Cathing your realm's scouts?

[egamma]

It's ot always enemy land.It can be your own realm's regions for instance.

Right, but you don't know if the scout was sent by an enemy, into your lands.

[mikm]

Maybe you can tell your men to ignore any scouts they see.

[JPierreD]

The game mesage says you beat him up to find out who he is working for.Why doesn't the scout just tell you without the need of beating up?After all this isn't an enemy noble.

Quoting Atia in Rome, "it is not a legal confession unless there's torture!".

[fodder]

Maybe you can tell your men to ignore any scouts they see.

your men can't tell a scout from a badger. all he knows is that there is some suspicious dude dressed shiftily and look like he's got something to hide. enemy soldier! kill!

[Indirik]

It's ot always enemy land.It can be your own realm's regions for instance.

And how do you know that those papers are authentic?

Or that the enemy scout didn't capture one of your realm's scouts, kill him, and steal *his* papers?

You can tell by beating the crap out of him. Beat the incompetent fool enough, and he'll tell the truth. After all, no one would lie and besmirch their own honor just to stop a little bit of pain, right?

[Chenier]

If you move into enemy lands, would you carry papers with you that identifies you as the enemy?

Honestly, why not? Since he's gonna beat it out of the scout anyways, and since the information of who sent him is pretty much useless anyhow, why should we not want him to carry papers? Since not having any papers is just as bad as having enemy papers in almost every case, I'd rather he have papers so that at least if allies catch him, he'll be released. Just sayin', though, I'm not actually asking that game mechanics be changed, as I doubt it'd be worth the trouble.

[JPierreD]

Honestly, why not? Since he's gonna beat it out of the scout anyways, and since the information of who sent him is pretty much useless anyhow, why should we not want him to carry papers? Since not having any papers is just as bad as having enemy papers in almost every case, I'd rather he have papers so that at least if allies catch him, he'll be released. Just sayin', though, I'm not actually asking that game mechanics be changed, as I doubt it'd be worth the trouble.

Better a suspect than a proved criminal. A beating is good compared to an execution.

[Chenier]

Better a suspect than a proved criminal. A beating is good compared to an execution.

He isn't given back after the beating. Since he's a "proven criminal" after the beating anyways, what's the point?

[JPierreD]

He isn't given back after the beating. Since he's a "proven criminal" after the beating anyways, what's the point?

How do you know that? Maybe he's too injured to return and be of use, so he goes to healing and then back to the scout guild, as suggested before.

[Chenier]

How do you know that? Maybe he's too injured to return and be of use, so he goes to healing and then back to the scout guild, as suggested before.

Why would he be executed if he is caught with papers saying he is from an enemy realm, but not if he verbally admits to being part of an enemy realm? Either he's executed in both cases, or just beaten up in both cases, as whether it would be by paper or by word, the enemy would conclude the same: he's an enemy scout. There's no reason to treat him differently because you found his origins out differently.

[JPierreD]

Why would he be executed if he is caught with papers saying he is from an enemy realm, but not if he verbally admits to being part of an enemy realm? Either he's executed in both cases, or just beaten up in both cases, as whether it would be by paper or by word, the enemy would conclude the same: he's an enemy scout. There's no reason to treat him differently because you found his origins out differently.

If a commoner is caught peeking at your troops he can get beaten up and released, so he learns not to put his nose where it doesn't belong. Now, if he is also carrying papers saying he /works/ for the enemy...

[De-Legro]

Would medieval people even carry "papers". Sounds like a decidedly modern concept to me.

[Chenier]

If a commoner is caught peeking at your troops he can get beaten up and released, so he learns not to put his nose where it doesn't belong. Now, if he is also carrying papers saying he /works/ for the enemy...

Well if he admits to working for the enemy while you beat him up... Because the texts offer only the following two options, as far as I know: either he refuses to tell you who he works for until you beat him to death, either you beat him 'till he tells you who he works for. If he had papers, you could simply beat him up if he's an enemy, or allow him to return to his employer if he's from an ally.

Would medieval people even carry "papers". Sounds like a decidedly modern concept to me.

Good question. I have no idea.

[Draco Tanos]

If serving a noble, I would imagine someone working on that lord's behalf to carry something that has his seal on it.
 
That is mot modern, as carrying something to represent your master's authority is an ancient concept.

[De-Legro]

If serving a noble, I would imagine someone working on that lord's behalf to carry something that has his seal on it.
 
That is mot modern, as carrying something to represent your master's authority is an ancient concept.

If on a VERY important mission you would carry THE seal of your master, at least in fantasy works. But these are different to scouting missions, more akin to diplomatic matters, trade matters etc where they would be acting as a proxy for the lord. So simply carrying something bearing a coat of arms or seal is hardly going to be a great way to determine ones affiliation, it would be trivial to produce fakes. You are also ignoring the fact that as a spy/scout, I would be trying NOT to carry things that would identify my lord, for plausible deny ability reasons.