realmofstories | Chapter 07: Act I

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Chapter 07: Act I

SUGAR PLUM BEAST: ACT I—

§ instructions.

The Sugar Plum Beast Act I 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.

Quick reminder that everyone is dressed to fit the rustic village style! Costumes for each role is linked in the scene they first appear but carry over into other scenes. And for those who are cast as Beast roles, will undergo full transformation, though the degree of transformation is up to the players. They can go into full hulking beast or be something more benign and cute with just ears and a tail or something. The Beast form also can be whatever you want, there is no set "design." In terms of affected personality, in general those in the role will be a little angrier and grumpy than usual, but it's not a complete personality switch. So it's possible to have the character mostly unaffected but snap or get annoyed more easily than usual or over the most random things they normally wouldn't. However there are cases when they may fly off the handle and while we leave it up to the players on if and when that can happen during a scene, anything more extreme that is specifically required will be noted for that scene.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into their location and will have to go through designated flowered arches 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.

¶ I. Toy Repair. Scattered around the roads and around the boundaries of the town are damaged sometimes broken toys. They vary in size and shape, but for some reason their expressions are one of fear and pain. Take the toys back to Drosselmeyer's workshop and try to repair them. Even a fresh coat of paint will make the toys seem happier and relieved. Who knows maybe this good act will be returned later…

¶ II. Toysitters. Some of the toys brought into the workshop are on the young, baby side, and boy are they needy. Constantly crying "Mama! Papa! Poopy!" one would easily think they're just malfunctioning. Though that's strange, does this kind of setting have the technology for these toys to have voice recordings...? Regardless, better pair up with someone and try to soothe these baby dolls before the locals come in wondering what kind of witchcraft is going on in there.

¶ III. Garden Birthday Party. There is a birthday party being thrown and everyone is invited to either help decorate or just chill and enjoy the food. However, the garden it's held in needs some pruning. You know those plastic joke flowers that squirt water at people? They're blooming all over the place and are dousing anyone who gets near them. Either weed them out or figure out a way to lessen their water output! And of course there are Eraser and hostile toy blot problems that need to be taken care of. The further out towards the boundaries of the town, the more dangerous it is.

¶ IV. Easter Egg Hunt. Similar to a scavenger hunt, toy eggs have been scattered all over town and all the children are having fun trying to find as many eggs as they can. Perhaps the Aspects want to join in either hiding or finding eggs. However, some of these eggs are actually not toys but rotten, or if they are toys, terrible pranks like a pie to the face or a small firecracker exploding happen once opened. Some of the children are upset, even hurt, so it's imperative to find the culprit! Witnesses say they saw a strange, yellow polka dotted Velveteen rabbit hopping around the areas where the prank eggs are found.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

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After Drosselmeyer tells Clarabelle the harrowing story, she decides to go up to the Beast and give him what's for—or some other solution or answer to the problem. Despite his attempts to stop her—or maybe he forcibly drags her there—the two head to the castle. For some reason, the forests seem darker and dangerous than usual… Together the Aspects must trek through the creepy forest and fend off threats such as wolves, overgrown thorns, and as they get closer, creepy dolls. Once Clarabelle steps through the gates, they will close, cutting the two apart. After a heartfelt (or not) parting, the scene will end.

It's pretty confusing when all of a sudden you can't see through one of your eyes. Archer touches his face to note that he has an eyepatch. Well, that's a relief. Nothing wrong with his own eye then.

Acting a scene, huh? They chose the wrong role for him to play. He doesn't know how to act like a caring, worried father. He'd just have to improvise.

"This is too dangerous. We should just turn back."

Good enough?

“It doesn’t look too bad right now, I mean, it’s all forests in here,” Anya observes as they navigate the forest and she is clutching onto the wooden doll that comes with her Essence and carrying inside a satchel bread and water for it to have in the event she needs it to help them out, though the atmosphere would beg differ.

“Besides, I want to help out whoever’s stuck as the Beast with his problem, and we already walked up for some time, we just can’t turn back right now,” she tries to reassure Archer.

The trek to the castle is about to take a dangerous turn when the first obstacle begin to show up: spiky overgrown thorns blocking their path.

“Well, I spoke too soon,” she rolls her eyes at the thorns in dismay.

"Hn", Archer comments as they continue walking. Was he supposed to try harder to make her not want to go? The end result would probably still be the same so did it matter? Probably not.

Great, obstacles. Of course Archer didn't have his spear with him right now since he didn't know how it would have effected the scene.

"If you're set on going, we passed another path earlier that might lead the same way."

“Good idea, let’s find that path again since we did missed it earlier when we were looking around for a path to walk to the castle,” Anya nods in agreement and she begins to look around to find another path in the area to the castle.

It didn’t took long for her to find the path that was hidden among the trees, a dirt path that is so far free of thorns and one that they passed by while they were walking earlier.

“Hey, there it is, maybe it could lead to the castle much easier than the one we’re currently in,” she informs Archer while pointing at the path, “Let’s go over there before it gets dark out here.”

"Just be careful. Even without thorns, it could be dangerous", he says as he approaches her and looks at the path. "Should I go first, just in case?"

“Oh sure, go right ahead: who knows what could be hiding among the bushes and trees today. It is really sad that I am stuck with an Essence that it is not exactly meant for fighting,” Anya is in agreement with Archer’s plan while she readjusts her satchel a bit.

Maybe there is something in her Essence that would allow her to do something interesting, but she has yet to uncover it just yet besides making a thread of fine flax that could guide people around places with limits.

"Mine is all about fighting, so maybe we aren't such a bad combination for this scene." He could fight without a weapon if needed. Not as efficiently, sure, but still good enough.

He starts walking on the path, looking carefully around before gesturing for Anya to follow. Path clear, for now, though he didn't trust the silence one bit.

Upon noticing Archer’s signal, Anya immediately follows after him down the dirt path towards the Beast’s castle (not to be mistaken for someone else’s castle), though the silence can be very unnerving and it can be very deceptive, especially if one isn’t being careful.

Of course, she is also being careful of where she is walking on the path and looking out for anything that could attack her and Archer at any moment now.

The silence lasts for a while as the path gets darker, but then a Archer stops in his tracks and raises a hand for Anya to stop as well. There's movement in the bushes and before Archer can say anything about it a wolf jumps straight at him.

While he doesn't have a weapon, he uses his agility to dodge the wolf. "It's not alone! Run! I'll distract them for a while."

That is, with the convenient branch he found from the ground that he can use for hitting and blocking the wolves when they get too close.

As soon as the wolves arrive to attack them, Anya looks on in terror, not much to say and her jaws drop. But Archer’s words have snapped her out of her dumbfounded state, telling her to run as fast as she can.

“Okay, I’ll try to get out of this area as quickly as possible,” Anya could feel her voice quiver as she speaks to him and tries to run out to the woods and towards the castle, taking various paths as she does her best to escape the wolves.

Archer fights with the wolves. Something good came out of his essence; he was much more creative with the ways he fought without proper weapons.

Anya makes her escape and Archer intended to stay behind for a bit but then one of the wolves runs after her so he starts chasing that one.

Just when things look like they are getting to calm down, Anya turns her head a bit to see an angry wolf chasing after her and, well, she doesn’t like the look of this one bit. When will these wolves ever going to leave her alone?

She still keeping on running as fast as she can, though she knows that there is a good chance that her legs will eventually tire out and there is no place to rest without getting the attention of any creepy things.

The castle is drawing closer within sight, but it still is a little far from what she can tell.

Archer is close to catching up with the wolf when it suddenly stops and turns around. He gets ready for an attack but the animal just runs past him in a hurry. Not bothering to look after the wolf too long, Archer catches up with Anya.

"What was that."

“Wait a minute, I swore that wolf was chasing after me...” Anya’s sentence is then cut off when she could hear a loud noise coming from where the wolf ran off to.

As she turns her head out, she is shocked to see an army of creepy dolls coming for both her and Archer. She is terrified beyond words and has no idea of how to react to them.

“Bozhe moi! Those dolls are so unusually creepy, what are toys like them doing in the forest?” she gasps in fear as she stares at the creepy doll parade.

That army of creepy dolls is definitely much more menacing than the small pack of wolves had been. And larger.

"Can you still run? We can't deal with all of those."

“Well, I can still run as fast as I can,” she tells him, “Come on, let’s get out of here and flee from these dolls quickly.”

She grabs onto Archer’s arm and she takes the both of them in a quick haste as they run away from the dolls and towards the castle. The gates to the place are open and maybe the castle’s owner can take them in for the night and they could do something to help him out with his curse.

“Look over there, the castle is not that far away from here now, let’s go,” Anya informs him as they draw closer to the castle and the dolls try to come after them.

Archer huffs a sigh of relief as they reach the gate. He senses something is off and manages to let go of Anya before the gate closes between them. That could have been nasty on his arm if he hadn't.

At least the creepy dolls seem to leave them alone this close to the castle, but Archer isn't looking forward to the journey back.

"This is as far as I go, it looks like. Well, take care of yourself."

Most heartfelt goodbye of the century.

The gates have finally closed in front of her face after Archer lets go of her hand and she goes onto the castle courtyard. Well, that was the end of the whole thing, she assumes as she sees the angry dolls leaving the two of them alone.

“I guess that this is goodbye then,” she sighs heavily as she faces Archer and with her left hand gripping onto the gate, “Okay, I’ll try to meet the castle owner and see if he’s home. Hopefully the owner is a friendly person and doesn’t mind me in his residence.”

"... yeah." Archer says and looks away awkwardly. "Take care of yourself, Clarabelle."

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Chapter 07: Act I

SCENE #4: DROSSELMEYER AND CLARABELLE - ARCHER (EMIYA) AND ANASTASIA ROMANOVA

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