by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 12, Day 3.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, the focus today is on the Physicality of Punishment. I have added a specific interactive segment called "Running or Racing?" to help players distinguish between "Hurry" (working fast) and "Flight" (escaping).
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 12, DAY 3
Event: The Poet's Corner ("The Hamstrung Dancer") Host: Kati Evans Guest Performer: The Poet (Aria or designate) Target Duration: 35–45 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage.
[ ] Props: A Cane or Crutch leaning against the podium.
[ ] The Poet: Ensure they have the poem text notecard. Costume Note: The Poet should act with a limp or sit during the reading.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Start formal RP. Announce 5-minute gathering.
🎤 PART 1: THE INTRODUCTION (Kati)
(Walk to the podium. Pick up the Cane. Lean on it heavily.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps up to the podium. She picks up a rough wooden cane, testing its weight. She looks at the slaves in the audience. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Day 3 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "On Day 1, we spoke of the Death Rules. But there is a fate that some slaves fear more than death. There is a punishment that does not end the life, but ruins it."
[Chat Block 3] "Law 6.3.8 states: 'A slave who attempts escape shall be hamstrung upon the first offense.'"
[Chat Block 4] "Hamstringing. The severing of the great tendon behind the knee. It is not a simple cut. It changes the geometry of the body. You do not walk; you drag. You do not run; you hobble."
[Chat Block 5] "Why do we do this? Because a slave who cannot run cannot leave. It is the ultimate tether. To explore the tragedy of the ruined body, I have invited a voice from the Caste of Singers. I present to you [Poet's Name], who will recite a piece titled 'The Hamstrung Dancer.'"
/me steps back from the podium and gestures for the Poet.
📜 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 out the pain.)
[Stanza 1] /me sits on the edge of the stage, rubbing their left leg as if it aches deep in the bone. "I was the wind, I was the fire, The object of the City's desire. My feet were light, my leaps were high, I danced beneath the Gorean sky. But pride is fast, and walls are steep, And promises are hard to keep."
[Stanza 2] /me looks toward the City Gate, eyes wide with memory. "I ran for the forest, I ran for the green, To places where the Master is unseen. I thought I was faster than the Guard, I thought the road would not be hard. But the arm of the Law is long and lean, And the blade of the Justice is sharp and keen."
[Stanza 3] /me winces, clutching the back of their knee. "They brought me back in chains and shame, They spoke the Law and spoke my name. The blade was sharp, the cut was deep, Now I sow what the runners reap. The tendon snapped, the muscle failed, And all my hope of freedom paled."
[Stanza 4] /me tries to stand, but stumbles/limps heavily, leaning on a prop or the wall. "Now I watch the others spin, And remember the girl I used to be within. My dancing days are turned to dust, A crippled thing of pain and lust. I learned the lesson, I paid the price: One moment of freedom... for a lifetime of ice."
(The Poet bows awkwardly, unable to bend the leg properly.)
🎤 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]. 'A crippled thing of pain and lust.' That is the reality."
[Chat Block 7] "A hamstrung slave loses her value. She cannot serve at table gracefully. She cannot dance. She is often sold to the lowest labor—grinding grain or mending nets. It is a life of sitting."
[Chat Block 8] "The Law is harsh because Escape is the ultimate theft. You are stealing yourself. And unlike a coin, you can run away on your own legs. So, the Law takes the legs."
🏃 PART 4: RUNNING OR RACING? (Interactive Game)
[Chat Block 9] /me leans forward. "I want to clarify the difference between Work and Escape. Slaves often ask: 'Can I run to the market?'"
[Chat Block 10] "I will give you a scenario. You tell me: SAFE (Working) or ESCAPE (Hamstring Time)?"
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: A slave is running down the main street at midday. She is holding a sealed letter. She is sweating and panting. Safe or Escape?" (WAIT. Answer: SAFE.)
[Chat Block 11] "Verdict: SAFE. She is a Runner. She is delivering a message. Speed is required. She has a purpose."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: A slave is walking casually toward the City Gate at midnight. She carries a small bag of food. She is not running. Safe or Escape?" (WAIT. Answer: ESCAPE.)
[Chat Block 12] "Verdict: ESCAPE. Speed does not matter. Direction and Time matter. Why is she at the Gate at midnight? Why the food? She is leaving. Seize her."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: A slave is found hiding in a wagon leaving the city. She says, 'I fell asleep in the hay!' Safe or Escape?" (WAIT. Answer: ESCAPE.)
[Chat Block 13] "Verdict: ESCAPE. It is the oldest excuse in the book. 'I fell asleep.' 'I got lost.' No. You hid. Hiding in a vehicle leaving the city is Attempted Escape. The knife awaits."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 14] "I will take questions now regarding Escape, Punishment, or Healing."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! Can a Physician heal a hamstrung leg? Can they sew the tendon back together?"
[Chat Block 15 - Answer] /me shakes her head. "Medically? Perhaps. Legally? No."
[Chat Block 16] "The Hamstring is a Judicial Mark. It is like the Notched Ear. If a Physician repairs the leg to full function, they are undoing the sentence of the Magistrate. That is a crime."
[Chat Block 17] "They may heal the wound so it does not rot. But they must leave the limp. The limp is the record."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, what if I catch a slave escaping? Do I get a reward?"
[Chat Block 18 - Answer] /me nods. "Yes. It is customary."
[Chat Block 19] "If you bring a runaway back to her Master, he usually pays a Finder's Fee. If you bring her to the Kennels, the City pays a small bounty. Do not let property walk away. It profits us all to keep them here."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 20] /me smooths her robes. "Slaves, love your legs. They serve you well. Do not risk them on a run you cannot finish."
[Chat Block 21] "Tomorrow, we will have a Storyteller share the tale of 'The Price of a Secret.'"
[Chat Block 22] "It is the story of a slave who lied to protect her Master. She thought she was being loyal. The Law thought she was being Perjurous. Come and learn why a slave must have no secrets."
[Chat Block 23] "Thank you to our Poet. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
No comments:
Post a Comment