Juspera's Good Ole GS4 Page / History
The trial of Juspera, part 1: Foreword
Those familiar with the events of the second Griffin Sword War are most likely to be interested in this log, but even absent that context, the log is an interesting specimen. Juspera was being prosecuted by one enemy and defended by another; why? Why did one of her victims speak in her defense? Who lied on the stand, and who was telling the truth? Who was being threatened or blackmailed? In the glances, sighs and gasps that I've left in, a reader can discern the subtext of intrigue that was running underneath the event. Everyone involved in the trial wanted something, but what isn't always obvious.
The trial was organized by myself and the Freeholders Mercenary Company, especially Cappurnicus. Why did I want Juspera to go to trial? Honestly, I don't entirely remember. I believe it was a combination of folks saying that Juspera's actions required some consequences, and my desire to put something together that a lot of people could participate in: an RP opportunity that was created not by GMs, but by players.
A tremendous amount of preparation went into the trial. We researched real-world courtroom procedures and definitions for crimes and adjusted them for Elanthia; we drew up guidelines for the prosecution, defense, bailiff, jury and sentencing committee; the overseer conducted witness interviews; the prosecution and defense teams conducted some more and coached witnesses on what they would say on the stand; and during the trial itself, people who were outright enemies IC were communicating OOC in whispers to make sure things ran smoothly.
It was a very interesting experience to be a part of, and we learned a lot in organizing it -- while we knew things would run long and were very careful about budgeting for time, the trial still went two hours over schedule, for instance, and witnesses had to be cut. I was in the unusual position of trying to both (1) make sure the trial was fair, and (2) win it. Despite all the preparation, nothing was predetermined.
Here is a list of the main "voices" in the log, so that it's easier to tell what's going on:
Overseer: Cappurnicus
Prosecutors: Siwas, Gahread
Prosecution's witnesses: Jacina, Vonka, Maimara
Defense counsel: Ysharra
Defense's witnesses: Xanthias, Mekthros, Revalos, Juspera
Uncalled witnesses: Quinstol, Eponyne
Bailiff: Prospera
Jury Foreman: Songowl
Recorder: Rinika
I want to give a big shout-out to the heavy lifters: Cappurnicus, Siwas, Gahread, and Ysharra. I'm amazed at the amount of work you all put in and remain in your debt. Thank you as well to the many other people who participated, and those who came to watch.
If any reader would like to see my notes on the trial, guidelines for prosecution, defense, jury, etc., please contact me at Zilal@aol.com.
Finally, a cautionary note: the Griffin Sword Saga was often characterized by its extreme level of character-on-character violence, and this log contains several descriptions of assault and torture. The level of detail is minimal, but read at your own risk.
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Juspera's Good Ole GS4 Page / History