torgny hylén

Executioner's Run

Added 2022-01-16 15:27:22 +0000 UTC

As found in the Tomb of Annihilation, this is a 15' deep pit, 50' wide and 200' long that determines the innocent from the guilty. Those charged with a crime are kept manacled to stakes on the left until it is their turn to drop down (or be thrown down) into the pit unarmed with only simple rags on their back. At the same time hungry wild animals are herded by two covered chutes into the pit on the opposite side. The ferocity of the beast is matched to the crime; smaller velociraptors for petty theft, big jungle cats for more serious crimes like assaulting a merchant prince's cadre. If those accused of a crime can make it to the opposite end of the pit and climb the ropes to safety, they are deemed innocent and free to go. However, those killed by the wild animals are deemed to have been guilty and Ubtao has meted out his fair justice.

Those accused of the similar crimes run together.

The run is also tremendous entertainment for the locals and so a number of colourful tents have been set up on either side, with the best seats being in the middle, as it offers the viewers the closest view on the carnage. The smaller tents at the start and end of the run are kept for the accuser and the accused families respectively. The merchant betting tents are the pentagonal shaped tents, meant to represent the shape of the local coin. Odds are given on who will make it, who won't and are affected by if they are running alone, what animals are part of the gauntlet and if they've won previously.

The pit used to function as a sports field for an archaic game with a ball and four stone hoops on the side of the wall. The stone hoops are 8ft up the wall and 3ft tall. They are considered in play if any accused in the pit can reach them, but if they stay up there too long... the crowd eventually throw stones to force them back into the pit to face the justice of tooth claw below.

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