⇨ ATLANTIS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: The morning of D44 and onward.
Where: The ocean realm of Atlantis.
What: The carnival abruptly arrives at an underwater realm, and everyone is transfigured into merpeople just as suddenly.
Warnings: Body horror, I guess.

THE CITY OF ATLANTIS↴ The visit starts without much warning, but at least there is a full week of free time before performances start. In the meantime, your characters will be given ample opportunity to adjust their acts for an underwater audience, get used to their new fishy appendages, or just spend the whole time enjoying the sights and sounds of Atlantis city. King Triton will not be immediately seen, but it's possible to gain an audience with him if you get in contact with the ambassadors of the kingdom. Just, make sure that you're not wasting his time. He's a lot less patient with nonsense than the Ringmaster is. ► FISH FRIDAY: You fell asleep, whether or not that's something you usually do, and the next morning you wake up as one of the merfolk. A few last additions may grow in after you're awake, but for the most part everyone will have a method of swimming and a method of breathing underwater transfigured into them upon waking. Don't worry about your belongings - everything is waterproofed, and technology will work the same underwater as it does above it. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty to get used to, though. ► GREAT BLUE YONDER: The ocean realm where Atlantis resides is enormous, and the depths seem to be unending. Despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be any surface, sun glimmers all the way down to the ocean floor. Atlanteans use creatures like whales and dolphins as rides and beasts of burden, and they can be seen swimming in and out of the city as constantly as roadways filed with cars in earth civilization. Beyond that, there's everything you would expect to see on the ocean floor here - huge reefs of coral, both familiar and exotic, enormous ocean plants, deep ocean trenches, and all kinds of weird critters living in them. There are a mix of mythical and standard ocean creatures, and are likely a combined populations of many oceans worth of beings. ► THE ATLANTEAN MARKET: The Atlantean market (aka the "merket") is a long trench between rows of buildings in the middle of the city, lit with bio-luminescent plants and rocks, and filled with all kinds of weird mer stuff that you can buy. There are a great many individual booths, mostly with hand crafted wares and objects that have been salvaged from various sunken ships. The Ringmaster has already traded a large number of goods to the merfolk here, and has taken the profit to award each worker with 100 Atlantean Gold to spend as they please. One gold is worth roughly five USA dollars, for a comparison of how much that is. There is a top level set up below in which characters can make their purchases, and you can also handwave the purchase of random common, necessary items (food, drink, etc) at your convenience. ► TREASURE HUNTING: Right now, the only major salvage areas are a few left over sunken ships that have mostly been picked over by the merfolk. However, you are welcome to head over to them and explore, and see if fortune smiles on you when it comes to finding anything that hasn't been taken yet. The current options are three similar looking brigantine that all probably came from the same world. Merfolk do not seem to consider them to be anything extraordinary, though magical items and gold have allegedly been found within them. Whether or not anything is left, is the real question. ► LIMELIGHTING: Merfolk are curious and generally socially forward, as a species. This mean that they find the carnival's workers to be a fascinating novelty, and also are unafraid to make that fascination obvious. Given the opportunity, merfolk will demand your character's attention for bombardments of questions and for general socializing, especially if they are particularly unusual for some reason. Don't be surprised if you get invited to stay at total stranger's houses, or dragged off to a merfolk bar to surprise party with their friends. They'll let you say no, reluctantly, but they will also be pleased as punch to get up in your gill. It's also possible to make some money, this way, if you're willing to do street performances, or are willing to sell your "skills" in a more private environment. Yes, there are opportunities to become a fish hooker if you are so inclined. Merfolk may also offer money to take you as arm candy to various public events, escort style. They don't consider this to be a particularly socially inappropriate thing to do, either. You can ask general questions about this setting over on the event post. There are top levels below for buying Atlantean merch, and also for making dolla dolla, if your character is inclined to try.

Comments

c....annibalism.... mention???? DO VAMPIRES COUNT....

[pipers_son]

Well... It's clear to Joker that out of all the supervisors, Mari is the least likely to talk about that whole disastrous event- maybe moreso than Sans or himself. That'd be fine, usually, because it's not in his nature to try and muscle in on how the others run their parts of the carnival... But this is important.

Especially considering.... recent event.

So, with a resigned sigh, he just full out splays himself across the coral, arm propped up by some particular branches. "Well, ya got the usual bits... Blood drinkin', y'know. Pretty strong, pretty fast, both more than a human... Just attackin' 'em doesn't do much good, I can, uh-" A wry grin flickers across his face. "I can tell ya that from personal experience. Take off the head, take out the heart.... or just set the whole bloody monster ablaze." His legs click against coral as he thinks. "And... Hypnosis. Mind control. That sorta thing." His expression contorts into a grimace. "Not pleasant. Anyway, I think that's all I remember of the blasted things."

A pause.

"Oh and they taste like pork." And he flashes a wide grin that makes it hard to tell if he's fucking around or not.

thanks for that, buddy.

[kingsroads]

Strange takes all the information to heart, committing it to memory. After all, he needs to actually remember this. This is important information, he needs to write it down and tell Childermass this information in case it slips out of his head during a fit of madness. Still, blood drinking, stronger than normal...these are to be expected. That's good. It's the hypnotism that worries Strange—he has no magic to defend against that sort of thing.

But eating? Tasting like pork? Strange has no idea whether Joker's serious or not, so the safest option is to reply with something equally flippant.

"Well, if you set them on fire, it takes less time to cook later," Strange remarks, with a wry little smirk. And almost instantly, he feels a little bit sick. Oh God he feels horrible joking about this, let's change the subject.

"With regards to the hypnotism...how precisely does one get unhypnotized?"

[pipers_son]

And this is why we don’t play shitlord chicken with Joker, Strange.

Still, while there’s a snort of a laugh, Joker lets him change the subject easily enough. Shrugging, he says, “Couldn’t tell ya. It happened ta one of the daredevils that worked under me, and all I could do was take something heavy ta the back of their head and then tied ‘em up before I ran off ta take care of everythin’ else that was happenin’. By the time I checked back, well, the vampires were gone, and I don’t know if that had anythin’ ta do with it or not.”

[kingsroads]

"It's a pity we don't have someone hypnotized here," Strange can't help but muse, with a small frown as he things things over. "The magic of the mind...well, I'll be the first to admit that it isn't my forte, but I can think of a few spells that might help in removing hypnotism."

Strange doesn't realize that he's essentially asking for a guinea pig to practice this sort of magic on. Whoops.

[pipers_son]

“Ya could always ask the Ringmaster about it,” Joker offers casually. Sure, that sort of thing usually comes at a price, but, well… Strange is already here, of his own accord as far as Joker can tell. Besides, it’s arguably the safer option than letting Strange do things on his own. Arguably.

“And even if not her, well… Most of the supervisors were here for that. There’s probably someone who’s more familiar with that kinda thing.”

[kingsroads]

"Are you trying to shunt me off on someone else?" Strange teases, entirely aware that there's a good chance Joker's trying to do exactly that. After all, he can only take so many nosy questions from madmen about vampires for so long.

Still, he's at least found out how to kill them and what they can do. That should be information enough for Childermass.

[pipers_son]

“The insult!” Joker drawls with his hand daintily pressed to his chest, not sounding insulted at all. It’s probably enough to make people wonder if he ever is. “I’m just sayin’, I ain’t knowledgeable in this sorta thing. I’m just a humble stage manager tryin’ ta pay off my debts~.”

And it’s not… entirely wrong, either. For a good chunk of his time at the carnival, Joker has been trying to keep his head down and just work. However, recent events have shown that’s not good enough…. But that’s far from the sort of thing you tell your employees.

For now he pushes himself off of the coral. “Anyway, try not ta bring this up with Mari, alright? Folks don’t have good memories of that little event, and it’s best not ta pick at scabs, if ya understand me.”

[kingsroads]

Strange nods, frowning slightly as he thinks. "I imagine the Nightrighter's memories of that event are worse than most." After all, it was supposed to be her job to prevent things like this from happening. Strange himself already has a little guilt at how the Matrix got out of hand, imagine the level of guilt Mari must feel if she couldn't stop something that left so many people dead.

"Still, thank you for answering this honestly," Strange remarks, that frown turning to a small little smile.

[pipers_son]

“Well, y’know me- always here ta help.” Or, rather, gauging things on whether they’re worth that kind of honesty with a whole lot of care considering the subject matter, but hey. At least Strange will be…. Hopefully…. A little more careful, and Joker waves idly as he starts to swim off. “See ya back at the carnival.”