Author Topic: Chrono Helix (script)  (Read 51776 times)

Katie Skyye

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #90 on: October 08, 2009, 09:18:41 pm »
When it comes to critique and compliments, I have not an original bone in my body. I'd end up repeating what mav already said.

But just to let you know, I'm still reading this, and it's awesome. ;D

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #91 on: October 18, 2009, 08:29:49 pm »
Thanks for your feedback, guys.

Since this pseudo-chapter is once more turning out to be a lot longer than I had expected,
I will be splitting it into two (possibly three) posts.



Early Sidequests

Recruits: At this point, the player will have one of three core groups of
            PCs, depending on the path that was taken through chapter 9--
           
  • Serge, Kid, Guile, and Magus
  • Serge, Kid, and Nikki
  • or Serge, Nikki, and Glenn
            plus any or all of the three available optional characters (Leena,
            Luccia, Skelly).


++++++++++++++++++++++++PART I: Magus and Guile++++++++++++++++++++++++++

===================================================
The Dragon's Tail, Termina (Another)
===================================================

[The following sequence occurs should they spend the night at the Inn in Termina
with Magus and Guile in the party at any point before the conversation with the
child-ghosts in the Dead Sea. Naturally, it can only happen once.

After "lights out" at the inn, instead of going straight to the next morning,
we're taken to the bar. Magus is sitting alone at one of the tables, with a
glass of wine in his hand and an empty bottle in front of him, when Guile walks
in and does a double-take.]

Guile:
   I did not expect to find you
   here.

Magus:
   And why not? Am I not as
   much entitled as the next
   man to drink myself
   senseless?

Guile:
   I remember the last time
   you did that. It took us
   nearly three months to pay
   for the damage you caused
   to the tavern before you
   achieved unconsciousness.

Magus:
   ...

Guile:
   Is it Kid?

Magus:
   Among other things. Her
   presence keeps reminding me
   that I am...hollow.

Guile:
   That is not the word I would
   choose.

[Magus slams his glass down on the table.]

Magus:
   You understand nothing. And how
   could you? You chose to throw
   your past away, whereas I--

Guile:
   We do not know what you chose.
   Not even now. Tell me, do you
   remember...?

[The scene fades out, then back in again. We are now in a clearing in the forest
somewhere--the presence of evergreen trees suggests, however, that this is not
El Nido. The clearing is occupied by Guile (ideally, his model should be somewhat
different from the normal in-game one, with shorter hair and different clothing,
although he should still have his mask, but creating a second model for just this
one scene might be considered Too Much Work) and two rather scruffy-looking men
armed with daggers--a couple of pirate models from the Invincible would probably
suffice.]

Guile: [backing away]
   I keep telling you that I have
   nothing of value!

[Bandit]
   Why should we believe ya?
   That mask looks like it'd
   be worth a pretty penny all
   by itself! Solid gold, innit?

[Guile looks to one side, then the other.  Seeing no way out, he brings up his
fists.]

[Bandit]
   Not smart, pretty boy.
   If ya'd just done what
   we told ya to, we might've
   let ya live.

[The bandits are closing in on Guile, daggers raised, when Magus walks out of the woods.]

[Bandit]
   Damn, another one!

[Bandit 2]
   Hey, check out those ears!

[Both bandits laugh]

???: [actually, Magus, but he hasn't been tagged with that name again yet]
   ...You're annoying me.

[The bandits laugh again]

[Bandit]
   So what're ya gonna do
   'bout it?

[Magus raises his hand and points at them. As purple lightning leaps from his extended
fingers and strikes them, the bandits stop laughing and fall over unconscious...or dead?
It's hard to tell.]

???: [that is, Magus]
   Hmph.

[He prods a bandit with the toe of his boot.]

Guile:
   That was m-magic, was it not?

[Magus freezes in place]

???:
   I suppose it was. Is that
   so unusual?

Guile:
   Yes, it is. I have never
   seen true magic before,
   only sleight-of-hand. But
   perhaps it is more common
   where you are from--you
   look like a Mystic, and
   there are few such in
   these parts. May I ask
   your name?

???:
   I can't remember.

Guile:
   You...have lost your memory?!

???:
   So it appears. I awoke a short
   time ago under a tree not far
   from here. I have no idea who
   I am, how I got there, or even
   where this place is. All I know
   is that I am searching for
   something.

Guile:
   Well, I can help you on one
   point, at least. We are in
   Fiona's Forest, somewhat
   north of the city of Porre.

???:
   Porre...

Guile:
   Do you know it?

[Magus shakes his head.]

???:
   I don't know. The name is
   vaguely familiar, but that
   might only mean that I've
   heard it before...or that
   I'm so desperate that I'm
   inventing memories. Heh.

Guile:
   I will guide you to the
   city, if you like--I was
   going there myself, so it
   will be no hardship. I have
   heard that there is a new
   Magic Guild starting up
   there. Perhaps one of its
   members will know you.

???:
   Better than wandering among
   the trees until I starve, I
   suppose. Lead on.

[They begin to head for the far side of the clearing together, but after a few steps,
Guile pauses.]

Guile:
   Even if you cannot remember
   your name, I will need
   something to call you.

???:
   Have you any suggestions?

[Guile walks a circle around Magus, examining him from every angle.]

Guile:
   ...Magus. That is what I shall
   call you.

Magus:
   ...

Guile:
   I hope I did not offend--

[Magus makes a waving-away gesture.]

Magus:
   No, quite the contrary. It
   feels...right. Does it mean
   anything?

Guile:
   It was the name--or possibly
   the title--of one of the great
   mages who fought in the Mystic
   War, four hundred years ago.
   Little is known of him, but I
   have always somewhat admired
   that little.

Magus:
   You're interested in magic,
   then.

Guile:
   I wish to study it, but I
   have been having some trouble
   finding a teacher. It was my
   hope that the Magic Guild
   would be able to help me,
   but...

[He looks at Magus, who shrugs.]

Magus:
   Hmph. I'll consider it, but
   first, let's find this "Porre"
   of yours.

[The scene fades out as they leave the clearing, and we return to the bar. Guile is now
sitting at the table with Magus.]

Guile:
   It will be ten years ago
   as of next spring...

Magus:
   And in nearly a decade, I
   have found absolutely
   nothing. I don't even know
   what I was searching for,
   on that day.

Guile:
   Actually...

[Magus turns quickly to face him.]

Magus:
   What? You've found something?!
   Tell me!

Guile:
   We met a most extraordinary
   old man while we were burgling
   Viper Manor. I suspect he may
   be relevant, but I cannot say
   for certain.

Magus:
   Even a hint would help. Go on.

Guile:
   If you return with me to the
   inn, I will tell you as much
   as you want to know. You have
   had enough to drink for one
   night.

Magus:
   Very well.

[Fade out, and we're returned to next morning at the inn.]

---------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================
Termina (Another)
====================================================

[Variations on Guile and the fortune teller...]

[Fortune Teller]
   Grin...
   Sir Guile, how did it go?
   Did you find the item?

Magus:
   Guile, what have you been
   up to this time?

Guile:
   I merely made a small wager
   with this person--nothing
   that you need concern
   yourself with.

[Guile makes a waving-away gesture]

Magus:
   Did you bet anything you don't
   have?

Serge:
   (There's got to be a story
   there, but I'm not about to
   interrupt them to ask what
   it is.)

Guile:
   I assure you, I have learned
   my lesson about that. Now, if
   I may proceed to settle matters
   with this lady...?

[Fortune Teller]
   Believe me, I'm quite content
   to wait if I may do so in the
   company of such fine young
   men...but you no doubt have
   better things to do with your
   time. So how went your
   adventure at the Manor?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If the party picked up the required Element at
the manor]

Guile:
   See for yourself, ma'am.
   Here is proof of my intrusion
   into Viper Manor.
   I ask that you give me
   my reward, as promised
   at the conclusion of our bet.

 [Fortune Teller]
   Ummm...
   It is my loss this time.
   Here is the reward I promised.
   Take it away!

 [System]
   Guile received
   Bronze Rod!
   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they didn't get the Element]

Guile:
   ...Ma'am, I have
   lost this time.
   I was able to penetrate
   into the manor, but...

 [Fortune Teller]
   Don't start whining!
   A promise is a promise.
   Now, take off your mask
   and let me see your face.

Guile:
   ...Nod
   I guess I have no choice...

 [Fortune Teller]
   M-My word!!!
   
   I see, so that's what
   it was...
   These old bones have
   just shaved an hour
   off their life-span...

Serge:
   (Now I'm curious as to what
   he's hiding under there. Too
   bad he was standing with his
   back to the rest of us.)
   
Guile:
   Ma'am, I have learned that
   the world is full of
   '"enigma."'
   I will be joining their journey
   for a while. Take care, and we
   might engage in another high-
   stake gamble again.

 [Fortune Teller]
   You bet!

[The fortune teller leaves]

Magus:
   Did I correctly understand
   that you made a bet...about
   your ability to carry off a
   burglary?

Guile:
   What of it?

Magus:
   ...You are impossible.

[Guile bows]

Guile:
   Were I not, I would not keep
   such company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they retrieved the Element by going back to the
Manor after Guldove, the conversation starts from
here.]

 [Fortune Teller]
   Hahah...!
   Sir Guile,
   the deadline has
   already passed!
   
Guile:
   ...Ma'am, this time
   I have lost.
   I have found the item
   in question, though it
   was too late...

[then pick up the previous version of the scene
from "Don't start whining!"]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they ask the fortune teller for Magus' fortune]

[Fortune Teller]
   W-what is this? Who ARE
   you?

Magus:
   ...If I knew that, I doubt
   I would be here asking you
   stupid questions. Well?

[Fortune Teller]
   You...are searching for
   something, are you not? You
   will find it, I think, but
   when you do you may wish that
   you had not. There is more,
   but it is shrouded in darkness,
   and I can make no sense of it.
   I have never seen anything
   quite like this before.

[The fortune teller steps back, shaking her head]

Magus:
   ...But what will I find?
   Myself, or the thing I was
   searching for on that day...?



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++PART II: Recruiting Skelly++++++++++++++++++++++++

=================================================
Isle of the Damned (Another)
=================================================

Skelly:
   Oh man...!
   I don't know which
   bone is which...
   Ahh, I'll just connect
   whatever!

Serge:
   (Okay, but don't blame me
   if you come out looking even
   weirder than you already do...
   Ah, well, at least he has a
   positive attitude.)

=================================================
Hydra Marshes (Another)
=================================================

 [System]
   ......!?
   There's something on the ground.
   
 [System]
   [Member] found
   Good Backbone.
   
Skelly:
   Now I remembah!
   I had really good
   posture.
   It must've been from my
   grandma's upbringin'...
   Grandma...!?
   That's right!
   I was raised by
   my grandma!
   I wonder how she's
   doin'...?
   I bet she's worried sick...

Serge:
   (Come to think of it, I
   wonder how Mom's doing? I've
   been gone for a while now...
   I hope she's okay.)

=================================================
Water Dragon Isle (Another)
=================================================

 [Explorer]
   I found this thing at the dried up
   waterfall. It's kinda creepy, so I'll
   give it to you for free!
   Oh, no thanks needed.

Serge:
   (Aagh, more bones...but from
   the looks of it, I'd have to
   stuff them down his throat to
   get him to take them back.)

 [Explorer]
   Ahh, don't mention it.
   I have nothing to do with it now,
   so seeee yaaaa!!!

 [System]
   [Member] was given
   Sturdy Ribs.
   
Skelly:
   Yeah, I had a pretty
   good physique.
   Did I ever tell ya
   I did acrobatics...?
   Hey...!?
   That's right!
   I used to be a clown
   in the circus!

Serge:
   I could believe that.
   (Although I've never actually
   seen a circus, just heard
   about them... Is there even
   one in El Nido?)

=================================================
[Variable location]
=================================================

Skelly:
   There...
   The foot bone's connected
   to the leg bone...
   The leg bone's connected
   to the knee bone...

Serge:
   No offense, but I think you
   should keep your day job.

Skelly:
   Alright, alright, I'll
   shut up...
   But seriously,
   thanks a lot guys.
   I'm finally in one piece now.
   I'm sure we'll meet again,
   somewhere, someday...
   One of these days, I'll
   return the favor.

Serge:
   Um, okay. (I can't imagine
   what kind of help we could
   get from a skeleton clown,
   but okay--you never know.)

=================================================
Skelly's House, Termina (Another)
=================================================

 [Grandma]
   Strange?
   That clock hasn't moved
   for ages..?

[Skelly enters the house and pretty much runs across the floor
to where his grandma is sitting]

Skelly:
   I-I'm home!!!

 [Grandma]
   That voice...?
   Could that
   be you...?

Skelly:
   It's me,
   Skelly!!!
   I've come back home!

 [Grandma]
   Skelly!?
   Ohh, Skelly...!
   Come over here and
   let me hug you!

[Skelly crouches down in front of her chair for a hug]

Skelly:
   Grandma!!!

 [Grandma]
   Skelly!!!

   Hmm? Skelly,
   why are you so thin?
   Haven't you been
   eating well?

Serge:
   (You're kidding me--she can't
   tell?! Talk about being in
   denial... I mean, even if
   she's completely blind, she
   should be able to tell there's
   no skin between her fingers
   and his ribs...)

Skelly:
   Sniff...
   Grandma, I don't know how
   to break this to you, but...

 [Grandma]
   It's alright, it's
   alright, Skelly.
   I'm just so happy
   that you are back.
   It must have been
   very hard on you.
   Don't leave again,
   Skelly.

Skelly:
   Whimper...

 [Grandma]
   Ohh, don't cry so much.
   My clothes are going
   to get all wet.

Serge:
   (Um, he doesn't have eyes,
   so what's he crying with?

   ...On second thought, I'd
   rather not know.)

Skelly:
   I'm not crying because
   I'm sad. I'm crying
   because I'm so happy.
   You always told me,
   '"Don't hold back tears
   of joy."'

 [Grandma]
   Skelly...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Serge tries to talk to them without
leaving the house first]

 [Grandma]
   Ahh, to have Skelly come
   back home to me...
   The gods must have
   answered my prayers...
   Ohh, I thank the heavens
   with all my soul...
   
Skelly:
   Could you leave me with
   grandma for a while...

Serge:
   Sure--you guys must have a
   lot of catching up to do.
   (And it'll mean I have one
   less bit of Weird following
   me around. Skelly may be a
   great guy, but on top of
   Lynx and alternate dimensions
   and the Frozen Flame, he's
   a bit more than I can deal
   with right now.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[After Serge leaves then returns]

Skelly:
   Nyak-nyak-nyak! Thanks man!
   Thanks to you guys, I can
   hang with grandma again.
   Ask me if there's anythin'
   I can help ya with!
   ~~~Please                       |    ~~~Not now
                                   |

Serge:                             | Serge:
   Well, we could use another      |    We appreciate the offer--
   person to help with monsters    |    maybe later, okay? (Sorry,
   and such. (And Skelly is        |    Skelly, but I need every bit
   strange enough that just        |    of normality I can get right
   having him there may confuse    |    now.)
   some monsters into running      |
   away!)                          | Skelly:
                                   |    Alright.
[System]                           |    Come back when ya need me!
   Skelly became the life of your  |
   party!                          |
                                   |
[Skelly joins, etc.]               |



That's all for today, folks. The next post will probably consist of the Viper Manor /
Luccia's Recruitment sidequest material (~350 lines to date, and I haven't even gotten
as far as Luccia yet!), and possibly the Leena and Leena Scope Out Guys scene. I don't know
when it will be ready, though--this damned cold has me all messed up...

mav

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #92 on: October 20, 2009, 11:28:49 pm »
Very interesting--I dunno how all this Guile/Magus stuff will play out, but I'm intrigued. One minor error though:
???:
   So it appears. I awoke a short
   time ago under a tree not far
   from here. I have no idea who
   I am, how I got there, or even
   where this place is. All I know
   is that I am searching for
   something.
Should be "nor", right? It's an arbitrary error, so whatever. Good stuff, keep it coming!

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #93 on: October 21, 2009, 09:26:01 pm »
Yes, looking at it, it probably should be "nor". I'll correct the master copy.

I'm not entirely sure where the Magus/Guile thing is going to end up going either, but one of the things that frustrates me about Chrono Cross is that there are often these great gaping holes where there should be character interaction and backstory. I'd like to plug some of those holes, and am trying not to create new ones. (Right now, I'm trying to deal with a scene that started as Nikki asking Luccia about Marcy, and has since expanded into dealing with how Zelbess died and why Viper and Fargo had that falling-out. Damned thing keeps taking on a life of its own. I just hope I can keep it to a reasonable size--this is supposed to be a script for a game, not a movie!)

mav

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #94 on: October 21, 2009, 10:10:59 pm »
I just hope I can keep it to a reasonable size--this is supposed to be a script for a game, not a movie!)
Maybe both, if we're lucky--but you didn't hear that from me!

Anyhow, I agree that there were many missed opportunities in Chrono Cross, especially for character development. And at times we were often left with minimal development and very limited interactions. With so many characters and so many different agendas, you'd expect more interaction and bickering, but instead you get virtually nothing. I like the fact that you're not just using this as an excuse to inject Magus into the CC environment; instead you're using Guile to reveal aspects of Magus to us (and Magus) and you're shedding more light on Guile through Magus. I think you're doing a great job filling in what CC created. I can't wait for the next bit.

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #95 on: October 25, 2009, 08:45:32 pm »
Maybe both, if we're lucky--but you didn't hear that from me!

Did you say something, mav?

Seriously, though, I gave my permission for people to use this thing, and I meant it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oy vey... I did not expect to end up doing 850 lines' worth of Viper Manor, but
between Magus and Luccia and Nikki, things kind of got a bit out of hand...

Anyway, before I begin, a few notes on accents: I've assigned Zelbess the same accent as
Irenes has, which is sort of based on a German accent, but I've toned it down somewhat by
cutting the number of meaningless umlauts. Specifically, Zelbess uses T for unvoiced TH,
D for voiced TH, but a-umlaut only where an English word has an A representing the sound
corresponding to the German a-umlaut (essentially, short e, like the vowel in bet), and
o- and u-umlaut not at all.

I also kept Luccia's accent, which seems to be loosely based on Russian. She uses V for
W and D for voiced TH, but leaves unvoiced TH untouched, and makes a few specific word
substitutions ("wot" for "what", "vone" for "one). It's possible that there are other
substitutions that would be appropriate, but I have only the vaguest idea of what a
real Russian accent sounds like. I just hope she isn't too hard to understand, because
she does a lot of talking here.

(Yeah, I took a couple of years of German back when I was a student, and have done
some reading on linguistics. What's your point? )



++++++++++++++++++PART III: Back at Viper Manor, and Recruiting Luccia++++++++++++++
   
=================================================
Mess Hall, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

Orcha:
   Now where did that
   slacker go? Can't let
   him outta my sight...

Serge:
   Slacker? You mean the
   dishwasher? (Come to
   think of it, wasn't he
   acting suspicious when we
   were here before? Or am I
   getting him confused with
   someone else?)
   
=================================================
Luccia's Lab, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

[Assuming that they come here before going up to the roof.
The "dishwasher" is in the cage trap that connects to the
treasure room.]

Dishwasher:
   Luccia isn't here.
   She might be on the
   roof terrace.

Dishwasher:
   More importantly...
   Could you let me
   out of here?

Serge:
   Um, okay, I guess. (Mind you,
   I don't know why he's in here,
   but I wouldn't even leave Lynx
   in Luccia's trap. I mean, who
   knows what she might do to him?)

[Serge opens the door to the cage, and the dishwasher steps out and
starts heading for the door, but he stops and turns before getting all
the way there.]

Dishwasher:
   Ahahaha...
 
Dishwasher:
   Hah haha ha...
   I'm still new around here.
   So, I got lost and ended up
   in here by mistake.
   Don't worry. I wasn't snooping
   around or anything...
   Really!

Nikki:                       | Guile:
   Sure, man--it isn't our   |    What you were doing is
   problem even if you were. |    none of our concern.

Serge:
   (I'm glad I let him out.
   I hope he robs Viper blind.)

Dishwasher:
   Well, take care.
   
=================================================
Riddel's Room, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

Riddel:
   Oh my goodness...
   That night...
   You are the ones who...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is in the group]

Kid:
   Yeah, that would be us.

Riddel:
   You...shielded me with your
   own body...

Kid:
   Eheheh... Pretty stupid thing
   for me to do, really, but all's
   well that ends well, right? Ya
   doin' okay?

Riddel:
   I am...still a bit shaken,
   but otherwise well.

[Kid nods]

Kid:
   Stay away from that Lynx from
   now on, ya hear me? He's bad
   news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is not in the group, Glenn must be, so...]

Riddel:
   Glenn, I had thought you
   would be on your way to Fort
   Dragonia by now.

Glenn:
   The only boat I could find
   belongs to these people, and
   they wished to make a detour.
   However, I am confident that
   we will soon be on our way
   to the fort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riddel:
   I had not expected to see
   any of you here again.

Serge:
   We were hoping to find some
   clues about Lynx. He...did
   go with the general, right?
   (Urgh, this would be such a
   great time to find out that
   he came back here and we
   have to deal with him before
   we've had a chance to
   prepare...)

Riddel:
   Despite what happened that
   night, my father refused to
   part from him. They did
   indeed leave together.

Serge:
   For Fort Dragonia.

Riddel:
   Yes. I scarcely dare hope...
   Do you think you will be
   able to talk some sense into
   my father? Ever since Lynx
   appeared, he has been...

[Riddel bows her head]

Glenn:             | Nikki:                   | Guile:                        | Kid:
   Miss Riddell... |    I hate to disappoint  |    That is not our intended   |   Like I said,
                   |    a pretty girl, but... |    task, although the nature  |   Lynx is bad
                   |                          |    of Lynx's hold over Viper  |   news.
                   |                          |    is certainly mysterious... |

Serge:
   We'll try if we get a chance,
   but I doubt your father is
   going to be all that interested
   in talking. (I can't believe
   I'm being this nice to the
   daughter of a guy who wanted me
   dead...but none of that was
   Riddel's fault.)

Riddel:
   I understand, and am glad you
   are even willing to make the
   attempt.

Riddel:
   There is not a single
   thing I can do...
   except pray for
   their safety.

=================================================
Library, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

[Belthasar will not be here if Magus is in the party. If Guile isn't also with
them, nothing in particular will happen--the room will just be empty.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus and Guile are both there, however...]

Guile:
   Prophet! Are you here? There
   is someone to whom I would
   like to introduce you.

[Guile's head moves as he looks around the room.]

Guile:
   How odd. I wonder if he has
   quarters somewhere else in the
   manor...

[Guile turns to face the rest of the party]

Guile:
   My apologies, Magus. The old
   man has a quality about him
   that somehow reminds me of you,
   and I had thought he might be
   a countryman.

Magus:
   ...There is the scent of magic
   about this place. I caught a
   hint of it on the lower floors
   of the building, but it is very
   strong here.

Serge:
   The old man did show us a kind
   of illusion when we were here
   before.

[Magus walks around the room, stopping a couple of times to
look at stuff. He ends up in front of the desk. The others
watch him.]

Magus:
   There are a number of residues
   here, but the strongest seems
   to belong to some sort of
   detection spell. Whoever cast
   it wished to be warned of the
   approach of a specific person.

[He turns to face the others again.]

Magus:
   I think this "Prophet" of
   yours may be missing because
   he doesn't want to meet me.

Kid:
   Wha'? But he doesn't even know
   ya!

Magus:
   We don't know that. He might
   have reason to fear me, or
   he might not wish me to
   regain my memory...or this
   might all be a simple mistake.

Serge:
   (He's pretty relaxed about all
   this--more than I would be--but
   I suppose he's had practice.)

Guile:
   My apologies. This time, I
   truly thought that--

Magus:
   You may indeed have found
   something of use. I will have
   to return here when time
   permits, and take precautions
   not to alert this "Prophet"
   before I can question him.
   If he truly holds a clue to
   what I have lost, I will
   NOT let it slip through my
   fingers.

Serge:
   (I take it back--the expression
   on his face right now is scary.
   I sure wouldn't want to be that
   Prophet guy when Magus does
   catch up with him.)

Magus:
   We've wasted enough time here.
   Let's go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus isn't in the party, the Prophet will be in the room, and
we get the normal set of interactions.]

Prophet:
   General Viper has headed
   for Fort Dragonia
   to the southeast.
   The 4 Devas and most
   of the dragoons have
   accompanied him.

Serge:
   I guess that explains why
   it's so quiet here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[I think this is what you get if you speak to him a
second time.]


Prophet:
   It will be quite
   difficult facing the
   Porre military here.

Serge:
   So Porre will be coming here?
   (That's weird--I thought the
   General worked for them.)

Prophet:
   I believe so. The Porreans
   are among the many people
   interested in the Frozen
   Flame. If they knew more
   about it, they might not
   be so eager...

=================================================
Neo Epoch Room, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

[If Magus is present, he does a double-take upon first entering the room.]

Magus:
   !

[He walks up to the Neo Epoch and touches its side]

Magus:
   This is...

[For a moment, nothing more happens. Then--]

Serge:
   ...is what?

Magus:
   I'm...not certain, but I think
   I may once have been familiar
   with a similar machine. A
   larger one. But where and when,
   what it was called, what it
   was used for, and who built
   it...all of that seems to be
   lost along with the rest.

Serge:
   I'm sorry.

Magus:
   I don't want your pity, boy.

[He looks at the Neo Epoch again]

Magus:
   Whoever placed this here may
   have some of the answers I
   seek. One way or the other,
   I WILL learn who I am.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is not there, Nikki automatically is, so...]

Nikki:
   What is this? Some kind
   of transport? I wish I
   could show this to Miki--
   there has to be a way we
   could use one of these in
   a show.

=================================================
Roof Terrace, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

[When they arrive on the roof, Luccia is bent over, staring into the pondlet]

Luccia:
   Dat Lynx! His little fight
   vith those children damaged
   my experimental subject! I
   vill have to start over.
   Perhaps I vill program de
   next one vith an aversion
   to cats!

Serge:
   Um... If we damaged anything
   important when we were up
   here before, we're sorry.
   (I just hope she doesn't want
   one of us to fix her whatever-
   it-is...)

[Luccia looks up and notices them for the first time]

Luccia:
   No, no, I do not blame you.
   It is Lynx's fault entirely.
   If only HomoSap flowers
   vere not so delicate, I
   could have kept it safe in
   a cage... But you did not
   come here to speak of dis.
   If you vish to converse, I
   vill be in my lab.

[She walks away. Serge looks down at the pond and scratches the back of his head.]

Serge:
   (...It just looks like an
   ordinary flower to me.)

=================================================
Luccia's Lab, Viper Manor (Another)
=================================================

[If they didn't visit the lab before finding Luccia on the rooftop, the "dishwasher"
won't have been let out of his cage. I'm too lazy to go and dredge for video reference,
but I assume Luccia lets him out near the beginning of this scenelet.]

Luccia:
   Vot are you doing?
   
Dishwasher:
   Ahahaha...
 
Dishwasher:
   Hah haha ha...
   I'm still new around here.
   So, I got lost and ended up
   in here by mistake.
   Don't worry. I wasn't snooping
   around or anything...
   Really!

Dishwasher:
   Well, take care.

Serge:
   (I hope he realizes he wasn't
   being very convincing. I
   wonder why he's really
   here...?)

------------------------------------------------

[If they did let the dishwasher out before, the scene begins at this point.]

Luccia:
   Vot is it you vant?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Nikki is in the party...]

Nikki:
   I'd like to talk to you
   about Marcy.

Luccia:
   Marcy? Vot is your interest
   in the child?

Nikki:
   I think she's my sister.

Luccia:
   Sister? Ah, then you vould
   be Nikki.

Nikki:
   !
   How did you know? Marcy
   doesn't even remember me.

Luccia:
   I have not spoken vith Marcy
   of her family. Indeed, I have
   barely spoken to her at all.
   Your mother felt it best dat
   she not know I had an interest,
   after vot happened. It might
   have...attracted attention.

Serge:
   (That's weird--if no one's
   supposed to know Luccia has
   anything to do with Marcy,
   why did the Prophet send Nikki
   to her? How did he know?)

Nikki:
   You knew my parents, then.

Luccia:
   I knew Zelbess, your modder,
   and dat all too briefly. Your
   fadder, I have never met.

Nikki:
   I don't remember him very
   well myself--just impressions.
   He was a big man, with a
   booming laugh, and the bluest
   eyes I've ever seen.

Luccia:
   Dat matches de descriptions
   I have heard, yes.

Nikki:
   I'm getting sidetracked here.
   Tell me about Marcy.

Luccia:
   Do you know...vot happened
   to your modder?

[Nikki shakes his head.]

Nikki:
   No one would tell me much.
   She was kidnapped, I think,
   she and the baby, and my
   father left to look for
   them...and never came back.

Luccia:
   She vas taken by Porre. Dey
   considered the opportunity
   to study a half-demi-human
   child invaluable. Viper tried
   to protect your family, but
   he failed.

Leena:                        | Kid:                    | Glenn:
   "Half-demi-human"? Are you |   Whaddaya mean, "half- |    "Half-demi-human"? You cannot
   saying that Nikki is...?   |   demi-human"?          |    possibly mean...?!

Nikki:
   Yeah, my mother was a mermaid.
   It never made much difference
   to me--I swim really well,
   that's all. But I usually don't
   tell people about it. It makes
   them look at me funny, and
   that's Not Cool, you know?

Serge:
   So what happened? Zelbess got
   captured by Porre, and then...?

Luccia:
   She vas taken to a lab on the
   mainland. Dat is vhere I met
   her. I vas barely out of
   school den, and Zelbess...
   she befriended me. She vas
   a varm soul. I sent a message
   to General Viper for her, but
   after dat, everything vent
   wrong...

[The scene fades out, then back in again. We are now in that mainland laboratory
Luccia mentioned, a grey room full of cages. Zelbess (really Irenes' model with
a different surface texture) is slumped in the centermost one; the others are empty.
After a moment, Viper and Luccia enter the screen, heading for Zelbess' cage.]

Viper:
   I am surprised that they let
   you get a message to me.

Luccia:
   The demi-human herself is
   of little interest to de
   scientific community. It is
   her daughter my superiors
   vish to study.

Viper:
   Little Marcy...

[They arrive at Zelbess's cage.]

Viper:
   Zelbess... Zelbess, can you
   hear me? It's Viper--I'm here
   to get you out.

[Zelbess raises her head slowly]

Zelbess:
   V-viper? Luccia? Oh...

[Luccia opens the cage]

Luccia:
   Come. Ve have little time.

Zelbess:
   I will not leave wit'out
   Marcy.

Luccia:
   She is under guard--if ve go
   after her, ve vill be caught!

Zelbess:
   Den go. I'll do dis alone.

Viper:
   WE'LL do this. I mean, I know
   if it were Riddel, I would...

[Viper flushes and looks away.]

Zelbess:
   T'ank you for helping me,
   Luccia. You have done more
   dan I had däred hope.

[Luccia shakes her head]

Luccia:
   Very vell. I vill show you
   vhere Marcy is, since you
   seem villing to stand here
   arguing until the guards come
   if I do not. You are a fool,
   Zelbess.

Zelbess:
   All pärents are foolish, I
   t'ink.

[The scene fades out again.]

Luccia: [while the screen is black]
   Viper vas able to decoy
   the guards avay from Marcy
   for a short time, and
   so ve vere able to take her,
   but de alarm vas raised
   soon aftervard.

[Fade in--this time, we're in a nearly featureless grey corridor where the lighting
is flashing ominously red. Zelbess, with a bundle in her arms, is fleeing along it
toward an intersection at the far end, with Luccia bringing up the rear.]

Luccia:
   ...Nearly dere... Ve
   need to turn right...

Zelbess:
   (pant)...Ja...

[Zelbess reaches the intersection and turns to the right, but before she can proceed
along the intersecting corridor, we hear the sound of a gunshot, and her body jerks.
She collapses to the ground, still holding Marcy. Luccia skids to a stop practically right
on top of her as Grobyc enters from the left-hand corridor.]

???: [Grobyc, but we don't know that yet]
   Mission-accomplished.
   Target-is-destroyed.

Luccia:
   You are my brodder's...
   Vho gave the order to
   deploy you? You are not
   complete yet!

???: [Grobyc]
   ...

Marcy:
   WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Luccia bends down and picks up the baby. Grobyc aims a weapon at her.]

Luccia:
   Put dat down, you stupid
   meat-robot! You did not even
   shoot de right person! Dis
   child is a decoy--de merwoman's
   true offspring is probably
   miles from here by now!

???: [Grobyc]
   The-wrong--

[Grobyc shakes his head spastically, staggers from one side of the hallway to the
other, and then sits down in the middle of the floor with his head sagging against
his chest.]

Luccia:
   Dey vill need a more robust
   logic routine for dat one,
   I see...

Marcy:
   WAAAAH!

Luccia:
   Hush, little vone. You vill
   be back vith your fadder soon.

[Norris enters from the far end of the left corridor and stops dead. (If Marcy is around
a year old, Norris would be about eighteen, so the timing is just barely possible.)]

Norris:
   What happened here?

Luccia:
   My brodder's fool machine
   shot de mermaid vithout first
   checking to see if she vas
   carrying de right baby!

[Norris shakes his head.]

Norris:
   I thought that maybe it wasn't
   a very good idea to use that...
   creature...but I'm too junior
   to argue with my orders. You
   say this is the wrong infant?

Luccia:
   Does she look part mermaid to
   you?

[The scene fades out once more, and we are returned to Luccia's lab at Viper Manor.]

Luccia:
   Vith Viper's support, I vas
   able to make de lie stick, but
   I vas no longer velcome in
   Porre. Viper invited me to
   El Nido, and Marcy has grown up
   here at the mansion.

Nikki:
   But my father--

Luccia:
   He vent a bit mad after he heard
   Zelbess vas dead. He turned my
   lie back on me, said Marcy vas
   not his child, argued vith Viper
   about it, and left the manor. I
   do not know vot happened to
   him after dat.

Kid:                            | Glenn:
   And let me guess--ya haven't |    If Marcy knows any of this,
   told Marcy any of this,      |    she must hate her real father.
   have ya?                     |    She all but worships General
                                |    Viper.

Luccia:
   I thought it best dat she
   not know. Porre may still
   be interested in her, and
   dis makes it less likely
   dat dey will find her.

Serge:
   (But I bet no one's thought
   much about how Marcy feels
   about not knowing. Poor kid.
   She probably makes up stories
   about what happened to her
   family, the way I did about
   Dad after he disappeared...)

Nikki:
   So you let her think she was
   abandoned?! I... I...

[Nikki is shaking as he speaks.]

Nikki:
   I don't know what to say to
   you. I just don't. You saved
   Marcy's life, but then you
   pulled something like this...
   I...

Leena:                            | Kid:                     | Glenn:
   Nikki... You can't undo what's |    Let it go, mate. Keep |    Luccia's actions have
   already happened, but so long  |    tryin' to talk to yer |    not been entirely
   as you and Marcy are both      |    sister--that's all    |    honourable, but harming
   alive, there's a chance you'll |    ya can do.            |    her will not help Marcy.
   be able to patch something     |                          |
   together, right?               |                          |

Nikki:
   I suppose you're right...
   but it's going to be a
   while before I stop being
   pissed off about this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Urgh, that took forever! Anyway, moving right along, if Nikki is not in the
party or the above lengthy expository scene has already taken place, the
following occurs...]

Serge:                       
   ~~~We could use your help.    | ~~~Um, nothing. Sorry
   Would you like to join us?    | to bother you.
                                 |
Luccia:                          | Luccia:
   Sigh...                       |    Dä... I guess I should
   Vith my HomoSap experiment    |    get out more often and
   so badly damaged, I really    |    gather research material.
   do not have any research
      |
   I can do here. I guess        | Luccia:
   the time is right.            |   
Vith my poor HomoSap too
                                 |    traumatized to bloom, dere
Luccia:                          |   
is little for me to do here.
   I am sure I can find some     |
   interesting research material |
   if I tag along vith you.      |
                                 |
Luccia:                          |
   I vill join you.              |
   Ooh hoho hoho!                |
                                 |
 [System]                        |
   Luccia assimilated into your  |
   party.                        |



And that's all for this time, folks. Still to come: Leena and Leena discussing the merits of
the male PCs, Glenn's trophy-related flashback, infodumping shamans, and some miscellaneous
odds and ends.

« Last Edit: October 25, 2009, 08:58:12 pm by alfadorredux »

Katie Skyye

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #96 on: October 26, 2009, 07:35:51 pm »
And that's all for this time, folks. Still to come: Leena and Leena discussing the merits of
the male PCs, Glenn's trophy-related flashback, infodumping shamans, and some miscellaneous
odds and ends.

It's great how the Leenas can meet each other and not completely explode. Instead, they insult Serge.

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #97 on: October 27, 2009, 07:32:31 pm »
Heh. They're not going to spare the feelings of any of the other male PCs either (and Another World Leena is going to chew up a few males who haven't yet joined the party, too). Fortunately, they're going to go off alone to do it--otherwise, I'd have to write the scenelet where Magus blows up the dock to shut them up. :lol:

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #98 on: November 04, 2009, 08:19:42 pm »
Well, there's a bit less stuff this time, but Leena still got awfully talkative...



+++++++++++++++PART IV: A Tale of Two Leenas+++++++++++++++++++++

=================================================
Cape Howl (Home)
=================================================

[I assume this is what happens if you go to look at the gravestone
with Leena in your party and she sees that, in this world, it isn't
Serge's--I've never actually recruited Leena, so I don't know for sure.]

Leena:
   ......
   You really are
   Serge, aren't you...?

Serge:
   So you believe me now?

Leena:
   I guess I have to. The
   evidence is right in front
   of me.

Serge:
   (About time.)

Leena:
   You're alive in this world,
   living a normal life with me.

Serge:
   (With the other her, anyway...
   although there really isn't
   much difference between them
   that I can see.)

Leena:
   But in the other world,
   ...you're dead...
   And I'm living a different
   life without you...

Serge:
   It can't be that different.

Leena:
   How do you know?

Serge:
   Because you're too much like...
   the other you. (Aack, it's
   impossible to talk about this
   in a way that makes sense!
   My head feels like it's about
   to explode!)

Leena:
   That's strange. I mean, you
   and the other me are friends,
   right? I would have thought
   that that would be important
   enough to affect me somehow.
   Then again, you wouldn't know
   that there was any difference
   between the two worlds just
   from looking at the sea or
   the sky... They look the
   same...

Serge:
   Yeah, I guess they do. One
   fisherman more or less
   wouldn't be enough to
   affect something that big.

Leena:
   So tell me, Serge.
   How's it going with
   the me in this world?

Serge:
   Um...

Leena:
   Have we kissed yet?

Serge:
   Kissed?! (Why is that the
   kind of thing girls always
   want to know about?)

Leena:
   Well? Well?

Leena:
   Come on!
   Tell me!

Serge:
   We're just good friends.
   Really!

Leena:
   Hmmm...
 
=================================================
Arni (Home)
=================================================

[In the interest of keeping track of who's who, I'm going to label
the Leena from Home World LeenaH, and the one from Another World
who's been travelling around with Serge, LeenaA. It might be a little
harder to follow the dialog in the actual game, although I never remember
getting confused when Norris was talking to Norris... Anyway, Serge and
Co. speak to LeenaH, who is still at the end of the dock, with LeenaA
in the party.]

LeenaH:
   Serge, where have you been?!
   Your mother's been worried
   about you--

[She turns her head and sees LeenaA.]

LeenaH:
   You're...me? Is this some
   kind of joke?!

LeenaA:
   I wondered that too, at
   first, but everything that's
   been happening is just too
   weird to be funny.

LeenaH:
   Weird? You mean like Serge
   disappearing RIGHT IN FRONT
   OF ME and staying gone for
   days on end, and then walking
   up to me and saying "Hi" like
   nothing much happened?

Serge:
   Whoa, there, it isn't like I
   MEANT to disappear, okay? And
   there's been a lot going on--

LeenaH:
   A lot of WHAT?! Nothing's
   changed here except for you
   being missing, so where were
   you that had "a lot going on"?

Serge:
   It's...kinda complicated...
   (Man, I know she just does it
   because she worries about me,
   but I get awfully tired of the
   yelling sometimes...)

LeenaA:
   If it makes you feel any
   better, I was with Serge just
   about the whole time he was
   away, and he wasn't goofing
   off or hiding just to annoy
   you. Not even close.

LeenaH:
   He was with YOU? Oh, that's
   just great. Serge is mine, you
   hear me?!

Serge:
   (Damn, they're going to fight
   over me, aren't they? I can
   just see them each grabbing one
   arm and pulling until I come
   apart in the center like those
   straw dolls Leena had when we
   were kids...)

LeenaA:
   Serge, I thought you said the
   two of you were just good
   friends!

Serge:
   Um... As far as I'm concerned,
   we are. Leena might have other
   ideas, though.

LeenaH:
   So you're dumping me now, is
   that it?!

Kid:                          | Glenn:
   Ya know, ya might just get |    Please permit us to
   some answers if ya'd SHUT  |    explain...
   UP for a sec.              |

[LeenaH looks at Serge, then at LeenaA, then back at whoever spoke.]

LeenaH:
   Okay, but this had better
   be good!

Serge:
   Well, it happened kind of
   like this...

[Scene fades out, then back in again (to represent time passing) while Serge
waves his arms expressively.]

Serge:
   ...So that's about where
   we're at now.

[LeenaH looks at LeenaA again.]

LeenaH:
   So you really ARE me.

LeenaA:
   More or less, anyway. Say,
   would you mind showing me
   around? This Arni's GOT to
   be different from mine, and
   I'm curious to see exactly
   how.

LeenaH:
   You haven't asked Serge
   about it?

LeenaA:
   I have, but Serge is a
   GUY--he doesn't pay attention
   to the right kinds of things.
   And besides, he doesn't seem
   to like to talk much.

Serge:
   (Is it really my fault if I
   think it's safer to keep my
   mouth shut than open it and
   get my ears blistered?)

LeenaH:
   Well, okay, then--let's go.
   Although I don't know how
   interesting you're really
   going to find this.

[The two of them depart together, leaving the rest of the party staring after
them.]

Guile: [if present]
   ...The ways of women are
   perhaps more mysterious than
   anything else in this world.

Nikki:                   | Kid:
   So what do we do now? |    So they think we're just
                         |    gonna stay here while they
                         |    wander around?

Serge:
   Why don't we go to my place and
   have a rest? I'm sure they'll
   find us there eventually.

[The scene fades as they walk away, and we're taken to the inside of the hut
where LeenaH lives, just as the two Leenas enter.]

LeenaA:
   That was...kind of weird. So
   many little things that aren't
   quite right, like the Records
   of Fate...

LeenaH:
   Do you mean that they still
   work in your world?

LeenaA:
   Exactly... Come to think of it,
   a lot of the things that are
   different here...

LeenaH:
   ...in your world, the Records
   of Fate told people to do stuff
   differently?

LeenaA:
   Pretty much.

LeenaH:
   So anyway, about Serge...

LeenaA:
   Yes?

LeenaH:
   He hasn't...come on to you,
   has he?

[LeenaA shakes a bit, as though she's laughing.]

LeenaA:
   Oh, no, no, and even if he had,
   I wouldn't have encouraged him.
   I mean, he's a sweet guy, but
   at first I thought he was a bit
   crazy, you know? This total
   stranger, babbling about knowing
   me?

LeenaH:
   I guess I can understand that.
   He's a bit of a wuss, too--he
   barely argues with me even
   when I ask him for something
   completely unreasonable.

   Um, do you...have anyone?

LeenaA:
   A boyfriend, you mean? No,
   there's no one in my Arni that
   I'm interested in. One of the
   reasons I went to Termina with
   Serge was that I was hoping to
   have a chance to meet some
   people, but so far all the
   boys we've come across have
   been losers.

LeenaH:
   Seems to me that there was an
   okay-looking guy or two with
   you when you got here.

LeenaA:
   Okay-LOOKING, maybe, but once
   you get to know them, their
   personalities are kinda...

LeenaH:
   Really?

LeenaA:
   Well, which one would YOU go
   out with? If Serge wasn't
   around, I mean.

[The following short segments are used only if the PC being discussed has been recruited]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LeenaH:
   Well, there's...Guile,
   wasn't it?

LeenaA:
   I'm not even sure Guile is
   all that good-looking. I mean,
   who knows what he's hiding
   under that mask? He might
   have scars, or--

LeenaH:
   (Giggle) Or no eyebrows, or
   something?

LeenaA:
   Or something. And he's a
   drunk, and a mystery fanatic,
   and... I just had a horrible
   thought.

LeenaH:
   What? Tell me, tell me!

[BTW, don't take the next couple of lines too seriously--they do not reflect
my real beliefs about the characters, or my future plans for them, but they did
strike me as the sort of silly idea that Leena x 2 might come up with.]

LeenaA:
   Well, with the way Guile
   dresses... I wonder if he's
   interested in women at all.

LeenaH:
   I see what you mean--it's
   kind of flamboyant, isn't it?
   And it shows off his chest.
   Do you think he's in love with
   Magus?

LeenaA:
   It would sure explain a lot,
   but I can't see ANYONE being
   in love with Magus. I mean,
   okay, there's something about
   him that draws your attention,
   but, well, brrr.

[She shudders theatrically]

LeenaH:
   Yeah, I'll say. Most of the time
   that Serge was talking, he was
   staring at the horizon, but he
   did turn around for a few
   seconds, and it felt like he was
   staring right through me. He IS
   good-looking in a weird kind of
   way, but I can't imagine having
   him for a boyfriend. It feels
   like that kind of attention
   would just slide off him.

LeenaA:
   We don't have a place in
   whatever world he lives in--
   and I think that's probably a
   good thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LeenaH:
   I thought Nikki was kind of
   cute.

LeenaA:
   He's got a good singing voice,
   too...although it didn't
   impress that monster he was
   serenading when we met.

LeenaH:
   He was singing to a monster?!

LeenaA:
   Yup, he seemed to think he
   could convince it to get out
   of his way.

LeenaH:
   I guess that means he isn't
   all that bright.

LeenaA:
   Yeah, but that isn't the real
   problem. He's also got this
   total sister complex...

LeenaH:
   Oh--cross him off the list,
   then. Guys like that are
   never quite... Well, you
   know.

LeenaA:
   Yeah, I do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LeenaH:
   How about Glenn?

LeenaA:
   Glenn...

[LeenaA shakes her head]

LeenaA:
   Glenn is supposed to be three
   years older than Serge, but he
   doesn't FEEL any older, if you
   know what I mean. It's like he
   doesn't want to grow up. And
   besides, he's an Acacia
   Dragoon.

LeenaH:
   I thought they were the bad
   guys!

LeenaA:
   Exactly--so dating Glenn isn't
   going to happen, and it wouldn't
   even if he didn't hang his sword
   straight down between his legs
   like he's trying to compensate
   for something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LeenaH:
   I guess that leaves Skelly...

LeenaA:
   You're kidding me, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[End of optional-sectiony things]

LeenaH:
   Didn't you meet even one decent
   guy anywhere? One that didn't
   join up with you?

LeenaA:
   Hmmm, let me see... Korcha's
   too young, a loser, and fixated
   on Kid, Lynx is a demi-human
   and Really Evil...

LeenaH:
   What about the dragoons?

LeenaA:
   Most of them are sort of
   interchangeable, except maybe
   the Devas. I don't want a guy
   that doesn't stand out.

LeenaH:
   Well, what about the Devas,
   then? Karsh and...Zoah, I
   think it was.

LeenaA:
   Karsh has a thing for Riddel,
   General Viper's daughter--I
   could tell that just by
   looking at him when she was
   around. I don't think I
   could pry him away with a
   crowbar.

LeenaH:
   You really have been having
   rotten luck, haven't you?
   And Zoah?

LeenaA:
   Zoah...not a chance. I mean,
   he has a nice body--you can
   tell, since he barely wears
   any clothes--but he hides
   his face under a helmet.
   And he SHOUTS ALL THE TIME.

LeenaH:
   Hides his face...I wonder
   why.

LeenaA:
   Probably he's got hideous
   scars or something.

LeenaH:
   You know, you almost sound
   like you WANT him to be that
   way. On the inside, he might
   be quite a sensitive guy.

LeenaA:
   Bet you wouldn't say that if
   you ever met him. Say, why
   don't you come with us? It
   would be great to have
   someone around to talk to.

[LeenaH shakes her head]

LeenaH:
   I'd take you up on that if I
   could, but Grandma needs me
   here. She isn't well, you know.

LeenaA:
   She's worse here than she is
   in my world, then. Drat.

   ...You know, Serge is probably
   missing me by now.

LeenaH:
   Yeah, knowing him, he probably
   is. Sometimes he's too much of
   a nice guy for his own good.

LeenaA:
   Hey! What do you mean by that?

LeenaH:
   Oops, sorry, I didn't mean it
   that way. Honestly. I mean,
   it's natural that Serge would
   be interested in you, since
   you're me.

LeenaA:
   ...Serge always looked to me
   like he was more interested
   in Kid.

LeenaH:
   Kid? You mean the girl in
   red?

LeenaA:
   That's her.

LeenaH:
   My true rival has appeared.

[LeenaA turns to stare at her.]

LeenaA:
   You...really do like Serge,
   don't you?

LeenaH:
   Given the alternatives, can
   you blame me?

[Both of them shake with laughter as the scene fades out and we're taken to
Serge's room the next morning.]

----------------------------------------------------------------

[If Leena was never recruited and the party speaks to Home World's
Leena, the conversation is much shorter...]

Leena:
   Serge!
   Where have you been!?
   You had me worried sick!

Serge:
   Um...

Leena:
   That disappearing trick wasn't
   very funny, you know! What did
   you think you were doing?!

Serge:
   Sorr--

Leena:
   Don't you DARE ever put me
   through anything like that
   again!

Kid:                           | Nikki:
   Say, mate, does this sheila |    Serge, I keep telling you,
   ever let ya get a word in   |    you need to learn how to
   edgewise?                   |    treat girls.
                               |
Serge:                         | Serge:
   She winds down eventually.  |    Give me a break, Nikki.
   (Sometimes she even does it |    (It isn't like Leena's a
   before I go completely      |    normal girl. She's...well,
   deaf.)                      |    I'm not really sure WHAT
                               |    she is, but not normal.)

Leena:
   Hmph. If that's how you're
   going to be, I'm not speaking
   to you for the rest of today.

Serge:
   (I wonder if she'd extend that
   a bit if I told her I'm actually
   going to enjoy the peace and
   quiet...?)

And that's all for this time, folks! One more side-stuff segment before we finally get to the
next chapter...


mav

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #99 on: November 06, 2009, 11:01:14 pm »
Hahahaha, oh man, the conversation between the Leenas was hilarious; I could definitely see that happening. Those were two pretty solid stories. I gotta say that the humorous segments are working out perfectly. The only typo I noticed was by Glenn in the Recruiting Luccia segment.
Glenn:
   Miss Riddell...
And maybe another one:
Luccia:
   You are my brodder's...
   Vho gave the order to
   deploy you? You are not
   complete yet!
I don't know how that'd be pronounced. I know what you meant, but since wh makes an h sound, the v shouldn't replace the w, right?

Fantastic work. I'll try to stop by more often to give you more feedback.

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #100 on: November 07, 2009, 08:20:38 pm »
@mav: With the Leena conversation, I was trying to recapture a bit of the mood from the
slideshow ending from CT. I think I got that at least mostly right.

Thanks for pointing out the typos. I think Luccia's line is going to become "Vhat fool gave de
order..." Because of the very problem you mentioned, I was bending over backwards not to use the
word "who" in her dialogue, but I guess I missed that one.

(Edit: Upon looking back over the text, I discovered that Luccia's speech is riddled with little
errors where I failed to apply her accent consistently. Arrgh...)
« Last Edit: November 07, 2009, 08:32:10 pm by alfadorredux »

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #101 on: November 14, 2009, 08:51:27 pm »
So here we have the last section of the early-game-optional-stuff. I have no idea where the
Zippa/Zappa chunk came from, except that it struck me as a bit odd that Serge wouldn't react
to finding out that the two of them are Karsh's parents...so I figured I would take the
opportunity to toss in some foreshadowing.



[I was going to put the flashback involving Glenn, Dario,
Karsh, and the trophies here, but after re-reading it, I
decided there really wasn't much I could do to improve on
the original, and there's no point in copying the entire
thing verbatim from the CC script.]

-------------------------------------------------------

+++++++++PART VI: Chasing Rainbows...++++++++++
   
=================================================
Zappa's Smithy, Termina (Another)
=================================================

Zippa:
   Do ye know about this?
   There is an amazin' material
   called the '"rainbow,"'
   that can be forged into
   very fine items.
   When we were young, we went
   out to search for ourselves,
   but never found it...
   We've stopped searchin'
   when Karsh was born.
   Children are far more valuable
   than any treasure, ye know.
   But that man hasn't been shut
   down yet. Who knows when he
   might yell out that he's goin'
   back on his search.

Serge:
   Whoa, wait a second here!
   KARSH?! You're HIS parents?!

[Zappa looks up from his forge]

Zappa:
   Aye, that we are. Why're ye
   so surprised?

Serge:
   Um, it's just that he doesn't
   look anything like either of
   you. (I can't tell them that
   it's because they seem way
   too nice to have that crazy
   axe-waving bastard for a
   son...)

Zappa:
   Heh, ye've met him, ah take
   it. Truth is, he looks like
   Zippa did when she was a
   lass--her hair was that same
   shade of purple when ah
   began a-courtin' her.

Zippa:
   Aye, and flattered ah was to
   have the attention of one
   of the Four Devas, e'en if
   he was a big lunk built like
   an anvil.

[Both of them laugh.]

Serge:
   You were a Deva? (This is
   getting weirder and weirder.)

Zappa:
   Aye, back in the day, 'twas
   Viper, Garai, Radius, and me
   that made up the group. That
   was afore ah lost my eye in
   the wars on the continent.

Zippa:
   We were right proud when Karsh
   managed to follow in his old
   man's footsteps.

Serge:
   (This guy...and Radius, too...
   I wonder how my world's Radius
   ended up in Arni, and why I
   haven't heard about any of this
   before now. So, them, and Viper,
   but...) Garai? I don't think
   I've heard of him...

Zappa:
   He was the best of us, but he's
   been dead now for many a year.

Zippa:
   And his son Dario vanished some
   few years ago, just afore he was
   to marry Lady Riddel. So
   tragic...

Serge:
   I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
   bring back bad memories.

Zippa:
   'Tis nothin', lad. We're well
   over it now, although Karsh...
   well, the lad took Dario's death
   hard. They were friends, after
   all.

Serge:
   Hmmm... (Karsh doesn't seem like
   the kind of guy to take ANYONE's
   death so hard he'd still be
   moping about it years later. I
   wonder what happened...?)

-------------------------------------------------------

+++++++++++PART VII: Oh, Nikki, you're So Fine!+++++++++++

=================================================
Magical Dreamers Ship, Termina (Another)
=================================================

[This only happens if Nikki is in the party, of course]


Miki:
   Sigh...
   The concert's been postponed,
   Nikki's acting strange...
   I just want to pack up and
   hurry out of Termina, for
   crying out loud.

Nikki:
   Sorry 'bout that--something
   came up.

Miki:
   Argh! Nikki, you idiot, where
   have you been?!

Nikki:
   Whoa, there! I can explain!

Miki:
   Not until I'm done yelling
   at you!

[While Miki shakes her finger at Nikki and stomps her feet expressively, and Nikki
sort of hangs his head...]

Serge:
   (I guess she's his version
   of Leena...)

[Miki finally winds down]

Miki:
   Pant, pant... Don't you
   EVER do anything like that
   again! Do you have any
   idea how worried I've been?

Serge:
   (Yup, definitely his Leena.)

Nikki:
   I'm sorry, okay? Sheesh.
   Anyway, I found her.

Miki:
   You mean...?

Nikki:
   Yeah, Dragoon Deva Marcy
   really is my little sister.
   She doesn't want to believe
   it, though. Seems no one
   bothered to tell her that
   her family might still be
   alive.

Miki:
   Oh, Nikki...

Nikki:
   Hey, it's no big deal. I'll
   just have to keep trying.
   Sooner or later, she'll
   harmonize with me--she won't
   be able to resist.

Miki:
   Well, you always were the
   optimist of this outfit. In
   your place, I'd probably--

Nikki:
   --have Marcy eating out of
   your hand already. It took
   you less than two days to
   pry me out of my shell,
   remember?

Miki:
   That was a long time ago.

Nikki:
   Yeah, when the Marbule
   chieftain handed me over to
   your father, we were about
   the same age Marcy is now...

[Miki shakes her head a bit.]

Miki:
   Anyway, Nikki, are we FINALLY
   going to do this stupid gig?
   I'm getting really tired of
   Termina.

Nikki:
   Um, can you just...bear with
   me for a while longer? Things
   have gotten complicated, and
   I'm kind of hip-deep in
   centaurpedes right now...

Miki:
   Why am I not surprised? Okay,
   we'll do things your way,
   since you're useless on stage
   when your heart's somewhere
   else.

Nikki:
   I'm sorry--I'll make it up
   to you.

Miki:
   You still owe me three silk
   scarves and a pound of
   chocolates from the last time
   something like this happened...
   Oh, never mind. But Marcy had
   better get it through her head
   that she's got the best, most
   loving big brother in El Nido.

Nikki:
   And I have the best big sister
   in the world.

Miki:
   ...

Serge:
   (Whoa, didn't see that coming
   at all...)

--------------------------------------------------------

PART VIII: Of Dragon's Tears and Bored Shamans

[Serge and the others enter the Dragon Shrine in Guldove. If they haven't been
here before (that is, if they followed anything other than the standard Save
Kid route through Chapter 9), some introductions will take place...]


Shrine Maiden:
   Welcome to the Dragon Shrine.
   I am Steena, a shaman
   serving Village Chief and
   High Priestess Direa.

Serge:
   I'm Serge, from Arni.
   My friends and I have some
   questions for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they were here previously, Serge says...]

Serge:
   I'm sorry to bother you both
   again, but I have some more
   questions. Oh, but first I
   should thank you. Because
   of what you told me, I was
   able to find some Hydra Humour
   and save my friend.

Steena:
   It is our purpose to provide
   guidance to those in need of
   a path. We are happy that our
   advice brought about a positive
   outcome to your difficulty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steena:
   What knowledge do you seek
   of us?

Serge:
   I'd like to know about the
   Dragon Tear.

Steena:
   The Dragon Tear... That is
   quite a long story.

Steena:
   El Nido has long been called
   "'The Land Where the Dragons
   Sleep."'
   There are islands named
   after Dragons...and numerous
   Dragonian ruins and artifacts.
   You may have encountered
   some of these already.
   The most famous are the islands
   of the Sky Dragon, the Earth
   Dragon, and the Water Dragon.
   And the ancient ruin,
   '"Fort Dragonia,"'
   that lies to the east.
   Of the many Dragonian ruins,
   Fort Dragonia is one of the few
   that is still fully functional.

Serge:
   (Fort Dragonia, where Lynx is...)
   What does that have to do with
   the Tear, though?

Direa:
   The key to activate
   this ruin is the
   '"Dragon Tear"'...
   It was given to our ancestors
   by the extinct Dragonians as a
   symbol of our friendship.

Serge:
   (Then if Lynx has the Dragon
   Tear... Oh, man, just what we
   need: more complications!)
   Um, I hate to ask this, but...
   why don't you still have it?

Direa:
   It has been passed down
   through successive shamans,
   but...

Steena:
   It was stolen and taken away
   from Guldove by an unknown
   assailant.
   Their intent is unknown, but
   if they plan to activate the
   ancient ruin, a great
   disaster shall come about.

Direa:
   Our people have been
   searching for it, but...
   we have found no trace of it.

Kid: [if present]
   Lynx must've taken it!

Serge:
   (It couldn't have been anyone
   other than Lynx, or Viper, or
   someone working for them. No
   one else would have any use for
   the thing that I can see,
   unless...) So the ONLY thing
   the Dragon Tear does is activate
   Fort Dragonia?

Steena:
   If it has another use, it has
   not been passed down to us.

Direa:
   In legends, the Tear is often
   confused with another artifact
   called the "Frozen Flame", but
   of that I know even less.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is present...]

Kid:
   The Frozen--! But Lynx said
   it was in the Sea of Eden!
   That bloody liar!

Serge:
   Whoa, calm down! She just said
   that people get the two mixed
   up, not that this Tear thing
   IS the Frozen Flame!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is also present...]

Magus:
   What does this "Dragon Tear"
   look like?

Steena:
   It has the form of a blue
   sphere with a complex inner
   structure. The sphere is
   half-covered by a thin shell,
   also blue, which rises to
   three points of differing
   heights.

Magus:
   Then it is not the Frozen
   Flame.

Kid:
   Wha-- Wait just a sec, mate!
   Are ya sayin' you've SEEN the
   thing?!

Magus:
   The Frozen Flame? I must admit
   to being somewhat uncertain of
   that. The image in my mind is
   blurred... I may merely be
   remembering a picture.

Guile:
   Then it's from...before?

Magus:
   More likely I read about it
   late some night and then
   forgot about it afterwards.

Serge:
   So what does it look like?

Magus:
   It is a flat object the size
   of a man's head, orange or
   red in colour, with a circular
   base from which several
   irregular wavy spines point
   up and out. Also, it is all
   of a piece, with no separate
   shell.

Serge:
   (Which makes the Dragon Tear
   the wrong color and the wrong
   shape. I'm not sure if that's
   good or not. Hey, wait a
   minute...!) Doesn't the Dragon
   Tear sound an awful lot like
   the thing Viper had on his
   desk when we snuck into the
   manor?

Kid:
   Now that ya mention it, mate,
   it sounds exactly like.

Serge:
   Well, I guess that means there's
   no chance Lynx ISN'T headed for
   Fort Dragonia. (But why did I
   feel like the Tear was pulling
   at me?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kid:                            | Glenn:
   So what happens if Lynx      |    If I may ask--what are the
   uses this Tear and activates |    potential consequences if Lynx
   Fort Dragonia?               |    were to activate the fort?

Steena:
   It would certainly bring
   disaster to this world...

Serge:
   (!)

Direa:
   Nod... That is correct.
   This Dragonian ruin is a product
   of their '"crystal of wisdom."'
   Its power is unknown, yet much
   too powerful for any human.
   If the ruin were to be
   activated by chance, it would
   emit uncontrollable power...
   All would surely end in disaster.

Serge:
   (Somehow, I don't think they're
   kidding. Oh, hell, how did I
   get mixed up in all this? But
   if...if it could be that bad,
   then someone has to stop Lynx
   and Viper. I just wish I could
   be sure we can pull it off.
   The fate of the world... That's
   a pretty big responsibility!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is present]

Kid:
   Relax, mate. She'll be right,
   I tell ya! The world ain't
   gonna come apart just 'cause
   of that bastard Lynx, 'cause
   I ain't gonna let it!

Serge:
   (I wish I were that confident.
   Hey, wait a sec...) How did
   you know that I was worried?

Kid:
   We've been travellin'
   together...nearly a week now?
   And yer face is an easy one
   to read.

Serge:
   ...Oh. (I still can't figure
   HER out at all.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steena:
   You are right to be concerned.
   Since the Dragon Tear was
   stolen, we cannot deny that this
   threat may become a reality.

Serge:
   Not if I can help it.

Kid:                             | Nikki:
   So we're still goin'? Beauty, |    Are you sure you really want
   mate. Not that I ever doubted |    to do this?
   ya.                           |
                                 | Serge:
Serge:                           |    Actually, I'm scared out of
   (I don't get it--why am I so  |    my mind, but I can't just
   pleased that she thinks I'm   |    wait around, either.
   doing the right thing?)       |

[Serge bows to Direa.]

Serge:
   Thank you for taking the time
   to see us, ma'am.

Steena:
   May your journey be blessed
   with the guidance of the 6 great
   Dragon Gods...



And that's all the sidestuff for now, folks! I'll be posting the Hermit's Hideaway chapter next.
(And I'm going to have to start working in alternative lines for Luccia and Skelly from now on.
And try to keep Magus from stealing the show again (at least until we hit the whole body-switch/
stabbing scene). Urgh.)

Katie Skyye

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #102 on: November 15, 2009, 01:58:17 am »

And that's all the sidestuff for now, folks! I'll be posting the Hermit's Hideaway chapter next.
(And I'm going to have to start working in alternative lines for Luccia and Skelly from now on.
And try to keep Magus from stealing the show again (at least until we hit the whole body-switch/
stabbing scene). Urgh.)


If only Magus still had his memories, he'd completely own Lynx in Fort Dragonia. (also I hated that level, but it had good music)

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #103 on: November 15, 2009, 08:27:20 pm »
A Magus with his abilities intact would be able to take out Lynx with a single Dark Matter, yes. (Even in his amnesiac state, he's probably going to try something like that, although all I have for that scene is a very early draft that's going to have to be changed to make it work with the script as it now stands.) He'd also completely unbalance the early game, though, so he isn't getting his entire memory back until quite late.

alfadorredux

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Re: Chrono Helix (script)
« Reply #104 on: November 22, 2009, 08:48:48 pm »
This was a relatively short chapter in which Glenn, rather than Magus, came close
to stealing the limelight. Damn characters, can't control them, can't have a
story without them... ;P



Hermit's Hideaway - Meeting with the 'other' swordsman...

Recruits: At this point, the player will have one of three core groups of
        PCs, depending on the path that was taken through chapter 9--
       
  • Serge, Kid, Guile, and Magus
  • Serge, Kid, and Nikki
  • or Serge, Nikki, and Glenn
        plus any or all of the three available optional characters (Leena,
        Luccia, Skelly).

[Reconstructing this was a pain--several lines used in the versions of these
scenes where Glenn is not present are missing from this part of the
Compendium's version of the script (they're in the raw text dumps at the end,
but don't show up in the section marked out for the chapter or in the
Lost Lines section--they're just kind of in limbo). I think I've found
all the missing bits, though, thanks to YouTube and the people who've posted
Cross playthroughs there.]

===========================================================
Hermit's Hideaway (Another)
===========================================================

[The party arrives on the island, only to find it...somewhat
charred around the edges.]

Glenn:                     
| Luccia:                              | Kid:
   What on earth happened!?
|    Dere is evidence of combustion... |    Arrgh, that Lynx! Looks
   Could Lynx have done     
|    Vhat happened here? Did Lynx      |    like the bastard really
   this!?                   
|    arrive before us?                 |    didn't want us to talk
                           
|                                      |    to this ex-dragoon guy.
   
 [Harle]
   Zat'z correct.
   Hmm... Maybe not?

[Harle appears. Serge shakes his head.]

Serge:
   (Not HER again.)

Harle:
   Ze correct answer iz,
   I did zis under
   Monsieur Lynx's order.

Kid: [If present]
   I knew that bastard had to
   have something to do with it!

Harle:
   Salut, Serge.
   Did you miss moi?

Serge:
   Um... (If I tell her the
   truth, she'll probably light
   into me... Hopefully, someone
   will interrupt before I have
   to say anything.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Glenn is present]

Glenn:
   Harle!!!
   What have you done
   with Radius!?

Serge:
   (Huh? Oh, of course he would
   know her--he lives at Viper
   Manor.)

Harle:
   Ooh lah lah...
   Glenn...
   You're all fired up.

Harle:
   Oooooooh...!
   
Glenn:
   Tell me!!!

Harle:
   Tsk, tsk, tsk!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
Harle:
   Excusez-moi, Serge,
   but do you want to know why
   I burned zis place to ze ground?

   ~~~Tell me                    |    ~~~Not really...
                                 |
Harle:                           | Harle:
   Well, first of all to         |    Ahh, oui?
   teach you all a lesson...     |    You are no fun.
   And second of all to get rid  |
   of zat geezer who livez here. |
Serge:
   He iz an ally of ze Acacia    |
    Sorry, but I didn't come
   Dragoonz, and I hear he'z     |
    here to show you a good
   quite skilled.                |
    time. (Ulp! Maybe I should
   I waz disappointed to see     |
    have phrased that a little
   zat ze geezer izn't here.     |
    differently...)
   I wonder where he went?       |

                                 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
                                 | [If Kid is present...]
[If Kid is present...]           |
                                 | Kid:
Kid:                             |    Ya lost your mind, mate?
   Lynx ain't gonna be impressed |
   that ya can't even kill one   | Harle:
   old man.                      |    Clearly, Serge seez zat I
                                 |    have more charm zan you
[Harle gives her a Look, but     |    will ever possess--non,
doesn't say anything.]           |    mon Serge?
                                 |
                                 | Serge:
                                 |    (I wonder if they'll leave
                                 |    me out of this if I whine
                                 |    pathetically enough? Of
                                 |    course, I'm not really much
                                 |    good at whining, either...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harle:
   And one more t'ing, Serge.
   Monsieur Lynx gave moi
   one more order.
   Zat iz to slow down
   your pursuit.

Serge:
   (Lynx actually cares that
   we're following him... Does
   that mean he thinks we're a
   danger, or just a nuisance?)

Harle:
   Here I go!

[Begin combat. During the fight...]
 
Harle:
   Enfin... Take all
   ze time you wish.

[As the fight ends--line altered because of pseudo-French so bad
I thought it was going to give me hives.]

Harle:
   Mon Dieu!

   You've vanquished moi!

[After the fight]

Harle:
   Ooh lah lah...
   You really are strong,
   trés fort, Serge.

Serge:
   Um... I try. (Why does the
   first girl to ever give me
   a compliment about my strength
   have to be HER?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is present]

Harle:
   Pleaze, Serge.
   Turn back now.

Harle:
   She iz not'ing
   but bad luck!
   She will bring
   not'ing but misfortune
   to your life.

Serge:
   "She"... You mean Kid? I'd
   say she's brought me pretty
   GOOD luck. (What is it about
   them, anyway? Why do she and
   Kid seem to hate each other
   so much?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is not present]

Harle:
   Well, zat'z all ze
   fun for today...!

Serge:
   (That was supposed
   to be FUN?!)

Harle:
   Au revoir, Serge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Harle disappears, and Radius arrives]

Old Man:
   Are you one of
   Lynx's minions?

Serge:
   Um, no, we're--

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Glenn is present]

Glenn:
   Radius, you are safe!
   
Radius:
   Hoh-hoh!
   Is that you, Glenn?
   It's been a while.
   You seem well.
   
Glenn:
   I am glad
   you are
   alright.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Glenn is not present]

Old Man:
   Actually, I see that you are not.
   It must have been that munchkin
   that just flew away.

Serge:
   I'm not sure I'd call her a
   munchkin, but yes, she's the
   one working for Lynx, not us.
   (What's a "munchkin", anyway?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Radius:
   Yes...
   Miss Riddel had informed me
   that Lynx and the general
   were heading to Fort Dragonia.
   I played it safe and went
   into hiding for a while...
   And it looks like Lynx did
   pay me a visit.
   I'm sure the general has
   no idea what happened here.
   Lynx is the one behind all this.

Serge:
   I'm not so sure I'd give Viper
   the benefit of the doubt. He's
   still working with Lynx even
   after...

Radius:
   After...?

Serge:
   Never mind. (If I told him
   that Lynx came close to
   poisoning Riddel with hydra
   venom, he probably wouldn't
   believe me, anyway.)

Radius:
   I had a feeling
   something like this
   might happen...
   That is why I made
   sure to build a sturdy
   stronghold underground.
   I believe it should
   still be intact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Again, if Glenn is present]

Glenn:
   Lynx must be
   plotting something.

Serge:
   (Thank you,
   Dragoon Obvious.)

Radius:
   By the way, Glenn...
   Who are these people?
   
Glenn:
   Oh... They are...

Serge:
   We're after Lynx. I'm Serge,
   from Arni, and these are my
   friends.

Radius:
   Well, no sense
   standing out here.
   Please, come in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[And if he isn't]

Old Man:
   Are you here to
   ask me questions?

Serge:
   Um, yeah, I guess we are.

Old Man:
   Come, there's no
   need to be shy.

===========================================================
Haven, Hermit's Hideaway (Another)
===========================================================

[If Glenn is not present]

Radius:
   I see...
   So you have met
   Miss Riddel and Glenn.

Serge:
   Yes, that's right.

Radius:
   I haven't seen either of those
   children in ages. It's good to
   know that they're both well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Glenn is present...]

Radius:
   Hmmm...
   I see.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge:
   You were a dragoon,
   weren't you?

Radius:
   Yes, I once wielded a sword
   as a proud member of the
   Acacia Dragoons.
   Glenn's father, Garai, the
   blacksmith, Zappa, and I used
   to tear up the battlefield.

Radius:
   But that was a good
   fifteen years ago...
   When Garai lost his life on
   the central continent, I vowed
   to become his sons' guardian.
   I officially retired four years
   ago, after Dario received his
   father's sword, the Einlanzer.
   I have been here ever since,
   living a carefree life away
   from the rest of the world.

Serge:
   (I wonder why my world's
   Radius went to Arni instead
   of ending up here...? Maybe,
   when this is all over, I'll
   ask him.)

Radius:
   However, Dario is
   no longer with us...
   Life is so unpredictable...

Radius:
   It was then that Lynx
   approached General Viper.
   He spoke of the legendary
   treasure, the Frozen Flame,
   which is able to heal all
   illnesses and fulfill any dreams.

Magus: [if present]
   For a price. Why do I suspect
   he forgot to mention that part?

Radius:
   I do not know what this
   man Lynx is plotting...
   But I believe General Viper
   intends to overthrow the
   nation of Porre with the power
   of this legendary flame.
   Porre is a nation governed by
   militarism and has brought on
   suffering to many people on
   the central continent of Zenan.
   Perhaps the general envisions
   a bright and peaceful world,
   much like Guardia was at one
   time...

Radius:
   Or...
   Is he planning to find
   the answer as to why we have
   continued to hurt and kill
   each other since antiquity...?

Magus:                      | Leena:                 | Nikki:
   Heh. How naive. People   |    Why we hurt and     |    People are afraid of
   kill each other because  |    kill each other...  |    other people who aren't
   one person desires a     |    I wish I knew.      |    like them...but it can't
   thing and another stands |    Maybe then we       |    be that simple, right?
   in his way. The wants    |    could make it stop. |    Still, it doesn't seem
   involved may be complex, |                        |    to me like that's something
   but the outcome is easy  |                        |    we need to ask this "Frozen
   to understand.           |                        |    Flame" about.

Radius:
   In any case, I no longer
   wish to involve myself
   in any conflicts.
   Besides, there is no way
   I would want to face
   General Viper in battle.
   Young one, should you
   plan to engage in battle
   with Lynx, beware...
   He is a fearsome man.

Serge:
   Yeah, I know--we've already
   tangled with him once, and
   came pretty close to getting
   ourselves killed. But even
   if we don't follow him to
   Fort Dragonia, he's going to
   come after us eventually.
   He's...interested in me, for
   some reason. ("Assassin of
   Time", "Chrono Trigger"...
   I still don't understand
   what any of that means!)

Serge:
   Anyway, thank you for your
   information and advice. (I
   don't know how much use we're
   actually going to get out of
   that history lesson, but I'd
   rather learn something useless
   than not know something
   important.)

Radius:
   I suggest you rest here
   for the night and leave
   in the morning.
   There are many cursed
   spirits wandering the
   seas around here.
   Rumor has it, they attack
   ships and suck the souls
   out of humans...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid isn't present]

Serge:
   (Ghosts again... I wonder
   if they're real ones this
   time...? I'm not sure I
   believe in them anymore,
   since my own stint as a
   "ghost".)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Kid is present]

Guile:                        | Skelly:                | Nikki:
   Ghosts...interesting.      |    I'd heard there was |    We passed through the seas
   I had heard that there     |    a ghost ship near   |    near Mount Pyre on our way
   was a ghost ship wandering |    Mount Pyre--heck, a |    to Termina, and the fog was
   these waters--indeed, I    |    couple of people in |    really spooky. They say
   was even considering       |    Termina asked me if |    there's a ghost ship that
   investigating it after     |    I was from there.   |    hangs out there, and I can
   Viper Manor, until events  |                        |    believe it, even if we
   got away from me.          |                        |    didn't meet it.

Kid:
   What?
   A ghost ship?
   Hah! You tryin' to scare me!?
   Don't make me laugh.
   
Radius:
   Do not take the sea
   lightly, young lady.
   Mankind knows only
   but the land and the
   surface of the sea.
   No man can truly know
   what hides beneath
   the waves.



Next we will have the ghost ship chapter, which I expect to be rather longer (especially
since Magus gets another scene near the end of it, and so do Nikki and Fargo).