Re: V3 #8, Lunar Counter-Insurgency Techniques

From: KenRolston@aol.com
Date: Fri 05 Jul 1996 - 15:11:44 EEST


Exactly. I much admire your treatment, Ian. A reasonable, complex,
economically-based response certain to cause confusion among tribal factions.
This is an example of an enlightened response. And to be expected only from
administrators of the highest qualities.

Of course, an equally plausible but somewhat less enlightened response might
come from administrators of less exalted qualities.

In response to the ambush of the Lunar patrol, an impulsive, stiff-necked
Lunar magistrate demands that the Lunar garrison round up a bunch of usual
suspects -- young trouble-making Orlanthi bucks with previous minors
seditious offenses -- for questioning.

The governor presses the magistrate for swift and public justice. The
magistrate presses the garrison commander for quick confessions from the
suspects. A Yanafal Tarnils Lunar inspector questions the suspects under oath
before the Goddess. A not-very-remarkable coincidence results in one of the
real perpetrators having been included in the sweep. Other suspects, though
innocent of the specific charge, are guilty of other minor and major
offenses. Some deny their offenses, and are revealed as liars. Others refuse
to speak, and are presumed guilty. Others proudly confess their crimes. The
actual perpetrator confesses to many, many crimes, in addition to the ones he
did commit, and names every name he can recall as an accomplice, and is
revealed as a liar.

Those suspects who denied their crimes and are not revealed as liars are
released. All others are retained for trial.

A successful rescue of the real perpetrator by enterprising player character
companions further frustrates and infuriates the Lunars. However, the rest of
the suspects remain in custody.

The trial is swift and observes the legal forms. Those who refused to speak,
or who perjured themselves, are judged guilty as charged, and receive the

death sentence for sedition. The escaped suspect is also judged guilty, and
outlawed. Others are cleared of the present charge, but remanded for trial on
other charges.

The magistrate has poles erected in a public place and schedules a public
execution. On the execution day, after a long speech about the stern, just,
but merciful Goddess, the magistrate reduces death sentences to
transportation, and ships the rest off to Riskland.

The escaped perpetrator is now an outlaw. Loyal player character companions
join him in a flight to the wilderness where the campaign continues as a
picareque or Sartar rebeillion.

The magistrate and inspector congratulate themselves on swift and efficient
justice. They have punished only the guilty, and shown mercy in those
punishments, in the face of great provocation. Their methods may have been
favored expedience, but they worked better than might have been expected,
revealing many criminals to the justice of the Goddess. They might be
forgiven for choosing the same methods in response to the next anti-Lunar
incident.

Given the final expulsion of the Lunars from Sartar, I conveniently assume a
decrease in the quality of administrators, troops, and private Lunar citizens
in Sartar as time passes, and a parallel rise in the number, complexity, and

intransigence of problems facing the Lunar administration in Sartar. I'd be
interested in hearing examples from other campaigns supporting this
assumption. For example, when Octavian Suppositorius was sent from Jonstown
to the Holy Country, I presume he was replaced by a less fastidious man ruled
more by political expedience and personal ambition than by Octavian's
visionary principles.

ken

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