The living death

As described in the novel Carnival of Fear, the so-called living death (Not to be confused with the Living Death RPGA campaign) is the required form of punishment for any serious crime (as in, breaking the Statutes of l'Morai). It is called a living death because, to the people of the City of l'Morai it is like experiencing death but to remain living. It is essentially a form of exile but with the added stipulation of transformation into a carnival freak and the stripping away of one's former identity and memories. As such, it means effective banishment to Carnival l'Morai.

This transformation is exemplified by Dominick the Butcher into Karrick the Man of a Thousand Knives. Beyond merely punishing transgressors of the Statutes, the living death also has the function of creating a caste of outcasts to be abused, exploited, and even murdered by the City's citizens, so that the citizens do not tear each other apart.