RPGs – One Thousand And One Parsecs

Parents: talk to your kids about Dwarf Fortress

So if you’ve been wondering why I seem to have gone missing from the world of the living lately, it’s because I recently started playing Dwarf Fortress. Those of you who know what Dwarf Fortress is are probably shaking your heads already, but for the rest of you, I’ll endeavor to explain.

Dwarf Fortress is easily the most detailed and immersive fantasy RPG ever created. In it, you command a group of dwarves as they seek a new life in an unclaimed territory, designing their new home, seeking all sorts of precious metals, and defending their dwarven hordes from all manner of evil monsters. The graphics (what little there are) are basically ASCII, so you do all this by scrolling through an endless array of text-based menus, which sounds rather tedious but is actually what makes the game so awesome.

For every dwarf in your fortress, there is a detailed list with their personal history, their relationships, their likes/dislikes, their strengths/weaknesses, skills–even their thoughts! And when there’s combat, the game generates a blow-by-blow where you can read exactly what happened to whom, who got injured, and what those injuries exactly were. This extends to every part of the game, so that when you’re in overworld mode you can actually look up the histories of every person in every civilization.

What really makes it insane, though, are the crazy, crazy ways in which your fortress can die. Kobolds, Goblins, vampires, were-creatures, tantrum spirals, catsplosions–the possibilities are endless. If your dwarves are unhappy, one of them might throw a tantrum that sets everyone off so that they all kill each other. If they don’t have socks, apparently they’ll riot over that as well. And heaven help you if a forgotten beast gets loose in your dwarven hall.

The learning curve for this game is ridiculously steep, which is why I haven’t gotten into it before now. I actually tinkered with it a couple of years ago, but could never get into it because I had no idea what was going on. Some youtube tutorials and the lazy newb pack helped remedy that, and now, sixty some-odd hours later, I feel like I might have an idea of how it maybe works.

The things that make the game appealing are largely the same things that make fantasy appealing: the chance to build and live in a world full of crazy-awesome fantasy stuff. The graphics might be horrible, but the level of detail is so incredible that with a bit of imagination, you can really immerse yourself in it.

… which is why I probably went a bit overboard. That tends to happen with me and games–I tend to binge a lot when I first get started, then go cold turkey for a while, then come back for more before gradually easing into a more healthy level of play. Right now, I’m just getting over that first binge; I’ll probably go cold turkey for a while, taking care of all the things I’ve neglected before easing back in.

But wow, this game has given me a TON of story ideas. I really want to write about a band of dwarves now, or reread Lord of the Rings, or get back into classic high fantasy in some way. It’s too early to say whether it’s just a phase or a genuine shift, but I’m happy to follow it out and see where it leads.

In the meantime, I’ve got a bajillion other things to do, and writing currently tops that list. Later!

Trope Tuesday: Schrödinger’s Gun

The world of a fictional universe isn’t fixed beyond what the author has revealed to the reader.

This is what happens when Schrödinger’s cat gets hold of Chekhov’s gun. There are a whole lot of interesting and potentially useful plot points lying around, but the writers are pantsing it as they go, playing a game of Xanatos speed chess with the readers (or the gamers, as the case may be). Consequently, the story doesn’t actually take shape until it’s been told.

As you can imagine, this trope only really works in a story medium where there’s some degree of interaction between the writer and the audience, such as video games and RPGs. However, there are some classic examples in more fixed media, such as film and books. The movie Clue is a good example, where the filmmakers made three separate endings, and secretly showed different ones in different theaters (the DVD has all three). The Choose Your Own Adventure series is also a classic example.

With the changes brought about by digital media, there are all sorts of possibilities opening up right now for this kind of storytelling. Besides the Choose Your Own Adventure type stories, there’s also the serial format, where a writer releases a chapter at a time. This is what a lot of web comics eventually become, especially the ones like Girl Genius, Schlock Mercenary, and Freefall with a HUGE extended story arc. The same kind of thing is happening in ebooks too, on a spectrum between straight-up serials and series of longer works.

As you can imagine, it can be quite a challenge to keep all the storylines straight. That’s because the one rule with this trope is that you CANNOT retcon. Until the story is told, anything can happen–but once it does, the Schrödinger wave equation breaks down, and all the possibilities drop to 0 or 1. The story becomes fixed, and in all future installments, you have to work with it.

Another interesting thing about this type of storytelling is the possibility for ascended fanon, where fan-created stuff like fanfic or fanart actually gets co-opted into the canon of the story. The flip side is that it encourages the fans to get together and analyze things so thoroughly that any surprising plot twists get predicted long before they actually happen. Still, I suppose there’s a special kind of squee in finding out that your predictions were right.

The reason I’m interested in this trope is because I’m more or less doing it with my Star Wanderers series. It’s not strictly a serial, since each novella is a complete self-contained story, but taken together they sketch out a much larger arc that I’m only starting to discover. Parts I-IV made a complete story arc in itself, all told from Jeremiah’s point of view, but right now I’m revisiting those stories from the viewpoints of some of the other characters. That, in turn, is seeding all sorts of other stories, with new characters and wider conflicts.

There are challenges, though. Today I started Part VIII: Deliverance, (from Lucca and Mariya’s viewpoints) and I got stuck on the second paragraph. The second freaking paragraph. It starts in the Zarmina system, but what class of star is it? Have I mentioned it in any of the previous stories? Thank goodness for word search functionalities, otherwise I’d be ripping my hair out!

So yeah, I’m going to have to be a lot more diligent about making and keeping a world bible. I’m usually a pantser, so outlines are kind of anathema to my creative process, but having a solid reference for the stuff that I’ve already written is quite helpful. Currently, I’m using Wikidpad, which seems to be the perfect tool for this sort of thing.

Fortunately, the challenges are a lot more fun than discouraging. I had a great time writing Dreamweaver, getting into Noemi’s head and revisiting that story from her point of view. It sounds so cliché, but that story really did write itself. I kept a window with Outworlder in the background, and whenever I needed to see what would happen next, I’d just go to it and read the next couple of paragraphs. Benefactor and Reproach have been much the same way.

Eventually, I plan to branch out a lot further, with other interesting characters and situations. I have no idea what those will be exactly, but that’s kind of the point. Until you actually pull the trigger, Schrödinger’s gun can exist in any state, from a musket to an AK-47 to a rocket-propelled grenade. Whatever form it ends up taking, the important thing is to make sure it goes off with a bang.

Trope Tuesday: Rebellious Princess

You know that innocent and beautiful fairy tale princess, with the tricked out dress and the power to summon woodland creatures? The one with a tendency to get kidnapped, but who always ends up happily ever after with her prince charming?

Yeah, that’s not this princess.

A rebellious princess would just as soon puke if she were any of those things. She hates being royalty–she’d rather be one of the common folk, or at least be out doing something (which is why she’s often involved in politics). She hates all those frilly dresses and tends to wear her hair in a tomboyish ponytail. Rather than wait for her white knight to save her, she’s much more likely to be an action girl in disguise, or at least something of a badass. When she grows up, she may become a lady of war. Invariably, she hates whatever marriage has been arranged for her and often scandalizes those of her class to marry for love (if she even marries at all).

As you might have already guessed, this trope is extremely common, not the least because the princess classic has largely been discredited (at least, outside of Disney). There’s a lot of variation on it too, with some stories featuring the rebellious princess as the love interest, and others showcasing her as the hero.

George R.R. Martin (Song of Ice and Fire) deconstructs the trope with Arya, who eventually becomes something of a sociopath, and Brandon Sanderson (Elantris) subverts it with Sarene, who very much has the personality but uses her royal position to her advantage. Frank Herbert (Dune) zigzags with Lady Jessica, who is undylingly loyal to the Atreides family but rebels against the Bene Gesserit. As you might expect, J.R.R. Tolkien plays it straight, not once but twice: Éowyn in Lord of the Rings, and Lúthien in The Silmarillion.

It transcends cultures, too. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Jen might not technically be royalty, but she is the governor’s daughter and she does reject an arranged marriage to run away and become a wandering warrior. And in classic RPGs, especially the old Japanese ones from Square, this trope is everywhere. The princess in the picture above is Marle from Chrono Trigger, who fits this trope to a T.

So why is this trope so prevalent nowadays? Probably because the modern feminist movement led us to discard most of our old-fashioned feminine ideals, as well as the characters who were held up as shining examples of them. That, and rule of drama. Everything ultimately comes down to rule of drama.

In my own work, Hikaru from Stars of Blood and Glory is an example of this trope, though she’s more of a president’s daughter than a hero or a love interest. She does have her own story arc, though, and I’ve got a sequel in the works with her as the main character. Scientists aren’t exactly royalty, but they do consider themselves elites in Genesis Earth, which means that Terra has echoes of this trope. And in Heart of the Nebula (as-yet unpublished), I’ve got a character who isn’t exactly rebellious, but she does qualify as a badass princess (though the society in question is a perfect techno-democracy and not a monarchy).

Trope Tuesday: Character Alignment

firefly-character-alignment — Alternate versions put 20th Century Fox in the Lawful Evil slot.

I love personality tests. There’s something immensely satisfying about putting yourself on a grid that tells you something new and insightful about yourself and the people around you. My personal favorite is the Meyers-Briggs test (I’m an ENTP), but I like playing around with others as well.

Character alignment is what you get when you combine fictional characters with the role they’re supposed to play in the story. It’s a way to categorize the different ways they react to problems and ethical dilemmas, and to see which are inclined to be enemies and which are inclined to be allies.

These systems initially arose out of RPG systems like Dungeons and Dragons, which use numbers, charts, and statistics to turn a story into a playable game. There are many different kinds of alignments, but the most well-known is probably the one used by D&D, which charts characters along a good-evil axis and a lawful-chaotic axis. In practice, the result looks a little like this:

Of course, that’s a very simplified version. The tvtropes page goes into much greater depth, but I’ve personally found that this page right here does a much better job explaining the concepts behind the chart.

The horizontal axis, law vs. chaos, describes how much the character values order and authority vs. their own independence and freedom. Lawful characters value honor and obedience, while chaotic characters value innovation and rebelliousness. Characters who are neutral with regards to law and chaos generally respect authority, but put their own interests first and go against the established norms when that’s the best way to further their own ends.

The vertical axis, good vs. evil, describes how well (or poorly) characters tend to treat other people. Good characters are altruistic and make sacrifices to protect the defenseless, whereas evil characters will kill, rob, or torture the innocent simply for the evulz. Characters who are neutral with regards to good and evil don’t like to hurt others, but are not above pursuing questionable means to achieve their own goals.

Put together, the alignments create a 9-square chart, like the one at the top of the post. While it’s certainly not obligatory to fill every slot, doing so can add a greater degree of depth to your story, as it certainly did with Firefly.

As with any formula, however, there is danger in holding too closely to the chart and becoming inflexible. In real life, people switch alignments all the time, just as personalities can change and evolve (in high school, for example, I was an INTP). Not only that, but some characters even fulfill all the possible roles, depending on the incarnation and the story.

The point is, character alignment is just a tool, not a hard-and-fast rule that needs to be used with every story. If it’s a helpful way to think about your characters and set them up with interesting conflicts, great. If not, don’t sweat it; Homer and Shakespeare were telling great stories long before this chart.

I’m going to be going overseas soon, so I expect my internet access is going to be spotty for the next couple of months. Because of that, I’m going to write up a bunch of Trope Tuesday posts on each of the nine alignments and schedule them to post automatically. So stay tuned for more!

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fifth day

[NOTE: this is part twelve in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs. To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

Shafts of light from deep within Kefka’s tower break through as the walls and floors begin to break apart. With Kefka dead, all magic passes from the world in a great and tremendous storm. The magicite shards of the Espers disintigrate into thin air. Kefka’s tower, held aloft only by magic, begins to collapse.

Cyan makes a mad dash for the Falcon, but when he gets there, he realizes that without Setzer to pilot it, he’s lost. The upper floor of the tower collapses into ruin, and Cyan falls with the Falcon to his death.

At least he dies knowing that he helped save the world from annihilation.

The “innocents” lynch Drakon, the last surviving innocent!

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the tower…

SHADOW (to INTERCEPTOR): Go on, Interceptor. Take care of yourself, boy…

SHADOW (to self): Relm, Strago…….it looks like I can finally stop running…

With everything collapsing all around him, Shadow leaps from the highest parapet of the collapsing tower, falling to the earth, to his death…

But as he falls, a familiar presence envelops him…the presence of a young girl, barely ten, and an older girl, not entirely human…

With the last of her ebbing magic, the ghost of Terra wraps her glowing arms around Shadow’s body and lowers him gently to the ground. The ghost of Relm, who has followed Shadow through the power of the Momento Ring which he wears, summoned the Esper girl’s spirit to his rescue. With the last of her strength, she saves him and gives him a chance at a new life.

With Kefka’s evil, draining presence gone from the world, the clouds begin to break up, allowing the sun to shine through once more. Life and color returns to the ruined world, and with it, hope…for life, love, hope, and the promise of rebirth.

Before Relm’s spirit departs to the Phantom train with the others, her presence lifts the darkness from Shadow’s troubled heart. He takes off his mask and resolves to return from his self-imposed exile from the world and leave his dark past behind…forever.

Victory for the Assassin!

PLAYER ROLES:

Avulsion: MAFIA
Baggins: NECROMANCER (Bannon)
Barigirl: INNOCENT (Edgar)
Caysyka: INNOCENT (Sabin)
CptSqweky: INNOCENT (Gau)
Drakon: INNOCENT (Cyan)
Drek: DETECTIVE (Terra)
Fredward: INNOCENT (Celes)
Jerle: MAFIA
Locke: INNOCENT (Locke)
Lunesar: MAFIA RECRUIT (Setzer)
Onlera: ASSASSIN (Shadow)
PharaohsQueen: INNOCENT (Relm) DL ASSASSIN
sunstarr12: MAFIA
ZeroMoon17: INNOCENT (Strago)

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fifth night

[NOTE: this is part eleven in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time. To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

The battle continues…

The four friends come to the second tier of Kefka’s monument to nonexistence–a pillar of half-embodied beasts and humans, melded together in chaos. Cyan, Sabin, and Shadow prepare to fight the terrible monster, but a glossy-eyed look comes over Setzer, and he holds back…

SETZER: Phew… I don’t know if I have it in me anymore…

CYAN: What are you saying?!

SETZER: I’m just a gambler… I just want to be left alone… This
world is too chaotic for me. What’s worse, I’ve lost my wings…

SABIN: But before the world collapsed you fought with all your heart!
You were absolutely fearless…

SETZER: That was then… We can never have that world back!

Setzer’s eyes roll back in his head, and he reaches for his magical cards, but before he can turn on his friends, a shuriken strikes him square in the face, right between the eyes! Blood trickling across his pale skin, mingling with his silver hair, he falls end over end to the Earth below, dead.

Assassin kills Lunesar, a mafioso!

Working together, Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow defeat the monsters of the second tier of Kefka’s monument, and progress to the third. Shrouded in clouds, this one consists of a decapitated goddess’s head floating above a muscular, reclining man, surrounded by torches. The three survivors fight long and hard, but the monsters refuse to give way.

In desperation, Shadow throws one of his skeans at the decapitated head, and it shatters into a thousand pieces–but a magical implosion sends out a shockwave that knocks Sabin off of his feet and sends him careening to the ground, far, far below.

Assassin kills Caysyka, an innocent!

Alone, Cyan and Shadow rise above the destruction to face…FINAL KEFKA.

Angel wings sprout from his back, and his skin has turned a pale, sickly purple from unnatural levels of infused magic. His face is contorted into a permanent smile, and his eyes are pale and lidless. His muscles bulge with pure energy, and every movement seethes with hatred.

KEFKA: Life… Dreams… Hope… Where did they come from?
Where are they headed? These things… I am going to destroy!

At the sound of his voice, despair floods over the minds of the two surviving warriors, pulling them down, urging them to give up and die. But deep inside their hearts, hope shines through the darkness, hope for a new and better world, compelling them forward! They have long since given up every care for their own lives. Now, they fight on for the memory of those they love–and the love of those who still live!

Kefka readies his final attack, the consummation of his depraved monument, the explosion of pure magic that will annihilate all existence forever…

KEFKA: The end comes… beyond chaos.

At that moment, Cyan leaps into the air, and with a mighty, piercing scream, hurls the Atma Weapon at Kefka with all his strength!

Kefka screams and disintegrates into a thousand pieces!

PLAYERS:

All dead, except:

Drakon
Onlera

DAY

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth day

[NOTE: this is part ten in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time. To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

Sabin, Setzer, and Cyan make their way to the Falcon, an airship that Setzer reconstructed many years ago for a friend. On their way, they meet up with Shadow, who offers his assistance. He, too, has decided that with nothing left to lose, the only course of action that makes sense in this ruined world is to take on the godlike Kefka.

Using the Falcon, the party makes an aerial drop on Kefka’s tower and fights their way through a series of impossible traps and monsters. Working together, they make their way through, until finally, at the heart of the hellish dungeon, they come face to face with…KEFKA.

KEFKA: Welcome, friends! I knew you’d make it here, so I’ve prepared
some suitable entertainment for you!

CYAN: How long are you going to let the destruction continue?

KEFKA: I’ve tapped into the ultimate power. Observe…!

Kefka levitates Setzer.

KEFKA: Such magnificent power! You are like insects to me!

Kefka lifts Shadow into the air with his magic and throws him against a wall.

KEFKA: I will exterminate everyone, and everything!

SABIN: People will keep rebuilding the things you take from them.

KEFKA: Then I’ll destroy those too. Why do people rebuild things they
know are going to be destroyed? Why do people cling to life when they
know they can’t live forever? Think how meaningless each of your
lives is!

CYAN: It’s not the net result of one’s life that is important. It’s
the day-to-day concerns, the personal victories, and the celebration
of life…and love! It’s enough if people are able to experience the
joy that each day can bring!

KEFKA: And have you found your “joy”, in this nearly dead world of
yours?

ALL: Yes!

CYAN: My family lives on inside of me.

SABIN: I have come to experience anew the love of my brother!

SETZER: My friend’s airship…and her love!

SHADOW: I know what friendship is…and family…

KEFKA: This is sickening… You sound like chapters from a self-help
booklet! Prepare yourselves!

KEFKA: Now, for my next trick, I will make you all…disappear!

SETZER: Kefka, you don’t know what you’re doing! Stop!

Kefka sends the Light of Judgement on the southern coast ot the
southern continent.

KEFKA: I command the greatest power in the universe! You are all
helpless before me!

Kefka rises on a tower, while other party members do the same.

KEFKA: I will destroy everything… I will create a monument to
non-existence!

CYAN: Life will go on! There will always be people, and dreams.

KEFKA: No! I will hunt them down. I will destroy it all! Destroy!
Destroy! Destroy!!

SABIN: We will not allow you to harm another living thing!

KEFKA: Hee, hee, hee!! But what fun is destruction if no “precious”
lives are lost!

Kefka sends another Light of Judgment on the northwest continent.

SHADOW: It’s over, Kefka!

With those words, the fight begins!

The ground on which Kefka stands suddenly lurches upward, and a host of monsters appear. Cyan, Sabin, Setzer, and Shadow fight their way through the first tier, a frighteningly monstrous beast with bulging muscles and a powerful physical attack. Working together, they defeat the monster and progress to the second tier!

Innocents lynch sunstarr12, a mafioso!

NIGHT

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth night (continued)

[NOTE: this is part nine in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time. To see the other posts in the series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

On a small, desolate island in gray, desolate world, Setzer, Cyan, and Sabin meet up in a bar in the city that was once Maranda. The world has been reshaped by Kefka, and life is slowly ebbing away. The skies are overcast, the flowers refuse to bloom, and the few survivors of the Kefka apocalypse barely struggle to survive amid the ruins of the fallen world.

An enormous tower of stone and magic looms over the barren landscape. From atop this tower, Kefka rules the ruined world, annihilating those who oppose him with the Light of Judgment.

Off to the north, a following of the lost and despondent has come together to worship the god of the World of Ruin. Known as the Cult of Kefka, its practitioners study the arts of dark magic and the powers of destruction. Soon, their following grows to encompass a sizable portion of the survivors…

The mafia recruits a new member!

[OOC] NOTE: For gameplay purposes, this event was factored before the other events in the night. However, for the purposes of the story, I chose to wait until now to include it. [/OOC]

A year has passed, but in the bar in Maranda, the three friends still recognize each other. With nothing left to lose, they decide to take on Kefka and end his reign of ruin!

PLAYERS:

Avulsion (mafia)
Baggins (necromancer)
Barigirl (innocent)
Caysyka
CptSqweky (innocent)
Drakon
Drek (detective)
Fredward (innocent)
Jerle (mafia)
Locke (innocent)
Lunesar
Onlera
PharaohsQueen (innocent)
sunstarr12
ZeroMoon17 (innocent)

Among them: 1 assassin (Shadow), 2 mafia (Kefka and one follower of the Cult of Kefka)

DAY

Feeble creatures, GO!!

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: fourth night

[NOTE: this is part eight in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time. To see the other posts in this series, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

In the Empire’s Magiteck Research Facility, the party runs into Cid, the scientist unwittingly responsible for the atrocities against the Espers…

CID (to all): Kefka has used me…used the Empire. What have I done…? The
life-energy of those Espers… You’ve helped me come to a decision.
I’m going to talk to the Emperor and have this stupid war stopped!

CID (to Celes): CELES… I’ve known you since you were a baby. I raised you as
if you were my own daughter! But you were forced to become a Magitek
Knight, and have done some awful things. I…I want to apologize for
the way your life has turned out.

Maniacal laugh in the background.

CID: No! It’s Kefka! GO!!

The party hurries to the mine tunnel, but Celes is too slow. Smitten with his budding love, Locke jumps in front of Kefka, slowing him down just enough for her to escape. However, Locke was not so fortunate.

Mafia kills Locke, an innocent.

The party boards the Blackjack and fights their way through the IAF (Imperial Air Force), narrowly escaping Vector, the Imperial capitol. However, just when they think they’re out free…

The western half of the southern continent lifts into the air!

Using Terra’s corpse, which they retrieved from Zozo, Kefka and Emperor Gestahl entice the Espers to break down the Sealed Gate. Sensing Terra’s presence, the Espers emerge from the hidden realm to save the fallen girl, but Kefka and Gestahl are lying in wait…

KEFKA: Yes, I feel some incredible magic power here, today!
Wave after wave of pure, magical energy…

Other Espers break out of the sealed gate.

Wait we’re here to help!

Hurry!

Get going!

KEFKA: I’d say you’re all charged up, boys and girls…or whatever…
Say, remind me to show you my Magicite collection someday! You might
see a few familiar faces!!! Now for a little Magicite hocus-pocus…!

KEFKA: Now, little Espers… Let’s see whatcha got!

Kefka kills two Espers.

KEFKA: Imagine! Thinking you could defeat ME!! This is rich! Mwa,
ha, ha! Now, my little Magicite pretties…… come, and help me
build the magical empire of “Kefka”!

Kefka walks over and picks up the Magicite shard.

KEFKA: G’haw, haw…… Ooh! They’re warm to the touch!

Seven other Espers line up to attack.

KEFKA: What treasures! This is ridiculous! I had no idea you were
such wimps! Time to put a stop to all this.

Kefka kills the seven Espers at the same time.

KEFKA: Phew… I think I have plenty of Magicite for the time
being… that is, until I make my way through your precious sealed
gate!!

Kefka is tickled by the reality.

KEFKA: I don’t believe this!

Kefka laughs maniacally.

Setzer hurriedly flies the party to the floating continent, but they arrive too late! Emperor Gestahl and Kefka have already arrived at the Statues–the petrified bodies of the three Gods whose fighting caused the War of the Magi, one thousand years ago.

GESTAHL: Ooh! I’ve got goosebumps! What power…

CELES: Emperor Gestahl! Please. stop this madness!

GESTAHL: … Come to me, my pretty! You and Kefka were given life to
server me!! It is your birthright to rule the world with me!!

KEFKA: Kill the others and we’ll overlook your treachery!

GESTAHL: CELES…together we can rule an entire world! Think of
it…!

CELES: Power only breeds war… I wish I’d never been…born.

CELES garrotes Kefka with the sword.

KEFKA: Ouch!!

KEFKA: B…blood!? You…vicious brat! Grrr… Aargh…

Kefka has a temper tantrum.

KEFKA: I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate
hate hate hate hate HATE YOU! Grrr…

KEFKA: Goddesses…you were born only to fight. I implore you…show
me your power!!

Kefka is thrown back.

KEFKA: I command you! Give me your power! Arrrgh! Curse!

Statues glow.

KEFKA: Listen to me, or you’ll regret it! Give me…POWER!

GESTAHL: Kefka, stop it! Revive those statues, and you’ll destroy the
very world we’re trying to possess!

KEFKA: Shuddap!

GESTAHL: Kefka! Are you nuts?!

KEFKA: Nuts…?! Emperor! Don’t disturb me! I’m showing them the
meaning of power!

GESTAHL: I don’t think so, friend. Your days are now over.
Now relax… …I’m simply going to put you to sleep with the
very power you unleashed……

Kefka starts laughing.

GESTAHL: What’s so funny?!

GESTAHL: Very well. It is only fitting that you go to sleep laughing!
Fire 3!!!

Nothing happens. Kefka continues to laugh

GESTAHL: Flare!!!

Kefka laughs harder.

GESTAHL: N… …noooo!! Why isn’t my magic working?!
Merton!!!

Nothing happens.

GESTAHL: K… …Kefka!!!!! H… …how…?! How are you
doing this?!

Kefka shoves Gestahl.

KEFKA: How? Simple! I’m standing within the field of the Statues!
Their strong field absorbs all magic sent their way! Or didn’t you
notice?!

GESTAHL: …………!!!

KEFKA: And now, Statues! You’ve shown me a sign! It is time you show
this old man your true power!

GESTAHL: No! KEFKA!!

KEFKA: Run! Run! Or you’ll be well done!

Lightning strikes Gestahl directly.

KEFKA: YES!!!!!

Kefka starts kicking Gestahl toward the edge.

KEFKA: Poor old…… Oh well, what a worthless excuse for an
Emperor!!

Kefka kicks Gestahl over the edge. Emperor Gestahl falls to his death.

CELES: Snap out of it, Kefka!

Kefka strikes CELES with magic, knocking her down a slope.
He begins to rearrange the statues.

CELES: Oh, that’s really smart, Kefka! Disturb their delicate
balance, and they’ll go haywire…!

KEFKA: Uwee hee hee!!

At this moment, Shadow appears. He starts to push
the statues back into their original alignment.

KEFKA: Nooo!

SHADOW (to the party): Go! There are people counting on you!

The statues’ balance is destroyed, throwing the party down. SHADOW
is still with the statues.

SHADOW: Don’t worry about me! Run!! I can’t stop this chain
reaction! I’ll see you again. Count on it!

KEFKA: You can’t escape me!!

Kefka sends a light over to the far right of the Floating Continent.

SHADOW…… Get outta here on the double!

As the floating continent begins to break apart, the party dashes back to the Blackjack. Not all of them make it, however. King Edgar falls to his death, and Celes is struck down by a stray shaft of lightning.

The assassin kills Barigirl and Fredward. Both are innocent.

Shadow struggles long and hard with Kefka, but to no avail. Inevitably, he is forced to retreat to the Blackjack with the others.

With none to stop him, Kefka usurps the godlike powers of the Statues and takes over the world!

On that day, the world was changed forever…

FF6 Werewolf Tribute: third day

[NOTE: this is part seven in a series of posts lifted from the quark message boards where I recently GM’d a game of Werewolf. The theme was Final Fantasy 6, one of my favorite RPGs of all time. To see the other posts, click here.

WARNING: there will be spoilers here, and lots of them, so if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 6, do yourself a favor and play the game before reading on!]

Unaware of Terra’s demise, the party arrives at Jidoor and begin to plan their strategy for infiltrating the Empire…

CELES: So…how we gonna get there? The Empire’s on the continent to
the south. No boats go there…

They make their way to Owzer’s house uptown–home to the Impresario.

IMPRESARIO: Maria!?

CELES: Are you talking to me?

IMPRESARIO: Sorry…my mistake. Wow, you could pass for Maria in a
heartbeat! Hoo boy, now I really am in trouble…

Impresario leaves.

LOCKE: CELES looks like Maria…?

A man is at the entrance of Owzer’s home.

MAN: You’re the spittin’ image of Maria! Huh? Haven’t you heard of
her? She’s a famous opera singer! That PERSON dropped it off. He’s
the directory of operas here. Everyone just calls him “Impresario.”
He’s been in a tizzy since that letter arrived.

(Letter) “My Dear Maria, I want you for my wife. I’m coming for you…
The Wandering Gambler”

LOCKE: Who’s this “Wandering Gambler”…?

MAN: You born on a farm, son?

cue music…

A black jack-playing, world-traveling casino-dwelling free spirit…

MAN: SETZER! The owner of the world’s fastest airship.

CELES: If we could get that airship, we’d make the Empire in no time.

LOCKE: Let’s set up a meeting…with SETZER…

The party meets with the Impresario. Together, they agree to have Celes and Maria switch places. When Setzer arrives in the middle of the opera to abduct her, she will let the others up into his airship, where they hope to convince him to join their cause.

The opera begins. All goes according to plan. In the tower scene before the climactic battle, Celes sings for her lost love, Draco.

[OOC]If you’ve never heard of or seen the Opera scene from Final Fantasy 6, seriously, click on the link. One of the greatest moments from any SNES game EVER.[/OOC]

Aria de Mezzo Caraterre.

NARRATOR: The forces of the West fell,
and Maria’s castle was taken.
Prince Ralse, of the East,
took her hand by force,
but she never stopped yearning for Draco…

CELES is standing on the set in costume, singing.

Oh my hero, so far away now.
Will I ever see your smile?
Love goes away, like night into day.
It’s just a fading dream.

I’m the darkness, you’re the stars.
Our love is brighter than the sun.
For eternity, for me there can be,
Only you, my chosen one…

Must I forget you? Our solemn promise?
Will autumn take the place of spring?
What shall I do? I’m lost without you.
Speak to me once more!

Draco appears and dances with Maria.

DRACO: Come, Maria. Follow my lead.

Draco then vanishes. Maria walks
up some stairs, holding a bouquet of flowers.

…We must part now, my life goes on.
But my heart won’t give you up.
Ere I walk away, let me hear you say
I meant as much to you….

So gently, you touched my heart.
I will be forever yours.
Come what may, I won’t age a day,
I’ll wait for you, always…

Celes throws the bouquet of flowers over the balcony.

The ploy works! Setzer arrives right on schedule, abducting Celes in the middle of the climactic battle between Ralse and Draco.

Aboard the airship, Celes lets down a rope, allowing the other members of the party to climb aboard. Together, they confront Setzer.

CELES: SETZER, we need your help. We have to go to Vector. We need
this ship to get there.

SETZER: Look, if you’re not Maria, I don’t want you aboard.

CELES: Wait! We were told your ship is the finest vessel in the
world.

LOCKE: And that you were the world’s most notorious gambler…

EDGAR: I’m King EDGAR of Figaro. If you cooperate, you’ll be well
rewarded.

SETZER: Phew… The Empire’s made me a rich man.

CELES: Stop thinking of yourself. Many towns and villages have been
smashed by the Empire.

LOCKE: The Empire’s also totally rotten! It’s using magic to enslave
the world.

EDGAR: The Empire and my realm were allies…until recently.

CELES: We all hate the Empire for the same reasons. That’s why…

SETZER: You know, you’re even more stunning than Maria.

CELES: ????

SETZER: Enough! If you… If Celes becomes my wife, I’ll help.
Otherwise…

LOCKE: WHAT! Are you stupid!?

CELES: We haven’t any choice.

SETZER: Yes! It’s settled!

CELES: But I have conditions…

CELES gets a coin from Edgar.

CELES: We’ll decide with a coin toss. If it’s heads, you’ll help us.
If it’s tails, I’ll go with you. Well, Mr. Gambler…?

SETZER: Oho! Fine! I accept!

LOCKER: Listen to yourself! CELES…you can’t become his wife! You
just can’t!

CELES: Ready?

CELES tosses the coin.

CELES: I win! Now, honor your part of the bargain!

SETZER: How…unusual! A codin with identical sides…!

SABIN: That coin…!? EDGAR!!! Don’t tell me…!

CELES: I think you’ve been hustled, Mr. Gambler.

SETZER: Ha! How low can you get?! I love it! Alright, I’ll help
you. Nothing to lose but my life… My life is a chip in your pile!
Ante up!

Together with their new ally, the party flies to the southern continent, where they sneak into Vector and infiltrate the Empire’s dreaded Magiteck Research Facility!

As they break in, however, an unlucky guard happened to run into them in the hallway. He was no match for a samurai warrior; Cyan made quick work of him.

Innocents lynch Jerle, a mafioso.

NIGHT

Meanwhile, deep in the Magiteck Research Facility…

KEFKA: I’m all-powerful! Hee, hee, haw! I’m collecting Espers! I’m
extracting magic! And…and…I’ll restore the statues!

Kefka laughs maniacally.