A bounty is a government-issued reward placed on an individual and awarded to whoever can apprehend or kill that person.
Becoming Wanted[]
Typical Bounty Poster issued by Imperial City Watch
Normally, a bounty is issued by a government official or by the police. The idea is to tempt others into aiding the capture of the criminal so they can be brought to justice quickly. Bounty Hunters make careers trying to find and capture these wanted people. Bounties are issued with a "Dead or Alive" disclaimer, meaning the reward will be paid so long as the threat gets eliminated, but in many areas that bounties are usually only paid in full if the criminal is captured alive; up to 30% of the bounty money may be lost by bringing in someone dead, since no public execution can be held.
The amount of a bounty is determined in response to the perceived threat level of the criminal in question; the greater the threat to the world, the greater the bounty. In the eyes of a criminal, high bounties are thus usually seen as a sign of strength.
Bounty Issuing[]
A bounty reflects both the threat and power of an individual. Engaging in activities deemed criminal by The Empire or associating with groups which engage in them is enough to warrant significant bounties even if the criminal is not powerful themselves. In particular, direct opposition to The Empire, no matter the reason, is treated as a serious offense, and bounties are issued accordingly.
A bounty can be increased for several reasons:
- The threat of a person's observed combat abilities.
- More experienced bounty hunters volunteering to capture the individual or group.
- Further criminal acts beyond the initial one;
- Inspiring criminal acts when provoked or inciting others to act 'criminally.'
Occasionally, a designated amount on a bounty may increase if the criminal in question has committed crimes of considerable magnitude that goes beyond the crime(s) committed beforehand that earned them their initial bounty.
Since bounties are issued based on the knowledge of the criminal in question, a bounty may not necessarily reflect the true threat of a person. For instance if some dark sorcerer with incredible powers were to commit a minor offence, their bounty would reflect more the offense committed rather than their true power.
In many cases criminals in an attempt to keep attention away from themselves will purposely manipulate their own bounty prices. Arlong had a far lower bounty than his overall threat level, as he bribed the corrupt Marine Nezumi in order to keep his activities secret. In some cases, due to miscommunication or unreported information, the bounty may end up being much higher or lower than the criminal deserved for their actions.
Regardless of the discrepancies, bounties are still treated as a way to determine a person's average threat level, being the one facet of society that can be easily compared. Stacking them against averages helps determine threats in relation to location; for example, the average bounty in the Woodlands is 500, so a noteworthy one there would be 1,000 or more. Other more dangerous areas would often have higher average bounties and have a greater number of famous criminals hailing from their lands
Identification[]
A criminal is, more often than not, known by his poster. Without the issuing of a wanted poster, no criminal can be made known. These posters are distributed across the world in newspapers and establishments frequented by Bounty Hunters. Watchman also keep copies bounty posters at their bases for quick identification. Bounty Hunters may also carry a list.
List of bounties[]
- ФЮЫ: ЩЛ: ₴11,550
- Brookite: The Sadist Soldier: ₴12,100
- Druftstan: The Remnant Warlock: ₴13,000
- Ogdimar: The Corrupted: ₴16,000
- Crewgan: The Lurker Below: ₴19,000
- Slackjaw: The Knife: ₴20,000
- Rwivi: Watch the Skies ₴20,000
- Delilah: The Traveler ₴22,000
- Hoblon: The Bandit General: ₴25,000
- C̶a̶p̶r̶i̶c̶o̶r̶n̶:̶ ̶H̶a̶n̶g̶m̶a̶n̶: ₴27,000
- B.K. : the Shlong Slapper ₴19,000
- Titan: Demigod: ₴29,000
- Skaði: The Ice Goddess: ₴30,000
- G’waliandi: The Kingslayer: ₴35,000
- R̶i̶v̶e̶n̶:̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶x̶i̶l̶e̶d̶: ₴42,000
- Cyclis: The Apostate ₴39,900
- Easterain IIV: The Tyrant: ₴40,000
- Ulysses: The Marked Man: ₴45,000
- Cinyll: The Dark Ranger: ₴50,010
- Urouge: Mad Monk: ₴55,500
- Camille: The Steel Shadow: ₴60,000
- Vaji: The Fathom Corrupter: ₴65,000
- Seszil: The Bullet: ₴66,000
- Ursula: Sea Witch: ₴68,500