03. The Story
Feb 10, 2015 6:58:35 GMT -8
Post by Storyteller Joy on Feb 10, 2015 6:58:35 GMT -8
the prologue
[The tab on your computer screen is the on the website for the Harpeah Webcast, a little webcast about four gamers who were wrapped up into a whirlwind of mystery and other worlds, magic and mayhem. But, the funny thing about this clip is that it's just that; a clip. This isn't the full first episode of the webcast. Why?] This is a “Screenplay” and is supposed to “reflect” the clip/webcast.
Narrator: It all began on a cold winter evening when the snow was billowing in puffy clouds and most people, wisely, stayed indoors and played games. This particular house on a small farmstead out in the country of Michigan was no different the other houses. It was lit warmly from the inside by candles that flickered and danced under glass- so wandering cats didn’t start a fire to go with the snow. A sense of cheerfulness invaded the mysterious atmosphere as four young people gathered around a table.
Before the two couples was a map with squares on it. Miniature figures of both humanoid and monstrous visage dotted the map in strategic places equipped with both natural and manmade weapons. Dice rolled with gleeful abandon to one side. A different sort of storm brewed inside of this house as gamers plied their trade against the forces of darkness. This is where our story begins on this cold, winters day…
Matt, a young male, the youngest looking of the bunch- though in his late teens-crowed with delight and jumped up from his chair pointing at his dice, of which one had a “20” displayed proudly upon it. His short brown hair was ragged and in need of a cut. He wore a long flannel shirt over a heavy-metal band shirt. His features were pleasant to look at, but not handsome, and certain not anything to make anyone pause over. A “regular” guy.
Matt: “Ha! A Twenty! Critical hit confirmed! Your going down Baddie!”
Suzi, a young woman in her late twenties with blond hair in curls, a small pert mouth, gray-blue eyes and stress lines already making small notes on her face near the eyes and mouth studied the roll before shaking her head ruefully. She wore a pair of jeans another flannel shirt, matching the one Matt wore- and probably stolen from his closet- and mismatched socks. She wore wireframe glasses and studied him a long moment before sighing dramatically.
Suzi: “Congratulations, you managed, somehow, to body slam the “Baddie” air quotes included “While Matt’s character celebrates—“
Matt: And Loots the body!
Suzi: And loots the body- again- What do you do Kitty?
Kitty, the other young woman at the table is more in her early twenties. She, unlike Suzi, has brown hair, brown eyes and shows a few extra pounds- everywhere- making her far more curvy than her counterpart. She has one hand wrapped around Derrick’s hand under the table. Her eyes though are focused, completely, on the table before her. She is wearing a dark sweater and jeans.
Kitty: I am going to leave him to his looting and make sure there’s not another wicked-no-good-son-of-a-snake trying to take advantage of the corpse raid…. Again. Kitty picks up one of the minifigures and moves it six paces to the south of one of the clusters on the map.
Suzi: And Derrick?
Derrick, the one holding Kitty’s hand, is older, more like Suzi’s age. He has long black hair tied up into a pony tail and gray-green eyes hidden behind glasses. His eyes though seem torn between the map before them, and Kitty who’s holding his hand. He’s wearing a black trench coat, a gray sweater and cargo pants. His long fingers toy with his dice as he thinks.
After a good thirty seconds, Suzi leans over and pokes the hand on the table.
Suzi: Earth to Derrick, Derrick, Come in Derrick.
Derrick: Sorry Suzi. I was just thinking about that lady.
Matt groans loudly and leans back in his chair.
Matt: Oh God Derrick, again? Really? She was some creepy old crone. Real life isn’t a videogame my friend, nor is it table top. She was probably some crazy old broad who enjoy spooking kids. Let it go.
Derrick: Yeah. Really. How could she know that stuff about us? That Kitty’s working as a waitress, that your going to school and studying Science. Or that we’d all be gaming tonight?
Kitty: It’s hardly a secret that we game on Saturday nights, and crash if the weathers bad. It’s a small town, luv.
Derrick: Exactly. I have never seen her before. Have any of you?
The group shook their heads and Suzi gave a shiver.
Suzi Stop stalling, what’s your move?
Derrick sighs and sets his dice down on the table. He reaches out to move his figure…
A loud knocking comes from the front door. As a group they all look toward the door.
Kitty: Did Jim say he was going to come tonight? I thought he had work?
Suzi stands and makes her way around the table.
Suzi: He did. He also said he’s still not really comfortable with Matt and I dating.
Matt snorts and stands. He moves toward the kitchen instead of the front door. His voice trailing after him as he goes.
Matt: Yeah well, He can deal with it. You chose me not him.
Suzi opens the front door without much preamble. The Snow outside is almost blizzard like and aside from the warm glow of the interior it’s pitch black outside with swirls of snow. No one is at the entrance. She steps out into the doorway.
Suzi: Hello? Anyone there?
Derrick stands and moves to the door in quick strides, yanking Suzi back from the open doorway and slamming the door.
Suzi: What is it?
Derrick: I saw her. Two eyes. Glowing out there.
Kitty: Derrick, that’s not Funny.
Derrick: I’m not trying to be.
Suzi: We can’t leave someone out there, this weather is horrible. It already killed the power.
Matt comes from the kitchen, sipping a mug of coffee. He looks rather haggard himself.
Matt: That wasn’t funny.
Derrick: I didn’t do it!
Matt: Well you’re the prankster of the group- Surely that little light show out front is your idea of a hilarious time.
The group dissolved into confused bickering… Silenced only when the Knock came again. The door blew open with a solid thud of cold, icy air. Snow drifted in. Cats scattered under couches hiding and hissing. The four friends turned as one to face the doorway.
Crone, was an elderly looking woman, solid, but shaking uncontrollably though from weather, cold or age it was simply hard to say. She wore a loose black dress that could have been from any age for crones and a long multi colored shawl. Her silver-white hair was frizzing and long, standing out in odd ways from her head.
Crone: I knocked. Twice.
Suzi stepped away from the others and notched a brow toward Crone.
Suzi: Then welcome to my home. Can I get you some coffee or tea to take the chill out?
Crone: No thank you my dear, I simply don’t have time. Have you considered my proposal?
Matt: What proposal? There’s no scientific way that two worlds could have a dimensional portal between them. That’s the stuff of comic books, and fantasy, not real life.
Crone: Regardless of your version of Reality, young man, I made you all a proposal. One of you has already accepted- I came only to see if he would have companions.
Kitty and Suzi exchanged a look and mouthed the word “Jim.”
Derrick: Remind me. What do we get?
Crone laughs and wags a finger at Derrick.
Crone: a Shrewd one here. You get Magic and a chance to change an entire world.
Matt: I can do that here, safe at my girlfriends. No dice.
Crone: Money then. More wealth and power then you’ll ever have here.
Derrick: Hard to spend money if your dead.
Crone’s face twisted into something wicked- not ugly, not dark, just… wicked.
Crone: You will live the adventures you play. You will save people who will never understand. It’s a heroes calling I give you. If money is not enough, if magic is not enough, then do it simply because you have always wanted to be Heroes.
Derrick and Matt exchanged a look then looked to the women.
Kitty: Jim went. What did you promise him?
Crone: Family.
Matt: We’re his family. His mom and Dad are his family. He didn’t need to go to some fantastical world of drugs and crazy old women to get there.
Crone: No drugs. Just a portal. There.
Crone points one wizened, shaking finger behind her out the door. As she spoke the sparks in the snow that Matt had seen from the kitchen window react like lightning, shooting up and down from a single rotating orb that begins to grow larger. The center, after a time, becomes translucent and clear, showing an image of a world in the midst of a warm spring. Even the snow around the orb begins to melt as if in a summer heat.
Crone: Harpeah. She calls to only a few who can feel her like the old ways. Humans have a peculiar effect on those around them so she only calls your kind rarely. You seem surprised that Jim wished a family, Perhaps you didn’t know your friend as well as you thought.
Matt: Shut it, you old witch. There’s no way I’m going through that portal.
Suzi stepped forward, then around Matt, avoiding his hands as he attempted to grab her and haul her back. Her face is enthralled and her eyes remain on the portal where thin tendrils of energy reach out toward her.
Matt: Suzi! No!
Derrick also began to walk toward the portal as if entranced.
Kitty: What is with this? Derrick get back here! Kitty runs after Derrick.
Narrator: That was how it began, Four friends chasing after another. Two called by a force they could hear and yet somehow left not as much of an impression on their other friend. One by one they entered the Portal, chasing after a loved one- or perhaps even more vague a mistress- a dream.
~ Fade Out ~
End Part 1- Episode 1
Narrator: It all began on a cold winter evening when the snow was billowing in puffy clouds and most people, wisely, stayed indoors and played games. This particular house on a small farmstead out in the country of Michigan was no different the other houses. It was lit warmly from the inside by candles that flickered and danced under glass- so wandering cats didn’t start a fire to go with the snow. A sense of cheerfulness invaded the mysterious atmosphere as four young people gathered around a table.
Before the two couples was a map with squares on it. Miniature figures of both humanoid and monstrous visage dotted the map in strategic places equipped with both natural and manmade weapons. Dice rolled with gleeful abandon to one side. A different sort of storm brewed inside of this house as gamers plied their trade against the forces of darkness. This is where our story begins on this cold, winters day…
Matt, a young male, the youngest looking of the bunch- though in his late teens-crowed with delight and jumped up from his chair pointing at his dice, of which one had a “20” displayed proudly upon it. His short brown hair was ragged and in need of a cut. He wore a long flannel shirt over a heavy-metal band shirt. His features were pleasant to look at, but not handsome, and certain not anything to make anyone pause over. A “regular” guy.
Matt: “Ha! A Twenty! Critical hit confirmed! Your going down Baddie!”
Suzi, a young woman in her late twenties with blond hair in curls, a small pert mouth, gray-blue eyes and stress lines already making small notes on her face near the eyes and mouth studied the roll before shaking her head ruefully. She wore a pair of jeans another flannel shirt, matching the one Matt wore- and probably stolen from his closet- and mismatched socks. She wore wireframe glasses and studied him a long moment before sighing dramatically.
Suzi: “Congratulations, you managed, somehow, to body slam the “Baddie” air quotes included “While Matt’s character celebrates—“
Matt: And Loots the body!
Suzi: And loots the body- again- What do you do Kitty?
Kitty, the other young woman at the table is more in her early twenties. She, unlike Suzi, has brown hair, brown eyes and shows a few extra pounds- everywhere- making her far more curvy than her counterpart. She has one hand wrapped around Derrick’s hand under the table. Her eyes though are focused, completely, on the table before her. She is wearing a dark sweater and jeans.
Kitty: I am going to leave him to his looting and make sure there’s not another wicked-no-good-son-of-a-snake trying to take advantage of the corpse raid…. Again. Kitty picks up one of the minifigures and moves it six paces to the south of one of the clusters on the map.
Suzi: And Derrick?
Derrick, the one holding Kitty’s hand, is older, more like Suzi’s age. He has long black hair tied up into a pony tail and gray-green eyes hidden behind glasses. His eyes though seem torn between the map before them, and Kitty who’s holding his hand. He’s wearing a black trench coat, a gray sweater and cargo pants. His long fingers toy with his dice as he thinks.
After a good thirty seconds, Suzi leans over and pokes the hand on the table.
Suzi: Earth to Derrick, Derrick, Come in Derrick.
Derrick: Sorry Suzi. I was just thinking about that lady.
Matt groans loudly and leans back in his chair.
Matt: Oh God Derrick, again? Really? She was some creepy old crone. Real life isn’t a videogame my friend, nor is it table top. She was probably some crazy old broad who enjoy spooking kids. Let it go.
Derrick: Yeah. Really. How could she know that stuff about us? That Kitty’s working as a waitress, that your going to school and studying Science. Or that we’d all be gaming tonight?
Kitty: It’s hardly a secret that we game on Saturday nights, and crash if the weathers bad. It’s a small town, luv.
Derrick: Exactly. I have never seen her before. Have any of you?
The group shook their heads and Suzi gave a shiver.
Suzi Stop stalling, what’s your move?
Derrick sighs and sets his dice down on the table. He reaches out to move his figure…
A loud knocking comes from the front door. As a group they all look toward the door.
Kitty: Did Jim say he was going to come tonight? I thought he had work?
Suzi stands and makes her way around the table.
Suzi: He did. He also said he’s still not really comfortable with Matt and I dating.
Matt snorts and stands. He moves toward the kitchen instead of the front door. His voice trailing after him as he goes.
Matt: Yeah well, He can deal with it. You chose me not him.
Suzi opens the front door without much preamble. The Snow outside is almost blizzard like and aside from the warm glow of the interior it’s pitch black outside with swirls of snow. No one is at the entrance. She steps out into the doorway.
Suzi: Hello? Anyone there?
Derrick stands and moves to the door in quick strides, yanking Suzi back from the open doorway and slamming the door.
Suzi: What is it?
Derrick: I saw her. Two eyes. Glowing out there.
Kitty: Derrick, that’s not Funny.
Derrick: I’m not trying to be.
Suzi: We can’t leave someone out there, this weather is horrible. It already killed the power.
Matt comes from the kitchen, sipping a mug of coffee. He looks rather haggard himself.
Matt: That wasn’t funny.
Derrick: I didn’t do it!
Matt: Well you’re the prankster of the group- Surely that little light show out front is your idea of a hilarious time.
The group dissolved into confused bickering… Silenced only when the Knock came again. The door blew open with a solid thud of cold, icy air. Snow drifted in. Cats scattered under couches hiding and hissing. The four friends turned as one to face the doorway.
Crone, was an elderly looking woman, solid, but shaking uncontrollably though from weather, cold or age it was simply hard to say. She wore a loose black dress that could have been from any age for crones and a long multi colored shawl. Her silver-white hair was frizzing and long, standing out in odd ways from her head.
Crone: I knocked. Twice.
Suzi stepped away from the others and notched a brow toward Crone.
Suzi: Then welcome to my home. Can I get you some coffee or tea to take the chill out?
Crone: No thank you my dear, I simply don’t have time. Have you considered my proposal?
Matt: What proposal? There’s no scientific way that two worlds could have a dimensional portal between them. That’s the stuff of comic books, and fantasy, not real life.
Crone: Regardless of your version of Reality, young man, I made you all a proposal. One of you has already accepted- I came only to see if he would have companions.
Kitty and Suzi exchanged a look and mouthed the word “Jim.”
Derrick: Remind me. What do we get?
Crone laughs and wags a finger at Derrick.
Crone: a Shrewd one here. You get Magic and a chance to change an entire world.
Matt: I can do that here, safe at my girlfriends. No dice.
Crone: Money then. More wealth and power then you’ll ever have here.
Derrick: Hard to spend money if your dead.
Crone’s face twisted into something wicked- not ugly, not dark, just… wicked.
Crone: You will live the adventures you play. You will save people who will never understand. It’s a heroes calling I give you. If money is not enough, if magic is not enough, then do it simply because you have always wanted to be Heroes.
Derrick and Matt exchanged a look then looked to the women.
Kitty: Jim went. What did you promise him?
Crone: Family.
Matt: We’re his family. His mom and Dad are his family. He didn’t need to go to some fantastical world of drugs and crazy old women to get there.
Crone: No drugs. Just a portal. There.
Crone points one wizened, shaking finger behind her out the door. As she spoke the sparks in the snow that Matt had seen from the kitchen window react like lightning, shooting up and down from a single rotating orb that begins to grow larger. The center, after a time, becomes translucent and clear, showing an image of a world in the midst of a warm spring. Even the snow around the orb begins to melt as if in a summer heat.
Crone: Harpeah. She calls to only a few who can feel her like the old ways. Humans have a peculiar effect on those around them so she only calls your kind rarely. You seem surprised that Jim wished a family, Perhaps you didn’t know your friend as well as you thought.
Matt: Shut it, you old witch. There’s no way I’m going through that portal.
Suzi stepped forward, then around Matt, avoiding his hands as he attempted to grab her and haul her back. Her face is enthralled and her eyes remain on the portal where thin tendrils of energy reach out toward her.
Matt: Suzi! No!
Derrick also began to walk toward the portal as if entranced.
Kitty: What is with this? Derrick get back here! Kitty runs after Derrick.
Narrator: That was how it began, Four friends chasing after another. Two called by a force they could hear and yet somehow left not as much of an impression on their other friend. One by one they entered the Portal, chasing after a loved one- or perhaps even more vague a mistress- a dream.
~ Fade Out ~
End Part 1- Episode 1
