⇨ HELL

[ringleaders]

Who: Vampire prisoners and rescue squad.
When: Evening Day 67 - Day 68
Where: Vampire Hell
What: The rescuers go to hell. Top levels are in approximate chronological order.
Warnings: Violence, torture, tryhard demons who aren't very creative.

RESCUE MISSION: HELL↴ The air smolders as you travel through the star-shaped portal the Ringmaster has opened - the gateway to the hell dimension that has taken so many if you. Ahead, you can see the grand entrance to Morningstar's fortress, a single point of civilization in the center of a barren, lava drenched hellscape. Of course, you won't be entering from the front. That would be stupid. The Ringmaster's plan is simply in explanation but far more difficult in execution. Her instructions are that she will attack the fortress directly, and that the rescue team is to enter inconspicuously and rescue who they can while she engages Morningstar. She has provided you with silver weapons - daggers, swords, and some projectiles - which you may or may not choose to use. Shedding a trail of orange and green embers, the Ringmaster will sprout her dark, feathery wings and take to the air, leaving the rescuers to contemplate their instructions now that they've arrived. The fortress is large, and as such there are many potential side entrances to find. It will take some doing, but the group will be able to accomplish it. Meanwhile, many of the vampires within will be distracted by the Ringmaster's now very audible arrival, and don't seem to be expecting a secondary attack. The initiative is yours, and the captives are there to be found... but will you succeed? ► GATEKEEPING: For those who don't trust their mettle enough to travel all the way to hell, there is an important job to be done back at the carnival. The Ringmaster's obsidian daggers have opened a portal there, but while the rescuers enter that portal must be protected - both to keep it from collapsing and stranding everyone there, and to prevent anything demonic from escaping onto the carnival grounds and causing havoc. If you need to take it easy but still want to help, this is a good place to be. It's also a good place for nervous hand-wringing about whether any of your friends will make it back alive. ► PLAYPEN: The cavernous pits where the neonate vampires are dumped, in order to engage in a survival of the fittest style battle royale where only the strongest and most cunning will emerge. Those that were turned during the masquerade were dropped down here a couple days ago, and so someone needs to go collect them. Try not to get eaten by the hordes of other starving neonate vampires down there while you're at it. Maybe you could even try to save some of them, if any seem worth redemption. ► CAPTIVES: While the supervisors were initially all caged together in large cell surrounded with a moat of lava, it seems that most of them have now been moved elsewhere. Where they have ended up is a puzzle you'll have to solve quickly - there are plenty of vampire sentries about to try to get in your way, and some of the prisoners may already be significantly worse for wear. If anyone has any powers that help them find people, this would be the time to use them. ► MINIBOSSES: Unfortunately, the enemies here aren't only capable of damaging the body, but the mind, too. In these particular cases, that corruption of the mind has been used pointedly to Morningstar's advantage - two of the carnival's most dangerous members have now been turned against it. If you want to get out of here alive, you'll have to go through them. If you're really lucky, you'll get them out alive, too. ► BOSS FIGHT: Before the rescuers and the rescued can escape, Lord Morningstar will arrive to corner them, with an entourage of elders. Let's hope that she gloats long enough for something to turn the tables.

Comments

⇨ GATEKEEPING

[ringleaders]

The forest is quiet as you wait, the flames of hell the main source of illumination. You can see it burn through the portal as you stand guard, embers slowly drifting up towards the night sky. It's up to you to keep the carnival safe while the others go ahead, and there are a few ways this could be handled. Maybe you've had the chance to set a trap for interlopers - maybe you think you have enough raw power to wing it. Either way, it's pretty fucking spooky. Why did we have to do this at night again?

[OOC: Characters threading here are free to NPC some hell bats trying to get through the portal, whenever is convenient for them. Hell bats are basically just scary bats from hell, that are large and also on fire. Feel free to have fun with the specifics. Generally speaking, they are a moderate threat, but could be defeated by a determined human with a baseball bat.]

⇨ PLAYPEN

[ringleaders]

The caves are scattered and spacious, but still manage to be stained with bones, blood, and other 'human' remains. Some areas have been set up as miniature fortresses by cooperating gangs of neonates, while straggles are picked off one by one. Have the turned carnival members managed to survive? Or have they simply became another monster in this cave of beasts?

[OOC: Rescuers and newbie vampires can make top levels here as they please, and tag around. There is one main entrance which is guarded by magic wards, but presumably the rescuers get in through there by assaulting some of the vampire guards - leaving the entrance open while they hunt for survivors. The NPC neonates will probably cause problems on the way out.]

OTA!

[sunflowerfields]

Hinawa is miraculously still alive. Well, as 'alive' as a vampire can be. She's still starved, her once lovely ballgown covered in blood and in tatters. She's up and walking around, but barely. She looks more like a zombie than a vampire, to be honest. In her aimless wandering through the catacombs, She stumbles upon vampires who don't look like the crazed neonates she's been keeping company with for the last... however long it's been. Their backs are turned to her, standing guard over the cave mouth.

Is this the way out?

Slowly, Hinawa stumbles towards them, reaching out. Will they even speak to her? Could a vampire feel pity? She wants to try, but when she reaches the opening, a shock runs through her as the magic barrier forces her back. She lets out a cry, falling to her knees. The vampire guards turn slightly and side-eye her wordlessly before turning away again.

Hinawa's head drops as she realizes that yes, this is the way out, and no, the guards would not have any mercy on her. Freedom is here, right here, but it still eludes her. She really isn't ever getting out of here, is she?

[stillwinningthehardway]

Scout hasn't gotten to start learning the techniques for concealment that are her new contract yet. She just signed back on, with a Ringleader clearly preoccupied by the attack. Being able to hide herself for this would have been really useful, she thinks sourly, but she's still going into the catacombs ahead of most people.

Stealth is clearly not her normal forte. She wears the very heavy boots normally associated with powered armor, the kind with ankle articulation. And she's carrying a lantern, since even if she'd tried other footwear Scout knows she'd be stumbling in this level of light.

Perhaps more importantly in this case, she's alive, with the full five-liter count of blood being steadily pumped through her body, exhaling warm plasma-hinting breaths. All right, yes, there's something odd about her blood too, at a close range, but even before she can be clearly seen and identified as a carnival member, complete with forwards-facing horns and a tail like a white flag, the guards are transfixed and hungry.

Likely they get to feed more often than the other neonates they guard, but a good-sized healthy human is still worth interest. Even if she does hold a kind of silver hilt that a bar of white light edged with blue springs out of, humming and droning and kissing the air with ozone. Even if she says, feigning more confidence than she feels, "I really should warn you."

OTA

[betheman]

[He is still himself, however loose an idea and point it is. Gongenzaka, despite all the battles and bloodshed, has managed to keep for himself quite an outfit-minimal tears, but copious numbers of blood stains as consequence. Most of it, it shames him to think, is not his. But then again, what mercy if any had he shown to the vampires attacking the carnival? What mercy did they deserve, at all?

These were neonates however, vampires recently thrown to a world he doubted they understood. They deserved much mercy.

And he had not given it.

Between cravings for violence and blood, he sated himself primarily upon animals when he could. Other vampires became as much a case of self defence as he could manage, with the remaining time spent in deep, deep meditation and thought. Thought for what he could have done, thought for what should have been done...

His ears twitch toward the gates, and the sounds of battle begin to meet his ears. Battle beyond the exit, battle with...

He stands, and slowly he trots over, keeping as much distance as he can lest he be spotted.

Who is fighting outside the entrance?

And what kind of escape could that mean for himself and the others?

After enough time when it becomes obvious what is happening he turns and bolts, running as quickly as his legs carry him. He needs to get the others.

It's time to get out.]

ota!

[perverses]

Scout ahead, they said! Yeah, sure, why not, just let him go straight into this vampire-infested cave system, because that's so simple! Ugh, and yet here he is, doing just that. Go in, look around, see who you find, meet back at the fortress. Shima guesses he can deal with a plan that simple, even if he would have preferred to skip the 'check the caves' part.

The wards have since dropped, the fight at the entrance concluded save for staving off the neonates that were near enough to make a rush at it. He's passed those, though, moving swiftly and silently from rocky outcropping to rocky outcropping, shadow to shadow, the rings on his staff have been tied down to minimize noise (ring chimes would be a dead giveaway, even he knows that). Wisps of black fire follow in his wake, streaming out from the top of K'rik.

"Come on, come on, where are they? Just look for anyone who's been growin' animal parts or whatever, this shouldn't be that hard!"

He mutters that to himself, though he honestly should know better. Even a mutter is audible to sharp vampire ears but worse? So's a living heartbeat. It's only a matter of time before the other denizens of the caverns pick up he's there... or the other carnival workers, depending!

[otoko]

[Scouting ahead may be a good idea. Gongenzaka has already doubled back into the tunnels in search of the others. He knows what the sounds of commotion above mean-he knows that this could be one of few chances to leave, to escape, and he rushes through the tunnels at top speed without need for stealth. As far as the neonates are concerned, he's another one of them-a more brutal one at that, so 'give distance'.

But the 'taur's paws and hooves grind to a halt on the stone as he catches something on the air. He didn't quite hear the other-but there is a smell. A scent that seems familiar, a little too familiar among the blood and rot that has been haunting it while down here.

He slows down-he starts to track, pacing toward the scent slowly, and quietly-

And if he can get near enough there will be a hand on the other's shoulder. If not, he simply stands there in shock.

Shima.

And he's not 'dead' either.]

OTA

[ophidiarex]

It's been... a while. A few days, in truth, but time seems to stretch in these caves, in the dark. Light is provided by the hell bats and the occasional torch, more than enough for the neonates kept within the caves to see by, but it's still dim, especially to mortals who might be thrown down here, or come to their rescue.

Snake's lost hope for the latter, so when the noise starts, he thinks it's a particularly violent neonate or another blood source at first. When it doesn't stop, though, he's more confused. Then, as he creeps closer, he smells blood and hears heartbeats. Plural.

No. This is good, but it's also bad. On the one hand, it could be rescuers. On the other, it could be some sort of hunter. And Snake's hungry, or thirsty, enough that either way, he's a danger. When the wards break, he's already running away, deeper into the caves; he doesn't want to die, but more than that, he doesn't want to kill a would-be rescuer. He's been ready to kill before, but... Not like this. He's just visible running away as light floods into the cave system after the wards break, Emily wrapped around his neck.

OTA!

[control_freak]

[Foster isn't really expecting rescue. Even accounting for the possibility that the Ring Master might want to stage a retrieval of her employees--a possibility that he, unlike others, isn't banking on--he has no confidence in that kind of salvation.

Escape is also a possibility he's more or less excluded on grounds of improbability--meaning that the best method is to assume that this... vampirism, predation, misery, and so on... is his new normal, and adapt to it as well as he can.

Fatalistic, maybe, but a much less expensive gamble than hope.

So he's nowhere near the entrance--lingering there, he's already found, tends to attract other, less new neonates, looking for desperate hopefuls.

Easy prey.

Not him.

He stays out of the open, picking his way over the bones of failed neonate contenders along the stone walls. He's exhausted, jumping at noises, baring his teeth at any moving shadow.

Even if he can't manage to eat his victims, he isn't afraid to kill.]

[perverses]

[ Man, Shima does not appreciate having to scout into the caverns this far, but with one or two of the workers still unaccounted for, he's gone back in. Avoiding neonates has become slightly easier since most of them have been trying to swarm the entrance — there's an abundance of fresh food up there or a way out, so who wouldn't go that way?

That said, it's still kind of dangerous, even with Lambert's help to make his own blood poisonous. He moves from shadow to shadow, stalagmite to stalagmite, until he spots Foster wandering out in the open. Of course, he's out in the open, this couldn't be east...

At least, he's going to assume that's one of theirs. Cow ears stand out as a very carnival-like problem to have! ]

Psst! Hey! Hey, you! Guy!

[ Shima isn't stepping out into plain sight just yet, sticking to lurking behind another rocky outcropping rising up out of the cavern's floor near one side. ]

ota

[destiny_key]

It's been a few days, and it's been wearing Sora down, he's gotta admit. He's tried to stay positive, tried to help out any friends he can, but it's getting to him. He hasn't fed since he got here, either. He's tired.

So when the sounds of fighting and revolution and barriers breaking hits his ears, the sounds of people running, he goes. If it's a chance to escape, a chance to get everyone out, he'll take it. After all, they'll need him if they come across any locked doors.

[small_reservations]

Sora will witness a familiar figure fighting. Even though his hood's up (and there're hooves and a tail visible below the hemline), the customized coat and chakrams are unmistakable. Axel's on his way into the playpen.

His fire's not a huge advantage against these vampires, he remembers that, but it's better than nothing, and his chakrams cut through the undead like there's no tomorrow, flicking around in patterns that look impossible, and would be, if not for the flames wrapping around them, pushing them subtly this way and that. But when he sees Sora, he pauses for just a moment, not quite long enough to monopolize on even for the vampires, before calling out.

Nobodies may not have metaphysical hearts, but they have something like a real one, and the "blood" pumping through his veins is audible to Sora. Of course, he doesn't know that. "Sora! What are you doing in there? C'mon, we've gotta take these jerks out!"

[flashover]

There's a huge blast of blue, screams of pain, and the barrier falls. A figure shrouded in blue flames runs into the playpen, knocking aside any starving neonates that are too driven by their hunger to think that it might be a bad idea to try to bite something on fire. With Kurikara in his right hand and a silver sword gifted by the Ringmaster in the other, he slashes aside a pair of young vampires who jump to attack him.

With his sword unsheathed, his true demonic form is revealed; with longer ears, horns made of fire, and blue flames all over his body. The blue markings he acquired at the Celebration grow to cover more of his skin as well.

"ALRIGHT CARNIVAL PEOPLE!" he calls out, "Time to get the hell out of here!"

And any other neonates that wanted to behave themselves... Rin supposed they could come too. Amongst the crowd, Rin spots a familiar face.

"... Sora?!"

⇨ CAPTIVES

[ringleaders]

This is where any interrogated or mind controlled vampires will tell you to go, but it seems like only one of the supervisors is still here. In other to find the others, the group will have to spread out and search the dungeons - hopefully they will be able to find the other captives before it's too late. Not all of them will go easily.

[OOC: There will be a top level for each captive - Koel, Peridot, Joker, and Zecora - so wait for them to post them. The captives character do not have to be immediately present, and the captive's players can run any kind of 'scenario' they like for the characters trying to find them. Adult and neonate vampires can be NPC'd here, but we continue to ask that adult vampires be handled with more care.]

ZECORA

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Search the catacombs -- what a simple thing to say.

But the lowest depths of the dungeon were a deliberately-obfuscating labyrinth, and the initial descent offered three branching paths to choose from. One had liquid, likely not water, seeping from its outermost wall into puddle on the floor; the second held the faint taste of acrid fumes against the tongue when a searcher drew near it; the third was darker than the others, almost tangibly so. If anyone knew where Zecora was down here, they hadn't said. But surely she must be behind one of the doors... one of the dozens of doors, evenly spaced along the walls of each corridor.

[starseedling]

This is difficult. Time is not something they have a lot of, but they haven't found all of the supervisors yet. They just have to keep going, right? Steven isn't sure anymore. This is one of the craziest missions he's ever been on.

Steven looks towards the hall with the darkness, knowing he has a solution. He pulls the crystal and silver necklace the Ringmaster had given him out of his shirt, willing it to illuminate. The crystal begins to glow a gentle pink - a force that is filled with the essence of holiness, and able to push back demonic forces.

He keeps his shield at the ready, and slowly begins proceeding down the tunnel.

PERIDOT

[periphrasing]

Arguably, Peridot has gotten off pretty easy, when you compare her experience to the nightmarish scenarios the vampires have put many of their other captives through. Her initial capture had been rough, yes, but her lack of blood has kept her safe this whole time from being turned at least, and she's managed to avoid physical torture.

But what she wasn't able to avoid was the brainwashing. The adult in charge of the process probably found it amusingly simple; it was just a matter of exerting their demonic influence, worming their way inside her head, wresting control away from her until a more bestial side of her psyche, one that was never there before her time at the carnival, had sprung forth. Once that had been accomplished, Peridot was easy enough to tame. As it turns out, people under the influence of mind control can make perfectly loyal pets. Loyal enough to be allowed to roam the fortress freely, even.

What's probably disturbing to anyone who knows her well, is what Peridot is doing when they find her. She's sleeping. Or at least, giving off the appearance of doing so, curled up comfortably on the floor like a guard dog in front of one of the cells. The usual bombastic energy that she conducts herself with is completely on hold, suppressed and locked away by the influence of her vampire masters.

Her ears are pricked up and alert, though, and as soon as she detects anyone who lacks the demonic presence that all of the vampires here possess, she immediately leaps to her feet, baring her pointed teeth and emitting an absolutely hideous snarl. Her stance is stooped, shoulders hunched, claws flexing as if they're itching for something to slash as they glow a fiery orange...

She's sporting a few new changes, too. Extra gem growths ranging from very small to large in size have cropped up on her face, forearms and tail. And did she always have a forked tongue like that? Weird.

[OOC note: Plans for Peridot's rescue have been already worked out and set, but if you're not involved in those, you can still feel free to encounter/fight her, so long as you acknowledge that any interaction is going to have to end with either your character fleeing or Peridot getting hurt enough to be chased off. Carnival vampires can also tag in, but she's probably just going to keep sleeping/ignoring you unless you go out of your way to harass her or wake her up, at which point. She might bite you? IDK.]

the irony of using this icon

[mirrortide]

It won't be hard to detect Lapis. As soon as she spots Peridot she breaks out into a wide, relieved grin as she sees her, completely disregarding the snarl and glowing red claws. "Peridot!" Lapis calls, posture relaxing despite the situation she's in, because she'd been super worried for the other gem. To the point where she'd brought the sword she'd found along with her.

Which had turned out to be a good choice, because Hell doesn't exactly have much in the way of water, and any she would have brought with her would have just evaporated anyway. Still, she's no Pearl, and her swordsmanship leaves much to be desired.

"You're alright!" Well, no, she's not, but Lapis isn't making the best judgment call right now.

JOKER

[pipers_son]

Those who search the cells for Joker will have no luck. Certainly, there are traces of him- his feathers are quite distinctive, especially the smallest ones which are dotted with a soft glow, and they're everywhere in one particular area of the cell. Anyone who knows anything about birds can probably take this as a sign of how stressed he's been.

Finding him means venturing out just a little bit from the dungeons, although not far. The closest thing it can be compared to is like a sitting room, clearly for vampires to lounge around from the surely taxing job of torturing people. Or maybe it's to listen to those sounds of torture. Who knows?

And what better bit of decoration than an enormous birdcage dangling from the ceiling in one corner? That is where Joker can be found, his wings squeezed in tight to his back for lack of room to spread them even a little. A mocking little swing has been put in place for him in the middle, but the stage manager has decided to sit on the floor of his prison. One knee is drawn up, his one good arm (which he still has! good news!) wrapped loosely around it and his head bowed.

The sound of anyone entering has his ears twitch.... but he doesn't look up.


[ooc: Plotting post here! Joker is planned to be freed by Childermass and Ash, but feel free to mention if you'd like to be part of the definitive rescue group for him. Otherwise, he's always available for bothering before being freed.]

The Rescue of Koel Babic (KOEL)

[cuckooed]

She was starting to slip. She knew that it was important to keep going, no matter how they tried to break them. No matter how his co-workers and friends seemed to be changing as time went by. She had to do this.

She was failing at it. There was just too much iron. Had this been the objective? To kill her slowly this way? To wither her away from the inside from the spikes in her? It seemed that would be what is happening. It seemed that would be what would happen.

Still, she tried. Its all she did. For centuries it what she did. She just had to keep going somehow.

Joker. Her voice was practically gone. Psiionic?...Sans.

They didn't respond. No one could hear her. Were they even there anymore? Was...was the Ringmaster not coming after all? Were the defenses of these demons (they weren't vampires like here, they were nothing like her) too much even for her?

Anyone. Please.

She just didn't know anymore.

[OOC plot thread is here! So far only Strange is helping out, but anyone is welcome!]

⇨ MINIBOSSES

[ringleaders]

You've gotten everyone you can - now you just have to find the way out. Unfortunately, there's going to be more than just vampires blocking your way. As the rescue groups try to re-converge, they will find two major obstacles in the fortress's twisted halls - and in this case, the rescuers have to do more than just save captives. This time, they'll have to beat them first.

[OOC: There will be two top levels here - one for Sans and one for the Psiioniic. The players will be setting up miniboss toplevels themselves, so please wait for each of those to arrive before posting to them.]

WEREWOLF SANS

[osteothropy]

The layout of the fortress is becoming dizzying - every direction seems to lead to more stone corridors, more obsidian and lava. Maybe you only have willing fighters along with you, or maybe former captives are being dragged along as well, all in the hope of finding a way out. As you approach the gateway on the opposite end of another sprawling, cavernous hall, you may be surprised to have your path abruptly cut off by a vicious flare of bright blue energy.

The light sears the stones, just barely missing the group, and the source is all too obvious ones revealed - a giant, skeletal beast climbs down from the upper ledges of the architecture, its claws easily marring stone as they move. Over ten feet tall at the shoulder and its chest blazing with cyan fire, it lets out a roar in your direction, approaching swiftly.

It will move to engage those nearest to it without hesitation, it's movements violent and clumsy, as if it's driven by some kind of madness. Its paws hit the ground and crack the stone beneath it, as the bottom half of its jaw splits in two, to unleash another blast.

Though only those with keen eyes may see it, another figure lurks in the shadows behind the creature. For now, they only watch.

[dorkypantsuit]

It's nothing as dramatic as a burst of blue flames. The Psiioniic isn't ten feet tall, or made of bone. He's simply a troll, and though there's something off-putting about the blankness of his stare there isn't much about him that's intimidating. You may know him, you may know of him. He's the usually cheerful relatively lax supervisor who's always on the radios telling everyone to be safe. Explore new worlds in pairs, don't take anything for granted, that's always been his advice. How well have you listened?

Do you have back up as you approach him or have you come alone? Do you think he will recognize you? Do you have your weapons raised? One of his horns is broken, the top point absent and the edges ridged. He's dressed in rags that do little to sheild his skin. There's no recognition in his eyes when he see's you. It would be foolish to approach him as a friend. The only warning of an attack you'll even get is the flare of purple that immediately surrounds him. He floats into the air, his wings bent and broken, but he never needed them to fly. Do something stupid and he might just attack, can you even fight back if he keeps his distance in the sky?

He's waiting at an exit on the other side of a courtyard. It's open air above them, but the sky is so dark you may as well still be wandering through the dim corridors inside. Behind him is an archway, and through it is freedom and the red hot magma that surrounds this place. All you have to do is get past him and you've made it. Just remember, never take anything at face value in the worlds they visit, otherwise this world could very well be your last.

⇨ BOSS FIGHT

[ringleaders]

Somehow, the rescue teams will begin to converge. Whether following a success or a failure in rescuing the captives, they'll find themselves herded towards a central area of the fortress, as if the building itself is shifting to force them towards its intended destination. With the vampire population finally beginning to catch on to your presence, the rescuers will be left with few options - it's either keep going forward, or risk being hellishly outnumbered by your enemies.

Finally, the bulk of the rescuers will find themselves entering a vast, cavernous hall, lit up red with the lava that pools in its center. They'll manage to close the gates behind them, preventing more vampires from pursuing - at first, it will seem as if they are alone. Better yet, they will see that the roof opens up here, and that the hazy sky can be seen through the clouds of smoke. For the first time since entering, there is an avenue of escape. Or, at least there was.

Suddenly, a figure cloaked in black will emerge from the lava, stretching their arms high as if in the middle of some arcane ritual. In this same moment, the first of several vampiric figures will appear from the corners of the room, lurking in wait as their leader finishes her fanfare. Stepping off the lava as if it's a solid surface, the cloaked figure will step onto the obsidian floor, several meters ahead of the group - they are human sized.

"So... you've finally arrived," the cloaked figure will purr. "You're mistress was a fool if she thought her distractions could blind me to your tricks."

She whips back the hood, to reveal... perhaps not the human form you were expecting.

"But as they say... winner takes all."

[OOC: This is the boss fight - there will be some help coming in from above! You just gotta survive until it does. This is going to be one free for all thread, so please don't hesitate to banter and otherwise be distracting. Morningstar is a sucker for that.]

[spaghettimonster]

This could be a scene for a very cool, posing, heroic figure to say something witty back at her.

Unfortunately, Papyrus has been in a couple fights with vampires, seen the rules of turn-taking in combat completely ignored, and he's been carrying an unconscious Sans over his shoulder for a while. He is, loathe as he is to admit it, out of cool one-liners. So there's just one question to ask:

"Do they really say that?"

Papyrus has his doubts.