psychic thread

[agentlenpc]

[The gentle brush against the Strangers' minds comes in early evening. It is, as all mental touches are from Fayura, soft and unassuming, much like a polite knock at a door. Once as many minds are connected as she thinks will open the door to her, she speaks.]

I am curious, Strangers, what you would do with the young man who shot and killed Councilwoman Vera.

Many of you come from worlds where there are laws against murder. While we have no such laws here, when a Blood male in a Queen's Territory kills another without cause, she may demand a price from him. Sometimes, that is his own life if he was negligent enough with his temper and sometimes, it's something less.

My trouble is this: if I execute him according to the laws of the Blood, of which he is not one, the Guilds will rouse their people into a furor and attack not only me, but the people of Draega. If I turn him over to the Ebon Council, the Guilds will do much the same, and that will incite the Council to strike back. And if I return him to the Guilds for accolades instead of punishment for taking a life, the Ebon Council will have cause to rip apart the Guilds and anyone in their way to extract from him the price for murdering one of their own.

Were you me, what course would you take? And please try not to shout over each other; this is as many of you as I could reach.

Comments

psychic;

[thequitecontrary]

[ Mary is honestly a bit surprised that Fayura is posing this question to them. Should not a queen decide this on her own? But maybe she trusts the counsel of the Strangers and wishes to know their opinions. ]

I am from a place where there are laws against murder. We also have courts and judges. If a person commits a crime, their case is to be weighed by a judge and a jury of lay people.

psychic;

[agentlenpc]

Were he Blood and the Territory healthy, he would appear before a tribunal of Queens who would question him and then pass judgement. But he isn't Blood. By judging him, the Guilds will see me overstepping. But if I don't judge him, the Ebon Council will decide I am weak.

A predicament, to be sure.

psychic;

[shiftinglikeclay]

What are the Guilds' laws on murder?

psychic;

[agentlenpc]

The landens have rules against murder among themselves, those rules don't extend to the Blood. They don't ever consider killing the Blood to be murder.

[sunborne]

Do you know why he did it?

[ that's the first thing that daylight wants to know about this sticky situation. though he has a shadow of an idea of an answer, he wants to be sure of something.

judging by how... lost he sounds as he uses this line, he's no doubt trying to still wrap his processors around the predicament that happened at the last meal. he wasn't there for when it initially happened, but the aftermath was enough to shake him up a bit. ]

Why would he do that to her? And her family? Why did it go that far?

[agentlenpc]

The latter questions are easier to answer: anger, fear, resentment. Councilwoman Vera has always advocated for the Blood above the landens. She has insisted the money in the city's coffers goes first to the Blood to repair the damage caused by the Guilds a month ago. She also believes—believed that if the Guilds were willing to damage homes, the Guilds should be willing to repair those homes.

[Her voice is mournful.]

This harmed the young man's family. Were he Blood, I would ask him to let me into his mind to understand his motives. As he is landen, such a thing would destroy him, and he is unwilling to speak.

[unwieldy]

[ The brush against his mind is a familiar one, and he lets her in without much of a fuss.

It's definitely a difficult matter and one that requires a good deal of consideration. Stakes are high on all sides, but that doesn't stop Haein from voicing the first thought that comes to mind. ]

He could meet an untimely death in his cell, or wherever it is you're keeping him. Accidents happen.

[ Problem Solving 101 with Haein, eyy. ]

[sunborne]

No!!

[agentlenpc]

[Wryly:] One of my Princes certainly agrees with you.

That option, of course, solves nothing of the larger problem while also opening up the Court for accusations of neglect in the best case.

[arrogator]

[This whole thing kind of makes Mordred’s head hurt and while she’s never had a problem talking, she isn’t sure what to say until she hears this bit. Thanks buddy.]

That’s a pretty crappy way of dealing with it.

[Not really eloquent or offering much of an explanation there, but she’ll throw her two cents in too.]

[yesterweek]

Can't you give him a proper trial? If you get a jury that consists of someone from the Guilds and the Council? It sounds like they'll have trouble coming to an agreement, but you can keep him in a holding cell during the trial until they can.

[agentlenpc]

[This suggestion startles her, and her surprise ripples through the connection.]

Lady Mary suggested a trial as well, using a jury of... lay people? [She clearly doesn't understand precisely what lay people are, but she grasps the concept.] If three members of the Blood and three landens could, perhaps, agree on what ought to be done with him, then it will be much more difficult for either party to be angry with the other. Yes, that is actually—that's rather inspired.

[Her mind brushes against his again, this time with curiosity.]

You came in this month, did you not?

[hardlyanangel]

[There is a pause, as she listened and weighed her response against her recent experience.]

Where I came from, we had a similar rule as well a solution. A blood debt, for some it was measured in gold. Oft in work for the aggrieved party, though treated fairly while under the debt.

[She worried her lip, debating her next thoughts. She had no doubt the Allairavar had reported true their conversation and her observation of the event.]

Much more I am hesitant to say, in the event there would be a trial. Though that solution would, punish the Guild or those behind the instigation of a worker, make Councilwoman Vera's family as whole as possible, and position yourself as just.

[She paused, then added.]

A rejection by either side would be suspect by many I would think.

[agentlenpc]

[Fayura is leery of letting the landen boy work for a Blood household, especially one whose matron was a Councilwoman.]

If there is to be a trial, I will be the one presiding over it regardless of what the Council or the Guilds think. Their interests are only for themselves, whereas mine is to see them stop trying to kill each other and the world with them. Speak your mind.

[midship]

Was it without cause?

[Not that he has an opinion. It's just infinitely harder to stop one's thoughts than one's tongue.]

[agentlenpc]

As of yet, I'm unsure. Were he Blood, I would ask him to open his mind to me that I could see his intentions. Since he is landen, doing so would kill him.

[Her sigh is heavy.]

He refuses to speak and eats little. My impression of him is not that he is the cold-blooded murderer the Ebon Council paints him as.

[inducings]

[ Piper considers for a few agonizing minutes before she responds. She'd seen the aftermath of Councilwoman Vera's death, seen the grief and rage of her daughter as she dug up the witchblood... but it was hard not to empathize with the landens. According to what she'd learned in the library, centuries of inequality come to a brutal boiling point. And now... things looked really bad. Just the way the crowd had interacted that night...

So she has an opinion, she knows what she thinks should be done - a trial by jury, to decide innocence and punishment. But she's not sure that would mean anything to them, not unless the Blood and the landen saw the reason why. ]

From what I've been able to understand about the laws of this place, they're on a... pretty case by case basis, depending on what the Queen says. If that's the case... you might have an opportunity here. To set a new example, a new law... but if that's what you want, the people you're asking shouldn't be us. Or - shouldn't be only us.

[agentlenpc]

The Queen's will is law, but usually only for the Blood. Historically, even when landen villages fall under a Queen's purview, she leaves them to their own devices. For good or for ill. [The tone of her mental voice suggests that Fayura thinks that was a pretty big ill.

Leaving an entire people to themselves just because they're a little different than you? She's not a fan.]

Don't mistake me. I'm asking for advice to get an outside perspective, but a unilateral decision from me will likely see both the Council and the Guilds turning on my court. While uniting them against a common foe would likely help them get over themselves— [Her tone turns wry.] —I'd prefer they take aim at someone else and leave my limbs attached to my body.

[thedarkbond]

I think a lot of people have already suggested what I would, but I'll support the suggestion of a jury. If your laws don't take into account the other group, then there needs to be some kind of reconciliation of that.

[It seems like kind of a silly way to form a justice system in a world this mixed to Ren, though, so after another few moments of consideration, he goes on. There's a certain airiness to his tone, but in a psychic thread, he can't really disguise that he's thinking about it relatively seriously.]

But I think you also need to be prepared for a way to fairly decide if the jury comes to a stalemate. And I think it might be a good idea to think about the potential for the future. If neither of your legal systems touch each other, then instances like this are always going to be a problem, right? There needs to be something consistent to handle it so people can't make more trouble about how it's being done.

[agentlenpc]

Yes, you're correct. If this disparity isn't addressed, the question will come up again and again. In the past, when there was only these two fighting against each other, when one life was taken from one faction, the other would take a life in turn. Now, with the court standing between them, that balancing act has become far more delicate.

[An impression drifts through the psychic connection: Fayura pinching the bridge of her nose while cradling her head in her other hand.]

This, at least, I will be comfortable forcing them to accept. They'll piss and moan about it, but I doubt either faction will launch a counteroffensive because their people are being held responsible for their bullshit.

psychic;

[mollymocked]

I can't offer anything that everyone else isn't already suggesting and... This is a bit more complicated than I'd like, but you said the boy won't speak to you and you can't probe his mind...

There's a trick I can do that makes people more... Let's say cooperative. It's never had any side effects aside from the people I use it on being irritated with me afterwards.

[agentlenpc]

[Her first reaction to Molly's suggestion is negative. Though she tries to keep that reaction to herself, the flavor of horror and disgust seeps through just a little.

But when Molly continues and explains how his Craft works, that horror and disgust fades to embarrassment at her reaction and curiosity.]

Forgive my reaction. To the Blood, the sanctity of the mind isn't taken lightly. But this doesn't sound... [Like what the Blood do to each other when they want to cause hideous harm. The flavor of her words is much more personal than in her initial overture; she's experienced this kind of cruelty.] If it causes no harm... I wouldn't forbid you from trying, but you would likely need to convince Master Crafter Kasik the ability is harmless. No doubt he'll insist on being present for any questioning.

( psychic )

[retrorsum]

Many worlds imprison their criminals, sentenced for a period of time.

( psychic )

[agentlenpc]

Imprison?

[Fayura lapses into silence. This isn't something the Blood do frequently; their tempers are raw and explosive and usually when wronged, the offending party dies.]

And they simply... waste away? Forgive me if that seems ignorant, it isn't a common punishment here.

[verstoned]

Seems like you've a good path to choose already, Your Grace. [Thanks, Daylight.] But any word on what could make the boy talk?

[agentlenpc]

Lady Aithe and... [She struggles with how to address the Strangers.] Lord Mollymauk? [There's a slight question to her voice; Molly isn't a Warlord, but "Lord" is the most appropriate title for him.] They're going to ask him some questions. Lord Mollymauk has a spell from home he believes will convince the young man to talk without harming him, which has been my concern.