Act 2, Scene 4: Flashback: Chaotic Good

RATS

TECH PREROLL

LX-0099 **RED** Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX-0099 STANDBY for GO, all blue blue, T2 near orange orange, T2 mid O lm

Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Puppeteer1: ON

DIALOG

STANDBY Stage left [1, 1st, off]: Zil'iya (Wolf puppet), Zil'iya (Tiger puppet) without actors.

STANDBY Stage left [1, 2nd, off]: None

STANDBY Stage right [7, 1st, off]: None

STANDBY Stage right [7, 2nd, off]: None

STANDBY Stage: Yan'ano_Gryphon (Gryphon puppet) near campfire at [5, 1st].

Yan'ano is in his gryphon form.

Zil'iya is in her normal wolf form.

Curtain - stay closed.

Narration - Tim'ofej and Yan'ano are in bed.

Tim'ofej: "Yan? You still awake?"

Yan'ano: "Hmm-hmm?"

Tim'ofej: "Care to tell me a bit more about you and your sister?"

Yan'ano: "Sure, what would you like to know?"

Tim'ofej: "So when you swore to your sister you'd help her get her rightful place on the throne, did you have anything particular in mind, or was it just something you said?"

Yan'ano: "The way the arch mage had disposed of us was a terrible injustice. I was young and naïve. I believed all we had to do was to defeat Inok'bana. So I took over her magic training - whatever I learned at the academy during the day, I taught her at night."

Tim'ofej: "Did you get to sleep, too?"

Yan'ano: "*chuckles* It wasn't that bad. She was very talented. And her urge for revenge for what Inok'bana had done to our mother really fuelled her passion. She could pick up things in a day that took me weeks to understand. Except one thing."

Tim'ofej: "And that was ... ?"

Yan'ano: "Shapeshifting. It requires a kind of multi-dimensional self-awareness that no-one can teach you. You're all on your own, and most mages never figure it out. But the moment I did, she immediately wanted it, too. And then, one summer night, when I was waiting for her to show up at our secret training spot in the forest, something really remarkable happened ..."

Scene begins here.

LX-0000 fade-in: T2 near, mid

Open the Curtain.

Curtain - open

LX-2400 Night, opt. LX-2401 Campfire

AMB-2401-Forest Camp Fire Ambience

Yan'ano_Gryphon sits in front of the campfire at [5, 1st], warming his paws.

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Dumm dee dummm ..."

SND-2401-Telekinesis Kettle

Yan'ano_Gryphon telekinetically puts a kettle of water on the hook.

Zil'iya (off): "Yan, Yan!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Hmm?"

Zil'iya comes running in from [1, 1st], bouncing around with utter glee towards the campfire.

Zil'iya: "I did it! By Zan'ika's litterbox! Yan, I did it!"

Zil'iya hug-strangles Yan'ano_Gryphon behind the campfire.

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Hgnngtnnrgn ... you did ... what?"

Zil'iya: "I shifted! I thought I'd never figure it out, but today it just clicked, and everything kinda turned inside out and upside down and then suddenly ... it happened!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "No way! Congratulations!"

Zil'iya dances around.

Zil'iya: "I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so happy ... dub dee doo dee doo ..."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "And? What's your celestial form like?"

Zil'iya: "Wanna see?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Of course!"

Zil'iya: "Okay, hang on!"

Have Zil'iya's Tiger puppet ready near her.

Zil'iya closes her eyes, putting her paws against her temples.

Zil'iya: "Hmmmm ... hmmmmmm ... just a moment ..."

LX-2402 +TF magic
SND-2401A - Failed Transformation 1

SND-2401B - Failed Transformation 2

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Take all the time you need, we're not in a rush ..."

Zil'iya (straining): "Almost ... there ... and ..."

LX-2403 +TF magic
SND-2402-Transformation

Execute Zil'iya's transformation.

Zil'iya shapeshifts into her warrior-tiger form.

Zil'iya_Tiger ends up quadruped, and exhausted.

Zil'iya_Tiger is panting.

Take Zil'iya's wolf puppet off stage.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "THERE WE GO! What do you think?!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon (impressed): "Wow. Sister. You. Look. Amazing!"

Zil'iya_Tiger rises up on her hind legs for a little, doing some clumsy fighting moves.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "RAWWWR! RAWWWR! I'm a warrior-tiger! RAWWWR!"

SND-2403-RAWR RAWR

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "What a magnificent creature you are! I'm so proud of you!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon and Zil'iya_Tiger show each other some species-appropriate affection behind the campfire. (Rubbing, licking, purring, whatever works)

The tea kettle begins to boil.

SND-2404-Kettle Boils

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Oh, the tea water is ready! Peppermint for you, as always?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Oh yes, please!"

SND-2405-Telekinesis Tea

Yan'ano_Gryphon telepathically puts some tea leaves into the two teacups, and pours water from the kettle over them.

SND-2406-Pour Tea 1
SND-2407-Pour Tea 2

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "I guess training is cancelled for tonight then."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Absolutely, I'm way too exhausted anyways. Shifting is hard work!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Tell me about it. And if I'd known there was a reason to celebrate tonight, I would have brought some of Mir'ona's quince brandy instead of just tea."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Nah, tea is fine. I barely know where all my body parts go while I'm sober."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Well then, to magic!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "To magic!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon takes his teacup of tea with his front paws, and pours the content into his beak with a skilled movement.

Zil'iya_Tiger stands in front of her teacup on all fours, staring at it ...

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Uhm ... how do you even drink in a body like this?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Your paws can do more than you think, but for the first time, just lapping it up is probably easiest."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Okay."

Zil'iya_Tiger turns her head in weird ways, failing to lap up her tea.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Bllllll ... blblbl ... bl ... dammit, come on ... blblll ... *coughs* Damn, that's awkward ..."

Yan'ano_Gryphon (chuckles): "It's always hard at the beginning. Here, let me help you. Open wide!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "A-a-a-a ..."

SND-2408-Telekinesis Tea

Yan'ano_Gryphon telekinetically lifts Zil'iya_Tiger's teacup, and pours some tea into her mouth.

SND-2409-Gargle

Zil'iya_Tiger: "*gargle* *cough* *spit*"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "*laughs* I'm sorry, I didn't realize how little fits in your mouth compared to my beak!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "That's what she said."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Oh come on ..."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Okay, before I end up wasting all the good tea, let me change back real quick ... *ahem* ... hmmm ... hmmmm ..."

Zil'iya_Tiger closes her eyes again, and tenses up, like trying to move a really heavy weight.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Ngrrrr ... g.r..r.r..rrrrrrr.r.r.r ... hmmm ... come ... on ... *GAH*"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "I told you, changing back takes just as much strength as changing forth. That's why I usually avoid changing more than once a day."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Crap. Looks like I'm stuck in this warrior-beast for a while."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "There is fate worse than that. You're a beautiful tiger. And be honest ... doesn't it feel great?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Oh yes! Except I don't really quite know yet where all my paws are."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "*chuckles* You're going to learn new things about yourself every day."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "If this is not a sign, then I don't know what it is. I'm a warrior. Born to fight. What else could it mean?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Zil... Mages aren't fighters. The guild teaches peace over violence"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "But I'm not a mage am I? At least not according to Inok'bana! And I didn't need the Guild to become what I am. Nobody needs the Guild. They're useless, and doesn't deserve any of its power!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "But everything I taught you came from them!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Has it crossed your mind that they might not be teaching you everything?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "What do you mean?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Like, the moment a person dies, their magic releases back into the aether, and, if you know how, you can snatch it up, like butterflies in a net?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "What?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Why do you think there's always an arch mage present when someone gets sent to the executioner's block? Last time Inok had another one of his critics hanged, I hid under the scaffold, opening my mind as far as I could, and suddenly I felt a huge rush of power surge into me. More than I thought I could ever contain. And I realized, that's how Inok'bana became as invincible as he is. And now, so will I. This is how I can take the throne! As the realm's first battle mage!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "That would be going against all guiding principles of the guild!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Perhaps, but who cares, I'm not officially bound by those rules any more. I can do whatever I want now."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "No! These are universal principles. Not just guild rules, Magic must NEVER be used for evil, NEVER! That path leads to MADNESS!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "I am the legitimate heir to the throne and Inok isn't - that makes me the GOOD one, doesn't it?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "You ... I ... I can't even ... Zil, have you gone completely out of your mind? Don't you see how utterly misguided this plan is?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "What do YOU want me to do to claim the throne then? Invite Inok'bana for tea and start a debating society?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon (condensending): "How about you learn how to walk home on all fours and we can talk again when you've come back to your senses?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "I'm a warrior, Yan. It's time you start taking me more seriously!"

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "And don't wake up mom, or she'll have a heart attack!"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "OH FUCK YOU!"

Zil'iya_Tiger angrily casts an air vortex that blows out the campfire and hits Yan'ano_Gryphon.

SND-2410-Air Vortex

Yan'ano_Gryphon is surprised by the vortex and gets dirt in his eyes.

Zil'iya_Tiger stomps out of view beyond [1, 1st].

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "By Zan'ika's Whiskers, what have I done?"

AMB-2401 FADE

LX-0099 Lights out

Close the Curtain.

Curtain - close

LX-0099 Work Light ON

Microphone handover from ROLE to OTHER ROLE