they are in service. A career of a clerk can also last many decades since there is no physical action involved, though many clerks only do the job for a short period of time as a means to see the world before they settle into another industry.
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