[THE MAGNUS THEME FADES OUT]
SASHA
Hi! And welcome to another session of Camp Flying Moose for Girls of All Kinds, a wonderful roleplaying game about, well, all kinds of girls at a summer camp!
My name’s Sasha Sienna. I played Georgie Barker on the Magnus Archives, and my pronouns are she, he, or they. And I’m going to be the Camp Counselor, or GM, today.
And with me are Frank, Annie, and Lowri. Frank, who are you and who are you playing?
FRANK
Hi! I’m Frank Voss, I played Basira Hussain on the Magnus Archives. My pronouns are they/them, and I will be playing Violet today, whose pronouns are she/they.
ANNIE
Hi, I’m Annie Fitch, I was one of the vocal editors for Magnus Archives from end of Season 4 through all of Season 5. And my pronouns are she/her, I don’t remember if I said that, I might have said that twice. And I am playing Ivy.
LOWRI
I’m Lowri, and I was producer of Magnus Archives for a while. I also edit for Gaming, and I am playing Rowan, and pronouns are she/her.
SASHA
Okay! Lovely. So, so far at Camp Flying Moose, our intrepid heroes have awoken to discover some damage done to the camp. On investigation, it seems that there may have been a fight between one or more – well, more than one, we don’t know how many – creatures. We know they have large pawprints about the size of a bear’s but not quite the same shape. We know that some of the campers have formed quite stringent cliques that seem to have a rivalry, that is breaking apart friendships that were once solidified by bracelet.
[LAUGHTER]
They split up. So Rowan has just been doing some investigation in the library, and has been given a little booklet about a cabin that currently not quite occupied, as Rowan has done a trek through the woods and is trying to break into the cabin.
While this is all going on, Annie has been trying her best at doing some macramé, and has been investigating one of the suspiciously-acting girls, Ruth, who we have just found out is having an allergy flare-up. But the only thing we know that she’s allergic to… is dogs.
Annie, let’s head back into Ivy’s scene. You found this rash on Ruth, and on asking, she says –
RUTH
Oh, yeah, it’s weird, the only thing I know I’m allergic to is dogs.
ANNIE
At that point in time, would you think that I would tie together dogs and the pawprints that I saw? Cos she said that, and there’s no other way there would be dogs around, right.
SASHA
That is entirely up to you. What connections your character will draw is entirely your choice.
ANNIE
I want to do myself a quick decision-making thing here, quick. So at that point, Ivy was digging in her bag for calamine lotion, knowing full well there is none in there.
[LAUGHTER, BURST OF CROSSTALK]
SASHA
I hadn’t fully expected that!
LOWRI
Ruthless.
ANNIE
Cos she knew that Ruth wasn’t actually going to answer her questions, so honestly, unless she was extending a token of friendship – this is just a bag of snacks. There’s nothing else special in it, but she was like, “I have a bag, maybe I can…” You know.
The second she hears “dogs” she’s going to freeze over the bag. Ivy freezes and she thinks for a second. And she thinks back to the pawprints, and she thinks they’re not just anything but dogs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s no dogs around the camp, ever, if I’ve seen.
SASHA
You are in the middle of a forest with a lake, so there are obviously – there’s plenty of wildlife, but there are no dogs or cats, no pet animals.
ANNIE
Sure. So I think she’s going to freeze, sort of do the “making connections in her head” thing. “Ding!” Lightbulb, and is gonna then stand up and go,
IVY
Oh! Um, I don’t have any calamine in my bag, but you know what? I’ll tell you what. I have to go find my friends real quick, I’ll talk to the nurse, I’ll see if she has anything that I can bring back to you. Cos I thought I – I swear I thought I had some in this bag, but I don’t, so. I’ll be right back!
ANNIE
And just run out before there’s any response.
SASHA
Mary just, uh, pulls off to you.
MARY
(genuinely distressed) But wait! There’s so many more knots I can show you!
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
“But the revolution!”
SASHA
Okay, uh. Let’s check in with Violet. So Violet, you’ve managed to kind of shimmy open a little bit of window, but it’s got stuck. Not quite wide enough for you to get through. What are you going to do next?
FRANK
Are there any… are there any big sticks around? Something that looks like I could just wedge it in and kind of leverage the window open.
SASHA
Yes.
LOWRI
I’m sorry, I love that you’re not even trying the lockpicks.
FRANK
I – cos I know I have no idea what I’m doing!
[SNICKERING]
FRANK
I guess I’ll grab what looks like a decent stick. Just try and wedge it in and leverage the window open enough for me to get in.
SASHA
Okay! So you want to kind of lever the window open.
FRANK
Yeah.
SASHA
Okay. I’m going to ask you to make me another Adrenaline roll…
FRANK
(under their breath) God damn it.
SASHA
…which is 2D6 plus your Strength.
FRANK
I’m just a small goblin! I don’t have Strength!
[LAUGHTER]
[DICE ROLLS]
SASHA
You’re the one that decided to try and Strength your way into (inaudible)
FRANK
Oh, maybe I do have Strength. It was an 8.
SASHA
Okay! Yeah, you jab and jab and jab. You do manage to get the window wide enough.
[SFX: THE WINDOW ROLLS UPWARDS]
However, you have also broken one of the panes of glass.
[SFX: DELICATE GLASS SHATTERING NOISE]
[LOWRI SUCKS IN A BREATH]
SASHA
But you can absolutely climb in.
FRANK
I’m gonna do that.
SASHA
The key is not inside the door.
VIOLET
(to themself) Where would you keep a spare key in a cabin? Think, Violet! Is it under the mat?
SASHA
I’m gonna roll dice, and everywhere you look, if you get a 6, yes it is.
FRANK
I like that I’ve decided there’s a spare key in the cabin somewhere.
[DICE ROLLS]
SASHA
Actually, you know what? I’ve just got a 6, yeah. There’s a key under the mat.
[OUTBURST OF CACKLING]
ANNIE
Perfect!
[SFX: JANGLING OF KEYS]
VIOLET
Yes!
SASHA
You will have to climb out of the window.
FRANK
That is fine.
SASHA
Which you opened with a big stick, that is wedged into the window. To look under the mat, where there is a spare key.
FRANK
Perfect. I’m gonna do that.
LOWRI
This is perfect.
SASHA
So now you are in the cabin. Would you like to do anything at the cabin, or are you going to just walk straight back?
FRANK
Let’s see. Would it have taken me a couple of hours to get here?
SASHA
Yeah, let’s say it’s about half two, three-o-clock. You have missed lunch.
FRANK
Dinner is probably at a reasonable time, so I probably don’t have long to look around before I have to meet everyone, so I guess I’ll just come straight back.
SASHA
Okay. Are you doing anything about the window, the broken pane, and the big stick currently wedged into the window?
FRANK
I’m gonna… remove the stick. I’m gonna throw a rock at the window…
[ANNIE CACKLES]
FRANK
And then just run away.
[LOWRI CACKLES]
[SFX: WINDOW SHATTERS, ROCK THUMP, QUICK FOOTSTEPS]
SASHA
You hear the sound of shattering glass as you run.
LOWRI
Did you take the key with you, or have you just left it open?
FRANK
Yeah, no. I’m putting the key in with my lockpicks.
LOWRI
Nice.
FRANK
Mhm.
SASHA
So while you’re on your way back, let’s head over to Rowan.
You discern – yeah, Willow is behaving completely normally, and you’ve got the little information leaflet about the cabin. There’s nothing specific about the cabin, or like – there’s nothing specifically mysterious in this leaflet. Is there anything else you’d like to investigate into?
LOWRI
Did the night foraging thing that was replacing orienteering…
SASHA
Yes.
LOWRI
Did it say who was taking that, which counselor?
SASHA
Yes. There are a couple of counselors who are taking it – there’s a team of four, one of whom is Stevie.
LOWRI
And did it say where we would be going on the foraging?
SASHA
Yeah, you’re going into the woods on a nature walk.
LOWRI
It’s not, like, going to the cabin or anything like that.
SASHA
No. They do foraging walks quite often, and it’s usually within pre-set paths on the forest.
LOWRI
Cool.
ANNIE
Also, I think I’ve misunderstood a little bit on the foraging walk. That was going to be not that night but the following night?
SASHA
It’s tomorrow night, yeah.
ANNIE
Yeah.
LOWRI
Okay, I’ve established that my cousin is not behaving weirdly, which is good. I’ve not got that much information about the cabin, but I did find out that Stevie likes going there. And I think I did try to ask how Willow knew that, but that wasn’t really the question I wanted to ask, it was like – how often does Stevie go there? Why do you associate Stevie with the cabin, that’s strange.
WILLOW
Oh, you know, um – Stevie actually really loves all this stuff. You know, she loves the forest. She loves going foraging. She loves going to the cabin.
ROWAN
That’s good to know. Well, I think I’m probably just going to go, um – it’s nearly lunchtime?
LOWRI
Question mark?
SASHA
Yeah.
ROWAN
Yeah. Probably just gonna go and get something to eat. Thanks for the leaflet, Will, that’s, er – kinda helpful.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
WILLOW
Alright, see you later!
ROWAN
I’m just going to go and finish the bracelet that I’m making you, and I’ll bring it round.
ANNIE
If you’re headed to lunch, I think that I come sprinting out, trying to find you.
LOWRI
Yeah, okay, yeah, let’s – I’m happy for that to coincide.
SASHA
Let’s say you meet up on the way to the lunch…
LOWRI
Yeah.
ANNIE
I think that Ivy runs up and immediately kind of grabs you by the arm and tries to pull you aside, like, away from other people, real quick?
IVY
(whispering) Quick, quick, quick!
ANNIE
As we go around the side of some kind of building, go…
IVY
Wolves!
ROWAN
Wolves?
IVY
I’m serious, it’s wolves! Listen, listen, listen. Ruth – I tried to follow her in to talk to her to see what was going on with her and Cassie. And I didn’t get any answers about that, but she was having this rash, these allergies – she said it was allergies. I wasn’t even thinking about that, I just asked her if it was pollen or what, and she said it’s dogs! The only thing she’s allergic to is dogs. When have you seen a dog around camp?
ROWAN
Well, I’ve never seen a dog around camp! Do you think that it was wolves that were fighting in camp?
IVY
There was pawprints!
[ROWAN GASPS]
IVY
It’s wolves!
ROWAN
Okay… but that still doesn’t really explain – why are people behaving so weirdly? Like, my cousin was fine, so, you know – that’s good, I guess?
LOWRI
Just step back for a second – it’s not everyone, then, who’s acting weirdly. It’s just a certain two groups.
SASHA
Yeah.
LOWRI
Right. Are there any links between those groups? So like, is it one cabin versus another cabin, for example, or are they all mixed up?
SASHA
It’s not one cabin versus another cabin. They are all mixed up. Since you’ve been coming here for a very long time and you’ve looked into what’s going on in the camp, you will know that most of the girls in the two groups kind of know each other? You know?
LOWRI
Okay.
ROWAN
So yeah, I guess – “wolves” makes sense? But like, why are people behaving so weirdly?
IVY
I don’t know, I still can’t figure that out, but Ruth wasn’t gonna give me straight answers at all. She was like Cassie, she was dismissive, she barely looked at me.
And there were some of the other girls from that other table this morning – they would sit all the way across the room. They were just always hanging out together, so – I don’t know.
ROWAN
That’s so strange.
IVY
But at least that’s a lead. That’s a start.
ROWAN
Okay. Okay. Yeah.
IVY
Have you seen Violet?
ROWAN
No, I mean – (sighs) I have no idea where she’s gone, she never tells us anything.
IVY
(pause) That’s fair. She’ll pop up.
ROWAN
I can’t imagine she’d miss lunch, though.
SASHA
So those of you who can go into the dining hall, and, um – you’re quite early for lunch, not everybody’s here yet. But you can start to see, like, those two cliques are forming again.
But this time, you notice what you didn’t see so much of this morning, is like – by now, they seem really tired. Like, a lot of them are yawning or dozing on each other’s shoulders.
LOWRI
Hmmm. I’m not sure what to do, because it feels like we’ve tried to speak to them…
SASHA
If you want, you can skip ahead to later, when Violet comes back.
LOWRI
Yeah…
ANNIE
I think that might be better.
LOWRI
Yeah, let’s fast-forward.
FRANK
Do a little fast-forward?
SASHA
Yeah. So we shall jump ahead and by the time Violet gets back – so you just said you were going to meet at dinnertime.
LOWRI
Yes. But by the outside showers?
SASHA
So Violet, you exit the little path from the forest just around dinnertime, when dinner’s starting to be served. So you have a choice: you can either go and get some food, or you can head straight to the outdoor showers.
FRANK
Well, I did miss lunch, and I only ate some toast for breakfast.
LOWRI
(audibly wincing) You did only eat toast.
FRANK
And I did run as much as humanly possible both ways.
[ANNIE LAUGHS]
FRANK
So… I’ll probably do as I did in breakfast and run into the cafeteria, see what I can have that I can carry, and then leave.
SASHA
Okay! Er, yeah. You can run in and you can grab a cheese toastie.
LOWRI
Mm!
FRANK
I’m also gonna – if Gem’s in there, I’m also gonna steal something off her plate on my way out.
[LOWRI & ANNIE SNICKER]
SASHA
Gem is in there. She’s sat at the edge of, er, one of the benches, one of the outside benches. And you go to grab – what was for dinner tonight? What’s the main dinner?
LOWRI
Spaghetti bolognese.
SASHA
Well, let’s say one of the spaghetti meatballs. So you go to grab a meatball off her plate, and she looks at you, and swats at you, and makes this very aggressive noise.
VIOLET
(confused) Er – excuse me? Gem? What’s – what’s up–?
GEM
(overlapping) That’s mine!
VIOLET
I’m… sorry.
FRANK
Just put the meatball back.
LOWRI
Can you lick it first?
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
(snickering) It’s tempting, I’m not – I don’t think Violet would…
LOWRI
(snickering) Okay, fair, fair.
SASHA
She grunts and goes back to it.
VIOLET
Are you… okay…?
GEM
(slurring her words, definitely exhausted:) Tired ‘n’ hungry.
VIOLET
You’ve got food. Why are you tired?
GEM
I don’t know, I didn’t – couldn’t sleep well, I think.
VIOLET
Yeah, seems like a lot of people didn’t sleep well. Do you know why…?
GEM
I don’t know, I’m just – I think I’m just gonna eat this and then go get an early night.
VIOLET
Okay. Well, be… (extended pause) safe? Be good. Be…
– I’ll see you tomorrow.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
FRANK
Just runs straight out like –
VIOLET
Bye! Love you!
LOWRI
(amused) That’s really sweet.
SASHA
You turn up and, I’m going to say Rowan and Ivy are already at the outdoor showers.
LOWRI
Yeah.
ROWAN
Oh my gosh – Violet, where have you been, you didn’t – you weren’t here for lunch! What, what did you do? What have you seen?
VIOLET
I was in… the woods.
[ROWAN GASPS]
VIOLET
But I didn’t see anything. So now I’m back.
ROWAN
(disappointed) Okay.
ANNIE
I think Ivy hands you a flashlight. I don’t know if it’s dark already, but there’s no way we’re making it to the cabin before dark, if we waited until after dinner.
SASHA
It’s not dark yet, but it’s – like, dusk is approaching. At Camp Flying Moose you’re all encouraged to have flashlights and head torches any time you’re out after dinner.
ANNIE
Yeah.
LOWRI
Oh my gosh. Rowan definitely has a head torch.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
LOWRI
Absolutely. You’ve got to have your hands free! In the wilderness!
ANNIE
I think I hand Violet a flashlight and a granola bar.
IVY
Here.
FRANK
I think Violet is just staring forlornly at the showers, like, “Man, I could really do with one of those!”
[LAUGHTER]
SASHA
I’m also going to assume that Rowan, at least, is prepared enough to have, like, a compass.
LOWRI
Yes, for sure. I mean, she has several badges and a lot of things like this, obviously she has yet to complete her, (frustrated) full orienteering. She has a compass. And the leaflet that has the map on it – (snickers) but is a line through the woods.
ANNIE
Kind of a weird question regarding the cabin, but I thought I’d just ask. Since it’s on the side of a mountain, is there any kind of view, wider view out of the cabin, and can you see the camp?
SASHA
So the cabin is where it is because right to one side in front of it there’s a beauty viewing spot.
ANNIE
Mm. Can you see the camp?
SASHA
Yes, you can.
ANNIE
Excellent.
SASHA
It’s like one of those, you’ve got great view of quite a way. Yeah.
LOWRI
Did you say there were sleeping bags in the cabin?
SASHA
There aren’t sleeping bags in the cabin. You usually pack up a little rucksack and pretend you’re going camping, so you take everything with you.
LOWRI
I mean, Rowan has definitely packed a sleeping bag, for herself, at least. Like – and will have encouraged Ivy to do the same.
ANNIE
I think Ivy would’ve definitely packed at least something. There’s definitely an item or two that Ivy would have forgotten in all of this, but like, sort of the basics: flashlight, water, snacks as always, sleeping bag. That sort of stuff. Relatively prepared.
FRANK
Violet is completely unprepared.
LOWRI
(snickering) Yeah. I mean, I think we’ve got enough snacks and a torch for you. Maybe I hand you a sleeping bag as well.
[LAUGHTER]
SASHA
Okay, so you make your way through the path as has been described last week. A few miles long, and after a couple of hours – it’s starting to get dark now – you come to the fork in the road. And Rowan has been guiding with the little compass and the map… it looks like the right-hand fork is the right one to take. From the map.
LOWRI
So we did establish that Rowan, like – one of her special things was that she knows the camp very well. Does it extend this far? Or is the camp her domain?
SASHA
Either last week or the week before – that Rowan is not a good orienteerer.
LOWRI
That’s true. Okay, yeah, fair. Yeah. It’s all learned knowledge. She has not been – fine.
ROWAN
Okay – well, I guess it’s the right, then, cos that’s what it kind of looks like on this… scribble?
VIOLET
Er… I don’t know, I think it’s the left.
ROWAN
Why – I mean, if you look at this map, I mean – it’s pretty clearly the right.
VIOLET
No, I mean, if you look at that,
FRANK
I say, pointing to nothing at particular,
[LAUGHTER]
VIOLET
And then that, it’s the same! I think it’s the left. The left looks familiar from last year.
ROWAN
Wow, your memory’s so good! I don’t really remember the trek we did. Ivy, do you… you were there, right?
IVY
I was not paying attention to the trail at all, honestly.
ROWAN
(sighs) Okay.
LOWRI
I’m going to roll the dice, to see if I bow to Violet.
[DICE ROLLS]
LOWRI
Yeah. I say,
ROWAN
Okay, well… if you’re sure… Violet.
VIOLET
Yep, I’m really – I’m definitely sure it’s the left.
ROWAN
(not sure) Okay.
LOWRI
Part of me wants, like, so –
ROWAN
Ivy, do you have any – you know, you said you were doing knots earlier. Do you have any of that yarn with you? Should we maybe… just in case we get lost, maybe – tie some to this tree and like…
IVY
I didn’t bring any of the yarn with me, I got up and just ran out! Darn.
[ROWAN SIGHS]
ROWAN
Damn. If only we’d done that orienteering course…!
IVY
There has to be something we can leave behind. Let me see.
ANNIE
And I’m going to dig around in the rucksack and find, like… I don’t know.
– Oh, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to pull out a Red Vine –
[FRANK CACKLES]
ANNIE
One of those really long pieces of licorice. I’m going to tie one of those around a tree, that’s what I’ve got.
IVY
There! Okay, see, we’ve marked it here.
ROWAN
(relieved) Okay, that’s cool! Hopefully nothing will eat that? Bread is poisonous in nature, right…?
– To the left?
IVY, VIOLET, & ROWAN
To the left.
ROWAN
Everything we own.
[LAUGHTER]
SASHA
So, off you trek, tying the occasional Strawberry Lace or Red Vine around branches. And it’s starting to get quite dark, and because it’s dark, you’re going a lot more slowly than you normally would. It takes you until quite late in the night – later than you usually get to bed.
So one thing you notice at Camp Flying Moose, and it’s probably because you’re spending more of the day outdoors and in nature and doing active things… You tend to – you get hungrier and food tastes better, and you get more tired and you sleep more deeply. So you’d usually be asleep by now.
But you keep walking, and you hear those noises that people say come from the mountains sometimes.
[LOWRI INHALES]
SASHA
And what I would really love is a – like, a little, tiny little howl.
[SFX: SOFT, ALMOST MUSICAL HOWL THAT TRAILS AWAY SLOWLY]
ROWAN
(scared) Okay, that – was nearer than it usually when we’re at camp.
ANNIE
Ivy has a specific special move, it’s really more of a special ability, I think, called “I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts.” Which I adore. I have strength of will, I’m not scared of mysterious creatures – which is the relevant point – and I never completely fail to make friends with them.
So, I hear the noises in the woods and I’m just like,
IVY
Oh, cool! Oh!
ANNIE
And she’s like – so you said it’s a little close? That’s what Rowan said.
SASHA
It’s definitely within the woods. As you keep walking, you hear one that’s further away and then within a few minutes there’s another one that answers it, and then another one a bit later. So let’s say the first one sounds fairly far away, and the second one sounds closer, and the third one sounds somewhere in between.
ANNIE
I think that at any point where Ivy hears any one that sounds like it’s sort of within a stone’s throw of the path, she would immediately kind of turn over and go –
IVY
(mimicking the howls) Awooooo!
ANNIE
– into the woods.
[SNICKERING FROM OTHERS]
ANNIE
Like, just playing around, messing around with it, cos she’s not scared of them whatsoever. She’s going, “Aw, cool!”
SASHA
Yeah, you know what? Roll Make Friends.
[DICE ROLLS]
ANNIE
That is a 7.
SASHA
Okay. Yeah, you have a couple of answers, a couple of “Awoooooooooo!”
[ANNIE LAUGHS]
IVY
(delighted) Look at that! They responded!
ROWAN
Okay, um – I don’t think we should know where we are, Ivy! Don’t you remember the state of the camp this morning?
IVY
Did you see any blood? Any violence? They just damaged things! We’re fine.
ROWAN
I mean – we were all inside! You know?!
ANNIE
(snickering) I think Ivy’s just still walking on during this.
ROWAN
(trying to not have a breakdown) We’ve been walking for a long time now, where – should we – maybe we should have taken the right fork. Should we go back? Like, how far away do you think the cabin is, it didn’t take this long last year, did it?
VIOLET
It’s dark now.
IVY
Yeah, we weren’t doing a – we weren’t doing a night hike.
VIOLET
Yeah, night hikes always take longer.
LOWRI
There’s no way that Rowan’s going off by herself, so she’s going to stay with them, like – if they’re going this way, she’s going with them.
SASHA
Since you all keep together, about an hour after Rowan was, like, expecting to see the cabin, you come to the cabin.
And you shine your torches on it… and there are two broken windowpanes.
[ROWAN GASPS]
VIOLET
(unconvincingly) Oh, no!
[LAUGHTER]
VIOLET
I wonder when that happened!
ROWAN
Do you think it was the same – the same things that wrecked camp, maybe! They’ve been here?
IVY
Maybe. I mean, there’s only one way to find out. We’ve got to get inside. Violet, you have the lockpicks?
VIOLET
Yeah. I’ll, uh… you guys just keep watch.
ROWAN
Do you want me to shine – shine my torchlight so you don’t have to use your torch?
VIOLET
Can I borrow your headlamp?
ROWAN
I mean, I can just shine it directly onto the thing for you, if you like!
VIOLET
(Frank snickering) Well, I think I’d prefer if you kept an eye out, just in case, and I can use your headlamp.
ROWAN
…Okay. Okay, sure.
[LAUGHTER]
LOWRI
I’ll give her my headlamp –
ROWAN
Give me your torch!
LOWRI
Rowan is going to be linking arms with Ivy. She’s terrified right now.
FRANK
Aww!
ANNIE
I think Ivy’s kind of walking the perimeter a little bit, just to sort of see if there’s anything around one of the sides of the cabin that feels relevant. Like, if there’s scratch marks on it, but also, like… I don’t know. If there’s any animal in the same clearing as the cabin, that we haven’t seen cos it’s running outside. Just kind of doing a loop.
LOWRI
That sounds too brave for Rowan. Rowan has her back pressed to the cabin wall –
[LAUGHTER]
LOWRI
– and is just looking out at the – really jerking the light towards any small noise.
SASHA
Annie, could you make an Investigate roll for me?
[DICE ROLLS]
ANNIE
That is an 8!
SASHA
Okay, lovely! There are some scratches. Right around the window – it looks like something’s been climbing, maybe, or scratching around where the window meets the windowsill? You know, it’s the same one that’s broken.
But while walking the perimeter, you see a pair of glowing yellow eyes watching you from within the trees.
ANNIE
Okay. When she notices the eyes, she’s gonna stop and not approach or anything, but she’s just gonna sit and watch the eyes for a second. Try to maybe shine a torch, see maybe what they belong to. But either way, just kind of ensuring that it’s not coming closer, it’s not doing anything right now.
SASHA
Okay. Do you want to shine a torch directly on the creature, or just nearby or in front of it?
ANNIE
Directly on, I think, but not like a “wham!” Just kind of move it over slowly, you know what I mean? Just scan the trees and get over to it.
SASHA
You start to move your torch. You see what looks like coloured black fur, just a shadow, and then, as the light hits it, it runs away.
And at that point, I reckon that Violet’s probably managed to get the door open!
VIOLET
Yeah, no, I took my time, cos, you know, picking locks isn’t fast. It’s a… precision… skill.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
ROWAN
It really is – so cool, Violet. Is it safe inside?
VIOLET
Uh, I’ll tell you what. I will go first, and then you stay between me and Ivy.
ROWAN
(soft) Okay. Thanks.
VIOLET
And then we’ll protect you.
FRANK
Even though I am like, half your size, probably.
[LOWRI SNICKERS]
ANNIE
No one’s called out to Ivy, so Ivy’s not headed back to the door yet. (laughs)
LOWRI
Absolutely, would do.
ROWAN
(whisper-shout) Ivy! Ivy!
ANNIE
Okay, got it. I just want to be clear, cos I was gonna say that if no one does call out to her, she’s gonna – not, like, follow the creature or anything, but she’s going to continue to look around the clearing for more eyes. But if you call out, she’ll come back.
LOWRI
Yeah. I mean, there’s no way Rowan wouldn’t.
FRANK
Yeah. I think we’ll both call.
LOWRI
She want us all in a pack together.
IVY
Okay, I’m coming back!
SASHA
Violet, you enter the cabin. It is exactly as you left it, except now, there is an additional stone lying on the floor near the window.
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
Uh, yep. I’m going to look around and just be like –
VIOLET
Yep, there’s no animals. It looks… fine.
IVY
As for the perimeter, just so you guys know, I think it was an animal that broke the window? There’s definitely some scratch marks on the sill underneath.
ROWAN
(whispering) Oh my gosh!
VIOLET
Really.
IVY
Yeah, but they were smaller? They weren’t like the big claw marks that we saw. They were smaller scratch marks, so…
ROWAN
Like a questionable branch, or something.
IVY
Sort of –
[PLAYERS BREAK OUT INTO LAUGHTER]
IVY
Maybe. Maybe. Around the back of the building, in the edge of the woods, I saw… There was some kind of animal looking in, but when I shined my light on it, all I saw was it was coloured black, but it ran away. It leapt off. So I think we’re all clear.
ROWAN
Oh my gosh.
VIOLET
(thoughtfully) Some kind of animal.
IVY
Yeah. It didn’t do anything, it didn’t come towards me. You know, sometimes you see an animal out in the woods, it’ll be out, and you make any kind of noise near it, it’s gonna want to watch you, but, uh… Most of them bolt the second that they feel like you’re going to threaten them, I shined a light at it, it ran away. I don’t know what it was, but I think it’s probably fine.
ROWAN
(quavering) I think it was probably a wolf! We’ve been talking about them, and they’re – we’ve been hearing the howls…
VIOLET
What – what – wolves?
ROWAN
Yeah –
LOWRI
I feel like we absolutely would’ve filled Violet on the theories that we had come up with –
ANNIE
(overlapping) Oh yeah, for sure, for sure.
LOWRI
– and if we didn’t, our bad.
ANNIE
Also, there’ve been “awoos” in the woods all evening, so.
ROWAN
Oh, this was such a bad idea.
IVY
Even if it was a wolf, wolves aren’t going to come hunt a group of humans inside of a building.
ROWAN
A group of wolves might!
VIOLET
No…
IVY
No! No no no no. They don’t hunt humans, because we’re not their, like, common prey. Most of the time, if a pack of wolves sees humans, they either completely ignore us or they run away. They’re only going to attack if they feel threatened.
(comforting) As long as we’re in here, we should be okay.
LOWRI
Rowan has closed the door behind us, obviously.
ROWAN
Um – Violet, is there a way of, like, un-picking the lock so you can, like, re-lock it?
[ANNIE STARTS CACKLING]
VIOLET
Uh…
ROWAN
Just so they can’t come in? Like, I don’t know how lock-picking works, but – (completely sincerely) you’re obviously really good at it! So…
[ANNIE CONTINUES TO LOSE IT]
VIOLET
…Maybe there’s a spare key inside the cabin somewhere! I’ll have a look around.
ROWAN
Oh! That’s a good idea. Or we could, like, push something in front of it.
IVY
Ooh, good idea.
VIOLET
Yeah!
IVY
Before you guys close it up, though, I’m just going to go quickly out to the lookout point to see if I can see camp, see if anything’s going on.
ANNIE
The lookout point is absolutely where Ivy’s going right now, before you guys lock the door. I want to go and take a look through the binoculars at the camp.
LOWRI
Rowan would prefer to stay, but if Violet is gonna go as well, she is not staying by herself in this cabin.
FRANK
Yeah. I’d probably go, because there’s no point in being – we won’t learn anything by being in the cabin.
LOWRI
Yeah.
FRANK
Is there any… like an umbrella, or some sports equipment, say a baseball bat, or a hockey stick…
LOWRI
One of my special moves is “I’ve Got That Badge,” which means I can build something related to survival. So maybe…
ROWAN
Are wolves afraid of fire? Should we, like, build a fire? I’m very good at that, I can make a fire.
IVY
I mean, they don’t – you know, it did run away from the light when I shined at it, and also – you know, never hurts to have a campfire set up. We can get a little bit more light, a little more warmth up here… I think that’s a good idea.
VIOLET
That’s true.
LOWRI
I guess the reason I suggested the fire is cos I was imagining us taking flaming branches to defend us? (starting to laugh) It sounds a bit extreme!
FRANK
(audibly amused) I… see.
ANNIE
Yeah yeah yeah. If you build the campfire then we have a place to get lit branches from, is why I was going with, “Yeah, build a campfire! That’s great!” (laughs)
FRANK
I’ll help you set the campfire.
[NOISES OF FIRE-SETTING, WOOD MOVING]
LOWRI
Can I do it quite quickly? Because I would like to go to the point.
SASHA
Oh, yeah. There’s a dedicated space for a campfire that’s got stones around it.
LOWRI
Cool.
SASHA
You have been coming to a camp for five years, you definitely, definitely know how to build a campfire.
FRANK
I’m just like, yeah. I’m going to stick with Rowan, because she’s freaking out, and for some reason I just trust Ivy to just be fine.
ANNIE
Ivy’s gonna grab whatever kind of branch – I think it would be funny if it was the same one that Violet used to open the window earlier without knowing it, but just grab it and use it as a walking stick type of thing, or something like that. And head over to the point right now.
Or did you guys say you were coming with? Because I might wait for you if it’s not gonna take long, but.
FRANK
Yeah. I think we’re gonna start the fire, just so it might keep stuff away, and then come to the point.
LOWRI
Mm.
ANNIE
Okay. Then I’ll probably have stuck around and waited for you guys.
LOWRI
Okay.
ANNIE
Alright. So we head out to the point, then, I guess. Is it just attached to the cabin, or is it like a walk?
SASHA
It’s not a long walk. It’s all in the same clearing.
ANNIE
Okay, got it.
SASHA
I’m gonna go ahead and say this: three binoculars.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
LOWRI
Yay!
FRANK
(pleased) Ah!
SASHA
Would you like to look through them?
ANNIE & LOWRI
Yeah.
FRANK
I – like, if we pick three different directions to look into, we can cover the area. As much as you can with these fixed binoculars.
SASHA
Which directions would you like to look at? Or, what would you like to look at?
ANNIE
I’ll be immediately looking for the camp. I’m immediately trying to look at the camp, cos that was why I was coming out here.
LOWRI
I think I would start to look at the camp as well, but also periodically just whipping round to look behind.
[PLAYERS SNICKER]
LOWRI
“Is there anything there?”
FRANK
I think since Ivy mentioned something like an animal nearby, I’m gonna look towards the woods that we came from.
SASHA
Looking into the woods is quite difficult because there is obviously a lot of…
FRANK
Lot of trees and it’s dark, yeah.
SASHA
It’s an almost-full moon, so the night is quite bright. And the camp has a few little lights about for safety, you know. But it is fairly dark.
Looking into the woods, you can’t see very much at all, but you can see some movement, some trees rustling, as if something is moving through them very quickly.
FRANK
Hmmm.
SASHA
It could be the wind, but today is a very still night.
Looking at the camp, you can definitely see some movement. What look like large animals, or creatures…
[LOWRI GASPS]
SASHA
Some seem to be emerging from the woods. And some… seem to be within the camp already. A lot of them kind of converge. You see the beasts crawl around, sniff each other, like, interacting a little bit, and eventually kind of forming themselves into two packs, as they become friendlier with some of each other and then more aggressive with the others.
A lot of the girls have been working really hard to fix the damage that was done overnight, but after about half an hour, they kind of get so aggressive with each other that they start fighting, and just running around and breaking it all again.
Do any of the girls have pets at home? Or any experience with animals – for instance, volunteering at an animal shelter or with a vet?
ANNIE
I think that Ivy has at least a cat at home.
FRANK
I can see Violet with a dog. Mostly just like, her parents are like, “You have so much energy, go and take the dog for a walk.”
ANNIE
Yeah. Right.
LOWRI
(snickers) I think Rowan has a goldfish. So, no.
[FRANK LAUGHS]
SASHA
And I bet Rowan takes taking care of that goldfish so seriously.
FRANK
It’s got exactly the right size tank for the size that it is…
LOWRI
Yes. And she has left her younger brother a list –
[OTHERS LAUGH]
– itemized and timed things to take care of her golfish, Cero, and expects him to be alive and the same color when she gets back.
SASHA
Violet eventually will follow the movement out of the camp and will also be watching the creatures down there. I’m going to rule, because we are near the end – and you will definitely recognize a lot of this behavior, or at least the early behavior, as dogs that are bored. Dogs being bored, sniffing around, looking for something to do and ending up fighting in the camp because they’re kind of agitating each other.
FRANK
(realising) They just want to play.
SASHA
You would say, based on your experiences at the dog park, that this is a play-fight that has become too ingrained.
FRANK
Right. I will probably nudge Ivy and explain, you know,
VIOLET
I think whatever they are, they are bored, and they’re getting too aggressive because they’ve got nothing to do.
IVY
Is it just me? At first when they started to split in half – did that feel familiar to either of you guys? It was weird, right?
FRANK
You know, if I’d spent any time in social spaces over the last day or so, maybe I would’ve noticed!
[SNICKERING]
ANNIE
Yeah, I’m like –
IVY
It felt like I was at breakfast again, right?
ROWAN
Yes!
IVY
It had that same kind of like, tense energy to it.
ROWAN
I’m sorry, are we saying those are our friends down there?
VIOLET
No, that’s ridiculous.
IVY
I don’t know if I would say that – I was just, I just – they feel related at least.
ROWAN
Very much so!
VIOLET
I mean, based on what you guys described, it sounds, it looks similar.
ANNIE
I think Ivy’s gonna turn away at this point and be lost in thought about it. Werewolves haven’t occurred, but wolves and some connection between what’s happening with the wolves and the girls.
SASHA
Is there anything in particular she’s trying to figure out?
ANNIE
What the connection is, I guess in general. Just trying to figure out if she can work through why… if the wolves could be influencing the girls’ behavior in some way, is the first line of thought she’s going down, so like.
LOWRI
Rowan is normally a very, very rational person, I think. But is so freaked out right now, is completely ready to believe in werewolves.
ROWAN
It does kind of point to that! Like, it all makes sense, you know? The girls have been behaving like that all day, they’re really tired, which implies they were up all night last night.
VIOLET
I guess, but I… I mean, first, werewolves aren’t a thing. But also, when would they have become werewolves?
IVY
I don’t know if werewolves aren’t a thing, I think werewolves definitely could be a thing, but it feels – I don’t know.
ANNIE
And just starting to try to think about what you said, about them being tired all day and stuff.
SASHA
At this point, you all hear some quite heavy footsteps. Stevie’s voice.
[LOWRI GASPS]
STEVIE
(searching, calling) Rowan! Ivy! Violet!
ANNIE
Ivy’s gonna wheel around and look immediately. She’s like, “Oh! Stevie’s here! Oh!” Ready to run or something, kind of fight-or-flight.
FRANK
We all turn around with our headlamps and Violet is just like,
VIOLET
I didn’t do it.
[ANNIE CACKLES]
ROWAN
Stevie?
SASHA
Stevie enters into the clearing, a bit like, “Ah,” shielding her eyes.
[LOWRI SNICKERS]
SASHA
And Willow comes up behind her.
[LOWRI GASPS]
STEVIE
What do you think you are doing out here?! This is completely unauthorised and very unsafe!
VIOLET
There are wolves in the camp –
STEVIE
And there are wolves in the forest! Why would you come up here at night, alone, when you know there are wolves!
ROWAN
(voice going high with panic) We didn’t know until just now!
IVY
We didn’t know there were wolves until we got here!
Look, can you look at this? Look at the binoculars, Stevie, please, come on. Look at the behavior of the wolves in the camp. And you gotta hear what Rowan was thinking about it.
VIOLET
They’re bored! They wanna play.
SASHA
Stevie will look through the binoculars.
STEVIE
Oh, no – Willow, have you seen this? Come and look.
SASHA
Willow will also go and come and look.
WILLOW
So you think all those rumors were true?
ROWAN
What rumors! Are they werewolves?!
WILLOW
Well, you know, people are always saying stories about what’s in the forest or what’s going on at camp, but – yeah, like, my first year here, I remember there was this rumor going around that one of the girls was a werewolf. She kept not being in her bed, somebody found her curled up behind one of the cabins to sleep one night? It was really weird.
VIOLET
Alright, but if they were “werewolves,” what do they do the rest of the year when they’re not here? I guess more of this.
WILLOW
(thoughtful) Maybe they’re werewolves all the year, and they just get together at camp. Or maybe it only works here. I don’t know.
ROWAN
I don’t want to be a werewolf!
[BEAT]
WILLOW
Okay, well, I mean – you’re not one!
VIOLET
Just keep not being a werewolf.
WILLOW
But now, see, we’re stuck up here, though.
[LOWRI LAUGHS]
WILLOW
I mean, if you really don’t want to be a werewolf, do you want to stay here all night or do you want to try and make it back to camp?
IVY
We made a campfire, we brought snacks. If you guys want to hang out, we’re already here.
ROWAN
(clinging to routine with her fingertips) I think Ivy’s got marshmallows that we can toast. I’ve got sleeping bags…!
IVY
Oh, absolutely.
VIOLET
I have half a toastie. I have half a cheese toastie. And…
[PLAYERS SNICKER]
SASHA
So you do all make a lot of noises about…
STEVIE
(grumping) Oh, how comfortable it would be to spend the night outside of my bed, because you three had to wander up and play detective!
SASHA
But actually as soon as you mention marshmallows and a campfire her eyes kind of light up.
[PLAYERS LAUGH]
FRANK
Aww.
ANNIE
I think Ivy’s gonna offhandedly be like,
IVY
Oh yeah, by the way, one of the wolves was up here earlier. I don’t know if it made its way down somewhere else towards camp. It ran off. Probably fine.
FRANK
I’m gonna grab some sticks, just in case any wolves come up, and then play fetch.
[PLAYERS LAUGH]
ANNIE
That was sort of effectively why I grabbed the stick too. Cos if any wolves came out I was gonna brandish it like a weapon, then chuck it to see if they would fetch.
[MORE SNICKERING]
LOWRI
Rowan is just attached to a person at all times.
SASHA
Once you have your marshmallows, Stevie will start complaining, like…
STEVIE
I can’t believe – if there’s all these werewolves now, we’re going to have to be cleaning up that camp every single day. Do you know how hard I worked, fixing everything?
IVY
Violet, weren’t you saying something about your dog at home? Were you saying something about dogs?
VIOLET
Yeah. Like when they’re fighting like this, it’s usually because they’re looking for something to do because they’re bored, and dogs get really destructive when they’re bored. Maybe we could talk to Millie about… wolf… toys?
[LOWRI SNICKERS]
IVY
Just put some chew toys outside the cabins, yeah.
VIOLET
Yeah, so they’ve got stuff to do, so they don’t tear up the camp.
ROWAN
Maybe we could talk to Mary about making some really strong string-knotted toys. Dogs love those things, right? They can fight with them.
VIOLET
And they can do tug of war with each other.
IVY
Do you think any of the counselors are werewolves? Have you noticed any of the counselors being weird at night, or not being there, or, or any weird things like that? Because if there was a werewolf counselor then they could have separate werewolf activities that they would do, with a counselor cos they would have a counselor with them!
FRANK
I’m not sure if werewolves are that organized.
ANNIE
(under her breath) I mean they’re probably not but.
FRANK
(laughing) I love the idea of a werewolf coming out with an itinerary.
WILLOW
There’s a lot of rumors about the counselors being weird at night or having secret activities, but I don’t know that any of them are… because they’re werewolves. Could be, though.
ROWAN
Do you think they know?
VIOLET
Some of them must. If it’s been going on this long. I mean, I’m still not sold on the werewolves thing, but I feel like if there were werewolves, some of them would know.
SASHA
Since we’re running close to the end, would you guys like to assume you just have a nice campfire night up at the cabin, and then go down and talk to Millie and Mary about trying to implement your Werewolf Enrichment Plan?
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
Yes?
LOWRI
Yes!
SASHA
We can test it out as the final full-moon night.
ANNIE & LOWRI
Absolutely.
FRANK
Yeah, sounds good.
SASHA
So how would you like to approach Millie and Mary? You have Stevie and Willow on your side now as well.
LOWRI
Awesome.
FRANK
I assume these guys are going to come up with – they’re going to discuss how to approach it and the best way to do it. I’m not gonna let you waste time doing that, because what’s gonna happen is, Violet is gonna run all the way to Millie’s office, burst through the door, and go:
VIOLET
I’ve solved it!
[LAUGHTER]
LOWRI
(mimicking Violet) “It wasn’t me!”
MILLIE
Oh, that’s fantastic news! And what is it you’ve solved exactly?
VIOLET
The ruckus. The nighttime problems. The scratches.
MILLIE
What did you think is causing it, in the end?
VIOLET
Some sort of… wolves? Some people think it’s werewolves, I think that’s nonsense but they are big, wolf-like things that are just play-fighting and roughhousing because they’re bored.
MILLIE
Oh, so… that’s quite a theory. What would you suggest?
VIOLET
Well, if they’re like dogs, which they were acting like, some toys? Maybe things for them to do not in the center of camp, so they don’t come in – but then if they like it in camp, they’ll come into camp anyway. But like, some toys, so they’re not fighting and breaking things.
LOWRI
Rowan has probably caught up at this point.
ROWAN
Should we maybe take them for walks?
LOWRI
She’s feeling a bit braver now it’s daylight.
[LAUGHTER]
ROWAN
Like, is that what they need? Walks?
MILLIE
(overlapping) I feel like we can maybe look into that.
Well! This is all a very interesting theory. It sounds a bit far-fetched, but I’m sure that there’s a perfectly rational explanation.
ANNIE
Ivy’s gonna stroll in at some point during that with Willow and Stevie, and just go – like, completely not caught up with where the conversation is, just go –
IVY
It’s werewolves!
[LAUGHTER]
IVY
Oh! Oh, you guys, oh. (quieter) Sorry.
MILLIE
So, as I said. I’m sure there is a perfectly rational and non-supernatural explanation for all this, but I suppose that crafting werewolf toys would be an interesting activity for young girls.
SASHA
And she’ll give you a bit of a wink –
[LOWRI GASPS DRAMATICALLY]
SASHA
– and tell you that you can use whatever you like from the arts and crafts, or the outdoor pursuits stores. Just to tell people what you’re taking.
LOWRI
That sounds like success!
MILLIE
Perhaps some of the other girls would like to join in as well!
FRANK
Oh yeah, as soon as this meeting is over, Violet is going to run and find Gem and be like, “Show me all the arts and crafts.”
[ANNIE LAUGHS]
FRANK
Poor Gem is probably like, “I need to sleep!”
SASHA
Yeah. But also, really psyched about getting you into costuming and props.
[PLAYERS SNICKER]
SASHA
Because if you got really into making props, then you could hang out all day.
FRANK
That’s true.
ROWAN
(realising) Your best friend is a werewolf! Right?
VIOLET
What? No, werewolves aren’t a thing, Rowan.
LOWRI
(laughing) Oh God, oh no, I went to a really dark place then, where Rowan is the only person who believes this. It’s not okay.
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
I think we have the opposite, where Violet is the only one who does not believe! It’s fine. Like, once the full moon comes around, I think Violet will be like, “Okay, it’s werewolves.”
SASHA
I’m gonna ask all of you to make me Crafting rolls.
FRANK
Finally something I’m good at!
[DICE ROLLS]
FRANK
Never mind, it’s a 6. (sighs)
LOWRI
I got a 4.
ANNIE
I also got a 4.
SASHA
Oh my word.
[LAUGHTER]
LOWRI
How successful is our crafting toys for werewolves?!
FRANK
I usually just buy dog toys! I don’t know!
SASHA
Okay. Well, luckily, Gem, Stevie, and Willow are better at this. You manage to make some really mediocre toys.
[LAUGHTER]
FRANK
We’ve got the rest of summer to practise.
SASHA
How would you like to test how well this is working?
ANNIE
Ivy’s staying up.
FRANK
Yeah, I think Violet’s gonna stay up.
ANNIE
Ivy’s gonna just straight up try and go outside and play with them.
LOWRI
Oh gosh.
ANNIE
Straight up go outside on the full moon and be like, “Hey! Look!” Cos, “I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts.” (laughs)
LOWRI
Rowan is not okay with that. Rowan wants to be barricaded in maybe the common room – somewhere with a good view of where they’re fighting, but with a very firmly locked door and having left the toys outside.
SASHA
Okay, yeah. And Violet? Where would you like to be?
FRANK
Violet is going to climb a tree. And watch, and if it works out for Ivy, Violet might join in.
ANNIE
I was going to say, if I could roll Make Friends for it, because of my special ability, I am actually incapable of a complete failure. So I’ll be okay no matter what, it’s just varying levels of okay.
SASHA
Okay. Let’s cut to the evening. You’ve spent all day making these toys, arranging the environment. You get into your places, and it’s lights out – just before the sun goes properly down. And then not long after that, you notice – well, you hear some kind of rustling and scratches.
LOWRI
Rowan’s face is pressed up against the window, just like…
[LAUGHTER]
SASHA
Violet, who was up in a tree, will be able to see right underneath… Actually, Gem, who has got so tired that at some point she’s come out of her cabin – very quiet and very softly, and curled up right behind the rehearsal room, and has got one of the blanket sort of costumes. And she seems quite sleepy, like she’s not really 100% aware of what she’s doing but she’s curled down there.
And you can watch as she slowly and gradually… well, not that slowly or that gradually –
[SNICKERING]
She transforms… into a huge wolf!
LOWRI
Woo! Wolf friend!
VIOLET
(blankly) My best friend is a werewolf.
SASHA
She sleeps there for a while, but after not long – so when the moon is quite high in the sky, the light shines down on her and she wakes up. And as she trots around, kind of sniffing around, she makes some little howls, “awoo!”
LOWRI
Aw!
SASHA
And is answered by little howls of the wolves…
[SFX: OVERLAPPING, UNEARTHLY HOWLING]
And you can see that they’re all coming out. Some are coming from the woods, and some are coming from different places within the camp where they fell slept in, kind of led to by their subconscious, and they’ve transformed and gotten up again like Gem did.
So, they all kind of gather. Sniffing each other, hanging about, eyeing each other. And one of them spots a little rope chew.
[LOWRI GASPS]
SASHA
Or… I don’t know. What toys did you make? What toys did you make for the werewolves?
LOWRI
I just realised maybe I should’ve used “I’ve Got That Badge” for this, because Rowan would consider this survival. I don’t know! What –
SASHA
I will let you make one really good toy.
LOWRI
I want to make some kind of chew toy. Could we have repurposed some – presumably we have inflatable… or, like, wetsuits? How cold is it? Could we have made some kind of chew toys for them out of the wetsuits, like, a bit more robust than wood or – (gasps) With a squeak!
ANNIE
Oh, yeah, with a squeak! Yes!
LOWRI
We’ve made them squeaky toys.
ANNIE
I think Ivy’s best attempt at a toy other than the rope chew was probably, like, trying to whittle a piece of wood into a fun shape to be chewed on, but that was the best idea that she had.
FRANK
In my experience, dogs, much like cats and children, love things that are not toys, and are merely either packaging or these really thick cardboard tubes. I don’t know but a lot of dogs just love to chew on those. So I’ll probably just be like –
VIOLET
Here’s a few of those that I stole from the Arts and Crafts room.
[ANNIE LAUGHS]
SASHA
So Gem is the first one to notice. And she goes immediately for one of these cardboard tubes that you, together, cut little shapes out of to make a little more interesting. And she goes immediately and starts chewing down on it, passing it around… and gradually, a lot of the other wolves also start playing. And you notice they’re not going to be so aggressive. They’re playing with each other, with the toys.
[LOWRI CHEERS]
SASHA
So, Ivy. How in the middle of this are you getting?
ANNIE
If I wait long enough to see that they’re definitely interacting with the toys and playing with them and not fighting but, like, play-fighting more, I’m going to go right in and try to play tug-of-war with one of them. You know, like with a dog.
SASHA
So the final roll of the game… and I’m going to ask you to roll Make Friends, and I’m also going to ask you: how much are you trying to make friends, and how much are you trying to not get bit?
ANNIE
Oh, I’m trying to make friends all the way. I’m not afraid of them to a fault. I’m not afraid of them to the point where it is a problem.
SASHA
Please roll Make Friends.
[DICE ROLLS]
ANNIE
That is an 8.
SASHA
An 8. Okay, so an 8 is very much a success with complications.
[ANNIE SNICKERS]
SASHA
You win the tug-of-war. Like, the werewolf is having a great time with you. But, in order to win the tug-of-war, you’ve had to put your hand right close to the center. You yank it, and the wolf tries to grab back onto it, but misses and hits your hand. It doesn’t hurt as much as you’d think it would, but you have been bitten.
Would you like to keep playing?
ANNIE
Yeah, I think as long as it’s not seriously injured and doesn’t hurt that bad, I’m immediately like, “Alright, here we go! Yeah yeah yeah!” Like, trying to do the thing where you wave it above the dog’s nose so they try to jump for it or whatever. I’m just in it. I’m goin’.
SASHA
You keep playing, and over the night, you kind of lose track of time. You just get more and more focused on playing with these wolves, and Violet and Rowan see Ivy gradually transform into a little werewolf-lite. A little werewolf.
LOWRI
Ahhhhhhhhh!
Rowan is so confused. She doesn’t know how to feel.
SASHA
The night goes on much like this. So the next morning, you see everybody gradually make their way back to where they were. And just before dawn, the campers, back in their human forms, kind of make their way back into their beds, still sort of in their sleep.
And everybody awakes the next morning. The toys are kind of all over the place, but the camp itself is still intact. You are all just as sleepy as many of the other girls there. You notice that there’s a little bit more camaraderie between the werewolf girls.
LOWRI
Success! I think?
ANNIE
Woohoo!
FRANK
We did it.
LOWRI
We saved the camp?
SASHA
The next time you see Cassie, you notice she is wearing her bracelet again.
ANNIE & FRANK
Awwwww.
LOWRI
Yay!
FRANK
I am absolutely going to make fun of Ivy for being a werewolf now.
ANNIE
I think Ivy’s still, for what it’s worth – I know we’re not going to roleplay it out much, but I think Ivy thinks that’s the coolest thing ever.
SASHA
Yeah, I really like that.
[ANNIE LAUGHS]
SASHA
So thank you so much for playing Camp Flying Moose.
LOWRI
Thank you for running it!
SASHA
If you are listening and have enjoyed listening to this game, I thoroughly recommend checking it out. It is by Alicia Furness, and you can get your own copy on afurness.itch.io.
LOWRI
And we’ll put a link in the show notes as well.
SASHA
So thank you so much for listening. I’ve been Sasha Sienna, you can find more of me on Twitter @SiennaSasha, or if you like more roleplaying games, you can check out my RPG company, MacGuffin and Company. You can find us on Twitter @MacGuffinAndCo, or you can head to our website, www.macguffinandcompany.com. You can find us on Patreon, patreon.com/macguffinandcompany, or you can check out our Twitch, which is twitch.tv/macguffinandco.
And I have been joined by Lowri, Frank, and Annie! Lowri, where can people find more of you?
LOWRI
Oh, you can find me on @LowriTweets. I never tweet, but I often like and retweet other things.
FRANK
Sounds like your Twitter handle is a lie.
LOWRI
Yeah! It is, isn’t it! But it was available, so I’m taking it. And… yeah, I guess on other Rusty Quill things!
SASHA
And Annie, where can people find more of you?
ANNIE
You can follow me on Twitter @AnnieRuby_, don’t forget the underscore at the end. You can follow me on Twitch – depending upon when you’re listening to this, it will either be twitch.tv/annieruby, no underscore, or it will be twitch.tv/skinnypiggames. If you go to annieruby and it’s not there, you know it’s skinnypiggames.
SASHA
And Frank, where can people find more of you?
FRANK
You can find me on Twitter @AvoidedDrowning, follow me, get my numbers up. If you don’t like it, just mute me, don’t unfollow me, because I need those numbers for no reason.
LOWRI
I will say – Frank, very funny. Very, very funny, especially on Twitter.
FRANK
You can also find me on Twitch, @bootjets. Because I don’t know how to codify my brand.
[SNICKERING]
SASHA
Cool, thank you so much for listening, and thank you again to Lowri, Annie, and Frank for playing! Bye!
LOWRI
Thanks Sasha! Bye!
ALL
Byeeee!
[THE MAGNUS THEME FADES IN]
ALEX
This episode is distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International License. For more information, visit rustyquill.com, tweet us @TheRustyQuill, visit us on Facebook, or email us at mail@rustyquill.com. Thanks for listening.