the beauty, the beast, the burned

[groundrules]

BEAUTY & THE BURNED

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All but overnight, howling winter winds seal off main roads and curtail safe travel. The storms will recede within a month — and the Merchant negotiates for the party to bide that time at the sinister castle of the clan Netvor and its cursed heir.

ON THE ROAD

The party departs at night, in carriages led by obstinately silent coachmen, who urge discretion. Above all, they say, the woods must not know you head for the castle. Inside, you find dried fruit, candied meats, candle stubs and blankets. You are assigned your first ride, but may swap at resting points.

■ Crossing the misty, eerily quiet woods, your carriage is attacked by large, demonic wolve. Coachmen scream to run to the castle.

■ Evade the wolves in the woods, until you reach the strong, tall gates and fences that encircle the vast castle gardens. The gates bear skulls that carry daggers between their teeth. To let you in, they ask for shiny things, wine and secrets — but are also susceptible to charm.

■ If you arrive covered in blood, the gate skulls call you a ‘beauty’ and offer you a dagger that you may take or discard. If you arrive untarnished, they call you a ‘beast.’

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HOME, SWEET HOME

Tall, dark and looming, with narrow corridors and windows of stained glass — the castle of the noble Netvor clan is like a slow-beating, putrid heart that powers extensive gardens and forest lands.

The castle rests on thick mounds of snow, crossed by red rivulets that stain nearby ice sheets crimson — a reminder, your host Julien says, of a ‘Red Hunt’ that the Netvor clan carried out years prior, killing hundreds of animals until their blood mixed with dirt. In retaliation, a forest witch cursed the clan, transforming its heir into an unsightly beast and his servants into inanimate objects or fellow creatures.

” Once upon a time, there was a man. And that man had kin. And that kin was cruel. But the forest chooses its time and its champions. The land rebelled against them. Their people turned away. And only the beasts they so cleverly despoiled would still have them. The prince was spared because a glimmer of kindness he showed a stranger, to make amends. But the prince was alone. ”

You were largely given lodging at castle Netvor in exchange for entertaining Julien, the prince’s serene and startlingly handsome fiancé, who welcomes you with the main house rule: you must not see the prince.

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BEHIND YOU

The castle covets you : doors and windows often thud shut to lock you inside quarters, candles light up or dim on whim, and you sometimes hear the echo of voices in the corridors carrying the secrets of other speakers, long after they’ve departed.

If you are a ‘beauty,’ statues slowly turn their heads or move when you look away, and you see shadows running through mirrors. If you are ‘beastly,’ you hear clawing at your windows and doors at night, only to find fading scratch marks in the morning.

Some servants have been cursed into inanimate objects, with others transformed into bird-like, monstrous but harmless creatures that stay largely hidden.

House rules: do not open doors or windows at night. Be kind to the servants.

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THE SOUTHERN WING

Home to Julien and you, the southern wing is bright, airy, gilded and refreshed daily by sentient dusters and brooms.

■ Lavish sleeping quarters with en suite bathing quarters and generously supplied wardrobes. There are no furs or fur-lined clothes. Rule: do not enter Julien’s locked bedchamber. Julien himself heads to the northern wing each night.

■ Self-sustaining kitchens, where bowls, whisks and ladles perpetually prepare elaborate dishes and pastries. Visitors are often hijacked to test eccentric or boozy dishes.

■ A glistening ballroom with wall-length mirrors. Soft music erupts, compelling you to take a partner and dance feverishly to steps you somehow know or that a sentient cello can teach. Spinning by the mirrors, you see yourself reflected among faceless dancers whom you recognise from the portrait room. When you finish dancing, you spot ash footprints on the floor.

” The villagers don’t speak of what happened to the rest of clan Netvor. Handfuls of people. If they are among the cursed servants, they hide themselves. But I suspect they have long transcended to a different realm of possibilities. He does not speak of them to me. But he does not speak of any unkindness to me. He is… gentle, in his way. ”

■ The reading room: a wide seating area with an enormous fireplace where the remains of prized hunting prey were traditionally set to burn. Strange bones and expensive clothing scraps linger amid wood kindling.

■ The object-servants (largely dusters and teacups) urge you to help decorate the southern wing with flowers, candles and baubles for new year festivities — only for you to discover burned clothes in the castle’s nooks and crannies. What remains of the materials is high-quality, ornate.

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BEASTLY QUARTERS

The northern wing is dark, moulding, with torn wallpaper, broken furniture and soot strewn about — the signs of a failed arson attempt. The ravaged northern area leads to a tall tower that houses the prince’s chambers.

House rules: you cannot enter after sundown, and you must leave any room when you hear unknown footsteps behind you. Disobey, and you gradually lose consciousness as the footsteps come near you, and you hear only a rasped, bestial, Your blood need not spill here, before you wake with a booming migraine in the southern wing. Do this three times, and Julien insists you must leave the castle.

■ the portrait room: a gallery and library that displays brimming bookcases and the portraits of the family members of the Netvor clan. The faces have been removed: some by claws, canvas strips hanging. Some were burned off. In a handful of portraits, faces have simply disappeared through white erosion.





■ The prince’s sleeping quarters are in a locked tower chamber, preceded by a wide stairwell covered covered in thorny roses and hundreds of wilted petals. Slowly over the duration of your stay, you notice they wither and fade. Touch a rose and you hear hissing, as the flower briefly curls back into a blossom. Prick your fingers on a thorn, and briefly see names engraved the nearby brick wall. You recognise them from the room of portraits.

■ In a nest of rose vines, you find several notebooks — including one with the prince’s daily entries. On the day of your arrival, he scribbled, Can men learn compassion?

” You must have seen them, the roses. They are his burden. The root and timepiece of his curse. Until the last petal withers away, he must rebuild the forest and make amends for the carnage wrought by his family. If the curse believes… the balance has been met, he will be spared. If not… but we still have time. ”

■ Each day at sunset, the stairwell roses bloom golden, as thousands of petals rain down. If you are touched, and you are in the presence of someone you dislike, you feel encouraged to apologise or make amends. In the company of someone you enjoy, you express gratitude, admiration or joy. Those who are already in love may find themselves (finally?) confessing. Optionally, some characters feel overwhelmed by sudden, bitter sadness, tears trailing down their cheeks — and a feeling of captivity, as footsteps draw near.

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THE GARDENS

The snow-laden gardens spread wide and vast, containing archery and sword training grounds, a frosted fountain , a frozen lake for skating and several bridges for those who entertain snow fights.

■ If you are a ‘beauty,’ the blood-bound red dirt seems to stick to you as you pass by, staining you crimson. For ‘beasts,’ the dirt all but parts.

■ Each day, castle servants bring devote hours to plant trees in the forest, to cleanse river waters and seed flowers or plant trees.

” This was a hunting castle. It needn’t have been. The villages serve gladly. Panna is only the nearest one, but they have dozens at their bidding. But the Netvor loved their bloodshed well, and so… each season. Crushing, killing, decimating. Even taming, tainting the forest’s wolves to serve as their hounds. That’s why they come at our gates now. To beg scraps. Despicable. Forgive me. I have a soft heart and a weak stomach. For my sake, he no longer hunts in the wasteful way of his people. ”

■ The familiar demonic wolves prowl at night, howling maddeningly and sometimes breaching into the gardens. They appear desperate to attack the castle.

■ Glancing at the castle from the gardens, you might see a dark, nebulous figure in the distance at a tower balcony that doesn’t correspond to any room you’ve had access to.

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BE OUR GUEST

Each evening, you must dress in formalwear and dine in the great ballroom of the southern wing. The space is now poorly lit by candlelight, and you can barely glimpse your dining partners.

■ You are asked to never look behind you, even as you sometimes hear heavy steps and rattling nearby. Now and then, you think you can almost see a pair of golden eyes behind a dining companion.

■ The dishes and cutlery dance and perform throughout an elaborate, many-course service that all exclude venison. Diners feel compelled to trade anecdotes of their homelands and families. No one can leave for an hour.

■ At least once, you will receive a dish you associate with a close relation or family member.

■ Opt-in: Instead of dishes, you might (at most twice during your stay) receive an empty black plate. You must excuse yourself after dinner, lock yourself in your bedroom and keep vigil that night — careful not to let strangers in, no matter what they say or whose voice they imitate. If you open your door to strangers, a swathe of shadows overwhelms you with deep jealousy, loneliness or insecurity. Human company eases the feeling.

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LITTLE TOWN

The gentle snow of the first few days worsens, until a great blizzard blockades you in the castle for five days ( OOCly around 17-22 December) — at the end of which, a bashful kitchen ladle and a friendly pot beg you to head into Panna village for supplies. A cart and a stubborn donkey accompany you for the 90-minute trek through the woods.

■ The forests are largely silent, seemingly peopled by animals of prey (rabbits, deer). At times, you find bare human footprints that seem to lead no where, some carrying the red dirt of castle Netvor.

■ Deep claw marks litter most trees in the woodlands close to castle Netvor. To your luck, the large wolves are entirely absent during the day.

■ A few small abandoned hunters’ cabins are still standing, seemingly repurposed as (empty) wolf dens. You find young village children are leaving cooked food and old shawls there. If they see you, children shoo you away.

■ The village is small, warm, chirpy and welcoming — until residents hear you come from Netvor castle. Then, they gossip and urge their children to keep away from your witch blood.

” You must think the people of Panna disloyal, pulling away at the first sign of hardship. But the Netvor were so cruel to animals while they yet learned to torture men. They loved their prince, once. One day, if the witch’s curse lifts, they might love him again. But no one can care for a beast, let alone associate with one pursued by a witch, they say. They are wrong. ”

■ Villagers take you to a tavern to meet drunken hunter Viola, who may need a hand wrapping up a few brawls before taking you to bakers, brewers and lumberjacks. Sometimes, these sellers need your help to prepare the last of the supplies.

■ A nearby place of worship has left out incense for the dead, including incense for the wretched Netvor clan.

■ Viola insists you cannot stay past sunset and declines to accompany you back. Villagers say she was previously assisted the clan Netvor, but stopped after the Red Hunt.

QUESTIONS

NPC INBOX

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ He hadn't planned on telling Ben about that. About any of this. His nod is slow, and it's only occurring to him that there's a reason behind his honesty. The petals... whatever they're doing. They should leave before he burdens Ben with more than he should have to carry.

It's not easy to find a way to say he wasn't well, for a long time, because of the mirror he carried inside him. Or that it wasn't always his mind playing tricks, because his weaknesses are so well known. The last time he saw him, it was a demon using his face trying to trap him in Hell. They always use his family, and for some reason, he always sees Ben. ]

That's why I didn't believe it was really you this time. [ He tries to smile at him, but he only manages a moment before he bats a petal off of his shoulder and looks away. ] But I know you're here now. I checked.

[stomacles]

[ Ben didn't exactly make plans of what he was and wasn't going to tell Allison and Five. Their conversations mostly happen, and he flows with them. For the most part. There might be conversation topics he doesn't think to bring up, and certainly the words they've shared this round were more due to the petals. He has no regrets, though. ]

[ Well, that's a non-answer if he ever heard one. And Five's petal shooing is noted as eye-avoidance, perhaps. ] But what do you mean? There was the Klaus doll. Other than that, I haven't felt like Klaus was actually here. But being tricked.

And how did you check?

[somebadnews]

[ Is it fair not to tell him? Five hasn't had an easy time here. Neither has Allison, or any of their siblings that were here and gone. He doesn't think Ben will have to deal with what they have, but he should know what to look for. He could learn from Five's experience. ]

I saw something that looked like you. I was sick at the time. I wasn't in my right mind, so I made a stupid mistake. Another time there was a... shapeshifter who took your form.

[ He was so desperate to save him, that it nearly worked. ]

Both times Wrath was there. He can sense those things, so I asked him.

[stomacles]

[ Ben will take whatever Five tells him, all fairness aside. Fairness isn't something they can be too particular about. ]

Something? [ Ben repeats that with concern. Too many chances to run into somethings here. ]

[ He frowns to hear the rest of it. It probably messed with Five's mind so much when Ben actually showed up, then. ] So that's why you seemed wary of me when I did show.

[somebadnews]

[ He grimaces and nods. As much as he'd like to say he's got a sixth sense and could tell a real from a fake, time and again he's been proven wrong. His feelings get in the way of common sense. ]

It didn't really... [ ...look like him. Not then. ] It was a tentacle monster, the first time.

A lot of things here can mess with your mind. I wish I could say I've gotten better at defending against it, but I think I've only gotten worse. [ Even without the mirror inside him, his confidence in navigating magic is near zero. ] It didn't make sense, how you could be back.

[stomacles]

[ Ben opens his mouth to respond to the tentacle monster bit, then closes it with a frustrated sigh. ]

Really? [ That's all he has, in the end. There might be a lot of warm, fuzzy feelings floating around, but tentacle monster? Ouch. ]

I think this would be difficult for most people to adjust to. As for me being back. [ Ben shrugs. ] We're also in some other world. Still not entirely sure how I got here, because I don't remember that part. There are a lot of things that seem almost impossible here. Me being back? Not too unbelievable. Not anymore.

But I get it.

[somebadnews]

...A lot of that time is a blur. I was delirious, and when I saw it on a roof I got caught up in the idea that you'd come back from the dead to fight for us. Again.

[ It's worth noting that he'd done that twice from beyond the grave to Five's memory, so it wasn't so insane a notion. Maybe only half-insane, compared to some of the choices he's made. ]

There's always a reason, I've just had a harder time figuring it out. That doesn't mean I won't try.

[stomacles]

[ Ben breathes and closes his eyes, imagining if it had been some sort of sign of Five, he too, would have made the same mistake, and been too eager. ]

Well, I'm here - really here - now.

And maybe we can figure this out. At least forget out how I go back with you. I want that, if we can.

[somebadnews]

[ That may be the first time he's heard Ben say that he wants to stay with them. Of course, that shouldn't have been a question, but Five wasn't sure if he'd... been disappointed to come back after he'd moved on.

He deserves to live. His family deserves full lives, and it's up to him to see that they get that. The possibilities exist now that didn't before, even if he can't understand them all yet. ]

Did Allison tell you what we'd be going back to?

[stomacles]

[ Ben shakes his head when he answers. ] No.

But I don't care. We're always dealing with some calamity or the latest shitshow. That's just how it is, for us. So no one needs to tell me.

The point is being together. That's the part that matters. And [ he smiles and cants his head to the side ] this time, me not living vicariously through Klaus for it.

[somebadnews]

[ Ben really is the best of them. He smiles, even if it's only a small one, and nods. Being together is all that matters for him too. Preferably for more than a week, but they can cross that bridge when they come to it. ]

Then I'll do everything I can to make that happen.

[stomacles]

[ Not that Ben doesn't want to go back, doesn't want to live again, but the idea of Five doing who knows what to ensure that future? Scares Ben just a tiny bit. He shakes his head and reaches out to put a gentle hand on Five's shoulder. ]

Not everything. Not at your own expense, okay? We'll figure it out.

[somebadnews]

[ He doesn't flinch this time when Ben puts a hand on his shoulder, and he makes an effort not to look away. If it was as simple as sacrificing himself to save his family, to save Ben, he would have done it already. He already nearly traded places with him in Hell. If it'd really been him, he would have.

After staring at him for a moment too long, he huffs a laugh. ]

And here I am wasting time trying to solve someone else's curse. [ There are things he could point out. He's the one who can time travel, it has to be him. He's also... old and undeserving of sympathy, quite frankly. Ben doesn't need to waste his on him. ]

If I wasn't willing to do everything, I wouldn't be here. [ You have to be willing, if what you're after is basically impossible. ] The rules may have changed, but I'm still the only one with a built in do-over button. If something goes wrong, we've got a margin of error to work with.

[stomacles]

We do need to figure it out, though, right? [ Or, figuring it out is the right thing to do. ]

[ Ben isn't going to listen to where he should put his sympathy. Five is still his brother, and one he missed out a lot of time with, on top of that. ]

You're right. You do have the best chance of undoing things if something goes wrong. But at least let me in on what you're doing.

[ If he can. Ben knows it's not always that simple. ]

[somebadnews]

We need to not get caught up in it. What we have ahead of us is more important.

[ He tries to smile at his support, but he feels so tired. Ben deserves to know what he's doing, it's just a matter of explaining. The theories are out there. It might be possible he can figure out how to do what he couldn't before and insert the currently-alive Ben into a timeline where his siblings all exist. He'll never know if he keeps figuring out whatever mystery is thrown their way instead of working towards his goal.

He needs the help, but most of all, he needs time. ]

You might get bored. It's a lot of math.

[stomacles]

[ Ben sighs, and his eyes roll up to the ceiling, more out of frustration because he can't actually argue that. ] We can't multi-task?

[ Ben, to his credit, gives that honest through before he answers. ]

Point. If it's time math, you can keep it for yourself.

[somebadnews]

History says no, we can't.

[ Multi-tasking is how they failed to figure out the first two apocalypses in time. It's painfully easy to get caught up in the latest crisis, or whatever this stairwell is. He shakes his head and gestures away from it. ]

Sometimes even I need a reminder. [ His briefly smile turns more genuine. He knew the threat of math would put a quick end to that argument. ] I'll try to sum it up for you when I get a breakthrough. Hopefully with a demonstration.

leading to wrap

[stomacles]

Screw history. And math.

[ Ben smiles as he reaches for Five, to pull him into an unusual embrace, if he'll allow it. ]

For now, though...let's get away from this staircase.

wrap!

[somebadnews]

[ He mouth twitches when he says 'screw math'. He'd like to be offended, but it's not like Five doesn't have those days. And he's right, the pedals are starting to taper off and they're tempting fate by standing around. ]

Yeah. [ He clears his throat, dislodging any lingering emotion there and turns back away from the stairs. ] Enough lollygagging. Time we get back to work.