A FIRE AT NIGHT
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
THE WIZARD
A small, frail-seeming old man. Wears a black robe, hem and sleeves embroidered with awful golden symbols, and a massive wizard's hat that keeps most of his face in shadow. He grins all the time. His teeth are huge and square, his lips are always pulled back over rancid red gums. He leans on a gnarled staff. Seems to know all and see all, exudes evil (even if, at the moment, he happens to be doing good).
THE WARDING DEMON
A two-story tall corpulent lizard-person with horns and a long spiky tail. Carries a two-handed hammer carved from dragonbone.
THE LADY CAPSAZIN
Quintessential 'spunky redhead.' Good muscular definition. Wears pyromancy robes: deep gray leather robes over chainmail, and jackboots. The leather has green stains, the chain has brown rust. Keeps her hood up while Hollow, to hide her rotting features. Has an ancient longsword, more a sword than a saw but only just. Later it is enchanted with Divine Power. Also uses fire magic, when desperate. Aggressive, incautious, but determined and tough as teak. Doesn't stop her dying, of course.
FULL CHORUS OF ZOMBIES IN BITS OF RUSTING ARMOR
ISSUE #1
PAGE 1
Panel 1
A manor house in the mountains. There's a terrible rainstorm. Pre-victorian architecture, like a High Renaissance French country estate fallen into incredible disrepair. The Wizard is a small silhouette in front of the door. When we first see him, he is wearing a longsword on his belt.
Narrator: All is silent in the stone halls of the dead.
Panel 2
Wooden staff rapping on the door.
Panel 3
The door opens. Stretch over multiple panels if you like.
Narrator: These are the rooms of ruin...
Panel 4
Wizard's shadow on the floor. 2 Zombies are there, looking uneasy.
Narrator: Where the spiders spin...
PAGE 2
Panel 1 (Full Page)
The Wizard, standing in the doorway. Water is running off of his hat all around him. First we see of his awful giant-toothed grin, the rest of his face is in shadow.
Narrator: Where the spiders spin, and where the Souls of the Gods are eaten, one by one.
PAGE 3
Panel 1
Foyer of the Manor. 2 main features: a locked gate leading to the Dungeon, and a balcony where the Warding Demon is waiting. Demon's upper half is in shadow, eyes glow orange. Teeth are ivory, less yellow than the wizard's.
Demon: By who's name do ye darken my door, wizard?
Wizard: By the King's name I do darken it, demon.
Panel 2
Close up of the Warding Demon.
Demon: The King sends ye to my Asylum?
Panel 3
The Demon grins.
Demon: Excellent. Open the doors, slaves.
Panel 4
Cadre of zombies pull the dungeon doors open.
Demon: Enter, wizard. Enter freely.
Panel 5
Wizard starts down the stairs. They're lit with torches, casting the shadows of horrid and licentious deeds on the walls.
Demon: Freely, and of your own will. And may ye find what ye seek down there!
PAGE 4
Panel 1
Wizard stalks down the stairs, water dripping off of him.
Narrator: Some call me Merlyn. I'm not him.
Panel 2
Wizard goes down a line of cells. In each cell is a zombie, flesh falling off bones, reaching through the bars or gnawing them in a frenzy.
Narrator: Could never get close tohim, really.
Panel 3
Wizard passing, from inside a cell. The zombie inside is attempting to gnaw his own leg off, and has halfway succeeded.
Narrator: That man was special. A real piece of work.
Panel 4
Wizard stops in the hall. He is looking into a cell, we can't see inside.
Narrator: Though, when people ask, 'Are you he? The Great Wizard?'
Panel 5 (Big panel)
Wizard is looking down at The Lady. She is Hollow, with sunken eyes and patches of rot and decay. Her pyromancer's robes are stained and torn. She is sitting against the wall, fetal position.
Narrator: I've never denied it.
Wizard: Nice weather we're having.
Wizard: Not that you would know.
PAGE 5
Panel 1
The Lady backs against the far wall. She's terrified but defiant.
Lady: What do you want?
Panel 2
The Wizard points at the door lock
Panel 3
The lock explodes.
Panel 4
The wizard opens the door.
Wizard: Nothing, corpse. What do you want?
Panel 5
The Lady leans out, hesitant. The wizard gestures toward the hall he come from.
Lady: I want out of here.
Wizard: Be my guest, fair one.
Panel 6
The Lady walks down the hall, one hand on the wall for support.
Wizard: I must warn you.
Panel 7
A Zombie charges, swinging a broken sword. The lady barely dodges.
Wizard: They take a dim view of escapees here.
PAGE 6
Panel 1
The Lady dodges a swing.
Panel 2
The Lady grips the zombie's wrist and snaps his arm at the elbow.
Panel 3
The Lady wrenches the sword hilt free
Panel 4
And stabs the zombie with it.
Panel 5
And stabs him again.
Panel 6
And stabs himagain.
Panel 7
She bears the zombie to the ground with another stab.
Panel 8
Wizard standing over the pair thoughtfully. Give the impression that the stabbing is continuing for a while.
Narrator: This I can use.
PAGE 7
Panel 1
The Wizard offers the Lady a hand.
Wizard: Feel better?
Panel 2
The Lady takes it.
Lady: Only a little.
Panel 3
The Wizard puts a hand on the Lady's shoulder.
Wizard: That's all right. I have more arranged. A giant demon, the one who guards this unholy place.
Lady: Oh, yippee. I need a sword.
Panel 4
The Wizard thinks on this.
Panel 5
The Wizard draws his own sword.
Panel 6
The sword is lying across both of the wizard's hands, camera is 45°. The Lady touches the hilt tenderly.
Wizard: Will this do?
Panel 7
The Lady holds the sword in a knightly salute. We get a good look at it – it is as battered, rusty, and chipped as she is. She clearly loves it.
Panel 8
Lady, same pose, but now glowering at the Wizard, who is just out-of-panel.
Lady: It'll have to.
PAGE 8
Panel 1
The Wizard pushes the door to the foyer open.
Panel 2 (Big Panel)
The Warding Demon is waiting, hammer in hand, flanked by 2 Zombies. You can see him in the light from the big arched windows. His eyes still glow.
Demon: An escape. I thought as much, wizard.
Demon: The King has no power over those in my domain.
Demon: Now you shall be mine, forever.
Panel 3
The Wizard pats the Lady on the shoulder again.
Wizard: Go get him, tiger.
Panel 4
The wizard evaporates. The Lady looks at where he was standing, mildly surprised.
PAGE 9
Panel 1 (Full Page)
The Demon roars, smashing his hammer into the floor. The stones shatter. The Lady barely escapes to one side.
PAGE 10
Panel 1
The Demon swings his hammer. The Lady ducks, it smashes one of the zombies.
Panel 2
The Lady charges the Demon
Panel 3
The Lady runs by, carving a slice from one of the demon's thighs as she passes.
Panel 4
The other zombie swings at the Lady.
Panel 5
The Lady grapples the other zombie
Panel 6
And uses him as a shield. The Demon smashes them both, but mostly the zombie.
PAGE 11
Panel 1
Tableau. The Demon and the Lady, staring at each other. Both are wounded.
Panel 2
The Lady levels her sword at the Demon.
Lady: I don't like you.
Demon: That's natural, slave.
Panel 3
The Lady looks down at her off hand.
Lady: So this is where all the pilgrims before me end up. Everyone who goes out in the King's Name, looking for the Land of the Dead. You take them, and throw them in cells to die.
Panel 4.
The Demon grins and lifts his hammer.
Demon: Aye, Lady. Every one.
Panel 5
The Demon slams the hammer down.
Panel 6
Small panel of just the Lady's left hand, holding the hammerhead. Her hand is on fire.
PAGE 12
Panel 1
The Lady, holding the hammer off of her with one hand. She's very, very mad.
Lady: I resent this treatment.
Panel 2
The Demon lifts the hammer. The Lady holds on, riding it up.
Lady: When I return to the Palace,
Panel 3
The Demon has lifted the hammer over his head. He stares in horror, the Lady lets go and has just started to fall.
Lady: I'll file a complaint.
Panel 4
The lady stabs the demon in the face, to the hilt, blade disappearing completely. The Demon's eyes bug out a bit.
PAGE 13
Panel 1
The Demon falls, dead.
Panel 2
The Lady stares at the kill, satisfied.
Panel 3
The Lady's left arm contorts horribly.
Lady: AAUGGHH!
Panel 4
The Wizard rematerializes.
Wizard: That was a phenomenally stupid use of your power, lady pyromancer.
Panel 5
The Wizard gently looks at The Lady's arm.
Lady: Ah, no, please!
Wizard: I see. There's no hope for this limb.
Panel 6
The Wizard turns away, and sweeps over to the Demon's corpse.
Wizard: You're undead, so you won't die. Then again, you'll never heal either. You'll be a cripple, until a stronger undead comes to suck the marrow from your bones.
Panel 7
The Wizard rummages around the Demon.
Panel 8
The Wizard turns. Floating above his palm is a dark shape, with a glowing white outline.
Wizard: You're lucky I'm so generous.
PAGE 14
Panel 1
The Wizard helps the Lady out the door. The rain has stopped. The day is overcast, but a heck of a lot brighter than in the manor.
Panel 2
There is a path up the mountain, away from the asylum.
Panel 3
The Lady, leaning on the Wizard, walks up the path. They pass a milestone reading:
TRAVELLER, HERE ENDS OUT-WORLD.
BEYOND ARE THE LANDS OF THE DEAD.
Panel 4
The Peak of the mountain. It is above the clouds and the sunset is glorious.
Narrator: Praise the sun.
Wizard: You've got a long journey ahead.
Lady: Ow.
PAGE 15
Panel 1
The Wizard helps the Lady sit.
Panel 2
The Wizard fishes in his belt.
Wizard: Your reward, lady.
Panel 3
The Wizard offers the small black and white shape. There is a speck in the distance against the sunset. Every panel pointed at the sunset from here features this speck, which is an approaching bird.
Wizard: Take. Eat. This is my blood, which is poured out for you.
Panel 4
The Lady takes it and stares. Speck is still there.
Lady: Is it really?
Wizard: No.
Wizard: But eat it anyway.
Panel 5
The Lady pulls off her hood. This is the first good look we get of her face while hollow: make the most of how nasty rotting while alive is, with giant scabs and ichor and patches of subcutaneous fat and muscle showing. She holds up the shape.
Panel 6
The Lady bites into it. Black ichor (always with a thick white outline) runs down her chin and hands.
Lady: Ugh.
PAGE 16
Panel 1 (small panel)
The Lady, now human and beautiful again, wipes her face on her sleeve.
Panel 2 (small panel)
The Lady notices her hand, still with ichor. It's flesh-tan instead of dirty gray-green.
Panel 3 (small panel)
The Lady licks her fingers.
Panel 4-10 (Small panels)
Several small panels, showing the lady touching her eyelids, lips, brow, cheeks (things that were missing or rotten), and chest, and rubbing her fingers together. Indicating disbelief at how she's been restored.
Panel 11
The Lady rubs her fingers over her scalp, hair blowing in the light breeze, and an expression of pure joy on her face. First time we see her whole and human.
Panel 12 (chibi)
The Lady had knocked the wizard to the ground. Her swordtip is at his throat.
Lady: What have you done?!
Wizard: Seriously, this is the thanks I get?!
PAGE 17 – 18 (2-Page Spread)
Panel 1 (side panel)
The wizard has his hand on the Lady's shoulder. They stare at the sun.
Wizard: I'm going now. You'll have to find your own way from here.
Panel 2 (side panel)
The Wizard turns to leave. The lady reaches toward him, as if to say 'stay.' The speck is there, and is discernibly a bird.
Lady: Wait. What about my mission to the Land of the Dead? Was it all a lie?
Wizard: No, Lady. Your pilgrimage continues. Ring the Cathedral Bells, Lady. Ring in the new world.
Panel 3 (side panel)
Identical panel. But the wizard is gone. The bird is a raven, coming this way.
Panel 4 (Big Panel)
Identical panel – but the raven ishuge. He is reaching to grab the Lady in his claws, his wings spread across the whole page. His beak is open in a soundless screech.
Narrator: I'm sure you'll manage, Lady Capzasin. I'm rather counting on it.
Narrator: Thanks for reading! See you next issue! -HPH