Act 3, Scene 2: Flashback: All Hail the Queen!

RATS

TECH PREROLL

LX-0099 Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX-0099 STANDBY for GO, L7 backpro Light Blue #154, T2 near und far auf B light #19

Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Puppeteer1: ON

DIALOG

STANDBY Stage left [1, 1st, off]: Vis'alik, Zil'iya (Tiger puppet) without puppeteers

STANDBY Stage left [1, 2nd, off]: None

STANDBY Stage right [7, 1st, off]: Yan'ano (Wolf puppet), Zil'iya (Wolf puppet), Soldier_1, Yan'ano (Gryphon puppet) without puppeteers

STANDBY Stage right [7, 2nd, off]: None

STANDBY Stage: Inok'bana sitting on throne at [3, 2nd].

Yan'ano is in his normal wolf form.

Zil'iya is in her normal wolf form.

Curtain - stay closed.

Narration - Tim'ofej and Yan'ano are in bed.

Tim'ofej: "Yan?"

Yan'ano: "Yes?"

Tim'ofej: "Did your sister really join the army?"

Yan'ano: "Yes. I tried everything to persuade her otherwise, but Mother died in the dungeon soon after, and from that moment, nothing could stop her. Zil'iya was accepted with great enthusiasm, and then I didn't hear from her for almost three years. And when she finally returned, she was no longer the sister I used to know. She brought her own little army. Holy Zan'ika knows how she managed to pull that off. Probably some kind of arcane mind control savagery. Anyways, nobody at the palace was expecting anything. One day, a courier handed me a sealed note with instructions."

Tim'ofej: "And, did you follow them?"

Yan'ano: "Of course. I gave her my word after all. But if I had known what she was about to do, I wouldn't have. It probably was the biggest mistake of my life. The attack happened so quickly the palace guard didn't even have time to sound the alarm. They blew the palace gates open with a giant fireball, mages rushing to help dropping like flies, soldiers of the guard being overwhelmed by the onslaught of fighters wearing the late King's crest. It was a bloodbath beyond all comparison."

Tim'ofej: "Did your sister make you fight, too?"

Yan'ano: "No, my job was just to guide them to the throne room, where Inok'bana was preparing his weekly consultation hour, being completely oblivious to the mayhem going on outside ..."

Scene begins here.

LX-0000 fade-in: backpro 100%, backdrop T2 near, mid, far alle

Open the Curtain.

Curtain - open

AMB-3201 - Throne Room Ambience Modified

LX-3200 -> 1-2 Room

Inok'bana is on the wooden throne at [3, 2nd], getting himself ready for the weekly consultation hour, he seems restless and annoyed.

Inok'bana: "Vis'alik?"

Vis'alik enters from [1, 1st].

Vis'alik: "Yes, arch mage?"

Inok'bana: "Consultation hour began 5 minutes ago - why is nobody coming? They should be lining up to the end of the hallway by now."

Vis'alik: "That is most peculiar. Should I go and investigate?"

Inok'bana: "Please."

SND-3201 - Throne room door is being kicked open with a bang.

Soldier_1 staggers in from [7, 1st], drenched in blood, armour hanging in pieces, a sword still sticking from his back. He walks towards [6, 1st].

Soldier_1: "Arch mage! The palace is under attack!"

Inok'bana jumps up.

Vis'alik draws his fancy sword, and positions himself between the entrance and Inok'bana at [4, 1st].

Inok'bana: "Who the hell are you and what in Zan'ika's name are you talking about?"

Soldier_1: "They appeared out of nowhere! Soldiers of our own army, bearing the King's Crest! I ... I ... hhrgrg ... I've never seen anything like this ..."

Inok'bana: "What about the palace guard?"

Soldier_1: "... they're all ... gone ..."

Soldier_1 dies.

Inok'bana: "Hey! HEY, TALK TO ME!"

SND-3202 - Door Open / Close

Yan'ano enters the throne room from [7, 1st] at a calm pace. He walks towards [5, 1st] and stops in front of Vis'alik.

Yan'ano (slightly ironic): "Greetings, Inok'bana, arch mage and steward of late king Say'ake-Sen."

Vis'alik turns his attention to Yan'ano, protecting the throne.

Inok'bana: "Am I going crazy? Who let YOU into the palace?"

Yan'ano: "Nobody. The door was open, so I just walked in. I heard you have a consultation hour today, and I was wondering how the search for his majesty's successor is going."

Inok'bana: "Are you the one behind this coup d'etat?"

Yan'ano: "This is no coup. Zil'iya-Sen, the legitimate queen of Sen'ayda sent me to kindly ask you to peacefully step down and relinquish the throne to her majesty, to prevent further bloodshed."

Inok'bana loses it, exploding in a fit of madness. He lifts up Yan'ano in the proven Darth Vader style strangling him telekinecially.

SND-3203 - Telekinesis

Yan'ano struggles and gasps.

Inok'bana: "TRAITOR! I knew I should have never trusted you ... I should have thrown you and your sister in the dungeon with your mother to rot. THIS is what KINDESS gets you. You broke the holy principles of the Guild! See what happens when magic gets into the wrong hands ..."

SND-3203B - Door Open / Close

Zil'iya enters the room from [7, 1st].

Zil'iya: "Release him."

Vis'alik gets confused, now looking back and forth between everyone in the room, his fancy sword drawn.

Inok'bana: "Give me one reason why I should let him live!"

Zil'iya: "Foolish old man."

Zil'iya makes a gesture like she's throwing a very heavy stone at Inok'bana.

SND-3204 - BRAIN ERASE

Inok'bana acts like he just received a head shot.

A high pressure burst of glitter and steam explodes from the back of Inok'bana's head.

Vis'alik turns to Inok'bana, shocked!

Inok'bana: "AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Yan'ano drops to the floor, scrambling to safety, out of the throne room at [7, 1st].

Inok'bana holds his head.

Inok'bana: "What have you done to me?!"

Zil'iya: "If three years on the battlefields of Mek'ale have taught me anything, then it is that the mind is mightier than the sword. How does it feel to be stripped of your magic powers, ex-arch mage Inok'bana?"

Have Zil'iya's Tiger puppet ready near her.

Inok'bana: "How did you do this ... who taught you this?"

Zil'iya laughs madly.

Vis'alik doesn't know what is happening, he is completely lost.

SND-3205 - Transformation

LX-3201 +TF magic
Execute Zil'iya's transformation.

Zil'iya_Tiger shapeshifts into her warrior-tiger form, turning to Vis'alik.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Get out of the way, would you?"

Zil'iya_Tiger shoots an air vortex at Vis'alik.

SND-3206 - Air Vortex

Vis'alik: "GARRGH!"

Vis'alik gets knocked out of his boots, his fancy sword goes flying all across the room backwards towards [1]. He disappears from view.

Inok'bana is paralyzed with fear, shaking and whimpering.

Zil'iya_Tiger stalks towards Inok'bana on his throne, showing her teeth, until she is directly face-to-face with him, WHILE SHE TALKS.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "You thought you could just wave me off like a fly. You thought you were invincible. You thought you were in control of who wields magic and who doesn't. Guess what. You were WRONG! RARRRRRGT!"

SND-3207 - ROAR!

Zil'iya_Tiger snaps at Inok'bana's face, closing her jaws just an inch before him.

Inok'bana cowers into the seat of the wooden throne.

Zil'iya_Tiger: "I have discovered your dark secrets, Inok. I am now as powerful as all our fallen enemies combined. And with that power, I can melt through your mind like a hot knife through butter, until all that is left for you to see is your eyes, and all that is left for you to hear are your ears. No more magic for you, old man. Or for any one of your servants."

Inok'bana (broken): "Alright, I surrender. Take the throne. Do whatever you will. Just ... please ... let me go ..."

Zil'iya_Tiger: "Not quite yet, Inok. Not quite yet. There's one more thing I want."

Inok'bana: "And what would that be?"

Zil'iya_Tiger: "JUSTICE!"

SND-3208 - It's Feeding Time

Zil'iya_Tiger rips through Inok'bana's throat, blood and guts everywhere, the first row of the audience leaves the room, someone calls 911.

Have Zil'iya's wolf puppet ready near her.

Zil'iya_Tiger lets out her carnal rage on Inok'bana's body for a few more seconds, then throws him off the throne like a rag doll.

SND-3209 - Transformation

LX-3202 +TF magic
Execute Zil'iya's transformation.

Zil'iya shapeshifts back to her anthro form.

Move Zil'iya's gryphon puppet off stage.

Zil'iya brushes a few sorry leftovers from the throne, and takes her seat.

Zil'iya: (takes a deep breath) "Nice."

Vis'alik comes back in from [1, 1st].

Vis'alik: "Your majesty?"

Zil'iya: "Yes?"

Vis'alik falls to his knees before the queen near [4, 1st].

Vis'alik: "Now that the question of succession has been resolved at last, I, Vis'alik, would like to offer you my services as the Queen's personal assistant."

Zil'iya: "Why should I trust you?"

Vis'alik: "I served your father, and I served his steward, the arch mage, and my record is impeccable. Why should I betray the true heir of the throne? I live to serve. Not to mention that your majesty could reduce me to a smouldering pile of ashes at a flick of her wrist."

Zil'iya: "Alright, for now you're more useful to me **not** being a pile of ashes, so I shall accept your offer."

Vis'alik: "I hereby swear my allegiance to you, my Queen, until death takes me, I shall serve you."

Zil'iya: "So, Vis'alik, here is your first assignment. You will re-staff the palace guard with the soldiers I brought in, and then make an announcement that, at long last, the legitimate heir of the throne has been found, and that the long lost Queen of Sen'ayda has assumed her throne at the palace. Fairs and celebrations are to be held on the market places of all cities in the realm, yadda yadda, free beer. Uhmmm ..."

Zil'iya: "Also let it be known that the Mages' Guild will be dissolved with immediate effect. From now on, only one person will be allowed to practice magic, and that is the Queen of Sen'ayda herself. All mages and gifted persons are ordered to the palace, and have their magic powers silenced forever, or face the death penalty. No exceptions. You may add that this will be a painless procedure unless they resist. They shall receive a compensation in gold for their loyalty to the Queen. That's all for now."

Vis'alik: "Your wish is my command, my Queen."

SND-3209B - Door Open

Vis'alik bows once more, and swiftly goes on his way out at [7, 1st].

Yan'ano (off): "Is it safe to come back in?"

Zil'iya: "Yes! Come in brother!"

Yan'ano comes in from [7, 1st] and walks towards [4, 1st].

Zil'iya steps off the throne, and approaches Yan'ano at eye level near [4, 1st].

Yan'ano: "So you're the Queen now. And you avenged mother's death. I hope you're happy now."

Zil'iya: "I couldn't be happier. Thank you, Yan. I couldn't have done this without you."

Yan'ano: "You said you want everyone to give up their magic to prove their loyalty to the Queen, no exceptions. So does that include me as well?"

Zil'iya: "Brother. I'll be forever thankful. You can have whatever you want. All the riches, all the lands, all the power. Everything. But this one sacrifice, I will have to ask from you in return. It won't hurt, I promise."

Have Yan'ano's Gryphon puppet ready near him.

Yan'ano (angry): "Hah! Do you remember that day, three years ago, when you discovered your true self, the beautiful tiger, and how happy this made you? How it made you feel whole, how it gave you that piece of yourself that had always been missing? Do you think you could lose that forever, and NOT HURT!? I am the gryphon, and the gryphon is me!"

LX-3203 +TF magic
Execute Yan'ano's transformation.

Yan'ano_Gryphon shapeshifts into the gryphon.

SND-3210 - Transformation

Zil'iya: "I know. But I can't make the same mistake Inok'bana made. All it takes is one mage to shatter the foundations this realm is built upon."

Yan'ano_Gryphon: "Do you really think I would do that?"

Zil'iya: "Why wouldn't you?"

Yan'ano_Gryphon (to himself): "I have created a monster."

Yan'ano_Gryphon starts running off towards [1, 1st] and takes a big leap off the stage, through a window and flies away.

SND-3211 - WINDOW CRASH, Gryphon Flying away

Vis'alik runs into the room from [7, 1st].

Vis'alik: "Your majesty! Why didn't you stop him?"

Zil'iya: "Because he's still my brother."

Vis'alik: "Shall we pursue him?"

Zil'iya (resignated): "No. There is no need."

Vis'alik: "Why not?"

Zil'iya: "Because he'll come back. I know. One day he will come back."

LX-0099 Lights out

Close the Curtain.

Curtain - close

AMB-3201 FADE

LX-0099 Work Light ON

Microphone handover from ROLE to OTHER ROLE