Men leave their weapons in a pile so that there will be no violence. The Lawspeaker speaks the laws. Those who seek justice bring their cases. Marriages are brokered. Alliances are formed and sealed.
Religion is central here, as it was for most in the middle ages.
It is the time of the Schism from Rome. The priests of Gardar, the laws of the Church, the threat of hell and the promise of heaven impact on the lives of the people. Intimations of witchcraft, visions of saints, longings for God, the madness of the clergy contribute to the gossip of the people. Always is the longing for what once been. In the beginning there was enough to eat.