⇨ 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

[osteothropy]

[Sans shrugs it off. The apology is valuable to him, when it comes down to it, because it says something about Rin's character - but it's not like he'd given them a lot of options in the first place. He can't exactly get on any high horse when it comes to maintaining control over yourself. He looks away.]

...I'm hopin' I'll be able to bring the familiar back.

[It's complicated, and he doubts his capabilities at the moment, but there's a chance he'll get it right. It's only fair to let the kid know.]

They shoulda known better than to jump you like that, but... Roman never really inherited my critical thinking skills.

[flashover]

I'm... I'm really sorry about that. I... I barely remember it, but... I saw it in my nightmares the past few nights. And now I know that it really happened. [his ears droop a bit, and his bow becomes more of a slouch] If there's any way I can help you summon your familiar back, I'll do it. They.... he was just tryin' to protect his master, his friend. My familiar would do the same. And if I lost Kuro... I... [well, Kuro isn't exactly the kind of familiar you summon. He possesses a physical body, and lives in the world of light. If he were destroyed, Rin isn't sure he could ever come back]

I'm glad you're back to normal, though.

[osteothropy]

[Sans puts a hands to his ribs, steadying himself. It's hard to think about the whole thing without starting to feel anxious and detached from his body. Especially, knowing that his alternate form is always waiting, and always something he could become again.]

It's... complicated. Heh. I never really intended to make them in the first place. When I gained a certain kind of magic, my old summons just kind of... came alive. Inherited personality traits. They're really something.

[Almost like how monsters have kids.]

I gotta make sure I do it right. Hope it wasn't just a fluke.

[flashover]

[Like Rin, in a way. The will of his flames... they lurked just beneath the surface. Waiting for him to mess up, waiting to consume him, and then consume the world. He dealt with it mostly by not thinking about it. But this whole ordeal had brought those fears up once again]

Well... if there's anything I can do to help. Even if the other dogs just wanna like... beat me up or whatever. Just let me know, ok? I don't... I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us. Neither of us were uh... really in our right minds, anyway.