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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Samloyal23" data-source="post: 6421603" data-attributes="member: 21432">When a criminal or other unwanted person is to be executed in Ys he is given a special form of "mercy", marrying  a daughter of the duke for one night and being treated like a prince, able to have whatever pleasure he may seek, sometimes even in her bed or that of a concubine. All of this time he is blindfolded by a black silk mask strapped on with a cord around his neck. When the morning meadowlark begins to sing the claw-like clasps on the mask come to life and tighten the cord, strangling the "husband". His body is taken by a knight of the royal guard and thrown into the sea as a sacrifice to the gods. By this means the city propitiates the dark gods of the deep and maintain their wealth and power. Many young aristocrats, corrupted by the wealth of the Ysian court, have used this tradition to have affairs without consequence, certain the vagabond or peasant they fancied for a night will never tell the tale.If a child should ever be born of such a union it is taken by the priests and raised to become one of their order, just like any orphan given to the temple, never being told who his or her parents were.</blockquote>