The Virtual Realm

CITY AT THE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT

SUMMARY

Earth, somewhere in USA, a boy is sleeping. Under the bed, a light glows, and the boy is sucked under the bed. His Dad appears in time to call out his name, Jimmy, but he is unable to stop Jimmy disappearing.

Back in the realm, the kids are walking through a desert, and are lost. At last, Dungeonmaster appears and tells them they must find the City at the Edge of Midnight, and that Time is on their side. He also tells them that “there are others who are more list than you shall ever be; children, from this world and yours. It is up to you to save them”. With a sudden gust of wind, he vanishes!

Just a little further on, the find an Oasis, and are just celebrating when they are attacked and surrounded by horrible beast called Hook Horrors. As they steel themselves, the wall suddenly disintegrates beside them, a huge elephant has broken it down, and a man appears to help them fight. They fight the monsters and defeat them, the man encouraging them, and congratulating them on their skills. Eric, unsure of the newcomer, demands to know who he is.

Their helper introduces himself as Rhamoud, caravan merchant from Kadish. He tells them that they are surrently in the Forbidden Oasis of No Return, it appears once a year as a trap for unwary travellers, those that spend the night there are trapped and changed into those creatures.

He offers them a lift, and a place to stay, which they accept. On in the safety of Rhamoud’s caravan, they have an excellent feast. They talk with their host, and discover that he is searching for his daughter, who was taken from her room by an evil demon.

They go to bed, but Hank reminds them they have to go and find the City the next day. The kids don’t want to go, especially Eric and Bobby. They want to forget about it. settling, down, Rhamoud appears and gives Sheila a present of a doll to keep her safe in her dreams. It belonged to his daughter, Ayesha.

It is almost midnight, and Uni is awakened by something funny. The ground under Bobby is glowing. The same light from earlier glows, and suddenly Bobby is grabbed and something tries to pull him down. As they fight, A huge monster-demon appears out of the hole. Rhamoud is alerted by the noise, and rushes in. He recognises the beast: “I have found him at last!” It is the creature that took Ayesha.

But the combined power of the group cannot stop the demon taking Bobby, it pulls him in and the ground closes. Rhamoud tells them he’s been taken to the City at the edge of Midnight, and this exact same thing happened to his daughter, stolen by the beast known only as the Nightwalker.

They know they must go immediately to the City, and use their combined power to force the doorway in the floor open once again. The all jump!

Everyone reaches the City in safety, it is eerily quiet and Eric points out that the clock is slow, and notices strange movement around. Dinosaurs suddenly out at them, and they run, but take a wrong turn and go down a dead end. But instead of fighting, they allow themselves to be captured and taken to the Nightwalker.

They are lead to the Clock Tower; there are lots of cogs and wheels inside, and everywhere there are children trying to stop the machinery moving, that Time is kept on hold and frozen forever, as the Clock must never strike midnight.

But instead of meekly accepting the Nightwalker’s punishment, the escape, intent to causing as much damage as possible, and hoping to get time going again.

Bobby hears the noise they manke, and calls out, but Rhamoud can’t find Ayesha.

At last, they do enough, and the clock strikes midnight. As time moves on again, the nightwalker disappears, and the children start to go home. Suddenly, they see someone they know – Jimmy Whitaker (the boy from the start) who thinks it’s a dream, even when they try to give him messages to send home!

They are transported back to the tents, Dungeonmaster is waiting for them, and bows at Rhamoud, calling him your majesty. Another child appears, calling out to her father, Ayesha has returned safely too.

Dungeonmaster explains that Rhamoud is really a King of many Kings, who took the role of Caravan Merchant is a disguise he used while searching for his daughter.

Rhamoud calls them his children, offers to let them stay with him. But they choose to go on.

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INTERESTING INFORMATIOn

Scatter Count –

Presto’s Hat produces –

Goodies – Rhamoud, Ayesha

Baddies – Nightwalker

Walk-ons – Jimmy Whittaker

Monsters – Hook Horrors, Dinosaurs

Groovy Objects –

Named Places – Forbidden Oasis of No Return; The City at the edge of Midnight, Kahdesh

Starwars References –

Other References –

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( Spelling note - the Stroyboards have "Ramoud" and "Kahdesh"- but I'm not going to go through and change them all - not at the moment! Thanks Kimmy!)

On Jimmy Whitaker’s wall there is a poster of "Olter Space"!

In the desert, Eric has been leading them – and now they are lost. When Dungeonmaster appears, its as much to Eric’s relief as everyone elses!

Eric looks really miserable after that lost children speech. He overreacts totally when Presto makes a little joke, and he storms off. He then trips and find the Oasis.

Rhamoud berates them for “disturbing at attacking those poor little creatures!”. Everyone gets the joke but Eric.

“Shall we not, how do you say, knock the monsters socks off?’ really ODD thing for him to say, at that point – he doesn t even know who they are. Or does he…?

Rhamoud’s sword projects waves of force/noise – its power forces the Hook Horrors back into their caves and brings rock to block them up.

Rhamoud introduces himself as a caravan merchant from Kadish.

The Forbidden Oasis of No Return appears once a year as a trap for unwary travellers. Any people who stay the night are changed into Hook Horrors.

Rhamoud's elephant beast-of-burnden are "Grummels" - and knows the commands -

"karooshk" - "Kneel" ?

"kuhtrahsh" - "Go" ?

Rhamoud effectively adopts them the moment he meets them!

Eric is busy finishing off everyone else’s desert.

Eric thinks this is better than anything back home. ??!!

Rhamoud says Sheila’s voice reminds him of his daughter. His daughter is named Ayesha.

After hearing about his missing daughter, it’s Eric that offers to help first, backed up by Hank.

“He’s the next best thing to having a real dad” Diana

“Are you kidding, he’s better than my dad ever was!” Eric

Sheila is given one of Ayesha’s dolls as a present, keep her safe in her dreams.

Why are the others just standing around at the back when the Nightwalker appears?

This is the monster Rhamoud has been looking for – what are the chances!!

Why did the Nightwalker pick one Bobby in particular?

E is the one who says “lets go!”

Combining power – How did they work it out so quickly that that combination would work? Presto murmurs words into the Hat; Diana swings the Javelin so Rhamoud can use his sword. Hank fires at the place where the hole was. And it opens again!

Time is frozen forever, and the clock must never strike midnight.

Eric much more heroic and useful than usual here, he is the one who blocks the Nightwalker’s fire, and only just get to the counterweight in time.

Jimmy Whittaker thinks it’s a dream and doesn’t believe they are stuck there!

“This is Sunday night, you guys went to the amusement park and I couldn’t go cos I had homework.”

“Then you can show me another one of your dumb card trick, eh, Presto!” Jimmy Whittaker.

“I always told you guys Whittaker was a wimp!” Eric

Eric manages to fall down another sand dune.

Rhamoud is really a king, a king of many kings, ruler of a vast land to the east.

Sheila gets to keep the doll, and they have to keep going.

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ALTERNATIVES

How did they know to combine their powers like that?