The Unchosen

***The Unchosen*** is a play written by Sylmore Burnett that the party saw during their first visit to Wolis.

## Cast

Infernus Corven...................Xelbari

Jane (Young).......................Amara Ryan

Elias Syndor........................Kasper Knight

Morah (Young).....................Penelope Price

Tom Blackfeather.................Medyn

Finn.....................................Montgomery "Monty" Hughes

Chief Scargah......................Scargah Coldmire

Jane (Adult).........................Lillian Evans

Morah (Adult).......................Morah Coldmire

Lackeys

## Synopsis

ACT I

Infernus Corvus is in a crowded marketplace. The crowd gives way in his path as he walks. He observes in song the meaninglessness of their lives, and that no one seeks to be more than themselves. He comes across an infant in a stroller and its parents. The infant seems to interest Infernus, who pauses his song. The parents move away to look at something at a shop, leaving the stroller behind. Infernus observes the child, and then reaches in, resuming his song, "More than Yourself".

Infernus leaves quickly, seemingly unobserved, taking the child back to his secret lair, a three-bedroom mid-size apartment, tastefully decorated. He enters a room with stacks of papers, and the walls are covered with mad gibberish. Infernus deposits the child into a convenient cradle and then leaves, giving orders to his lackeys off screen. A door slams, and not long after, the thief Tom Blackfeather enters the room through a window. He picks through the room, taking things seemingly at random. He finds the child and looks around in surprise. He looks back at the infant when the Lackeys burst in. He fights off both of them, knocking over a lantern and setting the room ablaze. He absconds with the child back out through the window. After he leaves, Infernus appears and stands among the flames ominously.

Elias Syndor is sitting at a table with Chief Scargah, and Finn, with a child next to them. He seems Put-upon and exasperated. Tom Blackfeather bursts in with the child. Elias asks about the macguffin, but Tom dismisses him. They go back and forth as Elias tries to get information and Tom talks excitedly. Scargah slams her fist on the table and demands to know what's going on, and Tom presents the infant. Scargah takes the child from Tom and agrees to whatever she and Elias had been discussing. Elias is confused and relieved.

Jane, the infant, is a young child, and is learning from Elias, Tom, Finn, and Scargah, along with Scargah and Finn's daughter, Morah.. They sing "Learning the Ropes" while teaching Jane various skills. There's a break in the song where Jane talks with Elias about what they do. Elias explains that they are creative wealth redistributors, encouraging people to take in the arts, and to "donate" to those less fortunate. Mostly those same artists. He explains that people with a lot of stuff usually don't want to share it, even when it means nothing to the people with the stuff, and life or death for the people without. Jane asks if they're good people. Elias seems confused by this, but eventually answers "not always". Their walking and talking takes them past a magic school, and Jane asks about attending. The last verses of "Learning the Ropes" is slower and sung by Jane, wanting to go learn from the institution. Elias is concerned, but eventually relents, joining her for the final lines as they walk towards the school. Infernus enters after they've gone, and looks at the school, and then directly out at the audience, and smiles.

Jane is studying alone in a library, no one else is at school, but she has some catching up to do. Infernus' voice echoes through the room, asking if she knows who and what she is. What she can do. Does she want to be more than herself. Jane follows the voice through the school, coming to the campus arena. Infernus reveals himself to her, and offers to help her, very nebulously. She reluctantly accepts, and he he begins to reprise "More than Yourself". The scene changes to be covered in mad gibberish with stacks of papers, similar to the room in the apartment lair. Jane lies down on a table, and Infernus goes to make further preparation. While he is away, Morah shows up and talks Jane out of the ritual. Infernus returns, and attacks. The two girls run from Infernus, pursued by Lackeys. They are eventually cornered and brought back into the room, where Infernus waits. He delivers a Villain speech, and goes to strike down Morah. Jane interposes, but she doesn't get the chance to save her friend, because Scargah arrives and clobbers Infernus, knocking over a bunch of candles into the papers.

Scargah fights off Infernus and Silas arrives to see the girls to safety. Infernus displays his true strength, and Scargah is forced to retreat as flames begin to engulf the building. The group escapes to the roof as fire pursues them. They are forced to choose between flames and falling, but Silas pushes them all off. They land, but the building explodes and knocks them all from their feet. Silas wakes first, Morah and Scargah seem fine, but Jane is dying. As they try to save her, the curtains close.

(WIP)