lostcarnival | ⇨ HELL

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What? Really? [ It's not that Shima doesn't believe him, it's just the first words that pop into his head to say. He hops back with the hand on his shoulder, shuffling around so he's at least partially hidden behind the mass of dogtaur that Gon happens to be. ] Aw, crap...

[ He's right, others are coming and a pair of neonates come lurking along, around the corner they'd been about to turn around. The taller one stops, immediately put on guard by just... Gon. That's like running into an entirely new monster in a lair of vampires right there! ]

The fuck are you— wait. [ He stops, sniffing the air, gleaming red eyes narrowing. ] What's that?

[ The shorter one picks up the same cue as the taller, baring his teeth and, perhaps bolder, approaching Gon by a few steps, demanding, ]

What do you have there? Who's that behind you?

[He nods, and as the neonates approach, Gongenzaka takes a rather protective step forward. He bares his own-far larger teeth-and allows a growl unlike anything a human-based neonate could create, to pass his throat.]

The answers to such questions are all none of your business, [he warns, fur rising on end.] I, the man Gongenzaka, give you but one chance to leave.

What? No way! Do you smell that? I smell something alive! [ The first snaps, stepping forward and towards Gon and Shima. The second follows, agreeing with, ] And hear it, too! That heartbeat!

[ Both bare their own teeth, preparing to pounce. It doesn't matter that Gon is bigger and probably badder, there's fresh meat lurking behind him and they want it. ]

[Gongenzaka in turn takes an astonishingly predatory move to stand somehow taller, a loud snarl meeting the air this time. Regardless of if Shima is able to protect himself-and he can, probably better than Gongenzaka, the dogtaur's brain reminds him-his thoughts remain hazy on at least one or two things.

And one of those muddily numbered things includes 'comrades'.] AND DO YOU TRULY INTEND TO TAKE IT THEN? [he roars, readying his claws.] Or shall you take your final chance to leave this spot with your own lives?

...geez, he really is scary.

[ Shima mutters that quietly to himself from where he lurks behind Gon.

The two vampires do cringe back a step or two, unsure again. Gon's bigger than they are, they can tell that much, but the call of blood is just too much. The first one, the shorter one, snaps first and flings himself at Gon regardless of size difference. He moves with a terrifying speed, leaping up to try and claw at Gon's face. ]

I don't care! I want it! [ The smaller vampire hisses as he attacks. ] Get out of the way!

[Gongenzaka does not answer with words, certainly not right away. If Shima thought he was scary before, he's about to see the man get even scarier. Gongenzaka's jaws open wide and with a snap lock firmly around the hand that came toward it, before bear-like forepaws shove the rest of the vampire down to the ground.

There is a loud CRUNCH in the process, and it takes until the other is on the ground before he glances back.] Shima-! The left path, quickly..!

[Well, that or you could fight of course, but if these other two are feeling lucky they're about to launch a strike themselves.]

Left? Yeah, got it!

[ Vampires duly distracted, which is to say one very crushed and the other torn between attacking his downed — and now former — friend or trying his own luck, Shima doesn't have to be told twice. He darts out from behind Gon, heading straight for the left path. ]

[It's for the best-they can regroup later, but for now as Shima runs off, the fighting can commence. Gongenzaka will, in fact, come out of it victorious...

But for both of their sakes, it is for the best that Shima isn't around to see.]

⇨ HELL

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im so sorry shima

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come to think we should wrap this one up given how many threads we got-

sure thing

then that's a wrap!