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shortjohnred · 7 months ago

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Slay the Hollow: Voices as MCs

WARRING: This blog might contains spoilers for both Scarlet Hollow and Slay the Princess. You have been warned.

I'm a huge fan of Black Tabby Games' Slay the Princess. A lot of people have talked about this game in detail but not nearly enough have discussed it's equally excellent sister game Scarlet Hollow. So, to show my appreciation for both games, I came up with a fun little idea: what if the voices of Slay the Princess were main characters in Scarlet Hollow!

For those who don't know, in StP, you acquire different voices based on your choices through out the game. And in SH, you can choose two out of seven traits that unlock new dialogue options and give you abilities that can help out in certain situations, and depending on what trait you have you can completely circumvent certain choices.

In this blog, I will combine both games by making the voices the main characters they were always destined to be by giving them what traits I think they'd have.

Some rules first:

1: I will not be including the Hero nor the Narrator. The Hero because honestly, I feel like this personality isn't super consistent between routes. As for the Narrator, he's kinda hard to pin down. Besides, the game makes it pretty clear that he's different from the other voices so I don't really see any reason to include him.

Just so we're clear, our voices are the Stubborn, Broken, Cold, Paranoid, Cheated, Hunted, Opportunist, Contrarian, Skeptic, and the Smitten.

2: Each voice ONLY gets two traits, just like the game (and NO, hardcore mode does NOT count)

Here's a list of the traits and what they do:

Powerful Build: Makes you buff and athletic, gives you a greater appetite, and makes you more intimidating.

Mystical: Gives you a sixth sense when it comes to the supernatural, and makes you kinda weird.

Talk to Animals: This one is self-explanatory.

Street Smart: Makes you good at lying while being able to spot liars, you can better read people, and you can pick locks.

Keen Eye: Makes you more observant and pick up on small details that most would overlook.

Book Smart: Gives you an encyclopedic knowledge on various topics and you can read faster.

Hot: Makes you physically attractive, an adept flirt, and gives you an aura of charm that makes people like you by default.

3: I can't give two or more voices the same two traits. This one is here just to make things more interesting and to avoid repetition.

With that out of the way, let's get to the list!

Stubborn: Powerful Build + Talk to Animals

I'll be honest, I couldn't really think of a good build for the Stubborn. I definitely feel like Powerful Build alone fits him best due to his single desire to fight, but none of the other traits really fit him as well. Mystical: never gave me that impression. Street Smart: some have suggested this one, however I disagree, a key word they overlook in Street Smart is "Smart", and frankly, the Stubborn is an idiot. Keen Eye: he doesn't seem very observant (doesn't help that there's only one thing on his mind). Book Smart: same logic as Street Smart. Hot: I mean, I guess he's kinda of a flirt in the Razor but he doesn't come across as charming.

I chose Talk to Animals because it technically effects gameplay the least. Even if you try to ignore them the other traits will pop up and effect gameplay whether or not you want them too, while you can completely ignore Talk to Animals (just because you can hear what they say doesn't mean you have to acknowledge them). If anything, Stubborn would probably consider this trait to be more of a distraction than anything else, but at least it's a manageable one, where the others are not.

I imagine that Stubborn would be a hardass that's impossible to get along with as he's the type who solves all his problems by either punching or yelling at them (sometimes both) and always gets straight to the point, never wasting time on questions. He'd probably develop an obsession with Wayne due to his confrontational nature, taking every opportunity to fight him. And much like the Adversary or the Razor, he might even grow attached to Wayne, even going as far as to attack Reese because Wayne is HIS rival and no one else can take that from him. Whether or not this obsession would turn into romance, I'm honestly not sure, let me know what you think about that.

Broken: Mystical + Talk to Animals

I gave the Broken these two traits because I believe both together would make him miserable. Being able to see and hear things that no one else can sounds absolutely maddening. I think Mystical fits him due to his connection to the Tower, while the Cage shows us a more empathic side to him so I figured with Talk to Animals he's give the creatures of Scarlet Hollow a voice (basically, he'd be more open about this power than the others).

I imagine that he was bullied a lot as kid for his strangeness and his only friends were animals. He's very subservient to beings he sees as being above him and lacks any agency, so he'd blindly listen to people like Tabitha and Sybil without question while being viewed as a weak willed coward by others. He'd also feel tremendous guilt for the major choices of episodes 1 and 2 so he'd try make the ultimate sacrifice in episode 3 (whether or not Tabitha lets him do that depends on their relationship).

Cold: Mystical + Keen Eye

The Cold is the embodiment of apathy. To me, he definitely gives off a Mystical sort of vibe as he was able to keep Quiet sane during the Moment of Clarity, and because he doesn't waste time on concepts like emotions he's a bit more observant than some of the other voices.

Like in StP, the only thing he cares about is seeing something new. So he'd probably just go where ever the wind takes him and follows others lead. Others would have a hard time getting along with him due to his apathetic (and sometimes downright rude) nature. Though he might develop a sort of kinship with Sybil, but unlike the Broken, instead of seeing her as someone above him, he sees her as someone who's kinda like him, someone who sees the world for what he believes it truly is rather than what others perceive it to be. And kinda like Stubborn he'd rather get to the point than waste time with questions.

Paranoid: Mystical + Book Smart

I gave him Mystical because it is sorta like a less cool version of Spidey Sense, and the Paranoid is always looking out for danger, hell, it might even be the reason he's so "Paranoid". As for Book Smart, I didn't originally come up with this one, that was the idea of @salty-an-disco, so I wanna thank them for inspiring me. And thinking about it, it makes sense as Paranoid actually seems pretty intuitive, he's the only reason why Quiet was able to survive being near the Nightmare by manually operating his autonomic nervous system, there's only one other voice who can do something like that and I also gave him the Book Smart trait (but you'll have to get though the rest of this to learn who).

As for how I imagine him being in SH, he's someone who is ruled by fear. He doesn't trust anyone, yet alone someone he just met, and even less of a long-lost cousin who only NOW decided to get in contact with him only to invite him to funeral of a woman who has it out for his recently deceased mother. He's untrusting of everyone he comes across in Scarlet Hollow (even if he has no reason to be so suspicious of them) and questions everything he's told.

Cheated: Mystical + Street Smart

I swear, this is the LAST voice with the Mystical trait! As for the reason I gave it to the Cheated is the same as the Paranoid. But unlike Paranoid, instead of fear, he's ruled by spite, so instead of logic, he tries to understand how people work, hence the Street Smart trait (another idea of @salty-an-disco).

I imagine either him or his mom is/was a gambler, but one bad gamble ruined their lives (or just his) and combined with Vivian's hospital bills put him in massive dept. He probably feels a strong envy towards Tabitha because she inherited the family coal mine and lives in a big house while he recently lost his job and got evicted from his apartment (and he assumes she didn't give the estate proper maintenance just to insult him, and if that sounds like a leap in logic to you that's because it is). He keeps his cards close to his chest, doesn't let his guard down around anyone, and tries to see all the possible angles.

Hunted: Talk to Animals + Keen Eye

The Hunted tries to think like an animal, so why not give him the ability to Talk to Animals? And while I wouldn't say he's really "smart" he does seem pretty observant like how he was able to tell the Narrator was afraid and in the Den he figured out that the mirror was just an illustration based on the wind.

To the Hunted, survival is all that matters, and he's not going save anyone unless it's convenient for him (though he's gladly save Gretchen over Duke), so if someone's in danger it's their fault for putting themselves in it instead of running away way when they had the chance or trust the warnings they've been given. But while he won't go rescue anyone himself he'll at least try to warn them of the danger, whether or not they'll listen to him is not his problem.

Opportunist: Street Smart + Hot

Some of these were pretty hard to figure out, but this one was surprisingly easy. The Opportunist is a manipulative being with only one goal: being on top. For some of these it's not really a matter of them actually having these traits, but rather which would they choose for themselves. Opportunist will gladly to lie and charm his way though any problem and doesn't show his true colors unless he thinks he's on top, like how in the Princess and the Dragon he was more than willing to kill the Princess knowing Quiet was inside of her, but when Quiet returned to his body he suddenly tried act like he was always on his side, but truthfully the only side he's on is his own.

That would also be the case in SH, always trying to butter up everyone just to stab them in the back the moment it's convenient for him. He would regularly lie to and flirt with people just to get them to trust him and would always invite Tabitha to events and take her side because she's the one with the most sway in Scarlet Hollow (but he's gladly stab her in the back the moment he gets the chance). I wonder how long he'd be able to keep this up before the others catch on.

Contrarian: Powerful Build + Street Smart

Remember how I said the Opportunist was easy to figure out? Well, the Contrarian is the opposite, as it was really hard to come up with something that made sense, and even now I'm unsure if this build really works for him. I'm fairly certain Street Smart is a good fit for him because it's useful for causing mischief, but I'm not confident in the other one.

I considered swapping Powerful Build for Talk to Animals since it's unexpected and Contrarian is all about doing the opposite of what you expect, plus, it would allow him to meet the goat. But I didn't because 1: outside of those two things there's really no reason to give him that trait, and 2: that would mean four out of the ten voices would have Talk to Animals, and that's already a problem with the Mystical trait and I want to have at least some variety.

The evidence for giving him Powerful Build are, 1: a running joke with the Contrarian is that he wants Quiet to throw the blade out the window and while I don't think an action like that requires much effort successfully throwing and object out a window does require at least some strength, 2: in the Fury he convinced Stubborn that they don't need the blade to Slay the Princess and depending on your choices he was right, 3: in the Apotheosis he helped Quiet throw the blade right into her eye, 4: in No Way Out, he made Quiet throw the blade out the window without the player's input and it's my belief that if a voice can successfully take control of Quiet's body despite resistance and without the help of the other voices must have some level of strength which is a logic I will use for another voice, and 5: during the end of the Razor he seem confident that Quiet could throw her out the window despite how big she's become. The only thing I don't like about this is the idea of Contrarian being buff (at the same time it's also not something you'd expect)

I imagine his relationship with Tabitha would be similar to the Narrator as he would like getting on her nerves, but not for any malicious reason but rather because it's fun for him. He'd have an appreciation for Tabitha (even if she doesn't feel the same way about him) and would have the best relationship with Stella as the two have a few things in common, she'd be the only one he wouldn't mess with.

Skeptic: Keen Eye + Book Smart

The Skeptic was another easy one for me. Like the Paranoid he's a very analytical mind, but while Paranoid is ruled by fear, Skeptic is ruled by logic, plus, he's the only other voice that seems to have some measure of control over Quiet's body, the difference being that while Paranoid manipulated his ANS to keep him alive, Skeptic was able to shut off his heart when he refused to slay himself. It's no wonder why they worked together so well in the Cage, and speaking of the Cage, he was kinda obsessed with data points in that route. Along with a more logical mind he's also observant as in the Prisoner he pointed out the empty chain and after slaying her was the only one who noticed that something had happened to the outside world before Quite even opened the door.

Like in StP he would be very logical and wouldn't trust what's he's told unless it made sense to him or could be proven true. He would greatly distrust Tabitha, Sybil, Wayne, and Dr. Kelly as their the kind of people who would "talk in circles" which he absolutely hates. He also wouldn't trust Stella or Reese, but not because he dislikes them. In the case of Stella, it's because she's proven to be capable of lying, is incredibly reckless, and chooses to believe in cryptids over a more plausible answer like mountain lions. And as for Reese, it's because there's something about him that puts him off but can't say what exactly (a fear that would be justified in episode 4). Kaneeka would be one of the only people in Scarlet Hollow he would trust as in his mind she's one of the few in town with her head screwed on right and because she's also a skeptic, and not only that, she might be the one to help him get over some of his old biases (or maybe I'm the biased one because Kaneeka's my favorite, who can say?)

Smitten: Powerful Build + Hot

The Hot trait is perfect for SH players who want a little romance on their journey, and while it's not necessary for romance it does makes things a little easier, and I know the Smitten would capitalize on this if given the chance. Sure, he's not subtle about it, but he's the only voice that explicitly shows romantic interest in the Princess. And he can be pretty smooth at times like how he knew how to gain the Thorn's trust and kiss her. As for Powerful Build, there are a few reasons, 1: he seems like the type who would sweep someone off their feet (and people can be pretty heavy), 2: when combined with the Hot trait it gives you himbo dialogue which I think works for Smitten since the Princess is the only thing on his mind, and 3: he has the ability to completely control Quiet's body.

What I mean by that last one is that he's probably the only voice who can completely take over Quiet's body without help and despite Quiet's protests. He's made Quiet self-destruct in both of the Damsel's chapter 3s (making him stab himself in the Grey and ripping his chest open in Happily Ever After) even when the Narrator, Hero and Quiet himself told him no, the only other voice who could probably do something like this is the Contrarian, but he only does it briefly. The only other voice who kills Quiet is Skeptic but he can only use the blade if Quiet let's him, otherwise he'll shut off his heart instead. As for other voices who tried to take control of Quiet, when the Narrator tried to take control Quiet was able to fight back, when Broken tried taking control the Hero was able to rest control away from him, and Opportunist was only able to take control when Quiet was outside of his body, and when he returned Opportinist was helpless to whatever Quiet decided. And I'm pretty sure most of the other voices like the Stubborn, Paranoid, Cheated, and Hunted would take control if they could but they don't (I don't think Cold would care to do this even if he could).

I'm fairly confident about my trait choices, however, I'm struggling to figure out who Smitten would fall for. Obviously he's going to have a romance arc in this game, the question is "with who"? None of the existing romance options are similar enough to the Princess to say definitively who he would romance. If you have a guess of your own there are eight romance options, five the game's page will tell you about: Stella, Kaneeka, Oscar, Reese, and Avery, and three they won't tell you about: Wayne, Dr. Kelly, and Sybil. Please share your answers with me, I'd love to hear them! As for my guess, I'd say Reese because in a way he's the closest to the Princess, he has a similar disposition to the Thorn, like the Princess he's also trapped in a basement (kinda), he appears fragile, seems like a genuinely nice person like the Damsel, and much like the Princess as a whole he has the power of transformation (minus the thing about perception) being able to turn into a monster as well as control the environment around him, and I know Smitten isn't turned off by sharp teeth or any other freaky features as he still loves the Princess even as the Fury and Razor. But that's all just a guess and I'm not 100% sure of this. Again, if you have your own answer, do let me know.

And that's all ten voices! Like I said at the beginning I won't be doing the Narrator nor the Hero, and for the Princess and her multitudes, NOPE, that is a very daunting task and this list was hard enough as is. Finally, most of this is just my opinion, if you have a different list in mind feel free to share it. And thank you for taking the time to read this, that means a lot. bye!

#black tabby games #scarlet hollow #slay the princess

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