Does capital punishment even exist? Did it ever? What methods have been used or are currently used? How do people view it?
For me, in the old Akarian nomadic days, there’s a story about a clan discovering a vast lake. Coming from the Sahel, where water is highly valued, they were eager to drink from this seemingly abundant source, only to find it undrinkable—worse, it made them even thirstier.
It turned out to be the ocean.
To the Akarian people, salt water was seen as an affront to nature. They avoided it entirely, even refusing to eat fish from it until the imperial era, unless the fish had been cleansed by being submerged live in fresh water.
Regarding executions, one cultural method was Death by Drowning in the Sea. It was believed not only to kill the offender but also to trap their soul in the depths so the gods couldn’t take them to the afterlife. (Of course, the gods never clarified how the afterlife actually works.)
During the imperial era, this method was common in coastal areas, while beheadings were more typical inland. In nomadic times, the usual punishment was Exile into the Desert: no food, no clothes, tattoos erased, and the person was forced to walk north into the desert as their former tribe watched from a distance.
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Great question. I should definitely compile a list of all the nations, but for now, here’s a quick rundown: Execution methods can range from simple decapitation—using any object to sever the head—to more elaborate forms. These include slow bleeding, electrocution through magic, and being thrown into an arena where, even without weapons, you’re killed in a particularly grim spectacle. If you become notorious, you might be sent to the Black Pit, an underground maximum-security prison patrolled by both reanimated vampires and other dark enforcers.
On-world: Suicide chamber. The convict is placed in a white room with a pill on the table, and they are left there until they take it. Eventually, everyone ends up taking the pill.
Off-world: Burial-at-sea, or more bluntly, they’re ejected out the airlock.
I’ll describe the most extreme form of execution.
In my world, nations have hoarded and tightly controlled powerful military spells, similar to how nuclear weapons are managed. To maintain political leverage, occasional demonstrations of these powers are necessary.
Near the capital of the Lithonic Kingdom, on the tallest mountain, stands a massive pillar that overlooks the entire area.
When a demonstration of strength is deemed necessary, a group of political prisoners is taken up to the top of this pillar.
A member of the royal family, who has been entrusted with the sacred rite, will stand inside a shadowed glass box to keep the ritual hidden from the public.
First, the moon will begin to shift, positioning itself directly above the pillar. It will loom larger as it nears the Earth. The ocean’s waves will change direction, and inland areas will be inundated with pink flesh and oil. Those sensitive to the phenomenon will feel an upward pull.
Then, within less than a minute, the moon will descend, crush the prisoner, and return to its place. This spectacle is visible across the entire subcontinent. Despite its immense power, this spell was never used during the great war 40 years ago, and the Kingdom’s borders remained unscathed.
Execution is a fairly common fate for those who break the law.
If you’re a criminal, you might have a bounty placed on your head at the adventurers’ guild, though these bounties are carefully regulated. Of course, if someone really wants you gone, they might just hire assassins.
Every polity aligned with the Legacy uses truth spells and compulsion hexes to extract information, which could lead to an increased guild bounty, or they might send one of their secret agents to deal with you.
If you’re especially unlucky, you could cross paths with Senna Heir or the Mad Dragon herself, who might simply kill you on the spot.
In the worst case, you might find yourself on an island teeming with deadly monsters, being hunted by the Mad Dragon to relieve her boredom.
For more showy executions, you have beheadings and electrocutions. A single, swift slice with a magically-enhanced sword severs the head in an instant, or the condemned is struck by a massive lightning bolt for a dramatic end.
For something quick and dirty, there’s the necromancy-based “flame of death” spell. A pitch-black flame, about 12-15cm long, shoots from the caster’s palm and anything it touches dies instantly. The execution involves placing the caster’s hand near the condemned’s chest, and once activated, it leaves no burns but turns the skin a quick, lifeless gray.
If you’re looking for something quick and clean, neural depolarization is the method. This spell halts all electrochemical activity in the brain, instantly breaking all synapses and ceasing all neural functions—both higher and lower—with no external signs of damage.