RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
Just wanted to run something by everyone here.
In a short story I am writing that takes place in Korvosa. The main character comes across a noble who is attempting to rape someone. In a fit of anger he kills the noble in a sword fight. Not long after the nobles family has the man raised and banishes him from the city, disowns him, and cuts him off from all of the family assets.
Would are your thoughts on the type of legal action that brings the guilty back to life to be tried and punished?
There might be a bit of a snag, depending on how closely you want your story to be able to follow the rules. Rase Dead says that the soul must be free and willing to return. If he was only going to be raised to be punished, would he neccessarily be willing to return? Although that raises the question of what he does know when someone is attempting to raise him from the dead. Can he be tricked? Hmm... Anyway I imagine that any lawful society would want to carry out an appropriate trial, even for the dead, but I imagine that barring extrenuous circumstance Speak With Dead and Blood Biography would resolve the issue easier and cheaper, and perhaps a Raise Dead if they are found innocent (or guiltly for the excessively cruel groups entertaining torture). Good idea for a story though.
In all honesty it sounds like a fairly logical course of events in a world where raise dead spells are available. Your protaganist might have been up on murder charges for killing a noble, no matter what the circumstances, and the families honor had certainly taken a hit.
Raising the dead guy would have taken care of the murder charge and making a big show of publicly punishing their black sheep should help restore some of the families honor.
Plus, the guy is a family member, unless he was executed by the authorities they should probably have him raised no matter what he did. Even if they are just going to exile him.
Just wanted to run something by everyone here.
In a short story I am writing that takes place in Korvosa. The main character comes across a noble who is attempting to rape someone. In a fit of anger he kills the noble in a sword fight. Not long after the nobles family has the man raised and banishes him from the city, disowns him, and cuts him off from all of the family assets.
Would are your thoughts on the type of legal action that brings the guilty back to life to be tried and punished?
the raisee has to be willing and they know the intent of the raiser. "To be punished? Pass."
I think that in a world with the power to raise the dead this is a perfectly logical action. As Son of the veterinarian said it would allow the family to regain some measure of honor and help the murderer's case. As for the noble being unwilling to be brought back to life he's looking at being disowned and banished versus an eternity being sodomized by a bone devil in that corner of hell reserved for rapists(at least thats what i hope would happen, seriously go rent a hooker like a normal person). I think he might take the banishment.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
I had forgotten about the willingness of the soul foiling a raise attempt, however I think I have solution.
The person raising the man wouldn't have to be told that the man would be punished or exiled. In fact, all he needs to know is that his family wants him back. In this situation, the noble would accept the raising because his family has always bailed him out of bad situations in the past. The difference this time is that he screwed up past their ability to cover up his crap.
I could also have the family raise him before they decide what to do, making their intent more ambiguous. It would be after he was raised that the full facts would come out and his punishment decided upon.
I had forgotten about the willingness of the soul foiling a raise attempt, however I think I have solution.
The person raising the man wouldn't have to be told that the man would be punished or exiled. In fact, all he needs to know is that his family wants him back. In this situation, the noble would accept the raising because his family has always bailed him out of bad situations in the past. The difference this time is that he screwed up past their ability to cover up his crap.
I could also have the family raise him before they decide what to do, making their intent more ambiguous. It would be after he was raised that the full facts would come out and his punishment decided upon.
Most folks would choose alive and exiled over dead and buried; this isn't really a meaningful wrinkle in the plot.
Most folks would choose alive and exiled over dead and buried; this isn't really a meaningful wrinkle in the plot.
Depends on what they think on their chances for a decent spot in the Great Beyond.
Remember that you can only raise individuals that have yet to be judged by Pharasma (the different time windows the spells afford are supposed to show how much you can influence the whole process - the lower-level stuff only lets you get someone back who is still somewhere in the queue while the higher level stuff could get someone out of the courtroom right from under Pharasma's nose)
So if the guy thinks he has done well by his deity he might say "screw it, I'm on my way to heaven (or whatever plane he is bound for), raise my decomposing ass"
I always played this that it isn't character's choice but the player's choice (or GMs). From what James Jacobs said in other threads it might be so as well on Golarion - those who are not raised are those who were judged by Pharasma - in case of PCs it's player decision if character was already judged or not while in case of NPCs GM decides that.
Also, it is your short story so you can bend a little. Looking at the tons of classic D&D stories they are full of authors beinding the world to fit their ideas.
Would are your thoughts on the type of legal action that brings the guilty back to life to be tried and punished?the raisee has to be willing and they know the intent of the raiser. "To be punished? Pass."
Wait in the line to be judged by Pharasma as was being killed during rape. Out! Damn, even if he is not bothered with rape matter he could realiably be willing to return to life counting on his ability to actually avoid responsibility and punishment. Or take revenge on his killer. Or something. Or the finish the rape when no one will be looking even (ok, only psychopath would be motivated in the last way, probably).
Wait in the line to be judged by Pharasma as was being killed during rape. Out! Damn, even if he is not bothered with rape matter he could realiably be willing to return to life counting on his ability to actually avoid responsibility and punishment. Or take revenge on his killer. Or something. Or the finish the rape when no one will be looking even (ok, only psychopath would be motivated in the last way, probably).
Being judged by Pharasma for being a rapist might be bad - if you're supposed to be a devout follower of Iomedae. If you're a follower of Zon-Kuthon or a number of other deities, on the other hand, you won't have to worry - you're going to be judged by your god's standards, after all, and some of them won't mind rape. In fact, some will probably welcome it.
|
What's the point? I just don't see where this would be a matter of interest to anyone. Is he supposed to be an enemy come back from the dead? You have more lattitude in a story than an adventure, but I just don't see it. Maybe if his family had him rasied, then had him blinded or sex-changed to female, but exile is far better than dead. I can't see where that is punishment.
Being judged by Pharasma for being a rapist might be bad - if you're supposed to be a devout follower of Iomedae. If you're a follower of Zon-Kuthon or a number of other deities, on the other hand, you won't have to worry - you're going to be judged by your god's standards, after all, and some of them won't mind rape. In fact, some will probably welcome it.
Wait in the line to be judged by Pharasma as was being killed during rape. Out! Damn, even if he is not bothered with rape matter he could realiably be willing to return to life counting on his ability to actually avoid responsibility and punishment. Or take revenge on his killer. Or something. Or the finish the rape when no one will be looking even (ok, only psychopath would be motivated in the last way, probably).
Is there even a word for people who are being sexually predated upon turning the tables and raping their rapists? Because that word would probably get a lot of use around the temple of Zon Kuthon. The congregation probably uses that word as a verb in hallway conversations between self flagellation sessions.
It is probably up on marquee boards outside their temples so membership remembers during the week. They probably do it every other month.
The other month's festivity is a tattoo festival. The Zon Kuthonites probably host it. For some reason, the image of the bald Zon Kuthonite with the dude strapped to the wheel just makes me think they're playing some kind of medieval torture-inspired bingo. Spin the wheel, stab the supplicant. "Aaaah!" "Aaah, everyone. Mark off aaah." "Aaargh!" "Aaargh, everyone. Mark off ar--" "BINGO!" "Congratulations, Larry! Okay, Cultist Bob, you can unstrap yourself. Larry, take off your shirt and come hop on the wheel."
I bet there are pictures in tattoo parlors of prominent local Zon Kuthonites to watch out for. "Came in on Oathday, Rova the 2nd. Replaced ink with empty cartridge. Used illusion spell to fake drawing tattoo; cancelled the spell after ten minutes and insisted artist ink it again. Artist re-inked tattoo four times before he made his will save."
Truth be told though, at least the ZK's go for big and artsy multi-ink deals on extremely painful locations with no sedative. There's some dignity in that. I figure most tattoo artists in Golarion are sick of tatooing the holy symbol of Norgorber over someone's right eye and equally sick of having to honor their warranty by shelling out for scrolls of prestidigitation to remove the ink. I can think of no better way to get kicked out of the church of the god of secrets than to tattoo your worship on your face.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
What's the point? I just don't see where this would be a matter of interest to anyone. Is he supposed to be an enemy come back from the dead? You have more lattitude in a story than an adventure, but I just don't see it. Maybe if his family had him rasied, then had him blinded or sex-changed to female, but exile is far better than dead. I can't see where that is punishment.
The whole story is the back story of a character I have been playing in Curse of the Crimson Throne. It has developed over the course of 14 levels.
The fact that my character not just killed when he was 14 but killed a 15 year old Endrin noble (Endrins were pretty big in my GMs version of the AP,) is a huge deal. The raising was meant to provide my GM with more options if he wanted to have nemesises. He did at one point encourage the story to head in the direction it has.
The raising, in terms of plot, does provide for a returning foe. The punishment however is pretty severe considering the young noble lost out not only on great wealth but a possible inheritance of a great and powerful position in Korvosa's government. Should enough people die (and in CotCT they do) he would have been next in line for the throne.