by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 13, Day 2.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, the play is written as a Forensic Drama. It focuses on the tension of an audit—the slow realization that the criminal has been caught. I have also included an interactive segment called "The Audit" where the audience plays the role of Tax Collector.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: You must copy "PART 2: THE PLAY" into a Notecard named Script: The Invisible Ledger and give it to Aria (or your actors) at least 24 hours in advance.
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 13, DAY 2
Event: The Player's Stage ("The Invisible Ledger") Host: Kati Evans + 3 Actors (Varo, The Magistrate, The Slave) Target Duration: 40–50 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage. (Props needed: A desk with books, a coin bag, a cage or chains).
[ ] Costumes:
Actor 1: Varo (Slaver, flashy, wears too much jewelry).
Actor 2: The Magistrate (Merchant Magistrate, stern, holding a ledger).
Actor 3: The Slave (Dressed for sale, silent).
[ ] 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.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps onto the stage, moving to the side. She gestures to the setup. "Tal, Citizens. Yesterday, we spoke of the difference between a Merchant and a Smuggler."
[Chat Block 2] "In Teletus, Slavery is a legal trade. But like all trades, it leaves a paper trail. Or at least... it should."
[Chat Block 3] "Some men think they can sell flesh in the dark. They think if they accept only cash, and write down no names, the City will never know. They are wrong."
[Chat Block 4] "Today, the Caste of Players presents 'The Invisible Ledger.' It is the story of Varo, a Private Slaver who loved profit but hated taxes. Watch how the numbers eventually trap him."
[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 SHADY DEAL]
(Varo is standing by his slave. He is whispering to an imaginary buyer off-stage.)
Varo: /me leans in, voice low and greasy. "She is a beauty, yes? Fresh from the North. Strong back. Good teeth."
Varo: "The price? Five hundred. But... if you pay me in gold, right now, no receipt... I will give her to you for four hundred."
(Varo mimes taking a heavy bag of coin.)
Varo: /me weighs the bag and grins. "Pleasure doing business. Take her out the back way. We don't want the Scribes asking questions."
(Varo pockets the money and pats the Slave on the head.)
Varo: "Another sale, another untaxed profit. I am a genius."
[SCENE 2: THE AUDIT]
(The Magistrate enters. He walks confidently, carrying a thick book. He does not smile.)
The Magistrate: "Tal, Varo. Business looks... quiet."
Varo: /me jumps, startled. He quickly smooths his tunic over his pocket. "Magistrate! Yes, very quiet. Hard times. I have not sold a girl in a month!"
The Magistrate: /me opens his book. "Strange. Because your neighbor says he saw three wagons leave your yard this week. And the Gate Guard says you exported four slaves on Tuesday."
Varo: "Lies! Rumors! I am just... moving stock around. Reorganizing!"
The Magistrate: "I am here for the Quarterly Audit, Varo. Law 5.7. Show me your Ledger."
Varo: /me sweats. He hands over a thin, dusty book. "Here. See? Empty pages. No sales. No tax due."
[SCENE 3: THE TRAP]
The Magistrate: /me flips through the empty book. He snaps it shut. "This ledger is indeed invisible. But this one is not." /me pulls a second, smaller notebook from his own robe.
Varo: "What is that?"
The Magistrate: "We seized this from your former assistant. It lists every sale you made in the dark, Varo. Including the girl you sold five minutes ago."
Varo: "That... that is a forgery! You have no proof!"
The Magistrate: "Bring in the evidence." /me snaps fingers. The Slave steps forward (having been 'sold' but recovered by guards).
The Magistrate: "Girl. Who sold you?"
The Slave: /me points a trembling finger at Varo. "He did, Master. For four hundred gold tarns. He put the gold in his left pocket."
The Magistrate: "Varo, empty your pocket."
Varo: /me clutches his pocket. "It is my personal savings! My grandmother gave it to me!"
The Magistrate: "You lie. You are trading without record. You are evading the 1% Tax. You are a Smuggler."
[SCENE 4: THE VERDICT]
The Magistrate: "By the power of the Merchant Laws, I hereby revoke your License." /me signals the Guards (imaginary). "Seize his stock. Every slave in his pens now belongs to the City Kennels."
Varo: "No! That is my inventory! That is thousands of tarns!"
The Magistrate: "It was illegal inventory. And as for you... since you like working off the books, you can work off your fine in the quarries. No charge."
Varo: /me falls to his knees as he is dragged away. "I should have paid the one percent! I should have paid!"
(Magistrate leads the Slave away to safety. Actors Bow.)
🎤 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. "Varo lost a fortune to save a few pennies. It is the classic mistake of the greedy."
[Chat Block 7] "Law 5.7 requires Slavers to keep records. Why? It is not just about taxes. It is about Safety."
[Chat Block 8] "If a Free Woman is kidnapped and sold into slavery, the Ledger is the only way we can track her. If a Slaver keeps no records, he is hiding crimes. That is why the City treats off-book trading as a felony, not a mistake."
📖 PART 4: THE AUDIT (Interactive Game)
[Chat Block 9] /me leans forward. "I want you to play the role of the Tax Collector. I will describe a Slaver's behavior. You tell me: CLEAN (Legal) or DIRTY (Audit Him)?"
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: Slaver X operates in the main square. He has a Scribe sitting at his table. Every time coin changes hands, the Scribe writes it down and stamps a paper. Clean or Dirty?" (WAIT for audience to answer. Answer: CLEAN.)
[Chat Block 10] "Verdict: CLEAN. He is paying for transparency. The Scribe is a witness. This man is honest."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: Slaver Y operates out of a tent near the docks at night. He only accepts Cash (no notes of credit). He offers a 'discount' if you do not ask for a receipt. Clean or Dirty?" (WAIT. Answer: DIRTY.)
[Chat Block 11] "Verdict: DIRTY. 'No Receipt' means 'No Evidence.' He is hiding income. He is likely selling stolen goods or evading the tax. Seize his tent."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: Slaver Z claims he is not selling slaves, but 'Adopting' them out for a 'Donation.' He says he runs a charity for wayward girls. Clean or Dirty?" (WAIT. Answer: DIRTY.)
[Chat Block 12] "Verdict: DIRTY. There is no such thing as a slave charity. He is using word-games to avoid Commercial Taxes. A 'Donation' is just a Sale by another name. Audit him immediately."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 13] "I will take questions now regarding the Slave Trade, Taxes, or Smuggling."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! Can I sell my slave to my friend privately? Just a direct trade? Do I need a ledger for that?"
[Chat Block 14 - Answer] /me nods. "You still need a Scribe. Law 6.4.5."
[Chat Block 15] "Even a private sale between friends requires a Sealed Bill of Sale. You do not need a 'Ledger' like a professional merchant, but you need the Transfer Document. Without it, you cannot prove you sold her, and he cannot prove he bought her."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, what happens to the slaves seized from a Smuggler? Are they freed?"
[Chat Block 16 - Answer] /me shakes her head. "No. They are Confiscated Assets."
[Chat Block 17] "They are taken to the City Kennels. They are checked by Physicians. Then, they are sold at Public Auction to pay the fines the Smuggler owed. The City does not free property; it recycles it."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 18] /me smooths her robes. "We have reached the end of the curriculum. We have covered every major aspect of Gorean Law."
[Chat Block 19] "Tomorrow is Week 13, Day 5. The Finale. The Graduation."
[Chat Block 20] "We will review everything one last time. I will issue the Magistrate's Challenge—a final test of your knowledge. And those who pass will receive the Seal of the Enlightened Citizen."
[Chat Block 21] "Wear your finest robes tomorrow. It is a celebration of Order. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
No comments:
Post a Comment