DZ-Jay's Random Blog - Christmas Carol: A Short Story - Part V

RSS Bot · September 20, 2018

I know I mentioned it in the previous entry, but I've decided not to post the map nor any of the other illustrations on this blog. I rather not make any of the content public at the moment, at least until it is all finished. In the meantime, below is a small section of the Ice Cube Cavern map showing the Frosted Maze.

Other areas included in the map, not shown above are:

Entrance Hall (presumably where the first cut-scene happens)
Haunted Hollow
Candy Cove
Krystal Keep

Along with Frosted Maze, the map encompasses five major areas taken straight from the game levels. In my own personal copy (not the one Carol carries with her), I marked spots where you would find tunnels or passages to other chambers representing the rest of the game mazes: Icicle Lane, Freezer Burn, and Twisted Toyland. However, only the five above figure in this story.

I should mention that the spirit of the mazes are what figure in the story, not their actual layout. The story is not a direct translation of the game, each one is its own thing. They both share a conceptual world and a feel, style, and an overarching arc of events; but they are not the same. For instance, it should be obvious that there is no scoring on the story, and there is no specific number of presents to pick from each of the chambers in order to move on to the next. The story happens more naturally, while the game is strictly governed by a specific progression and play mechanics.

I also won't post the story outline, but I will mention briefly the main story structure:

The first three chapters introduce the characters, the plot, the legend of the Ghost Of Christmas Presents, and the location where it will all take place: The Ice Cube Caverns.
The next chapter has Carol enter the first and most colossal of the chambers in the caverns, where she marvels at its design and majestic structures.
In the following three chapters Carol meets the Ghost, first scared out of her wits as he terrorizes her, then intensely annoyed by his antics, and finally she empathizes with him as she realizes he's just a mischievous spirit who likes to play pranks on others.
For the next two chapters the Evil Snowman sets up a plot to capture Carol which backfires in a spectacular fashion, resulting in the Ghost getting trapped in an ice cube cage.
In the last chapter, Carol endeavors to beat the Snowman and his plan, and rescues the Ghost from his icy cage, who in gratitude becomes her friend. She collects the remaining presents and sets off on her trek back to the North Pole, still in time to save Christmas.
And finally, in the epilogue, we learn that Carol made one last gesture of friendship towards the Ghost, sealing their friendship forever, as Santa completes his Christmas deliveries and the entire North Pole celebrates one more successful Christmas thanks to the efforts of the famous elf they now call Christmas Carol. The End.

For those paying attention, 3 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10 chapters plus an epilogue. Yup, the outline just grew a new chapter. Go figure. I tell you, I don't seem to have much control over this thing. :dunce:

Well, that's it for now. Until next post... see ya'!

-dZ.

P.S. It should be obvious to everybody but I will just reiterate that all the materials, characters, and story elements, and everything related to Christmas Carol are the sole property of myself, James Pujals, and I retain all copyrights. I post these entries for my own amusement and to entertain anybody crazy enough to follow my progress as I write this story. However, none of it is to be used in any other context or for any purpose without my explicit and written permission.

You have been warned, so don't take anything without permission. If you do, and I ever get to publish this thing and become rich and famous, I'm sicking my lawyers on you.

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