by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 7, Day 1.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, I have added a specific interactive segment called "The Inspector," where you present business scenarios and ask the audience to judge if they are "Open for Business" or "Shut Down."
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 7, DAY 1
Event: The Lecture (The License to Trade) Host: Kati Evans Target Duration: 35–45 Minutes (plus gathering time)
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage. (Props: A Merchant Scale, a coin box/chest, maybe some crates).
[ ] Staff: Ensure Plant A and Plant B have their Question Notecards.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Announce 5-minute gathering period.
🎤 PART 1: THE WELCOME (The Market)
(Walk to the podium. Pick up the Merchant Scale (prop) or mime weighing something.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps up to the podium, placing a brass merchant's scale on the wood. She balances it carefully before looking up. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Week 7 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "We leave the courtroom and the bedroom behind. Today, we enter the Marketplace. The beating heart of Teletus."
[Chat Block 3] "Teletus is a city of trade. We survive on the flow of goods. But trade without rules is just theft with a smile. If every man used his own weights, and every woman sold without a name, we would not be a City. We would be a Bandit Camp."
[Chat Block 4] "That is why we have Merchant Law (Section 5). It protects the buyer from fraud, and it protects the honest merchant from the cheat."
📜 PART 2: THE LICENSE (Law 5.3)
[Chat Block 5] /me taps the ledger on the podium. "Law 5.3 is the gatekeeper. It states: 'No Merchant may conduct business... without first securing a valid Business Registration License.'"
[Chat Block 6] "You cannot just open a shop because you found an empty table. You cannot just start selling pies because you have flour. You must go to the Head Merchant or the Scribes. You must Register."
[Chat Block 7] "Why? Accountability. If your pie poisons a child, we need to know who baked it. If your sword breaks in battle, we need to know who forged it. A License is a promise of responsibility."
[Chat Block 8] "And the penalties are steep. Law 5.3.a:" "First Offense: A Fine." "Second Offense: Seizure of goods. (We take everything you are selling)." "Third Offense: Enslavement. If you cannot follow the rules of trade, you become a commodity of trade."
⏳ PART 3: THE TRAVELER (The One Hand Rule)
[Chat Block 9] /me looks out at the visitors in the crowd. "Now, for the wanderers. I see many travelers here. You ask, 'Do I need a license just to sell a few trinkets from my wagon?'"
[Chat Block 10] "Law 5.3.b is for you. Traveling Peddlers are welcome. You do not need a shop. You do not need a permanent license... at first."
[Chat Block 11] "You have One Hand—five days. You may trade freely for five days. We allow this so you can earn coin for your stay."
[Chat Block 12] "BUT... on the sixth day, you must either Register or Leave. If you are still selling on day six without a license, you are no longer a Peddler. You are an illegal shop. Watch the calendar."
🔍 PART 4: THE INSPECTOR (Interactive Game)
[Chat Block 13] /me leans forward. "Let us test your knowledge of Commerce. I will give you a scenario. You tell me: Legal or Illegal?"
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: A woman bakes bread in her private kitchen. She opens her window and sells loaves to people walking by in the street. She has no license. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT for audience to shout answers.)
[Chat Block 14 - The Verdict] "Verdict: ILLEGAL. It does not matter that it is her house. She is conducting public business. She needs a license to sell to the public. Close the window."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: A Warrior sells his old sword to a friend in the tavern for 10 coppers. He has no license. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT. This is tricky.)
[Chat Block 15 - The Verdict] "Verdict: LEGAL. This is a private sale between friends. He is not 'conducting business' or 'operating a trade.' He is just selling personal property. Merchant Law applies to those who make a living from trade."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: A Peddler arrives on Monday. He sells rugs. On Friday (Day 5), he sells his last rug. On Saturday (Day 6), he is still in the city, but he is just drinking at the inn, not selling. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT.)
[Chat Block 16 - The Verdict] "Verdict: LEGAL. The limit is on Trading, not Staying. He stopped selling on Day 5. He can stay as a visitor as long as he likes (subject to visitor laws). He followed the rules."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 17] /me takes a sip of water. "I will take questions now regarding Licenses, Taxes, or the rights of Peddlers."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! What about the Sales Tax? Who pays it? The Merchant or the Buyer?"
[Chat Block 18 - Answer] /me nods. "Law 5.4. A sales tax of one percent applies to purchases."
[Chat Block 19] "Technically, the Merchant collects it and gives it to the City. So, if the price is 100 coppers, the Merchant should charge 101. If he forgets to charge you, he still owes the City that 1 copper. Smart merchants build the tax into the price."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, I saw a merchant using a coin that looked... chewed on. Is that legal?"
[Chat Block 20 - Answer] /me frowns deeply. "No. That is Clipping or Shaving. Law 5.2."
[Chat Block 21] "Thieves cut the edges off gold coins to melt them down, making the coin lighter. It is Theft and Fraud. Do not accept a shaved coin. If you try to spend it, you might be arrested for passing bad currency. Bring it to a Magistrate immediately."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 22] /me picks up the scale again. "Trade is the lifeblood of the city. But it must be honest blood."
[Chat Block 23] "Tomorrow, we move to the stage. Our players will perform a comedy titled 'The Peddler's Clock.'"
[Chat Block 24] "We will see a Peddler who tried to stay for six days by claiming he 'lost count.' The Magistrate helped him find his numbers... and took his cart."
[Chat Block 25] "Dismissed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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