Sigil: City of Doors

The purpose of this manual is to orient and train recruits under my command in the eight tenets of Justice and operations as a MercyKiller of Sigil. This manual is free to use by other officers in the training of their own recruits, but the original copy is not to be altered at any time except by a higher ranking officer for the purpose of clarification or correction.

Orientation

A MercyKiller should be given a detailed tour of the prison on their first day, to include the main level and cells below. Orientation must stress the importance of our duty, our devotion to justice, chain of command, and the image of our order in public. During this time the instructor should get a feel for the recruit, whether they meet the needs and philosophy of our order, and their general understanding of our purpose.

Tour

On the tour it is important for the recruit to understand and respect our role, and the experience of the prisoners. My recruits are shown the main level and before descending lower are passed through the processing units, except for the dispelling chamber. Each is explained in detail, its purpose, and practical function. In the last station, they are stripped, searched, deloused and washed as any prisoner would. The reason this is done is so that they experience the humiliation the prisoner feels, and the instructor can gauge how the recruit will handle this duty. We are not there to gain pleasure from humiliating our charges.

The tour progresses below, and then to the yard. It is important to get a good impression of the recruit, their skills, and what they are most inclined to in the pursuit of justice. See how they react to each station in the deadlock cells, and the questions they ask about the treatment of prisoners. It is our job to place these recruits where they are best suited, so that the order gains the most from their skills.

Duty

Before any discussion of the eight tenets of Justice, new recruits should be acclimated to our primary duties, and the separation of them from those of our allies. It doesn't take many overzealous namers, thinking to handle the three pillars of justice all on their own, to shed a bad light on our order. We must drill into our recruits that we do not arrest, we do not put criminals on trial, we do not determine guilt or innocence. We should only use force if loss of life or property is imminent, and even then we must use our best judgement.

Second to our role in Sigil is our chain of command within the order. We cannot uphold law and order in Sigil if we cannot uphold law and order within the Red Death. Superior officers should be respected, and orders followed. Disagreement with an officer should be handled in private, away from the public, and away from lower ranking members. Even if you do not agree with the order given or the direction the officer takes, you should never undermine them or show dissent in public. The recruits should be made aware that if this is not something they can acclimate to they should seek membership with a different faction.

Third in importance to all new recruits is our public face. We represent the Mercy Killers in uniform and out. We must present a united faction to the citizens of Sigil, and united with our allies in the Harmonium, and the Fraternity. Infighting and arguments between members of the Triad in public do nothing to elevate the confidence of the people we are here to protect. Even if the recruit's philosophy lends itself more to punishing criminals rather than preventing further crime, or protecting citizens from criminals, we all benefit from being united in Justice.

Devotion to Justice

Our primary role as Mercy Killers, is to punish lawbreakers in accordance with the law, and to mete out sentences that fit the crime. We must remember that our personal views, likes, dislikes, and allegiances have no bearing on carrying out this role. The prisoner is assigned a number when they enter our care, and that is all they are, and no outside interests need enter into it. They are not our friends, enemies, lovers, or clients. They are criminals that have been found guilty and sent to us for punishment. It is not time for carrying out vendettas.

Carrying out sentencing must fit the crime. Execution is no fit punishment for a first time thief, just as a week in a cell is not proper for a murderer. The guidelines on sentencing are vast, and it's always best, when in doubt, to consult with your superior officer for advice and recommendation.

Our job is to not only punish crime, but by punishing the criminal to deter them from committing the crime again. The ultimate outcome of our work should be a reduction in residents entering our cells, and less repeat visits. Everything we do should take this into consideration, from treatment of prisoners, sentencing, and release.

Chain of Command

Chain of command is nearly as important as our devotion to justice. How can we promote order and discipline in the Cage if we don't have it ourselves. Show due deference to your superior officers. Not only have they worked hard to get where they are, but if discipline breaks down we are no longer able to do our jobs.

Namers are the enlistment rank of our order. They are the foundation that builds our order. With proper training these men and women become the leaders after us.

Justices (Factotum) are those devoted enough to rise above, and take on leadership roles to organize namers into effective units to best serve justice.

Justicars are officers of rank, usually in charge of several squads, and are the bloodhounds of our order. They are generally tasked with the tracking and apprehension of high profile fugitives and escapees.

Factors are administrative officers who assist the Factol in the running and organization of the order.

The Factol leads our order.

THE EIGHT TENETS OF JUSTICE

I will uphold Justice before all else, purging the multiverse of those who break the law.

It is our job to punish or reform the law breaker in order to purge them from the multiverse. In either case we are successful in this mission if they are no longer able, or willing, to break the law. It is important that this statement be absolute fact. That is why we do not arrest or try criminals. It is not our job to purge the multiverse of those we suspect of breaking the law, or those who might break the law. They must be guilty, within the best of our brother faction's knowledge, so that we can perform these duties as best we can.

In all situations I shall weigh the rights and wrongs with a clear and impartial mind.

We are the blind arbiters of justice, not the hand of vengeance. We must not let personal matters or feelings invade our minds while performing our tasks. Even if we find ourselves faced with a prisoner that we have had past dealings with, it is our job to handle them as we would any prisoner. Justice is not jealous, vengeful, wrathful, or merciful, it just is. Do not forget this in the performance of your duties.

I shall decide where Justice must fall under the law, and I will mete out that Justice with a firm and unyielding hand.

We have a great responsibility to mete out the correct punishment that fits the crime. We also have a responsibility to carry out that punishment fairly and evenly. It is not for us to punish one more harshly than another for the same crime, for any circumstances other than the crime committed. It is also not our edict to punish outside the laws we are to abide by. This means we do not apprehend or otherwise act outside our own order's rules to carry out punishment for crimes that have not yet been proven.

I believe in the righteousness of my faction: we alone answer to the higher law of Justice.

We are loyal to our factions and our brothers and sisters. We must believe, or find somewhere else to be. Our cause must always be just, and we must defend and support the faction with our very lives. Our mission is vital to order in the multiverse and should not be diminished by petty squabbling within our ranks.

I will not pass judgment on good or evil, only on law-abiding and law-breaking, for therein lies wrongdoing.

We are not here to judge morality, or push our own onto others. We are simply here to punish the breaking of laws, whatever those laws may be. It is not our place to judge those laws, or to change them, only to carry out our duties within them.

I will punish the guilty as the crime demands.

Like the third tenet above, we must make punishment fit the crime. We must be consistent and even-handed in our duties.

I will be diligent in my pursuit of the guilty, and while so engaged I will remain innocent of any wrongdoing in the eyes of others.

If we misplace a prisoner, or one escapes, we cannot rest until we have carried out justice against them, either by returning them to the prison, or carrying out their punishment wherever they are. This is the only time that we are permitted to arrest an individual in the course of our duties. With this we must also avoid breaking the laws of our land. We cannot be arbiters of justice if we are guilty of breaking the law ourselves.

I will never release a lawbreaker until his sentence has been carried out.

It is simply not our place to allow a prisoner to go free before they have paid for their crime. This bears little explanation.