⇨ HOME AGAIN

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone!
When: Day 68 - Day 72
Where: Carnival grounds.
What: Everyone makes it back to the carnival after their adventure in hell. The Ringmaster makes a new lake to celebrate, apparently.
Warnings: A notable absence of torture.

TO HELL AND BACK↴ The rescuers and the liberated captives will emerge from the portal like bats out of hell. Much like their previous return, this arrival will be met with a flurry of medical activity as everyone gets their injuries seen to, particularly those that had been held prisoner within Morningstar's hell fortress. It will still be night when they arrive, and the rest of Day 68 will be clouded over completely, for the benefit of the new vampires as they get settled in. After the immediate panic is dealt with, the Ringmaster will disappear into the forest until the morning of Day 69. It will be raining off and on during her absence. ► RECOVERY: Unlike the last time, the Ringmaster will be supplying the carnival workers with some healing potions from her private hoard, given that most of the healers are already wounded or spent. Damage caused by iron poisoning will not be cured by healing magic or healing items though, unfortunately, and those who have spent a lot of time in contact with iron will take at least a week to fully recover. However, regular healing remedies like bandages and herbs may help speed things along if the patient is suited to them. ► A BRAND NEW LAKE: On the morning of Day 69, the Ringmaster will return the forest to announce that she's built a new lake into the carnival grounds, only a short trail's distance from the backyard. Unlike most of the forest, this area won't just lead you in circles when explored, meaning that it can actually be modified and developed as the workers see fit. The water is always clean and just the right temperature for swimming, though it gets a bit cooler the deeper you swim. At the far side of the lake, there is a warm, stone pathway leading up the side of the mountain, that will eventually take you to some bangin' hot springs. Brought to you mostly because the Ringmaster doesn't know how to say sorry with actual words. At least it gives you something to play with while you try to shake off the trauma. ► FRUITS OF VICTORY: On Day 70, all the workers who came to hell for the rescue mission will be given a gift from the Ringmaster. Each of them will receive a bright green, glowing seed, about the size of your thumbnail. She will tell you that, when planted, the seeds will swiftly grow into a small citrus tree, which will grow fruits with regenerative properties. More details about these plants will be written up in a separate post, but for now your characters can ogle them and decide if they are going to plant them or not. ► TAKE ME TO CHURCH: Staring on Day 71, the Ringmaster will be starting to work on removing the vampirism from those infected with it, which apparently involves a lot of... meditation? She will take the newbie vampires out into a shady area of the forest and encourage them to look inside themselves and attempt to separate themselves spiritually from their demonic beasts. How well you character masters her teachings over time will determine whether or not she is ultimately capable of stripping out your demon soul and returning you to life. Of course, not all demons are made equal, and some will be more difficult to separate than others...

Comments

[cuckooed]

"Meal planning. Given how there has been a change in some diets..."

She could definitely sense the creature in him. It hard not to; she could practically smell it. It would have been easy to simply bare her teeth and scare the little fledgling off. In all honestly, though, there was no point, as the young one was giving her a wary look.

Plus, her question did pertain to him. She opens the page, revealing what looks like a bowl of bisque - a very dark red bowl of bisque.

"What do you think for a soup?"

[raynos]

Jamie takes a look at the illustration and feels a slow, creeping alarm spread through him. She's not seriously considering this, is she?

"Is...is that blood?" he asks hesitantly.

Because if so, it looks damn good right now and he is horrified.

[cuckooed]

"Yes." Obviously she isn't going to lie about it. That and the cookbook on top is titledHow to Serve Mankind (And Totally Get Away With It): Alternatives on Classic Recipes For The Discerning Palate. It's not exactly something she's going out of her way to hide it either way. "Though not the only ingredient. But yes, it is a variation of French cuisine."

[raynos]

Oh man. It stood to reason that this kind of messed-up thing actually existed out there in the horrifying reality in which the carnival exists, but he'd never expected to actually see it himself. Then again, he'd never expected to actually become a vampire either, so.

The confirmation that it is, indeed, blood triggers a predatory change in him, eyes shifting red and fangs distending almost violently. In a panic he covers his mouth with one hand, both ashamed of his reaction and primally terrified that Koel will interpret his bared canines as a challenge and rip him apart.

"T-that's - um - " He looks away, trying to subdue the animal inside him sitting up at attention at the thought of fresh, warm blood. "I'd - I'd rather not?" he lies, feebly.

[cuckooed]

...Well, that confirmed it. Bisque will be on the menu in the near future. If Koel was truly offended by the challenge, she didn't show it. In truth, even if she felt her own territorial instincts urge her to teach him a lesson, she has also had much more time and experience in her life to understand the difference between an enemy, or a territory challenger, and someone who was just hungry.

"You don't need to be frightened, you know." She closed the book. "I would prefer you don't starve, however this lasts for you and the others. That, and denial, is the quickest route to losing control."

[raynos]

Jamie swallows a mouthful of blood to keep from drooling all over himself and slinks to a nearby stool, where he perches miserably, cowering like a beaten dog. He keeps his eyes on the ground, studiously avoiding eye contact; Koel seems calm and unperturbed so far, and he intends to do everything he can to make sure it stays that way.

"I'm shorry." He falters, ears flicking back in chagrin; speaking around deformed teeth like this makes his sibilants slushy, and it's just one more embarrassment on this heap of mortification. "This, I just - I dunno how to get used to it. The hunger and the, the...this thing, inside me."

He's being...unusually frank, possibly because regardless of the exact nature of Koel's brand of vampirism, she understands some of it, and is being patient enough to try to help him with his new dietary needs. Whatever her motivations, that gesture of camaraderie means something to him.

[cuckooed]

"...I will admit, I'm not privy to whatever method the Ringmaster has devised to help you." In the end, these people didn't choose this. The creatures who did this to them - to everyone, really - were enemies who tried to harm the carnival to its core. "And it has been some time since I've had to counsel a fledgling. Nor is my nature exactly like yours. I was born. Not simply turned, so far as I recall. So far as I know. My kind don't propagate that way."

She slowly folded her hands.

"But...in my own experience, it is important to acknowledge it. Think of it like...a dog, or cat, a feral thing. In order to tame any animal, you must first understand it. You mustn't be frightened of showing it what you are, that you see it as a part of your life - but that you are still it's master. It is through your better nature that the animal might, perhaps, find its own. Only then can you figure out what you wish to do with it. And with yourself, to feel more whole."

She takes a breath.

"There is no need to feel embarrassed on account of your hunger. I was always aware of the likelihood of not being the only one since I joined. I... didn't expect this, but none of us did, dear."