ASERAK OF TEMPUS

Aserak's Trial
by Betandor Battlebard

After speaking with many of the crowd and other witnesses to a recent trial, I have undertaken the task of recording the events for the posterity of the Realm, so that all might know and understand that redemption comes to those who honor their deities with faith and service.

Confronted by a mob of witnesses to his many crimes, the warrior stood with stoic acceptance, answering the charges against him with a haughty stare and softly spoken words. Biting insults were given with a cool demeanor, while the crowd was warned to silence by the commander of the city watch. Soon after, the lord of the city appeared and the trial began.

"Commander, with what crimes is the accused charged?" the lord spoke with a pensive look at the warrior, held in the center of the square by the large crowd which had gathered to watch the proceedings.

"My Lord, the accused stands charged with assault, theft, and conspiracy to commit murder. Other charges include crimes against the City, and inciting orc tribes to launch attacks on the City." The commander spoke in a ringing voice, sounding more like he was used to giving commands than reporting for the local lord in front of a crowd of witnesses. "The witnesses of his crimes are scattered throughout the square, and may be called to testify when you wish."

The lord held up a hand, quieting the crowd. "The charges will be addressed, one at a time, until all have been judged. First, the charge of theft." Addressing the warrior's chained form, the lord spoke, "Did you steal items which did not belong to you, knowingly and maliciously, without regard for the hard work of those you were stealing from?"

The warrior nodded his head, speaking quietly, "I did, though how you would consider orcs who subsequently captured, beat, and stripped me of all that I owned to be somehow not amply compensated, I know not."

The lord nodded, then spoke to the surrounding crowd. "Does any here know of any other theft committed against citizens of this city, that this man is guilty of?" The crowd muttered amongst itself, until a member of the City Watch stepped forward.

"My Lord, the accused has also stolen from the beaten bodies of citizens within the City limits. Those who could not attend have signed written statements, giving a physical description of the accused, and the items which were recovered from him upon capture by the Watch." As the crowd's murmuring began to swell to a roaring tempest with this announcement, the lord shouted for quiet.

"The accused is found guilty of theft. Commander, make a note." The commander of the watch marked a symbol on the crime list. "The next charge is that of assault." The lord paused, then stared hard into the eyes of the accused man. "You have already been found guilty of assault during your robbery of innocents. However, are there any other assaults committed within the bounds of the City which you would now confess?"

The warrior shook his head in denial of further assaults. Another member of the crowd spoke up, "My Lord, the accused has also assaulted many who stand within this crowd, when they tried to stop his crimes against the citizens. He has willfully and viciously attacked some few of us, causing much anxiety and anger." The crowd muttered agreement, with the occassional voice shouting, "He's right! The man has terrorized the City! He's assaulted and stolen from shopkeepers and citizens without regard for their welfare!"

The lord stared at the warrior again. "Do you deny these accusations?" The warrior shook his head, and shrugged his shoulders, as though the accusations meant nothing to him. "So be it. Commander, make a note that the accused is also guilty of assault, numerous counts, though how many can not be determined at this time." The commander made another mark on his list of charges. "The next crime is that of conspiracy to commit murder." Lowering his voice, the lord walked to within arms reach of the warrior and glared into his eyes. "Did you conspire within the bounds of this City to have a murder committed, knowing full well the laws of this City prohibit the killing of citizens, even if they are only here on a temporary basis?"

The warrior spat on the ground. "The bitch deserved to die. And the orc I hired to kill her couldn't even manage to do that right. He took the payment and left me to do it myself." At the mention of the payment, one of the crowd screeched her own curses at him, then tried to rake her nails down his cheek. Restrained by others from the swelling crowd, the woman glared at the warrior, eyes gleaming with hate.

"Commander, the accused has admitted to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Make another note." The mark came down on the list again. "The accused is also charged with crimes against the City, specifically, inciting the orcs to attack and destroy parts of the City." The Lord's eyes narrowed and he spoke in a quiet voice, "Did you knowingly incite the orcs to attack this city?"

The warrior's eyes showed a gleam of a spark. "They beat me, they broke an agreement, and I took my revenge on them for their treatment. I did nothing to bring them down upon this City."

The crowd muttered angerly. "Does any here have any evidence that this man caused the orcs to attack this City?" the lord spoke in a bellow, carrying into the farthest reaches of the square. After waiting for a few almost silent minutes, while the soothing fall of water in the fountain at the center of the square soothed the raw tempers of the participants, the lord spoke again. "The evidence of crimes against the City, specifically inciting the orcs to riot, is not sufficient. Commander, strike the charge from the record." The commander made a slash through the written charge. "Are there any other charges which must be addressed, before the accused is sentenced?" The crowd stood silently, waiting with a palpable sense of bloodlust. The commander spoke quietly, "The accused was a member of the Church of Tempus, of which I am high priest. The crimes of the accused against the Church of Tempus are numerous and will be addressed by those of the faith after the sentences of the City are carried out." The lord nodded, and asked the commander to read the convicted charges to the crowd. "The accused has been convicted of assault, theft, and conspiracy to commit murder."

As the list was recited, the crowd began to roar for the blood of the condemned man. The lord raised his hands, signalling the guards around the square to quiet the unruly mob, then asked the commander of the watch for the list of punishments for the convicted crimes. "The punishment for assault is flogging. The punishment for theft is maiming, and the punishment for conspiracy to commit murder is the same as that of committing the murder, death." At these final words, the crowd became unruly, and many of the victims of the convicted warrior were able to reach him. When the soldiers of the watch finally restored order, the warrior was bleeding from the slash of fingernails down his cheeks, and covered with spit and the remnants of rotten fruit and dung which had been thrown by the crowd.

The lord spoke again, over the roaring crowd. "The punishment for each of these crimes will be carried out." The commander nodded, then signaled for his soldiers to prepare the warrior for the first of his punishments.

"The first punishment is flogging, for the crime of assault." At the command of the lord, the watch grabbed the felon and ripped the shirt from his back. Holding him tightly, the watch eyed the crowd apprehensively as the commander prepared the long black whip. The crowd became quiet, anticipating the crack of the whip against the bare flesh. CRACK! The whip sang through the air and caused a bloody welt on the muscular warrior's back. The crowd howled as the warrior bit back a cry of anguish. The whip sang again, leaving another bloody stripe. The commander began to work himself into a rythm of blows, with the shouted comments of some of the crowd about his whip work echoing over the crowd's noise. Still, the warrior did not cry out, only wincing with the stinging blows as the whip tore into his quivering flesh. Fi

nally, the lord signaled that the flogging was sufficient, and the commander curled the whip and hung it from his belt. The soldiers who had been holding the beaten man now shifted their grip as the lord barked, "For the crime of theft, the punishment is maiming. Hold his arm flat against the cobbles."

The commander asked for a sword, and was given the condemned man's own blade. With a grim smile, the commander awaited the words of the lord, and severed the arm of the bloodied man with one sure stroke. The fountain of blood from the severed limb showered the crowd, causing many of the bystanders to be covered with crimson droplets. The warrior's face went pale, and his cry rang through the square, even through the clenched teeth and mangled bone he had been given to prevent the shame of a scream. As the arm fell to the ground, the lord spoke quietly, "The punishment for the final crime of conspiracy to murder, is death."

At this point, a tall fighter appeared in the midst of the square. At the lord's inquiry, the figher spoke, a shower of golden light surrounding him. "The condemned was once a warrior of Tempus, and as such, should be given the chance to earn his rest in the Eternal Army." Feeling the power of the armored man, the lord nodded his assent. "The warrior will be tried by combat. The commander of the watch, the high priest of Tempus, will represent the church of Tempus. Know that if the condemned flees, he shall never rest in the camps of the Eternal Army, but will wander the realm of the dead, forever damned by the god he claimed to serve." The condemned man nodded again, and two of the City Watch went off to make him fit for the combat which was to come, by restoring to him the severed limb.

The contest between the priest and warrior was held in the Fields of Triumph. The tall fighter officiating, the still bloody warrior was given his sword, and the combat began. Small wounds began to appear on the body of the priest as the sword of the warrior turned crimson, but the crushing blows of the priest's warhammer broke bones and soon severed the pulped left leg of the warrior. As he fell to a final hammer blow to the head, the tall warrior shouted, "Let it be known that Aserak has earned his place in the Eternal Army with the valiant battle this day. Let all crimes he has committed be washed away by his eternal service, and may he be buried with full honors in the tombs of Tempus."

As the crowd heard the ringing voice, the tall fighter faded from view. The body, armor, and weapons of the dead warrior were taken to the biers of Tempus, and lain to rest. It is said that the tall warrior was Tempus, come to claim one of his own, and that they now travel together with the rest of the Eternal Army in glorious battle in the afterlife.