Totenkopf said:
I have to say, I like the concept.
The combination of the procedure before the execution itself gives it all a good feel of importance, but to be honest I have two problems with it. The first is, that in my opinion, the staircase should lead downwards, symbolizing the descent of the criminal to hell. The second is that the death of the criminal is, thanks to the pit, invisible, I however think that the visibility of the death is very important to make it all a good, horrific sight.
But since this is all I know about your game, I'll assume that your version is by far more fitting, and it's a quite nice idea!
Oh, just some tweaks here and there in the culture make it work, trust me. The ascension, rather than descension, is mostly just to get to the high spot. There's... no real equivalent of "hell", but I didn't explain that. After death, your soul goes to the "Lani", which is basically just a pantheistic term for God, as a dimension... it's a fantasy world. Basically Lani = God, Lani is a sort of parallel dimension made of ether, and it's how magic works in it, etc.
The reason the death isn't seen is mostly because A: The opening to the pit and the place where the audience is standing are all ground level, so if you're executing a rather portly fellow, you'd always have to adjust the distance, and no one in back could see anyways. No real stands for it. It's more of a "Justice is done, they are dead", than a "Splattery giblets everywhere" scene, but rest assured there are a few souls in the crowd that would like to see.
That being said, that's just how they handle it in the capital of the Lowlands, in Eshenra (The human province, the human-like race is called Eshenji). It's different not only in other parts of the world with other races, but also even in Eshenra. Though almost all societies in Eshenra send outcasts into the Dead Fields in the Lowlands.
Kargathia said:
In theory I like the idea. I just have one issue with it.
How many people do you know who would be willing and able to make a speech at a moment like this?
Hell, most people can't make a coherent public speech to save their life.
It's true, and most criminals would most likely not bother. It's sort of an option, if you have any last words, more than a speech. Sometimes "Sorry", or "Fuck the law" would be all they say, but they get the chance to say it. Though I suppose some people would have some semblance of peace in that death is inevitable. You'd be given a poison beforehand that would cause rapid atrophy, and the elimination of your "magic defense" (Basically a health bar, a sort of magic coating between the skin and muscles that stops most fatal blows until drained).
If you guys are interested in more stuff about it, keep in mind I'm working diligently to turn this into a P&P RPG. Skills, Stats, Careers(Classes), and most of the technical aspects done, now's just the variables, like the races, cultures, creatures, etc.