RULER: Emerald | EX-CONSORT: Iolite -- NEW CONSORT: Ruby

[dramatispersonae]

"As a ruler, I have many responsibilities, and one that I am -- at least, to the best of my knowledge -- relatively known for is my willingness to hear people's cases and provide some form of legal ruling on them. It has always been important to me to be fair, merciful, and kind. Of course, I need not do this all by myself.

In this game, I will present to you some suits and ask you to discuss between yourself and the team you are partnered with to rule on their situations and their requests."

Guinevere finishes speaking, and you find yourself in a tent with one other team.

RULER: EMERALD
CONSORT: IOLITE

((OOC: For various reasons, I need to move along the teams reeeeelatively at the same pace at various points, so there may be occasional delays for some teams. I apologize in advance if this happens!))

Comments

ROUND 1

[dramatispersonae]

A wealthy man has gone away to war and left behind his wife. It has only been three months and the war isn't over, so he isn't expected to return yet, but all her neighbors have been receiving letters and money from their spouses and she has received nothing, and her marriage contract gives her no rights to the wealth of his estate until he dies. She has sent letters to the front and received no information at all, nor have any of her attempts to learn more of his situation brought any news. She can only assume that he has died, and in light of that, wishes to both keep his estate and remarry a man of her acquaintance. Should she or should she not be permitted to either or both of these?

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

[oh, wow, this is my kind of game??]

So, this is what a game is like.

DECISION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DECISION

[zen_master]

If she remarries, she loses her rights to any part of her missing husband's estate. If she wishes to claim the estate, then she will not be given permission to remarry until there is confirmation of his death. She has an invitation to return in another three months if the situation has or hasn't changed.

ROUND 2

[neverhesitate]

She chooses to remarry and lose the estate.

Three months pass, and the war comes to the end. Suddenly, her original husband returns from the war. He finds his estate empty and his wife gone, remarried to another man. This time, he brings the case -- unfair loss of property in the form of his wife, and breach of legal marriage contract, as he had gone away for duty to the crown and had expected her to wait for his return. He wants his wife back -- he claims heartbreak but notes they are legally married and as such her other marriage isn't valid; surely they can work this out if they try. Regardless of if she is returned to him, he wishes at least to have her dowry cost in damages. He was too busy to write, he claims, but there's no reason to assume him dead. How do you rule?

DISCUSSION

[neverhesitate]

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

People aren't property!

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

Legal, huh . . . Did the estate have any staff? Does empty mean that the estate does not have furniture, paintings, and so on?

DECISION

[neverhesitate]

Re: DECISION

[zen_master]

The woman can stay with the other man, and she has no obligation to return to her former husband. The previous marriage is annulled as we ruled before.

The former husband doesn't have any claim to her dowry. Based on records of the household or an agreement between all three, the wife and present husband will pay for whatever was sold in excess of what was required to keep up the household in the former husband's absence. If they decide to come back to bickering about the price of drapes, then he doesn't get anything from the two, and she will owe a sum to charity.

PARTNER SWAP

[neverhesitate]

A wind fills the area, bringing a sense of both sadness and heart-pounding excitement -- you can tell the feeling's not yours, can tell it's external much in the way of viewing someone else's memory -- and when it fades, the "Consort" team that was previously here no longer is. Instead, a new team is here; you know instinctively that you are now partnered with this other team as the game continues.

RULER: EMERALD
CONSORT: RUBY

((Iolite, please exit this post and go play in THIS post instead. ))

ROUND 3

[neverhesitate]

Both settle down, with financial recompense paid, though neither seem terribly happy with it.

Another 3 months pass, making nine altogether. The woman from the other cases gives birth to a healthy baby boy. She claims that it is the child of the original husband, conceived right before he went away to war; the original husband agrees. However, her lover claims the child is actually his and wants to take the son as his own. The birth registry requires that it have one female parent and one male parent, or will be listed as her child with an unknown man and be declared illegitimate to ANY possible inheritance. How do you rule?

DISCUSSION

[neverhesitate]

Re: DISCUSSION

[morbidlysexy]

Sensing a theme in the problems here.

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

Well, she would know . . .

Re: DISCUSSION

[laruetheday]

[—what just happened?]

Re: DISCUSSION

[badnewsboy]

Problems problems problems. So many to solve.

Re: DISCUSSION

[pchaaair]

Can we just tell them to go on one of those weird shows where people fight about their issues until it is solved.

Re: DISCUSSION

[laruetheday]

Listen up. We have a few choices here.

One: a fight. Two: let the mother decide. Three: change the law.

Let's have a vote.

DECISION

[neverhesitate]

ROUND 4

[neverhesitate]

It is decided and the child is taken to the previous husband's estate to be raised as heir to that estate, with care given by a wet nurse, servant, the intention of tutors etc.

After ANOTHER three months -- what an intense year this has been for this trouble-causing family -- another woman shows up with a newborn baby and claims that the original husband had married her while he was abroad, and got her with child while there. This new woman has one of the original husband's rings, which is something as close to proof as she is capable of. She has come with the intent to live with him in married bliss in his estate. The husband denies it and says that while he was out, the ring was stolen from his belongings and he had never been infidelious to his (original) wife. She wants her marriage to him to be considered legal, to live on his estate, and raise the child as heir to the estate; otherwise, she wishes an ongoing stipend for raising the child and quite impressively large financial recompense. However, she has no money and status, and he claims that she did all this under false pretenses and doesn't want to marry her. In addition, she argues that although the child of his first wife might be three months older, hers is as valid and deserves to be considered a potential heir to the estate (should, you know, something happen to the eldest child). How do you rule?

DISCUSSION

[neverhesitate]

DECISION

[neverhesitate]

RESULTS

[neverhesitate]

The woman leaves with no ring and with a baby. The man seems quite relieved.

Go to Endgame