Saturday 25 January 2014

Walker’s Square



The largest open public space in the city, Walker's Square is so named as all prisoners executed in the city must cross it on their final walk before death. A long, triangular space, it is bordered on one edge by the infinite void. Opposite, the Palaces of Justice in the Night Palace loom over the square. The third side of the square contains a row of wealthy lawyers and their firms. The most notable feature of the square is  Death’s Finger, a long finger of rock reaching out over the edge of the rock.  


Most days, the square is kept relatively empty as the Justicars (the guards of the Palace of Justice) are swift to move on loiterers. The only people with legitimate reaons to vist the square are the clients and employees of the lawyers that line the square. On execution day however, the square fills with people eager to watch the spactacle of the monthly executions. Up to a hundred people are executed in one of these sessions and they are a popular entertainment in the city. The best viewing spots, along the outer edge of the square fill up hours before executions start and peope bring baskets of rotton food to throw. At the ordained time, the condemned are brought up from their 'cells', suspended below The Palace of Justice. They are escorted across the square and onto the finger. Once unshackled, the Justicarswill retreat to the base of the finger and let the condemmed take their time. It is considered good form and a matter of honour that the prisoner’s last step will be their own. Of course, this happens less often than not, and results in the prime source of entertainment for the viewers. Everything from rotton fruit to cobblestones is hurled at the condemned, but often it is the cruel taunts and insults that drive the convicted over the edge.
 
The Condemned:
1.       Viktor, local human – Sentenced to death for stealing chickens from a cart, his three children now on the streets, often seen pleading with people to rescue their father from gaol.
2.       Caaom, half-orc – Falsely accused of beating a woman to death in her own home, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Used to work as a barkeeper at The Naked Minstrel.
3.       Gopekeep, orc – A long time smuggler, was finally caught with over a hundred pearls concealed in various locations around his person.
4.       Dai, elf – Successfully poisoned Jarl Hegefer, the head of the whail oil merchants and provisioners. Although she denies any political affiliation, it is suspected she is in league with the druid-orcs of Weem.
5.       Olga, human – Cut the content of her bread with plaster dust and sold it to the Home Hearths.
6.       Bremman, human – Serial rapist, caught ater a citywide outrage. Denies his acts to this day, claiming he wasn’t even in the city during the time.
7.       Milley, human – Kidnapper of the son of the noted adventurer Augurt Jelsion, caught whe she attempted to flee the city. 10 children found in her home.
8.       Begar, Kobold – A first time jewel thief, managed to break into the store, but failed to break open the safe and was caught in the act.
9.       Felis, human – Convicted as an arsonist, but actually accidentally burnt down her own shop after breaking a pot of alchemists fire she purchased from a mysterious stranger. The ensuing conflagration burned almost an entire block of shops and homes.
10.   Ethem, human – Blackmailed Sir Dongness out of a small fortune after threatening to reveal his illicit afair, Dongness tried to keep it quiet, but everything came out out court and Dongness humiliated, fled the city.




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