I can see her performing experiments on children being a much stronger case for her execution, but that's not part of this game, as near as I can tell. Most certainly, if she wasn't acting of her own free volition, most courts/rulers, etc wouldn't hold her entire responsible for what happened. Lucian talking about a "need to execute her"? That sounds like a statement I'd expect from someone who was very mentally imbalanced "the *NEED* to execute" her? There could never be a NEED to execute her unless her living would be a clear and present danger to others. As punishment, execution may be efficacious (considering cost of life imprisonment or likelihood of escape and future deeds if they escape), it may be 'fun' under a sadistic regime, it _may_ be called for due to the enormity of the crime, but NEED?
Ygerna was a sorceress, and Flames of Vengeance seems to confirm that she was a VERY POWERFUL one, given that she
Imprisoned a DEMIGOD while she was ALREADY DEAD.
It is true that there are shades of grey in the Divine's actions, and some of them are questionable, but the leaders of the Black Ring are evil bastards.
[*]First, it really isn't part of this game. It can be claimed to be a justification for actions in this game, but not being part of this game, it can't really be considered a justification.
That justification is nonsense. Backstory does not cease to exist just because you didn't read it. If I kill a man in real life to steal his fancy hat, that doesn't mean it didn't happen just because I was never caught.
[*]Second: even if the external information was take to be part of this game, it was given that her participation was on pain of death -- heavily coerced. If someone is 'controlled', then they are not responsible for their actions. One goes after the 'controller', not the pawn. It would be like yelling at a light switch for turning off the light instead of the person who used the switch.
To hold the switch responsible for having turned off the light and punishing it, is a strong sign of mental problems.
While this hasn't been explicitly confirmed, I find it likely that the Black Ring attacked and devastated the dukedom of Ferol (from the first game) in the several months which happened after the Divine One walked the Lands of the Dead. That's the kind of thing which people tend to hold a grudge against.
[*]Third, even if one accepted the back-story as part of the game, the in game dialogue doesn't acknowledge it and indicates it was her 'awakening' Damian as being the sole cause for her execution.
See above post on backstory.
[*]Fourth, if it was a 'legal' execution by the laws of the land, why was it done 'secretly' -- inside with so few witnesses? *Especially*, in earlier days, people were not executed in secret, but publicly for the important reason that it was to be a 'message' and example of what happens to those who violate the laws of the land. By being 'private' it had all the earmarks of being something that couldn't have been done publicly for fear that the public would object, or fear that if it wasn't done 'immediately', a greater force might stop them. It wasn't the action of someone who was supposed to be a 'good guy' or a leader of the people, but of a thug.
Who says it was secret? Secret from Damian, maybe, but I doubt very much that Lucian would hide the fact that he executes members of the Black Ring (who are
EVIL, by the way). Making it clear that Black Ring members will be executed deters people from joining them, encourages defection, and shows the people that the Divine is fighting evil (WHICH THE BLACK RING ARE).
As for the actions of Rhode and her extreme antipathy toward me -- show me one example of a female, in history, who rose through the ranks to be a leader among her people, who's prejudice against a group was so murderous that she would turn upon a former pupil who was found to have 'tainted blood'.
What, does having two X chromosomes make you immune to being a jerk? Now that is a special kind of magic, all right.
