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Horan Danick was a nobleman of Galt, although there was truly nothing noble about him. Dismissive of his wife, abusive towards his mistresses and sadistic to his servants, Danick thought nothing of setting slaves loose in the field to ‘run for their freedom,’ only to set his prize hounds upon them. He cultivated a circle of sycophants and courtiers, some regarded as 'too course' for polite Chelaxian society, who regarded him as a dark messiah of some blasphemous cult devoted to attempting to ‘out-sin the Runelords.’ Calling himself the ‘heir to Sin-Shalast’ and 'most Unclean,' he wallowed in every sin, with the dozen overworked servants in his kitchens called upon to provide six course meals with new and interesting dishes every night, for him and his decadent entourage. Sadistic ‘rituals’ involving the abuse or degradation of slaves were invented, seemingly at whim, to justify his urges of the moment, and any servant who failed was held in place while he ordered them beaten, by other servants, as he considered a blow from his own hand to be reserved for truly special occasions.
Dragged from his manor house, rumor has it his pale skin smoldered in the sunlight, and he wailed like a blubbering child. (Exaggeration, mostly, but the mob does love its embellishment.) He was held for a month while the final blades were completed, fed only the meat of his beloved hounds, which had been butchered for their many acts of manslaughter. (Indeed, even his hounds received a trial, although they were not adequately represented.)
If ever there was a man more deserving of his death at the hands of the final blades, it was Horan Danick. Unfortunately for all, his soul did not rest quietly within the device, and he has learned to touch the minds of those who rest their hands against the wooden frame of his final resting place, and to cloud the sight of those who stare into the reflections within the gleaming blade. Twelve men stood in judgement of him, reciting lists of his offenses against the state, and he has enjoyed riding the cruel steel down into the necks of seven of those men. His greatest joy was momentarily possessing the judge-advocate who lay writhing in his grasp, causing the man to jerk forward as the blade descended, so that it sheared into his shoulders, instead of his neck. It had to be yanked free with great effort, and the dying man repositioned so that it could be ‘done right.’ Two of his accusers have since died of other causes, much to his frustration, and he redoubles his efforts from within the steel to arouse suspicion against the three aging survivors, eager to taste their fear, as he shows them in the last seconds of their lives who it is that has arranged their fates...
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Interesting. I don't know how effective he could be as a villian as long as the Final Blade remains stationary, but there is definatelyt the spark of something here. maybe a spark of his conciousness could remain in control of the people who touch the blade and he can use them as his agents, even though he himself is trapped. Even more interesting would be if he could animate the people killed by his blade as mindless undead under his control.
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Interesting. I don't know how effective he could be as a villian as long as the Final Blade remains stationary,
Great, now I have an image in my head from some old Stephen King short story I read in high school, where a machine that maimed / killed some people developed a taste for blood and found a way to get up and walk around...
but there is definatelyt the spark of something here. maybe a spark of his conciousness could remain in control of the people who touch the blade and he can use them as his agents, even though he himself is trapped.
Yup, that's pretty much what I was thinking, him affecting those who touched the frame (or stared over-long at the blade) with illusory effects that caused them to begin seeing and hearing conspiratorial things, leading to witch-hunts and such, targetted as much as possible towards the twelve who tried him, but, as he grows 'fat' on killing, pretty much anyone for any reason, as his trapped spirit feeds on the wrongful executions, the roar of the crowds and the fear and desperation of those about to die.
Even more interesting would be if he could animate the people killed by his blade as mindless undead under his control.
Ooh, headless zombies. Or, worse, flying undead severed heads! Maybe a little of both, with zombies ambling behind their flying scouting heads?
Thanks for the feedback and the cool ideas!