* Restricted Information: Citizens of Hell only
In Hell there are crimes, and there is punishment, but there is no justice. To be sent for punishment is a process which does not necessarily involve a trial, and is really just another way of losing in the eternal struggle for power.
The punishment of offenders is generally the province of HAERIM, God of Hate. In His eyes, death is one of the lighter penalties. Undeath is to be preferred, as it not only offers the intriguing prospect of undying torment for the victim, but also produces a much more compliant citizen of Hell; albeit of more limited usefulness. Those with adventurer abilities make the best subjects; for the higher-level they are, the better Undead they will become.
If such adventurers can be given even more experience (it is reasoned), they will therefore make even better Undead. They are expendable, and so can be thrown into dangerous situations, where they will either gain quick experience, or die; and then be ready to be turned into Undead. Soon such teams come to consist partly of the living, and partly of the Undead. These are the "Zombie Squads".
To encourage them to fight, their sentences are limited to a certain number of Caeriads. It is notorious that these are often extended, but should a prisoner survive his allotted term, his punishment is over, and he will have gained some useful experience. More likely, he will gain rather less experience, be killed, and end up as a zombie, or worse.
To discourage them from escaping, not only are they guarded, but also their food and water contain a drug. If daily doses are not taken, or the antidote is not given, it is fatal. Moreover, even assuming an escapee could obtain the antidote, where would he go, as an outlaw in Hell? or in the depths of the Dungeons?
Sometimes it amuses HAERIM to offer prisoners a choice: the Zombie Squad or death. Many prefer death, but there are always a few optimists; hoping to survive, or planning to escape, against all the odds.
© P.R. Wild, 7 October 1986
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