Storyboard: Castle History-Rhyme
At the Kitchen Threshold
As the Player leaves the medieval kitchen and enters the castle proper, she crosses a magical threshold. This triggers the castle to 'wake up'.
There's nothing to mark the transition other than a subtle, animated glow. Maybe dust particles floating up from ground.
The Castle's History
The mysterious stone from AiSudoon Pinterest.
As the Player explores the castle, a Narrator speaks. She must find each 'stanza' of the castle's history in a particular order to unlock the next part of the castle.
The Narrator
Each time the Narrator speaks, his words are accompanied by animated visuals of some sort. Sometimes: animated words carved in stone appear or light up, there could be a banner flapping, a faded tapestry is no longer faded, or scrolls unfold at the Player's presence.
The "Castle History" portion of the game is peppered with 2D and 3D animations. Some animations will play like a ghostly apparition and others, like a modern day projector. Props will at times, turn back time to their original state and some will animate. For example a candle might flicker-on to illuminate a writing desk and an unfinished letter.
Torches now light up the hallway ahead and beckon the Player to continue. The Player is free to explore until she finds another worded banner.
A suit of armor stands to attentions as if previously relaxed or in slumber.
The knight may reappear later or kneel here. Presenting a conflict between the Narrator and the Castle itself. This is similar to the Beauty and the Beast where the castle is excited for Belle to be there but the master, the Beast, is not.
Here tapestries depicting events at the castle are restored to color.
There's a life-sized painting torn and thread-bare in a gold leaf frame.
When the Players approaches, the canvas repairs itself and we see a battle depicted.
An animation of a soldier begins to play. We see a sword fight but just one character fighting an invisible opponent. There are sound effects of his fight.
Left over artifacts in the hallway are gathering dust. This could imply that the castle was breached.
The hallway has grown empty and quiet. As the Player continues, paintings of Lords fan out along the wall like a deck of cards
Torches, candlesticks, and/or candlabras again lead the way for the Player to follow. We see more artifacts in alcoves, possibly the King's Crown, a sword, some medals.
As the Player arrives at the bottom of a staircase, a beautiful apparition appears. This time the scene is more joyous, 2D, and glowy.
When the animation stops, a gold ring falls to the floor. The Player should retrieve the ring and continue.
The halls turn quiet and moonlit. There's a room the player must travel through.
Inside is a baby bed, a rocking horse, a tiny crown.
A silver spoon, a rattle and toys that were never played with.
Now we see the Queen at a moonlit window. Her hair is down and she's in a nightgown as if she woke up unexpectedly.
We hear metal clanging and soldiers fighting. The red glow of fires and explosions are visible in shiny reflections.
It's possible we cut to a scene outside the Queen's room to see an animated canon kick back after a fiery explosion.
Here, the Player sees a dark corner with a desk. It is set dressed like the messy corner of a room even though we're still wandering a hallway. This gives this sense that it's another apparition.
A candle on the desk flickers to life.
the camera cuts to a closer angle. We see an ink well, a letter and the words, "Please help. Send food, men, anything you can spa..." and the writing trails off as if the writer were interrupted.
We see the King laid to rest in a coffin. Maybe a glass coffin like Snow White's in Disney's original version. (Another reversal of roles).
The Queen is looking over him. She wipes a tear with one hand and holds a red rose in the other. She could also be kneeling at his bedside. In which case, we would see the King's bedroom.
Items in the King's room or in alcoves throughout the castle as the Player explores: a crown, a scepter, and medals.
Magic swirls. Books, Arrows, and an animated crown all animate like pieces of magic recipe or spell.
We see the Queen fall ill, tended to by doctors, but not getting better.
A raven arrives in a moonlit castle window. Squawking as if to announce his arrival, he sees the Queen's body at the bottom of the stairs where she and the King once were married.
The raven flies down and drops a tiny scroll beside her, as if to say, "There. I've completed my task."
He paces around the Queen's body and continues to squawk loudly. Visually, he looks annoyed that she does not acknowledge him.
Here a mouse pushes a metal contraption out of a shadow. The Player must pick it up. Upon inspection, she realizes it is the artifact dropped by the Raven. The contraption looks like a 3D puzzle that animates to become a compass. The compass leads the Player to the bottom of a tower, The Wizard's Tower.
The Narrator will give the Player one last chance to leave. She must show the Queen's wedding ring (the artifact that fell to the ground after the wedding apparition) to confirm that she wants to continue.
