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realmofstories2021-01-03 01:43 pm
storyevents) wrote in realmofstories2021-01-03 01:43 pm
Chapter 06: Act III
Frankenhyde: ACT III—
§ 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.
As stated in the flavor text above, all sorts of craziness is happening this act. There’s some additional information in the game notes, but things to keep in mind and possibly play with are as follows:
Costumes are also provided for this Act, although there's something...odd about the choices this time around:
Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into their location and will have to go through specially marked doors and then return. Characters will also be aware of their roles and partner prior to entering the scene, so it's possible for them to meet and coordinate beforehand or meet within the scene for the first time. 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.
¶ I. Pick a side, any side. Early on, everyone will start feeling not quite themselves throughout most of the act. It can range from mild to severe and last for varying lengths of time, but the effects will always be temporary. Characters will either take on a "Hyde" personality or a "Stixen" (Frankenstein's Monster) personality.
Should any of the two meet each other, they will be immediately hostile with "Hyde" personalities taunting and trying to coax the "Stixens" to be more like them. It is possible for a "Stixen" to switch to a "Hyde." It is also possible for anyone not affected to try and snap the other out of it, or at least convince those who are under "Hyde" influence to focus their violence on other problems instead of each other. A solid hit to the head will work wonders.
¶ II. Creepy Crawlers. There is an abundance of abominations roaming through the city—failed creations that will attack anyone on sight. The robotic reindeer are still around and will try to aid in clearing them out, but some will actually be consumed and mutate instead.
¶ III. Emergency Book Repair. The very book itself is starting to tear apart and it worsens after the final battle scene. Buildings starting to crumble, Blots disintegrating, even the very ground ripping open. If this keeps up the story will be destroyed. Fortunately, the Aspects aren't left helpless. Ribbons made of white light and runic symbols appear here and there as if trying to help "stitch" things together. Using their Essences, Aspects can find these "ribbons" and gather them to spread over other places. Use of Essence abilities will also help with patching things up, as if the use of them is reaffirming the story’s existence itself. Buildings will start to be repaired, cracks in the earth sealed over, and possibly blots restored, though some of the construction work may be a little patchy. That building wasn’t always partially made of straw or gingerbread, but it might be now!
¶ IV. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!
With such an unpleasant ending to the last act, the mood in Londeva has changed further. The weariness and silence felt in the evenings continues and the bright splashes of color from before have taken on a more garish contrast, no longer seeming quite as cheery as they had before. Still, life and the story must go on, so the quill is once again put to paper in order to deliver the events of the scenes to the Aspects once more.
Unlike before, when everyone awakens they will not feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Instead, there's a feeling of lethargy and unpleasantness, as if they experienced a restless night with unpleasant dreams. That feeling of past and possible potential dread will be hard to shake given that the city still seems as dreary as before. Still, life goes on as the citizens of Londeva continue to go about their daily routines. If anything, the city seems livelier than it was before, almost as if people are trying their best to make it a better brighter place in defiance of recent events.
But all is definitely not well in Londeva. With all the residents being busier and livelier, that means the blots and Erasers are more active as well. And as the Act goes on, the city itself seems to become more active with entire blocks disappearing and transforming seemingly at random. Additionally, cracks begin to appear in the city, ground, and sky as well as if the story itself is having trouble holding itself together. Hopefully everything will work out in the end, but it looks like getting there may be a bit of a challenge.
Still, the Storyteller has faith that the Aspects will be able to see things through, even if some of their behavior during this story gives room for pause.
Some time after we last saw Hyde and the illustrious Dr. Jekyll, Hyde approaches the doctor to demand some sort of recompense for being the doctor's experiment; after all, Hyde pointed out, they can't get good data on an "unhinged man" if Hyde's limited in what he can actually do. Though Hyde threatens him, Jekyll is able to keep calm and compromise with his test subject on the matter of pay. He once again warns Hyde to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. Hyde assures him that he knows what he's doing.
A few days later, Mister Utterson is called to Jekyll's house to discuss some personal matters. The old friends take a few moments to clear the air between them, to allow Utterson a moment to vent to his old friend, before the settle down to the business Jekyll called his solicitor for in the first place: adjusting his will to leave everything to one Mister Hyde. Utterson is appalled at the very idea, but Jekyll eventually confesses that he and Victor Frankenstein were working on creating life and that Hyde is a vital part of these experiments. It only makes sense to leave all of his money and property to a known criminal who would probably kill you as soon as look at you.
Perfect sense.
That night, as the young Danvers is out walking, Hyde decides it would be a wonderful idea to kill an innocent man in cold blood. A few hours later, Stixen finds Hyde in an alleyway covered in Danvers's blood. Tired of trying to play nice with the "normal" humans, Hyde points out that the two of them will never be accepted for what they are, so he and Stixen should just kill them all. Stixen admits it's a solution, but is not entirely convinced. The two part ways.
As Hyde returns home to Jekyll, Jekyll has had enough. He realizes what happened last night when he sees Hyde covered in blood, and that is a line too far. Jekyll demands Hyde stop. Hyde decides that he doesn't want to stop, but instead take over Jekyll's life. The two fight, and Jekyll is locked in his cellar, leaving Hyde free to do whatever it is he wants.
The next day, Stixen is wandering around and thinking about what Hyde suggested. He runs into the young Agatha de Lacy, who is trying to get her cat down from a tree and is very clearly annoyed. Stixen, still wanting to help people, climbs up the tree in an impressive display of acrobatics and rescues the girl's cat. Agatha is impressed and the two start to form a very tentative friendship before parting ways. Unfortunately for them both, Hyde was watching.
As Stixen was saving kittens from trees, Utterson rushes to Jekyll's house to report Danvers's murder and ask him to come look over the body. He's distraught to find the poor man having a panic attack in his cellar and hurriedly gets him out of there. Jekyll hates what science has become since his younger days, though Utterson does point out that it was always a little unsettling, and things are about to get a lot worse. Upon inspecting the body, Jekyll realizes that this was the man Hyde had killed.
That night, disgusted at what he had seen earlier that day, Hyde tracks down the de Lacy house and sets it on fire. Agatha flees the scene; Hyde gives chase. Eventually, the poor girl is torn limb from limb by the now monstrous Edward Hyde. When the girl's body is discovered, a mob forms outside of Victor's lab, demanding that Stixen face justice. Victor knows that the girl's death was not Stixen's fault, and so the two try to calm the people down to no avail. Eventually, they resort to looking around the lab for something to use to force them to calm down, allowing Victor to escape and get help.
Victor eventually finds Jekyll and begs him for help. Jekyll, of course, agrees, but he first insists that Victor join him at his home and all but forces Victor to follow. As they get closer to Jekyll's home, Victor realizes that it is not Jekyll at all but Hyde and tries to get away. He fails and, realizing that there is no hope for him, is gentle and almost calm about it all. Hyde, in one more act of brutal violence, stabs Victor through the heart.
Unlike before, when everyone awakens they will not feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Instead, there's a feeling of lethargy and unpleasantness, as if they experienced a restless night with unpleasant dreams. That feeling of past and possible potential dread will be hard to shake given that the city still seems as dreary as before. Still, life goes on as the citizens of Londeva continue to go about their daily routines. If anything, the city seems livelier than it was before, almost as if people are trying their best to make it a better brighter place in defiance of recent events.
But all is definitely not well in Londeva. With all the residents being busier and livelier, that means the blots and Erasers are more active as well. And as the Act goes on, the city itself seems to become more active with entire blocks disappearing and transforming seemingly at random. Additionally, cracks begin to appear in the city, ground, and sky as well as if the story itself is having trouble holding itself together. Hopefully everything will work out in the end, but it looks like getting there may be a bit of a challenge.
Still, the Storyteller has faith that the Aspects will be able to see things through, even if some of their behavior during this story gives room for pause.
§ 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.
As stated in the flavor text above, all sorts of craziness is happening this act. There’s some additional information in the game notes, but things to keep in mind and possibly play with are as follows:
- there’s a pervasive feeling that something bad is going to happen
- cracks will begin to appear in the city and sky as the act progresses
- the amount of Erasers and rogue blots in the city will increase as the act progresses
- the city’s layout will appear and disappear, and change throughout the act (see the book repair subquest for more information)
- Aspects could be susceptible to behavioral changes (see the pick a side subquest for more information)
- During scenes where Victor's body is involved, the body will appear as his plant creation from before. Will it be dead, alive, friendly or hostile is up the players.
Costumes are also provided for this Act, although there's something...odd about the choices this time around:
Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into their location and will have to go through specially marked doors and then return. Characters will also be aware of their roles and partner prior to entering the scene, so it's possible for them to meet and coordinate beforehand or meet within the scene for the first time. 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.
¶ I. Pick a side, any side. Early on, everyone will start feeling not quite themselves throughout most of the act. It can range from mild to severe and last for varying lengths of time, but the effects will always be temporary. Characters will either take on a "Hyde" personality or a "Stixen" (Frankenstein's Monster) personality.- "Hyde" side. Will have erratic, immoral, and violent tendencies. Those who have non-human Essences can become more monstrous and transform at will, even capable of hiding their transformed self while still able to use some of those powers.
- "Stixen" side. Will be the opposite with a more curious, polite, and generous disposition. Those who have non-human Essences will more often be stuck in their transformation; alternatively they will only transform when enraged and become more violent in this time.
Should any of the two meet each other, they will be immediately hostile with "Hyde" personalities taunting and trying to coax the "Stixens" to be more like them. It is possible for a "Stixen" to switch to a "Hyde." It is also possible for anyone not affected to try and snap the other out of it, or at least convince those who are under "Hyde" influence to focus their violence on other problems instead of each other. A solid hit to the head will work wonders.
¶ II. Creepy Crawlers. There is an abundance of abominations roaming through the city—failed creations that will attack anyone on sight. The robotic reindeer are still around and will try to aid in clearing them out, but some will actually be consumed and mutate instead. - There's another reason to destroy the abominations: any not killed will be captured by an Eraser and loaded into one of the many airships to fly towards a darkened space in the sky. For what reason is unclear, but it's best not to wait and find out. Stopping the Erasers and destroying the airships will be paramount.
¶ III. Emergency Book Repair. The very book itself is starting to tear apart and it worsens after the final battle scene. Buildings starting to crumble, Blots disintegrating, even the very ground ripping open. If this keeps up the story will be destroyed. Fortunately, the Aspects aren't left helpless. Ribbons made of white light and runic symbols appear here and there as if trying to help "stitch" things together. Using their Essences, Aspects can find these "ribbons" and gather them to spread over other places. Use of Essence abilities will also help with patching things up, as if the use of them is reaffirming the story’s existence itself. Buildings will start to be repaired, cracks in the earth sealed over, and possibly blots restored, though some of the construction work may be a little patchy. That building wasn’t always partially made of straw or gingerbread, but it might be now!¶ IV. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!
no subject
I am fighting! You don't have to answer!
[Following after Ken, he comes in with another swing.]
Do you want to fight, Ken? What happens after me?
no subject
Who knows, as long as there’s someone who is willing to fight, I’ll keep going. What’s a poor pitiful kid like me suppose to do?
no subject
You gotta figure that one out. Life's not fair enough to give a straight answer... Though listen to you! Calling yourself a 'pitiful kid'. That's a laugh!
[And if Ken's not about to do anything, Zidane's coming in hot!]
no subject
Maybe he’ll be able to knock him off guard]
What is there for someone like me? I have no future, what’s the point in arguing against that?
no subject
You tell me, what kind of future do you want?
no subject
[That didn’t stop Ken as he attempted to extend the tip of his spear at him]
What other use is there for me?
no subject
Sounds the opposite of what you told me a while back.
[Ken might feel something around his ankle before a tug pulling his foot back.]
Why's it come down to 'use'? Why not doing something for yourself?
no subject
[He said before being thrown off by the tug. But that’s when he threw his spear at him in a desperate attempt to get a hit at him]
You’re just like one of those stupid adults that always take advantage of those weaker!
no subject
[Drawing his tail back after Ken falls, that's a narrow miss for the thrown spear. Yeesh... he decides to sit on Ken before he gets up.]
I mean, depends on what an adult is. Everyone freaked out when that one guy said he was 15 and in the military. Isn't that being an adult? I'm only two years older than him.
no subject
[He shouted before he felt the elder sit on top of him. In an attempt to kick him, he just wanted him off!]
Just like now, you aren't any better!
no subject
[Nah, we're just gonna stay here and see about sorting this out.]
Hey Ken, why'd you come to the Index? You have something to protect? A cute girl maybe?
no subject
[He continued to flail because this was embarrassing!]
Why the hell do you care for someone like me?
[He shouted before giving him a glare. If he only knew what kind of person he was deep down, there would be no doubt they would all stop caring]
no subject
Because I do. I don't really think there needs to be a reason.
[He looks back... and gives a thumbs up.]
no subject
There always has to be. One can't just care without some external motivation involved.
[He continued to glare at him as he continued to struggle] Once someone does something terrible, you can't ever be forgiven!
no subject
[Zidane raises an eyebrow.]
I think you can if you work hard enough for it. Is that what this is about? You did something terrible, no one will forgive me, let me continue being terrible?
no subject
Duh, what else am I trying to say? People never change, they all want to deal with hearing the same good bullshit they want to hear.
[Pause] The moment something goes wrong, they want to blame someone.
no subject
[He tilts his head.]
Sooo... who are you blaming? Or who's blaming you?
no subject
Everyone. Everyone is blaming me for what I've done, they think I'm a terrible person because I made a horrible mistake.
[He said with a dramatic pause. Hopefully this will lower Zidane's guard?]
I was just a kid back then but that didn't stop people from thinking how much I deserved to die.
no subject
So you know they were thinking that, or you think they were thinking that?
[Because if that's a thought he think they thought... hooow does he know?]
no subject
You can say it's a little bit of both. Woe is me that I am forever faced with the tragedy of being a child trapped in adult life and not knowing how to handle it.
[Although, his patience was starting to wear a little thin as he was starting to feel the urge to get up and moving.]
no subject
[And then, he fakes a wounded gasp.]
Are we not friends here either?! Ouch, my pride!
no subject
Who said that we were? How terrible of you think we ever were friends to begin with!
[Although, if Zidane heard carefully enough? His words appeared to have no real malice behind them. If anything, it sounded as if he was struggling to get the words out]
no subject
You're right, I thought. Do you really not want to be friends? Like, you can look me in the eye and say that. I think I might believe you then.
no subject
We’re...not.
[But as he said those sounds, it sounded like he was struggling to say it]
no subject
I don't think I heard that...
[But he did and maybe this was a breakthrough?]
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