Author Topic: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?  (Read 3737 times)

Offline toturi

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 734
    • View Profile
What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« on: April 05, 2011, 09:33:52 AM »
As the topic states, for what else other than breaking of the Laws, would a Warden or White Council mark you for death? During a state of war, I suppose the enemy forces are fair game, so in a war against the Red Court, Wardens can go after RCVs. But other than breaking the Laws, for what else can, say, a focused practitioner get executed by the Wardens or sentenced to death by the White Council?
With your laws of magic, wizards would pretty much just be helpless carebears who can only do magic tricks. - BumblingBear

Offline crusher_bob

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 538
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2011, 10:42:34 AM »
I'd guess not much, by canon.  Possibly the (non-magical) murder of a wizard.  But it looks like you can kill all the normal people you want.

Of course, from Morgan's interactions with Harry, it seems that they are not above the, "Oh my God! he's coming right at us!" excuse.  But I guess that not a death sentence, since that would imply more legal niceties.

Offline Haru

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 5520
  • Mentally unstable like a fox.
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2011, 10:43:27 AM »
in short: nothing.

BUT: if they think you broke a law, they are going to execute you as much as if you actually did it. And if you constantly walk the line, they might look really hard to get an excuse to put you down.
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?”
― Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

Offline zenten

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 376
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2011, 12:13:48 PM »
I'd say any serious betrayal of the White Council would count.

Offline Belial666

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2389
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2011, 12:26:26 PM »
Falsely reporting someone for Lawbreaking then bombing the building the Council convenes in to pass sentence ought to do it.

Offline DFJunkie

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 624
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2011, 12:29:19 PM »
I doubt they would execute a Focused Practitioner.  They might kill one if the FP posed a threat to the Council or had done harm to a Wizard, but I think the reason Morgan was up for execution specifically in TC was that he was a member of the Council, and therefore under their jurisdiction. 
90% of what I say is hyperbole intended for humorous effect.  Don't take me seriously. I don't.

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2011, 01:51:08 PM »
I think owning the works of kemmler would get you killed even if you were not using them to break the law and possibly creating an army of necromantic sheep might get your head cut off.
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline Wolfwood2

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 123
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2011, 03:35:22 PM »
In addition the enforcing the Laws of Magic, the Wardens are also charged with protecting the interests of the White Council.  This means retaliating if one of the other supernatural factions (or unaffiliated monster) has harmed a Wizard or to a (much) lesser extent, a Practitioner of any sort.

Ultimately, the Wardens aren't cops.  They don't have a prison in which they can throw troublemakers or people misusing (on a sub-Law breaking level) magic.  The have only two tools of enforcement, threats and violence.  I imagine they use a lot of the former and resort to the latter when somebody tries to call their bluff.

Offline Bruce Coulson

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 621
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2011, 06:07:07 PM »
Theoretically, only a violation of the Laws of Magic by a mortal practicioner would warrant a formal execution.  And in practice, given the number of people involved, this is probably followed reasonably closely.

Now, as far as just killing someone (or thing); the Wardens have a LOT of latitude.  Wardens are supposed to be trained carefully to avoid abuses of power; but given Harry's former teacher, accidents happen.  So, basically, as long as a Warden's actions are against beings that can't file formal protests with the White Council, a Warden can kill pretty much anyone they want without much worry.

Most Wardens probably don't abuse this power.  Most of the time.  Most of them.  But consider
(click to show/hide)
; quis custodes ipsos custodes, after all.  There are few Wardens, a lot of territory, and little oversight.  Given that Wizards are human, it would be more surprising if no Warden had ever abused their position and authority, ever. 

I'd suspect that a lot of abuses are small things; cadging free drinks, discounts on books of lore, that sort of thing.  But as the books show, it can become a lot more serious.

So, actually, you could get marked for death by a Warden just by annoying them sufficiently and not having enough connections to make your death problematic politically.
You're the spirit of a nation, all right.  But it's NOT America.

Offline sandchigger

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 104
  • His Holiness, the Chigg
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2011, 01:23:40 AM »
Apparently owning Bob is enough to get Harry into the deepest of all possible doo-doos which is why he keeps him a secret from the Wardens.
I may well be silly, but I am never moronic.

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2011, 01:27:33 AM »
Apparently owning Bob is enough to get Harry into the deepest of all possible doo-doos which is why he keeps him a secret from the Wardens.

Owning the works of kemmler ?
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline sandchigger

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 104
  • His Holiness, the Chigg
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2011, 01:36:10 AM »
Works and tools, yup.

"Things wizards were not meant to know" might be a good catch-all.
I may well be silly, but I am never moronic.

Offline Richard_Chilton

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2400
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2011, 01:50:59 AM »
In a couple of books, it's made clear that practitioners and such get visits from the Wardens if anyone thinks they might go over the line.

I've got the feeling that it's a one warning type thing.  That if the warden has to come back then someone is going to lose his head.

Richard

Offline fantazero

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1217
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2011, 02:33:58 AM »
Talking out of turn...that's a paddling.  Looking out the
        window...that's a paddling.  Staring at my sandals...that's a
        paddling.  Paddling the school canoe...ooh, you better believe
        that's a paddling.

Offline deathwombat

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 336
    • View Profile
Re: What else warrants execution by the Wardens?
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2011, 03:01:18 AM »
I deserve a paddling!
Bad typists untie!!!!