by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 11, Day 3.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, the focus today is on the Permanence of Slavery. I have added a specific interactive segment called "The Mark of Truth" to teach the audience the difference between decorative ink, punishment scars, and the legal Brand.
Special Instruction: You must copy the "Part 2: The Poem" section into a Notecard and give it to your Poet (from Aria’s team) before the event.
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 11, DAY 3
Event: The Poet's Corner ("The Brand") Host: Kati Evans Guest Performer: The Poet (Aria or designate) Target Duration: 35–45 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage.
[ ] Props: A Branding Iron (if you have a prop/object to hold) or a Brazier/Fire with irons in it.
[ ] The Poet: Ensure they have the poem text notecard.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Start formal RP. Announce 5-minute gathering.
🎤 PART 1: THE INTRODUCTION (Kati)
(Walk to the podium. If you have a branding iron prop, hold it. If not, gesture to the fire.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps up to the podium. She looks at the fire brazier burning on the stage. She picks up an iron rod (prop or imaginary) and inspects the tip. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Day 3 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "On Day 1, we held the Collar. The Collar is heavy. It is cold. But... it has a lock. A key can turn, and the collar can fall."
[Chat Block 3] "Today, we speak of the mark that has no key. We speak of The Brand. Law 6.6 calls for a 'Visible Token of Bondage.' For the casual slave, it is a collar. For the permanent slave, it is the Iron."
[Chat Block 4] "The Brand is not just a scar. It is a signature. It is the Master writing his name in the flesh of his property. It says: 'This object belongs to me, now and forever.'"
[Chat Block 5] "To explore the heat of this moment, I have invited a voice from the Caste of Singers. I present to you [Poet's Name], who will recite a piece titled 'The Brand.'"
/me steps back from the podium and gestures for the Poet to take the center stage near the fire.
📜 PART 2: THE POEM (For the Actor/Poet)
(Give this text to your Poet. They should paste one stanza at a time, waiting 20 seconds between each. They should act terrified.)
[Stanza 1] /me stares into the fire, trembling slightly. "The collar is a circle closed, A weight upon the neck imposed. But steel can break and locks can pick, And freedom comes with one small click. To own the soul, to own the skin, The Master must go deep within."
[Stanza 2] /me wraps arms around self, flinching away from the heat. "Cold iron warms in the brazier's heart, To turn the flesh into Master's art. The smell of oil, the hiss of heat, The silence of the girl at feet. No paper contract, inked and dried, But fire applied to the naked side."
[Stanza 3] /me cries out softly, clutching their thigh (or shoulder). "A hiss of smoke, a cry of pain, The mark is forged, the truth is plain. The Kef, the Dina, the Master's Sign, To say 'This breathing thing is Mine.' The skin forgets the whip and rod, But remembers the touch of the Iron God."
[Stanza 4] /me stands tall, wiping away a tear, looking resigned. "The collar may break, the silk may tear, But the Brand is a garment I always wear. Naked or clothed, in dark or light, I am Property in the City's sight. Burned in the flesh, burned in the bone, I am never, ever, truly alone."
(The Poet bows deeply to the crowd.)
🎤 PART 3: THE ANALYSIS (Kati Returns)
(Wait for applause. Walk back to the podium.)
[Chat Block 6] /me returns to the podium. "Thank you, [Poet's Name]. 'I am never, ever, truly alone.' That is the purpose."
[Chat Block 7] "Law 6.6.2 states: 'Merchants may not sell an unbranded slave.' Why? Because an unbranded slave is a flight risk. If she runs away and takes off her collar, she looks like a Free Woman."
[Chat Block 8] "But if she bears the Brand? She can run to the ends of the earth, but the first person who sees her skin will know what she is. The Brand enforces the Law even when the Master is not there."
🔥 PART 4: THE MARK OF TRUTH (Interactive Game)
[Chat Block 9] /me leans forward. "I want to test your eyes. Not every mark on a slave is a Brand. I will describe a mark. You tell me: Brand (Proof of Ownership) or Decoration/Scar?"
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: A slave girl has a beautiful vine of roses tattooed around her ankle. Is this a Brand?" (WAIT. Answer: DECORATION.)
[Chat Block 10] "Verdict: DECORATION. Ink is not Iron. A tattoo is for beauty. A Brand is for status. A tattoo does not prove ownership in court; a Brand does."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: A slave has a jagged, ugly scar across her back from a whipping. Is this a Brand?" (WAIT. Answer: SCAR/PUNISHMENT.)
[Chat Block 11] "Verdict: SCAR. This proves she was punished, but it does not prove who owns her. It is a mark of discipline, not title."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: A woman arrives at the gate. She is dressed as a Free Woman. But on her thigh, she bears the Kef (The Gorean letter K). She has no papers. Is she Free or Slave?" (WAIT. Answer: SLAVE.)
[Chat Block 12] "Verdict: SLAVE. Law 3.3.9. 'A Free Woman who bears a visible brand without documentation of manumission shall be deemed a slave.'"
[Chat Block 13] "The Brand is the ultimate evidence. If you have a brand and no papers to explain it... the City assumes you are a runaway property. The Iron outvotes the Dress."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 14] "I will take questions now regarding Branding, Marking, or Removal."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! Can a Brand be removed? If I free my slave, does she have to keep the mark?"
[Chat Block 15 - Answer] /me nods solemnly. "The mark stays. You cannot erase a burn. However..."
[Chat Block 16] "If you Manumit (Free) her, you give her the Cross-Brand or the Paper of Release. She carries the paper to prove the brand is null and void. But the scar remains as a history of her life. She will always be an 'Ex-Slave.'"
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, where should I brand my slave? Is there a law for location?"
[Chat Block 17 - Answer] /me points to her own thigh. "Tradition dictates the Left Thigh. It is discreet but inspectable. Some brand the shoulder."
[Chat Block 18] "However, do not brand the Face unless she is a State Slave or a criminal. To brand the face destroys the value of the beauty. A Master who brands a face is usually destroying his own investment out of spite."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 19] /me smooths her robes. "The Brand is the seal of the Master. It is the promise that you will never be lost... and never be free."
[Chat Block 20] "Tomorrow, we look at a crime involving the health of the slave. We will have a Storyteller share the tale of 'The Medical Fraud.'"
[Chat Block 21] "We will see what happens when a Master tries to sell a sick slave by forging the Physician's Seal. It is a lesson in Law 6.4.1."
[Chat Block 22] "Thank you to our Poet. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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