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1
Passage Through the Mire
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Through the mist, previews of the mire formed by the imported greywater of Spa 9 emerge. The BMP wanders about the grounds in preparation for her prisoner. Pirates descend upon the Ice Planet and follow orders from the Black Metal Princess to deliver Pit to the asteroid. Pit in a somewhat unconcious state is slowly lowered into the swamps. Maintaining stealth, The BMP hides from the reconnaissance efforts sent by her father to locate her
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2
The Black Metal Princess
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**Background story of The Black Metal Princess, and motives**
**Pit awakens in the swamp as a prisoner**
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3
A Stranger in the Landing
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In the Fruitless Kingdom, Mel and Gary settle into daily life until suddenly an unscheduled elevator delivery surprises the city. The princess has been returned - along with a note from Pit. She is unconscious and in desperate need of medical attention. The eager public awaits answers, but Mel and Gary suspect that the princess in the elevator is actually an imposter.
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4
An Undisclosed Location
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Following various leads, Mel discovers a secret location south of the city where he overhears news about the water trade. From what he gathers, there is not only a plan to drain all the water from the star system, but there are also various side deals being made. One such side deal involves the trade of greywater from Spa 9 to a nearby asteroid, organized by the Black Metal Princess. Something very secretive is being organized there, and Mel wants to find out more.
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5
Looking for Clues
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Combing the city for clues amidst an unhelpful public and a distrustful King, Mel pieces together many clues about the asteroid and the potential possibilities of Pit's whereabouts. Mel is also certain the imposter in the Fruitless Kingdom is the Black Metal Princess. He follows her closely to find out what she is up too.
Concurrently, an alien fruit has been introduced into the city that is causing it's citizens to hallucinate.
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6
Marsh Madness
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Wading through the mire, Pit begins to shift through memories of his past. The edges of the swamp recede in every direction as he attempts to exit. He begins to loose his mind...
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7
Mel Function
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The next day, at sunrise during what appears to be a perfect morning, Mel waits outside the citadel for the supposed princess to take her morning walk. He follows her to a secret space craft outside of the city limits. Mel and Gary sneak aboard the ship and see for the first time that their suspicions are correct. The princess who has been fooling the Fruitless Kingdom is in fact the Black Metal Princess. Apparently, she had used a pill to slow her heart rate down and trick Pit into believing she was dead. Then, upon being perceived as the princess of the Fruitless Kingdom she was able to infiltrate the deepest parts of the city. Her main goal was to steal an ancient map to a mythic space craft held inside the citadels library. The craft is said to be able to fly it's pilot to any destination they imagine. Her father had tasked her with this errand.
After a brief transit flight, they arrive at Spa 9. In disguise Mel and Gary weave their way through the giant interior chambers of the Spa, down into a clothing-optional sun-dome known as Club Zed. After a bit of pampering, they pick up on whispers and conspiratorial talk in the solar steam room. Following these whispers, they come across an area of the ship with dimly lit VIP business lounges. Inside one of these lounges Mel overhears aliens discussing multi-star-system trade secrets, scandals and war.
After a short intermission, the group begins to discuss the recently acquired map from the Fruitless Kingdom. But before they can look at it, Gary snags the map and runs for the door. Guards rush in and chase Mel and Gary throughout the ship. While they catch their breath, Gary looks at the map and recognizes the sketch of an object that resembles the mysterious tetrahedral pendant he wears around his neck. All of a sudden the map bursts into flame, opening a space-time portal. Gary and Mel jump into the wormhole and escape capture.
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8
The Mens Group
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After exiting one of his many palatial baths, Malcytol is confronted by his upper management team he likes to call "The Mens Group". They inform him that the map he had just recently obtained has been stollen. Angrily, Malcytol calls everyone to the meeting room to plan their next move...
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9
Ariliaun
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The wormhole spits the travelers out into a surreal sub-world hidden from the Traun star system.
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10
The Terrace Computer
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Mel and Gary sit around a fire and brainstorm about where to go next. Suddenly Gary realizes that the craft they are looking for is the same craft that was once told to him in a bedtime story called "Lost Ariliaun". Following Gary's recollection of the story of Ariliaun, the team hikes through a dreamlike jungle filled with what seems to be the subconscious artifacts of all the thinking beings in the star system. Time is warped and gravity seems off-kilter as they move. They arrive at the base of a great blue pyramid in the center of a glowing manzanita valley. Passing various chambers inside the pyramid they find the majestic golden ship idling in a torch lit room. Inside the craft there are no controls, but floating just above it a quaint garden terrace (complete with water features, hedges and fruit trees) hides an advanced computer control system. Within seconds the garden reads their minds and takes off through the capstone and into the sky.
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11
Miriaun Crossing
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The craft takes Mel and Gary through Ariliaun's only exit - The Miriaun Crossing. The inter-dimensional passage is hidden within storm clouds, compressed and only passable in one direction. Once they reach their cruising speed, the rain inside the passage calms to a steady drizzle. Time seems to warp and slow down just enough to deeply feel emotions that are usually faint and fleeting in normal time. Both difficult and beautiful the ship finally arrives inside the world of Traun once again.
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12
Badlands
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The first thing they must do before returning home is rescue the true princess of the Fruitless Kingdom. Docking at "The Badlands", Mel and Gary navigate their way through the debaucherous city to the holding cell of the princess. A stylish and skillful rescue is made and the three of them depart unseen.
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13
Starflight Cafe
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The group stops at an orbiting diner/cafe to warm up the princess who has endured some harsh conditions in the cold satellite city. Although Mel has deduced that Pit is being held in a swamp, the princess reveals to him exactly where her imposter (The Black Metal Princess) is hiding him.
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14
Trouble Afoot
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Mel and Gary return the princess to the Fruitless Kingdom and immediately fly to the asteroid to find Pit. But, trouble lurks all around their mission
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15
Preparing the Pit
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Mel and Gary arrive on the eerie asteroid and make their way through the swampy overgrowth. Less than a mile in they are ambushed by the patrolling sentries and brought before a Swamp Monster. Using wit to save them from certain death, Mel challenges the monster to a game of Ro-Sham-Bo. Although Mel prevails, the indomitable monster refuses their passage. Suddenly a message is delivered to the monster and the two travelers are allowed passage. Mel and Gary continue along a narrow cliff edge through a spellbound forest until they reach a clearing.
Inside the clearing the Black Metal Princess invites Mel and Gary into a temporary sod fort hidden within the gnarled thicket above the swamp. She explains to them the reasons for her ruse, her fathers dilemma and how that is tied up with the destruction of their world. She also explains why she has pursued Pit, only to lure him into a cursed swamp that is built to slowly break him down.
She tells her story with eloquence, emotion and empathy, but Mel and Gary are unable to accept her vision. In a fit of panic, they rush outside to save Pit from drowning but are quickly intercepted by the Swamp Monster and his minions. An all-out battle ensues. Nearing victory Mel and Gary take on the Swamp Monster but Mel looses his leg in the final blow. Prying open the monsters jaw to save Mel, Gary pulls Mel out and rushes them down to the swamps edge to save Pit. However, they are too late. Pit takes his final breath and sinks beneath the mire. A sombre mood settles around them along with the thick fog. The Black Metal Princess convenes with Mel and Gary afterwards and discuss what to do next.