thirteenth rune; frost; video

[deadelfwalking]

[Hello, friends. A cold-eyed elf with a fairly significant skin condition stares at the camera, his jaw set, his mouth a thin, inscrutable line.]

Talk of a council is all well and good, but we have another matter in front of us.

As many of you have pointed out, there is no formal system of law in place. At present, those of you who acted as peace officers have simply continued as you were in your own worlds. If you brought others to justice, if you spoke about justice -- you have continued to see this as your right.

[His eyes narrow, drawing his long eyebrows together.]

But it is not your right. Your laws are not universal. Your morality is not sacrosanct.

We must decide on appropriate conduct as a whole, with consideration given to perspectives outside of our own.

I propose that any code we settle on be simple and direct. For example:

1. Murder shall be abolished. In the case of murder, execution.

2. Theft shall be abolished. In the case of theft, the hand shall be cut off at the wrist. Repeat offenders shall lose both hands.

3. Conspiring with the United Earth shall be considered treason. In the case of treason, suspected or actual, execution.

4. Bodily autonomy shall be respected. Knowing efforts to mind control, telepathically invade, steal, or otherwise forcibly take spiritual or physical authority over another sentient being will constitute assault. In the case of this assault, execution.

And so forth.  These are merely ideas, of course.

[His lower lip twitches, suggesting that he's perfectly aware of the extremes he's recommended. Suggesting that he's just trying to get your attention, to get you to think about how you would define your own terms. What constitutes murder? Theft? Conspiracy? Justice? He's only asking.

Maybe.]

[After several hours, the post is edited with a very carefully recorded text attachment.]

Proposed countermeasures to theft:
public humiliation 
fines
time locked away

Proposed countermeasures to murder:
temporary exile
(where?  to a safe place?  to a random location in time?

General countermeasures
better jail system (?)
compassion (???)
mercy (???)
trials (how?  who receives authority?  who takes what position?  what verdicts should result?)
jail time (general solution?)
punishment via the VR room (?) 

Comments

[speakveryclearly]

Technically that's what the Royal Family was, wasn't it?

[deadelfwalking]

I suppose, but we never knew anything of them. Nor did they seem to possess any power.

[speakveryclearly]

I revered them but I'm pretty sure now that they're dead.

[deadelfwalking]

Revered them? How could you possibly revere a group of people we knew nothing of? Simply due to their status?

[speakveryclearly]

Okay, maybe revere is a stronger word than I should have used. I was aware of their existence, though, in abstract terms, and was prepared to receive monarchical mandates from them. Not that they ever materialized.



I wonder how long they've been dead.

[deadelfwalking]

A dangerous position, even so. And considering that we never heard a word from them ... it seems possible that they died long before any of us even arrived here.

[speakveryclearly]

That would be a little sad, never seeing their life's work realized. At least they would have been spared the sights of the concurrent massive failures, though.

[deadelfwalking]

I cannot say it for certain, of course. But if they were alive before, then -- as you say -- they undoubtedly perished in the most recent attack.

[He's not that broken up about it -- not any more so than any other death.]

All the more reason to sort out our own governance.