Re: OT: Corpses, etc. (was: Re: Gender in conlangs (was: Re: Umlauts (was Re: Elves and Ill Bethisad)))

> > It also has slum areas. The streets are a lot
> > narrower there, and, you are correct, that a
> > sword might not be especially
> > useful in an alley.
>
>A long one, anyway.
And long ones are what they are.  Cwendaso, who do not use swords, since
you can't hunt with them, would describe a Trehelish sword as "a knife as
long as a man's arm."

>Consider the inscription on the Great Gallows,
>which line the Gallows Road to the east of
>Hoopelle. It says "For the Edification of Man and
>Wilding" and has got icons from the Dance of
>Death on it. It is a very sturdy structure made
>of arched stone and brick with two levels for
>hanging people. It can accomodate six hundred
>bodies, some famous of which were on permanent
>display. For educational purposes, mind. There is
>a sad little stand of ancient forest to the north
>of the Road, and this was where the bodies of
>Daine were chucked. Usually dead, but some
>otherwise.
That's a *huge* gallows.  How big is the town?

> > My father used to have a pair of steel-toed
> > boots.
>
>Mine too. Old battered leather things with steel
>plates strapped on top.
My dad's boots had the steel concealed underneath the leather, except for
that one spot where the leather had been scraped off.  They looked like a
normal pair of boots.

> > > > Really, though, they are not supposed to
> > > > be getting into those sorts
> > > > of fights with civilians.
> > >
> > >Well, don't they, for example, have to enter
> > >Publick Houses and introduce the bastards to
> > >the concept of Justice? ;)
> >
> > That's more common in the smaller towns where
> > everyone knows each other.  I
> > suppose that it's also necessary in some
> > districts of Sovchilen.  To a
> > great degree, I think that they believe that
> > that is the problem of the
> > tavern owner (in Sovchilen, at least.)
>
>Hm. Publicans in old Hoopelle would be of the
>opinion that they pay their taxes, so the Guard
>shall jolly well step in. :) Depends on the
>severity of the brawl, mind. A one pub brawl can
>usually be handled by the bouncer. If it spreads
>or becomes more of a melee or perhaps a riot,
>then the Guard need to get involved before some
>real violence sets in.
Well, of course, if it spreads outside the pub or threatens to become a
riot, then the authorities need to step in.  That goes without saying.  I'm
sure that they keep an eye on any establishments that they know to be
habitual offenders in this respect.  I mean, if a place has a reputation
for producing a brawl every night, they'll watch it.  On the other hand,
there are a few places in the city so rough that the soldiers have been
instructed *not* to enter them.  They're allowed to deal with anything that
spills out beyond the doorway, but they're not to step inside because it's
really too dangerous, unless you're going to send in a full score of
soldiers to subdue the place.  It's better to leave such places to fester
on their own rather than to let soldiers be killed and achieve no real good.

> > If a fight breaks out in such an
> > establishment, then the men who fought, as well
> > as all the witnesses, can
> > appear in court the next day and explain to the
> > judge what happened,
> > especially if there was damage to the tavern or
> > the men, but they're not
> > going to station soldiers inside every drinking
> > establishment in a large
> > city in order to keep things quiet.
>
>I should think they'd manage that rotation on
>their own! Or are they all teatotallers? ;)
Of course not!  The only reason for a Trehel not to drink at all is if he
or she can't afford it, and soldiers make enough that they can afford
it.  But, in Sovchilen, they're not allowed to drink on duty.  Now, in the
smaller towns, that's up to the local administration, and they may well
make those rounds without any extra encouragement.  In a town small enough
to have only one or two taverns, it's very likely that the local soldiers
will step in and have a drink before they continue on.

They're definately not teatotallers; a lot of the soldiers in Sovchilen
prefer their wine unmixed, whereas the normal custom, at least in
households, is to dilute the wine half and half with water.  I would guess
that a lot of wine is drunk unmixed in pubs, but you dilute it at the
table, except that a lot of soldiers don't, even at the table.  (Well, when
they're at home with their families, they probably do do the genteel thing,
but not with their buddies.)

Isidora

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