The plot thickens!

[reinder]

Well right now, I'm working on an intro comic that should set the scene a bit. It's going to be under 10 pages, but it will show the full text of the invitation, introduce Hogan (as an éminence grise) and give an overview of the location where the event is set. No one will be required to follow any of what I produce, but if it's run as an uninterrupted sequence early on, it will create some clarity and set some boundaries for the free-for-all to occur in. Hogan has the first five pages of script already, and here they are again.

__Page 1__
Panel 1.
(Wide)
Caption: We find Abúi enjoying a stay in Candyland, with an interdimensional being that is currently spending some time as a penguin…
Abúi and Arthur the penguin are sitting in a field made of candy, surrounded by giant candy canes, candyfloss trees, candy apple shrubs and so on.
Abúi: So… why a penguin?
Arthur: That's really a very personal decision, if you don't mind.

Panel 2.
(Normal)
Arthur holds up a winegum fish with his penguin flipper.
Arthur: … but I'm enjoying it. I never appreciated fish until I became a penguin.

Panel 3.
(Normal)
Arthur swallows the winegum fish in penguin style.
Abúi: You are aware that that's a winegum, right?

Panel 4.
(Narrow)
Close-up Arthur.
Arthur: Well, whatever. It's very, very…

Panel 5.
(Narrow)
Close-up Arthur as he begins to choke on something.
Arthur: Cough! Cough!

Panel 6.
(Narrow)
Close-up Arthur as he barfs out an envelope.
Arthur: Bueeeerk!

__Page 2__
Panel 1.
(Normal)
Abúi and Arthur both eye the envelope that lies on the candy floor between them.
Arthur: OK, that's new.

Panel 2.
(Normal)
Abúi has opened the envelope and unfolded the contents.
Abúi: It's an invitation.

Panel 3.
(Wide)
Abúi reads the text of the invitation.
"Traveller of dimensions, hear this call!

Dalan Magnaheist, Guardian of the gateway to the dimensions making up the Multiverse has been slain and the Key stolen, and now the city of Tyrion is in danger of collapsing upon itself, bringing the worlds together and destroying the multiverse!

I am Seneschal, Gate of Worlds, and I summon you to Tyrion in the hope that you and others like you may be able to solve this mystery before the end of everything takes place!

Not everyone can traverse the city of Tyrion, waypoint of a thousand worlds, but once a decade, as the time runs outside the city, the Guardian calls for a host of people to visit and thereby allowing him to judge the balance of the Multiverse through their tales and actions.
You and others were on the list of people from across the worlds and dimensions to be called here, and therefore the city was prepared for your presence and you will be able to enter and walk places a regular citizen cannot.
Others have already been called, some already walk the city, one might be the one who did the deed and brings death to the Multiverse.

Help Tyrion, save your world!"

Panel 4.
(Normal)
Semi-close-up Abúi and Arthur.
Abúi: Sounds good! I can go home and arrange a Gnomian transport from there. Do you wanna come with?
Arthur: Sure!

Panel 5.
(Normal)
Full body shot Abúi and Arthur. Abúi seen from the rear, handling a communicator device.
Abúi: Arright! Abúi to Gnomian transporter! One faerie and one penguin to bring home!

__Page 3__
Panel 1.
(Normal)
At a revised Gnomian transporter desk, we see Kel handling dashboard duties, in semi-close-up. She's wearing the squid hat, steampunk goggles, a Bluetooth headset and nothing else.
Kel: Hold on, Abúi. We've got an active incoming transport.

Panel 2.
(Normal)
Kel and her dashboard seen from the read. In the mid-ground, a flash of bright light is going off.
SFX: Br-ZOT!

Panel 3.
(Wide)
Same angle as before but wider. Where the flash went off, Aggie and Scale are standing on the transporter platform. Aggie has shorter hair again and is wearing Desigual clothing and carrying a large Desigual bag.
Aggie: Whoo!
Kel: Welcome to Thrashbargton, Wodeskog. Please be advised that only the transporter station is clothing-optional…

Panel 4.
(TBD, may be split)
Kel continues her routine announcement.
Kel: …the rest of the village requires all visitors to go clothes-free as a courtesy to the locals. Please also be advised that you will be kept in a state of quantum uncertainty regarding your size, so that you will effectively be both big and small at the same time. Please enjoy your stay in Thrashbargton….

Panel 5.
(Normal)
Kel pulls her goggles off her eyes.
Kel: …Scale? Is that you?

__Page 4__
Panel 1.
(Normal)
Scale raises her right arm to reveal her bracer, which has clearly seen better days.
Scale: Er… yeah. Bracer's busted, see? Long story.

Panel 2.
(Normal)
Scale indicates Aggie, who smiles and waves.
Scale: Oh, and this is my aunt Aggie. We both got the invitation.
Aggie: Hi, y'all!

Panel 3.
(Normal)
Something is pinging on Kel's dashboard.
Kel: Invitation? Oh, wait a moment. I need to do something.

Panel 4.
(Normal)
Kel puts her goggles back on and twiddles some knobs.
Kel: One faerie and one penguin coming up.

Panel 5.
(Normal)
Same angle as the previous "BR-ZOT" moment. Another flash of light, only this time, Scale and Aggie are also in the foreground, shading their eyes but watching.
SFX: BR-ZOT!

Panel 6.
(Normal)
In the mid-ground, Abúi and Arthur step off the platform.
In the foreground, Kel turns towards Scale and Aggie.
Kel: As you can see, Scale, we've upgraded our equipment.
Abúi: We use alien tech now!

__Page 5__
Panel 1.
(Wide)
In half-light, the entire group consisting of Kel, Abúi, Scale, Aggie and Arthur sit around a fire, passing on drinks and nibbles. All are nude as required by the village dress code, but this is handled discreetly where Scale and Aggie are concerned.
If space allows, other characters can show up, but only as non-speaking extras.
Kel: So you all got the same invitation?
Aggie: Yeah, and the funny thing is, I'm not even an interdimensional traveler. I'm an art teacher and graphic designer.

Panel 2.
(Normal)
Close up of Kel looking thoughtful and sipping her drink. She is no longer goggled up.
Kel: Hmmm… I wonder who's behind that.

Panel 3.
(Normal)
Close-up of Aggie looking ominous. If space allows, Scale can be visible beside her.
Aggie: Oh, I know who's behind that.

Panel 4.
(Normal)
Long-distance shot of the whole group, Aggie seen from rear.
Aggie: There is an éminence grise at work. An unseen, powerful interdimensional manipulator.

Panel 5.
Continued. Aggie shows off a photo on a digital tablet. The photo shows Hogan's face.
Aggie: Whenever he does reveal himself , he takes on an unassuming, chubby-cheeked appearance. But that is just another one of his deceptions.

__Page 6__
(throughout, other faeries are serving drinks and chatting. One of them is rather attractive male who is as nude as all the others, catching Scale's eye).

Note that for the story proper, Scale will be in her normal outfit including her broken bracer, and Aggie will have short hair and a Desigual outfit/purse/lootbag like the real Aggie prefers in 2012. The brief and discreet nude scene set in the village, stays in the village.

[KAMics]

Is that broken bracer related to the IIRC unfinished part of Scale & Aggie's 2011 Caper?

[Hogan]

Took the liberty of splitting this into a new topic as it looked to be more in the general plot-direction

Also, on the topic of plot, it was suggested during talk with another Caper-paricipant, that each participant "donates" a murdersuspect, whereas one would be the real killer... It would be up to the rest og the characters to proove which one it is...

Just a suggestion ind the passing I thought should be brought forth here...

[reinder]

Is that broken bracer related to the IIRC unfinished part of Scale & Aggie's 2011 Caper?

No... it's just a convenient way to get Scale into the story at the same time as Aggie without a separate transfer. Hogan didn't seem to mind, so if we go with this, Scale's bracer will be broken, possibly until the mystery is solved.

[KarabearComics]

Sounds great. Now I have to think of who amongst my characters could be a suspect, because that sounds like a good idea, too.

Every time I read "Br-Zot", I thought of the variations that would crop up in the Wars (including my favorite: Br-wait for it-Zot). It gets me excited for the Caper to begin, as well. I know how I'm getting my characters there, but I actually won't really get them there until September. August will introduce the Runner and finish up the Tempore storyline that takes him to the Caper.

Shold this be the thread where we talk about character interactions, and such? I would love to throw out ideas of how my characters would interact with the others.

[Hogan]

Is that broken bracer related to the IIRC unfinished part of Scale & Aggie's 2011 Caper?

No... it's just a convenient way to get Scale into the story at the same time as Aggie without a separate transfer. Hogan didn't seem to mind, so if we go with this, Scale's bracer will be broken, possibly until the mystery is solved.

Well, The golden Prototype EOU Bracer which helps Scale control her Comic-jumping ability is, wheb it comes down to it, a standard piece og equipment, it can have been broken in any way in what have passed as the last, so far, offscreen part of the last Caper Perhaps a tech-servy participant in the Caper can help fix it later, opening up for some more interaction?

Her Silver Bracelet, the gift by Wheels Ironkeel, is a lot sturdier but can still have fallen to any kind of mishap last Caper... reparing this will probably take a trip to MM and a good apology

Lets just sau whatever broke it happened in the uncronicalled part of the last Caper, that'll leave the cards open... Although I will take notes

[reinder]

Alright... I'm drafting up a few things. After reading the whole Caper, I'm not clear on what happens between Hogan's arrival and his arrest. It looks like there was a big gap where suddenly he's named as the murderer and arrested, and the story just ends. That's the meat of the plot that was left out! So among other things, I'm trying to fill the gap, but drawing all that stuff myself would take me all year. So... what do we do?

Here's what I hashed out in a few hours:

'Page 6:
Abui talks of her exploits, telling taller tales as the evening wears on. Scale flirts awkwardly with a male faerie, just to see what it’s like. Nightfall, bedtime.

Page 7.
Everyone is dressed and ready for transport to Tyrion. Abui is not dressed and explains that clothes make her very uncomfortable, and the majority of universes she’s landed in so far don’t require them. The transporter is set to aim at “a hub for land travel within the city”. However, there is a malfunction in the transporter, and Abui is briefly diverted before ending up in Tyrion.

Page 8 and onward.
Scale, Aggie and the Penguin end up in the train station. Abui ends up in the Venusian nudist colony (it is actually a colony: “I thought the polite term was naturist resorts” - “No, it’s a colony. We kicked out the Centaurians at gunpoint formed our own government here.”) and walks toward the harbour. There she waits a while, contemplating. The Fox and Cat catch up with her and the fox flirts briefly. The fox and cat leave, and Abui notices a fish-creature and a woman in yellow. She wonders why the woman in the yellow costume is hiding her crotch behind her hands. People are strange, she thinks. “They wear clothes and they still feel the need to hide-”
Her train of thought is interrupted by Gertrude, who unleashes a torrent of babble on her.
“YOU! You’re the one, aren’t you? You killed the Guardian by strangling him with your hair, stole his jewelry and then went on a drinking binge, waking up naked, tattooed and utterly confused about how you ended up here! Admit it! Criminal mastermind or not, you’re no match for my powers of deduction, villainness!”
Abui eyes her, blinks and laughs at Gertrude’s hat. “That’s the silliest hat I’ve ever seen!”
They split up again and Gertrude pursues Chaos. Abui pulls out her Dimensional Positioner and finds that the others have got on the train to the Guardian’s house, so she shrinks herself and flies in the direction the DP indicates. She gets on top of the train, boards it and finds her friends.

… eventually everyone ends up on the same train and the same platform. Lanz (dude with the arrows) hits on Scale and Abui at the same time ( http://halloween2012.thecomicseries.com/comics/96 ) Did he get slapped? It’s hard to tell - however, Abui would not slap a man for hitting on her unless he got really obnoxious. Would Scale? But he’s not talking about Scale.
They then end up at the house, where Fox and Swimmer admire Abui’s ass again. ( http://halloween2012.thecomicseries.com/comics/97 ) Astral flirts with her, then Fox and Kitty leave.

http://halloween2012.thecomicseries.com/comics/100 - the place is dimensionally folded. So the crime is simultaneously going on and passed.

Hogan sits at the table with Abui, Scale and Aggie ( http://halloween2012.thecomicseries.com/comics/102 ) (Presumably the penguin is hidden from view). Then on the next page, he is getting arrested. How does that go?
Scale: Er.... hello, dad.
Aggie: Hello, sweetie.
Abui: Sweetie? He’s the eminence grise you talked about! And he’s got an axe and a terrible temper!
Aggie: Yeah, but - have you been talking to those people? The guy wasn’t murdered by axe.
Abui: WE might be, if he sticks around!
Scale: Dad? Promise to be good!
Hogan: Grumblemumble.
Abui: Why are you calling him dad, anyway? You didn’t say anything about this last night!
Scale: I was ...distracted.

A butler appears.
Butler: “Good evening, guests. Appetizers will be served shortly. When they are served, we will reset the dimensional fold to the time just prior to our host’s murder, so you can watch it unfold.”

Abui: Whu?

Aggie: They’re re-running the murder, with us as dinner guests, detectives, and suspects.
Abui: Bu-
Scale: You’ve never been in a dimensional pocket before? This place was sealed off from the normal time-space continuum to help the investigation, but from the moment it was sealed off, it had always been sealed off. We were called after the murder, but we were also there before the murder. Time wraps itself around us, constantly. So.... one of us is going to be the mastermind that solves the murder... and one of us will be the person who commits it.

Butler: Ladies, gentlemen, birds and sea-creatures: the Guardian. Also, the appetizers.

[KAMics]

Alright... I'm drafting up a few things. After reading the whole Caper, I'm not clear on what happens between Hogan's arrival and his arrest. It looks like there was a big gap where suddenly he's named as the murderer and arrested, and the story just ends. That's the meat of the plot that was left out!

Yeah, rereading that I realized that Hogan's only crime (that we're sure of) is... chopping down a door, which is why I'm going with someone else as the murderer.

Her train of thought is interrupted by Gertrude, who unleashes a torrent of babble on her.
“YOU! You’re the one, aren’t you? You killed the Guardian by strangling him with your hair, stole his jewelry and then went on a drinking binge, waking up naked, tattooed and utterly confused about how you ended up here! Admit it! Criminal mastermind or not, you’re no match for my powers of deduction, villainness!”
Abui eyes her, blinks and laughs at Gertrude’s hat. “That’s the silliest hat I’ve ever seen!”

How about, "Is that an ear hat?"

Hogan sits at the table with Abui, Scale and Aggie ( http://halloween2012.thecomicseries.com/comics/102 ) (Presumably the penguin is hidden from view).

Actually Chaos is holding the penguin.

[Hogan]

I think thats a pretty nice tie-in Rein, especially in lieu of the usual Caper twistiness we've been through

I'm very much looking forward to see what kind of conclusion KAM, and perhaps you, can come up with... who did it? Where's the key? WILL there be a 2013 Caper?

As for my thoughts on the murderer... well, I belive a Hogan did it... just not this one, he is "innocent" (in that part, just don't let him go free with the current clientel around!). I'll say that fit with a future upcoming project in the works...