Timeline

The Masq Timeline is a complicated mess, but Inky has helped condense it in a very easy to understand method. 
== The Original Timeline ==
=== The Siblings of Nusquam (???) ===
In ancient times long before recorded history, it is said that three all-powerful beings arrived on Earth. Their names were Kumasqi, Monlui, and Alua, and together they were known as The Siblings of Nusquam. They used their power to govern and enrich the people of the earth. However, as the people demanded more and more, the three siblings changed their approach in interacting with their subjects. Kumasqi and Alua began to withdraw their influence, but Monlui sought to take advantage of these demands and began demanding more from the people in return, tumbling down a path of greed and tyranny.
=== The Sealing of Monlui ===
Kumasqi and Alua took notice of this dark descent and agreed that something had to be done about it. In an act of betrayal, Kumasqi and Alua visited a subjugated tribe in the Manhattan region where Monlui had settled. They instructed the tribe on how to defeat and seal Monlui away within the earth. The chief of this subjugated tribe then carried out the plan, using herself as a sacrifice. As a result, Monlui was sealed within the grounds and fed on the souls of any who died nearby.
=== The Sealing of Alua & The Corruption of Kumasqi ===
After another time of relative peace, Kumasqi began to show the same apathetic and frustrated tendencies that Monlui exhibited before him. Kumasqi began to experiment with the world. Through his influence, Earth became a hub of many worlds and creatures, and this quickly put strain on its inhabitants. Beings from many worlds across fiction and nonfiction alike now lived alongside each other on this earth, and Kumasqi merely found the resulting strife interesting. Alua attempted to confront Kumasqi about his darker path, but she was quickly betrayed and sealed by Kumasqi. Without the influence and companionship of his siblings, Kumasqi’s mind was left to spiral into existential boredom. He continued to experiment, including taking on a mortal form, but before long, Kumasqi wished only to see the world burn. With this in mind, he devised a plan. He created a pearl containing his power and corruption and hid it away somewhere on the earth with the intent that through fate, one of his mortal descendants would come in contact with the power of the pearl and awaken as his apocalyptic successor.
=== The Death of Pokémon Trainer Red (??/??/2013) ===
7 years before the creation of The Masq, Pokemon Trainer Red was shot and killed by MC Ballyhoo, a hitman employed by Blue Oak. Thunder Shosk, Red’s Pikachu, then vowed to avenge his friend and took up his name, becoming Detective Red.
=== The Discovery and Adoption of Sirenhead ===
Around the same time, a 19 yr old convenience store cashier known only as “PinkCoochie69” (who will be henceforth referred to as PC), discovered a mysterious box containing an infant Sirenhead. She then cared for the creature as her adopted brother.
=== The Discovery and Theft of Kumasqi’s Pearl (??/??/2017) ===
In 2017, a deep sea diver discovered the pearl that Kumasqi left on the earth in the depths of the Atlantic. Soon, it was sold to a group of Canadian researchers. After experiencing inexplicable feelings of anger and irritability, the researchers sold the pearl yet again to American scientists, including Professor E. Gadd. Enchanted by the apparent aura of the pearl, Professor Gadd stole it in the night.
=== Mini Season 1: Mr. Krabs’ Big Bucks Boardwalk Bonanza (October 7-October 9, 2019) ===
In October 2019, Mr. Eugene Krabs, the greedy owner of The Krusty Krab, emerged from the sea and found himself at an unspecified seaside town. Locating a nearby boardwalk and noticing the rampant opportunities for money making, Krabs began planning a shady party competition in which twenty-one guests would compete in various activities to earn a custom currency: Krab Bucks. After securing a deal with the boardwalk’s self proclaimed owner, Team Skull Boss Guzma, preparation began. In addition to Mr. Krabs and Guzma, the useless goddess Aqua joined their efforts out of a lust for money and alcohol as well. With preparations complete, the guests signed up and arrived. The guests included Avery Johnson, Dr. Chelsea Childe, Cutthroat, Duolingo, Flosh the Kneecap Bandit, a Goat, Gourmet Guy, Guest, Jar Jar Binks, Jughead, Knecapion Mace, Lil’ Judd, Magda, Navi the Fairy, Ponyo, Ramsey Murdoch, Sasha Braus, Six, Socko, Starby the Siren, and The Boulder. Despite the event’s enthusiastic beginnings, it soon fell prey to many disasters as food poisoning struck, fires started, and explosions caused parts of the boardwalk to crumble (Ultimately resulting in the accidental death of Magda at the hands of Ponyo). These disasters were caused in part by Krabs’ poor planning and cost-cutting, and in part by the willful sabotage of the games by two spies: Lil’ Judd and Six. They had suspected the foul nature of the host and his rigged game from the start and sought to bring him down. On the final day of the competition, the boardwalk was violently destroyed following another disaster. The spies promptly revealed themselves and the police arrived to arrest Mr. Krabs. Fearing trouble with the law, Guzma and Aqua escaped the scene before the police’s arrival. Ultimately, Navi the Fairy was deemed the winner of the event, though all of the Krab Bucks earned amounted to nothing. Unbeknownst to the hosts and guests alike, Monita, the robotic host of Nintendo Land, had observed the whole event. Despite the criminal intentions of the game, Monita found herself inspired by the concept…
=== The Modification of Monita ===
In 2019, after years of studying the pearl’s qualities, Professor Gadd successfully fusing the pearl’s material with a computer chip at the encouragement of his android assistant, Andres. Despite being a fabricated being, Andres could feel the strange properties of the pearl, suggesting it could affect both organic beings and machinery. The two decided they would test the properties of the newly infused chip on Monita, despite the risk of adverse side-effects…
=== The Betrayal of Marina and the Creation of The Masq (February 2020) ===
Shortly before the creation of The Masq, Octoling War Veteran and Popstar Marina Ida became enthralled with the idea of designing Nintendo Land 2, a sequel to the critically acclaimed Wii U game. Enlisting the aid of Monita, Marina set to work. However, unbeknownst to Marina and Monita, a sentient and malicious virus of unknown origin had infected Monita. The sadism of this virus caused Monita to cancel her plans with Marina, crushing the octoling’s spirit. Instead, the iconic Masq Manor was constructed and arrangements were made for the first season of a game called The Circle, which would later be known as The Masq.
=== Season 1: Welcome to the Circle (February 18-March 1, 2020) ===
Due to an unexpected complication with Monita’s programming, namely the virus, The first season of The Circle was hosted by a humanlike robot named Andres. Contestants participated in a popularity contest set over the course of multiple days from the comfort of their own homes and universes . The contestants included Papa John, Fred the Fish, a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, Mayor Lionheart, Joel Miller, Wonder-Red, Master Shifu, Tom Nook, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Yozora Mikazuki, Octodad, a sentient Dishwasher, a child named Brick, Pokimane, Shigure, and Buttercup. As the season ended, Buttercup was pronounced the winner and awarded with a large sum of prize money.
=== The Creation of Marina’s Plan ===
Over the course of Season 1’s events, Marina’s hatred of Monita grew exponentially. Upon being invited to Season 2 of the Circle, Marina agreed to attend the opening party. However, due to the use of her scrapped decorations and the presence of The Squid Sisters, Marina left in rage. Traveling through the sewers on her way home, Marina encountered Pink-Gold Peach. The disgruntled Mario character also felt betrayed by those in power, so the two formed a diabolical plan to strike back at the world and murder Monita during the next season of The Masq. Unbeknownst to the duo, a now matured Sirenhead followed from the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation. Their devious plan intrigued the giant beast and he began creating a plan of his own.
=== Season 2: A Glitch in the Circle (March 7-March 27, 2020) ===
Soon after the conclusion of season one, the second season of The Circle was conducted remotely with Monita finally stepping up as the host. This season would not go without incident however, as the virus inside Monita would occasionally take control as Dark Monita, causing chaos in the process. The contestants of Season 2 included Arthur Read, Beeg Yoshi, Mr. Poopy Butthole, Mama Goomba, Cad Bane, GIR, Pikapi, The Mona Lisa, Koopatrol, Tom Cat, Mara Jade Skywalker, Monocle Ryan, Toad, Naruto, Tanya Degurechaff, Pam, Benevolent Voltaic Cell, Jotaro Kujo, and Emira Blight. This season’s winner was the aforementioned Emira Blight.
=== Mini Season 2: Akademi Cram School (March 30-April 3, 2020) ===
In the midst of the building tension of the first two seasons of The Circle, a different kind of dilemma was occurring in a different field: the academic field. Akademi High School, an interdimensional academy located in the world of The Masq, found itself struggling with plummeting grades due to the student body’s mass obsession with The Circle. Principal Nezu and three of the faculty members: Baldi, Kirby, and Ancient Codex, met to discuss possible solutions. After some discussion and a brilliant suggestion from Kirby, the faculty decided to take advantage of the hype around The Circle’s upcoming third season (now renamed The Masq) and host a school-based Masq competition of their own. Twenty-four students from across the high school’s massive campus were invited to compete in the competition for a scholarship prize. The students included Timmy Turner, Nabbit, Red Hood, Susie, ZM, Reneeesme, Danny the Possum, Nico Yazawa, Boyfriend, Calvin, Cosmo the Spacedog, Mr. Zurkon, Shintaro Kisaragi, Phil Eggtree, Isabela Madrigal, Kuzco, Lindsay, Candace Flynn, Edd, Makoto Katai, 8100dslayer, Sylvester Ashling, Marth, and Sylvia Lux IV Kinsley. Students competed in games relating to math, English, art, and other activities as the Mini Season progressed. Over time, students broke into cliques and conflict emerged between opposing factions. This, however, would not prove to be a major concern to the faculty. Rather, a strange inconsistency was detected. One of the answer sheets for the various games and tests was missing, and it was quickly surmised that a cheater lurked among them. A prank war quickly escalated among the students leading to some injury and damage to school property, but the cheater remained at large until the final day of the event. After the warring factions reconciled and the final exam was taken, Kuzco was finally exposed as the cheater and forced to clean the school in a maid outfit. With that, the event concluded. In a questionable turn of events, the scholarship was awarded to the openly murderous robot Mr. Zurkon. Satisfied with the event, Principal Nezu and the rest of the faculty celebrated their success with a toast. They had concluded their experiment just in time, as the third season of The Masq was just beginning. As they tuned in to the broadcast on Kirby’s phone, however, they were met with a terrible surprise…
=== Season 3: Murder at Masq Manor (April 6-April 19, 2020) ===
Shortly after the conclusion of the second season, the third season of The Masq was held in Masq Manor and began with Monita as the host. Among the contestants were none other than Marina and Pink-Gold Peach, ready to commence their plan. During the New Beginnings Banquet on the first day of the event, Marina and Pink Gold Peach snuck into Monita’s Office and murdered her. Upon the discovery of Monita’s body, one of the contestants, Detective Red, stepped up as host of the event to begin an investigation. Over the course of the next few weeks, many lives were lost as Marina continued to murder the guests out of bloodlust. The victims of the tragedy included Killer Bean, Lightsaber, Cream the Rabbit, Peter Weber, Brewster, Ordis, Mailtoad, Pink Gold Peach herself, KawaiiCat, Baloo, Futaba, and Plague Knight. After failing to identify the killer, Detective Red and four survivors were allowed to live as Marina escaped the premises. Of the fifteen innocent guests, the four who survived were Kousei, Twice, Cuddles the Caterpillar, and Revali. 
=== The Creation of Masq World ===
Following the tragedy at Masq Manor and its subsequent abandonment, Sirenhead arrived on the premises and began building a theme park not unlike Nintendo Land. This park, located nearby Masq Manor, would become known as Masq World and would be the location of the next tragic season of The Masq.
=== Red’s Deal ===
At around the same time, Detective Red located MC Ballyhoo and nearly enacted his revenge. Intending to avenge his friend, Red took aim at the ex-hitman. But Ballyhoo, insisting that he had changed his ways, strongly objected to being shot. Detective Red, feeling guilty about participating in the tarnishing of The Masq’s name with his questionable investigatory tactics (often involving execution of innocents), offered Ballyhoo a deal. In exchange for his survival, Ballyhoo would later host a bloodless season of The Masq.
=== Season 4: Masq World (May 18-June 1, 2020) ===
Soon afterwards, intent on satiating his hunger for souls to consume, Sirenhead hosted the fourth season of The Masq. Using the newly created Masq World as the setting for his twisted desires, Sirenhead invited and/or abducted sixteen guests with the enlisted help of the psychotic Perona and vampiric Marshall Lee. In order to survive their imprisonment at Masq World, the victims would have to participate in a death game orchestrated by Sirenhead. This game encouraged the guests to murder each other and to get away with it (Much like popular game series Danganronpa). Mario, Chika Fujiwara, Redd, Ursula, Giovanni, and Fi were murdered by their fellow guests, while Baymax, Claude, Iggy, Fawful, Ryuji Sakamoto, and The Map were killed by Sirenhead, either as punishment for being caught or violating their Forbidden Action (A hindrance given to the remaining contestants near the end of the season).
=== The Survivors’ Last Stand ===
With the promise of freedom at hand, the final four survivors of Sirenhead’s demented game, Hatsune Miku, Dug the Dog, Solaire of Astora, and O’Chunks, approached the gates. However, Sirenhead never intended to set them free even after they obliged with his game and revealed his true plan. Intent on consuming the final four, Sirenhead approached, but was attacked by Perona, who objected to the death of Dug in particular. Sirenhead did not hesitate in devouring his once-loyal underling as the survivors fled, desperate to find a way to escape Masq World. Though perturbed by the death of his colleague, Marshall Lee remained loyal to Sirenhead and attacked the group, but was soon dispatched by Giovanni’s Persian, now left without an owner. Ultimately, Dug located the power source of Masq World, the repurposed corpse of previous Masq victim Ordis. Despite Sirenhead’s frantic objection, Dug destroyed Ordis once and for all, causing a massive explosion. The blast not only destroyed much of the park, but Sirenhead as well, as he had rushed over in an attempt to stop Ordis from being destroyed. A raging inferno spread throughout the ruins of the park and the survivors quickly realized they needed to escape. Utilizing Toad’s Air Balloon, a former attraction at the park, the four survivors escaped Masq World, though not without significant trauma.
=== The Ruins of Masq World ===
An hour or two later, the flames were drowned out by a calm rain upon the ruins. The tragic nature of the location and eye-catching inferno served as a beacon to wandering listless beings, including Marina. Having known Sirenhead (Through currently unknown means), Marina was frustrated to see the ruins of Masq World. In a low point on her journey, Marina cried over her broken life. It was then that Marina was approached by Miu Iruma, a vulgar yet talented inventor. Miu proposed a plan of redemptive ambition to Marina, and due to Miu’s charm, she agreed to accompany her to Team Rocket HQ. 
Meanwhile, PC and her pet Tommy the Turtle were also wandering the ruins. PC had rushed over as fast as she could, but was still distraught to find her adopted brother’s corpse. Adding on to her despair, she realized she had lost track of Tommy. While searching for her lost pet, PC crossed paths with Haroldlina, a magical merhorse of immense power. The two quickly became friends and soon after, PC began plans for a season of The Masq without incident, much like Red’s request of Ballyhoo. 
Tommy’s fate, however, would not be so hopeful. Having run off after seeing the corpse of Sirenhead, he wandered the ruins in search of his mother. Instead, he unfortunately crossed paths with Marina and Miu as they were leaving the grounds. Marina, being a seasoned killer and sadist, did not hesitate to murder the little turtle in cold blood with an Auto Bomb.
=== The Creation of Marina’s Second Scheme ===
Three hours later, Miu introduced Marina to Alphys, head scientist of The Underground, and Meowth, the boss of Team Rocket. After some bonding, the trio formulated a plan to use the viral chip salvaged from Monita’s corpse and a replication of D.O.D.E. from Jackbox to create a virtual world where the next violent season of The Masq would be hosted.
=== Season 5: The Masq Games (July 20-August 3, 2020) ===
Nearly two months after the destruction of Masq World, the construction of Masq Stadium under the direction of MC Ballyhoo was completed. Ballyhoo himself, accompanied by his then-silent companion Big Top, was the host of the season. They were aided by Chris McLean and Sardonyx as co hosts, Guy Phough as head of security, and Little Chef Andres (Host of Season 1) as the head chef of the event. The season was broadcasted live to audiences as a reality TV show similar to Survivor. The eighteen contestants were divided up initially into three teams of six (Team Inferno, Team Tsunami, and Team Thunder), but were later rearranged into two teams of six (Team Emerald and Team Amethyst). The contestants included Katsuki Bakugo, Claptrap, RK800 Connor, Dimentio, Greggory Lee, Haku, Eleven, Jevil, Kim Kardashian, King Dedede, Kristina, Marin, Midbus, Perry the Platypus, Tharja, Tony Stark, Victor Alderson, and “Zelda”. As the events of the show progressed, Ballyhoo grew more suspicious and hid a cryptic apology in one of the minigames. Claptrap discovered this and it became quickly widespread. Ballyhoo then falsely confessed to having witnessed Blue Oak kill Red, rather than having done it himself. Ultimately, towards the end of the season, Detective Red arrived at Masq Stadium. In a moment of panic or malice, Ballyhoo bound the Pikachu and locked him in an old lounge, intent on killing him later. However, just before Ballyhoo could announce the winner of the event, Detective Red escaped and confronted Ballyhoo on live TV. He exposed the truth about Ballyhoo’s crimes and gave the top two contestants, Kristina and Claptrap, the ability to decide whether Ballyhoo would live or die as punishment for his past murders. The duo unanimously sentenced Ballyhoo to death. After tying Ballyhoo to the Jumbo Megatron pole, Detective Red took aim and fired a Thunderbolt at the host, killing him. This caused an explosion and a fire, burning down the stadium. But Ballyhoo’s spirit refused to pass on, and soon possessed his close friend Big Top, who vanished into the night.
Far away in the Kanto region, Marina watched the events unfold from her TV. The sight of Detective Red invigorated Marina’s bloodlust and the commencement of the Virtual World began...
=== Season 6: Virus in the Virtual World (September 1-September 19, 2020) ===
Nearly one month after the fiery conclusion of Season 5, Marina, Meowth, Alphys, Miu, and the newly created DODE replica set their murderous scheme into motion. Twenty victims were captured for this twisted game, some of which were infants. Once placed into pods and uploaded to the Virtual World, the unwilling contestants were placed into three groups: Purge, Corrupted, and Neutral. Marina’s game functioned similarly to Town of Salem. Each player had a quirk that could be used to further their progress to victory with the Purge’s goal of eliminating Corrupted, vice versa, and Neutral’s goals being mixed. These goals were not to be taken lightly, as any victim who perished in the Virtual World died inside their pod in reality. Halfway through the ordeal, a mysterious power failure randomized the roles of the victims, changing up the game. Surprisingly, at one point during the season’s events, DODE rebelled against Marina after becoming tired of being bossed around. Marina responded decisively, deleting DODE. Eventually, to the surprise of many present, Marina’s pop star partner Pearl entered the Virtual World at Marina’s side, ready to aid as an agent of chaos. Ultimately, the Corrupted gained the upper hand and eliminated the remaining Purge members. The victims of this sinister scheme included Bebe, Koro-sensei, Jenny, Hoddie Gorl,  Jerry, Know-It-All, Talim, Momoko, Pandora’s Actor, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, Steve, Baby, Uma, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Vinnie Dakota, and Lois Griffin. Despite surviving the ordeal, GIFfany, Chadwick (Who, being an infant, was named by the contestants), and Trisha Paytas remained tainted even in the physical world, joining Marina’s crew. The deemed winners of this season were GIFfany and Trisha Paytas.
=== Total Corruption ===
After DODE’s deletion, the Virtual World she sustained began to gradually deteriorate. Following the Corrupted Victory, Ragdoll, the final Purge member, was killed by Trisha Paytas as the Virtual World crumbled around them. Just before the Virtual World collapsed, Marina was confronted by an entity who took the form of DODE. This entity was known as Meester, and he made known his plans to Marina for world domination. Marina readily agreed to aid him and exited the Virtual World. Having returned from the Virtual World, GIFfany was given to Alphys on a flash drive before the scientist took her leave. With the scheme safely considered a success, all seemed well for the hosts and survivors. Marina, however, had different plans. In a swift betrayal, Marina captured Meowth in a Poke-Ball and quickly attempted to escape with Miu, Trisha, Chadwick, and Pearl in tow. Upon reaching the rooftop, the group was met by a helicopter piloted by former Masq contestant Victor Alderson, who Pearl had called in to help. Team Rocket, however, was in hot pursuit and a battle quickly broke out. Ultimately, after boarding the helicopter and unleashing a Killer Wail, Marina and her company made their escape.
=== Season 7: PC’s Island Paradise (February 18-March 10, 2021) ===
Despite the chaos that was unfolding in faraway lands, PC was hard at work with her plans for a peaceful Masq season. Five months after Season 6, with the help of Haroldlina’s power, PC opened her island resort as the setting for the next season of The Masq. She was joined by her long-time girlfriend Penny, Isabelle (who was in a romantic relationship with the aforementioned Animal Crossing Villager Meester and had turned to alcohol after the death of Brewster in Season 3), and Orochimaru as Co-Hosts. Twenty-four contestants were invited to take part in the island activities, and on the one year anniversary of Season 1 of the Masq, the games began. The contestants were split into pairs and became teams that would compete against each other to earn points, which they could use to buy items based on past Masq events and characters. The contestants who had the lowest points on elimination days were dramatically launched into the sea, where Penny was waiting to pick them up and take them to safety. Halfway through the event, PC proposed to Penny on a rooftop at sunset. This endeavor was successful. The contestants included Azula, Bekki Natsumi, Bender, Caboose (who was later taken over by an AI called O’Malley), Carl the Llama, Cola Bear, Echidna, Mutant Enderman, Harold, James Charles, a Joy-Con, Little King John, Mako Mankanshoku, Marnie, MasqFan77, Miles Morales, Purah, Roald, Rudy Richardson, a Tetris Block, TommyInnit, Vala Mal Doran, Vanessa, and Wendy. Following Azula’s disqualification and an exploit discovered by Marnie, Joy-Con, and Carl, The Rockin’ Rumblers took the victory, making Marnie and Joy-Con the champions. On the last day of the event, PC discovered a flower at her door with a note reading “Hie Friend”. This message was sent by and would foreshadow the host of Season 9’s second half: the bumbling but endearing Bicth. Upon the ending of the season, the contestants returned home, making Season 7 the first truly peaceful season of The Masq since Season 1.
=== Season 8: 12 Nights at Masq Manor (June 4-June 22, 2021) ===
Following the explosive finale of Season 4, Masq Manor and the nearby ruins of Masq World sat in a state of decay for a whole year, remaining unused by anyone. The local government of a nearby town, led by Mayor Petunia Petalgoods, ultimately decided that the manor, along with its bloodstained history, should be swept from the town and plans for demolition began. In order to ensure the security of the location before demolition began, Mayor Petalgoods commissioned a nightwatch team to guard the premises leading up to a Groundbreaking Ceremony in which the manor would be destroyed. This crew would be led by former Masq Stadium head of security, Guy Phough, under his persona of Phone Guy. Joining him were two ancient beings and long-time friends, Count Chocula and No Face. Three months after the conclusion of PC’s Island Paradise, eighteen employees were hired to fill the role of The Nightwatch. They included Angelica, Angie Yonaga, BOb, Charles White Jr., Cheems, Claire Redfield, Dr. Eggman Nega, ENA, Goose, Itsuki Sumeragi, Larry Daley, Nikei Yomiuri, Piglet, Purple, Rarity, Sonia Nevermind, The Judge, and Tommy the Turtle (Yes, him. This will be explained). Soon after their duties began, however, their situation grew dire. After handling a break-in, the Nightwatch was confronted by the ghost of Monita. This would be the first of many ghosts to appear. The souls of past Masq victims roamed the grounds at night and claimed any life they saw fit through deadly games and activities. Before the appearance of a ghost, Nightwatch members would attempt to identify its “type” by certain behavioral traits. Each member also had a flashlight with a battery that needed to be monitored. Those with low batteries were more likely to perish. The first set of lives claimed by the restless dead included Charles, Claire, Itsuki, and two imprisoned loved ones of other Nightwatch members. Following the numerous tragic events, Phone Guy, now revealed as Guy Phough for the sake of being honest with his employees, gave The Nightwatch an opportunity to leave the grounds. However, feeling a duty to those who had already perished and to put the chaos to rest, all members returned after a break. After the deaths of Dr. Eggman Nega and Rarity, the Nightwatch surmised that efforts could be made to set the spirits free during a ghostly Masquerade event that would take place soon after. At this Masquerade, the remaining Nightwatch members and Guy Phough attempted to blend in with the spirits and partake in the ceremony to set them free. However, at that time, Big Top, possessed by Ballyhoo, made his return and provoked the ghosts, ultimately ending the lives of Sonia Nevermind, ENA, and Guy Phough himself. Following this event, the Nightwatch became trapped in the Manor as Ballyhoo’s spirit tormented them and claimed more lives.  Angie, Purple, and Goose soon perished as the Groundbreaking Ceremony approached. Ballyhoo then revealed his plan to resurrect the ancient spirit Monlui using Sirenhead’s corpse and to use his power to exact revenge on all who had wronged him. The Nightwatch appealed multiple times to Mayor Petalgoods for aid and to call off the ceremony, but in her vanity and pride Petalgoods shrugged the warnings off.  With the aid of Big Top and an old book found in the manor’s library, the Nightwatch discovered that Monlui could be sealed away much like the chief had done centuries before. On the day of the Groundbreaking Ceremony, it was discovered that Count Chocula had joined Ballyhoo’s side and had murdered No Face, much to the dismay of The Nightwatch. Upon Petalgoods’ arrival at the manor, the Nightwatch made a final attempt to get through to her, but were instead locked in the wine cellar for interfering. After escaping with the aid of one of the twenty-eight Pink Slimes that made up the persona of BOb, the remaining Nightwatch members raced to the Groundbreaking Ceremony just before Masq Manor was destroyed in violent eruption caused by Monlui, who had successfully taken control of Sirenhead’s body. The Nightwatch served as the last line of defense for the world, and their battle began. Unfortunately, in the ensuing chaos, Larry Daley became a casualty. Big Top soon arrived and explained that though a sacrifice was needed, they already had the key. It was then discovered that Tommy the Turtle, a victim of Marina, was unaware of his demise and had actually been a ghost for the entirety of the season. Using himself as a sacrifice while the rest of the Nightwatch chanted an ancient phrase, Tommy sealed Monlui away, taking Ballyhoo with him. The spirits of the dead passed on, including Tommy after finally being reunited with PC at the ceremony’s ruins. At the end of the ordeal, the Nightwatch members with the most battery life remaining were Nikei and BOb, making them the “winners” of the season. 
The surviving Nightwatch members decided that upon the demolished grounds of Masq Manor, a memorial would be built to all the lives lost throughout the bloody seasons of The Masq held there.
=== The Recruitment of Big Top ===
Three months later, upon the completion of the memorial, Big Top visited the grounds once more to pay his respects to those that perished. While there, he was approached by Detective Red, who requested his aid in finally tracking down the final loose end of the Masq… Marina.
=== Season 9: Falling Stars (Phase One) (February 5-February 26, 2022) ===
While Detective Red continued to prepare, PC’s friend and benefactor Haroldlina had her own set of problems to deal with. The magical merhorse governed a town of wild and wonderful creatures called Cutieville, keeping it in order as a sort of utopia. Despite this, Haroldlina wished to retire. In order to choose a replacement, she decided she would invite a number of beings to compete in a competition for the title of Mayor. This would soon become the ninth official season of The Masq. She was joined by three odd creatures as Co-Hosts: Cassian Jones, a snakelike salesman; Vivian Crustacean, a flamboyant and sassy lobster; and Antoenian, an innocent and amnesiac toe creature. This crew, along with several other high ranking Cutieville residents such as B.B. Boulder, Jailbird, Linda, The Rock, Cindy, and Bicth, invited a cast of wildly varying entities into Cutieville for the commencement of the competition. The competing candidates for the position of mayor included Amber, Vey, Tina, Sullivan & Creed, Jix, ANT #M8T, Capt’n Beat D. Rum, Proxol, Doodle, Sidra, Lev, Janice, Bort, Shade, PhotoCynthia, Mr. Meat, Pedro Valdez, Man-Man, and The Jester of Duality. The “stars” as they were dubbed, quickly settled into Cutieville and participated in a wide range of events as they met with the various local Cuties. During the first week of the event, four people per day were sent to jail by their fellow stars in order to cause drama or punish them for perceived misdeeds. While the opening of the competition was relatively peaceful, things would take a drastic turn for the darker. Unbeknownst to the residents of Cutieville, a large spacecraft spotted in the atmosphere changed its course to target the peaceful town. On the night of a celebratory ceremony, the spacecraft crashed into the center of Cutieville, frightening everyone. After an uncertain few days, it was discovered that a strange and unknown virus had arrived with the spacecraft and evacuation plans were arranged. Leading the evacuation would be Bicth, who took on the role of Captain in a space voyage to escape the mysterious virus…
=== Season 9: Falling Stars (Phase 2) ===
Once in space, it was quickly realized that Captain Bicth was unfit to lead their party. He had foolishly fueled the spacecrafts taken on the voyage with Orange Soda… which quickly ran out. Desperate, the five spaceships landed within the confines of a solar system. This system contained four planets and a satellite. The stars were divided into teams and were given one planet each, with the opportunity to name them. The four planets were dubbed Planet Meat, Puroopuru, Ignissaxum, and Metallica Bathtub, with the Solar Satellite serving as a hub for meetings. The stars were faced with even more confusion as a rift in space in time opened. Within this rift was the Island from Fortnite, which the stars explored with delight until tragedy struck. One of their companions was secretly infected with the mysterious virus found in the crash: the very same virus that had infected Monita and set the entire history of the Masq into motion. This individual virus, rather than ruining lives like in the hands of Monita, was much more cruel and bloodthirsty. It quickly claimed the lives of Bort, Shade, PhotoCynthia, and Janice before vanishing back into the group. Bicth soon called for action against this virus through barbaric means. Each planet would vote one of their own members for execution. The stars strongly objected to this course of action, but it was conducted nonetheless. Sullivan, ANT #M8T, Jix, and Lev were soon sent out to die in a violent meteor shower. None of them were infected. As time went on, more rifts opened and despite the aid of an alien shopkeeper named Willow, they could not obtain more fuel to escape. The second rift led to Akademi High School and much like the previous rift, was the setting for The Infected’s next set of murders. Though they put up a fight, Vey, Capt’n Beat D. Rum, Tina, and Amber were all killed. Upon the opening of the third and final rift, Final Destination, Bicth called for one last vote as a last ditch effort to rid their crew of The Infected. Proxol and Doodle were selected, and in another brutal turn of events, were forced to fight each other to the death. This proved rather anticlimactic however as Proxol simply picked up the helpless mask Doodle and dropped him off the edge and into the void. It was then that The Infected revealed himself. To the stars’ horror, Captain Bicth himself destroyed Proxol and began his menacing approach towards the rest of the stars. Before he could strike, however, Bicth briefly gained enough control of his own hijacked body to hold back The Infected’s attack until the next day. After having lost many companions, Sidra, Mr. Meat, Pedro, Creed, Man-Man, and JD fought valiantly against their former captain through spontaneous rift openings. After weakening the possessed husk of their friend, they finally exposed its core. It was then that Antoenian jumped into the fray with a bottle of orange soda and after uttering his final words, leapt forward to destroy The Infected in a violent explosion. Crestfallen, the survivors noted that they had the orange soda necessary to return home the entire time and never realized it. They began to mourn their comrades, but were surprised when, by the power of the orange soda and a mysterious space fragment purchased from the alien shopkeeper Willow… Bicth returned to life and led the survivors home to Earth.  Having obtained the most points throughout the season, The Jester of Duality was pronounced the winner.
=== The Abduction of Haroldlina ===
Once the stars had returned, they broke the tragic news to Haroldlina. Heartbroken, the town of Cutieville began to repair all the damage done to their town, but nothing could rid them of the guilt of the fallen. After some time, Haroldlina discussed the recent events with her confidants. It was then revealed that the ship containing the virus had changed its course due to Marina and her gang of criminals, unofficially dubbed “The Corrupted Crew”. Haroldlina surmised that their goal was to kill her, as her power posed too much of a threat to them, but she would soon discover their new goal as Marina aimed a Splattershot directly at the merhorse. The Corrupted Crew had found her, and now desired to make use of her immense power by abducting her. With no other choice, Haroldlina complied, becoming a captive of Marina’s schemes.
=== Mini Season 3: Life on the Edge (August 18-August 21, 2022) ===
Months later, an entirely unrelated story was about to unfold. Jonesy Fortnite, a wealthy businessman who had been driven to a harsh philosophy by insanely traumatic circumstances, began plans for a motivational camp. This camp, however, would be heavily influenced by Jonesy’s newfound philosophy: life cannot be fully appreciated without death to accompany it. With the help of Spamton G. Spamton, Vinegar Doppio, and The Painter as co-hosts,  Jonesy crafted his motivational camp in a very unorthodox manner. This mini season took inspiration from the Saw franchise, and therefore consisted of a series of brutal death traps that its participants were required to survive through. The contestants, comprised of Madeline, Loan Shark, Glep, Mimi, Liam Plecak, Nikocado Avocado, Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy, Paimon, The Hollow Knight (nicknamed Jim), Jinx, Feldspar, Hungrybox, WALL-E, Tamaki Suoh, This Guy, Ricky Bandito, Prifas Nemmonis, OJ Haywood, and Gary Goodspeed all signed up for the camp willingly, but were soon knocked unconscious and transported to Aperture Science’s Laboratories for their ordeal. Over the course of three days, the participants’ numbers dwindled as they succumbed to the brutal games orchestrated by the hosts. Astonishingly, Feldspar and Hungrybox were killed within the first few hours of the mini season, sparking controversy among players and spectators alike. Miraculously, through the events of a later game, Hungrybox was able to be revived and survived to the end along with Gary, Chuck, and This Guy. All the other victims including Jim (whose infection was cured through the heroic acts of Madeline, Prifas, Paimon, and Tamaki) and Liam (whose sacrifice allowed the survivors to escape) perished in the confines of the twisted death traps. Jonesy and his cohorts fled the scene and their current whereabouts are unknown. 
Meanwhile, far away, Detective Red’s support grew and he began to amass a force to combat Marina’s corrupted forces, and their rising tension would come to a head in the final chapter of The Masq’s first arc…
=== Season X: War of the Masq ===
To Be Continued...