Guards Without Mercy
The thirst for power among the ruling Ladies is insatiable, driven by a relentless pursuit of land, wealth, and ultimately, absolute dominance. These ambitions are woven into the fabric of their society, where every step taken, every move made, is a strategic calculation to rise higher. Power struggles between the Ladies are inevitable, yet the courts, with their ancient customs, have streamlined these rivalries into stark, ritualistic contests. The determination of how a dispute is ‘solved’ is a matter of utmost importance, for it not only defines the victor but entertains the elite in their thirst for spectacle and control.
Among the most brutal and celebrated methods of resolving these power struggles are the Slave Battle and the Slave Stamina trials. In a Slave Battle, a Lady selects her finest male warrior; her property, trained for violence and survival. These men, nothing more than tools of power, clash in fierce combat, their fates sealed by the strength of their arms and the brutality of their masters. Victory for the surviving fighter means victory for his owner, a triumph that elevates her status and her claim.
But perhaps even more savage is the Slave Stamina contest, an event that reveals the sadistic heart of this society. Here, the Ladies pit their strongest slaves against each other, not in physical combat, but in a test of endurance under the lash. Each Lady must carefully choose a Mistress to administer the punishment, as her skill with the whip can make all the difference. Stroke by agonizing stroke, each servant is subjected to the cracking leather, the goal being to outlast his opponent in bearing the unbearable. The more he suffers, the more his Mistress’ skill is showcased, her reputation growing with every shriek of pain and every welt raised on quivering flesh. It is a test not just of physical endurance but of dominance and precision, a contest that reinforces the hierarchy among the Ladies themselves. The Mistress who can exact the most pain with the fewest strokes, who can drive her opponent’s servant to collapse before her own, secures her Lady’s victory in a spectacle of blood and tears.
For the courts, these contests serve a dual purpose. They uphold the social order by resolving disputes with public displays of cruelty, and they also offer entertainment, a reminder of the control the Ladies wield over their male subjects. To produce a ‘winning team’; a slave who can endure the whip and a Mistress who can wield it to perfection; is to demonstrate one’s superiority in the most primal way. It is an artform of dominance, where precision in cruelty is a mark of high standing.
When it comes to crimes committed by males, the process is even more straightforward. In this world, the mere accusation by a Lady or Mistress is enough to seal a man’s fate. Guilt is assumed, and punishment is swift. The death penalty, once a grim sentence, has long been abolished; not out of mercy, but because death is deemed too lenient for men. Instead, they are condemned to live out their sentences under the ever-present threat of the lash, their lives marked by the unrelenting rhythm of regular punishment. A sentence of twenty-five years means precisely that; twenty-five years in the state’s dungeons, with each year punctuated by the lash or worse. The judge, often a Mistress herself, tailors the punishment to her whims, dictating how many lashes a week, a month, or a year will be inflicted upon the prisoner. The use of whips, crops, and switches becomes a language of control, each stroke a reminder of their subjugation.
Even this torment is not always enough. To ensure the prisoners’ suffering is thorough, each sentence includes ‘free periods’; additional time allotted for punishment, should a prisoner seem too resilient or insufficiently broken. These free periods allow the prison Controller to impose further suffering as she sees fit, extending the agony at her discretion. The prison Guards, chosen for their cruelty and martial prowess, take pleasure in their duties, often toying with the prisoners, their high-heeled boots and whips becoming instruments of both torment and amusement. Escape attempts are rare and always futile, often orchestrated for the Guards’ entertainment, as they relish in recapturing and punishing the desperate souls who dare to run.
Among the Guards, none are more feared than Supreme Guard Aphrodite. Her beauty is as striking as her ruthlessness, and her reputation for sadism is unparalleled. Though she answers directly to Lady Karla, she is a force in her own right, second only to the Commander herself. Aphrodite’s rise through the ranks was marked by blood and ambition, her proficiency with the whip legendary. Her methods are infamous; not merely efficient, but deeply, relentlessly cruel. She savors every moment of a punishment, each crack of the whip sending waves of pleasure through her. The more her victim suffers, the more she is aroused, her passions ignited by the screams and writhing of her prey. The ‘free periods’ are her favorite times, when she is free to punish without restraint, every lash of her whip driving her to greater heights of ecstasy.
Her ambitions, however, remain unfulfilled. Though she rivals Lady Karla in cruelty and skill, she was passed over for the top position of Commander. The bitter sting of that loss festers in her, and though she serves Lady Karla, she waits patiently for her moment to claim what she believes is rightfully hers. In the eyes of the Guards, she is a figure to be both feared and admired, a ruthless enforcer of discipline who will one day rise to claim the power she craves.
The hierarchy of this world is upheld by cruelty, and Lady Karla and Supreme Guard Aphrodite are its most ruthless architects. Together, they represent the pinnacle of sadistic authority, each lashing and every contest of endurance reinforcing their iron grip on society. Power here is not just taken; it is inflicted, stroke by stroke, scream by scream.
