The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG

I awoke in the darkness.

In one hand, I held the plastic, fake version of the silver necklace that Clara had been wearing. In the other, I held a flashlight—one of the ones we had brought into the crypt.

As I clicked the light on and looked around, I realized there was no crypt anymore.

I was underground, and I could hear the earth around me shifting. I quickly crawled toward the exit.

No sooner had I pulled myself out of the hole and into the hallway of the underground passages than I heard the earth collapse behind me.

I found my way out of the tunnels to the large room where the caged werewolves had been, but they were gone. Logan and Avery had been cured and taken away.

I bounded up the steps and found myself in a version of the Manor house I hadn’t seen before—a version converted into a museum. None of the artifacts or exhibits had been placed yet. All I saw were empty glass display cases and placards with nothing on them.

Carousel really did reuse everything.

I left the Manor house behind and ran to the field where I had last seen Kimberly—the place she had been returned to after surviving the secret lore sequence. It had been a surreal experience to observe from my view in the theater.

Throughout her journey, a werewolf lurked just out of sight, but it never approached her. I couldn’t discern its purpose—perhaps a deadly obstacle, but it merely observed.

Kimberly had made it through, learning the truth about the werewolf curse.

The words of the faceless person in the theater echoed in my mind: how could we have found secret lore when we hadn’t spoken to the maid at the tavern?

What did that even mean? What tavern? What maid?

I dropped this train of thought as I found Kimberly kneeling in the field, tears streaming down her face. Taking a chance, I approached and hugged her. She hugged me back. After a moment, she asked something strange.

Wiping her tears, she looked at me and asked, “Do you think you do so well here in Carousel because it offers something that real life didn't?”

The question seemed to come out of nowhere.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I don’t know,” I said, unsure. I wasn’t finished sorting out those feelings myself.

She looked at me strangely and then said, “Never mind.”

I began pacing, watching the blue lights of our chemical traps go out around us.

“We did it,” I said after contemplating her words.

She nodded. “We did it.”

I tried to strike up a conversation about the ending—how we’d handled things when Serena was killed by Antoine—but the conversation was cut short when Antoine himself appeared in the distance.

Something was different about him. I couldn’t pinpoint what, but his smile and the joy on his face made it clear something had changed.

He had an aspect now—he was a Health Nut. It came with a new trope already equipped: The Mountain as a Metaphor. It would be an asset, though I couldn’t help but wish I’d seen his other aspect trope choices.

He and Kimberly embraced and whispered to each other while I stood awkwardly nearby.

The next to appear was Andrew. As he approached, I extended my hand.

“Good work, doctor,” I said.

“Yes, and you too,” he replied.

All our planning had paid off. We’d made mistakes, but we’d overcome them.

I was certain we’d given Carousel enough footage to construct a good film.

Andrew and I talked about the silver purification plan—how well we executed it and what adjustments we might have made had we better predicted how the weapon interacted with the werewolf curse.

It was idle chit-chat for us.

Finally, the people we had come there for—Logan and Avery—arrived, wearing the clothes they must have been lured into the monster’s lair in.

Though I had technically met them while they were caged, it was clear that wasn’t really them. They’d been exhausted and said very little, both On-Screen and Off-Screen.

Logan looked like he was heading to a casual beach wedding—tall, tan, with dirty blonde hair just long enough to brush off his forehead. He might have been in his mid-thirties, which led me to believe he had been de-aged to play Kirst’s son. He approached Andrew with a half-hug and several pats on the back.

“Did you understand what I was saying?” Andrew asked hurriedly. “Was it you in the cage? You didn’t respond.”

“I was in there,” Logan said, “but the script was in control.”

“So you heard about…” Andrew began.

“I heard everything,” Logan said. “Lila came to apologize during the storyline. Gave us a whole speech.”

“She does seem genuinely remorseful,” Andrew said.

“Well, it would be best for her to seem that way, given our circumstances,” Logan replied with a half-smile.

Avery, still shaken from the whole being-dead thing, smiled despite the tears in her eyes. She wore an oversized red sweater that wrapped around her fashionably, her red hair held back with a headband.

She was an Eye Candy with the Beauty aspect and her aspect choice made sense at a glance. She put a lot into her presentation.

Kimberly greeted her, and they talked for a while. Antoine introduced himself, putting his people skills to good use. I stood by, watching as our group of survivors grew a little larger.

Time passed. We waited.

“That makes you the Film Buff,” Logan said after a lull in the conversation.

“That’s me,” I replied, shaking his hand.

“So you’re the one who knows what’s going on, huh?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Nah, that's somebody else.”

He laughed—a sardonic laugh, not joyous.

“I look forward to stumbling through hell with you,” he said.

“You as well,” I replied, but my response was cut off as Lila appeared.

She didn’t say anything at first, and eventually, someone noticed her standing at a distance, afraid to approach. Her porcelain face was red with tears.

The next part? Antoine, Kimberly, and I didn’t listen. This was a group moment for them.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but there wasn’t anger—at least not from Logan. Avery, however, did seem to have some lingering resentment, which was more than understandable after having been lured into the jaws of the werewolves.

Logan, though, didn’t seem to care. I couldn’t see it anyway. He acted like all she had done was spill milk on his pizza.

Getting him and his friends killed? Don’t let it happen again.

An interesting attitude.

When their little group came back over to us, I heard him saying, “Next time you revive me, wait until the game is almost over.”

He had that little bit of darkness in him that made this place survivable. Dina had the same thing.

So did I, I supposed.

Finally, Michael arrived. He and Logan shared a big bear hug, complete with more of those slapping pats on the back. I didn’t get where that was coming from, but it must have been their group’s thing.

Good for them—their group was back together. Ours was still fractured, but not for long.

What happened next was no surprise. There was a small crack in the air, and suddenly, a mechanical man appeared, informing us that we had won a ticket.

Oh boy, had we won tickets.

Most of the time, I waited for others to go first, but I just had to know whether everything we had risked was worth it.

We had been down to one viable player in this storyline. If Antoine hadn’t regained his sense, if our plans hadn't worked, if Kimberly had died before she could get to the end, that would have been it—we would all have been gone.

I wondered if I would have been stuck in the theater, watching random camera angles for eternity.

I slapped that red button on Silas’s front before anyone else.

I got a handful—not as many tropes as I had anticipated, but not a small amount either. I got three.

It wasn’t really the tropes I was after, though.

It was the stat tickets because they would determine whether or not this whole “using rescues to grind levels when needed” thing was going to work.

And it did.

I got six stat tickets.

Six.

That was more than I had gotten when I was dragged along on The Grotesque—grossly under-leveled, at that. Of course, The Grotesque wasn’t exactly our best performance. It was a functional, clean victory—not designed to be fancy or to score high, but just to survive. Didn’t even really tell much of a story.

Six stat tickets explained why all those former players had been willing to risk it all to exploit the rescue mechanic. Why they had spent months scouting out rescue opportunities where they might find an edge.

It explained everything.

Our average level was around 27, and this storyline’s level had to be in the mid-30s. Most of the vets would never do something like that unless they had no other option.

We would have to do this over and over again, pressing our luck. Because when we got closer to level 40, things were going to slow down, and even running rescues would only get us a few stat tickets.

But we would have to do it.

We would have to keep pushing forward. And if the woman who stood behind me in the theater was correct, we would have to start doing more.

We might even have to do Carousel’s Throughline.

After all, the reward for that was supposed to be escape.

The stat tickets and the tropes weren’t all I got. We all also got fresh Luggage Tags with higher weight capacities. We got a couple of coupons to restaurants around Carousel that were supposed to allow us to eat there without risk of danger—but I would have to consult the Atlas to make sure those were what they seemed to be.

And finally, the biggest card in the lot:

We got secret lore.

Congratulations!

You found secret lore: Secrets of Carousel #14: A Mother’s Love

Bring this ticket to the Carousel Public Library to collect your prize. Collect ten for a huge reward!

“Well, well, my curious friend, you’ve pried open the lid of a dark and tragic tale. Let me introduce you to Clara Woolsey—a beauty of her time, pale as moonlight, with a life so fragile it seemed to sway with the slightest breeze. One ill-fated day, she wandered too far while abroad and stumbled into something she should never have seen: an exorcism, fierce and fiery, with curses flying like arrows. One of those wicked darts found her, latching onto her with cruel precision.

But do not pity her, not yet—for Clara’s fate was not sealed by the curse alone. No, it was her mother, dear Agnes Woolsey, who twisted that curse into something monstrous. Oh, Agnes was devoted, but not to Clara’s salvation—no, her devotion was to the attention, the sympathy, the reverence she gained as Clara’s endlessly suffering caretaker. To keep her daughter weak, compliant, and dependent, she became a mistress of dark arts, layering spells like stones upon a grave.

Here is what Agnes wrought, one cruel enchantment after another:

• A voodoo hex to bend Clara’s will, burying her emotions in the dark and leaving her pliant.
• A ghoul’s curse to keep her within the house, avoidant of the light of day.
• A beauty tonic to preserve her delicate, flawless features, like a doll in a glass case.
• A powder for youth to ensure she always looked the perfect age, no more, no less.
• A love charm to bind her to her family’s affections—though it never quite touched her mother.
• Health potions to stave off death and prolong her suffering, ensuring she stayed alive just long enough.
• An infusion of hardiness to make her endure the strain of this wretched life.
• And finally, wolf fever—an illness of madness and hair, a rabid curse of the body and mind, a disease of desperation meant to drive Clara back to her mother’s arms, broken and dependent.

A silver vial on a silver chain, a simple gift from Clara’s father containing what he believed to be holy water, became the anchor for all the curses, binding them together into an unholy amalgamation.

Oh, but Agnes, in her greedy desire for control, overlooked the most potent curse of all: true love. The bond between Clara and Serena, her lover, broke through the layered magic like sunlight through storm clouds. A single kiss spread the amalgamation of curses, twisting wolf fever into something new, something primal, something enduring. From that moment, the first real werewolves were born—not mindless beasts, but creatures of strength, passion, and sorrow, cursed to walk the earth in Clara’s tragic shadow.

All werewolves are in love, they say, and for good reason.

Even now, the echoes of Clara’s tale linger in the moonlight, her fate carved into the wilderness and woven into the howls of the cursed. Do you feel it, dear seeker? That chill on the air? Perhaps it’s Clara herself, watching from the trees. Or perhaps... it’s only your imagination.”

“In Carousel, families are the heart of our community. Whether by blood or by bond, it’s the ties we share that make this town special.” - Bartholomew Geist, Founder of Carousel

I read through the secret lore ticket before I even looked at my tropes. I just had to try to find the pattern in what secret lore was, in hopes that we could uncover more of it. I also hoped to figure out why we needed it in the first place.

The werewolf curse had been the result of a woman with Munchausen by proxy in a world where magical curses existed. She had used those spells on a child who was wearing some sort of magic amulet that combined them all.

That was interesting. In fact, that could have been a storyline in and of itself. But instead, it ended up as secret lore. I would have to figure out why.

After reading the secret lore card twice, I turned to my tropes.

I saw it in a movie…

Type: Action

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: Filmmaker

Stat Used: Moxie

The ultimate meta move is to explain to the audience how movies work. Movies are another world. It’s different there.

The player can bolster their specific plans or improvisations by referencing a movie they allegedly saw such endeavors working successfully in.

“Sometimes, you just need to remind the audience of what medium they are watching.”

Essentially, this trope made it easier for me to accomplish tasks that might otherwise require proper planning and setup. Not a bad choice, but it would need to be a real time-saver for me to consider equipping it.

I Had a Feeling About You Two…

Type: Action

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Beauty

Stat Used: Moxie

Love is a force in and of itself, a power that can be greater than any magic and more destructive than any curse.

The player can see any potential romance subplots and learn how to activate them.

“Any story could be a love story, but don’t count on a happy ending.”

This was one of the tropes my psychic grandmother background allowed me to equip. I wasn’t sure I would ever use it. In fact, it came across more as a joke.

Either way, it was out of my wheelhouse.

No Stab in the Dark

Type: Rule

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: Filmmaker

Stat Used: Moxie

Cinema goes through phases. Sometimes, dark phases, but none so dark as when every scary movie suddenly started making scenes so dark the audience couldn’t even see them.

The lower the visibility in a scene, the less likely for any meaningful event to occur there. Deaths become injuries, injuries become tussles, and tussles become strange noises.

“At least you don’t have to cover your eyes during the scary parts.”

I could see myself using a trope like this. Being able to trust the darkness and use it as a shield could be a genuine lifesaver.

I had to wonder, though, if its benefits could be ruined by using a flashlight.

Callum Vex

Accursed Werewolf

Callum Vex was a man of secrets, always lurking on the edges, watching, waiting. But secrets have a way of slipping into the wrong shadows, and one fateful night, they led him to Serena’s pack. That night, his secrets were swallowed by the curse, leaving him bound to the will of another.

Now, Callum moves silently within the pack, his cunning eyes scanning the horizon, but never straying far from Serena. The joy of the pack hums within him, a cruel comfort that dulls the ache of his lost independence. And yet, he would follow Serena, step for step, into the deepest darkness, for the curse demands no less.

Apparently, the first wolf I killed was a guy named Callum. I was confident my self-defense claim would hold up in court. He must have been the one I skewered with my silver spoon-turned-knife—the only one I managed to kill with it.

That was neat.

I got to keep the knife. In fact, aside from a few silver bullets, that was the only silver we got to loot. Everything else was gone. Some silver and a few guns. Who could complain?

Lila was next. She was ushered forward by her group.

She got four stat tickets. Her low level, combined with her sacrifice for first blood and the huge buff she provided with Bad Luck Magnet, countered her very small amount of screen time.

Stowaway

Type: Perk

Archetype: Wallflower

Aspect: Extra

Stat Used: Hustle

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The background actors and crew may not arrive in fancy limousines, but they still have to arrive somehow.

The player can hitch a ride on any NPC-driven vehicle where there is room to get around the shooting location.

“It may be cramped, it may be slow, but it sure beats walking.”

She had complained that she had a difficult time getting to the manor house, and this was her reward. The real benefit would be outside of a storyline.

Run for your death

Type: Rule

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Hustle

A chase sequence before death is practically in the cheesy horror Bill of Rights.

When death is imminent, the user is guaranteed a chase sequence before being killed for First Blood. This chase can never save them in itself, but it can buy time and create a great scene for the movie.

“If you have to run around the block to get a little extra screentime, so be it.”

This exact trope would have allowed her to escape from Wolfie Antoine and successfully launch her death scream trope. It could have saved her.

It was a solid trope. While it wasn’t fancy, it made things predictable—and that was always a good thing.

Place Your Bets

Type: Perk

Archetype: Wallflower

Aspect: Underdog

Stat Used: Plot Armor

Some characters never stand a chance. Their death is sealed from the moment they appear On-Screen. Occasionally, though, even the humblest of characters can surprise you.

If the player remains first in targeting priority from their first appearance in the Party Phase to their last after the Final Battle, the entire team will get bonus rewards.

“I didn’t even know he was still alive.”

“I’ve been here the whole time!”

That was interesting. Having another way to boost our rewards was always an asset, though I wasn’t sure if it would ever come into play.

Andrew was next.

He got six stats, just like me. He ended up being very important to the story, if only for his super scientist scenes and, from what I could tell, his clutch use of purification to snap Antoine out of it so he could save the day.

I couldn’t complain. After all, we were basically always On-Screen together until the end. It made sense that we got the same amount of stat tickets.

Polymath

Type: Perk

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Savvy

In real life, being an expert in one field doesn’t prevent you from being an idiot in another. In movies, however, the label of genius means you could be good at anything.

The player may use any Savvy-based Perk trope.

“I’m a doctor, not a rocket scientist!”

I didn't know enough about Savvy-based perks to be sure, but this sounded like a potentially broken trope. I was happy for him.

Mental Mathematician

Type: Perk/Buff

Archetype: Scholar

Aspect: Researcher

Stat Used: Savvy

There is no greater parlor trick to prove one’s intelligence in a single line than doing mental math in an instant.

The player will see the results of any math, chemistry, or physics problem they imagine on the red wallpaper instantly. Doing so On-Screen will buff the player’s Savvy.

“It’s a lot shorter than reading them your thesis and slightly less obnoxious than listing out your resume.”

He had taken a while to do all the math needed for our chemical concoction, but most of that was him recalling things he hadn’t thought about since undergrad. Still, being able to do all the math instantly would be very helpful in some scenarios.

That said, I wasn’t sure you’d ever use something like this unless you knew there was going to be science involved.

The Bone Detective

Type: Insight

Archetype: Doctor

Aspect: Coroner

Stat Used: Savvy

The corpses of those long-dead keep their secrets from the living, but when they speak, they speak loudly.

The player will be able to gain insight into how skeletons and highly decomposed remains died by examining them closely. Vivid spoken descriptions will trigger small flashbacks to their actual death on both the red wallpaper and to the audience.

“Knowing what happened isn’t enough. You have to paint a picture.”

I wasn’t sure what information a trope like this could have gotten Andrew in Stray Dawn, but in some storylines, it would probably be crucial.

A good autopsy scene was always cool to watch, and whenever an archaeologist or anthropologist managed to uncover insights from bodies that had been dead for centuries, it was always fascinating—great content for a scene.

Jonas Falk

Accursed Werewolf

Jonas Falk was once a man of fiery passion, his voice carrying through every tavern and rally in his small, bustling town. But on a night thick with mist, his path crossed Serena’s, and his fate was sealed. The man he once was faded with the rising moon.

Now, as one of the pack, Jonas is quiet, his fire subdued but never extinguished. The joy of the pack sustains him, yet it feels like an echo of something lost. Still, Jonas would follow Serena without hesitation, the curse pulling him onward, even as his heart mourns the life left behind.

Andrew had bagged many a werewolf in this story. This was his first.

Kimberly got seven stat tickets.

We had all contributed to the final story, but she won the "main character" competition and steered the story's narrative, and with that victory came the spoils.

If she could keep up this momentum, she wasn’t going to plateau nearly as hard as the vets when we hit level 40. Apparently, at level 50, things slowed to such a crawl that you’d be lucky to get one stat ticket in six months of solid storylines.

For now, we could celebrate. We could take one last squeeze of the lemon before leveling became a slog.

They Said The Thing

Type: Buff

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Celebrity

Stat Used: Moxie

Fans wait with bated breath for their favorite stars to reference their iconic roles from yesteryear. If you deliver them well, they will reward you greatly.

If the player repeats an iconic line from one of their past storylines, they will be evaluated more favorably by the audience for a short period in all endeavors. They will win most rolls and all saving throws for a short time.

“I don’t know what just happened. The character said some non sequitur and then the whole theater cheered for no reason.”

This seems like a trope with some potential growing pains. Trying not to sound cringy was going to be a priority. If she could pull it off, that would be really useful.

Obsessed Survivor

Type: Background

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: --

You’ve seen and fought things that no one would believe. You know the dark truth that evil exists and walks the earth and it’s all you can think about. You are certain evil will strike again, and next time, you will be ready.

The player may now equip:

· Compulsive Vetting (Final Girl-Scream Queen)

· The Quiet Witness (Wallflower-Underdog)

· Bat Out of Hell (Hysteric-Craven)

· Strength Through Scars (Bruiser-Brute)

· The Joke is on Me (Comedian-Cynic)

· Experience as a Teacher (Scholar-Strategist)

· Go Bag (Doomsday Prepper)

· I’m Still Here (Final Girl-Girl Next Door)

· Rally Point (Final Girl-Team Leader)

Kimberly obtained her first background, and it was a good one at that. The strength of backgrounds didn’t just come from being able to equip tropes you normally couldn’t—the real strength was in having a history you could leverage for the story. This background would be amazing.

Being able to say you had survived a similar situation could be incredibly useful, especially when combined with something like Convenient Backstory. Kimberly was going to continue to be a powerhouse.

I’m Still Here

Type: Insight

Archetype: Final Girl

Aspect: Girl Next Door

Stat Used: Moxie

They thought she was a flower. Everyone did. Then disaster struck and somehow, she made it through. She’s not a flower anymore, but she doesn’t know what she is. All she knows is that she’s still here, and she’s still fighting.

The player’s presence boosts morale in hopeless situations. In the Finale, a speech about conquering the Big Bad that references the group’s survival against incredible odds will debuff the Big Bad and all underlings in their offensive stat and Grit.

“People may first notice the petals, but what they will remember are the roots.”

A solid Final Girl trope for team cohesion. We wouldn't need Kimberly to be doing that job much longer, but it was good that she had something for when we needed her.

Eliza Crain

Accursed Werewolf

Ah, poor Eliza Crain... once a soul so easily overlooked, she wandered life unseen, unnoticed. But under the light of the full moon, her fate was rewritten. Drawn into Serena’s pack, she found the connection she never knew she craved.

Bound to the pack’s shared joy, Eliza no longer belongs to herself. She follows Serena, her pack leader, with unshakable devotion. A shadow she was, and a shadow she remains—forever cursed to find joy in belonging, even as it leads her to her own end.

I wasn’t sure how many wolves Kimberly had killed. The number had been high. After Serena was killed, it looked like Kimberly might have to fight through dozens more. Luckily, her improvisation—tying together all the little pieces of narrative surrounding Clara—did the job for her.

Clara Withers

The Wolf in the Rhymes

Clara Withers—a name bound to nursery rhymes and ghostly tales. Once a sickly child, the curse gave her the strength she lacked in life... at a terrible cost.

Her death remains a mystery. Did her parents end her suffering, or was she hunted by fearful villagers? Legends claim her wolf form still roams the woods, her howl echoing through the night.

Children still whisper her name, warning of the cursed girl who became a wolf. Does Clara still run beneath the moon, or is she just a story now? Who can say?

And Clara Withers, née Woolsey.

I wasn’t sure if what Kimberly had done counted as killing an enemy, but maybe you really do destroy an enemy when you make them your friend.

Ibex didn’t seem to think that was enough.

Antoine got six stat tickets for a phenomenal climactic final battle. It was really something to watch, though I spent most of the fight worrying about how he had ruined literally everything we had planned by coming back from the dark side.

Still, it all worked out.

I had seen a lot of things On-Screen that I hadn’t told the others. I had seen him hallucinating shortly after fleeing. If those scenes made it into the final cut—which I was starting to believe they would because of his role in the finale—I might talk about them. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bring them up.

If I understood correctly, Antoine had agreed to come to Carousel all the way back when he was just a kid, 13 or 14. He had always been so ashamed of being tricked into coming to Carousel, and I always thought he was too hard on himself. After all, his brother had seemingly FaceTimed him.

But being warned and asking to come anyway? That, I could see being different—though I didn’t blame him, and I didn’t think anyone would.

Pound of Flesh

Type: Rule

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: --

What’s owed is owed.

The player will lose in any matchup against an ally they killed in a previous storyline. This effect only works once per death.

“It’s only fair.”

He must have gotten this for slightly murdering Lila and Andrew. At first, it seemed more like a punishment or some sort of snide mockery, but the trope could be truly powerful if used correctly; we would have to think on it.

Willpower is Magic

Type: Rule

Archetype: --

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Grit

The human spirit may not amount to much in life, but in movies, it can overcome all things.

All applicable enemy technology or magic is now resistible through sheer effort. Results vary. Effects vary. This will hurt.

“It may be the last thing you ever do, but it must be done.”

One of the best tropes in the game. Antoine’s brother, Chris, had that trope, and it was what allowed me to break through possession in TheStrings Attached storyline.

It was so useful that I couldn’t imagine him ever going into a storyline without it again.

Blood to the Brain

Type: Buff/Perk

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Health Nut

Stat Used: Grit

Healthy body, healthy mind. Running body, running mind.

The player will gain a passive Savvy buff from regular exercise. In a storyline, the player’s Savvy will be highly buffed during strenuous, meaningful activity.

“I get my best ideas while running from zombies.”

Who knew that Athletes also catered to brain health?

Serena Clarke

The Lovesick Werewolf

For two centuries, Serena Clarke has searched the world for Clara, her sire and the love she can never forget. Through forests, ruins, and endless shadows, her journey has yielded only heartbreak, carving a hollow in her soul that no time or distance can fill.

In her despair, Serena built a pack—not out of malice, but need. Bound to her, they are a bittersweet echo of the connection she longs for. She leads them with quiet resolve, her every step driven by the faint hope that somewhere, Clara waits. Until then, Serena’s search continues, an eternal wanderer carrying the weight of love lost.

Now, that was a real trophy. Serena had been a big collar.

~-~

Michael had been torn up about having dropped his subplot. That was why he was willing to sacrifice himself for Second Blood. Personally, I didn’t blame him much—the rules had been a little weird in that storyline. Frankly, he was there to be a big gun, and I wasn’t even sure what we’d lost with his subplot anyway.

He sure blamed himself, though.

He did well enough to earn four stat tickets. Being a blood sacrifice and putting on a great shooting display easily earned him that. Combined with his comparatively low level, it all made sense.

Now, if he would just focus a little more on his character, he could be a real contender.

Take a few with me...

Type: Rule/Buff

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: Commando

Stat Used: Mettle

A glorious death is mostly a myth, a rare, fleeting thing, especially in horror films. If you want a glorious death in horror, you need to take some enemies with you.

The player will die for Second Blood. Any injury they receive or any debuff to Grit in that fight will buff Mettle. Each enemy they kill will extend their life for a short time.

“Glory can be found under a pile of enemy bodies.”

A great sacrifice trope. Ideally, everyone on your team should have one.

Bush Scout

Type: Insight

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: GI

Stat Used: Moxie

Remember those fateful orders in a horror film, “Go scout ahead.”

The player can see the enemy’s tracks through the wilderness on the red wallpaper. They must act out their detection.

“He crumpled a lead, licked a blade of grass, and then started running in that direction.”

Of all of the various enemy tracking tropes, this was one of them.

5…4…3…2…

Type: Rule

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: Commando

Stat Used: Moxie

If movies are any indication, grenades cannot detonate until after the hero throws them back.

The player can see how long it is until any explosive or similar detonates. The timer will slow while the player is handling the explosive.

“When the clock strikes zero, someone loses. Make sure it isn’t you.”

This was a really cool trope, actually, but it highlighted the flaw with most combat tropes, especially those of the Soldier or Bruiser archetype—they were so specific. If your enemy didn’t have something grenade-like, you just wasted a trope slot.

What you really needed was some type of trope that would let you know what weapons your enemies had.

That could make a soldier unstoppable in storylines that emphasized combat.

Mara Lorne

Accursed Werewolf

Mara Lorne once danced through life with laughter on her lips and mischief in her heart. A free spirit, they called her, until the night she strayed too far into the woods and Serena found her. That night, her laughter was silenced, replaced by the low growl of something... other.

Now, bound to the pack, Mara runs with the others, her joy entwined with theirs. But in the quiet moments, when the moon wanes and the forest grows still, a flicker of sorrow lingers in her amber eyes. She would follow Serena’s will to the ends of the earth, though the curse’s joy has turned her freedom into a haunting, bittersweet memory.

All of these werewolf cards were so sad. Monster tickets were generally sad.

Eventually, we were going to encounter a bunch of pure evil monsters. Those were usually reserved for the higher levels.

After everyone had hit the red button, we noticed that Silas didn’t leave. Instead, he started to sing a little poem that only rhymed because of how strangely he delivered the lines. I had heard the poem when I got my aspect, and apparently, everyone else had too.

The Cliff’s Notes version? There was no right aspect choice but you still needed to choose wisely.

But who was this poem for?

It was for Michael—our Soldier—who could only unlock his aspect after participating in a rescue. He had made himself an asset in this storyline, and now he was being rewarded for it.

Best of all, I would actually get to read all the cards Silas gave him, unlike with Antoine.

“Go ahead, big guy,” Logan said.

Michael pressed the red button, and he got all the normal, expected stuff.

You’ve reached a level where the game starts to get more difficult. Luckily, you are about to get the tools to fight back.

Having achieved Plot Armor 21 and having afterward accomplished the requisite feat of [contributing meaningfully to a successful rescue], you have now unlocked your choice of aspect.

Choosing an aspect allows you to decide what type of [Soldier] you wish to be. Good luck!

He also got a ticket explaining all of the different Soldier aspects.

Come to think of it, because rescues were required for a soldier to get their aspect, and rescues had been off the board for over a decade, Michael was the first soldier to get an aspect in quite a long time.

When the stakes are highest, when the odds are stacked against you, and when your party is outmatched or outleveled, the Soldier is the one you turn to. Disciplined, resourceful, and unwavering under pressure, Soldiers thrive in crises. They are built for high-stakes fights and desperate situations, bringing a mix of strength, strategy, and resilience to turn the tide when survival seems impossible. Whether it’s leading the charge into danger or executing a daring rescue to pull injured comrades from harm’s way, the Soldier’s readiness to act makes them an invaluable force in the most perilous of scenarios. The Soldier's journey branches into three distinct aspects: Agent, GI, and Commando. Each of these aspects offers specialized strengths and unique abilities that will shape the course of your narrative.

Agent: The Agent is a specialist in investigation and tactical operations, excelling at uncovering the truth, navigating complex systems, and executing stealthy maneuvers. Whether working as part of an investigative agency, law enforcement team, or private mercenary group, the Agent is skilled at using institutional resources and field expertise to gain the upper hand. Their ability to analyze situations, secure valuable intel, and bring order to chaos makes them indispensable in high-stakes scenarios. With strong Savvy and Moxie, Agents can navigate bureaucracies, interrogate suspects, and coordinate efforts to expose hidden dangers and secure vital resources.

Example tropes for an Agent include Undercover Ops, which grants bonuses when working in disguise or blending in with NPCs, Red Tape Specialist, enabling them to cut through administrative obstacles to secure critical assets or information, and Interrogation Tactics, which provides insightful information from characters through diligent questioning.

GI: The GI embodies the everyman soldier—versatile, grounded, and profoundly human. They are the backbone of any operation, using a wide array of skills to adapt to the challenges they face. With a focus on Mettle, Moxie, and Grit, the GI shines in both combat and survival situations, often serving emotional anchor for a group of warriors or the frontline defense for noncombatants. Their balanced skill set allows them to adapt to practical and emotional challenges.

Example tropes for a GI include Field Repairs, which allows them to improvise fixes for equipment, Ammo Hound, a combat-focused perk that helps find ammo in crucial moments, and Why Do We Fight?, a humanizing trope that bolsters group morale and grants Grit buffs to allies when reminded of those they defend.

Commando: The Commando is the quintessential frontline warrior—fearless, powerful, and adept in direct combat. First to charge into the fray, their skills revolve around raw strength and unyielding resolve. With high Mettle and Hustle, the Commando is both a devastating attacker and a quick responder to emergent threats. Their determination and courage make them an invaluable force in critical moments. They may or may not be seen, but they will surely be heard.

Example tropes for a Commando include Shock and Awe, an overwhelming display of force that makes enemies seek cover and stop attacking, Fight or Fight, a burst of speed and strength in critical moments, and No Man Left Behind, which lets them shield or extract injured allies under heavy duress.

Choosing your aspect is a defining moment. It determines not only how you confront the horrors of the narrative but also what role you will play in the unfolding drama. Whether you excel at subterfuge as an Agent, adapt as a GI, or dominate the battlefield as a Commando, your skills as a Soldier will be instrumental. Choose wisely.

Dear lord, all this information was so long. Whoever designed this system must have been really proud of it to force us to read all of this. I had to imagine there was a setting in the Carousel game menu where you could make all the text abridged.

Like always, he got three aspect tropes to choose from, and whichever one he chose would set his aspect.

Crisis Authority

Type: Rule/Buff/Rescue

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: Agent

Stat Used: Moxie*

“Why don’t they call the cops?” a critic asks, as horror movie characters face deadly situations. Well, sometimes they actually do contact the authorities. It can even be the thing that saves them.

Emergency Transmission: the player can be called into an active storyline as a lifeline. As long as the transmission is sent, the player can enter the story and complete it even if all allies are already dead. Narrative compatibility is strictly construed. Performance scores will be judged with intense scrutiny.

As an Agent, you can be called into a storyline as a member of a law enforcement organization, military apparatus, intelligence agency, or similar to assist in ways those organizations normally would in a movie.

The player will get narrative weight in scenes involving stealth, bureaucracy, or information gathering. Their insight tropes will work better in those contexts.

This ticket is granted after the player participates meaningfully in a successful rescue following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Agent aspect.

“The nameless, faceless enforcers of the bureaucracy sure look friendly after the killing starts.”

The Citizen Soldier

Type: Rule/Buff/Rescue

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: GI

Stat Used: Moxie*

A single soldier, retired or otherwise can be a vital lifeline to a group of scared civilian survivors. Even simple skills can make a big difference. So a can a single gun.

Emergency Transmission: the player can be called into an active storyline as a lifeline. As long as the transmission is sent, the player can enter the story and complete it even if all allies are already dead. Narrative compatibility is strictly construed. Performance scores will be judged with intense scrutiny.

As a GI, you can be called into a storyline when civilians—particularly those hypothetically tied to your character personally—are facing a threat and require your leadership or practical expertise.

The player will get narrative weight when protecting noncombatants or supporting combatants. Their support tropes will work better.

This ticket is granted after the player participates meaningfully in a successful rescue following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the GI aspect.

“Everyone’s scared. Someone has to act anyway..”

Guns A’ Blazing

Type: Rule/Buff/Aspect

Archetype: Soldier

Aspect: Commando

Stat Used: Mettle or Hustle

In action films, the Commando charges in as the ultimate escalation, armed and ready to turn the tide of battle. Their explosive entrance marks the moment chaos meets unstoppable force.

Emergency Transmission: the player can be called into an active storyline as a lifeline. As long as the transmission is sent, the player can enter the story and complete it even if all allies are already dead. Narrative compatibility is strictly construed. Performance scores will be judged with intense scrutiny.

As a Commando, you can be called into a storyline during or in anticipation of an imminent fierce battle as the narrative allows. You can bring any weapons your tropes or the narrative will allow.

The player will get narrative weight in all fights, especially solo fights. Their battle tropes will work better.

This ticket is granted after the player participates in a successful rescue following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Commando aspect.

“Subtlety’s not my thing, but destruction? I’m great at that.”

By far, Emergency Transmission was likely the most impactful archetype ability I had ever seen. All I got was Death Watch. Kimberly got Center of Attention, and Antoine had something called Torchbearer.

All of those were really cool, but Emergency Transmission was something else.

If I understood it correctly, it allowed a soldier archetype player who was not yet participating in the storyline to be called in for a rescue during the storyline. This worked even if you hadn’t wiped out yet. If you realized you needed extra muscle, you could get it.

Players would have to judge whether it made more sense to call in a Soldier or just wait for another team to rescue them after they died, but it was still an incredible option.

The Atlas mentioned this ability was really hard to pull off because it required a strong narrative framework to work. But if you could manage it, it was like starting a rescue before the original storyline was even over.

With an ability like that, it was no surprise there were so few soldiers.

With a glance at Logan, Michael chose Commando. He was the only fighter on this team, really, so he needed to be the best.

I wasn’t sure who noticed it first, but someone pointed out that the advanced archetype tracker had been updated—for all of us.

Michael, Antoine, Kimberly, Andrew, and I had all gained at least one point in the Monster Hunter advanced archetype. Everyone but Antoine had gotten two points in it. Ironic, since his character was literally a monster hunter. Though, he hadn’t spent most of the story that way.

To make up for it, he got the Afflicted advanced archetype with three points. The Afflicted dealt with transformative curses or diseases like Jekyll and Hyde, vampires, or, of course, werewolves. It was actually a fairly common advanced archetype for players back at Dyer’s Lodge, though they almost never used it.

Andrew and I earned points for Mad Scientist, with Andrew getting two and me getting one.

Finally, Kimberly and I each got a point in the hidden advanced archetype marked only as “???” on the red wallpaper.

I had to wonder why we weren’t allowed to know the name of this advanced archetype.

It was good nonetheless. I had six points in that AA. I would find out eventually.

The mood was light and happy. We had won, and we would celebrate as winners. Even later, when our momentum slowed down, we’d have to remember these days and hold onto these feelings.

“Lila, do you want to lead us home?” I asked.

I didn’t know why I’d been so touchy about letting her open up Sound Stages to lead us around before, but I was tired, and I could sure use a break.

She almost smiled when she accepted.

Following her was like following the White Rabbit through the rabbit hole—an entirely unreal experience.

We went through a back door of the manor and into one of the bedrooms. We climbed out the window.

Suddenly, I realized we weren’t in the middle of nowhere anymore. The manor house had been moved to a neighborhood—an old, expensive one with large trees.

And so it continued.

We’d turn corners into completely different places, climbing through windows, doorways, alleys, and, in one instance, a subway (yes, subway) grate, as she folded space around us. Finally, we came out two blocks away from Kimberly’s loft.

I took it from there.

That was an experience—another one to add to the pile.

And it was time to go find more of them.