Which villainous race(s) are next on the chopping block?

[diplomancer]

On the Benjamin issue, a cameo from a recent session:

We are playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen, end of chapter 1, Greenest in Flames, after the Cult of the Dragon goes away after pillaging and burning the city. We have captured a cultist, and are about to interrogate him.

Present in the room, apart from the cultist, are myself (a Tiefling Celestial Warlock with a criminal background, a bad dude whose Patron is also his "outer conscience") the city's Governor, and the party Paladin.
I smile pleasantly to the Cultist, and say that the people of Greenest are very pissed off at what's happened, and, being the only prisoner, they are all very willing to give him a horrible death as a just punishment, BUT, if he spills the beans, I'd give him the mercy of a quick death.

After a quick intimidation check (there was some bluffing threat of torture, my PC will not torture anyone, but he has no issue with people believing he will) he spills the beans. I ask the Governor: "permission to execute the prisoner", Governor goes "do what you need to do", and leaves the room. I say "I get my dagger and slit his throat", Paladin's player says "I try to stop him", DM says "you two roll for initiative". I win initiative, DM describes it as being too quick for the Paladin to react (by the way, Paladin was out of Lay on Hands by then, he couldn't save the guy if he wanted to). Short argument ensues, I say "dozens of people are dead because of scum like this" (my character suffers from a guilty conscience, having unintentionally, but culpably, killed 3 innocent people in his past, so there is definitely a "lady doth protest too much" quality to his dealings with villains). Paladin says "and now one more person's dead".

So, I still don't think that what my character did was in any way wrong or even offensive to a Paladin. I did kill him out of mercy, and if I didn't, he very likely would have died a much worse death. Angry villagers who have lost their loved ones and have had most of their food stores wantonly burnt down are not known to be very merciful or patient. I had tacit permission from the local authority, who HAD the undoubted right, and some might say the duty, to execute him.

Interestingly enough, now that we've reached level 3, Paladin has decided to go Vengeance (I thought he was going for devotion, the way he was acting). I'm curious to know if this will make any difference to his outlook :)