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In a world full of ghastly deeds (in wealthy countries and the third world alike) the people cry out for vengeance. The essential statement of our laws is that one is innocent until proven guilty—but on the Prosaic Earth of Nobilis, it was discarded untried. Instead, most legal systems operate on the principle of the Code Napoleon: one is guilty until proven innocent. In some countries, even this has been forsaken, and courts may even try a man after his execution rather than before.

Police are the Enemy

The delicate knife of power is balanced in each cop's hands: the power to resolve every issue that comes up. To the citizenry, the police are the only buffer against the visceral evils loose in the world. As long as a police officer answers that need, he has extremely broad powers—to beat confessions from a suspect, to hold a man without trial, to search without a warrant. The knife, of course, can cut them, since few things are as likely to earn a lynching as an abusive cop who is also ineffective. Much of the police force honors the motto "To Serve and Protect". Many others are simply in it for the power. Some merely dance to Hell's tune.

Governments are Pawns

Few Powers seek high-level secular influence, and with good reason. The governments of Earth are riddled with Cammora members, men under Lord Entropy's direct control, and even some of the subtler Excrucian Shards. True, a Power can generally get away with crossing the Cammora…and the Nobles should be deposing Excrucian-shards wherever they find them. Yet it can take a long time of very careful study to find out which of the three parties mentioned above is actually pulling the strings—and offending even the Cammora is likely to have unpleasant consequences.