[Scarred Lands] Hollowfaust: Final Forfeiture Query

[Harlock]

First of all there are potentially spoilers in the body of this text depending upon how your DM runs his games. If you are a player in Hollowfaust please click the back button now.







If you are a player and reading this purposefully to spoil your game I leave this curse upon you: may Nemorga bar the gate when your spirit arrives. Now then, my question.

In the case of Final Forfeiture, a Necromancer may neither give nor trade the body away. We also learn that perhaps the "no-toture" clause in the law is a bit lax since vivisection is allowed. What if a Necromancer were busy wih one experiment, won the lottery and the body, but did not need it right away? Could he (at his own expense) keep the body alive for some period safely confined in the Underfaust? If so, for how long? Is it within reason to think an Anatomist's Guild member could use healing potions or, if having a level or two in bard, could use arcane wands of cure light wounds to keep a vivisection subject alive while they move to new locations on a body for a new round of study? Forgive me if this seems a bit gruesome, but the question certainly came to mind when I read the no trade clause. Thanks for your thoughtful input.

 

[Greatwyrm]

From what I've read, the criminal's body is no longer his own and is the sole property of the lucky necromancer. Since the criminal is essentially a lab rat at that point, torture is no longer an issue. The necromancer can do literally whatever he wants at that point.

Although, there may be social pressures from other guildsmen about what you should and shouldn't do with a subject. This would provide an interesting roleplaying opportunity.

 

[Nightfall]

Pretty much agree with Greatwyrm here Har. While most of the time, final forfeiture means they are killed quick and painlessly, there are exceptions. Example, a Sower of Fear might be wanting to test his power of fear and test the endurance some races have to long term exposure to fear. Thus as long as only a few know of it, said necromancer could keep some one alive as long as possible. While there are no prisons in the underfaust, I'm sure some enterprising necromancer (and probably a few Animators) have worked out some kind of suspended animation spells and/or poisons to ensure the body stay in peak health before any examinations start.

 

[Harlock]

That's pretty much what I thought too so thanks for some agreement. This may turn out to be a very neat subplot for my Hollowfaust, thanks fellas.

 

[Nightfall]

Np. Glad I could help. (Incidently I would have stressed this in my Hollowfaust campaign...but I didn't want to upset the Paladin. )

 

[Greatwyrm]

While there are no prisons in the underfaust, I'm sure some enterprising necromancer (and probably a few Animators) have worked out some kind of suspended animation spells and/or poisons to ensure the body stay in peak health before any examinations start.

Judicious applications of Gentle Repose should handle this. Bump the guy off, Gentle Repose, and he'll stay "fresh" for at least a week (1/day per caster level).

 

[Nightfall]

Great,

Right but there might be other spells that "suspend" aging and thus no worry about killing or death in that sense. Just an example.

 

[Oni]

Well I am a player in Nightfall's game in fact, but I am already very familiar with the setting material.


Once a sentence of final forfeiture is given nothing done to the body falls under the definition of torture under the laws of Hollowfaust, as the recipient of the sentence has been stripped of all rights to their body. It is worth noting however that the necromancer in question only gains the rights to the body, the person's spirit is not theirs and should be allowed to pass on. The only limits on how long a necromaners may keep a case of final forfeiture from death are ones of practicality, though one can assume that at some point his or her fellow necromancers may begin to question their motives.


BTW for storage of the recently deceased, nothing beats Oil of Timelessness.

 

[Nightfall]

Another good point Oni. Thanks.

 

[Graf]

IMHO the necro could keep someone alive for years or even keep them as a pseudo-slave. I had one or two retainer ideas related to people who got "won" by necros and it turned out to be a new lease on life for them.
Killing certain (useful) people would be wasteful, and requiring their death would be cruel. I don't see the necros as being either. Especially with charm spells keeping someone cooperative wouldn't be terribly difficult.

One of the PCs in my game was actually vivisected* and then put back together by the necros. I had a 6th level spell sketched out that kept a body functioning even if it's parts were seperated. Any damage done by the foci used for the spell (obsidan scaple, etc) could be 'undone' at will by the caster.
They usually used a version of magic jar to put the mind somewhere else during the procedure.

*=Unless being vivisected means the subject was killed at the end of the process. Then he wasn't vivisected. He was just taken apart and put back together. Of course taking people apart in the real world requires that they die so I suppose saying that he was visvissected presumes their death.