### Act 2, Scene 3: The Trap

- Setting: At night, the "garden" of the stronghold, which is decorated like a churchyard or the garden of a monastery. The background is a wall, with decorative arches, a fountain and a (painted) tree. Possibly some Ivy/Grapevines. On the right, the ornate wall is replaced with the cold concrete of an old bunker, with a rusty metal door that has some washed-out painted letters above it, "B-34". The head of Brother Fireheart sits impaled on a spear near [2], invisible in the dark.
- Stage setup:
- 2nd Rail: Electric Fence
- Props: Stormrunner's sword (Reesa), flashlight (Reesa), Fireheart on a stick (Kayjay), Ironwill's sword (Curry), stun rod (Curry)
- PreRec:
- Special effects: electric fence (Furvan, Zefiro), Brrrz!+Fog for shocking the Nameless Rebel (Nex)

Character | Actor / Hands (Voice) | Puppet | Clothing | Accessoires
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Frostwind | Pan / Liam | Aurelia |  |
Ironwill | Jyanon / Curry | Gavius |  |
Strongarm | Tigerseye / - | Bailey |  |
Stormrunner | Runo / Reesa | Marco-fox |  |
Nameless Rebel | Eisfuchs | Monica | red shirt |
Rebels | o'wolf, Lynard | Savanah, Octavia, Cheetah |  |

INTRO

Fireheart: "Eject storage device one."

Computer: "Ejecting storage device one. Please wait."

compartment opening

Computer: "Medium is now safe to remove."

Fireheart: "Reset watchdog program."

Computer: "Watchdog timer reset. Remaining time until shutdown: 2 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes."

Fireheart: "Delete command log and terminate session."

Computer: "Goodbye, Brother Fireheart."

Fireheart (getting up): "Ah! My back! I've been sitting in front of this thing way too long. I'm getting too old for this."

Footsteps, opening door. (A nameless investigator enters from outside.)

Falconeye: "Oh, you must be Brother Fireheart. Good thing you're still here, I was afraid I was going to miss you. Would you mind answering a few questions?"

Fireheart (annoyed): "Who in the gods' name are you? I don't think we've met before."

Falconeye: "My name's Falconeye of Quail's Hollow. I've been ordered to the stronghold at Great Overseer Ironwill's personal request. What's that in your hand?"

Fireheart (annoyed): "It's a data crystal. It's part of my work. And whatever Ironwill ordered you here for, I would very much appreciate if you did it somewhere else. Goodnight."

Falconeye: "It will take just a minute, I promise. Please sit down."

Fireheart: "I don't have time for this …"

Falconeye: "Oh, don't worry, you are going to have plenty of time, soon."

Fireheart: "What do you mean?"

Falconeye: "It has come to our attention, that there has been an unusual amount of irregularities at the stronghold. Human artifacts disappearing over night. Inexplicable power surges. Records that don't match."

Fireheart: "And what do I have to do with it? I'm a scientist, not an accounting clerk."

Falconeye: "A scientist! That's human speech, isn't it?"

Fireheart: "I'm sorry if that confuses you, but yes, human artifacts and knowledge are my field of expertise."

Falconeye: "Now that's funny. We just caught a group of outcasts in the forest at Serpent River, and you know what? They talked just like you. And not only did they have their pockets full of illegal human artifacts; they knew what they're called, and how to use them."

Fireheart: "Well, maybe you should invite them. It seems like we can learn from them."

Falconeye: "It seems to me more like one of us has been teaching them. We are the Keepers of the Light, we are the keepers of the ancient knowledge. If they know something only we should know, that means we have a problem. It means, someone in our midst is a traitor. Now would you mind telling me where you are taking that data crystal?"

Fireheart: "To my room. I sometimes take my work up to my room."

Falconeye: "And then what are you going to do with it without a machine to read it?"

Fireheart: "You know nothing about this technology!"

Faconeye: "Oh, I do. Everything you wrote about it, in fact. I've been watching you for many months, Brother Fireheart. Studying your work. Your records. Your life. I know where you were born, where you grew up, what you did during your time in Coldlake, and I know the name of every single commoner you fucked with. How many bastard children did you conceive, Fireheart? How many?"

Fireheart (furious): "That's none of your goddamn business!"

Falconeye: "At least, thanks to the plague, you won't have to pay much for child support."

Fireheart (through his teeth): "You filthy son of a pigrat!"

Falconeye: "I could understand your rage if I were making this up. But I'm just merely stating the facts. You seem to have a hard time coming to terms with your own past. Maybe you need someone to talk to. Maybe it's time to confess. Just let it all out. Come on. Relieve the rage!"

Fireheart (through his teeth): "There is nothing to confess."

Falconeye: "And funny enough, that's not even a lie. Because I already know it is you who has been leaking our sacred knowledge to the rebel underground for all these years. And I already know that the rebel underground is about to launch an attack against the stronghold, using the knowledge and the technology that you gave them. There's indeed not much left to confess. Except one thing."

Fireheart: "And what would that be, Brother Know-It-all?"

Falconeye: "Since the day you came here, you've been checking out a double dose of the shadow remedy. I checked all the logs against the actual register of residents - turns out that one of the names belongs to a brother who's been dead for years. There's only one reason to check out two doses: To keep someone alive who's not supposed to be alive. And I want you to tell me who that someone is."

Fireheart: "Only over my cold dead body."

Stun rod

Fireheart: "AAAARGH!"

Falconeye: "We'll see to that, Brother Fireheart. We'll see to that."

MAIN DIALOGUE

Curtain - open

AMB 0701 - Windy Mountaintop

All Lights out, Pitch Black

Stormrunner (off): "All right, this is it. Entrance B-34."

SND-0701 - Rusty Door Opens

Nameless Rebel (softly): "Aaaaaand - it's open!"

Stormrunner: "I'll go in first and check it out."

Stormrunner enters from [7] on the front level, carrying a flashlight in his left hand, and a sword in his right hand.

Stormrunner points the lamp at the wall, then at the audience (purposefully missing the head on a stake)

Stormrunner turns back

Stormrunner (softly): "The whole place is dark, and not a single soul in sight. Excellent. We're going ahead as planned. Follow me."

Rebels come in from [7] on second level (as many as we have hands) lead by the nameless rebel. The rebels are wearing dim head lamps, glowing dark red.

Stormrunner slowly walks forward, followed by the rebels.

Stormrunner (whispering): "So far everything is exactly as Fireheart promised. That means we'll have about 10 minutes to get to the 5 main control stations before the power comes back on - once we've disarmed the guards, we'll round them up in the old decontamination area and …"

Stormrunner shines the light directly at Fireheart's severed Head.

MUS-0701 - The Trap

Stormrunner: "Fireheart? FUCK! IT'S A TRAP!"

An electric barrier pops up, fencing the rebels on the second level in like a herd of sheep.

SND-0702 - Electro-Barrier
SND-0703 - Shocked Crowd

Nameless Rebel (panic): "Shit! We're all going to die!"

Stormrunner (shouting): "Don't touch the barrier!"

Nameless Rebel runs into the fence, screaming in panic.

Strobe light from below the rebel

A burst of smoke from below the rebel

SND-0704 - Sizzle

Nameless Rebel collapses and disappears down

Stormrunner (outraged): "DO NOT MOVE!"

Stormrunner lights around with his flashlight

Stormrunner: "All right, Ironwill. I know you're here."

SND-0705 - Big Switch, Large Door

Bright light from upstage into the audience, height just below the playrail

Main lights very low, blue backdrop flood

Ironwill comes in from [1], stepping into the light, carrying a large sword (no stun rod)

Strongarm comes in from [7] with a stun rod, pointing it at Stormrunner form behind

Ironwill: "Congratulations Stormrunner, you caught on quickly! But … a bit too late."

Stormrunner: "Screw you, Ironwill. How long has he been dead?"

Ironwill: "For about a month or so. Sorry for scaring you like that, but he developed a bit of a smell so I had to put him outside. Now drop your sword, or shall we shock the crap out of you?"

Stormrunner throws away his sword and his flashlight.

SND-0706 - Sword Drops Concrete
MUS-0702 - Delighted
MUS-0701 STOP

Stormrunner: "Happy now?"

Ironwill: "Delighted!"

Nameless Rebel reappears, still dazed

Ironwill puts the tip of his sword against Stormrunners's throat, who remains unmoving.

Ironwill: "You've been trouble for so many years. Now you're finally here in front of me, shitting your pants. My day just couldn't get any better. Oh wait! Actually it could!"

Ironwill stabs his sword through Stormrunner's throat.

SND-0707 - Sick Flesh Noise
SND-0708 - Outrage
SND-0703 STOP
MUS-0703 - Stormrunners Death
MUS-0702 STOP

The rebels cry out in horror and protest

Stormrunner gags, convulses, and dies.

Stormrunner drops dead.

Ironwill: "Now my day is perfect."

Ironwill pulls the sword out.

Strongarm leaves towards [1], using the second level exit

Ironwill: "Look at what has become of your laughable leaders! This is what happens to those who renounce the gods of the holy mountain! Fireheart is dead! Stormrunner is dead! The rebellion is dead! Hand over your weapons!"

Nameless Rebel: "The rebellion will never die! We will fight to the last man!"

Ironwill: "So touching to see how you still hold on to that little dream of yours. You think - just maybe - your brothers and sisters of camp freedom will come to save your sorry hides? Well, it breaks my heart to tell you that camp freedom is no longer anything more but a pile of smoldering ashes. And so are your brothers and sisters!"

Nameless Rebel: "Don't believe what he says! He's just trying to demoralize us!"

Ironwill: "Maybe you will believe my witness. The only survivor …"

Strongarm enters from [1], pushing Frostwind ahead of him.

Frostwind is crying

SND-0709 - Outrage 2
SND-0708 STOP
MUS-0704 - The Only Survivor
MUS-0703 STOP

Frostwind (cries): "He's right. I saw the camp burn with my own eyes. Everyone is dead! If you keep fighting, you will die for nothing! Please!"

Ironwill: "There, I told you so. A keeper always tells the truth!"

Nameless Rebel: "Then why don't you tell the people the truth about the gods of the holy mountain? And the dark plague and human technology? How can you say you are telling the truth?"

SND-0710 - Mumbling
SND-0709 SLOW FADE

Ironwill (passionate): "Knowledge is like fire. Used carefully, it can warm you on a cold winter's night. But if set free, the fire spreads and destroys everything in its path. There once was a great civilization before ours. But the power of their knowledge had become so strong that it destroyed them. Today, nothing is left of them but ancient ruins. It is the Keepers' purpose to prevent that from ever happening again. The holy mountain is a hearth of knowledge that we keep, so the people can bask in its warmth without getting burned. You may think of yourselves as liberators, but in reality you are just careless children playing with fire. For that, you should be pitied."

Frostwind: "If you pity them, then show mercy!"

MUS-0705 - The crib is burning
MUS-0704 STOP

Ironwill: "When the crib is burning, who deserves mercy? The flames, or the child?"

Frostwind (defiant): "By your standards, I guess that would depend whether the child has the plague or not."

Ironwill laughs

Ironwill: "There truly is some Keeper's blood running through your veins. I would be tempted to see if you're fit to carry the flame of truth - if you weren't a traitor's bastard offspring."

Frostwind: "Thank you very much, I'm sure. Now what are you going to do with them? Drown them in the nearest lake?"

Ironwill: "What a waste that would be. No, they can serve a better purpose: they will be made examples of what happens to betrayers of the Holy Mountain. They will be tried and executed in their own villages."

Ironwill suddenly begins to cough

MUS-0706 - You dont sound well
MUS-0705 STOP

Frostwind: "You don't sound well, Irownill. You should get that checked by a professional human miracle scientist, before your peers decide you're threat to mankind. Happens quicker than you think. I know what I'm talking about."

Ironwill coughs and laughs at the same time.

Ironwill (gentle): "No. No, Frostwind, you absolutely don't. Come, and let me tell you, why you are on this side of the fence … Follow me. I need to show you something."

Ironwill turns and leaves

Frostwind follows him.

Lights out

Curtain - close