CD Update

[Brian Mays]

Actually, this is just a test to see if my posts are making it to this group
. . . Maouse, have you received any of my emails, either?

Somethin' ain't right here . . .

:-)

Brian

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Powers and Perils Fantasy Roleplaying Game Mailing List
> [mailto:POWERS-AND-PERILS at geo000.CiTG.TUDelft.NL]On Behalf Of Maouse
> Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2000 8:20 AM
> To: POWERS-AND-PERILS at geo000.CiTG.TUDelft.NL
> Subject: Re: CD Update
>
>
> From: "Maouse" <maouse at FULTON-NET.COM>
> > Ps. historically "bad" and botched executions usually led to the
> > executioner's demise... this is why the guiotine was used, because
> itworked
>
> While I've read of botched beheadings where multiple blows were needed,
> I haven't heard of executioners being killed because of their bungling.
> [I majored in History.]
>
>     Alex
>
> As Scott has stated, it was considered an insult to take multiple
> whacks on
> royalty.  I would note that being a history major can pale in
> comparison to
> being an avid gamer for 20+ years... some things you do to learn, some for
> fun.  Anyway, I believe my actual source is the history channel's special
> on guiotines.  It's growing in popularity was not due to the fact that it
> worked (it was around long before it was widely used), but rather
> that they
> were beginning to execute important people and no one wanted to take the
> responsibility of using an axe or sword due to the reprecussions of
> botching an execution (as I recall, the one that most people recall was a
> botched king of normandy execution - he had too much hair and it took like
> five whacks, the king of england, in a "good faith" move executed the
> executioner for botching it and making it a horid mess for the throne of
> england).  Imprisonment and maiming were also used to diswade "everyone"
> from wanting to be an executioner (In game terms consider it treason to
> "not do your best" when performing a state execution).
>
>    Consider this though: Robespiere (sp?) has just told you to execute 200
> people.  Do you use a sword or axe?  Your arm's going to be
> mighty tired by
> the end of the day.  But if you don't have a gioutine, what do
> you do?  You
> enlist the aid of several "locals" or "soldiers" and comission them to be
> executioners (ie. the perverbial firing squad).  So now you have 200
> executioners in your dutchy/kingdom/what have you.  This explains
> how there
> can be a "few" in the game.  I would also note that you could balance this
> skill by making them have one enemy for every EL(or EL/2 if the character
> opts to have performed "family" style executions).  This would represent
> the family(s) of the executed.  But that would be up to the GM of course.
>
>
>    I would like to counter the myth of the hooded executioner as well.
> This is more a modern idea than a historic one.  Looking at old paintings
> and all you can see that [I majored in fine art, and have seen possibly
> more than you have read - if you take the whole "a picture is worth a
> thousand words" to heart, lol :) ].  The hooded executioner
> primarily was a
> symbol of the "old west" (say 1750-1910 or so-which would include the
> french revolution as spoke about above).  Gallows executions (pre-"old
> west", say in scottland where the gioutine was used previously in it's
> unrefined form) were carried out by a specific person "everyone" knew. To
> put a loose hood on when using a sword or axe is just plain silly (not to
> mention cowardly in chivilrous terms).  Your eyesight being obscured could
> lead to your death/maiming/imprisonment/being talked about at
> social events
> (ie. the joke, "he couldn't kill a bound ass with a great sword
> under clear
> skies in june")... um I think I'll let him see who's cutting his head off
> please...
>
> -Marcel