There really aren’t police or courts as we understand it in Orlanthi cities such as Boldhome, Jonstown, or New Pavis. There is usually a city guard that guards the city gates, maintain peace in the city, enforce judgements of the city’s rulers, and can apprehend law breakers they catch in the act. But they don’t investigate crimes that have already happened, or do much of what we’d consider routine police work. If they don’t catch someone in the act (or about to act), it isn’t their job.
More commonly the victim of a crime such as robbery or assault needs to collect together some friends, kin, and fellow cult members to hunt down and grab the assailant and bring them to the council or its delegates. Most councils appoint a few judges whose authority entirely comes from the city council. The judge hears the case and renders a decision on the spot – return the stolen goods, pay a fine, go into exile, or even execution.
Sometimes instead of bringing the assailant to the authorities, the victim and their mob renders justice on the spot. Usually this is by recovering the stolen goods and administering a beating, or even killing the assailant. If the assailant survives or has kin, they might go to the council and demand damages.
There is a lot of pressure on kinship groups and temples to patrol their own members. If things become heated enough that the dispute goes to the city council, entire kinship groups or temples can be fined or otherwise punished.
So think a little bit about how this would work in liberated New Pavis. Argrath has his Pavis Royal Guard, his White Bull cultists, and mercenaries, so the city is certainly well defended.
The Pavis Royal Guard will likely apprehend anyone they see threatening the peace of the city, but investigate threats to the peace, not crimes.
The White Bull cultists will apprehend anyone they see as a threat to the White Bull, but have no obligation to do anything about crimes to others (unless they have a personal stake – friendship, cult, etc.).
And the mercenaries will be like mercenaries always and everywhere.
What happens to those who can’t repay loans, or fall deeply into debt? That’s something that gets argued about before the council or their delegates. If you cannot repay an obligation, your kinship group is on the hook. And if you have no kinship group and you don’t repay, then maybe the victim calls that theft and takes back what was promised, administers a beating, or gets you exiled. Needless to say there are not debtor’s prison among the Orlanthi or debt bondage.
So a group of “outsiders” might be targets for crime given that they have no kin to support them. Could traders appeal to the Issaries temple for support? This is a big part of the guild structure and the role of the Issaries temple in city activities.
Argrath would prefer people not to kill each other in New Pavis, under the circumstances doing so would not be breaking the law. Breaking HIS law, that is. Now the kin of the deceased certainly have a claim against the killer – but they need to take action. They can certainly bring the issue up to Argrath or whoever, but they need to initiate it. After all, that is the Orlanthi way.