Are You Sure There's No Magic?

Story & Setting
#1

I know that the developers have already said that there will absolutely not be any magic or dragons.
I don’t know much about what people believed in the middle ages, but based what I’ve seen from movies and tv shows, I’m sure that they must have believed in super natural powers.

Some examples is something like a woman that’s a witch being burned alive by the villagers. When the player investigates about it, they will find out that she was actually a herb specialist that was trying to heal/kill someone.

Or a myth that a dragon sleeps in a cave and eats anyone who disturbs it. And when you inspect it, you see human bones and… a bear.

2 Likes
#2

Who is to say that any of those things won’t be involved. Pretty good ideas in my opinion. They just mean there won’t be any actual fantasy style magic. No fireballs of us.

#3

This is a great discussion topic (Magic in the Middle ages).
this forum is setup different then most but there’s a search feature in the upper right hand corner.

There is also a clip in one of the video updates of a witch burning scene.

#5

This scene could be that of a traditional annual Czech event that takes place on 30th April, a celebration of the end of the winter where a straw and rag figurine gets burned. Or it’s just me wishful thinking. I like realism but actual person burning is too much for me…

3 Likes
#7

She tuned me into a NEWT!!!

(I got better)

6 Likes
#8

Let me guess: with a tuning fork :stuck_out_tongue:

#10

Ahh man… now I can’t even edit my typo or I ruin your gag (good one)

#11

Its a definite possibility, im still looking for where but I thought Id read or heard about it definitely being a witch burning scene.

#12

I’m totally up for advocating magic in the game but not in the DnD sense of casting spells etc… I mean from the anthropological side of magic beliefs where rituals are performed in an attempt to control the environment re- Evans Pritchard’s Azande etc…

I don’t want to see fireballs etc… but dabbling in dark arts to perform rituals with an increased chance to say - direct an NPC to run into wolves or bandits or for the NPC to have increased item/loot/bandit encounters would be interesting.

#13

that’s not the anthropological side of magic either. dabbling in the dark arts to “direct an npc into wolves” or have increased chance for encounters is the same type of magic as having fireballs as they’re both based on the supernatural.

1 Like
#14

Although I would prefer a realistic approach, burning druids, or healers to the stake seems a little overrated. Perhaps It would be better if we could prove them innocent of their crimes with evidence of course.

#15

Actually a “magicians” power comes mainly from those who are willing to believe that he has powers - mainly through the guise of seemingly controlling the environment but using sleight of hand and manipulation to appear so. So for example, you could hold a ritual to have an NPC run into wolves with a chance that he will, and if he does, then people believe you have magic. It could be an interesting class to play alongside the rogue class.

1 Like
#16

The interesting question in this context is, how probable is it that our henry gets burned at the stakes realism/story-wise.
A side question along those lines, can the cryengine handle a convincing first person view of getting burned and how long does it need to stretch timewise for a realistic experience (missing practical data for the last part :wink: )

#17

At the time, the typical death sentences in Bohemia involved:

  • hanging, the least honourable way to die. A person could be hanged either by neck or by legs, also by being hooked by pierced body parts. Even less honourable was being hanged together with dogs, as weird as it may sound. This was mostly for thieves, so considering that one of the Henry’s possible character developments involves thivery, I’d say that this would be quite probable.
  • breaking wheel, mostly for murderers. Sometimes a hanged murderer’s body would be put on wheel to increase intimidation.

  • decapitation, mostly for nobles, but also for lower caste people in order to show them mercy (compared to other ways). Most honourable, least painful.
  • burning was reserved for arsonists, witchcraft and sodomy. In other cases, burning could not be final but used as as aggravating and preceding other ways - sometimes body parts would be burned, sometimes the person would be tied to pole and slowly roasted above fireemphasized text, making sure he would stay alive for the final sentence.

Less common ways include:

  • being sawn into bag and thrown into water,
  • being hanged by hands and whipped to death over the course of three days.

The sentences had to be carried precisely and the executioners would put themselves in quite a danger if the person would die too early (for example during “grilling” or too early due to whipping).

What needs to be said is that torture was common part of the criminal process, so Henry would go through quite some hell before the eventual demise. I’d say that by the time of hanging (or other) he, as well as the player, would be quite happy that the end is coming. It will be interesting to see how “realistic” War Horse will really make it.

1 Like
#18

Description of the killing of Mr. John Hooper, Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester:
The third fire was kindled within a while after, which was more extreme than the other two. In this fire he prayed with a loud voice, “Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus receive my spirit!” And these were the last words he was heard to utter. But when he was black in the mouth, and his tongue so swollen that he could not speak, yet his lips went until they were shrunk to the gums: and he knocked his breast with his hands until one of his arms fell off, and then knocked still with the other, while the fat, water, and blood dropped out at his fingers’ ends, until by renewing the fire, his strength was gone, and his hand clave fast in knocking to the iron upon his breast. Then immediately bowing forwards, he yielded up his spirit.

#19

it’ll be cool to see those bad ass assassin/thief characters get put into un-exitable in-game cutscene where they get hanged and roasted for getting caught.

adds to challenge, and makes those kinds of behaviors have realistic consequences :wink:

#20

, I don’t think you should be put to a horrific death simply for steal some cheese.That would be sorta f’ed up.

#21

Although if you did commit a murder back then it would appear realistic to be hanged, or possibly decapitated

#22

that’s as solid as any definition to describe the medieval ages.

1 Like
© 2015 Warhorse Studios www.warhorsestudios.cz