Robert-François Damiens’ Rope

Origin
On the 5th of January, 1757, Robert-François Damiens attempted to assassinate King Louis XV of France with a pen knife. Not only was Damiens unsuccessful, he was also immediately captured and sentenced to torture and death. Part of this torture was for his hand, which held the knife, to be cut and burned with various liquids. Afterward, the royal executioner, Charles Henri Sanson, received custody of Damiens and harnessed his limbs to four horses, where the condemned man was reported to exclaim “La journée sera rude” or “The day will be tough”. When they released the horses, however, his limbs did not separate and it took the use of an axe to perform the task. Even then, Damiens remained alive until his body was burned at the stake.

Because of the emotional and tragic execution Damiens faced, the ropes that bound him to the horses were imbued with Robert’s strength and his muscles’ inability to separate.

Effects
The rope grants the user solidity and the ability to hold things together. It can be used on a person or an object to keep them whole when they are at risk of being separated. The rope can be activated my stating the French phrase, “la journée sera rude” when the rope is in place.

While the artifact does stop the act of separation, it does not affect the sensation of being separated on living creatures. As such, it makes an effective torture device to simulate dismemberment, as water boarding simulates drowning.

Collection
To be completed...