by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 7, Day 3.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, I have added a specific interactive segment called "The Weight Guessing Game." This is a classic market activity that engages the audience and teaches them the difference between a "Casual Estimate" and a "Legal Measure."
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 7, DAY 3
Event: The Poet's Corner ("The Song of the Scale") Host: Kati Evans Guest Performer: The Poet (Aria or designate) Target Duration: 35–45 Minutes
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage.
[ ] Props: A Merchant Scale and perhaps a few "Weights" (stones or iron blocks) on the podium.
[ ] The Poet: Ensure they have the poem text notecard.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Start formal RP. Announce 5-minute gathering.
🎤 PART 1: THE INTRODUCTION (Kati)
(Walk to the podium. Pick up a weight and toss it lightly in your hand.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps up to the podium, the metallic clink of a weight in her hand echoing slightly. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Day 3 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "On Day 1, we learned about the License. On Day 2, we watched Gavin the Peddler lose his cart because he could not count days."
[Chat Block 3] "Today, we talk about Trust. When you buy a sack of flour, how do you know it is a full sack? When you buy a gold chain, how do you know it is pure?"
[Chat Block 4] "In the wild, might makes right. In the City, The Stone makes right. Law 5.1 mandates that all weights must be verified against the Official Stone of Teletus."
[Chat Block 5] "To honor the sanctity of the measure, I have invited a voice from the Caste of Singers. I present to you [Poet's Name], who will recite a piece titled 'The Song of the Scale.'"
/me steps back from the podium and gestures for the Poet to take the center stage.
📜 PART 2: THE POEM (For the Actor/Poet)
(Give this text to your Poet. They should paste one stanza at a time, waiting 15-20 seconds between each. The rhythm should be steady, like a ticking clock.)
[Stanza 1] /me stands center stage, miming the holding of a balance scale. "In ancient days of dust and greed, The merchant sold the corn and seed. With heavy thumb and shifting eye, He cheated low and sold it high. A pound was light, a yard was short, And thieves held court in every port."
[Stanza 2] /me points to the ground, representing the Home Stone. "But then the Ubar raised the Stone, And set the weight upon the throne. 'This rock is Truth!' the heralds cried, 'By this standard, you abide.' No more the guess, no more the lie, The Standard rules beneath the sky."
[Stanza 3] /me mimes placing a weight on one side, and goods on the other. "A stone of gray, a bar of gold, The truth of weight is ancient and old. Let the balance swing, let the pointer rest, The Honest Merchant passes the test. Iron to Iron, Dust to Dust, The Scale is the mother of all Trust."
[Stanza 4] /me lowers hands, looking sternly at the crowd. "But woe to him who hollows lead, To steal the copper and the bread. For Law 5.1 is sharp and cold, It values Truth above your gold. Tip the scale and lose your hand, For Justice measures every man."
(The Poet bows deeply to the crowd.)
🎤 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]. 'Tip the scale and lose your hand.' It is not a metaphor."
[Chat Block 7] "Law 5.1.c states: 'Any Merchant selling goods... with measures deviating by more than five percent... shall be charged with fraud.'"
[Chat Block 8] "Five percent. That is the margin of error. If your scale is off by 10 percent? That is not an accident. That is theft. That is a crime against the buyer, and a crime against the City."
⚖️ PART 4: THE GUESSING GAME (Interactive)
[Chat Block 9] /me leans forward. "We think we know what a 'Pound' feels like. But do we? I want to play a game."
[Chat Block 10] "I am going to describe an object used as a weight. You tell me: Legal or Illegal?"
[Object 1] "Object 1: A merchant uses a smooth river stone. He has painted '1 Pound' on it in red paint. He says it matches the City Stone perfectly. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT. Answer: ILLEGAL.)
[Chat Block 11] "Verdict: ILLEGAL. You cannot use a random rock, even if it weighs the right amount. Why? because rocks chip. Rocks erode. A legal weight must be Metal (usually iron or bronze) and it must bear the Seal of the City."
[Object 2] "Object 2: A merchant uses an iron weight shaped like a tharlarion. It has the City Seal stamped on the bottom. It is rusty, but solid. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT. Answer: LEGAL.)
[Chat Block 12] "Verdict: LEGAL. As long as the Seal is visible and the rust has not eaten away significant mass (more than 5%), it is a valid weight. Shape does not matter; Mass and Certification matter."
[Object 3] "Object 3: A merchant uses a proper iron weight. But... he keeps it in the icebox so it is freezing cold when he puts it on the scale. Legal or Illegal?" (WAIT. This is a physics trick. Answer: LEGAL but SUSPICIOUS.)
[Chat Block 13] "Verdict: SUSPICIOUS. Temperature changes volume, not mass. It weighs the same. However, if he is doing strange things with his weights, call a Magistrate. Tricks are the cousin of Fraud."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT
[Chat Block 14] "I will take questions now regarding Weights, Measures, or Market Fraud."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! How do I know if my scale is right? I don't want to be arrested by accident."
[Chat Block 15 - Answer] /me nods. "Law 5.1 says the weight and stone shall be verified four times each year, coinciding with the Sardar Fairs."
[Chat Block 16] "During the Fair, the High Scribes bring out the Official Stone. You bring your weights to the square. They test them. If they are light, they melt them down or adjust them. If they are correct, they re-stamp them. Do not miss verify day."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, what if I catch a merchant cheating me? Do I flip his table?"
[Chat Block 17 - Answer] /me smiles grimly. "You may want to. But no. That is Property Damage."
[Chat Block 18] "If you suspect a cheat, you call a Merchant Magistrate or a Guard. Demand a 'Test of the Stone.' If he refuses to weigh the item against a known standard, he is guilty. Let the Magistrate flip the table. It is his job."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 19] /me smooths her robes. "Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. A heavy thumb on the scale buys you a copper today, but it costs you your reputation forever."
[Chat Block 20] "Tomorrow, we look at the darker side of fraud. We will have a Storyteller share the tale of 'The Baker's Thumb.'"
[Chat Block 21] "It is the story of a man who hollowed out his weights to steal bread from the mouths of the city. Come and see what happened to him."
[Chat Block 22] "Thank you to our Poet. The Circle is closed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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