lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

Who: Anyone and everyone!
When: October 31st, 2017 HALLOWEEN!
Where: The Count of Crow's Underground Realm
What: The displaced carnival members break into the Count of Crow's underground fortress, in the hope of taking control of the ritual and maybe saving Childermass's life.
Warnings: Violence, ritual blood letting, other stuff.

DAYS OF WINTER PT2↴

The night of hallow's eve has come, and there's no more time for waiting. As Portland begins enjoying the festivities of the night, you are tasked with something darker - you must find the Count's realm within Portland's underground tunnels, and fight off those that would stop you. The ritual will be starting soon, and once it's finished the very nature of this reality will be in the Winter Court's hands... the only choice is to intervene.

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► THE CIRCLE'S PLEA: The Circle lacks the organization and manpower to fight at this point, but that doesn't mean they can't try to sway your minds. In the areas surrounding the tunnels, there will be Circle representatives trying to convince anyone isn't a full demon or faerie to leave the Severing in place. They will admit that it was an act done by the Circle years ago to protect the earth from the fae - those involved had come to learn that the faerie courts had intended more than simply living off the land, they intended to annex the entirety of the planet into their own realms. They understand that the spell is causing stress to the Earth Spirit, but they are without alternatives. Whether or not you believes them, they seem desperate, and all willing to speak the truth.

► THE PACK'S PLEA: Representative of the Pack will also be present, asking for the opposite. They understand now what damage has been done to the Earth Spirit, and regardless of what the fae do, this cannot go on any longer. If the Earth Spirit is destroyed, then the world they mean to defend will crumble - as will the cycle of rebirth that the souls of the planet depend on. They can be convinced to help in the struggle, but not all of them are fighters, and only if your intent is to abolish the Severing entirely.

Edited 2017-07-27 19:18 (UTC)

► SHANGHAI TUNNELS: It’s appropriate that these tunnels lead to the Count’s realm, given their historical usage for kidnapping workers and forcing them to work on ships as indentured slaves. Knowing that much, you have to wonder – how much of those people ended up on boats, and how much of them ended up as changelings? Regardless, there are a lot of ways to get lost (perhaps supernaturally so) and some particular tricks you need to pull to be able to find entry into the faerie realm. Some of the members from each of the main groups should have been able to figure out the way by now – it’s just a question of executing those pathways successfully, and not getting killed by the demons and fae trying to make their way in at the same time. Crows and other corvids perch on obsolete piping and will be watching you the entire way.

► FREEZING OVER: As you cross the boundary, the tunnels will become increasingly rocky and increasingly cold until you’re found yourself in a network of ice caves. These caves will be filled with a disabling cold, with black feathered, harpy-like creatures waiting in the wings and prepared to attack anyone who attempts to make their way through. Lighting is very poor, and shadows lurk around every corner. Eventually, the caves open up to become and gargantuan cavern, which snows despite the lack of sky. Within that cavern is the fortress of the Count of Crows.

Edited 2017-07-27 19:19 (UTC)

► FAERIE FORTRESS: The interior of the icey fortress is gloomily lit, with traditionally gothic architecture - fitting for the Count of Crows. The castle is huge and difficult to navigate, and the ritual area is hidden in a courtyard at its core, where beams of light meet and increasingly bright aberration in the sky. The ritual is in progress. Giant corvids are still trying to eat you.

► POWER REGAINED: Fortunately, this is also where your otherworldly powers will come back! The closer you get to the ritual area, the more they will return. Memories will return more swiftly, too, as your true self begins to reassert dominance over your identity.

► OPPORTUNISM: As it happens, this is also the perfect opportunity for looting! Every so often, I will posting a prompt to this section that anyone present can reply to in order to have the chance to retrieve some kind of artifact they stumble upon within the castle. Some will be bad and some will be good, but I will not be publicly announcing the prompts, so those that pay attention will get first dibs. These prompts are only to be replied to if your character is willing to steal from a True Fae, as that seems like something that could carry consequences.

Edited 2017-07-27 19:17 (UTC)

► THE RITUAL: Towards the center and in the top-most reaches of the fortress, you will find the courtyard. The area is lit with unnatural brightness by the energy swelling across the cavern's roof, as if a portal is being opened to another world. Ice is collecting on the stone walls at a radical pace - more than seems to be normal. Progressing through the snow will once again become a challenge, as viciously cold wind begins to ravage your path.

Ahead of you lies the four remaining members of the Count's family of crows. That is, the two daughters, the Count himself, and Childermass - the last of which is strung up at the ritual's center, shirtless, like a sacrifice ready made. He is bound to a pillar of ice, thickly built and artistically designed, and the red of his blood sticks out vividly against dimming shades of white, blue, and black. His hands and feet are trapped within the ice itself, with his arms supporting most of his weight, up above his head.

It's clear that Childermass has already been bleeding a lot, from the fact that blood has stained the side of the pillar, and that the three other members of his family are holding icey bowls filled with his blood. The Count will regard those approaching with vague disitnerest, before looking back to his work. The wind will intensify, and another flock of crows will swarm through the area, making suicidal dives towards Winter's enemies in attempts to literally spear them on their unduly sharp beaks. They are more blades of deadly shadows than birds.

At least a few demons that have been scouting ahead will go down instantly, screaming and clawing the still flapping remains of crows that have stuck into them like daggers.

[The Ritual will be one large free for all thread, and so there will be no post order. Any character can be assumed to fighting enemies in the general area to aid their teams, but this thread is intended for people who are managing to interact with the ritual specifically.]

Edited 2017-07-28 01:00 (UTC)

A series of bell jars of different sizes line an ornately carved blackwood shelf. For the moment, no corvids are lurking the room, and you are otherwise not being harassed. It looks like some kind of sitting area, with the bell jars used like display cases.

One bell jar contains a pair of intricately designed metal dice. One is silver, and the other is gold. As in, that's literally what they seem to be made of - probably of a high carat, too.

What do you do?

Though there are many books on many shelves in the castle, one book stands out particular. It sits on a side table next to a chair, within a comfortable distance of an extinguished fireplace. There is a writing quill laying next to it that suggests that it was being written in.

The cover is leather, and it is carefully inscribed with the image of a raven. The paper inside still seems crisp and clean.

What do you do?

[Carly is, first and foremost, even in her home reality, a reporter. While she would be more inclined to torch everything in sight at this point, she can restrain herself at least long enough to open up this one-with a free hand covered in flame, admittedly.

What does this book say, HMMM...]

[Yugo isn't the greedy sort to think of the value of these things. But the shine of the dice catch his eye and...]

Eh?

[But his head rings with echoes about dice rolls of destiny and having a collection of them. He can't risk failing yet...

Angel investigating the pretty dice!]

Inside, there is one blank page followed by thirteen pages filled with incantations - one spell per page. They are written in a language that Carly will be unfamiliar with, though it appears that it could be read phonetically. The writing appears to be done in pristine calligraphy, with ink so black it could be the void itself. The rest of the book is blank.

As of yet, nothing will happen. For all Carly knows, it could just be the Count's notes.

The bell jar will open harmlessly, and he'll be able to scoop up the dice no problem. They are definitely magical, but Yugo doesn't have a sharp enough eye to tell what kind or what for.

Nothing happens are the moment. Is he going to pocket them?

[Hm hm hm... a die's only purpose is to be rolled and this is no place to be rolling them!

.... Peering around and then yes he "pockets" them for keeps.]

You did it! You stole the dice!

When rolled, these dice will skew the probability of the next action the holder takes. This doesn't necessarily guarantee success, but if fate can be swayed in such a manner that it benefits you, if you roll a high number between the two dice, you will experience supernaturally good fortune! However, the inverse is also true. If you roll two ones (snake eyes) then it will be bad enough to curse you, and your next action will be catastrophic enough that it could result in injury or death.

Other probability magic can't be used to sway the dice's rolls, nor can physical force. Any attempt to engineer the dice's results will cause them to default to a terrible roll.

If you are going to roll the dice, let the mods know, and we will roll them on Plurk for you. You'll have to go with whatever the result is!

[~~we going full gash bell in here-~~

Carly looks over the ink. And then the book. Anddddd...

Mutteringly reads the First word aloud, best she can pronounce. Just to see what happens.]

Nothing happens.

[Well in that case, first she's snapping a pic on her phone, THEN she's stashing it in her bag.

After a small pause of thought, and a slight point from Aslla about they're probably useless without the other, the ink bottle and quill are hidden in all her stuff as well...assuming, obviously, that the ink can be capped. THANKS BULKY CAMERA BAG!!]

Lambert is human. This trip has made him painfully aware of that much, literally so, since he’s still incredibly sore from being flung around during the Rose Queen encounter. He’s never liked the cold, but here it bites into his skin, even through the layers of clothing he’s put on. He grips his poker tighter in his gloved hand, crampons crunching through the ice underfoot as he gingerly makes his way along the tunnel.

He's bringing up the rear with the angel party, occasionally using his poker to clonk the stray corvid that attempts to swoop at him to rake his eyes out. Most of that kind of thing, though, he leaves up to the couple of angels with him. No sign of the Beast around, and he can't decide if he's disappointed or resigned.

The one upshot of the cold is that he’s too numb to feel all the aches in his body. He doesn’t have the connection to the Earth Spirit the way Tamaki or even the werebeasts do, and wherever the hell it is right now, he hopes it's paying attention ... though maybe Strange had a point. This place doesn't look like it could be connected to the earth at all.

[ ooc: Lambert is with Team Angel; angels winging back to check on how the slowpokes are doing, other non-angels bitching about the cold with him, or just jerks wanting to get to the ritual first are welcome to tag in! ]

Edited ( ) 2017-07-28 01:15 (UTC)

The crow that shot towards Ash burst into flame the moment it touched her wards. More usefully, it also fell to the ground, its momentum drained to add power to the spell. Self-refueling wards were dangerous as hell, but. Well, so was showing up here, wasn't it?

Low notes of solid bass hummed in the air around her, which was weird, but Ash didn't stop walking towards the ritual, flame wreathing one hand, a ball of fire in the other.

"Yeah," she said, "no. No reality for you today."

A constant stream of redirection spells let Strange slip through the tunnels and caves mostly undetected. But now that he's here in the main castle, Strange lets those drop. Because here, he can feel the power of English magic returning. The stones, the wood, he could feel all of those opening up their voices to him again. But, most importantly, he can feel the ice. And while the Count of Crows's court is annoyingly devoid of mirrors, there's plenty of icy surfaces that would serve as marvelous substitutes.

He flits in and out of the ice, magically traveling from icy reflection to icy reflection, trying to find his way through the castle. The problem here is that even with his magic back, the castle is difficult to navigate. He hates thinking this because she's been so nice to him even though he doesn't deserve it, he's a terrible plaything and an even worse servant, but couldn't Nightshade have given him a map? Or at least some sort of direction? Honestly, he knows this isn't true, but it seems like there are moments when she wants him to fail.

Strange magically steps out of an icy patch into a dark gloomy room. However, he quickly realizes he's not alone. He can't really tell who's in the room with him in the darkness, but the likelihood that they're with the angels is fairly high, so he should take them out, right? Right! Still remaining quiet, Strange bends down to the floor and starts muttering an incantation, a small smirk of a smile playing on his face. Ice moves from his fingers, across the floor, hopefully stopping right underneath his target who will then hopefully slip.

( ooc: I'm 100% up for fights and Strange getting pushed around, buuuut for continuity's sake, the fights here will end up with him just turning tail and magically vanishing through the ice so that he can be in one piece for the actual ritual. )

"Oh God," Pru breathes, before spearing a pair of crows on the Hand of God weapon, currently in the form of a rapier. Her wings are jostled by the vicious winds, but an aura of soft green energy is deflecting some of the worst of it. She wants to take flight, but the wind here would knock her out of the air in no time.

"Damien, we're running short time," she calls out to her friend. Then, she gestures to the ritual and cuts down another crow. One of the remaining demon scouts goes screaming past their group, back towards the rest of Anath's troops, which have been momentarily lost back in the castle. "I mean, obviously."

Edited 2017-07-28 01:16 (UTC)

"Just tell me what to grab!" Ash regretted, now, that she'd spent so much time covering her ass and less getting directly involved. It had all been for nothing, after all. And she didn't want to unleash what she considered to be a doomsday weapon against the Winter Court, but -- well, it might come to that, if she didn't figure out what exactly she should be doing in the first place.

As the ritual’s taken hold, the pain becomes easier and easier for Lambert to shrug off, almost like he’s getting stronger — although he doesn’t dwell on it for long, really, too busy worrying about the magic he can feel in the air. His memories are a confusing swirl of sensation, something that doesn’t entirely make sense in his head, and his steps grow swifter and swifter as urgency mounts, until he’s running past the angels who’ve stopped to survey the scene, shoving past feathers and eyeballs and fuck knows what else to see the ritual with his own eyes.

Chains, ice, and blood. Sora had told Lambert what to expect, but knowing that and seeing it are two different things entirely. The sight of the crow sisters and the Count of Crows standing by the changeling’s body? That summons a white-hot rage that obliterates all uncertainty from Lambert’s mind about what he needs to do.

“You motherfuckers!” As he roars, there’s a pulse of power in the air, something that seems to come almost from underfoot, centered on him — and his voice rises and carries, loud over the howling wind and the flapping wings, echoing around the courtyard. It doesn’t entirely sound like Lambert’s own. It actually doesn’t even sound human at all.

And with that, he’s off, rampaging towards Childermass and the pillar at full speed with no regard for self-preservation, his allies, or much of anyone else really. As the crows descend toward him in a rush of feathers, he waves a hand before him in a sharp, broad arch, and the air above him ripples in a brief shine of golden light, which the birds promptly smash into, but don't seem to immediately break.

"You're not going to grab anything from back here!" Damien shouts, the angel's ritual expert and the guy who recruited Ash's help in the first place. "But if you see one of them with a pendant, go for that! We've gotta-"

And then Lambert goes past without a moment of hesitation, radiating with power and yelling. Damien pauses in his tracks.

"Uh - okay guy?" he yells after him, obviously confused. "Good luck with that?" He looks back to Pru and Ash. "Are you guys seeing this?"

"It looks like it'll make getting Yuya and I to the center of that a lot easier?"

Because um.. Yugo's just as caught off guard by the sight. Because wow.

Peridot runs in a few seconds behind, CONVENIENTLY just in time for a bunch of murderous shadow crows to come diving towards the lot of them. She yelps and shields herself with a burst of fire, vaporizing one of them. When her vision clears...

"LAMBERT, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND!?" she squawks after him, terror clenching her heart like a set of icy claws.

"Oh my God, I know magic." Like basic telekinetic motion wasn't as low-level a trick as they come. Rather spoiled out of her dramatic entrance by sheer indignation, Ash downright stomped forward, leaving birds to keep bouncing off her wards. She seemed intent on stalking straight the hell up to the ceremony.

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

⇨ OLD TOWN CHINATOWN

⇨ THE PORTLAND UNDERGROUND

⇨ THE CASTLE

⇨ THE SEVERING

⇨ OPPORTUNITY

⇨ OPPORTUNITY

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