Fimbulwinter Summary
Episode 1
Achille 1, Ange-Marie 1, Wolfgang 2, Budget 11
Introduction
Dogsleds are being loaded for a foray to establish a camp in the foothills of the Mountains of Madness, when two reconnaisance planes return. Trouble is, three went out. Lady Edna Percy reports that the French pilot Henri Dadalier crashed unexpectedly in the lateral morraine of the Great Ice Barrier. (Wolfgang was taking photographs from Edna's plane.) Although Commander Thorkeld points out that the expedition is behind schedule, the dogsleds are unloaded to mount a rescue attempt.
No conflict.
Scene 1: Wolfgang
Flashback. Biplanes soaring in the sky. Daladier reports that they're encountering a magnetic disturbance; he then observes a strange rock formation - a lava flow? - and approaches for a fly-by. He seems to lose control. As he does so, a geyser erupts, crashing his plane; Wolfgang gets photos.
No conflict.
Scene 2: Ange-Marie
The rescuers arrive at the crash site. The crash is scattered and broken-up in a bizarre way. Daladier is alive, but crazy. Using her physicist skills, Ange-Marie determines that the site is dangerously radioactive. It transpires that Ange-Marie and Daladier were friends; as Daladier gets increasingly agitated, Ange-Marie tries to calm him down, with help from Dr. Robert (Achille's Connection, on loan.)
Conflict: can Ange-Marie soothe Daladier enough to get him properly rescued? Result: dramatic pause! (Yoon was afk, and we decided to break up the scene.)
Scene 3: Achille
Base-camp mess hall. Ricasoli, an arrogant young Italian mountaineer, nationalist and futurist, is arguing with Achille - initially about Thorkeld's doubtful leadership, but moving on to increasingly more philosophical issues. Wolfgang, entering, advises Ricasoli against mutiny; the second-in-command of the mission, Edna's husband Gillibrand Percy, overhears and challenges the group. Conflict: will Achille or Wolfgang rat out Ricasoli, or can things be smoothed over? Result: Yes. Narration: Achille. The issue is smoothed over as a private dispute over theology; Gillibrand, far from convinced, says that surely he can trust a priest's word. Achille winces.
Later, Achille discovers an unexpected gift under his pillow - a rare medieval manuscript, and a note saying "A present from someone who appreciates the lessons of history".
Scene 2 Resolution
Result: Ange-Marie fails. Someone attempts to go for Daladier with a morphine needle; he screams, flails about, and falls onto the wreckage, slashing his throat open.
Scene 4: Producer
Wolfgang's darkroom. Wolfgang is developing the photographs when Albrecht Zorndorf, German geologist, occultist and spy, drops in on him. After muttering Ariosophist pseudoscience for a bit, Zorndorf requests that Wolfgang conceal the aerial photographs of the crash site from the rest of the group; he vaguely mentions that they are significant somehow to crystallography, theozoology, Lemuria and runes. Conflict: Will Wolfgang give up the photographs? Result: Wolfgang gives them up. Narration: Wolfgang. As Zorndorf triumphantly leaves, Wolfgang mentions that Ange-Marie would be the local expert on crystallography; Zorndorf reminds him that Ange-Marie is French.
Scene 5: Wolfgang
Food cold storage. Autopsy. All characters present (Achille in his priestly role, Ange-Marie For Science and because she knew Daladier somewhat, Wolfgang presumably because he's nosy. Also: Dr. Robert on account of being a doctor, and 'Jean-Philippe in the background because he still has cooking to do.) There's a brief discussion on whether to rule it a suicide or not; then Robert notices something clenched in the man's hand. As the hand is pried open, Jean-Philippe (in cahoots with Wolfgang) turns out the lights. Conflict: Can Wolfgang spirit it away before Robert gets at it? (We did this kind of like an opposed roll, although in retrospect that probably wasn't necessary.) Result: Wolfgang reveals the object: a small crucifix, and everyone has an Aww, He Hung Onto His Faith At The End moment. Your humble producer mentioned that he'd envisaged that particular NPC as Jewish, although it hadn't been established on-screen yet. We decided to go with that, without deciding precisely who knew.
Scene 6: Ange-Marie
This one got a little confused - some wires got crossed and it turned out that nobody was quite sure what the purpose of the scene was. Returning to the crash site, people comb the area; producer established that this was because Edna is an aviation failure-analysis type person, and was trying to figure out why Daladier was flying so dangerously. She can't find any evidence of machine failure or explain the wreckage, and we establish that Daladier was an excellent pilot in a relatively safe plane. Ange-Marie traces a Star of David in the snow. Also, Wolfgang pokes at rocks, and Oskar von Erding points out that the geology here is very anomalous. We fail to find a good way to distinguish Oskar as Austrian, not German, but rest assured that our Central European viewers will be very pleased at our casting choices. No conflict. But looking back I think this actually worked fairly well as an atmosphere scene.
Cutscene
Wolfgang: we see a black-gloved hand open on a silver pendant: a pentagram with an Elder God sigil on it. The glove closes.
Scene 7: Achille
Daladier's funeral. Pile of rocks out on the tundra. Erich Zann is playing something unfortunate on his violin; this is the first we see of him. Achille prepares to give the appropriate sermon; Ange-Marie whispers to him; Achille hesitates, but then hands the ceremony over to Thorkeld for a non-denominational service. It is all a little awkward. People shuffle off quickly to get out of the snow; we zoom in on the planted crucifix in Achille's hand, also black-gloved.
No conflict. In retrospect this could have been a fairly appropriate conflict for Achille - does he Do the Right Thing, or does he conduct a Catholic service, not alerting Wolfgang that he's been rumbled?
