Plot, Setting, and Town Life

[MONSIEUR DISNEY]

Someone is writing letters.

"Come to Memory," they say, all of them handwritten, sealed with wax and the imprint of a rose. These letters are addressed to men and women across the country, no apparent pattern in the selection. The addressees are young and old, in high school, in the middle of careers, starting families. The letter-writer, it seems, chooses his or her recipients at random.

Except that something ties these men and women from every corner of the country together. But... How could the Letter Writer possibly know that?

All who receive a letter are possessed by the spirits of Classic Disney films, from Aladdin down to Wind in the Willows. And all who receive a letter inevitably move to Memory, Maine, with the sole purpose to play out the plots of the films with which they associate--though what sort of magic compels them to finish the roles their Spirits starred in is yet unknown.

For good or for ill, the Letter Writer is bringing together those possessed by Disney Spirits, and there's no turning back once you're here.

Have you answered yours?
Your character has received a mysterious letter from someone in the isolated northern town of Memory, Maine. Someone there knows your character is possessed by either an awake or dormant Disney Spirit, and their purpose is to bring you into town. Your character moves to Memory, and at some point realizes the character to which they play host.

Once awakened, characters who host Spirits are driven to play out the plots of their movies--but they must first find the other appropriate Spirits. Not every host to a villain necessarily wants to be evil, and not all heroes are noble. What twist will your story take? How will your character survive in a town cut off from all civilization?

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Continue reading for setting and town life, below!
(Perhaps it is easy to think of Memory, Maine like Classic Disney meets The Village.)

[MONSIEUR DISNEY]

SETTING, TOWN LIFE, AND ESCAPING MEMORY
MEMORY, MAINE

Please read the board descriptions provided for you under each location!

The town itself is isolated, effectively cut off from the outside world. If looking at Memory from an aerial perspective, the town is situated in the center, surround by smallish farms, training grounds, and the Far Plain. These plains take about half a day to cross on foot, and there are no cars in Memory. To the east off the plains is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north, west, and south, the plains are ringed by Blackwood Forest.

TOWN PROPER

Being cut off from society means having to take on more responsibilities than the modern world requires. Your character can contribute to the good of the community by offering their skills in any of the Community Support areas or learning a new skill. Some particularly antisocial characters may not want to participate in the community, but they will not be held in good standing if that's the case.

The General Store replenishes its stock magically as needed, so attendants are only needed to keep the place clean and organized. Supplies that are not provided--be they for the blacksmith, apothecary, tailors, and others--must be grown, made, or gathered.

Houses are equipped with electricity and running water, though the source of this is inexplicable as well. New houses may be built (you may suggest a new house/location) for the residents' convenience. Houses are shared by many in the community--some are communal, but many are divided apartment-style to keep some semblance of privacy.

OUTER LANDS

The outer lands just outside the town are used for farming and as training grounds. There is a river that flows less than an hour's walk from town, and the Atlantic Ocean is only a little further away. Volunteer Hawkeyes and occasional members of The Armistice occupy the Watchtowers and patrol the town and "borders" to keep citizens safe from outer threats, the occasional monster, and each other. Abandoned buildings stand outside the town, and beyond them stretch the Far Plains.

BLACKWOOD FOREST AND ESCAPE

This enchanted forest is what keeps residents of Memory, Maine from escaping. It is quite a journey in itself just to reach the forest, and after that only more danger awaits. The forest teems with perils--wolves and hungry beasts, thorny mazes and trees so tall and dark as to blot out all daylight. Residents who try to escape Memory without having completed their movie plot are faced with many obstacles, the most difficult being the Pool of Tears.

If a character manages to reach the Pool of Tears, he or she has three options. The first seems the most obvious: navigating the thick, clinging mist to the edge of the Pool, with a ten foot drop into the eerily calm waters below. Make it to the other side of the Pool and your character suspects they will eventually make it back to the real world--however, whatever magic surrounds Memory will not allow for this. Characters cannot escape until they are human again. To be human, characters must dispel of their Disney Spirits via playing out their movie plots, or facing the second option at the Pool of Tears.

The second option involves the rumored creatures that live in the mist. Strike a deal with one of these Shades and it will poison the Disney Spirit--but also poison your character. This process can be fatal, but if survived, your character is free to leave Memory.

There are very few who can survive this process, and the only antidote is the water from the Pool of Tears itself. If a character drinks of the water, they will be cured, certainly--but their Disney Spirit will grow stronger, perhaps too strong for your character to be able to share their consciousness. The Disney Spirit may possibly take over your character--but these are all risks for your character to consider.

Perhaps the safest route is for your character to as calmly as they can play out the plots of their Disney movies...But it may take years before all the right Spirits and characters assemble.

The choice is yours.