> Thanks for lots of useful responses. I am surprised that there doesn't
> seem
> to be any tradition of execution in traditional Orlanthi societies. It may
> make sense in an Orlanthi heartland where being outlawed probably is a
> death
> sentence by any other name. I wonder if it holds true in border lands
> though?
Part of *being* Orlanthi (at least as we've seen among the Heortlings, and *probably* true among "all" Orlanthi societies) is a deep-seated fear of Kinstrife. You can't kill your own kin (basically - someone in your clan), because doing so introduces Chaos into the world in a very real way.
And the nature of Orlanthi society means that you clean up your own (including your kin's) mess. There are no Police to call - if you find out that wierd Uncle Oddi is summoning chaos creatures, *you* take care of it - as a clan.
Between these two facets of the culture, that means that even if you find Uncle Oddi elbow-deep in chaos rituals, you still can't kill him, because whatever chaos he may have brought into the world, you will bring even more in by your actions. So no Death Sentences among the Orlanthi, at least not for "kin". You can certainly defend yourself if Uncle Oddi attacks you, but even that is *very* dangerous territory, ritually-unclean speaking.
So what can you do? As a clan you outlaw him (the real, permanent, "You ain't one of us no more, an' we'll kill you if we ever see you agin" kind, not the more political "Who? No, we don't know where he is" that the Orlanthi use when Imperial (EWF, Lunar, who cares which) officials come around). *Now* someone can kill him without summoning Chaos, because he is no longer "kin". However, outlawry requires a trial and rituals designed to sever the relatuionship between the offender on the one hand, ond the Clan, Society, and the Gods on the other. You can't just say "Uncle Oddi, what are you doing? Oh my Orlanth, that's awful, I declare you an outlaw *THWACK*." There are legal and magico-religious processes that *must* be followed before the person is "no longer kin or Orlanthi" and may be slaughtered with impunity. (and the former kin of Uncle Oddi *may* be the ones to kill him, "cleaning up their mess" - it depends on what he did, how well they like him, and all that).
If you haven't already, get a copy of Thunder Rebels, and peruse "Law and Justice" on page 36, and "Outlawry and Death" on page 43.
RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad
R. Sabatini, Scaramouche
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