by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 4, Day 4.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, the Storyteller portion is written as a slow-burn tragedy with high emotional stakes. The post-story analysis digs deep into the specific hierarchy of inheritance (Law 1.8.2), which usually sparks panic in players who realize their "stuff" is not safe.
Special Instruction: You must copy the "Part 2: The Story" section into a Notecard named Script: The Unsigned Will and give it to your Guest Speaker (or perform it yourself) before the event.
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 4, DAY 4
Event: The Storyteller ("The Unsigned Will") Host: Kati Evans Guest Performer: The Storyteller (Guest or Kati) Target Duration: 40–50 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage.
[ ] The Storyteller: Ensure they have the script notecard.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Start formal RP. Announce 5-minute gathering.
🎤 PART 1: THE INTRODUCTION (Kati)
(Walk to the podium. Signal the start.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps onto the stage. She holds a rolled-up scroll in her hand, tapping it rhythmically against her palm. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Day 4 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "We have spoken of Life, Labor, and Taxes. Today, we speak of the inevitable end. Death."
[Chat Block 3] "We all think we have time. We think, 'I am young, I am strong, I will see the Scribes tomorrow.' But sometimes, tomorrow does not come. Sometimes, a tile falls from a roof. Sometimes, a heart simply stops."
[Chat Block 4] "When you die, your soul goes to the Priest-Kings (or the void). But your Property stays here. Who gets it? Your beloved Companion? Your loyal children? Or the brother you hate?"
[Chat Block 5] "Law 1.8 governs Civil Property. It demands that Wills be certified and sealed. Without a seal, your wishes are just ghosts."
[Chat Block 6] "Today, our Storyteller brings us the cautionary tale of 'The Unsigned Will.' It is the story of Merchant Varrus, a man who loved much, but planned little. Listen, and learn."
/me steps down and takes a seat near the fire, gesturing for the Storyteller to take the chair.
📖 PART 2: THE STORY (For the Guest Speaker)
(Give this text to your Storyteller. They should paste one block at a time, allowing 15-20 seconds for the audience to read and absorb the tragedy.)
[Block 1] /me sits in the storyteller's chair, looking mournful. "Varrus was a man of wealth. He traded in spices and rare tharlarion leather. He had a fine house in the High District, a chest full of gold tarns, and three beautiful slaves."
[Block 2] "But his greatest treasure was his Free Companion, Elissa. She was not High Caste. She had no dowry. But Varrus loved her. He told everyone, 'When I die, Elissa shall have it all. She shall live like a Ubara.'"
[Block 3] "Varrus also had a brother. Let us call him... Bernus. Bernus was a gambler. A drunkard. A man who owed money to every thug in the city. Varrus hated him. He swore, 'Bernus will never see a copper of my coin.'"
[Block 4] "One day, Varrus sat at his desk. He wrote out a Will. 'I leave everything to Elissa,' he wrote. It was a beautiful document. Full of flowery words."
[Block 5] "He rolled it up. He put it in his desk. He thought, 'I will go to the Scribes tomorrow to get the Seal. Today, I am busy.' Tomorrow came, and he was busy again. 'Next week,' he said. 'I am young. I have time.'"
[Block 6] /me snaps fingers loudly. "Then, the stroke came. At dinner, Varrus gasped, clutched his chest, and fell face down into his soup. He was dead before he hit the table."
[Block 7] "The funeral was small. Elissa wept. She was heartbroken. But the very next morning, there was a banging at the door. It was Bernus. And he brought a Magistrate."
[Block 8] "Elissa ran to the desk. She pulled out the scroll Varrus wrote. 'Look!' she cried. 'He left it all to me!'"
[Block 9] "The Magistrate took the scroll. He looked at the bottom. There was Varrus's signature... but no Scribe's Seal. No wax. No witness date."
[Block 10] "The Magistrate shook his head. 'This is just paper, mistress. Law 1.8.1. Without a Scribe's seal, it is not a legal document. It is void.'"
[Block 11] "Bernus smiled. He cited Law 1.8.2.b: 'In the absence of a Will, inheritance passes in order of kinship.' Male relatives first. Brothers before Companions."
[Block 12] "Bernus took the house. Bernus took the slaves. Bernus took the gold. And Elissa? She was thrown into the street with nothing but the robes on her back. Varrus loved her, but his laziness destroyed her."
[Block 13] /me leans forward, voice hard. "Bernus gambled the fortune away in a year. The legacy was dust. All because Varrus did not walk to the Hall of Records."
(The Storyteller bows/nods.)
🎤 PART 3: THE ANALYSIS (Kati Returns)
(Walk back to the podium.)
[Chat Block 14] /me stands and nods to the Storyteller. "A preventable tragedy. Varrus thought his intent mattered. The Law does not care about your intent. It cares about your Seal."
[Chat Block 15] "Let us review Law 1.8.2.b. The Order of Precedence. If you die Intestate (without a Will), the City decides who gets your things."
[Chat Block 16] "1. Nearest living Male Child. 2. Nearest living Female Child. 3. Nearest living Relatives (Brothers, Uncles, Cousins). 4. ...and only then, far down the list, your Free Companion."
[Chat Block 17] "Why? Because Companionship is a contract that expires. Blood is forever. The Law favors the Bloodline. If you want to favor your Heart (your Companion), you must write a Will to override the default."
🗣️ PART 4: DISCUSSION (Time Filler)
[Chat Block 18] /me looks out at the gathered citizens. "I want to see a show of hands. Be honest."
[Chat Block 19] "How many of you have a Sealed Will on file with the Scribes right now? Not a draft. A Sealed Will."
(WAIT. Look at the hands. Usually, it is very few.)
[Chat Block 20] "Look around. If the roof collapsed on us right now, 90 percent of your fortunes would go to the wrong people. Or worse... to the City Treasury."
[Chat Block 21] "Law 1.8.2.b says: 'lacking heirs... then to the Treasury.' If you have no family and no Will, the Ubar gets your gold. I am sure he thanks you for your donation."
❓ Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 22] "I will take questions now regarding Wills, Inheritance, or Property Law."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, can I leave money to my slave? I want her to be taken care of."
[Chat Block 23 - Answer] /me shakes her head. "No. Law 6.1.2: 'A slave owns nothing.' You cannot leave money to a chair, and you cannot leave money to a slave. She cannot hold property."
[Chat Block 24] "However... you can write in your Will that she is to be Manumitted (Freed) upon your death. And then, you can leave money to the 'newly Free Woman.' But you must free her first. If you leave her to your son, he can do with her what he pleases."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, what if I have debts when I die? Does my son inherit the debt too?"
[Chat Block 25 - Answer] /me nods seriously. "Law 1.8.2.c: 'The estate of the deceased includes all property, businesses, and slaves.' The estate settles the debts."
[Chat Block 26] "If you owe 100 gold tarns, the Magistrate will sell your house, your slaves, and your goods to pay it. Your son gets what is left over. If nothing is left... he gets nothing. He does not inherit the debt personally (he doesn't go to jail for you), but he inherits an empty box."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 27] /me smooths her robes. "Do not be Varrus. Do not assume you have time. Visit a Scribe. It costs a few coppers to seal a Will, but it saves a lifetime of wealth."
[Chat Block 28] "Tomorrow is the final day of Week 4. We will end our study of the Household."
[Chat Block 29] "Day 5 will be an Open Forum. We will discuss Contracts—specifically the Free Companion Contract vs. the Slave Paper. Bring your questions about marriage and ownership."
[Chat Block 30] "Thank you to our Storyteller. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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