songerein | { Saving Oz }

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{ Saving Oz }

SAVING OZ

After a month of increasingly windy weather, it all comes to a head when a giant book appears right above the town of Reverein. It opens its pages facing the town and a large tornado emerges, descending down to cover the entire town. Miraculously, no buildings are destroyed, but the entire population is sucked up into the air and into the pages of the book. It's a wild, twisting ride until everyone crash lands into a strange city all in emerald green. The tapirs make their usual rare appearance and look around before gasping, "Oh! It's the Emerald City from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! Looks like a mess though… And so do you!"

As pointed out, everyone will find themselves dressed or transformed into some semblance of one of the five main characters: Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman (Tinman), and the Cowardly Lion. They could be wearing authentic costumes, have an almost complete appearance change, partial transformation, and anywhere in-between. While they are mostly stuck in whichever "role" they've been initially cast in, they can temporarily change if a different role would work better. They gain additional abilities fitting of the character, such as the Scarecrow unable to bleed as they are now made of straw, the Tinman always wearing or made of some kind of metallic armor, the Lion have wind blasting roars and the strength of a real lion, Toto able to become a real dog, and Dorothy has their charisma stat shot up through the roof. Everyone will be able to use their dreamotion and original abilities as well, so they can be even more creative. While there are no complete personality changes, some may feel some "adjustments" to fit their role at times. Some roles will be more effective for certain tasks and objectives, and they will receive additional buff bonuses to help clear it.

With the help of local citizens who have formed their own rebel force, everyone must now help push back the nightmare force that has taken over this story and lure out the mysterious new "Wizard" that is the source of all this chaos. If they can fill a giant emerald with positive dreams and launch it at the "Wizard," then it'll be a mission success.

For any questions, refer to the Game Notes and comment there.

I. HELPING THE CITY

Emerald City is a mess, but not lost. The rebel force has a base set up to help direct everyone and serves as the main camp for aid and rest. There's plenty to do, and now that they have "Dorothy and her friends" again, they may be able to win back their proud city. Oh, if only they could find the Princess Ozma...

A. Porcelain Rubble. Aside from the usual physical destruction, large portions of the city have turned into porcelain and broken apart. A special glue is available and becomes more potent with dreamotion infused into it, and as soon as pieces are glued back together the structure will return to its original form. However, there is a risk of someone turning into porcelain the longer they remain in the area and will need to be glued back together if broken (fortunately no one can die, just lie helplessly in pieces). Perhaps those who are cast as Toto can help sniff out trapped individuals, while the Scarecrow's straw would make for excellent padding for those broken pieces.

B. Statued. Many citizens have been turned into statues, scattered all over the city and outside the walls. They need to be moved to safety first before a cure can be used as it takes time to fully work. Special sleighs fashioned after the Gump are available to help carry any statued citizen to safety; just be careful when driving it as they are very unpredictable. Once in a safe spot, a few drops of the potion will start the curing process. The many witches that cursed everyone to begin with are still out and about, ready to turn anyone unaware into statues. Strangely, the spell bounces off metal, so those cast as the Tinman will be great in offering support and could even try and reflect the spell back onto the witches to turn them to statues instead.

C. Into the Poppy Field. The dangerous poppy field known for its ability to lull any who are flesh and blood to sleep until their dying days has been inching closer towards the city, perhaps drawn by the nightmare energy flowing out from it. To make matters worse, they now can move their roots and leaves to try and ensnare people. A special plant killer diffuser has been developed, but it requires anyone cast as Dorothy, the Lion, or Toto to take the diffuser and run into the field as deep as they can before they succumb to the pollen, which will activate the diffuser. Either the Tinman or the Scarecrow must then make their way through to fetch them. Those who volunteered to run in can use their ability to dreamwalk and appear as a little wisp to help guide their would be rescuer to their slumbering body, even give them some help with the snares. (Mod: for threading purposes, characters can either partner up as the sleeper and rescuer, or both can be rescuing an NPC that served as the role of sleeper instead).

D. First Aid. For any who prefer to stay out of combat and help the wounded and scared, the base camp is stocked with medical supplies, food, and other necessities to help weather out the attack. They do need to be resupplied, however, so those more daring to venture either into the city or outside the walls to get items should take someone capable of defending just in case. Some places include an orchard of lunch pail trees that grow fully stocked lunch pails filled with various foods. Lions will be great at climbing them while Scarecrows can shoo away annoying crows. Another is gathering wood in a cursed forest where the trees have become Fighting Trees. The Tinman's ax is lethal against them and will chop through them easily.

E. Yellow Brick Road. The famous golden yellow brick road has been broken apart and needs to be repaired so additional support from neighboring areas can come in. Because it's a magical road, it needs to be fixed in a magical way—which is reliving the whimsical, iconic, song and dance of Dorothy and her friends. The Munchkins have created special silver shoes that anyone of the cast can wear and it has the magic to inform the wearer how the musical rendition goes. It will also "help" their movements to skip and dance along the broken spaces. Should they be successful, the broken and missing bricks will be repaired and the road will start to shine. So partner up, link arms, and belt out those vocal chords because they're off to see the Wizard!

II. FIGHTING FOES

There are numerous enemies attacking the city, but while some are original to the story, many are abnormal creations or noctasers, the unholy union of noctaere and the Story Eater's minions, Erasers. Of course the Story Eater would have a hand in this! But with the advantages gained by the roles, they can be defeated.

A. Wheeling Monkeys. The Wheelers and the Winged Monkeys have been ensorceled and are creating havoc within the city. However, instead of violence their actions are more…goofy. They're throwing rotten eggs, colored water balloons, creamed pies, and other strange pranks to hinder everyone's movements. They're relatively easy to capture and even prank back. The more aggressive ones, however, are actually noctasers and will need to be destroyed via dreamotion. Those cast as Dorothy will be able to distinguish those who are original to the book and the disguised noctasers as well as inflict extra damage to weaken the noctasers. Everyone in the cast is strong against noctasers.

» BONUS: THE GOLDEN CAP. The Winged Monkeys were once free but after the Golden Cap was ripped apart to steal its magic and now many are once again enslaved. Dorothy can convince the originals to join their side, if they have some Golden Cap fragments that appear when a noctaser is defeated. The more noctasers defeated, the more fragments collected and the more Wheelers and Winged Monkeys will join their side!

B. Meeeelllttiiiinng! Those witches are causing the most problems, and they are abnormal creations that need to go. Because they were fashioned after the Wicked Witch, they are weak to water, especially dreamotion infused water. The trick is actually getting to them as they are often found flying high above. There are numerous small hot air balloons that can be used to fly up and to either hose the witches or dump giant buckets of water, both tools already attached to the balloon basket. Just be careful because it just takes one giant tear to pop the balloon and send everyone into a crazy spinning crash to the ground. Having a Tinman to help deflect spells off their armor will be a great help.

III. SWEET DREAMS

The Projector of Dreams has been set up and several beds with the magical headsets are available to those who wish to volunteer and produce positive dreams that will be used against the Wizard. These dreams will be funneled into a giant emerald that will be launched from a cannon at the Wizard once lured out.

A. Positive Dreams. To help the Projector, positive dreams are needed. These dreams will briefly be projected onto the emerald so those nearby monitoring things may catch a glimpse of the dream. Perhaps those who are dreaming will have theirs be more interactive to try and get others in and create a stronger positive experience.

B. Luring out the Wizard. The Wizard is holed up in the Throne Room of the castle and needs to be lured out before the dream infused emerald can be hurtled into it. The methods to do so might seem a bit unorthodox, but it will work and may give a hint on who the "Wizard" really is. Everyone is told to play various children's games within the Emerald City's castle. Tea parties, hide and seek, tag, games—whatever they can think of. As they play, a strange shadow that looks like a young princess will emerge to either watch or join in. Players can either incorporate the shadow playing or just focus on their characters, but the shadow will always be happy and laughing. The goal is to produce happy, positive fun feelings, so there are no dangers. Unless someone wants to throw in a noctaser or something to spice things up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

W-what?

[Ace is linking arms with the girl and smiles apologetically at her, before starting to sing and skip. He doesn't really know what's going on, but the road seems... Less scary?]

I don't know.....?

[She isn't sure either. On what to make of this. It's kind of weird, the instinctive singing and such. She isn't sure if this is a dream or something. But somehow, strangely, their singing and dancing and advancing down the brick road seems to be helping? Repairing it? Sakura is at least reassured by that, if still confused.]

[Ace is tired of singing, but the road is doing well. When will it end?! He looks at Sakura, to make sure that she's doing well, before looking at the road again. Can't they pause? There's like no breaks in the song!]

[Sakura is influenced as he is to keep going down the road. To keep singing and dancing and repairing it that way. She isn't sure how to make it stop. At least, unless or until the road is fixed? She can't know if even that might work. She can tell he is glancing to her and she glances back, unsure how Flight might make any difference. Let alone the potential abilities of the others that they can probably really do much against this with their arms linked like this.

What do they do???? Her expression is just as clueless as his own.]

[Ace suddenly stops. There's something odd about the whole thing, but why is he stopped? He looks around, behind them the road is fixed, but in front it seems like there's still some time to go.]

What happened?

I'm not.....sure.....?

[She really isn't. But she isn't sure they should necessarily question it either. Between the magic and the dreams with this place. It's probably better to just roll with it. So she figures, anyway. Sakura gives a shrug, following his gaze to their surroundings, the particularly bright road they had been following.]

But I guess we keep following the road?

Then the road we follow!

[Ace looks at their linked arms.]

Should we let go?

Ah......y-yes. I think we can?

[She hopes? Assumes? She glances to their arms as well, shifting. To try and figure if she can move it to unlink their arms. But she tries to be careful just in case for some reason they cannot part yet. She doesn't want to trip or hurt him or anything.]

[Ace moves his arm away from Sakura's, and the world doesn't fall apart. Good start. Smiling he looks ahead.]

Wonder if we need to keeps singing... I actually can't Remember the song.

It was....um. 'Follow the yellow brick road'? Something like that. And about going to see a wizard?

[It had been so instinctive. But she tries to recall what she remembers of the lyrics at least? Humming, softly singing at least the chorus she recalls some of. Sakura isn't sure she is much better in that but even so at the least she is relieved they seem to have some control over themselves again now.]

Should we find this wizard the song speaks of then?

[He's at least glad they're not singing anymore.]

I guess that's what we're supposed to do. If we just keep following the road? I'm not sure where they are exactly, but. If we keep going, we might find out or at least someone to ask.

[So she figures they should be fine. As long as they keep going. As long as they eventually figure finding the wizard. Then they could figure it out from there. Probably. Hopefully. For all that Sakura isn't bad at singing, she is self conscious on it knowing Tomoyo is much better in comparison. Even if the other is not here.]

I hope we do, this place is weird.

[Ace sucks at singing, but when he does it for fun it's ok! He just doesn't want to sing when he is not the mood for it.]

It kind of is. I'm not sure what to make of it exactly.

[But that is just why they have to be cautious. Careful. Just in case. It is a little odd. She is willing to try and join up, figure it out together though. So she sticks close to him, wanting to stay together. To help figure this out. Even if she herself just has Flight on her, if that even works with the dreams.]

Same here. I don't think my fire would help in any way.

[He's walking slowly, making sure that nothing comes out of nowhere to surprise them, thinking of what to do.]

I'm sure if I tried to fly that seems like a bad idea, with the weather earlier and all. And I wouldn't want to set the witch or wizard on fire.

[But. Well, between the two of them, as she walks with him and considers the situation, both of their abilities at this point, she is sure they could figure it. Together. And with everyone else that is here too. Between all of them. They'd figure it and sort things. She is ever the optimist after all.]

I'm sure though, with the both of us, and anyone else here, we'll figure it.

We can do it!

[Ace pumps his fists into the air, laughing. Might as well keep up the spirits.]

We'll do it!

I'm sure we will! Together!

[She is nothing if not the optimist. The one that always believes that somehow, no matter what, things will work out. In the end. Not because she isn't aware that things can be hard, but that she really just wants it all to work out in spite of that. Even with this Oz nonsense.]

[Ace has fake optimism but hey, it works! The path isn't exactly clear, but it's not crumbling anymore!]

[Sakura's optimism is genuine and can be enough for the both of them. She figures. Hopes. As she walks with him, continuing down the road, as best they could manage in fixing it, in following where it leads. She follows along with him, unsure what to make of all this with the roles and dreams of this place. It's strange. Even odder than her own dreams that figures her seeing the future, things that haven't happened yet.]

It's just a dream or something. It'll be okay.

[Ace smiles, nodding.]

you're right! We should keep going and see what happens then!

Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll figure it. This Wizard person. And maybe others might come, might help out. As we make our way to this wizard, to Oz.

[So they should probably keep checking. Keep an eye out for any of their other friends. For this wizard person. She glances around almost expectantly as they keep following the bright brick road. She wants this to work out. Dream or no. Whatever this is. If she can help somehow. Obviously they need to get back.]

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{ Saving Oz }

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