Realm of Stories

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.

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.

It had been a month since the Story Eater attempted to imprison the Index in a powerful curse. While the Storyteller used an immense amount of power to drive the monster away once more, and there had been much work to do clearing withered plants and repairing damaged structures, life in the city had more or less returned to normal. On an otherwise ordinary day, though, everyone's journals would glow with a soft, silvery light, and they would find the Storyteller's refined handwriting within.

Aspects… we cannot thank you enough for aiding us thus far, especially in this latest battle with the Story Eater. As some of you might have guessed, the Story Eater gained the power of its terrible curse by consuming Sleeping Beauty. The draft was destroyed to the point of tatters, but thankfully we were able to find two stories to reinforce it with: Tam Lin and A Midsummer Night's Dream. By repairing the blend of these three tales, you should be able to restore their originals to their former glory, as with the last combination you created. Although repelling the Story Eater cost a great deal of power, we have recovered enough strength to provide assistance once more. Meet in front of the Grand Library in three days time; as before, you shall be provided with supplies, as well as new forms to better survive among the fair folk. Until then, use the time to prepare yourself and to research the original stories.

Once the three days had passed and everyone had their chance to make the necessary preparations, the group gathered in front of the Grand Library where several of the high ranking Librarians awaited them. The Librarians escorted the Aspects inside and through large doors that were restricted to personnel only. Down several stone staircases they were led until they entered a large chamber. Within was a large, glowing circle etched in a variety of alphabetic characters, runes, and glyphs. Some may liken it to a magic summon circle.

Already resting within the circle were the promised provisions such as food, medical kits, magical potions and curatives, tools, and other basic traveling supplies, packaged in strangely natural materials like bags made of giant leaves and woven spider silk, and boxes carved from nutshells or sturdy beeswax, bound with sturdy, thankfully thornless vines bearing delicate flowers.

After the Librarians gave their final instructions and ensured everyone was ready, the group gathered within the circle. They would hear the Storyteller's voice whisper around them—

We pray for your safe return.

—before they are suddenly enveloped in a bright white light, the sounds and scents of a sunlit forest already rushing in around them, then words and brief visions of the Book they were entering appear around them.

Long ago and deep, deep in the heart of the forest, there was a kingdom. But not an ordinary kingdom formed of humans. This one was formed by the fae. From the tiniest, most mischievous pixies, to the largest, brashest trolls, to the most elegant and cunning elves, all of them called the fields and forests and rivers away from prying mortal eyes their home. And ruling over them all were an ancient and powerful couple: King Oberon and Queen Titania. Together, they ruled their land with fairness, benevolence, and they brought prosperity and harmony to their wild lands… or, well, as much as those traits can be found among the fair folk. Their logic and morals were their own, and too much structure would make them too much like humans, after all.

Eventually, after many, many years of hoping and wishing, the king and queen were blessed with a child: a son they named Tam Lin. Fairies from all over the kingdom and even from different lands and times were invited to come and celebrate the birth of the new prince with a massive feast to last for days! However… there was one fairy who was not invited. And the powerful and wicked Carabosse had a nasty punishment in mind for this insult…

And that is where our story begins...

When the lights and sounds finally stilled, the Aspects could open their eyes to find themselves in the great hall of a truly gorgeous palace. The large, vaulted room is formed from naturally shaped stone and magically grown trees just like the rest of the castle, tables carved from gently rising roots and polished with natural resins to a mirror shine, and the banquet is furnished with softly glowing fireflies and beeswax candles, with tapestries woven from climbing flowers and expertly woven silk. And unlike most of the stories so far, the room is teeming with life. Dozens and dozens of fairies, spirits, nymphs, satyrs, yōkai, and everything in between from cultures all over the world are laughing and dancing and pulling pranks and making as merry as they can, almost as if the story was as whole and healthy as it should be. And the Aspects themselves had been transformed into fae as well to join the festivities, in just as many sizes and shapes as the natives surrounding them.

Those who had been chosen to play out certain roles would find their journal glowing, and within were instructions as to where they needed to go. Mushrooms and flowers glowing in bright pastels would begin to sprout in a wide circle on the floor. Chosen Aspects will step into the ring and find themselves transported to the area where the scene is set. There they would be granted new outfits befitting their roles, and more direction for how to at least start the given scene.

Outside the great hall, however, not all was faring so smoothly. Just opening a door filled one's nose with the scent of deep rot, and the wood and stone and vines of the dark halls and the forests surrounding the palace were either black or in such deep browns they might as well have been black. Any plants that weren't withered or crumbling into compost were covered in wicked sharp thorns and dripping poison… and moving...