Fractured Allies
Stalfos are attacking Hyrule castle. They seem to be pouring out of the northern forest. Although mostly a nuisance now, it may be the first symptoms of something much more foreboding.
Themes
Is justice found in forgiveness or punishment?
Structure
Exposition
- Asteria created Majora’s mask for the people of Ikana to use in their bewitching rituals and as a gift to create peace between the Garo and Ikana. (Garo and Ikana were fighting over the Hexing crystals, aka timeshift stones, the mask was in exchange for rights to some of the crystals) Asteria also made many other masks.
- By the time the Fierce Deity Mask was made, Asteria saw how powerful and corrupt Majora’s Mask had become. Asteria tried to take the mask from the people of Ikana, but the spirit within the mask had already possessed the large Ikana Royal Family. Asteria conspired with the Garo to kill the people of Ikana and ensure that the spirit of the mask did not possess their undead.
- Ikana’s people were destroyed in the following war with the Garo. The restless spirits cursed Ikana into desolation and undeath, and the gems they both coveted were cursed into losing their power. It was as if time, for the warriors, had come to a standstill, teetering between life and death. The hero of time freed the land of the curse, so the southern swamp’s mycelia has now engulfed Ikana and the gems of the quarry have their power back.
- Before Shinzo was exiled, Princess Zelda saw a prophecy of his exile. She told Asteria, who then struck a deal with the goddess of time--keep her child safe and let her see him one more time. The goddess agreed, knowing that the child was the Hero of Hyrule. Asteria was exiled to Termina instead where her “son” would later come in order to save it from Majora. She makes masks in the in between time, though, expecting her child to recognize her handywork and to come find her.
- Asteria died long before the Child Hero made it to Termina, so her spirit lingered in Ikana. The wait for him nearly drove her mad. When he did finally appear as the Child Hero, Asteria did not acknowledge him as he did not resemble her Zonai heritage at all, but Fen knew. Years after the Hero left, the magic of the Hexing Crystals came back. Fearing that people would fight over them again, Asteria built puppets (warring machines that the Zonai taught her to make) so as to protect Ikana. These puppets instinctively kept people away from Asteria and out of Ikana. Those in Ikana and the swamps are under Asteria’s direct control, and thus have greater intelligence, but outside those areas, they don’t bother those wearing masks as they can’t tell if they are looking at an outsider or another puppet.
- Asteria began to go mad with time, so Fen and the GFoC sealed her away. However, Shadow Sumrak will break the seal. Asteria will be released, and she will "sense" her husband's presence. Stating, "he's still alive, but why isn't he here? Why won't he come to me?" In frustration and an attempt to demand attention, Asteria will attack what Shinzo held dear: Hyrule. She will do so by kidnapping people with her puppets and shoving them through the mirror, turning them into stal.
- She will ask her skulkid friend, Suha , to go protect the mirror in Hyrule for her. In Ikana and the swamps, Asteria can control the puppets with greater efficiency, making them much smarter.
- When GFoC returns to Termina to check on Asteria , she will be attacked by Sumrak’s Shadow and broken into shards. These shards are held in lanterns by the puppets.
Conflict
- Puppets that usually reside in Ikana have taken over Termina. Those that don’t wear masks are dragged into the forest to become stalfos/skullkid/deku.
- The woods in Hyrule and Hyrule field are overrun with undead.
- The Great Fairy of Courage has been split apart into soul fragments
- The Deku have been chased out of their palace by Shadow Sumrak and puppets; Dessa is missing (Locked in the palace)
Rising Action
- (Central Hyrule is overrun with undead that attack the castle at night. They will all be speaking in Ancient Hylian. They speak cryptically of war against Hyrule, the Garo, Ikana, the hero, and the like. They are intending to destroy Hyrule)
- The party will arrive in the lost woods and discover it is over run by undead.
- The Great Fairy of Courage will be crying, and she is only a fraction of her form. She will tell them of Termina and how she was split apart. The Light Spirit will speak to the party.
- When the party finds the mirror in the woods, they will be attacked by puppets controlled by a skulkid. The kid will tell them they’re not allowed in here.
- After entering Clock City, the party will be approached by a guard who will ask what’s going on and will tell them they need a mask, directing them to the mask shop.
- K will recognize that the party is from Hyrule, and will question them cryptically about it. He’ll then briefly mention how the last time Hyrulians came to termina, it was a hero. He wants them to prove they have the makings of a hero. If they pass the test, he’ll give them the song of healing. Deku will talk about the situation in Ikana.
- Sumrak's Shadow will be trying to get the key to Ikana canyon and to kill Dessa, one of the few who know how to get to ikana, to keep the party from entering it. He is rebelling against Shinzo who wants to make it easy for the party to reach Asteria and Fen. He will destroy Deku Palace's walls and begin searching the place for the key to hold onto, thus making it more difficult for the party to get. Dessa will be in hiding inside the palace, and will have hid with the key. Shadow Sumrak will fight the party there, wrathful, loathing that he is being used like a tool and ordered like a dog. He will attempt to kill the party if he can, but just before either he or anyone in the party is killed, Shinzo will intervene in the form of a raven, demanding that the fight stop. If for some reason the party pushes for a continued fight, Shinzo will exercise his influence over them and the area, which is admittedly a great influence as Termina is not a dimension with deities that particularly know him (although he is being cautious due to fae being able to easily traverse dimensions).
- While SS is in the Deku Palace, the puppets will also have had their attention drawn to the place, and so they will be patrolling the area.
Climax
The party will enter Ikana Canyon. They will encounter hallucinogenic mushrooms all around. They will need a guide to get deep into the canyon.
Upon choosing a guide, the party will safely make it to the Quarry.
Fen will be within. Asteria will be deep within. Asteria will consistently appear throughout to mess with the party.
Party will either put Asteria to rest or shatter her soul.
Falling Action
The party will return to Hyrule. Volga and Vile will be burning down the forest, destroying the Great Deku Tree. The Koroks will be fleeing to Faron.
Resolution
The party will restore the great fairy of Courage, and she will give a reward.
Components
Goals
Restore the great fairy
Put Asteria to rest
Free the deku palace
Stop the stalfos
Hooks
The party will witness the stal attacking Hyrule
The party will discover the great fairy of Courage is shattered
At escalation 2, the northern forest will be visibly ablaze from Central Hyrule and Eldin
At escalation 3, the stal have significantly destroyed parts of Hyrule Castle
Stakes
The stal will continue to bombard Hyrule
Asteria will decimate Termina
The Great deku tree and other forest dwelling creatures will lose their homes
Moral Quandaries
Are the insane and mentally ill fully responsible for their actions? Is punishment more important than forgiveness?
Cruel Tricks
The deku tree will be burned while the party is away. When they return, the forest will be on fire.
Backdrops
Threats
Weather: Rain
Common Enemies: Snapdragons, deku baba, octorok
Miniboss: Fen
Boss: Asteria
Past Events
Plot type
Module
Related Characters
Related Locations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments