Death Sentence

“It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgment. And under the circumstance I have no choice but to sentence you to death.”
— Uther sentencing Gwen^[src]

Death Sentences are punishments of death given by a ruling King or Queen to an offender who has been found guilty of a serious crime.

Treason, adultery, and murder are all crimes punishable by death. After the Great Purge, practicing magic or aiding a sorcerer, either knowingly or unknowingly, was considered an act of treason.

Protocol

During Uther Pendragon's reign, on the day of their execution, a condemned prisoner was escorted by a pair of guards to the Main Square, where Uther and other members of the court would observe from the castle balcony. A large crowd would gather to watch the event, and Uther would give a speech about the crimes the condemned had committed, using them to set an example. He would then signal for the execution to begin (The Dragon's Call, The Beginning of the End).

On the day Gaius was to be executed, he was taken to the Main Square in a tumbril provided by Aredian. Uther did not make his usual speech, and left the balcony before the execution began (The Witchfinder).

During Arthur's reign, the protocol for executions was the same as under Uther. However, neither Arthur nor Guinevere gave speeches (The Drawing of the Dark, The Diamond of the Day).

Methods of Execution

Method	Description	Photo
Beheading	The condemned's head is cut off, usually by an axe.
Burning At The Stake	The condemned is tied to a stake and burned alive on a pyre.
Drowning	The condemned is submerged in water until dead.
Firing Squad	The condemned is shot and killed by a detachment of soldiers.
Hanging	The condemned is suspended by the neck from a gallows until dead.

List of Executions

Confirmed Executions

Condemned	Crime	Method	Sentenced By
Caerleon	Invaded Camelot	Beheading	Arthur Pendragon
Cerdan	Treason Magic	Beheading	Uther Pendragon
Cornelius Sigan	His magic was judged to have grown too powerful		King of Camelot
Drowned Boy	Treason Magic	Drowning	Uther Pendragon
Drowned Children	Treason Magic	Drowning	Uther Pendragon
Eira	Treason	Hanging	Guinevere Pendragon
Gregor	Treason Magic	Burning At The Stake	Uther Pendragon
Jaden Muirden	Treason Magic	Burning At The Stake	Uther Pendragon
Kara	Treason	Hanging	Arthur Pendragon
Thomas Collins	Treason Magic	Beheading	Uther Pendragon
Unnamed Man #1	Treason	Beheading	Uther Pendragon
Unnamed Man #2	Treason	Beheading	Uther Pendragon

Thwarted Executions

Prisoner	Crime	Sentence	Thwarted By
Alice	Treason Magic		Escaped
Alvarr	Treason Magic		Escaped
Arthur Pendragon	Killing Odin's Son in a duel	Beheading	Escaped
Dragoon the Great	Treason Magic	Burning At The Stake	Escaped
Gaius	Treason Magic	Burning At The Stake	Exonerated
Guinevere Pendragon	Treason Magic (x2)	Burning At The Stake (x2)	Exonerated (x2)
Knights of Camelot	Refusal to swear fealty to Queen Morgana	Firing Squad Hanging	Arthur's Rebellion
Leon	Refusal to swear fealty to Queen Morgana	Firing Squad	Escaped
Merlin	Treason Magic	Hanging	Exonerated
Mordred	Treason Magic	Beheading	Escaped
Sefa	Treason		Escaped
Tom	Treason	Beheading	Killed in an escape attempt
Tyr Seward	Treason	Hanging	Murdered
Valdis	Treason Magic	Burning At The Stake	Reprieved