dramatispersonae | SAPPHIRE

SAPPHIRE

[Unlike with previous games from Lancelot, the room today is sparse … and cold, as if this is a place where some of the remaining winter hasn’t left (though surely that has nothing to do with the Snow Queen …)

Instead of wine, bread, and meat, there is dirty water, some berries (that are safe to eat), and some other plants that clearly have been picked off a plant.

There is nowhere to really sit except the cold, hard ground.]

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In the past, I betrayed my oath to my king. I was not truly loyal to him, not as I was meant to be. Did you know … we were friends when we were young, though perhaps not as young as many of you? We came to be brothers. And still, I hurt him. I broke that vow.

So I must ask you, Aather. What are the sins … or crimes … of your team? Please list three.

Please list only three. No more, no less.

When Arthur learned of my betrayal, of what I had done—he did nothing. A strong king in every way, but in the face of betrayal from a loved one, he could only stand by and do nothing. His mercy led his realm to despair; many others thought him to be weak.

They weren’t right. But they were correct in another way: I was deserving of punishment. A crime is not a crime without the punishment that follows, some might say, but some crimes are worthy of punishment.

Today, list three suggested punishments for any crimes, worthy crimes, perhaps even your own crimes.

Three punishments here. No more, no less. They can be anything.

Surely you have all witnessed the importance of being held accountable. Would Camelot have been so cold, so burdened, had Arthur punished me correctly? Would the Snow Queen have experienced such misery?

Now, hold your other Aatherites accountable in the same way. So many crimes have surely come to pass that it is time for them to face it.

Tell me one team you find guilty, and the reason for that guilt.

And … tell me one team you find to be innocent. This is according to your own understanding, of course.

One innocent team, one guilty team and the reason for that guilt.

Today, you have been accused three times, for being not guilty, for dodging the rules, and for being neither guilty nor innocent. However, you were protected from these crimes, and you do not have to do penance.

The choices for penances are here.

I have been found guilty for not listening to reason, and I will do the penances suggested by Jasper:

1. For the crime of running tiresome and intrusive games, to only run cheerful and pleasant games from now on.
2. For the crime of being obsessed with his own self-judgment, to tell the story of his supposed crime, and to hear and accept someone else's judgment of him.
3. For the crime of betraying his friend, to apologize sincerely and actually accept the judgment of his friend in this instance, since it seems to be harder for him than any self-flagellating punishment we could give him. And to apply the energies he's no longer using to mentally punish himself to something productive, to find his king and remedy the damage he's done.

Edited 2014-01-05 03:54 (UTC)

What are ways you have dealt with the guilt in your past, in your memories? What if you betrayed a friend and destroyed something very important? How would you recommend making up for it, if not through the means here in this game?

Also, would you like your crimes to be public knowledge?

Edited 2014-01-05 01:37 (UTC)

[taking a glass of water and looking inside...then scowls and sets it back.]

Honestly...

[. . .]

Well, one time I took something from the clinic without asking.

I agree! This is most unsatisfying as a game.

Are you just going to go along with it like that?!

[a pause once he notices she's here]

Usually the food in a game is more worthwhile, but it seems he's more focused on treating us as prisoners for this game.

[...laughs softly.]

Does it count as stealing if you run the clinic?

And he expects us to put up with this and do as he wishes?

[waving a hand]

I'm teasing. I see no reason to offer him our sins or crimes when they are ours alone to do with as we will. Others might think of something more serious to present, but "crimes" would be in all shapes and sizes. I confess I cannot think of something that I would consider enough of a crime to bring up, anyways, so I spoke of a little thing in jest. That's all.