agentlenpc (
agentlenpc) wrote in
agentlenet2019-03-03 02:50 pm
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psychic thread
[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.
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.
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Why explain yourself to a Queen that you think cares not for what you say? [ The tone Verim takes is one of contemplation.] Would your words be turned against you? Your friends? Could you expect that a Queen who is Blood would be sympathetic to a landen? Or, did he intend to kill Lady Vera and now hopes his silence and the clout of the Guilds might save him? Or at least make him a martyr. I've seen that as well.
If he were Blood, Fayura would ask that he let her into his mind to read his intentions and know the truth of his actions though it might destroy him. Unfortunately, those with a Jewel cannot touch the mind of landen without killing them.
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Would there be any chance that his sentence could be lessened even a little if he was cooperative in explaining his actions?
I mean, he killed someone, so he's obviously not going to be let loose... Still, if a death sentence is hanging over his head maybe he'd be willing to spill a little more information with the promise of that being taken off the table?
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Yes. [ Verim says without hesitation.] The possibility exists. The most predominant issue is what will Lady Vera's family and the Ebon Council - [ saying the latter name comes with a bit of anger.] - will accept in lieu of his life and if the Guilds are willing to abide by that price.
You and others have made the interesting suggestion of a ... jury. I do not hold out hope that a panel of Blood and landen could reach a mutually acceptable solution - [ and then wryly] - but I never expected to find a Queen I wanted to serve either.
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I mean, it sounds like it'd be hard to get a fully unbiased jury in this case, but you could still look for people who are as neutral as possible on this issue?
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[ Heavy sarcasm at that. What disgusting people. ]
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I hope it does... I mean, someone else might come up with something better, but it doesn't sound like there's a lot of other great alternatives right now.
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Fine, then. Say he explains his side of things. Why does it matter what his motives were? It doesn't change the fact that he killed the councilwoman in cold blood. Based on the facts, he actively made the decision to murder her. To premeditate a killing like that, to actually go through with it, that's not something any angry person can do.
[ Haein would know, maybe. He's made of about 99% anger and he's never murdered anyone. Sure, he'll suggest it, but don't expect him to get his own hands dirty. ]
You can assess intent as much as you want, the outcome will still remain the same.
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Even when it is premeditated.
Did he believe Vera to be a true threat against the landens or himself? Was there justifiable cause for that belief? Had she already harmed him or his family in ways we simply do not yet know? You are correct that the outcome will not change nor do I believe his motives will shine him in a good light in the end, but the effort should be made to find them.
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It's a waste of time.
[ Stubborn, always so stubborn. ]
I don't understand it. Maybe you and the others have convinced yourselves that finding a motive will make it easier to deal with the burden or guilt when the final verdict comes for his life, maybe not. But all it does is delay the inevitable.
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[ Or carrying it out himself. ]
However, until we know the scope, determining the severity is impossible. If Vera had harmed him, his family, or threatened to harm him, then I cannot blame him for taking out that threat, only the cowardly manner in which he did it.
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If he's already feeling this restless about the fate of a murderer he cares little about, he can't imagine how the other factions are faring. A valuable pawn like that... They could make a hundred more just like him, especially with this acting as a catalyst. ]
Fine. [ There's a weariness that comes through from his end of the connection, a dismissive force. ] But he'll garner support as long as he's alive. The sooner he's dealt with, the better.
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[ A pause and then: ]
You seem very troubled by this.
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Shouldn't I be? Things have been deteriorating at an alarming rate ever since we got here. We're supposed to be helping, but nothing's getting better, only worse.
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[ Verim pauses, his voice heavy when he speaks again. ]
And that will be a problem as well. For things to continue to get better, some of those in power will have to relinquish some of it, and very few people who attain power want to let it go. For others, these changes are welcomed and also terrifying. Between the deterioration of the land, the brigades roaming beyond the walls, and the animosity between landen and Blood, change, in the experience of Draega, comes with a high body count.
[ Then, wryly:] Seeing the good in anything is difficult when most of what you've seen is bad. But now there are landens who speak highly of the Strangers they met and Blood that are relieved and grateful for your help. It seems like a small thing, but it is not. Those little bits of trust and good will are worth more and are more rare than gold marks.
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People are finicky by nature. One mistake and they'll turn on us in an instant, so I'm not exactly hopeful that the trust and good will are going to last.
[ A long sigh. He's going to sound like a broken record at some point. ]
... Whatever. I just wanted to say my piece. I got way more invested in this than I thought I would.
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[ Ah, but now he runs the risk of talking too much and he does hate that. ]
No matter what happens, the Lady is grateful to hear from all of you.
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Not that he thinks they're shitty. ]
Right... [ The doubt is still strong. ] I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things go down.
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ill advisedstubbornness, Haien gains +1 Reputation with Verim.