⇨ 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.]

⇨ 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.]

⇨ 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.

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.

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.]

[whattaprick]

By this point, Lambert's hardly unscathed -- and it would be strange for that to be the case, anyway. It is Hell, after all, and regardless of whether or not the Ringmaster is successful at engaging the worst of their foes, this is their territory, and they have the advantage of numbers. At least a few vampires have made the attempt to take a bite out of the witcher, only to get a mouthful of poison for the trouble. When he catches sight of what might conceivably be an exit, he waves towards it (with his sword, naturally, since he's already got it out -- slick with the blood of whatever he's cut down along the way) calling his companions' attention to it.

"Gate's ahead," he starts to say, only to be interrupted by the sudden blue light bisecting the path ahead of them, narrowly missing singeing his leg off as he rolls out of its way.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" he snarls, scrambling to find his feet. It doesn't occur to him yet that the light's a familiar one: the only thing that registers is that it's yet another opponent who's in their way.

[perverses]

"Yeah, but why isn't anyone guarding i—"

Shima should not have asked, he really should not have asked! Of course something is guarding it! Something is always guarding whatever it is a foray into a literal hellscape is aiming for! He's not quite as bad off as the witcher leading the way, a little too slippery himself for the neonates that plague this place to get their teeth into. A little singed, though, and a little bruised, sure, but going straight into this fray armed with Yamantaka already hidden within his staff has been useful so far.

Right up until now, anyhow, because black hellfire doesn't stop lasers. He's not really sure if anything stops lasers. All he knows is he's throwing himself the opposite way that Lambert does to avoid the giant laser blast and immediately looking up.

That... is...

"A giant skeleton dog?! It shoots lasers?! Are you kiddin' me, how is that even fair?!"

This is worse than vampires! At least vampires are vampire-sized (which is to say human-sized, but you get the picture)!

[flashover]

This is way worse than vampires. Vampires had skin and blood and organs, and could be burned down to charred, ashen bones. How could something that's already a skeleton be skeletonized?!

Either way, the blue light is met with a blast of yet more blue, this time in the form of a wave of flame. It parts around the carnival crew, converging on the skeletal dog beast with a loud "FWOOSH". Rin is... in no form to modulate his flames enough not to burn his allies. His last vestiges of sense and forethought can only avoid his friends.

Because, indeed, Hell's effects on Gehenna's favored son have been growing steadily stronger the longer he's down here. Even as he charges at the dog, a sword in each hand, he's completely cloaked in blue flame and difficult to see. More like a vaguely humanoid blue comet than anything else.

"HRRRRRAAAAGHHHHH!!"

Without hesitation or regard for life and limb, Rin leaps into the air and unleashes a flurry of slashes with his blades, each one sending an arc of blue fire at the skeleton beast.

[osteothropy]

The first slash strikes the creature, causing it to recoil with a pained snarl, only for the entire thing to disappear a moment later, leaving the flames to slice into the ground instead. It's not entirely clear what happened, until a moment later when the bone wolf reappears behind the group, crashing back through them in a thunder of bones and blades and leaping to try to catch Rin in its jaws.

Apparently, along with being a giant bone wolf that shoots lazers, this creature can also teleport.

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.

LOL GOD

[periphrasing]

There's a brief moment where a flicker of confusion passes over Peridot's expression. The sight of such a familiar face provokes such a strong emotional reaction that it causes her to take an uncertain step back, ears flattening with a soft whine. Some part of her still recognizes Lapis, and wants to feel relieved that she's here...

...That doesn't last very long. And the uncertainty it causes her just makes her angrier. There's a beat, just one beat, where Peridot is whimpering softly... and then abruptly, she snarls again, even louder than before, and lets off a burst of flame in the other gem's direction.

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.]

[mirrortide]

Naturally the first thing that Lapis tries to do is grab up a bunch of water and use it to shield herself from Peridots' fire. Also naturally, that doesn't work, and she gives a startled noise and covers her face with her hands at the last second.

She's a little singed, but thankfully Gems are fairly durable. It doesn't stop her from looking really offended though. "Hey! What was that for? I came here to rescue you!" Is it because she took too long to notice Peridot was missing? That's probably it.

She'll apologize later.

[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.

[spaghettimonster]

Papyrus probably intended to follow Lambert's lead through the realm, but Sans' dogs had other ideas, and one thing led to another, and now there were some extremely lasered neonates back along the path the skeletons took.

They rush along the tunnels, finally confident they've found a clear path in this maze... And skid to a stop, satisfied tails wagging, as they find a large chamber full of blasts of blue light. He takes in the sight of various friends taking combative actions, in a room with seemingly no one else.

Blue lasers, blue fire... and now blue bones. Gigantic blue bones, popping into existence between the bone wolf and Rin. Everybody knows what to do when they see blue attacks, right?

(It's stop and not kill each other.)

Because even if Sans hadn't been hiding in the giant wolf the last time he saw either of them, the wolf is a friend too, and friends killing friends in the heart of hell is incredible bullshit.

Though when one person can teleport and another can jump over large buildings, the third can light fires through the bones and the fourth can light fires and stab things... Maybe the simple visual guide isn't all that's needed.

"Hey!!! Sans, are you in there??"

[whattaprick]

Between the blue flame and the wolf crashing through them, Lambert's forced to roll away again, cursing.

"What do you mean Sans?" Lambert's voice is already raised to a pretty impressive volume to just be heard over the general sound of hell being Hell. Between the lasers, the hell deathcomet, and Papyrus trying to have a conversation with a giant beam-shooting wolf, it manages to reach impressive new heights.

"That thing is the Warden?!" Yeah, between the teleporting, the being a skeleton that looks suspiciously like a parent version to the dogs accompanying him, and being on fire -- oh no wait, that's Rin -- it should have been a dead giveaway, and yet... what the hell did they do to him?

Now's not really the time for a cross-universe lecture in comparative werewolf physiology, but in this case it might actually be relevant. If Sans is cursed, there should be a way to lift it, if they can figure out what they did to him in the first place. His silver medallion is humming, the iron in his hand seems to feel colder even under the silver and the general everything is on fire-mess of the place. At least for now it only seems to be the wolf, but with this much attention, his gaze is drawn sharply to their surroundings.

"Keep an eye out for vampires!" That order'll be directed at Shima. Scouts can still scout in the middle of battle, right?

[periphrasing]

Come on Lapis. The fact that Peridot didn't immediately come sprinting over to you and start chattering excitedly like she usually would should be an indicator that's something is off here.

But in the case that Lapis needs another hint, Peridot's more than ready to provide. More fire is forming in the palms of her hands now, balling up into projectiles which she's going to go ahead and chuck at her roommate now, while slapping her thick tail noisily on the floor.

[spaghettimonster]

"Huh???" Papyrus shouts back, more stunned by that question than a severe injury would make him. What kind of question is that, carnival magic turns people into things for specific places, and has the longer-term changes that last as long as they're there... but the wolf's been around before he ever even heard hell was a real place that the carnival might visit. Those transformations don't just change back and forth all willy-nilly.

"No, he's... He was inside it! The vampires dusted the wolf, and... extracted him from its ribcage?!" Even as he says it, he's less and less sure.

Come to think of it, he really hadn't suspected Sans was in it at all, not until they pulled him out. There'd been no sign of a smaller skeleton in the ribcage. But... That would mean Sans is attacking, and that's just infeasible. Sans, for whom play-fighting is too much effort, and who can't even be turned into a vampire anyway.

[perverses]

And there goes Rin. Shima's already back on his feet at this point, one arm up to shield his eyes from all the fire and lasers blasting around. That is WAY too much blue, guys, too much! What he does see is that Rin is about to get chomped and, hey, he is not taking the blame for this if that happens! He isn't!

"Aw, shit, shit, Rin, move! Get out of the way!" Shima yells ineffectively. Blue fire trumps black, so he sure as hell isn't about to send Yamantaka out to his doom trying to help. He clenches his teeth, sifting through several ideas fast right up until Lambert snaps an order at him. He gives a jump, looking.

Oh, right. That guy's here. Also another skeleton? Okay, that's fine, that's cool.

"Yeah? Yeah, I can do that, I got enough eyes for it..." Chances are he started out this literal hell adventure with a hat to hide the third eye stuck in his forehead (thanks, fox monster mask), so, yes, more than two, not taking into account the demon watching his back from the black flame drifting up from K'rik, his staff. "But if that's the Warden, why is he tryin' to kill us?!"

[osteothropy]

It isn't clear if the wolf sees the summoned bones in time to have tried to avoid them - but it's very obvious that it fails to stop. The skeleton wolf crashes into the giant bones, doing significant damage to their structure but not quite enough to get through. It's massive body tumbles to the ground, cracking stone, thrashing and growling furiously now that it's failed to tear Rin apart with its fangs.

It's long tail whips around - needing to be dodged, no doubt - but it seems to struggle to get up for a moment. Now that it's relatively still, some details become more clear: the spine of its neck is stained a sickly blue, as if by a burn or bruise. The same wounded markings colour its forearms and legs.

Its eyes center on the group as it lets out another moaning roar - a cross between discomfort and aggression. It begins clumsily picking itself up, its jaw splitting again as it prepares another laser blast.

Meanwhile, Sans's dogs will have hunkered down warily in a show of submission - whatever is going on, this is clearly the alpha dog.

[mirrortide]

Again Lapis makes a movement with her hand like she's about to defend herself with water. Thankfully this time she realizes before she gets singed, though it's a pretty narrow dodge.

"Is it because I said season 2 was weak in character development before you went missing?" Lapis is, unfortunately, not even thinking about the fact it could be mind control, because that just isn't a thing that happens normally.

[periphrasing]

Well this is frustrating. The only reason Peridot isn't falling on her with tooth and nail is because of that sword Lapis is holding. She's keenly aware of it's presence here, and she does not want to get within range of it.

She slaps her tail against the wall with another loud crack, trying to warn this intruder off from getting any closer, and makes threatening slashing moments in the air with heated claws. Piss off.

[mirrortide]

Judging by the reaction, it's probably that. There is literally nothing else it could be? Why else would Peridot be so grumpy?

"I'm sorry but you know it's true, Peridot. Season 2 was the weakest character arc for everyone." It's also no reason to spit fire at her, but Peridot has always been on the more dramatic side, she guesses.

She takes a few steps towards Peridot.