realmofstories | Chapter 04: Act I

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Chapter 04: Act I

A MIDSUMMER ROSE: ACT I—

§ instructions.

The first Act of our fourth campaign is underway! This is the designated log for all Main Scenes. Others are free to create their own toplevels for the Sub Quests, which are detailed below. Each Main Scene has their own unique toplevel and those cast into the roles are to thread their scene under each. All scene instructions are provided in the toplevels.

Reminder that everyone is coming with a fairy form! Feel free to use and/or refer to the meme for what form your character takes. Characters will remain in these forms throughout the entire act, but will change to fit their role when in a scene. So if someone was originally looking like a centaur, they will revert back to their normal form with whatever extra touches needed.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped in to their location and will have to step into a designated fairy ring made of iridescent mushrooms and flowers and then return. Threading all of that isn't necessary, but it's to help give a better idea that characters can take a break between scenes or wait a bit to help with other things like the Sub Quests.

Feel free to refer to the Game Notes for more detailed info as well as ask questions or clarifications.

§ sub quests.

Everyone is free to participate in the Sub Quests. There are no specific top levels, so you're free to incorporate them however you wish in your own top level. As a reminder, the main setting for everyone not in a scene is within the fairy castle and everyone is in fairy forms.

¶ I. Fairy Pranks. Fairies are known to be mischievous, and the ones at the party are the worst. They will spice up people's foods, drop cake on others' heads, even inflict minor spells and curses on people! From changing skin colors to turning people into frogs or even bugs, these fairies are such a menace. Catch them in the act and stop them, else try and help those who are victims. (Any curses inflicted are temporary and should wear off naturally after an hour.)

¶ II. Stupid Cupids. A specific group of fairies called cupids are making their rounds. Completely drunk, they're firing their arrows willy nilly, and those who are struck will be enthralled with the first person they see. However, it's not always romantic. In fact some might just want some intense friendship, others are seeking some kind of familial connections, and then there are the few who just want to fight everyone.

¶ III. Weeding the Castle. While the main party hall is safe, the outside is definitely not. If they're not careful, some creepy crawlers may try to slip in. Take care of the hostile plants by either destroying them or by trying to restore them to their original forms. However, this can only be done singing or using special fairy dust acquired by one of the pranking fairies flying about in the party. Watch out for the Erasers, too—they are disguised as mandragoras, so if they're pulled out they will first try to deafen with their screams before attacking. Another form they take are snapdragons, but they will actually transform into a dragon-like beast with a lot of poisonous teeth.

¶ IV. Clearing out Spindles. To help the King and Queen, those not busy with scenes can help clear out the spindles littered about the castle. They could be in any room, closet, bathroom, or tower, so perhaps those taking care of the weeds can do this as well. However, be careful. Should anyone prick their finger they will fall into a deep sleep and must be awakened somehow (the method is left up to the players). Some spindles are Erasers in disguise, and but instead of falling asleep, getting pricked (or more accurately, stabbed), will paralyze and cause severe hallucinations. They also use razor sharp threads to attack and try to bind those they are fighting. But they're made of wood, so fire is a good way to get them.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Feel free to use the wildcard for general party prompts and castle exploration. Outside of the grand hall where the main festivities are held, the castle is run down and lifeless, overrun with withering, rotten, hostile plants. It's even worse outside.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A. Skumps! Skumps! A Toast to This Night (Weeding and Possibly Spindles)

[Kotori was a bit surprised that all of them were transformed once again, but already this a LOT more pleasant than being suddenly thrown underwater. She isn’t constantly fighting new anatomy and physics to move around, and the air and dry land mean she can still cook and use her pot. And, not that she notices it quite yet, but her new form is quite pretty. Her long black braid is glinted with silver, with one small streak of pure silver in her bangs. Her eyes and skin are a little paler as well, and the skirts of her gray silk dress flow almost ethereally around her.

The thing she notices most, however, is… a sort of connection to the castle itself, like this is her own home. It’s faint, but it’s in little things like how she knows THAT door opens to the corridor containing the kitchens, and how the rot permeating the halls just feels… WRONG. Not unlike Keith’s dream with the dying planet, but thankfully less sickening. One, two… ah, this is the door. Gently but confidently, Kotori opens the barky panel….

…. Aaaand is promptly greeted by a half-dozen monstrous plants suddenly looking up and giving her a chorus of hisses.

She’ll just… slowly close the door… and walk back to the hall, and close the door behind her, face blanched even more and a VERY tight smile nailed to her face, her voice no more than a squeak.]

Nope…

B. The Outlook Is Rosy, the Future Is Bright (Cooking)

[FINALLY the kitchen is safe and clean enough to actually work in, which is good because it’s actually a beautiful kitchen. Large, spacious, well-stocked with so many natural ingredients (the ones not devoured by the various monsters anyway) and a VERY creative use of non-iron and non-steel materials, copper and gold pots and bowls, carefully chipped obsidian knives… okay, Kotori would probably not be using the jawbone knives very often, unless she really had to.

But after taking stock of all the equipment, all the food still residing in the pantry and the food provided in the Aspects’ rations, any cookbooks lying on the shelves and her own research in the Index, and how many of the castle’s brownies can help her in the kitchen, Kotori is able to come up with a decently sized menu for a feast. After all, this is a royal party, and contrary to Rokurou and Eizen’s beliefs, they can’t spend the whole time drinking JUST alcohol. There’s plenty of work to be done, though, if you happen to wander by the kitchens. Mixing and folding puff pastry and pie crust and shortbread while the room is still cool, stirring soups and grinding them through food mills to make them as smooth as possible, and of course slicing and chopping ingredients… which people who’ve known Kotori long enough might be surprised to see her actually helping out with this part rather than just watching.

And of course, if you’re just stopping by to grab a pre-feast snack, Kotori will be happy to provide that too. That’s why Nabe-chan’s been on standby while everything else is cooked and baked by hand. Just… don’t take any of the cups of cream near the stove without asking first.]

C. We’ll Splash a Dram of Whiskey on His Snout at Every Ball (FEAST!)

[It takes a good few hours, but with the help of magic and a lot of extra hands, the feast is FINALLY ready: a gorgeous buffet-style spread featuring the forest’s bounty at its finest, all vegetarian. Soups served in copper cauldrons shaped like gourds and wildflowers next to cutting boards with hot loaves of bread and fresh-churned butter, salads with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, grilled mushroom skewers and stuffed squash flowers and steaming azuki bean rice, a massive raised pie layered with savory vegetables, and then the dessert table! Apple slices wrapped in puff pastry and rolled to form rosebuds, served in a pool of tart and floral jam, galletes stuffed with piping hot peaches and plums and rose hips, shortbread cookies laced with lavender and rose petals, but the pièce de résistance? A two-tiered almond cake, studded with summer berries, coated and lifted by layers of whipped cream, and both layers crowned with more of the fresh compote and dried rose petals, just the right combination of airy, floral, sweet, and earthy. And of course, all accompanied by fountains of drinks: sweet fruit wines, natural ales and meads, and for those wanting a clear head, just as wide a variety of herbal teas.

And of course, Kotori will be supervising the tables, making sure none of the dishes or pots run too low (and that none of the pranksters get too close to the table with ill intent. But come on, she can’t spend the WHOLE act working, right?]

D. And All Will Toast Brave Highland Men at Every Royal Feast (Closed to Shizuo)

[In the middle of all this, though, her journal flashes. At first she’s confused (and nervous) because she thought all the roles had been “assigned,” but then the page in question… it’s Shizuo’s contact page. And a certain piece of information is flashing. Ah…]

Shizuo-san? Are you busy right now?

E. Wildcard

[[Got something in find other than the prompts listed here? Feel free to hit me up on Plurk or Discord so we can plot!]]

Edited 2020-01-30 07:16 (UTC)

[ Seto hasn't been here very long, but he's already had about enough of this madness. He's swung his hammer at three angry plants just to get this far, and he's getting the feeling that being hit would end badly for him.

Exhausted, he pushes through the next door, which leads to a kitchen where someone is hard at work cooking. It certainly looks like the start of something good....and he doesn't see any flying arrows or falling traps in here. He tentatively moves up to the table, taking in all the dishes in progress. Then, having decided to barge in, he grabs an apron and neatly scrubs his hands. ]

I think that soup's about to burn.

[ And without asking he steps up, wraps a towel around his hand, lifts the pot away and quickly stirs it. ]

Edited 2020-01-30 13:58 (UTC)

[Doo doo doo just rolling out pastry dough-- wait WHAT?!]

AH!

[She's quick to turn and dash over to the stoves, only relaxing a little at seeing Kaiba handling it.]

Oh thank goodness! Thank you so much, Kaiba-san, I thought--

[Well, she THOUGHT one of the brownies was still watching it, where'd they go off to?]

What did you think? That the other kitchen staff were competent?

[ He'd seen them disappear and snorted his disapproval. ]

Don't worry. I'm used to juggling.

{ And once the soup is under control he'll turn to the potatoes, expertly mashing them. ]

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