OK, Gehenna Wormwood spoilers here! Wormwood spoilers! Look out!



AND END TO A DIFFERENT DREAM
or "The Wormwood Opera"

DAY 1

A lone figure is running on the street. It's Pentweret, the Setite from Lair of the Hidden. Behind him a toxic-looking red mist fills the street. Pentweret sees a cathedral and hurries towards it. At the doors Ferox, the white gargoyle, gestures impatiently.

FEROX
Join us quick, o chosen one
You'll be saved if you just run!
For forty days this cathedral
Will shield us with it's mighty walls!

Pentweret nosedives his way through the doors at the last minute and Ferox slams them shut

PENTWERET (Smiling)
Stuck in here for forty days?
It's not so hard a test to face
Could be worse, I do admit
If I had to spend it with...

He stands up and looks around and his smile dies

Besides Ferox and Alia, all the chosen vampires are his old roommates from Huneadora castle

PENTWERET
Nooooooooooooooooooo!!


DAY 5

Eshmunamash confronts Ferox with a theological dilemma

ESHMUNAMASH
Tens of thousands vamps around
Only a handful heard the sound
(Puzzled)
I just can't comprehend this thing
Were only few worth rescuing?

Ferox pulls out a bowl filled with slips of paper and covers his eyes. As he sings, he blindly picks slips from the bowl to demonstrate God's inscrutable and holy process of choosing those worthy of redemption

FEROX
God can only concentrate
On roughly dozen vampire's fate
Crowds confuse Him, it's a shame
Every face looks just the same

After pulling twelve slips, Ferox dumps the contents of the bowl into a trashcan, and smiles

FEROX
See?

ESHMUNAMASH (Sarcastic)
And here I was thinking God was omniscient and merciful... Silly me.


DAY 11

An old friend comes to visit the cathedral

SAULOT (Tapping on the window)
Hey c'mon guys, please let me in!
It really hurts, this Wormwood thing!

ABDALKUTBA
But didn't you accept your fate?
You said there's no room for debate

SAULOT
Once again, I've changed my mind
Let me in, please, be so kind

Saulot makes puppy eyes at the Chosen, but Ferox promptly closes the curtain. Tapping can still be heard

FEROX
Nice try, Demon Emperor! Mwa ha ha... ahem.


DAY 16

Tensions start to rise between Zamra, Cret and Danika

ZAMRA
That Fiend bitch sure get's on my nerves
Let's vote her out, that she deserves!

DANIKA
I'm a guest here, just like you...

CRET
Shut up both, I've work to do!

Demetrius comes to them, smiling like a blissful idiot and spreads his arms

DEMETRIUS
Come now, my my, it's not so bad
There's lots of insight to be had
Just set your inner balance free
And reach Golconda, just like me

Danika, Cret and Zamra look at each other. Then they look at Demetrius, who is still doing his Maharishi impersation

They start beating him together

DEMETRIUS (Still smiling)
Another *OW!* argument averted by *OUCH!* your good friend Demetrius... *NOT THE HAIR!*

DAY 21

Drenis is standing near the cathedral's doors, talking to aninsane street preacher

STREET PREACHER
I know I'm right, the End is here
So pay heed to these words, my dear

Drenis gets a sneaky look

DRENIS
(To himself)
This must be a moral test...
I'll show God that I'm the best!
(To the preacher, over-dramatically)
Yes it's true, the Kindred die
We're not worthy in His eye!

He casts his hands up and looks pleadingly at the heavens. The preacher looks troubled

STREET PREACHER Scared
Wow, just how deranged are YOU?
You disturb me... We are through!
Bye!

The preacher runs away as fast as he can. Danika walks to the door

DANIKA
Hiya, nancy-boy. What was that all about?

DRENIS (Surprised)
I think I scared that loony off.

Danika slaps him

DANIKA
Way to go, Frank N Furter! You should have lured him in! I wanted to sink my fangs...

FEROX (Appearing behind her)
Ahem!

DANIKA (Think fast!)
...into some deep theological conversation... Yes, that's right.

FEROX
Good. Remember: People are friends, not food.


DAY 27

Hill confronts Ferox and Alia with his thoughts about God'ssolution

HILL (Frustrated)
I just don't like this Final Night
Where is the giant vampire fight?
No ancients rising from the ground
No people shooting nukes around

ALIA (Understanding, pats him on the hand)
But this is not some evil scheme
It just more faithful to the theme

Hill calms down a bit, but then Ferox blurts out:

FEROX (High and mighty)
This may not be your cup of tea
If you're a major twink, you see?

Hill looks offended and walks away muttering to himself


DAY 36

Ferox has failed. The sanctuary has turned into a frenzied cage-match

ANASTAZI
I'll kick your cross-dressing butt!

DRENIS
Just you try, fleshcrafted mutt!

HILL (Confronting Mahtiel)
How I've longed to fight with you
Sleep, just like you always do!

Abdalkutba has grabbed Bufo in a headlock

ABDALKUTBA
I read your future in the stars:
It is my fate to kick your arse!

Ferox runs around in panic

FEROX
This all fills my mind with doubts
My Faith drops to sane amounts!

Everyone stops and looks at him

EVERYONE
Uh oh...

The red mist that is Wormwood starts flowing through the windows of the cathedral. It coalesces and begins to take form... A human-shaped form, with a face all too familiar to the occupants.

The Wormwood Creature looks at the ex-Chosen with murder in it's eyes. Cret is the first to react

CRET
Something's wrong, this can't be right
It turned out to be Sam...

But before he finishes that sentence, there is a tick-noise and everything freezes in place.

THE VOICE OF DEUS EX MACHINA
OK people, I've been patient, but this? It just got WAY too stupid.

Something resembling a phone booth appears. It's door opens and a bunch of vampires pour out. Their leader speaks up

THE TRUE BRUJAH ANTEDILUVIAN
Did we make it here in time?
To prevent this heinous crime?

The Wormwood Creature tries to break free from the time freeze, but it's speech and movement are pitifully slow

WORMWOOD CREATURE
Mmmmoooorrrreeee... pppoowwweeerrrr...

A female True Brujah looks at it curiously

FEMALE TRUE BRUJAH
Hmm. Maybe he only speaks twink?
(Starts to imitate the creature)
Mmmuussst fffiillll aallll doottts iiinn theee ssshheeettt...

The True Brujah Antediluvian rolls his eyes

THE TRUE BRUJAH ANTEDILUVIAN
Doesn't really matter, does it? We're too late. (Strikes a cheesy pose) But wait! There's still a chance. We must give our lives to rewind time so this will never happen.

Ferox struggles to deliver a few lines

FEROX
That is not how God would act!
Please don't go through with this crap!

Wormwood joins him in the sentiment

WORMWOOD CREATURE
Daammmnnn yooouuuu... Fuuuucking Truuueee Bruuuujah...

THE TRUE BRUJAH
Now it's time to reset your clocks
No Wormwood or that damn Ferox
Let's do what even God could not:
Let's give the End another shot!

Time begins to ripple as the True Brujah use their powers in concert. Horrible wounds open on their bodies but they refuse to cease. Finally they all burst into flames, and the time freeze releases

PENTWERET (Unimpressed)
Of course... It figures that *Temporis* would be used to undo God's will.

The True Brujah dissolve into ash as time finally rewinds a few months. Their sacrifice has averted God's Gehenna, but the Antediluvians are still around and about to wake up and lay smackdown on each other...





Too bad for humans.


NEXT in Act 2:
Showdown between Caine and Lilith!