State Punishments

Unfortunately for everyone in the realm, torture is quite a common occurence, though typically reserved as punishment for a crime. The following devices are administered by the King (or his Regent), as well as the Lords and Vassals who are expected to deal with crime accordingly.

The Rack
A machine consisting of a rectangular wooden frame. The wooden frame has a roller at each end. The victim's feet are manacled to one roller, and the wrists are manacled to the other. A handle and ratchet are attached to the top roller and are turned very gradually stepwise to increase the tension on the chains. The victim is tied across a board by his ankles and wrists. The rollers at either end of the board are turned, pulling the body in opposite directions. As the victims body is stretched, limbs are dislocated. Prolonged use will end with limbs being torn from their sockets inducing excruciating pain.

The Scavenger's Daughter
This device is designed to have the opposite effect to that of the rack. The body is compressed as opposed to being stretched. The device consists of one single iron bar that connects iron shackles closing round the victim's hands, feet and neck. This rack positions the head to the knees of the victim in a sitting position. It compresses the body as to force the blood from the nose and ears.

The Brank
Specifically used as a torture for women, this devise is meant to inflict humiliation and discomfort as opposed to pain. The equipment is a locking iron muzzle, metal mask or cage which encases the head. There is an iron curb projecting into the mouth which rested on the top of the tongue. This device prevents the victim from speaking. In some instances the iron curb is studded with spikes which inflicts pain if the victim tries to speak. Many branks have a bell built in to draw attention to the victim as she walks through the streets.

The Ducking Stool
Specifically used as a torture method for women. The device is a chair which hangs from the end of a free-moving arm. The victim is strapped into the chair which is situated by the side of a river. The device then swings over the river by the use of the free-moving arm. The victim is ducked into the freezing cold water, and the length of immersion into the water is decided by the operator. It can last from seconds, only once a day, to several seconds repeated over the course of the day.

Thumbscrews
The use of the thumbscrew is a common method of inflicting intense pain on prisoners. The thumbscrew is a simple device designed to crush whatever is inserted. Typically thumbs, but even fingers or toes, are placed in the vice and slowly crushed. The force of thumbscrews is such that the bone can be crushed and broken. The thumbscrews are useful to interrogators as they are a portable means of torture offering varying degrees of pain.

The pillory


When it is only required to stamp a culprit with infamy he is put into the pillory, which is generally a kind of scaffold furnished with chains and iron collars, and bearing on its front the arms of the feudal lord. This wheel is pierced with several holes, made so as to hold the hands and head of the culprit, who, on passing and re-passing before the eyes of the crowd, comes in full view, and is subjected to their hooting and jeers. Some pillories are stationary, situated in various areas of the market and even crossroads.

Burning at the Stake
When a victim had been condemned to be burnt, a stake is erected on the spot specially designed for the execution, and round it a pile is prepared, composed of alternate layers of straw and wood, and rising to about the height of a man. Care is taken to leave a free space round the stake for the victim, and also a passage by which to lead him to it. Having been stripped of his clothes, and dressed in a shirt smeared with sulphur, the victim must walk to the center of the pile through a narrow opening, where he is tightly bound to the stake with ropes and chains. After this, straw is thrown into the empty space through which he has passed to the stake, until he is entirely covered by it; the pile is then fired on all sides at once.

Hung, Drawn & Quartered
This greatest and most grievous punishment is used for the most severe offenses against the State. The victim is drawn from his prison to the place of execution upon a hurdle or sled, where he is hung until half dead. Once taken down, the victim is stretched out and their innards drawn from their bodies and cast into fire. Finally, they are butchered into quarters, which are hung in prescribed locations as a crime deterrent to all citizens.