Act 1, Scene 2: The Festival of Light

• Setting: Inside the village. Wooden houses line unpaved streets. It's still night. Split Scene: [7,6,5] contains the inside of Riversong's wooden house (on second level), the rest is part of the street/marketplace. Backdrop has shadows of other houses on it. Possibly dim warm light from inside windows? Ambient floodlight night blue, warm bright light from a LIGHT and a fireplace inside the hut. Children are playing in the streets, non-anthropomorphic chickens are fluttering around.
• Stage setup: Pendant [6]
• Backdrop: remove cloth to reveal panels
• 2nd rail: Riversongs house (2 Stützen)
• Frontprops: Bed [7], Table [6]
• Props: Tea cup (Tigerseye), blanket (Tigerseye), wool hat (Tigerseye), carriage (Furvan), old LIGHT (Zefiro), new LIGHT (Zefiro), sword for Chippytooth (Kayjay), 1x Stunrod (Ironwill)
• PreRec: Children voices, "As it was and always will be!"

TITLE SEQUENCE

It was the year 385 after the Awakening.

The village of Ferndale lay cozily nestled in the valley of the serpent river, where the winds sweeping down from the holy mountain tingled with the scent of pine trees, and the streets were filled with the sounds of playing children and oxen carts on cobblestone.

As with every other village, each household needed to have its own holy light. These were nothing like ordinary lanterns. They were gifts from the gods. They shone bright as fire, yet without flame, and nothing could extinguish them.

But the most important thing was that, while even the strongest walls and gates could not keep the dark creatures away that came from the forest at nights - the holy light could. A home without a light would not have been a safe place to live in, and leaving the village without one at night would have been plain suicide.

Over the course of months however, even a holy light would eventually begin to dim. And so, once every year at the time of the summer solstice, farmers, millers, blacksmiths, bakers, carpenters, spinsters, weavers, cobblers - everyone in the village who could afford to do so would lay down their work for a day and celebrate The Festival of Lights.

Families would gather in their homes and enjoy each other’s company with lots of mulled wine, mince pie, and other festive specialties. Parents would give their children homemade presents, and in the evening the village priests would walk from door to door, give everyone their blessing, and renew the lights in every house.

For the villagers, this was the happiest day of the year, as the return of light to their home reminded them that the gods and their earthly servants would always be there to love and protect them. For they were the Keepers of the Light.

MAIN DIALOGUE

Curtain - open

Lights on

AMB-0201 - Fire Crackling
MUS-0201 - Medieval Festival

Frostwind is lying in a bed/reclined in a sort of chair at [7], unconscious or sleeping.

Frostwind snores

Chicken are walking in the street

———————————————- (begin deletion candidate)

Two children are coming from [1], playing tag.

PRe-0201 - Girl: "The keepers are coming, the keepers are coming! Quick make sure you're home when they come, or you won't get your presents!"

PRe-0201 - Boy: "Do you know what you are going to get?"

PRe-0201 - Girl: "I want a rocking horse!"

PRe-0201 - Boy: "I'm going to get my own hunting knife!"

PRe-0201 - Girl: "How do you know?"

PRe-0201 - Boy: "I just know. And I also know what you are going to get!"

PRe-0201 - Girl: "Tell me!"

PRe-0201 - Boy: "No! I know you're a telltale!"

PRe-0201 - Girl: "I'm not, I won't, I swear! Not even mum! Come on!"

PRe-0201 - Boy: "And what's in it for me?"

PRe-0201 - Mother (off): "Snowbell! Sunchaser! Get your your little fuzzy behinds over here right now!"

Frostwind begins to stir

PRe-0201 - Girl: "I'm coming, mommy!"

Girl runs off

PRe-0201 - Boy: "Wait for me!"

Boy runs off

———————————————- (end deletion candidate)

Frostwind (in her sleep) "Mom? Mom … where are you …? Mom? MOM?"

Frostwind wakes up, not realizing where she is.

MUS-0201 (STOP)
MUS-0202 - Waking up

Frostwind (startled): "*GASP* What … what the hell? Where am I? Hello? HELLO?"

Frostwind coughs.

Riversong comes in from [7] with a cup of herbal tea

Chicken sneaks off-stage

Riversong: "Ah, you're awake! I was beginning to worry about you."

Riversong walks past her to [6]

Frostwind: "Riversong?"

Riversong: "Yes, it's me! Welcome to my humble home! Here, I made you some tea."

Riversong offers her the cup of tea

Frostwind: "Thank you. How long was I asleep?"

Riversong: "Pretty much all day. Which is good. How are you holding up?"

Frostwind stretches and groans

Frostwind: "Everything still hurts."

Riversong: "I'm not surprised. What were you doing out there?"

Frostwind: "Running away."

Riversong: "From what? Or whom?"

MUS-0202 (STOP)
MUS-0203 - Sad Story

Frostwind: "The Keepers at Coldlake. I was preparing dinner with my mom when they suddenly burst into our house, armed to their teeth, telling us we're all arrested. My mother punched the first one right in the face, yelling at me to run for my life. They struck her down with their swords. I managed to slip past them, and ran as fast as I could. I don't know what happened to my mother. I think she's dead."

Riversong: "They're after you because you have the dark plague, right?"

Frostwind (startled): "How do you know?"

Riversong: "You hid it well. The scarf covering the patch of missing fur on your neck, the plague-smell masked with lilacs and jasmine - all very well done. But the signs are obvious if you know what to look for."

Frostwind (amazed): "Wow! You knew it all along? And you still saved me and took me to your home? Why? If they find out you are hiding a plague bearer-"

Riversong (interrupts): "I am a healer. It's what I do. I swore an oath to help those in need. If the Keepers want me to leave you to die, they will have to kill me first."

Frostwind: "Be careful what you wish for."

Riversong (chuckles): "Oh, don't worry. Brother Strongarm spends most of his time getting high on incense, and Brother Greystone is an old geezer who can barely remember his own birthday. They couldn't hurt a fly. We're going to wrap you up in a blanket, put some powder on your nose, and tell them I'm treating you for a cold."

Frostwind (quietly, humbled): "Thank you."

Riversong: "Don't think anything of it. Those cruel things that happened to you and your mother … helping to ease the pain is the least I can do."

Riversong pauses, realizing something

Riversong: "Where was your father when this happened?"

Frostwind (sighs): "Let's just say, he lives far, far away … and he won't be back any time soon."

Riversong: "I'm sorry. What happened?"

Frostwind: "He had to leave us when I was still a little girl and the only thing he left behind was … The pendant! I was wearing a pendant! Where is it?"

MUS-0203 STOP
MUS-0204 - The Pendant (cue: left behind was…)

Riversong: "Relax, it's right here on the table. I took it off you, so you wouldn't strangle yourself."

Riversong lifts up the pendant and hands it over to Frostwind.

Frostwind puts on the pendant (or puts it away if easier)

Frostwind: "Phew! It's the only thing left to remind me of him. He told me to hold on to it in bad times."

Riversong: "Did he tell you what the symbol on the front means?"

Frostwind: "No. Why?"

Riversong: "Because I have seen it before, at a friend's place. He's sort of an expert on strange things and I'm dying to ask him what he might know about it. You'll have to tell me the full story sometime. But not now, of course. The Keepers are coming! It's time to get you dressed up."

Give Riversong the woolen hat

Riversong wraps Frostwind in a blanket, and puts a woolen hat on her.

Ironwill enters from [1]

Strongarm enters from [1]

Greystone enters from [1]

SND-0201 - Wooden Cart

Chippytooth follows, pushing a carriage, all lit up with Christmas lights, and boxes full of glowing warm white/yellow LIGHTS. Some of them are dim (these are the old lights) some of them are bright (these are the new lights.)

Puppet order on stage: Frostwind / Riversong / Ironwill / Strongarm / Greystone / carriage with lights / Chippytooth

Strongarm stands in the middle of the town plaza

SND-0202 - Cart Stops
MUS-0205 - The Ceremony
SND-0201 STOP
MUS-0204 STOP

Strongarm: "Dear community, citizens, and friends. We have once again come together to celebrate the beginning of a new year and praise the great gods of the holy mountain."

PRE-0202 - Everyone: "As it was, and always will be!"

Strongarm: "Once more we shall accept the trial laid upon us, and never falter in our fight against the evil that hides in the darkness and those who have been infested by it!"

PRE-0203 -Everyone: "As it was, and always will be!"

Strongarm: "Once more we shall open our doors and our hearts, and let new LIGHT be brought into our homes, so it may always shine upon us."

PRE-0204 -Everyone: "As it was, and always will be!"

Strongarm: "This year, a very special blessing and honor has been bestowed upon us. Brother Greystone and I are getting old and frail, and walking from home to home is a burden that becomes harder and harder for us. To that end, Great Overseer Ironwill from the bishopric of Coldlake has decided to favor our humble parish with his presence. He will lead this year's renewal ceremony, for which we thank him from the bottom of our hearts. Now let the ceremonies begin!"

The keepers walk around the cart, preparing the ceremonies.

MUS-0205 (STOP)
MUS-0206 - Things go wrong

Frostwind: "Ironwill? From Coldlake? Oh no! He knows me! He knows EVERYONE."

Riversong: "Damn! That was not part of my plan."

Frostwind: "If he sees me, we're done for!"

Riversong: "Don't panic. We're going to improvise. We just have to convince them that you have a terrible case of … the flu. Yes. Sneeze and cough a lot! That will keep them from taking a close look at you."

Frostwind: "What if it doesn't work?"

Riversong: "Then you run. There's a window in the back of the house. But it will work, I'm sure. Pull your hat down, here they come."

Frostwind wraps herself up in her blanket.

Ironwill knocks at the "door"

SND-0203 - Knocking
MUS-0206 (STOP)
MUS-0207 - Interrogation

Riversong hurries to the "door"

Ironwill: "We are coming to bring the LIGHT."

SND-0204 - Door Opens

Riversong opens the "door" and bows

Riversong: "It is a great honor to welcome you to my home, Great Overseer Ironwill. Our LIGHT is right over here."

(in the background while dialogue continues) Greystone comes in after Ironwill, takes the old LIGHT from its mounting, puts it on the cart, and fetches a new LIGHT, and mounts the new LIGHT in Riversong's living room.

Ironwill: "A very nice home you have. What is your profession, if I may ask?"

Riversong: "I'm a healer."

Ironwill: "Oh, interesting. We don't have any of those in Coldlake. Not any more. The last one we had was convicted of witchcraft, and we had to burn him at the stake - not a pretty sight."

Strongarm: "Don't worry, it's just Riversong. Collecting herbs and mixing ointments is his passion, and he has never done anything against the will of the great gods."

Frostwind coughs

Ironwill: "And who is that?"

Riversong: "Oh, just a patient. Don't get too close, it's very contagious! You don't want to spread the flu all over the village, do you?"

Ironwill: "Of course not. Brother Strongarm, finish quickly so we can get out of here."

Strongarm (mumbling quickly): "I hereby christen this home with the divine LIGHT of the holy mountain. May it protect you and your home from all evil."

Riversong: "As it was, and always will be. Thank you, keepers of the light, for giving me your gift. I shall always be grateful to you and the great gods."

Frostwind sneezes

Ironwill: "Eeeew! Hurry up, Strongarm! I may blindly trust the great gods, but I'd rather not tempt them."

Strongarm: "Have a good evening, Riversong. And my best wishes for your patient."

Riversong: "Thank you. My best wishes for you as well."

They leave.

Frostwind coughs again

Just when Ironwill is about to leave the house, he turns back.

MUS-0207 (STOP)
MUS-0208 - Panic

Ironwill: "Wait a minute. *sniff* *sniffsniff* What's that? *sniffsniff*. Lilacs and Jasmine. What kind of flu medicine is that?"

Riversong: "Oh … that? That's just my new … herbal tea. Keeps away the cold … and it's also great if you have sweaty paws. Like me. See here?"

Riversong shows him his sweaty paws.

Ironwill: "That's not part of any flu medicine that I've heard about. And I could swear I've smelled this before … who's that patient of yours again?"

Ironwill begins to walk past Riversong

Riversong: "No one in particular. Just a friend from the village."

Ironwill: "She's not with her family? On festival night? I want to see her!"

Riversong stands in-between Ironwill and Frostwind

Riversong: "Nooononono! That's a very bad idea! What if you catch the flu?"

Ironwill pushes Riversong aside, hard.

Ironwill: "The gods will decide about that. Now get out of my way. I think I remember where I caught that scent before."

Ironwill pulls the blanket off of Frostwind

MUS-0208 (STOP)
MUS-0209 - Attack

Ironwill: "Frostwind!"

Frostwind: "NO!"

Riversong grabs the teacup and throws hot tea at Ironwill

SND-0205 - Splash

Ironwill: "AAARGH!"

Riversong: "RUN!"

Frostwind jumps to her feet and runs off to [7]

Ironwill activates his staff, swings it at Riversong, and pins him against the wall.

RATS 01 - Electric Staff 1 (SND-0206)

Riversong: "AAAAAAAARGH!"

Riversong convulses and hand pants hard, unable to move

Ironwill: "Guard! She's out the window! Go get her!"

Chippytooth runs off behind the house (on 2nd rail towards [7])

Ironwill (announcing to everyone on the scene): "This man has been concealing a person carrying the dark plague! The dark plague is one of the biggest threats to our civilization! It is the law of the great gods of the holy mountain, that those who carry it must be eliminated, and those who help the infected shall be tried with no mercy!"

Everyone: "As it was, and always will be."

Chippytooth returns

Chippytooth: "Great Overseer, she escaped into the darkness. Shall we lock down the gates?"

Ironwill: "I don't think that will stop her. The walls of this lousy place have cracks the size of pigrats, and finding her outside in the dark is hopeless. She was lucky to survive the night once, she won't be so lucky a second time. Let the night take her."

Ironwill shocks Riversong with his staff

RATS 02 - Electric Staff 2 (SND-0207)

Riversong: "*GROAN*"

Ironwill: "I want him on trial tomorrow and I want everyone in the village to see what happens to witchers who bring the dark plague into our midst."

Chippytooth (reluctant): "Yes, great overseer."

Chippytooth grabs Riversong and carries him off

Riversong (dazed): "You will see where this gets you. The liege lord is an old friend of my family. He knows I'm not a witcher. He would never sentence me … never!"

Ironwill: "We will see … witcher. We will see."

Everyone moves towards [1], the carriage pushed by Greystone

SND-0208 - Wooden Cart (Short)
MUS-0209 (STOP)
MUS-0210 - Ending

Lights out

Curtain - close