Execution of John Ball

John Ball, a radical priest and leader of the Peasants' Revolt, is being publicly executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering in St Albans' town square. The brutal spectacle is intended as a warning

Setting

The execution takes place in the town square of St Albans, a cobbled open space surrounded by timber-framed buildings with thatched roofs. The gallows stand prominently in the center, with a wooden platform and a rough-hewn beam for hanging. Nearby, a butcher's block and a pile of straw soaked in blood mark the site where the quartering will occur.

Characters

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John Ball

primary

A gaunt man in his late 40s with a weathered face, deep-set eyes, and a prematurely gray beard. His hands are rough from years of labor before becoming a priest, and his frame is lean but wiry, showing the toll of imprisonment.

Royal Executioner

primary

A tall, broad-shouldered man of indeterminate age, his face concealed by a black leather executioner's mask with narrow eye slits. His hands are large and calloused, accustomed to wielding heavy tools of his grim trade. The mask muffles his breathing, giving him an eerie, impersonal presence.

Captain of the Guard

secondary

A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 40s with a weathered face, deep-set eyes, and a prominent scar running from his left temple to his jawline. His short-cropped hair is streaked with grey, and his thick beard is neatly trimmed. His hands are calloused from years of wielding weapons, and his stance exudes authority.

Town Crier

secondary

A thin, middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and deep-set eyes. His face is lined with stress, and his hands tremble slightly as he holds the parchment. He has a receding hairline and a patchy beard, with sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool morning air.

Weeping Woman

background

A middle-aged peasant woman with a gaunt face, sunken cheeks, and deep-set eyes red from crying. Her hands are rough from years of labor, and her hair is partially covered by a simple linen wimple, with strands of graying brown hair escaping from beneath it.

Young Apprentice

background

A thin, wiry boy of about 14 years with short, unevenly cut brown hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose. His hands are rough and calloused from work, but his frame suggests he's still growing into his strength. His face is pale, with a sheen of sweat from both the summer heat and the horror before him.

Dialog

John Ball Ye lords who grind the faces of the poor - mark well this day! For as wheat falls to the sickle, so shall ye fall when the people rise!

Town Crier By order of His Majesty...John Ball is condemned for treasonous preaching and...uh...inciting rebellion against lawful authority...

Royal Executioner The rope first. Then the blade. Quartering after.

John Ball What, no sermon from you, butcher? Or does your trade leave your tongue as dull as your conscience?

Town Crier Let all present bear witness that justice is...that is to say...the lawful...

Royal Executioner The block is ready. Straw's laid for the blood.

John Ball I go to God with clean hands - which is more than any lord here can say! Remember me when the tax collector comes!

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Coordinates

Year: 1381
Date: 7/15
Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Layer: 2
Fingerprint: 621748762b38...

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Execution of John Ball

Setting

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Dialog

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