In the earliest known days of dragonkind, dragons lived in communities. Dozens to a hundred dragons living in close proximity as a pack, united against the dangerous, untamed wilds. In these communities, it was the eldest dragons who ruled—those few who survived into old age. Often, these dragons were also among the strongest in the community, thus part of a handful that protected the eggs and young. This role would, after the Unification, become known as ‘Guardian’.
After the Unification, the title of Guardians were created. The four Elementals who brought peace between the Elements became the first Guardians, and were elected rulers of a united Warfang.
When Warfang dragons returned to their continents of Titan Fields, Agni Flats, and Concurrent Skies, the distance became a problem. This was before the days of portals, and parents had to brave the seas to bring their eggs to the Temple. As such, new Temples were built and new, local Guardians were elected. These Guardians would govern their continents in place of the original Guardians, who became known as the Elder Guardians, whose sole purpose was to govern the nation of Warfang as a whole.
After a millennia of this system, economic and influential differences had grown among the populations of Warfang. The strongest, largest dragon dynasties wanted a say in Warfang’s politics. To prevent conflict, the Elder Guardians created the Warfang Council, consisting of themselves and the four most influential families of each primordial element.
After another half millennia, the Council introduced the Dragon Clan system, a status indicator to be awarded to the most noteworthy of dragon bloodlines.
The second major change came around the year 2500, when the pressure on the Council to represent mixed blood dragons became too much. The Council caved, opening for one more clan, whose blood was mixed with all elements. This clan would represent dragons of wind and water as well.
With this change, the Elder Guardians became outnumbered, and Clan interests began taking precedence.
Today, the Council has 9 members. The four Elder Guardians;
…and the five leading Clan Atriarchs;
The Council convenes frequently, often multiple times a week to address developments, current matters, and cast votes on proposed new laws or actions proposed by a Council member on behalf of their subordinate clans. The Council may convene on short notice. It is the Council who decides on all matters including laws, taxes, service requirements, Guardians, and war.
Dragons generally do not resort to use of prisons. It’s considered ludicrous to give shelter and food to criminals, a waste of coin and resource. Most use of incarceration is simply temporary jail time; locking up a suspected criminal until they receive sentencing or have their name cleared.
The most usual punishment to small crimes are lashings or beatings. These do not warrant a court, here the Guard is judge and executioner. Usually one can get out of this by paying a fine instead, or the other way around; the criminal is told to pay a fee, and if they refuse or can’t pay, they are beaten.
More serious crimes are given permanent punishment, such as amputation (finger, paw, outer wing finger, whole wing, or tongue, usually fitting the nature of their crime. Eyes are not targeted, at least, this is not allowed). This can also be at the Guard’s discretion, but may also be a sentence from a Judge.
Further still, sentences that must come from a Judge or the Council include forced labor or forced military service, or deprivation of water, food and sleep (in tandem with incarceration that doesn’t last more than a few moons).
The most grievous crimes are punished by execution. This is common. Clan dragons, the rich, and notorious are rarely ever on the chopping block, even for terrible crimes (unless their victims are their equals or superiors, or their crime gained too much attention).
Executions became more common after exile lost its appeal (originally, exiles were sent to the Dark Lands; a perceived death sentence. At least, that was until it was discovered the Dark Lands were inhabited by Dark Dragons, and that some exiles had actually survived there. Exiles became a security concern, and this punishment ended in favor of executions.
Executions are usually not public (anymore), unless the Guard wants to make an example, or the public calls for it. Executions are carried out through beheadings, though a sharp lance to the heart is gaining favor; seen as less barbaric.
Aside from keeping suspects in jail until they are seen in court (which can take moons), or the incarceration of those younger than 18 (as Warfang doesn’t want to maim future soldiers—criminals between 18 and 24 may be sent to early military service) prison time is used for a small number of specific criminals. These will be powerful dragons (elementally or magically) that refuse, despite torture and deprivation, to engage in forced labor, but who cannot be set free due to the danger they pose. They are dragons that Warfang does not want to execute because they want to put them in military service (often return them to military service), but who need ‘rehabilitation’.
They may also be individuals that the Guard wants to keep coming back to, such as former leaders of organized crime.
Each subsector in Sector One has a set of cells, a dungeon, for short term incarceration. For longer term incarceration, there are a handful of prisons located outside of cities.
Things that are forbidden by law, including but not limited to;
Subjects and laws surrounding them;