by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 12, Day 2.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, the play is written as a Tragedy. It requires the actors to play the emotional conflict—the slave is "good," and the Master "likes" her, which makes the inevitable execution harder to watch. I have also included an interactive segment called "The Intent Game" to drive home the point that the Law does not care about your heart, only your hands.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: You must copy "PART 2: THE PLAY" into a Notecard named Script: The Helpful Hand and give it to Aria (or your actors) at least 24 hours in advance.
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 12, DAY 2
Event: The Player's Stage ("The Helpful Hand") Host: Kati Evans + 3 Actors (Master Torren, Slave Lina, The Magistrate) Target Duration: 40–50 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage. (Props needed: A table/bench, a sword/dagger prop).
[ ] Costumes:
Actor 1: Master Torren (Warrior, looks weary/tired).
Actor 2: Slave Lina (Eager to please, neat appearance).
Actor 3: The Magistrate (Robes of Office, stern).
[ ] 1:00 PM: Start formal RP. Announce 5-minute gathering.
🎤 PART 1: THE PROLOGUE (Kati)
(Walk to the podium. Wait for the crowd to settle. Look solemn.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps onto the stage, standing to the side to keep the "Barracks" area clear. "Tal, Citizens. Yesterday, we discussed the Three Death Rules. We learned that there are lines a slave cannot cross, not even by an inch."
[Chat Block 2] "The most tragic of these is The Steel. Law 6.3.3: 'Female slaves may not touch weapons without explicit permission.'"
[Chat Block 3] "We often think of criminals as people with bad intentions. But in Gorean Law, Intent does not always matter. Sometimes, you can die for trying to be helpful."
[Chat Block 4] "Today, the Caste of Players presents 'The Helpful Hand.' It is the story of Lina, a slave who loved her Master and wanted to serve him perfectly. Watch how her devotion becomes her doom."
[Chat Block 5] "Actors, take the stage!"
/me steps off the stage and joins the audience to watch.
🎭 PART 2: THE PLAY (For the Actors)
(NOTE: Give this section to your Actors.)
[SCENE 1: THE CHORE]
(Master Torren is polishing his sword at the table. He looks exhausted. Lina is cleaning nearby.)
Master Torren: /me sighs, rubbing his forehead. He sets the heavy sword down on the edge of the table. It teeters slightly. "I am exhausted, Lina. The drills were hard today."
Slave Lina: /me rushes over with a cup of water. "Drink, Master. You work too hard protecting the City."
Master Torren: /me takes the cup and drinks. "You are a good girl, Lina. I am going to wash the dust off. Leave the gear; I will oil the blade when I return."
Slave Lina: "Yes, Master. I will tidy the room."
(Torren exits. Lina starts sweeping. She looks at the table.)
[SCENE 2: THE MISTAKE]
Slave Lina: /me sweeps near the table. She bumps the leg of the table accidentally. "Oops! Clumsy girl."
(The sword prop—or imaginary sword—slides further to the edge.)
Slave Lina: /me gasps. "Oh no! Master's sword! It is going to fall in the dust!"
Slave Lina: /me looks at the door. "He said 'Leave the gear.' But he also said 'Tidy the room.' If it falls, the blade will chip. He will be angry."
(She makes a decision. She reaches out.)
Slave Lina: /me grabs the sword by the hilt to push it back onto the center of the table. "Just... push it back... safe."
(The Magistrate enters. He is walking by the open door. He freezes.)
The Magistrate: /shout GIRL! FREEZE!
[SCENE 3: THE DISCOVERY]
(Lina freezes, her hand still wrapped around the hilt of the sword.)
Slave Lina: /me looks up, terrified. "Magistrate! I... I was just saving it!"
The Magistrate: /me walks into the room slowly. "Drop it. Now."
(Lina drops the sword. It clatters loudly.)
Master Torren: /me rushes back in, wet and half-dressed (or just hurried). "What is the shouting? Magistrate?"
The Magistrate: "Torren. I was walking past. I saw your slave holding your sword. She had a firm grip on the hilt."
Master Torren: /me looks at Lina. His face goes pale. "Lina? Did you touch the steel?"
Slave Lina: /me falls to her knees, weeping. "It was slipping, Master! It was going to fall! I didn't want it to chip! I was helping!"
Master Torren: /me looks at the Magistrate, pleading. "She is a house slave, Magistrate. She is foolish, but she is not a rebel. She has no malice."
The Magistrate: "I do not judge malice, Torren. I judge action. Law 6.3.3. 'Female slaves may not touch weapons without explicit permission.' Did you give her permission to hold that blade just now?"
Master Torren: "I... no. I told her to leave the gear."
The Magistrate: "Then she held a weapon of the Warrior Caste in her hand, uncommanded. That is a threat to the Home Stone."
Slave Lina: "Master, please! I love you! I was helping!"
Master Torren: /me closes his eyes. He knows the law. "You touched the steel, Lina. You know the price."
The Magistrate: "The Law is absolute. There is no 'Helpful' exception." /me draws his own dagger. "Torren, do your duty. Or I will have to charge you with harboring a weaponized slave."
Master Torren: "Forgive me, Lina." /me draws his sword.
(Lina screams. Torren swings. The screen goes black/Actors fade or play dead. End Scene.)
🎤 PART 3: THE ANALYSIS (Kati Returns)
(Wait for the actors to clear the stage. Walk back to the podium.)
[Chat Block 6] /me steps back up to the podium. "A tragedy. Lina died because she tried to save a piece of metal from hitting the floor."
[Chat Block 7] "Many of you think this is cruel. But consider the alternative. If we allow a slave to say, 'I was just moving it,' then every slave assassin will say the same thing when caught with a knife."
[Chat Block 8] "The Law must be Binary. Black or White. Touch or No Touch. If there is a grey area, slaves will hide in it. To keep the Free safe, the slave must be terrified of the steel."
☠️ PART 4: THE INTENT GAME (Interactive)
[Chat Block 9] /me leans forward. "I want to test your understanding of Strict Liability. That means your 'Intent' does not matter. Only your 'Action' matters."
[Chat Block 10] "I will give you a scenario. You tell me: LIVE (Legal) or DIE (Illegal)?"
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: A Master and Slave are walking. The Master drops his dagger. He points at it and says, 'Pick that up, girl.' She picks it up and hands it to him. Live or Die?" (WAIT. Answer: LIVE.)
[Chat Block 11] "Verdict: LIVE. Why? Explicit Permission. He commanded her in the moment. She was an extension of his will. She was his claw. It is legal."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: A Master is drunk. He passes out. His sword is digging into his side. The slave tries to make him comfortable. She unbuckles his sword belt and moves the weapon to the chair so he can sleep. Live or Die?" (WAIT. Answer: DIE.)
[Chat Block 12] "Verdict: DIE. He was asleep. He could not give permission. She took the initiative to disarm a Free Man. Even if she meant well... she stripped a Warrior of his steel. She dies."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: A slave is chopping vegetables with a sharp kitchen knife. A Guard walks in. She keeps chopping. Live or Die?" (WAIT. Answer: LIVE.)
[Chat Block 13] "Verdict: LIVE. Context is everything. In the kitchen, it is a Tool. If she walks out of the kitchen with it? It becomes a Weapon. She stays at the cutting board, she lives."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 14] "I will take questions now regarding Weapons, Tools, or Forbidden Acts."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! What if my Master orders me to hold his spare spear during a battle? Is that legal?"
[Chat Block 15 - Answer] /me nods. "Yes. That is being a shield-bearer or a caddy. If he is present, and he commands it, you may carry his equipment."
[Chat Block 16] "BUT... you cannot use it. If an enemy attacks you, you cannot stab him with the spare spear. You must die holding it. Only the Free may deal death."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, what about poison? If a slave pours poison in a cup, is that 'touching a weapon'?"
[Chat Block 17 - Answer] /me shudders. "That is worse. That is Assassination."
[Chat Block 18] "Law 6.8.2 calls Poison Slaves 'Illegal Weapons.' If a slave uses poison, she is tortured to death. And her Master is executed for Treason for possessing such a thing. Steel is honest; Poison is cowardly."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 19] /me smooths her robes. "Slaves, fear the steel. It is not made for your hands. It burns."
[Chat Block 20] "Tomorrow, we shift to poetry. We will have a reading titled 'The Hamstrung Dancer.'"
[Chat Block 21] "It is a brutal poem about the price of Running Away. We will discuss Law 6.3.8 and why escape attempts leave a permanent mark on the body."
[Chat Block 22] "Thank you to our players. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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