⇨ 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

[dorkypantsuit]

Psionic laughs, "Really, and how do you think he'll feel about that?"

[wild_magic]

"Well... He'll probably sigh and say I'm being stupid. But I still think he'd do it if it meant that no one would try and attack dolphin-me."

[dorkypantsuit]

He shrugs, still smiling. He reaches a hand out to pet Fluff's turtle shell.

"Fair enough I suppose."

[wild_magic]

He looks down to Fluff, who doesn't seem to object at all to being pet, before looking back out at the lake. He likes having it here, he kind of missed having actual water around.

"It's kind of nice to just look at the water, though, too."

[dorkypantsuit]

"I like the open space." The endless trees could get a bit claustrophobic after a while. He liked having someplace besides the endless forest to go to.

"I'm glad you found your brother."

[wild_magic]

Susan is used to trees everywhere, but even in the forest there were clearings sometimes or spaces like their glade or the stream or waterfall where it was more open, so he would have to agree. It's nice to just have a place to sit like this...

His smile falters at the reminder of what happened at the party, though, and he hesitates before responding. He'd almost forgotten he tried to get the Psionic to help him find him.

"I'm glad, too... I just, wish things happened differently." Like, without the whole vampire part. That would have been amazing.

[dorkypantsuit]

He nods, slumping over slightly as he watches the way the wind makes the water's surface ripple in all directions.

"I think all of us do."

[wild_magic]

He nods and smiles a little sadly at that.

"Yeah, probably. But at least everyone is safe now." 'For now, at least' is the part he doesn't add on there, even though he thinks it. Who knows what could happen next.

[dorkypantsuit]

He nods, though his heart isn't completely in it. He can't help but worry about those workers who were turned against their will. He wondered what they had all been through, and if simply curing their vampirism would really be enough. He needed to work harder to protect them all.

"The Ringmaster is one of the strongest people I've ever met. As long as we're on these grounds we're safe."

[wild_magic]

"If she's so strong, why didn't she help stop the attack?" It doesn't make sense, unless she just doesn't care. It's the only conclusion he's been able to come to.

[dorkypantsuit]

He looks to Susan confused.

"She did help stop it." Maybe Susan hadn't been aware of that part. "She brought most people back here."

[wild_magic]

"No, I mean, she could have prevented it! She should have known, it was dangerous, and helped stop it... She just wasn't anywhere though!"

[dorkypantsuit]

He looks at Susan warily.

"She can't... Predict the future." He's clearly uncomfortable, looking down at the grass.

[wild_magic]

He looks away, glaring down at the ground and angrily picking at the grass there.

"She still should have been there. It took her forever and people died!" Yeah, they had come back, but it still happened.

[dorkypantsuit]

Psi nods, glancing back to Susan with concern clear on his features.

"I wish things had been different too."

[wild_magic]

He still keeps glaring down at the ground, although he leaves the grass alone. Fluff climbs out of his lap slowly though, heading away to sit in a sunny spot or something instead of here with angry little boys.

"It just isn't right."

[dorkypantsuit]

He looks to Susan, and then to Fluff as she climbs out of his lap.

"Would you do things differently if you could?"

[wild_magic]

"Of course I would, I wouldn't kidnap people."

[dorkypantsuit]

He laughs, just a bit.

"I meant what would you have done differently, if you could go back and speak to yourself."

[wild_magic]

"I'd stop the bad guys before they could kill anyone." Obviously. He doesn't even have to think about it before he answers.

[dorkypantsuit]

"How would you know which are which?"

[wild_magic]

"I'd just kill all the bad guys I killed this time, but before they hurt anyone."

[dorkypantsuit]

"Was it easy for you to see through their masks?"

[wild_magic]

He deflates a little at that; it was easy to tell who the bad guys were by the time he was fighting them, because they were the ones attacking him, but earlier in the party... It was definitely hard.

"I could kill at least one of them before she hurt someone."