Chapter 04: Act II

[storyevents]

A MIDSUMMER ROSE: ACT II—

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With the tasks completed, the story progresses onward to the next Act. As everyone falls asleep, their dreams replay the events of the story thus far.

The two queens fought fiercely with sharp words and powerful magic, but in the end Titania surrendered and muttered “just curse the brat.” Carabosse did indeed curse Tam Lin to prick his finger on a spindle and fall into a deep slumber, as well as give the child an invitation to join her dark forces should he ever decide to forsake his family.

While Oberon was hesitant to trust his son with Puck, the rebellious fairy argued that being rough around the edges meant he could better handle a crisis. So the king set Puck the test of retrieving a flower from a dangerous locale and returning with the flower intact, lending the sprite a priceless dagger for protection and a further test of trust.

Puck trusted little Tam Lin to hold the magical flower while the sprite carried the babe, eventually stumbling upon a convenient baby carriage. The two then enjoyed the beauty of the wild forest on their trek.

While still in pain from parting with their son and previous hurts in their relationship, Oberon and Titania reaffirmed their love and trust in each other as they set out to destroy the spindles.

Puck raised Tam Lin more as a younger brother than a son and they formed a strong bond. While Tam Lin took after Puck in being easygoing and playful, they still had a love and protectiveness for the forest they called home. The two would often use Puck's ability to shapeshift and communicate with animals and Tam Lin magically gifted skill with music to soothe and heal injured animals they came across and to protect the forest from any outside threats.

Carabosse did her best to intimidate Nick Bottom into telling her Tam Lin’s location, but the playwright parried her at every turn and even accused her of being a yaoi fangirl. Eventually the evil fairy’s temper reached its zenith, prompting the soon-to-be donkey to challenge her to a children’s card game. Bottom won through the use of sleight-of-hand, but Carabosse caught the cheater, and for his insolence turned him and all the town into donkeys.

When everyone awakens, they find themselves in the forest cultivated by Puck and Tam Lin and once again in their strange fairy forms. It is flourishing, more color, sound, and even music filling the air as sunlight streams through the open branches. However, within the shadows lurk dangers that manage to slip in and the forest still needs care and protection as it will be their main stronghold.

Like before, the magical fairy rings made of flowers and glowing mushrooms will send those who are to act their scenes to their proper location. However, there are other paths illuminated by glowing mushrooms and flowers, each one leading to various places both within and outside the large forest.

One path in particular will lead them to the cursed village where they are to help cure those afflicted by the curse as well as fend off the Erasers and other dangers that threaten the village. However they should be careful as they will have a "curse" of their own upon entering.

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§ instructions.

The second Act 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.

As a reminder, there are two different fairy forms that characters outside the main scenes can take when in the setting of the story. While in Tam Lin's forest, they will take on their fairy form (can be the same as last Act or different). While in the cursed village, they will take on some kind of "hoofed" creature or fairy with a slant towards the equine.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into 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.

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§ 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.

¶ I. Lifting the curse. Everyone in the village has been turned into donkeys, and those who enter the village will also find themselves "cursed" with a hooved form, causing a bit of havoc within the village. The temperaments between each one vary from morose to hostile, and both can be difficult to handle. Some donkeys even stray from the village and need to be herded back, or else they are attacked and killed by the Erasers that lay beyond. To lift their own curse, the Aspects must protect and lift the curse off the villagers. There are a few ways to do this:

• The cursed villagers no longer remember who they are, but a reminder of who they used to be could help. Although they cannot speak, clues range from the bits of clothing left on their bodies, their behavior, and the locations they tend to stray to.
  
  
• The more hostile and aggressive ones may need to be subdued; knocking them unconscious may expel the curse from them.
  
  
• Finally, there are some glowing white candied roses scattered about the village. Should the cursed villagers eat some, they will be cured.

Reminder: Aspects who enter the village will take on a new "hooved creature" form and must help lift the curse of at least one villager before they can leave the village and get rid of the "curse."

¶ II. Protect the forest and its creatures. With the Fairy Queen caught up in a complicated love affair and Tam Lin distracted by his own romance, the protection around the forests have gone thin, and many fairy creatures are left unattended and vulnerable.

1. The Forests. Tam Lin's forest has a barrier that must be strengthened every so often by using the pollen of the purple flower and casting it over the barrier. The weakest points will be where the shadows and darkness are greatest, and hostile creatures and Erasers are lurking. For the forests outside, follow the glowing mushroom path to different "outposts" to replenish the magic barrier in the area. Not only can they use the flower, but they must increase the amount of light to disperse the darkness.
   
   
2. Fairy creatures. A cute, little fairy creature may help guide them and even become attached. If not leading them to one of the weakened locations, the creature will lead the Aspects to a special nursery where many of the wounded need to be fed and healed.

Note: Aspects will have their fairy forms while in the forests.

¶ III. Clear the Castle Path. The pathway to the castle is covered in thorny vines and unpleasant fae folk under Carabosse's command. Some are just ordinary plants, while others will come to life and attack anything that tries to pass them. These plants also seem more resilient to flames this time, some even spitting fire and acid. The faes will create illusions and puzzles for our heroes to solve, such as turning parts of the road into blocks and forcing them to try and piece them back together (like Tetris). Other faes prefer being combative, trolls and orcs battle ready to stop anyone.


¶ IV. Bucking Bicycles. Scattered throughout the forest, at first they seem like regular bicycles with toy horse heads attached to them, but anyone who tries to ride them will suddenly find themselves bucked and tossed onto the ground. In order to ride one of these mighty metal steeds, one must first earn its trust. Perhaps a little elbow grease might persuade them, or a nice metal carrot.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

Comments

[eternalea]

Why, you sneak something in them?

[But look, if he's getting told to check his pockets, he'll check his pockets. Nothing, nothing--]

Oh, hello, what's this?

[Just as he pulls out the note, though, one of the donkeys in town notices the intruder and rears up before charging at him. Lea dodges, but it's a near thing.]

Look out!

[daggersedge]

Oh, what the fuck!?

[ Exclaimed as the donkey stampedes past its first target and towards it second: Felix.

Instinctively, Felix's hand goes to his right thigh, reaching for a sidearm that he doesn't have. When his hand hits nothing but fabric, he lets out another stream of curses and throws himself to the side, narrowly rolling out of the donkey's way. ]

[eternalea]

It's pissed! Distract it, this note in my pocket mentioned a curse!

[He's just going to find a place to hide to read it. Have fun, Felix!]

[daggersedge]

No shit it's—

[ Whatever Felix plans to say is cut off as he rolls again, dodging the donkey by a much narrower margin. The glasses he'd stuck on top of his head fall off and are promptly crushed beneath the animal's hooves. ]

Son of a bitch.

[ Felix regains his feet and digs into his bag again. This time, he pulls out a cinder block, which thuds to the ground and actually manages to trip the donkey. It's not much, but it's enough time for Felix to pull out something far more useful: a large net. ]

Finally.

[ From there, it's just a matter of waiting for the opportune moment. And for all that he's an impatient man, Felix excels at finding the right moment to strike.

He leads the animal on a little chase, exploiting his ability to change direction faster than the donkey can. It helps that the donkey is clearly not in its right mind, acting much like an angry bull but without the horns to back it up. Finally, Felix manages to chuck the net over the donkey; it falls in a braying, angry tangle. ]

[eternalea]

You get it under control? Because I got company!

[Lea's voice comes from a tree he climbed up to read the note. A tree that currently has two more angry jackasses surrounding it.]

But hey, figured out how to fix 'em!

[daggersedge]

[ Felix could step forward to pick a fight with said jackasses. Try to distract them so that the other man could strike while they're unaware. It's what he's done a hundred times before, working in tandem with a partner to maximize their fighting prowess.

But Felix has yet to see anything that makes him think the redhead would actually help. For all Felix knows, he'd wind up running around with two donkeys on his heels. So he doesn't step in just yet. Instead, he keeps his distance as he calls out, ]

Well?

[eternalea]

Don't kill the donkeys, follow this potion recipe, use it on the horse, and you gotta sing to it!

[daggersedge]

[ Don't kill the donkeys? Of everything in that sentence, that's the thing Felix finds most irritating. He scowls at the animals, trying to think of non-lethal ways to take them out. Suffice to say it's not his forte. ]

Potion recipe…

[ Muttered irritably under his breath. This fucking place. ]

All right, fine. What's the recipe?

[eternalea]

Let's see...cream as pure as snow, rose as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, aaaaand a pure gold vessel to brew it in. Put over the fire for thirty minutes, stirring clockwise then counter then clockwise. All while singing.

[. . .]

The hell kinda potion is this?

[daggersedge]

[ Felix stares. Squints. Then he pats his lack of pockets again, searching in vain for some alternative to that. ]

Seriously?

[eternalea]

Seriously. All while not killing angry donkeys.

[daggersedge]

Jesus Christ.

[ Felix tilts his head back and hisses between his teeth, trying to keep his frustration under control. He has a job to do. A mission to accomplish. And Locus isn't here to help with shit. ]

Goddammit.

[ Settling his hands on his hips, Felix looks back at the treed man. ]

All right. I'll start looking. You keep them occupied.

[eternalea]

How am I supposed to do that?! I haven't gotten any chakrams made yet!

[daggersedge]

[ Felix has already turned on his heel to get started, but he glances back at that. ]

What're you talking about?

[eternalea]

My weapons. I can't fend off these guys and they'll get bored keeping me treed!

[daggersedge]

[ Felix lets out a disgusted noise and turns back around to scowl up at the other man. ]

You think my weapon of choice is a bag?

[ His tone makes it abundantly clear that no, it is not his preferred weapon. ]

Don't you have some … [ he hates using this word: ] … magic ability or something?

[eternalea]

With the stuff you can pull out of that thing, it could be! And unless you want me to talk to birds or warm something up, I don't!

[daggersedge]

[ Felix throws up his hands. ]

So sic birds on them! Haven't you ever seen Hitchcock?

[ Leave it to Felix to find a way to weaponize birds. ]

[eternalea]

I don't even know what that is! I just talk to them, I can't make them do anything!

[daggersedge]

Oh my God.

[ In his fit of frustration, Felix's thoughts circle back to Locus again. How dare that fucker make Felix miss him. ]

Fine! Fine. I'll distract them. As soon as they move, you start looking for shit. And keep it quiet, will you?

[ Felix whips out the bag again. This time, he draws out a fully inflated balloon.

… Simple enough. He walks back to those crushed glasses, picks up a shard of glass, and pops it.

Immediately, the donkeys whip around to face Felix. ]

Here we go.

[ And they charge. ]

[eternalea]

[Have fun! Lea waits a moment before climbing out of the tree to go on a potion ingredient hunt. The rose shouldn't be too hard, at least, and he's pretty sure cornsilk will count for the hair, but the cream and the pot are gonna be tricky.

Except, of course, it turns out that the rose is the hardest damn thing to find. The cream's just sitting in an house, along with the corn, and the goldsmith has the post. But since donkeys eat plants and roses are plants...]

Hey, we got a problem!

[daggersedge]

[ Meanwhile, Felix has managed to subdue the first two donkeys, plus another donkey that was attracted by the noise. He also managed to pull a hunting knife out of his bag — useless in a non-lethal capacity, but something he's definitely hanging onto.

Fighting done for the moment, he dusts off his dress and wanders into the nearest house, beginning his own hunt for ingredients.

When he hears a call, he sticks his head out the front door with a scowl. ]

What now?

[eternalea]

They ate all the roses!

[daggersedge]

So look for dried ones! Old people do that kind of thing.

[ He turns back around to resume hunting. ]

[eternalea]

Yeah, uh, did you miss the whole "red as blood" part? Pretty sure it doesn't mean dried blood!