What else warrants execution by the Wardens?

[toturi]

Talking out of turn...that's a paddling.  Looking out the
        window...that's a paddling.  Staring at my sandals...that's a
        paddling.  Paddling the school canoe...ooh, you better believe
        that's a paddling.

What? I am afraid you may have lost me there. What are you talking about? Some obscure reference?

[Vars]

In the first book it pretty plainly says that the wardens are the watchdogs of the council. In addittion to upholding the laws of magic for all practitioners that are not other types of supernatural (ie. faries and such aren't their problem), I think it says several times that wardens would do whatever it takes to keep people from discovering the true reality of whats out there. In several books it implies that a warden would kill someone who had to much info from the mortal world and that they go around smacking down things that have come out of their rightful area into the real world, such as fetch's and boogeymen and trolls and such. IMO a warden is about safe gaurding the veil that is between what people do know and what they can know. If you agree then there are a ton of things you could get in trouble for. Divulging info would be a big one.

[fantazero]

What? I am afraid you may have lost me there. What are you talking about? Some obscure reference?

Not knowing a classic simpson's quote...thats a paddlin'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFgR0m-9FmM

[Bruce Coulson]

The problem with Wardens killing people to keep secrets is that this may have worked in the past; it's likely to bring the attention of the mortal governments if they do it these days.  Yes, the Wardens could get away with this for a while; but eventually, someone they could never expect would put the pieces together.  And once someone with real authority decided (and could prove) there was a secret organization of murderers running around, bad things would happen.

There's also the point that if the Wardens routinely killed people just for finding out things, then it's likely they would start running into other people with swords who are dedicated to protecting innocents.

I would imagine that the White Council uses threats, implies things, and very rarely sanctions a mortal who has information and is intending to use it in bad ways.  But I can't see Wardens routinely killing people just because they've looked behind the curtain and accepted what they saw.

[Wolfwood2]

The problem with Wardens killing people to keep secrets is that this may have worked in the past; it's likely to bring the attention of the mortal governments if they do it these days.  Yes, the Wardens could get away with this for a while; but eventually, someone they could never expect would put the pieces together.  And once someone with real authority decided (and could prove) there was a secret organization of murderers running around, bad things would happen.

The whole idea of the supernatural being a secret is plainly ridiculous, accepted as a premise for the sake of the story/game.  Given that, there's no point on arguing on the basis of 'what would really happen'.

I would imagine that the White Council uses threats, implies things, and very rarely sanctions a mortal who has information and is intending to use it in bad ways.  But I can't see Wardens routinely killing people just because they've looked behind the curtain and accepted what they saw.

Oh, probably not.  I think the best way to work it is that if none of the PCs are Wardens, then the Wardens are mysterious boogiemen who can kill anybody they think needs killing.  If one of the PCs is a Warden, then all of a sudden there are a lot of checks on their authority and what they can do that were previously invisible from the outside.

[Bruce Coulson]

The premise is that most mortals refuse to accept that magic, and the supernatural, exists.  So, 'keeping the secret' is more a matter of keeping information from reaching those mortals who would accept magic, and have enough real power to do something about it.

The Chicago Police Department has a squad assigned to 'disturbing' cases with the unwritten rule being to make these cases go away and not reach the papers...somehow.  Explain things, make things normal, don't bring up ideas that no one will believe and that would embarass the Department.  So, most mortal authorities work with the supernatural community to keep things hidden.  Most.

Fool Moon is an example of what can happen when you combine mortal authority with supernatural power.  Which is why everyone works to try and see that this doesn't happen.

And if a PC becomes a Warden, then I woulnd't suddenly impose a bunch of restrictions.  This is a game about being able to do what you want...if you're willing to accept the consequences.

[Wolfwood2]

The premise is that most mortals refuse to accept that magic, and the supernatural, exists.  So, 'keeping the secret' is more a matter of keeping information from reaching those mortals who would accept magic, and have enough real power to do something about it.

Which I think is plainly ridiculous and makes any argument on the basis of what 'would really happen' to be entirely pointless.

Going on to quote a bunch of examples from the books isn't going to change my mind.  I've read the books.  I just don't think they succeed in justifying magic-as-secret or making it even remotely plausible.  But then, I can't think of any urban fantasy setting that has ever made magic-as-secret seem plausible to me.

And if a PC becomes a Warden, then I woulnd't suddenly impose a bunch of restrictions.  This is a game about being able to do what you want...if you're willing to accept the consequences.

Hey, I'm just following how the novels themselves handle it.  Before Harry becomes a warden, the wardens are terrifying figures whose restrictions and internal organization he seems to have little clue about.  (And Harry is a White council wizard, even if one who doesn't network much.)  After he becomes a warden, Harry finds out that wardens have a hierarchy and territories and do have to answer to each other.

This suggests to me that their restrictions are largely invisible from the outside.  More importantly, it makes for a better game.