by Kati Evans
Here is the full production script for Week 9, Day 1.
To ensure this fills the 30–60 minute window, this script shifts the tone dramatically from the previous weeks. It is grim and visceral. I have added a specific interactive segment called " The Price of the Crime" to force the audience to understand the difference between a fine (Restitution) and a mutilation (Theft).
📜 SECOND LIFE SCRIPT: WEEK 9, DAY 1
Event: The Lecture (The Cost of Greed) Host: Kati Evans Target Duration: 35–45 Minutes (plus gathering time)
🟢 PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
[ ] Rez the Stage. (Props: A chopping block, a knife, or perhaps a bandage on the podium).
[ ] Staff: Ensure Plant A and Plant B have their Question Notecards.
[ ] 1:00 PM: Announce 5-minute gathering period.
🎤 PART 1: THE WELCOME (The Anatomy)
(Walk to the podium. Look at your own hands. Turn them over slowly.)
[Chat Block 1] /me steps up to the podium. She does not smile. She holds her hands up in front of her face, turning them over, inspecting the fingers. "Tal, Citizens. Welcome to Week 9 of The Circle."
[Chat Block 2] "Look at your hands. Flex your fingers. Feel the tips. They allow you to work. They allow you to hold your children. They allow you to eat."
[Chat Block 3] "Now touch your ear. Feel the curve of it. It allows you to hear the wind and the song."
[Chat Block 4] "You are fond of these parts of you, yes? Then listen closely today. Because in Teletus, we do not put thieves in a cage to think about their crimes. We do not ask them for an apology."
[Chat Block 5] "We mark them. We cut them. We take pieces of them away so that every man who sees them knows: 'Here walks a thief.'"
🔪 PART 2: THEFT (Law 4.4.1)
[Chat Block 6] /me rests her hands heavily on the podium. "Law 4.4.1 covers Theft. The taking of what is not yours."
[Chat Block 7] "In other cities, they might fine you. Here, we exact a physical toll. First Offense: Ear Notching. We cut a piece of your ear off. It is not a clean cut. It is jagged. It is a badge of shame."
[Chat Block 8] "Imagine trying to get a job with a notched ear. Imagine trying to court a Companion. The scar screams your crime louder than any town crier."
[Chat Block 9] "Second Offense: If you did not learn the lesson of the ear... the Law offers no third chance. Law 4.4.1.b states: 'Loss of a hand for Free Men.'"
[Chat Block 10] "Or, if you are a Free Woman... Enslavement. Think on that. Is that loaf of bread worth your hand? Is that shiny necklace worth your freedom? Because that is the trade you are making."
🔥 PART 3: THE RED FLOWER (Arson)
[Chat Block 11] /me looks at the fire brazier on the stage. "There is one crime the City fears more than theft. Arson."
[Chat Block 12] "We live in a city of wood and stone. Fire spreads. Fire does not care if you are innocent or guilty. Fire kills the baby in the crib just as easily as the soldier on the wall."
[Chat Block 13] "Law 4.3.2 is the terror of the city. If you set a fire Negligently (by accident/stupidity) or Willfully (on purpose)... the punishment is not a notched ear."
[Chat Block 14] "The punishment is Death. There is no mercy for the fire-starter. If you play with fire in Teletus, we will extinguish you."
⚖️ PART 4: THE PRICE OF THE CRIME (Interactive Game)
[Chat Block 15] /me leans forward. "I want to test your judgment. I will give you a crime. You tell me the Physical Price the criminal pays. Not the fine... the flesh."
[Scenario 1] "Scenario 1: A hungry boy steals an apple from a cart. It is his First Offense. What is the price?" (WAIT for audience to shout "Ear" or "Notch".)
[Chat Block 16] "Verdict: THE EAR. Even for an apple. Theft is theft. He loses a piece of his ear."
[Scenario 2] "Scenario 2: A drunkard throws a rock through a merchant's window. He steals nothing, but the glass is shattered. What is the price?" (WAIT. This is a trick. Answer: "None" or "Whipping/Money".)
[Chat Block 17] "Verdict: NO MUTILATION. This is Property Damage (Law 4.3.1), not Theft. He pays Restitution (coin). If he cannot pay? Public Whipping. But he keeps his hands and ears. There is a difference between breaking and taking."
[Scenario 3] "Scenario 3: A man with a notched ear (First Offense) steals a single gold coin. What is the price?" (WAIT. Answer: HAND.)
[Chat Block 18] "Verdict: THE HAND. It does not matter that the coin was small. It was his Second Offense. The stump at his wrist will remind him forever not to touch what isn't his."
❓ PART 5: Q&A SEGMENT (Extending Time)
[Chat Block 19] /me takes a sip of water. "I will take questions now regarding Theft, Assault, or Punishments."
(Signal PLANT A)
[PLANT A QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress! If I catch a thief in my house at night, can I kill him? Or do I have to wait for the Guards?"
[Chat Block 20 - Answer] /me nods grimly. "Law 4.4.5 covers Justifiable Homicide. Included in that list is 'Defense of Self', 'Defense of Others', and 'Defense of the Home Stone.'"
[Chat Block 21] "If a thief enters your home, he is a threat. You do not know if he wants your gold or your life. If you kill him inside your walls, the Magistrate will likely call it Justifiable. Do not hesitate."
(Signal PLANT B)
[PLANT B QUESTION] (Plant asks): "Mistress, if a thief steals my necklace and the Guards catch him... do I get the necklace back? Or does the City keep it?"
[Chat Block 22 - Answer] /me smiles slightly. "Law 4.4.1.c. 'All recovered property shall be returned to its rightful owner.'"
[Chat Block 23] "If the Guards find it, you get it back. However... if no claimant exists (if you don't report it), it goes to the City Treasury. So, report your thefts! If you stay silent, the Ubar gets your jewelry."
🏁 THE CLOSING
[Chat Block 24] /me smooths her robes. "The Laws of Blood are harsh because the world is harsh. We mark the guilty to protect the innocent."
[Chat Block 25] "Tomorrow, we move to the stage. Our players will perform a drama titled 'The Second Cut.'"
[Chat Block 26] "It is the story of Gareth, a thief who thought he was smarter than the Guard. He already had a notched ear. Tomorrow, we will see what he loses next."
[Chat Block 27] "Dismissed!"
(Signal Crier/Slave to end.)
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