The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG

As I awoke, I expected to hear Silas greeting me, but he didn't show up quite yet.

I reached up and felt that my Gray Amber mask was on. The tuxedo I had been wearing looked like new.

I got up off the couch and started wandering the halls of the sorcerers' mansion. I found my way back to the ballroom where my teammates were standing about, eating hors d'oeuvres.

That seemed particularly troubling, seeing as we needed to get out of that place before the sorcerers started attacking us. I didn't know how long it would take for the place to get dangerous again, but I knew that it would happen eventually.

I could barely contain my surprise when I saw that Grace was still having a conversation with a now-recovered Cristobal.

As I walked closer to them, their attention turned toward me.

“Mr. Gray Amber,” Cristobal cried out. “You missed all of the excitement.”

He was cheerful.

I looked over to Grace in hopes that she might explain.

“Cristobal has offered to allow us to stay at the mansion for a few days because our flights got canceled due to the storm. Isn't he kind?”

“The kindest,” I said.

"I take care of my friends," Cristobal said. "You are all my friends. You may stay at the Mansion while the other members and I take our leave. I do not know if I will ever come back to this place."

As a newbie, I had been engrained with a very strict "no fraternization with horrific killers" rule. Apparently, Grace had been taught a slightly altered version where we could housesit for them to weather a storm.

Cristobal was conversing with Grace about his experience as a mind slave to Mr. Midnight.

“There could be no better punishment for my sins,” Cristobal said. “To be a slave in my own skin, unable to make amends, unable to forget. But fate is cruel. We are rarely punished alone...” He looked over at the crowds of NPCs who suddenly looked very gaunt and tired.

After a little more talking, Cristobal wandered off with one of his many admirers.

“Is someone going to explain this?” I asked.

“We cleared the storyline,” Chris said. “You know, they didn't always have lodges to go back to. Normally, you clear a storyline so that you have a place to stay.”

I was going to ask for a better explanation, but then I remembered…

The guest rooms in the Astralist’s Castle. The extra dorm rooms at Delta Epsilon Delta. The abandoned church from The Grotesque. Even the underground lab from The Subject of Inquiry.

Dyer's Lodge wasn't the only convenient place to spend the night. They were all over. That was supposed to be part of the reward for clearing a storyline.

The modern set of players really had gotten lazy, hadn't they?

Soon, all of the NPCs had cleared out of the ballroom.

Silas the Showman arrived shortly after.

I barely noticed. I was lost in thought about Anna and Camden.

Chris and Grace got their rewards first. Grace got a level and a trope, as well as some money. Chris just got the money.

Antoine, Kimberly, and I each got two stat tickets from our ordeal.

Antoine received two trope tickets.

Knight in Shining Armor

Type: Buff

Archetype: Any

Aspect: ---

Stat Used: Moxie

Horror Movies have little in common with the Chivalric Romances of old. One thing they do have in common is for the damsel to have a valiant defender.

When equipped, the Player’s Mettle and Grit will be buffed when defending their romantic interest. The extent of the buff will be based on how convincing their love is on-screen (Moxie).

You may try to die for her, but really, you’ll just die before her.

This would really work well with Kimberly’s Looks Don't Last strategy.

Everyone Loves a Winner

Type: Rule

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Stud

Stat Used: Moxie

Whether you are Prince Charming or an unrepentant jackass, as an athlete, everyone is your friend when you are winning.

NPCs will be aware of a recent fictitious victory of some kind that the Player’s character has achieved. This news will win the Player allies from those who admire them. This will give the player narrative footing to use these friends for their connections and information.

Beware: When the mood shifts, so too will your influence.

In movies, as in life, most people are just fair-weather fans.

This trope relied on Antoine taking advantage of the narrative leverage the trope afforded. I could see it being useful if he did.

Kimberly was awarded two tropes.

Breaking the Veil of Silence

Type: Insight

Archetype: Female Major Archetype

Aspect: ---

Stat Used: Moxie

Horrors don’t always lie hidden. Sometimes they are an open secret. When someone who knows of the danger sees a potential victim, they are sometimes brave enough to lift the veil of silence and offer a brief warning.

In Story:

The player is likely to receive warnings about dangers from NPCs who know they are at risk. The warnings will be more explicit if the player is the next target on the enemy’s priority list.

Out of Story:

The player will receive warnings from local NPCs of Omens where women are a primary target. They will also hint at what types of special rewards are available for the storyline, including Hunting Tags, Pawn Tickets, Licenses, Vouchers, Travel Tickets, Private Showings, Rescue Tickets, Bounties, Attestations of Authenticity, Carousel Tarot Cards, Writs, and More.

“Everyone knew something was going on. No one said anything!”

This one sounded extraordinarily useful. I didn’t even know what some of the special rewards were. I had never even heard of them.

When in Rome

Type: Buff

Archetype: Any

Aspect: ---

Stat Used: Moxie

The Party Phase is not meant to be a somber event filled with fact-finding and rigorous exploration. That can bore an audience to tears. In horror flicks, the fun before the killing starts is an essential ingredient.

When this trope is equipped, the player’s Grit will be buffed until after First Blood if their portrayal matches the tone of the movie.

Only the Hysteric is supposed to act like they’re about to die.

My best guess was that Kimberly had spent the party afraid of her first death and it had affected her performance. As ghoulish as it may sound, her getting her first death in might actually help her get over her hangup.

Well, as much as a person could get over their fear of death.

I also received two tropes.

Dead Man Walking

Type: Buff

Archetype: Any

Aspect: ---

Stat Used: ---

How many movies have a scene where the heroes stumble upon the destruction of the killer’s rampage and find one dying survivor whose final words are exposition used to prepare the main characters for what is to come?

With this trope equipped, the player gains a huge buff in Grit upon receiving a fatal wound, condition or otherwise having their death guaranteed. The buff will allow them to have a prolonged survival so that they might warn those to come. This will not prevent their death, but it will put it off for a scene or two.

Famous last words require an audience.

That really worked well with my strategy of encountering the bad guy and then informing the team about them. It also sounded like it was going to hurt. In many ways, low Grit was a blessing because it prevented a long drawn-out death (not that I had gotten to benefit from that much so far). I would have to think about this trope.

Coming To A Theater Near You

Type: Insight

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: ---

Stat Used: Savvy

Did you know that movie trailers used to come after the movie? In Carousel, they still do!

After completing a storyline, the player will be able to see movie trailers of other recent or ongoing films from around all of Carousel.

If the player is on Deathwatch when their movie ends, they will be able to use applicable Deathwatch tropes in the scenes in the trailers.

So, what are you going to watch next?

That was a powerful insight trope. It might be difficult to use in any practical way, but I could see how important it could be as a scouting trope.

As I read through my tropes, I dreaded the coming conversations. The real conversations about Anna and Camden. About the future.

Luckily, I had a very good excuse to avoid those conversations. I could watch the trailers for the other storylines. They might clue me into how the others were doing, assuming the trailers gave me any useful information.

I equipped the Coming To A Theater Near You trope and looked at the red wallpaper to watch the trailers. Like Director’s Monitor, it allowed me to passively watch in my mind's eye. Unlike that trope, though, I had no idea what to expect.

The first trailer started to play.

~~~~

Trailer #1

Dark somber music filled my ears as the screen showed a large auditorium that I recognized as being part of the University of Carousel.

A narrator's voice boomed. “You thought the past was buried...”

A montage of black and white clips of people laughing and dancing during a party.

“The bone-chilling sequel to Ten-Year Reunion.”

A quick flash of a woman screaming.

A woman said in a panicked voice, "I told you he would be back; he will never let us forget what happened."

Next, I saw interspersed shots of people with scared expressions on their faces. I recognized some of them. They were players. I didn't know their names without having the red wallpaper available to read them, but I had seen them around camp.

The narrator continued, "He's back, and this time his vengeance is sharper."

I saw a shadowy figure in a rain slicker. His face was hidden. The glint of a sharpened crowbar in one hand and a tire iron in the other flashed in the moonlight. I saw more close-ups of frightened faces of people I recognized, intercut with scenes of them running through darkened streets. I could hear the sound of their heartbeats.

Back to a party scene filled with decorations, laughter, and dancing.

The narrator said, "Some secrets can never die."

As the dancing continued, the camera panned to the windows. The shadowy figure could be seen approaching the auditorium while carrying his weapons.

Suddenly, the music shifted. Something more twisted and ethereal started to play with a hint of sleigh bells of all things.

The mysterious figure stood across the courtyard from the players. Dark snowflakes began to fall from the sky – the black snow. All of the characters, the players included, were confused by that, and they looked up at the cloud above in awe. As a snowflake landed on what I assumed was an NPC's skin, the camera cut to her eye as her blood vessels turned dark. Her eyes grew black quickly.

The killer, upon seeing the snow, displayed uncharacteristic fear. He quickly gathered his weapons in one hand and turned to rush for shelter in a nearby building. The area's snowfall continued to cover everything as the whole world became pillows of black.

“Some secrets... are colder than death.”

The music got louder, and then a title appeared on the screen.

Eleven-Year Reunion: The Black Snow

“Coming soon.”

~~~~

The Black Snow apocalypse had taken over that storyline, turning it into some sort of disjointed sequel or reboot. I had no idea what fate awaited the players who had been caught in it.

Before I had time to process what I had just seen, the next trailer started to play.

~~~~

Trailer #2

The music shifted to a serene melody as images of lakes, rivers, and beaches appeared on the screen. Families laughed, kids played in the water, and couples lounged on the shore.

“Water, the essence of life...”

The scene shifted to a secluded pond nestled within the forest. The tranquility of the pond was accentuated by small waterfalls trickling from the surrounding rocks.

“And the harbinger of death…”

The camera zoomed out to show a handmade wooden fence surrounding the pond. Warning signs were prominently displayed, including signs that said "Private Property" and "No Trespassing." Nearby, a shrine of some sort could be seen adorned with candles and mysterious symbols.

A man's voice could be heard saying, “You know how much we paid for this vacation? We got the top package. If there's a private swimming hole, we deserve to swim in it. What are they gonna do? Charge us extra?”

A group of tourists carrying hiking equipment walked through the forest, laughing and chatting with each other. They disregarded the warnings on the fence and climbed right over. One of them, with a mischievous grin, did a cannonball into the pristine water.

I recognized them. They were more players from the lodge. One of the stronger teams, if my memory was correct.

“Water has a memory of its own…”

Cut to a scene in a bathroom as one of the women in the hiking group was preparing for a shower. As she was getting ready, she looked over into the bathtub and saw that there was a long-haired figure behind the shower curtain. In a panic, she pulled the shower curtain open, only to reveal that no one was there.

The screen cut to black.

“Something is happening; we can't ignore this any longer,” the woman said.

“We should have listened!”

The main characters gathered around an elder wearing spiritual regalia. He had a grave expression on his face. He spoke in a foreign tongue, with his words displayed in subtitles.

“You must lift the curse before the next rainfall. If you fail to do this, you will be doomed.”

In the next scene, dark clouds gathered overhead as the wind howled. The main characters, all of whom I recognized as players, looked up in horror.

“It's too early to rain already! We barely even started!” One of them said.

But of course, instead of rain, black snow started to fall from the clouds. Everyone stared at it in disbelief and horror.

The narrator continued, “Some secrets are buried deep underwater. Others under snow.”

The screen faded back to black, and then the title emerged.

Head Below Water: The Black Snow

“Coming soon.”

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