Trial For High Treason Of Ninot

[Arnelos]

Señor Tamali,

If the Court makes its decision against Señor Ninot, you should present your evidence as an appeal to His Grace, Lord Togas. As His Grace stated, the decision of the Court will be made on its own, but you may appeal the Court's decision to Lord Togas himself.

Keep in mind that His Grace, having set up this Court, will likely not overturn its decision unless given very strong reason to do so (I would expect). So attempting to sway the Watcher is likely preferable for the defense.

I hope I have been of assistance.

- Diego

[Ninot]

As for my uhm...appeals.

High Watcher, I have always been devoted to the good gods of Espania, and my heart is good. I have done nothing evil. I am a pious fellow, who keeps a moral heart at all times, despite what my actions might be. I ask you to spare my life as I am both innocent, and a good fellow in general.

Togas, I have always been faithful to you. My family hopes to serve under your rule for millenia to come, and if you can spare my life, I will forever be thankful. Despite overwhelming evidence that I would never conspire against you, I have been found guilty. But your great wisdom must tell you that I am innocent. Please see to it that the court is corrected in such matters.

[DAVOUT]

Accused Ninot,

Spain is not yet accustomed to a really fair trial as this one. For the moment, the final accusation has been made by the Accuser and a death penalty has been requested, but the verdict has not yet been pronounced. That will be done after the Great Priest will have informed the Court of the attitude of the gods and demons regarding the case.
Then you will be offered the opportunity of an appeal before Togas.

[Ninot]

as this is the first "Fair" trial, i dont see any need to follow a preset standard

as this IS the standard.

but thankyou for repeating the procedure you would like to follow.

If my actions in appealing early have upset you....maybe you could put me on trial with a death penalty as punishment. That'll teach me

[GeneralTacticus]

Having reviewed at length the events in this courtroom, including the evidence provided by the accuser, and studied the sacred texts to see if they can shed any light in this, I believe I have come to a conclusion.

Firstly, the use of a number of different and powerful spells to detect lying have all turned up the same result: Ninot and his defenders all genuinely believe in what they are saying. Thus, in order for Ninot to have committed the acts of which he has been accused, he must not ahve been aware of them at the time, or else is merely unaware of them now. This would be patently impossible without the use magic.

Secondly, it appears that the most crucial piece of evidence we may is the so-called 'TV clicker'. This device is mentioned in one of ancient texts eprtaining to the Visigoth wars, but was beleived destroyed along with the other blasphemous shrines and artefacts of the Visigoths.

In any case, the letters 'TV' in it's name stand for words in the spirit tongue (which I will not utter here for the sake of the sanities of those unprotected) meaning 'Lord of Anarchy', one of the major demons worshipped by the Visigoths. The 'TV clicker' was a device used by them to communicate with him. Although the device was destroyed, TV maintained his ability to subtly influence the minds of mortals, and it seems he has been using it recently to try to bring about the downfall of Spain and the return of the Visigoths or someone else who willw orship him and give him power. The 'TV clicker' that Nniot mentioned is a reproduction of of the original, with the added feature that those who sue it do not knwo they are doing so unless they actually know what it is. I can scarcely imagine the effort it would have taken TV to make an unwitting mortal create the device, but he has done it.

Now, according to the best interpretation I can give of the texts I have read, the priests of the time of the Visigoths knew all about TV, and thus were determined to destroy him upon the defeat of the Visigoths. When they razed his shriens, however, they realized that they had not destroyed him but merely forced him into hiding. Beleiving that he was, however, impotent, they thougth little more on the matter, save to record their knowledge in case it ever became useful - which it now has.

So, my verdict is this:

1) Ninot himself did not have any desire or intention of assassinating Togas, hence he has been entirely truthful here.

2) The 'TV clicker' is a device he uses for it's stated purpose; this was necessary for him to actually do anything with it. However, as long as he uses it in any way, TV can sue ti to influence him, and cause him to do things without actually willing them, but beleiving that he did, and rationalizing them. Hence his repeated and sincere protestations of his innocence.

3) There is, in fact, a plot to overthrow Togas in existence, but Ninot is not actually part of it. He is being used as a pawn by TV, whose basic aim is to create as much chaos and terror as possible in Spain, in order to weaken us. To this end, he has been making ninot implicate himself in the plot so as to ensure his death, and create dissent among those who oppose his fate, thus making it easier for him to eliminate Togas.

4) All TV clickers should be immediately confiscated and publicly burned, and their manufacture banned. Another device should be created to fulfill the same fuction without allowing TV to extend his influence.

[DAVOUT]

VERDICT


The Court finds that Ninot is physically guilty as it has been clearly established by the Accuser, but he is morally innocent as demonstrated by the High Priest.

All elements of uncertainty which resulted from the sometimes strange behaviour of Ninot are now explained. When he produced some unexpected sounds such as, during the infamous chat on January 28 : [19:31] [Ninotsback> yi yiiii], or when he sang, in the middle of a discussion : " lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala", he is under the evil influence of TV.

And when he says, to a friend recalling that the chat was likely the origin of the warrant: i certainly hope no one saw that, he realized that he has lost control of his mind and of his acts.

The most difficult task of the Court is to decide the appropriate condemnation for the part of Ninot which is physically guilty, without committing an injustice towards the part of him which is morally innocent; and also, the death, although quite obvious, being a too easy end for such a physical criminal, there is a need for a long lasting punishment with exemplary value.

By chance, in his first declaration, Ninot inserted four striking sentences:

Togas proved to all that a class system can work!

... short of betraying Togas and Spain.

A generous despotic leadership under the merciful Togas!

Togas is a generous leader whom no one should distrust.

Whatever were the motives which inspired him, these four sentences encompass almost all the political greatness of the Despot Togas.

Therefore, the Court condemn Ninot to write four short stories at the glory of Togas, each ending with one of the four sentences, and to sign them. These stories will be told publicly once a week to the people on the central plaza in all cities of Spain, until they are known by heart, and then the people will tell them to their children. The author will be universally known as the greatest admirer of Togas. The criminal part of Ninot will have to suffer until the end of his life to be responsible for the building of Togas legend.

The Court also indemnify the innocent part of Ninot for all worries and fears resulting from the present case by authorizing him to participate with the best of his talent, cleverness and humour, to the building of Togas legend. The innocent part of Ninot will enjoy until the end of his life the pleasure to build the Togas legend.


Justice is so rendered, in Madrid, on February 12, Togas ruling


By the Unique Judge

Christofo de Torquemada

[Thud]

A very good and just ruling. I applaud the High Preist, the Watcher, and the Court.

[ruby_maser]

Originally posted by Thud
A very good and just ruling.

I don't know. Perhaps Senor Ninot would have preferred death to this. It certainly takes less paperwork

[Ninot]

my physical part still insists on its innocense.

but then again, my physical part insists on alot of things that isnt always right......


i'll do the stories.

[History Guy]

Senor Ninot, submit them to the Stone of Spain at my office for publishing. Congratulations on your (semi)victory-like thing. If you want the story done in the first edition, try and get one out to me by Sunday morn'. In four weeks, with four stories...the sentence will be up!

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Editor, The Stone of Spain

[Ninot]

I will publish them in my own posts, for others to comment.

if you wish to adopt them for your publication, do so at your will.

[mrmitchell]

I applaud the High Priest, Watcher, and Court for not resorting to violence to solve Spain's problems but helping reinstill the Great Togas's Glory in the citizenry.

[DAVOUT]

Ninot,

I have to remind you that you have been condemned to write four stories, that you have publicly commited yourself to do so, that you have delivered to-date only two of them, and that you will be brought to jail if you do not produce the last two stories in the course of the next fourteen days.

Christofo de Torquemada
Watcher

[Ninot]

sure thing captain