pauljcoles: Hello,
So, I'm trying to do the hanging quest, I initially completed it by fist fighting everyone, but the elf and the thief die. I thought this was rather arbitrary, so reloaded a save and wandered around.
On the docks you can distract a guard blocking the top left entrance to the square. You use Aard on some crates. Which gives you access to the square.
However I'm stuck as to what to do from here. Your quest info states "Draw the guards away and beat up the executioner". If you walk within range of the scaffold the executioner opens the trap door on the elf. So perhaps she can't be saved. If I approach the front of the scaffold it goes into the 'beat up' method.
I've googled and looked at walkthroughs and it seems that everyone just uses the beat them up method. However now I've discovered this alternate strategy it will bug me unless I work it out!
Interesting twist. I am not sure you can avoid the aggression sequence (fist fight and hanging) since that is triggered to approaching the platform. It would be nice if the hanging could be avoided but I doubt it is possible. I did find out depending on your answers you at times have to fight two guards before the executioner instead of one. I find it sad they do not clean up the hanged bodies even when there is a feast in town.