The Judges are a law enforcement faction that exist in the Kingdom of Elrith. They act as a typical police force for the most part however they have been granted additional powers in order to simplify the process of justice.

They are famous across Stourlond for their effectiveness in enforcing the law as well as how well regarded they are by the general population. Similar police forces have been attempted across Stourlond however they have not been as successful. One of the biggest issues faced across the continent when attempting to create a similar police presence is the abuse of power due to the nature of the role.

The reason for the Judge's effectiveness is down to the way their order is enforced. Rather than the typical process of conviction, investigation, judgement, and (if necessary) execution working its way through the police and the courts the Kingdom of Elrith found that giving elevated powers to trusted police officers saved time and money during the process of justice. From this, The Judges were born.

The system has worked well in Elrith. Justice procedures no longer take days or weeks where citizens are eagerly and deseperately awaiting news that their community can now be safe. Judges decide on the spot when a crime has been committed what the sentencing shall be for that person, and they will carry out their sentence.

This has also had a positive effect in community trust in law enforcement for two reasons. Primarily, Judges are usually assigned to communities that they're from, so there's a greater degree of familirity with their local law enforcement, this leads onto the second reason; citizens are more likely to trust in and support the decisions made by The Judges, and the Judges have proven to be less likely to perform actions that would upset or hurt their friends and family.

Officers who work for The Judges are known as 'Judges'. There is only one other role within The Judges called 'Runners'.

These are the “police” officers seen around Elrith. They hold the power of Judge, Jury, and Executioner, which means they are capable of convicting one or many criminal(s) and sentencing them on the spot. It's easy to understand how they operate; imagine a regular police force patrolling the streets except rather than sticking you in prison while you await trial they're capable of executing you right there and then.

In the case of executions they're more likely to take you away so citizens don't need to see the bloodshed, but the option is available to them if they want to make an example.

Much like a real police force, Judges are not to be burdened with the red tape and paperwork that comes with their day-to-day activities.

Runners primarily perform the administrative duties for The Judges including; payment, assigning posts, assigning equipment, etc.. They're also responsible for outsourcing certains tasks to guilds and trusted mercenaries; the latter is less likely due to the lack of accountability.