[OOC Note to you, Craig: Kinda sick, but what Oberon wanted. Put a disclaimer on it that you might want to leave in. Preparations were made especially for this. The ropes used on the woman who attacked Exthian were strengthened magically. The Meck spies' constitutions were fortified magically as well...not so they'd heal faster, but so they'd be more resistant to shock. No easy death for them. They'll probably end up dying from blood loss.
Second OOC note, Zariya's going to have the spies stuffed and sent back to Trinity. She was pissed at getting shot, especially since she won't get full movement back in her right arm for a while. Will get a write up to you on that in a bit, by Friday at the latest. Would take a while for her to get them stuffed or somewhat anyway.]
[OOC: Semi-graphic violence warning. Hanging Night ain't pretty, though I'm trying to cut down as much as the description as I can and get the point across.]
(Amber City) Imbolc Eve. The infamous Hanging Night.
The crowds are really packed in tonight. Due to the temporary suspension of Hanging Night because of Laird Carlton's visit, there are a lot of prisoners awaiting their punishment this night. The crowds know this...and they smell blood in the air.
As the stands fill, the ever-present vendors can be spotted selling their wares. Most prevalent are wolf-shaped cookies, with a black glaze frosting. "Take a bite out of the Black Wolf," cries the vendor, hawking his wares.
After the stands are more or less filled, the Lord Mayor steps out onto the grounds. Like the Samhain Hanging Night, she is dressed entirely in black, her hair braided, and scimitar at her side. The crowds murmurings die down to a low rumble as she addesses them, "Good Evening, good citizens of Amber. For your pleasure and to serve the King's Justice." She turns slightly, gesturing to a few guardsmen off-stage, "we have the first execution of tonight."
A straggly looking woman is dragged out by two guardsmen, one holding each of her arms firmly. Behind them come a small procession of horses; four horses to be exact, with handlers leading the animals out.
"For the capital crime of assaulting a member of the Royal Family," Zariya announces, "you are sentenced to death. The means of execution will be drawing and quartering. Have you any last words?" She asks that merely as a formality, for surely the woman is screeching out obscenities and curses as the handlers and guardsmen prepare for the execution. Ropes are tied around the woman's forearms and calves tightly, the ends of which are attached to jury-rigged harnesses on the horses. Zariya steps back from the center of the grounds, although she's still visible. She watches the preparations impassively. When the men signify that they are done, she nods, giving the signal to start.
The handlers have the horses move slowly. It seems choreographed, practiced. Instead of a short, relatively quick death, the woman is subjected to a very long tortuous one as she is slowly ripped apart. She pulls apart before the ropes break; precautions must have been taken to ensure that this was the case.
The crowd loves it.
As the grounds are cleared of the disassembled corpse and the horses are led back off-grounds, the crowd stamps it's approval of the execution, hooting and cheering. Next are brought out five men, who had obviously been in a fight lately: they are bruised and beaten. A few sport cuts. Five wooden frames are brought out and set up as the men are marched to the center of the killing grounds. They are heavily chained, unlike their predecessor, and under heavy guard.
"For crimes committed against the Crown of Amber, most prominent among them spying for Trinity, as well as causing unrest in His Majesty's realm," Zariya proclaims. "You are condemned to death." She was impassive during the first execution. During this proclamation, she seems.pleased. Smug, almost. She doesn't offer the chance at last words, though they're free to speak any time they want as they're not gagged. Zariya watches with a quiet intensity as the men are strapped securely to the racks. "The means of execution will be..." her gaze moves towards a second set of five men coming out, carrying heavy bags that clink ominously, "...interesting."
"Do any of you wish to turn from your evil Meck ways, and grant yourself an easy death?" Zariya asks. Her offer is not accepted; the spies scream their allegiance to the Mecklenbergs with such phrases as "Mecks Rule!" and "Down with the Cockroach!" as well as many choice obscenities.
"Very well," she smiles. The guardsmen step back now that the spies are secure, and let the other gents take over. Each man steps up next to a racked spy, setting down his bag, and opening it. A cloth is taken out, and rolled open; any furriers in the crowd know exactly what the metal instruments on the strips of cloth are immediately, and an excited murmur starts to sweep through the crowd. From the first cut, it's made clear-the Mecks are going to be skinned alive. Not a pretty sight.
Once again, the crowd loves it.
It lasts for a long, long while. The skins are peeled from the spies, the skinners making quite sure that the skins are in good condition, and set aside carefully. By the time that their skins are off, the Mecks are screaming hoarsely-but not a one of them has died at this point. So, the skinners start with the layer of muscle, continuing their bloody work.stripping away layers upon layers until finally, finally the naked bodies hang limp, bloody and broken.
Not only does Zariya give them that spectacle to look at, but also the more 'mundane' executions start to take place around the sides of the grounds. Some folks are beheaded, and some are hung. Some lucky bastards only end up getting a hand cut off, or castrated. Their crimes are read before each sentence is carried out, but the roar of the crowd drowns out most of the proclamations. The crowd is given plenty to watch throughout this Hanging Night.
Though Zariya is technically in charge of all of it, her attention is mostly riveted on the tortured spies. She looks away only when one of her men approaches her to pass on some bit of information, or to receive direction for the rest of the executions.
As with her previous Hanging Night, the heads of the condemned are displayed on pikes for the next three days in front of the grounds. They are displayed prominently so that passers-by can spy them easily. The heads of the Mecks are not present.
This text is copyright © Lana Gjovig; "Amber" is copyright © Roger Zelazny; "Amber" the diceless RPG is copyright © Phage Press. No copyright infringement is intended.
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