Chapter 04: Act III

[storyevents]

A MIDSUMMER ROSE: ACT III—

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As everyone is taken from the second Act into the third and final Act of this story, they will all share the same visions of how the story has proceeded thus far:

Bonny Rose and Puck met and proceeded to blame each other for the donkey curse, but eventually took a moment to realize they needed to work together in order to brew the cure, with Bonny Rose protecting Puck while he gathered ingredients and brewed the potion. (All while bickering and swearing as only fantasy-Scottish redheads can.)

After freeing the town, Bonny Rose was in a much better mood and got along considerably better with her new traveling companion Nick Bottom, developing an amiable friendship until the two were separated by distracting swarms of butterflies and will-o-wisps.

Titania found Nick in the forest and he followed her willingly to her castle, with the queen demonstrating her considerable might defending her new paramour against a serpentine creature. The two indulged in a steamy bath and soothing Titania's wounds.

Surprisingly, Oberon and Carabosse had a scintillating past as lovers and partners on the battlefield, until Carabosse fell too deep into dark magic and Oberon began to fall for Titania. The two of them had a tense but surprisingly civil conversation about the past, the curse and her kidnapping plans, and Titania's mothering skills, and Carabosse promised to alter the curse and divulged that it can be broken with True Love, romantic or platonic.

Oberon managed to coax a particularly sharp Titania to their room, and eventually managed to break the curse on her.

Titania apologized to Nick for her behavior while under the love potions' effects. He accepted her apology, and the two agreed to part ways and for Nick to be left alone from now on.

Meanwhile, Bonny Rose and Tam Lin met in the forest, and the two normally outgoing youths were so stricken with each other that they became shy. They bonded over their shared feelings of being trapped in certain roles, and Tam Lin managed to charm her by introducing her to a wolf pup and taking her on a ride through the forest.

After the lovebirds parted ways, Tam Lin went to Puck for romantic advice. This was a mistake, as apparently fairy romance is much more complicated than Tam Lin thought, all he wanted was to know how to ask out a girl.

Carabosse managed to lure Tam Lin away with a handsome male visage before revealing her true form, offering Tam Lin a chance to join her dark forces. He refused, and she unleashed the (altered) curse on him.

When they awaken, the Aspects will find themselves in the middle of a desolate looking fortress, everything battered and filled with debris. A few bones and broken pieces of armor can be found scattered about, dark clouds constantly looming overhead—and along with the occasional cawing of crows, the loud roars of dragons can be heard followed by large, dark shadows as they fly overhead.

This is the fortress where Tam Lin is held captive and Bonny Rose must rescue him from. Once again those who must fulfil their role will find a path illuminated for them by glowing mushrooms and lead to different doors through which they must pass through before appearing in their designated scene setting. The rest will be tasked to try and clean out the fortress while protecting their safe location as well as helping the dragons roosting in the many towers overhead.

The Aspects will also discover that while they no longer are in their fairy forms, they can turn into something else—dragons.

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§ instructions.

The third 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.

Fairy forms are no longer at play, but everyone will now have a dragon form they can transform into. It's mostly by their own will, but a few may have some accidents as they get used to it. These transformations can be either partial or full. IMPORTANT! Characters cannot transform into dragons while doing scenes. Only those playing Tam Lin and Bonny Rose in Scene 6 will be able to use their given dragon form to use.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped in to their location and will have to follow the glowing path of mushrooms to a designated door 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. Dungeon Sweep. Another Act, another place to clear out to make it hospitable during their stay.

• Safe Zone. The safe zone in this location is a central outdoor plaza, which may not seem all that safe, but that's where they end up. Flowers from Tam Lin's forest can be found sprouting around the area and like before, the pollen can be used to help erect magical barriers to prevent enemies from entering. There are also small storehouses, barracks, and a kitchen nearby that can be used.
  
  
• Haunted Armor. Aside from the monsters, there is an army of haunted armor patrolling the halls and walls of the fortress, and some will even try to break into the safe zone. Although mostly armor, they are formidable foes, each one carrying the spirit of a strong, powerful knight of ancient times. Even if one were to hack off parts of the armor, they will still be able to move and even reattach themselves. The only way to completely destroy them is by piercing through the center of the chest piece where a stone core rests inside.
  
  
• Disabling Traps. There are numerous traps within the fortress, ranging from classic spikes from the walls to sudden pitfalls to revolving walls and even a rolling boulder. When venturing through the fortress, take care not to set them off because where there's on trap, there are sure to be more.

¶ I. Dragon Egg Hunt. Many dragons can be seen flying overhead, but they don't really bother the characters all that much. If anything they seem to be focused on dealing with some other problems, and those who venture up to the other towers will discover the reason why—as well as why they're able to transform into dragons.

• Egg Thief. There are several dragon nests scattered about the towers, but there are these harpies that keep trying to steal them and fly away with them. Chase after them and return the eggs to earn the dragons' favor.
  
  
• Protect the Eggs. One would think a dragon wouldn't have trouble protecting its roost, but when it comes to smaller threats such as small basilisks and other large snakes, their large size becomes a disadvantage, especially if they don't want to accidentally crush their own brood. Help fend off these threats to earn the dragons' favor.
  
  
• Egg Hunt. Now some of these eggs are on the move. Whether taken by something else and hidden somewhere, rolled off on their own, or on their way to hatching with their little legs or wings already breaking through, they need to be found and returned to their nest before something truly terrible happens.

¶ IV. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

Comments

[gobetween]

[He nodded, hair floofing amusedly with that bob.]

I know what you mean. Still, so far this isn't the craziest thing I've ever done.

[Pause, snicker.]

Well, being changed into a hoof creature comes pretty close, but...

[kawkaw]

[ He chuckles a bit. ]

I know what you mean. This isn't the strangest thing I've done either. But that doesn't make it any less of a challenge all it's own.

[gobetween]

Not really, no! Not even doing the same thing will be the same experience every time. Life'd be way too boring otherwise, and boring is definitely not the Fraggle way.

[kawkaw]

So then, what exactly is the Fraggle way?

[ Having Gobo slow down by distracting him with conversation? Nooooo what gave you that idea? ]

[gobetween]

[Not that Gobo would ever realize that anyway...]

Parties, mostly! Games, music, holidays, all kinds of stuff like that. Fraggle Rock is a pretty noisy place but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

[He snorted some.]

My friend Boober though, he's of a different opinion on that.

[kawkaw]

[ That's what he's counting on. ]

I see. So you all enjoy having fun.

[gobetween]

Yeah, pretty much! Fraggles know that fun is what they are, as one of our songs goes. What fun means is different from Fraggle to Fraggle but that's the way it should be, so it's pretty neat!

[kawkaw]

Which would explain why your friend doesn't really enjoy the noise, I take it?

[gobetween]

[He laughed and nodded.]

Pretty much! Boober's idea of fun is watching laundry dry. It's pretty boring to me, but I'm glad he knows something that'll make him happy, he needs it.

[kawkaw]

Sounds like a rather...unique individual.

[ He knows he can be a bit of a killjoy back home (not as much as Tigress, but still), but even he has some limits here. ]

[gobetween]

Most might say Boober's not much of a Fraggle, including Boober. By his own quote, he's an authority on death and destruction, and he's always reading books about illnesses, or talking about lucky flowerpots and unlucky tunnels.

That's just the opinion of those who don't know Boober well though. Which isn't to say he's not liked, far from it! Why, his laundry classes are some of the most well-attended things I've ever seen. But well, he does have a bit of a "doom and gloom" reputation, and while sure he's like that, there's more to him than all of that stuff too.

[kawkaw]

[ Crane nods, a bit thoughtful. He can understand being labeled a bit of a pessimist. He preferred to think of it as pragmatism. ]

You must know him pretty well then.

[gobetween]

Sure do! I've known Boober since I was pretty small, and we've been through thick and thin together.

[kawkaw]

[ That explains a lot then. Crane thinks for a moment. ]

There's another...Fraggle like you here, right? Is he a friend of yours as well?

[gobetween]

Oh, you must mean Wembley! He's, well...

[Here he seemed to get a bit bashful, snickering some.]

He's my best friend.

[kawkaw]

[ Crane isn't sure, but there was...something about the way Gobo says those words that have him a little curious. ]

Is that so?

[gobetween]

Yeah. [A bit of a chuckle in his throat.] I guess it might be something more now, but neither of us have a word for it.

[Yeah no, Gobo may be oranges and purples in color but even through his fur he seems a bit pink in the face now.]

We... talked recently, while in the story here.

[kawkaw]

[ He definitely takes note of that. ]

Sounds pretty serious.

[gobetween]

[He snickered some.]

I don't know if I'd call it that. "Serious" isn't a word that usually comes up when talking about Fraggles.

I guess if anything it's like... being friends, but with benefits? [Gobo wait-] Getting to be together a lot closer than we could be before.

[kawkaw]

...benefits?

[ Sorry, Crane is old, and also he does not really relationship. ]

[gobetween]

That's what I'd call it, anyway. Fraggles are already pretty hands-on with each other, that's just our nature, but there's something different about all of it now. It feels more special, y'know? When we hug, or hold each other's hands, or whatever else now.

[kawkaw]

I see.

[ He's starting to understand it as well, though he doesn't put it into words. Mostly because he's kind of shy about that thing himself. ]

Well, as long as the two of you are happy, that's all that matters, right?

[gobetween]

Yeah, exactly! We're still figuring out the new stuff, but so long as we're happy.

[He chuckled a little, smiling up at him.]

That's all a Fraggle ever wants, anyway. I think anyone should be happy, ultimately.

[kawkaw]

[ Crane smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. ]

That would be nice.

[gobetween]

[He noticed that, and he'd seen it often enough, even if sometimes that recognition was retroactive, to know what it meant.]

I know sometimes it's hard to get there. I think I know that more than almost any other Fraggle, probably. But if you just keep going, keep working, it'll happen.