The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG

The needle on the Plot Cycle was nearly to The End. I thought about crawling toward Isaac, but then I thought better of it. His Dead indicator was blinking longer and longer. He was unconscious. The only thing that approaching him might do was wake him up. That would only cause him to suffer.

I sat and contemplated how he was even still alive. His Grit was nothing to write home about. He must have triggered his If he’s still cracking jokes trope constantly throughout the run. His injuries were minor but numerous. I just hoped he wouldn’t be too affected.

It took twenty minutes for the story to end. I was sure glad about it because it meant my hoodie had returned. The pain was one thing. The cold, wet ground was another.

I stood and cracked my back. That made me feel better.

Isaac was still asleep at the top of the stone steps when I climbed up to him.

He was fully healed.

I nudged his shoulder. He came to with a cough.

“I’m up,” he said.

As soon as he realized what was going on, he reached for his face to make sure it was back to normal. It was. His face and his shaggy hair both back the way they were before his ordeal.

“Thank god,” I said. “I was worried about that.”

He chuckled.

“It was actually one of the things I kept thinking about while I was zonked out. I only have one shirt with me. I need to go back to the hotel to change.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that sedative really had a way of rearranging your priorities.”

I helped him to his feet.

The switch to open up the secret path into the hospital was hard to find at first, but I must have found it because the door creaked open.

“Not so bad, eh?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not bad at all,” he responded. He was lying. He got quiet for a moment as we walked out of Halle’s office and then asked me, “Did I die?”

“No,” I said. Even if he had, I might not have told him. Save that existential crisis for after the tutorial.

We kept walking. I wasn’t sure which direction the others had fled in, but soon enough, we found Dina’s messages on the red wallpaper, which were still there.

We talked, theorizing about why we didn’t start to “turn into monsters” as a result of being experimented on. I theorized that was for a different version of the story.

“That was the thing I was most afraid of,” he said. “If I hurt Cassie.”

“Well, you didn’t,” I said as we made our way through the carnage.

There were body parts everywhere. There were more than made sense.

“You think they knew what would happen to them?” Isaac asked about the NPCs.

“Some did. Others didn’t,” I said.

Howard Halle had given me an important piece of information in our conversation. He said that NPCs only remember what makes them better at their roles. Did these poor people improve at being victims by remembering what would happen?

Could they even remember what would happen?

Willis talked about them like their situation was something he had never seen before—a generation of NPCs born during the continuity loop of the Tutorial. It was like he thought they were different. He questioned how they would fit into the storylines.

NPCs usually respawned at the same rate as a storyline’s Omen did.

But these NPCs didn’t really have normal storylines. They were part of a Throughline story, and those didn’t stick around once they were completed. The Tutorial would become a husk of what we experienced. Once we pushed the Throughline forward, would they still have an Omen to regenerate for?

I pushed those thoughts away. I was likely going to find out soon. I couldn’t say for sure what the Throughline would entail, but I was developing theories.

The path of messages from Dina led us back to the town square. It was still a mess.

“There goes that,” I said.

“What?” Isaac asked.

I pointed to the time capsule. The mayor, a level 50 version of him, was having it loaded into a wooden crate and hauled away with a forklift.

Back to square one on that thing.

I suspected that if I talked to someone, I would find out it was still the day before the Centennial, and it would be for quite some time.

“Let’s wait here,” I said.

Isaac nodded.

~-~

It took a while for the others to return. When they did, Willis was not with them. He wasn’t going to stick around for Silas, much like the Stranger hadn’t. That was annoying. I still had questions for him.

Cassie hugged Isaac tightly. She even hugged me, as did Kimberly. It was a big, happy reunion.

“I didn’t have frogs on my bingo card,” Antoine said.

“I did,” Isaac said.

They continued talking and even laughing. I was waiting for our last arrival. Before long, he was there.

“Step right up,” Silas the Showman said, “You won a ticket!”

This time, I was the first to hit the red button on his box.

I got two stat tickets. That was really good, considering how high my level was. I received one trope.

A Method to the Madness

Type: Insight

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: Filmmaker

Stat Used: Moxie

Method actors can be a significant strain on the patience of a director, producer, or any other member of a film crew. Trying to give such an actor pointers would be maddening. Could you imagine if the bad guy still acted evil when the camera was off?

When Off-Screen with an enemy, the player will be able to continue talking to the enemy, but they will respond in character in similar ways to how they might On-Screen. Any information obtained must be reestablished On-Screen. The player will see a timer for when they are back On-Screen.

The enemy will not change their Off-Screen directions, so don’t expect an easy conversation.

There’s no such thing as a stupid question. Unless, of course, you’re asking it to a werewolf.

I also got two enemy collectibles. I was surprised to get any. Technically, I did trick a frog into jumping into a stream, but that hardly felt enough to score a kill. It wasn’t until I looked at them that I realized there was something off about them.

Lillian Geist (1995)

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Bartholomew Geist's Granddaughter

Once the radiant star of gilded nights, Lillian Geist danced atop the precipice of her family's shadowed legacy, a beacon of grace untouched by the murky depths of ambition. Yet, as time etched its truths upon her, she descended, entwining her fate with the very darkness she once soared above. Engulfed by flames of retribution and subjected to the whims of a deranged intellect, she emerged not as a phoenix but as a specter of vengeance, her beauty marred by the scars of her lineage and her own transgressions. Now, Lillian haunts the boundary between the past she rebelled against and the future she unwittingly crafted, a twisted monument to the notion that one can never truly escape the sins of their blood.

That told me that solving her mystery was enough to get the collectible. There was something special about the Geists.

The next one had me scratching my head, too. I definitely didn’t kill Dr. Halle.

Dr. Howard Halle

Mad Scientist

Dr. Howard Halle, once heralded as the savior of Carousel's afflicted, conceals beneath his laurels a truth as disfigured as his creations. Esteemed for his miraculous healings, his real magnum opus brewed in the shadows— the Ichor, a reagent of promised revival. Driven by a zealot's faith in his discovery, he ensnared the vulnerable in his grotesque ballet of science, merging flesh with beast in a twisted pursuit of salvation. Each failure, rather than a caution, fueled his obsession, blurring the lines between benefactor and tormentor. As his experiments spiral into aberrations, Dr. Halle's quest teeters on the brink of madness. With every desperate attempt to perfect his Ichor, one must wonder at the cost of his ambition—how many more will suffer before he either achieves his dream or is consumed by it?

Kimberly was up next, and while she didn’t get a trope, she did get two stat tickets and a license. Pretty much everyone but Willis and I were under-leveled. It made sense they would get some stats from this storyline.

License

License Number: [E-2455b-0014]

Issued to: [Kimberly Madison]

ABILITY GRANTED: The holder of this license is granted the ability to invoke specific powers or wield certain objects from a horror movie realm without the need of a trope. This license authorizes the use of ["Halle’s Sedative"] from the movie [A Doctor Calls].

Usage Permitted in: The Throughline [ ], All Storylines [X].

USAGE TERMS:

1. Lore Constraints: The holder may use the selected ability within the lore constraints without the need to activate the associated storyline.
2. Protection: The player is shielded from inadvertently triggering the original storyline.
3. Rule Compliance: The rules of use, as described in the movie's storyline, must be strictly adhered to in addition to any listed conditions.
4. Consequence Awareness: The user is not immune to the consequences stemming from improper or natural use of the ability. This License does not prevent unrelated storylines from being triggered.
5. Rescue Clause: Death as a result of using this ability subjects the player to rescue from the respective current movie's storyline.

CONDITIONS FOR USE:

1. Requisition: The object must be acquired by the player and brought into the storyline.

2. Natural Use: The object can only be used in the way the player’s character would be able to use it.

3. Logical Location: Unless the player has applicable trope allowing them to bring the object into a storyline, the object will be found in a logical location.

4. Shared Use: Allies are able to use this object if narratively consistent.

NOTES:

MISUSE AND REVOCATION: Improper use of this license or the granted ability or object may result in immediate revocation and additional penalties as per the governing laws.

Halle’s sedative was powerful and would be very useful in storylines where it could be brought in. After reviewing our tickets, we returned to Halle’s office to pick up some extra. There was only one vial. We would have to make it count in case it wasn’t replenished.

Antoine got two stat tickets too. He also got a trope and an enemy collectible.

Better Make It Count

Type: Rule

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Moxie

In movies, having one bullet left places a great amount of weight on that final shot. Luckily, the audience loves watching that last bullet hit its mark.

When equipped, the player’s last round, arrow, grenade, etc, will be more accurate and effective than any that came before it. Ensuring the audience is aware you are almost out of ammo boosts this trope’s power considerably if done well.

Most bullets are just background noise.

Skin Frog - Mutant Creature

Amid the shadowy corridors of innovation, the Skin Frog exists—a chilling emblem of ambition morphed into a nightmare. Conceived to be architects of healing, these mutants, with their unsettlingly human skin, were once symbols of hope. Yet, from the depths of their creation, a sinister reality emerged. Enraged by their twisted existence, these behemoths of flesh embody the peril of playing god. As they rampage, they leave a legacy not of life but of lament.

Cassie did a great job as a Psychic. She got three stat tickets and two tropes.

Empathic Shield

Type: Buff

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Moxie

The fastest way to make the audience care about a character is to show them another character caring about them.

When the player shows sadness, worry, or grief about an injured, captured, or otherwise imperiled ally, the ally’s Grit will be buffed.

“Now she's gonna cry, then I'm gonna cry. We’re all gonna cry!”

At Your Own Peril

Type: Debuff

Archetype: Psychic

Aspect: Occultist

Stat Used: Moxie

Who can deny the signs? A character’s disbelief in magic or fate does not protect them from its wrath.

With this trope equipped, the player can warn other characters of danger and they will have their Grit and effective Plot Armor debuffed if they ignore the warning. It works with psychic visions but is much more effective with props such as tarot cards, bad omens like inverted crosses, and other visible signs of an ill fate.

You may not believe in fate, but fate believes in you.

Isaac certainly played an important role in adding to the drama and a few laughs. It would be a while until we were better working with humor. That was a big ask. He got three stat tickets, and he paid for them in blood.

Let me get this straight…

Type: Action

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Savvy

When a group of survivors barrels forward without self-reflection, they can seem reckless. Having someone there to summarize the stakes can make the team look more confident and competent.

With this trope equipped, the player can summarize everything they and their allies are up against, as well as their plans to stop it On-Screen, increasing the odds of success by making sure the audience is up to speed and the task at hand has been properly thought out. Effectively buffs the Savvy of the planner or leader.

So, I did understand. You’re all nuts.

Trash Talk

Type: Debuff

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Moxie

At the end of the day, the effectiveness of a scary monster is determined by… whether the audience is scared. Making fun of it can make it less scary.

By making fun of the enemy On-Screen, the enemy’s Mettle is debuffed. Remember, it is the audience that the player must appeal to, not the feelings of the enemy.

The guy’s got butterknives on his fingers. Come on!

Bobby didn’t get a trope. He got something he wanted even more: a very special license. He also got two stat tickets.

License

License Number: [E-2455b-0001]

Issued to: [Bobby Gill]

ABILITY GRANTED: The holder of this license is granted the ability to invoke specific powers or wield certain objects from a horror movie realm without the need of a trope. This license authorizes the use of ["The Coles’ Dogs"] from the movie [Permanent Vacancy].

Usage Permitted in: The Throughline [ ], All Storylines [X].

USAGE TERMS:

1. Lore Constraints: The holder may use the selected ability within the lore constraints without the need to activate the associated storyline.
2. Protection: The player is shielded from inadvertently triggering the original storyline.
3. Rule Compliance: The rules of use, as described in the movie's storyline, must be strictly adhered to in addition to any listed conditions.
4. Consequence Awareness: The user is not immune to the consequences stemming from improper or natural use of the ability. This License does not prevent unrelated storylines from being triggered.
5. Rescue Clause: Death as a result of using this ability subjects the player to rescue from the respective current movie's storyline.

CONDITIONS FOR USE:

1. Requisition: The object must be acquired by the player and brought into the storyline.

2. Natural Use: The object can only be used in the way the player’s character would be able to use it.

NOTES:

1. Treat these animals well. The audience may not care if you are mutilated, but they will be very upset if these dogs suffer.

a. Their pain will be yours.

2. Do not seek her.

MISUSE AND REVOCATION: Improper use of this license or the granted ability or object may result in immediate revocation and additional penalties as per the governing laws.

It looked like we had a trip to the B&B soon.

Dina was very helpful in this story with her messages on the red wallpaper, but her presence in the stories tapered off, so she only got one stat ticket and a trope.

Savvy Safecracker

Type: Insight/Buff

Archetype: Outsider

Aspect: Criminal

Stat Used: Savvy

A truly experienced thief can tell the difficulty of opening a specific lock at a glance.

With this trope equipped, the player will be able to tell whether a lock can be picked and, if so, how long it will take by looking at the red wallpaper. The player’s Hustle will be buffed while attempting to pick it.

I said it would be tough. I didn’t say I couldn’t do it.

Having received our tickets, Silas disappeared. No cryptic messages, no pregnant pauses. It felt a little rude after all we had been through.

We made our way back to our hotel room. I wanted a break. At that moment, I just wanted chicken wings and sleep. I didn’t care if the Centennial ever came.

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