The Table of Torture

Technical description

 In the era of the Inquisition, dissidents, criminals, and sorcerers, all became victims of the table, tortured and tormented by cruel and sophisticated devices. The arsenal of executioners offers an amazing variety of tools designed to torment the human flesh.

For methodical, prolonged torture, the victim was tied to the table, and different tools were applied to him, such as pliers, vises, knives, and hatchets.

The “Pulper Chest” (Spanish Spider) was created to punish women standing trial for witchcraft or  adultery. The device is a curling iron, with curved and sharp edges. They glow white hot and sear into the woman’s breasts, causing inhuman amounts of suffering. When attempting to brand men with such tools like the Crocodile and Teeth Crusher. The Crocodile, in the shape of mites, torturer aforementioned, erect sexual organs. The Crusher was also intended to crush the testes.

An interesting fact: There was a decoration called the “pectoral cross” which had a protective function, and was manufactured in the form of two gold, or silver, bowls with decorations carved out of precious stones. It was worn in the same way as the metal bra, secured with chains. When pressed onto a woman, the metal bowls are heating, then taking them with tongs, are placed onto her chest. The process was repeated several times until the woman was unaware of anything that was incriminating or not. Often times, completing this torture meant a severely disfigured and burned chest.

Fiction description

Where does the unfulfilled surgeon end up working? Experts in human anatomy, geniuses of forceps*, knives, and clamps, can fully realize their potential upon the torture table. During this undertaking, one must remain cool and maintain an absence of disgust.

A potential witch is placed onto the table and tightly bound in shackles. The executioner’s task — to squeeze a confession out of her that she has colluded with the Devil. To begin, he checks the sharpness of the knife, drawing a cross on the victim’s stomach. The woman keeps silent, and only rapid breathing gives off any notion of fear or pain. Forcing her to scream is very simple — it’s enough to just take tongs and rip off a few nails. Afterwards, while a pectoral cross is heated on hot coals, serrated pliers snip off her toes. Now we see this woman accused of witchcraft already writhing about and beating her head upon the table, however the true torture awaits her yet. The executioner takes hold of a small, toothed vice** and slowly clamps down on her fragile, female fingers until a crunch is heard. She will never page through forbidden books ever again. Meanwhile, the pectoral cross has been cooked to a glowing white. Only when the woman sees the metal semisphere, suspended inches from her chest, does she confess. Obtaining said confession, however, means only that the torture should be continued until the very end. With an inhumanly calm face, the torturer applies the pectoral cross to her chest, acquiring both a disgusting hiss, and torrential cry of madness. When the victim’s pain threshold is bested, sanity mercilessly leaves her tormented body.

*For details, see stand “Forceps”

** For details, see stand “Vice”