A hub for the "Book of Masks" universe. |
The Interactives "The Book of Masks" : A high school student discovers a grimoire that can make magical disguises. "The Wandering Stars" : Sequel to "The Book of Masks." "Student Bodies" : A high school student is turned into a blue goo that can possess people. For non-WdC Members "The Book of Masks: Archives" : Dodges the "Servers Busy" barrier! "The Book of Masks (Abridged)" : Introductory storylines for new readers. Community "BoM/TWS Message Forum" : Community for readers of the interactives. "BoM/TWS/SB Wiki" : Notes and documentation for authors. Spoilers! Current Polls None The Latest 7/1: Interactive: "Solving Other People's Problems" 7/1: Public: "Solving Other People's Problems" |
Today's chapter— * Interactive: "Some Will Act Where Others Dare Not" * Public: "Some Will Act Where Others Dare Not" —rounds off the latest branch. I hope you all liked it. I did, because (among other reasons) it finally gave me a chance to write for Adam Dortch, who has been rattling around inside my head for a long time without ever getting onto paper. Not that he emerged fully formed, even my imagination. But he did surprise me at a few points. (I had no idea, for instance, that he was one of the assholes who makes social media such a sewer.) But having got him introduced, he at least feels more real to me. As for the mystery of Clover Mystery, feel free to speculate in the commentary thread: "Commentary: Clover Mystery" The last few branches have been written for commissions, but tomorrow brings something I chose for myself. I will be returning to an ancient part of the interactive, an area so old that I don't dare look to see when it was written. It is also an area I made no contributions to until now. My point of divergence comes here: "Casting for a New Part" . (And if you don't recognize that chapter title, it's because I changed it. Way back then, chapters were usually named after the choices.) But the roots of it begin nine chapters before: "Third Thoughts" , and you can go a little further back than that, if you want. (And if you read the public version, the line of chapters after "Third Thoughts" will likely be new to you.) But basically, here is what is going on: Will, being freaked out by this book he bought, tried to return it to the bookstore, where he met Professor Aubrey Blackwell, the academic who accidentally lost the book and wants it back. He offered Will a great deal of money for it, but Will (not liking the man's looks) declined. He instead kept it and kept investigating it. That led to the creation of masks and mind bands. But Blackwell has not been quiet. He tried again to buy the book, and was again rejected. There followed a burglary attempt at Will's house. Now Will is worried—scared even—of what else Blackwell might get up to. And he becomes terrified when he sneaks into one of Blackwell's lectures, and discovers that Blackwell has turned Lucy Vredenburg—sister of Cindy Vredenburg—into a golem. He also knows that Blackwell has a spare mask or two of his own, which he can use to impersonate one of Will's friends. |
After a number of hiccups along the way, today's chapter— * Interactive: "Three Little Maids Are We" * Public: "Three Little Maids Are We" —rounds off the latest branch. ThePrussian has already kindly got a commentary thread going: "Commentary: Keith Does It Again" Tomorrow I return to a recent area: the Mystery of Clover Mystery Clover, or whatever you want to call it. This time we back just a little further up the chain, to "A Trap of One's Own Making" . Will is being badgered by a mysterious person named "Clover Mystery" who has been catfishing him thru fake DMs, and he has also had some mysterious encounters, most recently with Maria Vasquez. He has set a trap for "Clover," arranging to meet up with the various fake IDs that have been DMing him at a coffeeshop. He has arrived to find the real girls, and some of their friends, there. Also, Maria and Chelsea Cooper are there. In the road taken, Will barges over to Maria's table to talk to her. Tomorrow we'll find out what happens when he just keeps to himself. |
Today's chapter— * Interactive: "What Laura Had to Say" * Public: "What Laura Had to Say" —stops a branch cold. I will be coming back to the "Clover Mystery" section in a week or two, in another area, but tomorrow I start fulfilling a different commission. This one is in a relatively new part of the interactive, the "Conspirators Three" section, where Will and Caleb have brought Keith in to study the book and the masks. Rather than continuing the branch that already appears there, though, tomorrow I will branch off a midpoint: "Faces All Around" . There's not much backstory to give. Keith made a mask that mixed his face with Stephanie Wyatt's, and now he has a mask that contains Jenny Ashton's form. The last time this branch got continued, they sealed it up and got in trouble when taking "Jenny" out in public. Tomorrow we'll find out what else might go wrong if they try something else. |