Execution of John Ball

John Ball, the radical priest and leader of the Peasants' Revolt, is being publicly executed—hanged, drawn, and quartered—in the market square of St Albans before a crowd of townspeople and royal sold

Setting

The bustling market square of St Albans, situated beneath the imposing gaze of the Abbey. A temporary wooden gallows and a stone-based executioner's block have been hastily erected in the center of the cobbled plaza.

Characters

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John Ball

primary

A gaunt man in his late 40s with a prematurely aged face, deep-set eyes burning with fervor, and a tangled beard streaked with grey. His hands, bound before him, are calloused from both labor and holding a quill. His posture remains unnaturally upright despite the ropes cutting into his wrists and the bruises from imprisonment.

Sir Robert Tresilian

primary

A tall, gaunt man in his late 50s with a hawk-like nose and deep-set, piercing grey eyes that betray no emotion. His thin lips are pressed into a perpetual frown, and his high cheekbones give him a skeletal appearance. His posture is rigid, as if his spine were made of iron, and his long, bony fingers frequently steepled in judicial contemplation.

Town Tanner

secondary

A gaunt, middle-aged man with sunken cheeks and deep-set eyes reddened from weeping. His hands are rough and stained from years of working with hides, and his frame is slightly hunched from labor. His dark hair is streaked with grey and matted from sweat and tears.

Royal Guard

secondary

A rugged, middle-aged soldier with a scar running from his left temple to the corner of his mouth, evidence of past battles. His muscular frame is slightly stooped from years of bearing heavy armor, and his sunken eyes betray exhaustion from long hours on duty. His hands are calloused, gripping the poleaxe with practiced ease.

Executioner

background

A broad-shouldered, imposing figure clad in a heavy, bloodstained leather apron over a simple linen tunic. His face is obscured by a deep black hood with only a slit for his eyes, revealing glimpses of a thick beard and a hardened gaze. His hands are large and calloused, gripping the cleaver with practiced ease.

Dialog

John Ball Hear me now, all ye who till the earth under the lash of lords! My blood shall water the roots of liberty — see you well, the harvest comes!

Sir Robert Tresilian By the authority vested in me by His Majesty King Richard, you stand condemned for the crime of sedition. Let this spectacle serve as warning against any who would disturb the peace of the realm.

Town Tanner God's nails... they mean to make an example of 'im...

Royal Guard Back, you dogs! Keep the line or feel the haft!

John Ball Tresilian! Your black robes cannot hide your deeds from God’s eye! When we stand before the true Judge, who then shall tremble?

Sir Robert Tresilian Proceed with the sentence. Hanging first, then drawing ere death releases him. Quarter the corpse that traitors may know their fate.

Town Tanner Christ have mercy... Christ have mercy...

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Coordinates

Year: 1381
Date: 7/15
Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Layer: 2
Fingerprint: 1011f9412295...

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Execution of John Ball

Setting

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Dialog

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