Litigant

*"Well, there are fifteen witnesses who say it was you, and the Watch caught you in the act. Other than that, I don’t think they have a case against you."*

## Basic

(TiT) Litigants are common sights both in Talabheim and all the major cities of the Old World. They write up legal documents, interpret the law, and represent individuals in court who are able to afford their fees. Litigants are almost universally reviled, except when someone is in legal trouble and needs assistance. Litigants need to be well versed in both the laws of the Empire and the region they plan to practice law, plus have a great deal of knowledge about day-to-day affairs. Even the lowest-born litigant is considered a “person of letters” to the general populace and may be asked to do things far beyond their training.

**Note:** If you are rolling randomly for your Starting Career, you can substitute Litigant for Scribe with your GM’s permission.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Academic Knowledge (Genealogy/Heraldry or History), Academic Knowledge (Law), Blather or Charm, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Gossip or Haggle, Perception, Read/Write, Secret Language (Guild Tongue), Speak Language (Reikspiel)

**Talents:** Dealmaker or Etiquette, Public Speaking, Savvy or Suave

**Armour:** None

**Weapons:** Hand Weapon

**Trappings:** Book of Empire Laws, Writing Kit.

### **Career Entries**

Burgher, Envoy, Exciseman, Scribe, Student, Watchman

### **Career Exits**

Agitator, Demagogue, Guild Master, Merchant, Politician, Scholar

## Affiliations

Litigants make it their business to know all kinds of professionals, from scribes and scholars to tradesmen and skilled labourers, to merchants, politicians, burghers and even a noble or two.

Successful litigants have a wide network of associates upon whom they rely for advice and services. Litigants frequently employ messengers or coachmen to carry summonses, bills, payments or contracts across town while they themselves are occupied with other matters.

On rare occasions, it may profit a litigant to employ the services of a bounty hunter, or some other person of an unsavoury nature, in the successful pursuit of a case, or to help obtain evidence which may exonerate a client.

## Little Known Facts

Litigants represent nobles and wealthy private personages before a magistrate in court.They have spent years learning the laws of the Empire and the local customs particular to the region they are practising in and are adept at reading moods and spinning convincing arguments in favour of their clients.

Hiring a litigant is far from cheap, and the vast majority of people in the Empire can’t afford to do so. However, the rich will gladly pay a skilled litigant to help them avoid the unpleasantness of prison. As a result, litigants are hated by the common classes, and are the popular butt of many sneering, bawdy jokes.

Litigants not only need to be experts on the law, they also need to be familiar with the magistrates before whom they must argue their client’s cases. Cultivating a modest acquaintance with a magistrate can make all the different when presenting a case. Knowing which palms can and cannot be successfully greased can also have a striking effect on the outcome of a trial.

Travelling litigants tend to be even more rare than travelling magistrates; for one thing, litigants rely heavily on their network of experts to help them, and these tend to be most easily accessed from a fixed location. This means that only the larger cities and towns will have litigants’ services available.