Museum

Museum
Description
"You are inside the museum. Items of historic value cover the walls and perch on pedestals."
Information
Area	Town
Location	Oxford Street
Opening Hours	9:00AM-6:00PM (weekends only)
Role	Utility
Owner	Winter
Inhabitants	Winter, visitors

The Oxford Street Museum, otherwise referred to as simply the "museum" for short, is one of several places of interest the player can visit. It is located on the aforementioned Oxford Street, and managed by Winter.

It will never be open on weekdays, only Saturday and Sunday.

How to Enter

The Museum is located in the same street than the School but, as mentioned above, is open only in the weekends.

Be sure to check the opening hours above.

First Steps

The museum is described as dim and gloomy. Small windows peek down from just beneath the high ceiling. Amidst it all is Winter, polishing a brass pot. If the player has not encountered Winter yet, they will do so here. They tell the player to not touch anything, doubting they've washed their hands.

In response, the player has three options:

• Respond indignantly | - Love
• Respond obediently | + Love
• Respond flirtatiously | - Love (Promiscuity 1)

It's noted that Winter does not like flirting or any sort of sexual behaviour and instead favours those who are obedient and interested in history. Regardless of how the player responds, they inform the player that the museum currently possesses a sorry collection for an area "so rich in history." They go on to state the mayor's office agrees, setting aside funds to anyone who provides local antiques.

Winter will then say if the player manages to find anything, they will appraise it for the player.

Notes

• The player can use the museum as a way of selling historically valuable objects they find in different locations around town.
• Each sold object can be inquired about as a one-time event, to get more information (not story relevant) and to raise love. Every item is worth various amounts of money however the player gets paid for everything at once, they cannot sell antiques individually. This works similar to selling stolen goods to Landry.

People of Interest

• Winter

Items

Antiques are needed for the Museum to prosper. As such, return to Winter upon collecting one for a cash reward. Once ten or more antiques are acquired, Winter will ask the player for assistance in demonstrating an old torturing device, a wooden horse (also known as a Spanish donkey).

Gathering all available antiques will unlock the feat: "It Belongs In A Museum!"

A list of antiques, Winter's information on them and where to find them can all be found on this page: Antiques

Events

As the player donates more and more antiques, people will begin to flock to the Museum. This will open up unique events later on.

Wooden Horse Demonstration

Note: A high Willpower stat is recommended, and required, to complete this event.

After the player has found and donated ten or so artifacts, the player will then approach Winter, who hoped they would come. They then show the player an old torture device - wooden horse, also known as a "Spanish donkey". They explain that they need help to demonstrate how it works in order to get more people interested in history. At this point, Winter asks for the player's help, giving them old rags to dress in and having them sit on the horse.

Winter's plan is to have the player sit on the horse while they take photos of them in order to promote the demonstration. They explain that people have had weights bound to their ankles to pull them down into the sharper edges of the wood, and were prone to whipping sessions as well. Winter will then ask for the player's consent to be weighed down and whipped, enough to create proper authenticity. The player can refuse this, which Winter will agree to their terms and not cause the player any pain.

Accepting the pain however will have Winter appreciate their decision, but tell the player to decide on a safe word should things get too painful - with the default word being "Marshmallow", however the player can choose any word they wish.

Over time, the demonstrations will attract a crowd, and Winter will begin the demonstrations with a narration of the player's plight. They speak of the town's brutal and heroic history, telling the story of a poor child (the player) who stole bread for their starving sibling. They were forced to face the lord's justice.

At any point the player can try to reassure Winter. This increases Willpower, and causes the player to try and play along with what is happening (determinant on the Willpower stat) while proclaiming their innocence. Winter steps behind them, whipping them over and over. Enduring the pain yields more Willpower as Winter mercilessly whips the player's back. The audience watches in either shock, disgust or even awe. If the player feels faint, Winter will preemptively end the demonstration as they thank the audience for their attention, inviting them to take a look at the museum's various other displays before asking for a round of applause for the player. In the backroom, Winter will gently apply a soothing ointment to the player's back as they praise them for their efforts, asking them to return the following week for another demonstration should they wish to do so.

If the player manages to demonstrate the wooden horse device to completion, they will earn the feat "Pain Rider".

This event can be repeated every weekend once unlocked. It is a great way to safely raise Willpower and Winter's Love stat, at the cost of increasing Pain. Each demonstration will fill the museum with more visitors the next time the player visits until at some point visitors crowd the building leaving Winter looking overworked but content.

Ducking Stool Demonstration

Note: A high Swimming stat is recommended, and required, to complete this event.

Once the player has collected twenty or so unique antiques, Winter will once again approach the player. They state that they have received a donation – a chair with a hook at the back, as if it were meant to be tied to something - a ducking stool, used to suffocate people underwater. It could be fatal. Just like with the wooden horse, Winter will ask the player to demonstrate it in public, except this time it will not be taking place within the museum itself, but rather at a nearby river.

Whenever the player visits the museum, they will get the option to Agree to the ducking stool demonstration. Once they do, Winter will lead them down a side road, and into the park, arriving at the river. Everything has already been set up before-hand, with Winter explaining the player's role. They are to sit in the chair as it is dunked into the river. Winter will be operating the crane, carrying the chair - all the while talking the audience through the history of the device. The player will be tiied down and will get wet regardless, although Winter says they have a suitable garment for the player to wear.

To prevent any issues, Winter will provide the player with a waterproof buzzer, allowing them to notify Winter any time they wish for the demonstration to end. Doing so works in a similar fashion as choosing a safeword for the wooden horse demonstration. Should things become too overwhelming for the player, they can press the buzzer, and Winter will respond by pulling the player out of the water quickly to prevent them from potentiially drowning.

Over time, the demonstrations will attract a crowd, with more people gaining interest in the museum. There is no punishment for not enduring. Winter will begin the demonstration with a narration of the player's plight. They speak of the player as a con artist, about to face justice. The player will then submerged first up to their chest, then up to their neck. The player is put back on the ground and untied as the demonstration ends.

Similarly to the first demonstration, this event can be repeated once unlocked. It serves once again as a great way to safely raise Willpower as well as Winter's Love stat, at some extra additional costs. The player has the opportunity to Demonstrate the ducking stool every weekend in addition to demonstrating the wooden horse, allowing the player to proceed with both demonstrations. They are not mutually exclusive.

Demonstration

The player is led to the river and made to wear a bundle of rags (tight and revealing) so as not to get their clothes wet. Winter suggests that the demonstration would be more authentic if the player were submerged completely, giving the player a waterproof buzzer, which will notify Winter when the player wants the demonstration to stop. Here, the player may:

• Accept | + + Love | - Trauma (the longer the player lets the event go, the larger the reduction. Swimming rank C guarantees success, no minimum rank required)
• Refuse | + Love

The further the player lets the event go, the more people will gain interest in the museum. As there is no punishment for not enduring, there is little reason not to accept.

Refuse

Winter accepts, ties the player down and starts addressing the audience, pretending the player is a con artist who is about to face justice. The player is submerged first up to their chest, then up to their neck. The player is also relieved that the wet rags are not transparent, though they do cling. The player is put back on the ground and untied as the demonstration ends. Winter invites the player to repeat the demonstration next weekend as they are led back to the museum and get dressed.

Accept

Should the player fail the swimming check, the event starts as normal as the player is bound and lowered into the water. When submerged, however, the player will feel panicked and press the buzzer. They are immediately raised on land and the event ends normally, although the audience will be more impressed and the player will get the prompt “That was terrifying, yet you feel a strong catharsis”, granting a reduction in trauma.

Should the player succeed in the swimming check, they will hold their breath, managing to remain calm until they feel the chair rise again. Winter can be heard saying "For some criminals, one dunk was not enough. At times a second, longer-" Winter’s voice cuts off as the player is submerged once more. Here, they can:

• Hold your breath (Swimming rank D+ required, rank S guarantees success)
• Press the buzzer

Pressing the buzzer and failing the swimming check has the same result, which mirrors that of failing the previous swimming check, as the player presses the buzzer, is raised above water and the event ends. It should be noted that the trauma decrease is more substantial though.

Passing the swimming check has the player remain calm. The chair will rise once more as the player sees Winter will look unsure and some of the audience look shocked at the display, as if it were more real than they were expecting. The player may:

• Encourage (Swimming rank B required, rank S gives 50% chance of success)
• Shake your head

Should the player fail the swimming check, they will panic and press the buzzer. The event ends like in all previous instances, with the player receiving the most substantial trauma decrease. Should they shake their head, the demonstration will end immediately, even before the player is submerged again, granting the same trauma reduction.

Should the player succeed in their swimming check, they will manage to remain calm, earning the feat Submerged.

Antique Discovery

The first time the player gets this far, they notice something glint in the riverbed - an antique silver mask. They nudge it free and grab it between their feet as they rise. The event continues as normal and only during right before going back to the museum does Winter notice the mask.The player will receive a substantial trauma decrease (though the same as if they had failed) as the event ends.

If the player has already found the mask once, they cannot find it again. The player is simply raised above water and the event ends as expected, with the same trauma decrease.

Bell Theft

After obtaining both the treasure map - from The Smuggler's Den - and the bell - from the Moor, this event becomes available. A random day after selling both antiques and returning to the museum, Winter will be injured while an assailant is running away, past the PC holding something, leaving Winter on the floor and the treasure map with a slash through it. The player may:

• Stay with Winter| (- - Winter's Dominance, + Love)
• Chase the culprit

Staying with Winter will have the player aid them to their feet and Winter put their trust in the police to catch the thief. The player can then help Winter clean up (- Winter's Dominance, + Love) or leave. Either option ends the event with the pedestal the Bell once sat upon now with a note from Winter, apologising that the intended display is unavailable. The bell will never be found.

Warning: if the player already has very high stress, it's not advised to chase the thief. The events of the chase will add a not inconsiderable amount of stress to the player and can result in them passing out either during or after the event.

Choosing to chase the culprit will give the player one last chance to back down, Winter telling the player to leave it to the police through coughs. Listening to them will result in the same scene as if the player had selected stay with Winter to begin with. If the player chooses to chase the assailant, they must first pass an Athletics check. Failing it will result in the thief getting away and the player returning to Winter empty handed. After success, they will corner the thief in an alleyway, where they will brandish what they have stolen: The bell. They will ring it in an attempt to get the player to back down or run and the player must pass a series of three Willpower checks, each being more difficult than the last. Having Willpower 6 will guarantee success in all 3 checks.

• The first check has a feeling of dread run through the player and birds and rats to run from the area (+ Stress). The player steps forward and the thief rings the bell again, the player's muscles seizing (+ + Stress). The thief will have a mad grin.
  • Failing a check or giving up at any point has the player run back to the museum, where they are scolded by Winter for running off in the first place, Winter placing their confidence in the police to catch the criminal. They can then help Winter clean up or leave the Museum. The event ends with the pedestal the Bell once sat upon now with a note from Winter, apologising that the intended display is unavailable. The bell will never be found.
• The player forces their muscles to move and the thief rings the bell once more. Dread builds and urges the player to turn back. They ignore it since they brave worse everyday (+ Willpower).
• The bell is rung again and the player becomes certain that something will lunge at them from a multitude of locations. They manage to convince themselves they are imagining things and they are not in danger (+ Willpower). The thief will begin to show signs of being affected.
• The thief rings the bell one more time. The sky opens and shadows skitter towards the player and the thief. The player stays focused and the shadows melt into nothing. The thief is more affected, dropping the bell and clutching their neck, fighting for every breath. The player can either Take it and leave or help the thief.
  • Taking the bell and leaving has the player do just that, the player leaving the thief to their fate.
  • Helping the thief will have the player pin the thief's arms to the side and slowly help them slow their breathing. The thief will shove the player away and run, giving the bell a wide berth. Picking this option gives the player 2 points in Kindness fame

Succeeding in retrieving the bell will have Winter on their feet and cleaning the museum up, stopping to scold the player for their recklessness, the player defending themselves before revealing the bell. Winter will not thank the player for putting themselves in danger, and will still call the police, but is grateful for their help. They will return the bell to it's pedestal and throw a sheet over it, commenting that the slashed map is the only permanent damage. The pedestal with the bell now reads "A sheet has been drawn over the bell's pedestal, concealing its contents."

Trivia

• Selling Antiques is probably the easiest way to get money without stealing, you just need to look for Antiques, sell them and there goes your easy money.
• This location is one of few locations to be managed by a teacher, the others being Doren's Flat, Soup Kitchen, and the Adult Shop.
• The Wooden horse (Spanish donkey or cavaletto squarciapalle) is a real life torture device. Two variations exist; both inflict pain by using the subject's own weight by keeping the legs open, tied with ropes from above, while lowering down the subject. The French called this instrument the chevalet, from the French diminutive of cheval, horse.
  • The first variation of the wooden horse is a triangular device with one end of the triangle pointing upward, mounted on a saw-horse like support. The victim is made to straddle the triangular "horse." Weights or additional restraints were often added to keep the victim from falling off.
  • While the device was designed for women, there are accounts of male victims as well.
  • Not to be confused with the "Trojan horse", a mythical large hollow wooden statue of a horse, used and constructed by the Greeks and the legendary Odysseus.
• The Ducking stool (or Cucking stool) was a chair formerly used for punishment of disorderly women, scolds (people accused of being troublesome and angry and who habitually chastised, argued and quarrelled with their neighbours) and dishonest tradesmen in England, Scotland, and elsewhere. They were both instruments of public humiliation and censure primarily for the offense of scolding or back biting and less often for sexual offences like bearing an illegitimate child or prostitution.
  • Some of these chairs were put on poles so that they could be plunged into water, hence "ducking" stool.
  • The term "cucking-stool" is older. Whereas a cucking-stool could be and was used for humiliation with or without ducking the person in water, the name "ducking-stool" came to be used more specifically for those cucking-stools on an oscillating plank which were used to duck the person into water.

Gallery

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  The museum at dawn.

• 

  The museum during the day.

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  The museum at dusk.

• 

  The museum at night.

In the Winter

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  The museum at dawn.

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  The museum during the day.

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  The museum at dusk.

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  The museum at night.