⇨ END OF EVENT LOG

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone participating in the Prince's challenge.
When: Day 178, Afternoon
Where: A Conjured Forest
What: The Carnival takes to the Hunt again, but this time, with the intention to win.
Warnings: Violence and death.

SACRIFICES↴ In a bid to definitively settle a victor and reclaim the captured carnival workers, the Ringmaster has challenged the Prince to another hunt. If the Prince wins this challenge, he can claim the Blue Rose the Carnival stole; if the Carnival wins, the Ringmaster will be allowed to claim one True Name in the Prince's possession. With the Manor reshaped as it is, there's no longer a courtyard to transform into a suitable hunting ground. Instead, the Prince's magic has turned one of the floating islands between the fortress and the Carnival into an overgrown forest. Being a fae contest, of course, each side's idea of victory is not as straightforward as it would appear, but for those participating in the hunt, there is only one objective that matters: to kill their prey in the time they're given. The captives who have been transformed into beasts will have little of their human sentience remaining, and will be set loose to wander the forest freely. Instinct will compel them to conceal themselves or attack hunters, depending on their individual disposition. Upon death, the beasts will remain in their bestial forms. IN HOT PURSUIT↴ To win this challenge, the hunters must bring all of the beasts down with weapons or innate strength within the time limit: an hour and one minute. No magic may be used to take any of the beasts down -- any use of supernatural or magical abilities to trap, track, or kill the creatures will result in a forfeit to the Prince, and this will be made explicitly clear to the hunters before the contest begins. Hunters are allowed to bring their own weapons and mounts, provided they are non-magical in nature (or their magical abilities are not being actively used). If they do not have their own, ordinary ones of any variety will be provided to them. To expedite the proceedings, rather than dragging the bodies back individually, each hunter will receive a token from the Prince: an enameled blue rose. To formally claim a kill, they must place the rose on the dead beast (ideally, in their mouth, though as long as it's touching it it will do) and activate the spell by reciting the following words: "I claim this life for thy Master's game." "A life surrendered to claim my prize." Using the rose in this way will cause its petals to instantly wilt and magically bring the dead beast, and any hunters touching it, back to the Prince. So, don't touch it if you want to stay in the forest for more hunting. A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE↴ The Prince and the Ringmaster will be waiting for the results of the hunt in a roughly-constructed marble amphitheatre on another floating bit of rock. Those whose stomachs are too weak to take up even just the appearance of hunting can stay at the Carnival or hang out in the amphitheater, with the caveat that any attempt to attack the Prince or use magic to aid the captured prey will instantly default the win to the Prince. Should they want something to do other than twiddle their thumbs, the non-fighting carnival workers can peer into the hand mirrors left on the seats, smaller versions of what the Prince is watching the hunt through. They will be unable to control what images are brought up in the mirror, and it essentially only shows whatever the Prince is looking at himself. There's no sound, but the images are in full color (all the better to see blood with). This is also the area that the hunters and prey will be brought to when the spell is activated (or when every creature has been hunted). So, expect for a pile of corpses to end up there. [ OOC: This log wraps up the end of the Heartstone Manor plot! It is up to hunters and prey to create their own toplevels and sort out who will be delivering the finishing blow (feel free to use the OOC post about this event to coordinate that), but OOCly, it's set that the Carnival will win the Prince's challenge. The hunt's conclusion will be posted as a separate comment for characters to respond to.]

Comments

The Phoenix (Totally Not Rita) | OTA, will match formats

[fireorflight]

[encounter - open to all]

The phoenix isn't the most subtle creature. Where she flies, she sometimes leaves a trail of flames or wisps of smoke in her wake. Should one attempt to follow her, they run the risk of provoking her. The phoenix seems strangely unwilling to fly at great heights, and won't flee at the sight of hunters. Instead, she'll turn right around and attack them.

Unfortunately for the hunters, they don't even need to be doing anything particularly threatening to be met with aggression. The phoenix knows she's in danger. That people are the danger. So when she sees people draw near, she knows she'll have to kill or be killed.

Whatever your character is doing, they'll find the phoenix suddenly swooping down at them, her long talons stretched out. If they're carrying a weapon, the phoenix may try to tear it away from them. Alternatively, she may try to grab your character, throw them off their mount, maybe lift them up into the air so she can drop them. Or, failing those options, she'll simply try to rake her talons into their flesh, injuring them before they can do the same to her.

[kill - closed to 9S]

As time goes on, and the phoenix is repeatedly driven to retreat, she settles in a clearing to nurse her wounds. It's not exactly a natural clearing; it appears to be a space of forest that was recently cleared out with fire - perhaps at the start of the hunt, or shortly before then. Flecks of ash rain down from the charred husks of trees. There's no hiding in this wide, open space... but that may go for approaching hunters as much as it does for her.

In the middle of it all, the phoenix sits, preening at her feathers. She struggles to grasp an arrow with her beak, but eventually manages to pull it free from where it was embedded in her left flank, throwing it to the ground. She's distracted for now... but that won't last long.

[wildcard]

For any interactions or encounters that don't necessarily fit in the above scenarios!

Phoenix description is here. 9S has dibs on the killing blow. If you'd like your character to be seriously injured and/or want to plot something out, hit me up on plurk (pzue) or this plotting comment!

[dressedtothe]

9S is looking for Rita. He doesn't know which of the beasts are her, or if she's even one of those who are transformed. But if she is, then just based on the bicorn, she'd most likely be some kind of winged or feathered beast, so that's what he's keeping an eye out for; the bicorn had transformed back into a horse woman, so going off that single point of reference, that line of logic makes sense to him.

It shouldn't matter which of the beasts he fights and he should team up with someone else; he's not a combat unit after all, and they need all the beasts to be killed. Even worse, he can't use any of his scanning abilities and he's had to disable his NFCS, so his usual methods of non-hacking based combat are out. As a result, his sword is strapped to his belt instead of its customary place hovering at his back. Additionally, a quiver of arrows and a bow are slung over his shoulder.

This is going to be a struggle; he's not capable of smoothly switching between the usage of the two weapons like combat androids are. Physically holding a sword is already hard and his archery is passable but unreliable. He wanted to take a spear, but without the ability to use his magnetic field, he would have to rely on his throwing arm, which would be even less effective than a bow and arrows.

This is a poorly thought out plan and he knows it.

"Pod, if something happens to me," he begins, his saddleless horse going at a canter, "I want you to broadcast a signal for help."

< This course of action is inadvisable. Unit 9S is not a combat unit and is operating under severely restricted functions. Proposal: Unit 9S should support other hunting teams instead of hunting alone >

9S grits his teeth and looks ahead. His eyes are uncovered; the combat visor wouldn't be allowed. "I don't care." He's durable compared to a human. He doesn't see Rita as the sort of person who would easily run from a fight. He might not be much of a fighter, but he has stamina and endurance going for him while Rita is, like, a total slob. They only have one hour to kill all the beasts, though... But he's determined. "I'm going to find Rita and kill her."

Put an end to the pain and get her back. He doesn't want anyone else to kill her. No one else is allowed to kill her. It has to be him.

It's easy to pick up the trail of fire and burnt plant life and follow it until he comes across the clearing where the phoenix is located. A larger than usual bird, but smaller than some of the other beasts he'd spotted on the way.

This must be her.

Immediately, he fumbles for his bow and arrows. But his approach had been less than subtle, and he is slow on the draw with the unfamiliar weaponry.

Encounter

[hippocarnival]

Yuya sees Rita in the distance, squinting to make her out in the air. He's slow to raise his bow, hesitant, and that gives Rita all the time she needs to swoop down on him.

He yelps and dives to the side just before she catches him, rolling once, twice before he can bounce back up to his feet. His fingers are scrambling for the arrow again, and while he's trying to re-arm himself that's when he gets a good look at her.

He knows who these beasts are supposed to be. But in front of him his just a bird of fire. His brain wants to make the connection, but he reminds himself he doesn't know, and shouldn't be thinking about that because he's going to have to fight it anyway.

He pulls the arrow against the string, tightening his grip to try and stop his hands from shaking.

The Peryton, ver. 2 / OTA prompt

[pipers_son]

OTA - Mockingbird

There's something to be said about such a thick and brilliant forest.... and it's that there are many hiding places for beasts so inclined to it. Especially up in the branches. The leaves there are thick and plentiful, and branches sometimes block any bit of the sun's light in certain areas. For anything that can reach such heights, it's a handy place to be.

Some of the hunters might not realize the level of deceit such a thing can offer, however.

Is that the sound of a boar snuffling that way? Best go to check. For others, that's the distressed cry of a Phoenix another way. And then for even other parties trying to hunt, they might hear the murmur of conversation.

A lot of it can be rather convincing! Wannabe hunters will have to be careful... Peryton are't just deer with wings. They're also birds, and birds can be assholes.

Closed to Team Double Date

So an acrobat, a wandering hobo, and a crying alien walk into a forest...

Around the, the trees stretch up high, leaves brushing against leaves, branches aching with the weight of their load. In the distance, other animals sound off- real and imitations alike. The sound of other hunters with their own steeds is just as prevalent. Yet still with so much activity in the forest, it manages nonetheless to choke sound with the weight of itself.

And anywhere in it is where their prey could be.

So: what's the plan?

murder time

[dontpokethat]

So... they know Joker is here now. Which is, in fact, a very bad thing, because it means they've only really got one option here. Really, the only solace Ginko can find in the situation is that they found him before someone else did.

It takes a bit of struggling to figure out how two teenagers, a deer man, and a psionic who can't use his psionics are going to down a flying deer long enough to do what they have to, but eventually, the best solution they have turns out to involve a network of rope snares and the two more acrobatic members of their "team" hidden in the trees. Ginko and Psi stay close to the ground, as out of sight as possible.

Ginko's hand rests on the small pack he brought with him; for once, he's not fidgeting or fiddling with his clothes or supplies, instead sitting as still as he can. His face is set in the same stony, focused mask he's been maintaining ever since they came out here.

[espigeon]

The daspletosaurus pauses in a restless stalk and scents the air, head raised. With that huge snout he has an amazing sense of smell. No hunters nearby, but then, neither of them have been in this woods for long yet, but there is something up there, and the scent is familiar.

He makes a sequence of noises, higher pitched and more liquid, than the booming calls he's been sending out, and waits, head cocked.

At the moment he can't make any plans more advanced than 'advertise my presence from a distance, then hide and lie in wait', let alone communicate them. But he does still feel a desire to... call out to something that is not his enemy? It's not even that he's hungry, or at least, not too hungry. Probably best to stay in the trees though.

(CLOSED) Dragon-Deer and Dragon-Fairy VS. Carly and Strange

[mylastchance]

Unlike the other beasts in the hunt the kirin isn't actively attacking anyone. In fact, if he senses anyone near he'll simply run away. He'd rather flee than fight and he'd rather avoid conflict than do harm. Still, he isn't hiding. He wanders around the forest calmly, but aware. It's almost as though he doesn't realize there's a hunt going on at all. Though maybe that's because of the company he keeps. A small yellow dragon with fairy like wings can be seen flying around him, sometimes riding on his back or resting in his antlers.

At the current moment he's drinking from a river. The sound of the running water isn't loud, but it's enough to block out the sounds of anyone sneaking up on them through the brush. Unless that someone is so incompetent that he can't even move quietly through a forest.

[wild_magic]

For now the faerie dragon has flown off of his protector's back, instead hanging around nearby, sitting on a tree stump or something like that. Something about being out here in this forest has him a bit on edge, but with the bigger dragon (?) around, at least he's safe at the moment.

Safe to do things like get distracted and flit around before settling back down in the grass, sniffing at it before rolling around. He's playful, okay, he has to entertain himself. This is a fun piece of grass right here and he rather likes it.

Pre-Hunt | Closed to Jasper

[periphrasing]

It would have to come down to something like this, wouldn't it? That's the bitter thought that Peridot just can't shake, after the Ringmaster announces the plan to the carnival.

The ever-present pragmatist inside her can't help but admire the fact that this is, indeed, an air-tight plan. Provided the Prince follows his own rules and the carnival members can properly rise to the challenge, it should go off without a hitch. They'll win, get the manor's name back, leave the Prince vulnerable and then give him the positively thorough thrashing that he so rightfully deserves. Those that he's taken captive will be freed in the process, and be returned to the carnival's care in relatively good health. That's ultimately what she's been working for this whole time, isn't it...?

So why does it make her feel so ill?

For all intents and purposes, killing their comrades only to have them revived and restored really isn't that different from a gem getting her form destabilized. The net result is the same, right? The victim experiences (hopefully minimal) pain, they're taken out of commission for a while, and then they're be brought back as good as new. Peridot keeps wanting to justify it to herself like this, to go back to her old way of viewing everything completely objectively, without emotion factoring in. But she can't.

Defect. That's what this flagrant disregard of the facts makes her. This is a necessary step in the Ringmaster's plan, and it's the only sure way to bring Lambert back. That means the most practical course of action here is to apply herself to the issue, contribute to the optimal outcome in any way that she possibly can. Succeed, and make the suffering everyone is going through actually mean something...

It's with grim determination that Peridot picks up her radio and tunes it to a specific private frequency.

"We need to talk," she growls stiffly, without preamble. "Meet me at the entrance to the Supervisor's Grove in five minutes."

[stompadour]

Jasper really doesn't like that in the Carnival's hierarchy, Peridot is her superior. Of course, from what she can gather most of the other Supervisors are humans, which is worse, of course, but... this Era-2 Peridot. And not just any Era-2 Peridot, this specific, treacherous one...

But, well, she promised Blue Diamond she'd do as the Ringmaster said, and that includes deferring to the instructions of her Supervisors, and so she wastes no time in making her way through the Carnival to the Supervisors' Grove.

"What do you want."

The Sin You-Open/Closed | GONGENZAKA

[betheman]

[OPEN | A FIGHT FOR LATER]

[[OOC - NOTE; Gongenzaka's killing is already claimed by a three man team, and he'll be facing them at relatively peak strength. This prompt is for others to possibly fight him, but either one or the other will have to leave for better quarry/an escape, for whatever reason. We can plot that on Discord, or Plurk, or leave it to the comments.]]

When the Hunt begins, Gongenzaka has no sense of the name he had. Animals do not give each other names-they have themselves, and perhaps others that are 'safe', and some sort of comfort.

There is no safety, or comfort, in this place however, and the beast with four paws sniffs at the air as tension rises through it. He is tall-his shoulders end at six foot, but his head matches where he stood as a 'normal' being. But height is not what is on his side. The long-bodied creature bears a blade for a horn, and many sharp teeth which he bares, walking through the woods like a beast possessed. He cannot sit idle-something is Wrong here, something that demands action. He cannot sit idle.

He cannot die.

[CLOSED | YUUYA, YUZU, ZANGETSU]

He smells many things. The stress is getting to him already, and his seemingly calm pacing from earlier has devolved into anxious pacing about a few nearby clearings. It hasn't been long into the hunt; perhaps twenty minutes? Yet that is already considerable time, a third of the time that they have. The creature prowls however, and his whiskers are perked as he goes, blank eyes seeing only trees and bushes. Someone, he is certain, is out there, and he is not one who runs. The beast remembers little, but if there is one thing that has remained, it is a stubborn refusal to back away from an attack.

And with such a horn upon his head, the Sin-you begins to growl....bracing himself and turning to where he senses someone's approach.

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

Yuzu hates this. She hates this a lot. It's because she's really tired of the Prince's brough-ha-ha and all the pain it's caused so far. She really wants this to end sooner than later and if this stupid hunt will do that, then she'll go with it.

She let out a sigh as she began looking around, bow and arrow ready in her hands. "I am not a hunter and I can't believe I'm doing this..." she uttered.

Daspletosaurus

[espigeon]

A guttural drumming noise sounds off and on, deep enough that human ears don't perceive it as nearly as loud as it really is. You can feel it though, the low resonance in your chest and fingertips. I am here, it says, both a warning and an invitation. Find me, or go away. As you get closer, it stops. Far enough away and it will start again.

The daspletosaurus is loud when he wants to be, but otherwise he's as quiet as a great hunting cat, alternating pacing the thickest part of the woods and holding very, very still. Sometimes you see him moving from a distance, ten or eleven feet tall and maybe thirty long from muzzle to tailtip, but he is keenly aware of being seen and tends to freeze. The shaggy feathers he's covered in are mottled, mostly dark with paler ones scattered about. They break up his silhouette and blend with the dappled light under the trees; especially if he crouches down and conceals his scales, he's hard to see when he's holding still. Those scales are markedly paler stone covering his feet and relatively small grasping fingers, much more visible. ...He looks a whole lot like the tyrannosaur in the Carnival's menagerie, though he's considerably smaller, with relatively longer arms and less rounded, more irregular feathering.

What was Julien can't really grasp what's happened. His wings are almost gone, he can just about interlock his fingers, his bulk is differently balanced, but he was already a big theropod. This is only so different, though he's keenly aware of those differences. At the start of the hunt he attempts to speak, but he doesn't have words anymore. He discovers he can boom instead and that's going to have to be enough; he is aware that the little bipeds running around want to kill him, and so he says his piece, off and on, and lurks in wait.

[Julien's killers have already been selected OOCly, but if you wanna be ambushed by a daspy or just see him walking around from a ways away...?]

[tacosgay]

This whole hunt thing is kind of enormously bullshit.

Taako is hunting, this time clad in his own clothing, though he isn't able to use his own weaponry, given the ban on magic-- which is one of the first and most importantly bullshit of the rules they were given, as far as he's concerned. Where he comes from, people use magic to hunt all the fucking time. It's not cheating if some of the animals are just as magic as you are. Still, he's obeying the rules, for once, as it's been made pretty clear that any other choice will fuck the entire carnival over in ways that not even he is okay with. At least he's been allowed to mount up on Garyl, who's been as soothing a presence as he always is, and the two of them have chattered back and forth about how fucked this entire situation is--

-- but, now, they're both quiet. That thrumming shakes down to Taako's very bones, and he gives an almost cartoonish shudder atop Garyl, swallowing hard.

"... hey, so, uh, I've just realized, this is bullshit and I want no part of it?"

"Kind of late for that now, my man," is Garyl's answer, and Taako giggles nervously.

"You don't think I can back out of this like the huge coward I am? Just fuckin' watch me--"

He doesn't get the chance before he notices something moving in the trees ahead, and the horse and rider freeze.

The Golden Boar

[whattaprick]

[ HIT AND RUN ]

The scarred boar prowling the forest is massive. Not as large as some of its fellow prey, perhaps, but it's a hulking, awkward shape, the enormous bulk of its head and shoulders tapering down to hindquarters that seem to be carved of stone. This doesn't appear to impede its movement at all, and those limbs move as smoothly as though they were made of flesh -- and most importantly, they move quickly. Most often, hunters will see a flash of light out of the corner of their eye, or hear something crash through the undergrowth, heading rapidly away.

It doesn't seem very interested in concealing itself -- how can it? It glows in the dark -- but if caught at a rare moment when it's standing still, it will whirl around to face the potential threat, pawing at the ground. As it does so, flowers spring underhoof, spreading around it, but hunters best not get distracted by the sight because it will be immediately be followed by the boar rushing forward, hooves crashing against dirt as it aims to gore an unwary hunter and their mount.

At other times, a lucky pursuer will come across the boar standing on the rippling surface of a stream or pond, greedily lapping up water as though its been thirsty for days. The splashing is loud enough to provide concealment for a covert approach, but for how long that will last is another matter.

[ KILL: CLOSED TO PERIDOT & JASPER ]

The boar is uncertain how long he's been running, but he knows its been some time. He can smell the hunters and it's maddening, all the badawfulwrong scents that don't belong here mingling and overlaying each other, urging him to keep going, to get away. As he paces and snorts, trying to determine a clear direction to go in, it drags torn cloth stuck on a tusk along the ground, muddying it into further unrecognizability from its original black. He's breathing hard, not only from exertion, but from anger, body trembling with adrenaline.

[ ooc; if you'd like to plot a non-lethal encounter, please hit up the ooc post, thank you! ]

KILL KILL KILL

[periphrasing]

By now, it's getting late enough into the hunt that Peridot is starting to panic a little bit. It's been a little over a half an hour at this point, and neither she nor Jasper have picked up on a single trace of the beast that they're trying to track down. Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised, considering neither of them has a lick of tracking ability between them, but what was Peridot supposed to do? NOT participate?

If only that had been an acceptable option.

Each passing minute they spend trudging along through this forest has Peridot finding herself internally, bitterly cursing Lambert for being so damn impossible to find. Like it's at all his fault, like he's doing this on purpose somehow just to be stubborn or spiteful. It's not like she wants to be wandering around in the woods with Jasper for company, of all people! It's not like she wants to kill him! But it's for everyone's benefit, including his own, so couldn't he just do them all a favor and show himself already?

She's very near to a meltdown when something finally catches her eye: a golden sheen, emanating from somewhere off in the trees. Gold... Lambert's dragon form had had gold scales, right? A thrill of hope surges through her. It's the first encouraging sign she's seen in this hunt so far, and she urgently gestures for Jasper to follow, approaching carefully and peering through the underbrush.

Unfortunately, these gems are still looking for a dragon, not a boar, so Peridot's immediate reaction upon laying eyes on the furious creature is total indignant confusion.

She drops a few choice gem swears at a hiss, and tries to stamp down on the urge to scream with frustration.

hit n ruuuun

[atouts]

With Baker at his side, Childermass has no problem tracking Lambert early on in the hour. Whatever the man might be now, the scent must not have changed enough for the massive hound to be thrown by it. It had taken some casting about before he managed it, sure, but once he found Lambert... Well, Baker adores Lambert. The hard part was hanging on to the dog as he bolted off.

That's how they end up near the edge of the trees, where the grass begins to be broken up by sharp stones and dirt dips suddenly into ravines and cliffs, where mountains on the Prince's newly created hunting arena begin to rise. All the way over here and no sign of Lambert. No dragon, no giant golden lizard. It's too easy to assume what he would be forced into.

What Childermass does spot are the flowers.

"Hold on," he tells Baker, tugging at the back of the arcanine's mane to get him to pay attention. It's an effort since Baker isn't technically trained for this particular purpose, but it works. Eventually. He only trods on the flowers a little before stopping and letting the magician slide off (and you had better believe he's already regretting this entire endeavor when he could have gotten a horse). So, it's with a little discomfort that he stabs his spear into what little dirt he can find and crouches down to take a closer look.

"This is celandine..."

That's too much of a coincidence to mean anything else, isn't it? Growing in a trail like this? But since when do dragons grow flowers?

CLOSED | YUZU, ZANGETSU, CARLY - TEAM YUUGO

[fortuneglass]

They'll need to hurry, if they're to get anywhere. It's a little more than 25 minutes-time enough still to get a fight, and easily, but enough time that she is anxious of how the others are doing. 8 beasts to start, beasts they know are the prisoners, and those whom they've known.

Carly flies above with her bow and arrows and chews her lip anxiously, to say the least. She needs to find something-someone-and kill them, and the very thought makes her quake. Breathe, she thinks, taking in a breath as she comes near what looks to be a lake of some sort.

Breathe....

...

...Did she see crystal, in that water?

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

Yuzu doesn't have the advantages Carly has, sticking to the ground. She hates this place so badly and this hunt makes it even worse. However, as she reaches the lake, she doesn't really see what Carly does, making her a lot more vulnerable to anything that may happen.

The Cave From Ipanema

[criticallyfucked]

He wakes enough to watch it unfold, blue eyes tracking their helplessness and their struggles, expecting (hoping?) his own ragged corpse to be taken into the darkness too--and yet he cannot find it in him to expect anything else when he is not.

If he had been feeling better, he might have at least have laughed for them as they were removed from the stone and dragged away to whatever fate they, (un)lucky others, shared. At who doesn't matter. How doesn't either. Madly, triumphantly, contemptuously, loathsomely, pointlessly--it doesn't matter because he doesn't have it in him.

And the darkness swallows the cave like silence--his chest encased, heavy with bitterness and something else, something sour and scabrous, but there is, at the very last, emptiness without to smother a different kind of emptiness within.

Of course he's alone. He is the traitor, after all. The lone traitor to his master's cause; it doesn't matter if she's heard of it or not, whether she believes in it or not. And how could it matter? What difference between a failure and a traitor, really: in either case, one can feel relief when it is pronounced dead.

Which, he senses, will be very soon.

Finally.

aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh take 2.

[scientificist]

Herbert is barely animate by the time things start happening, somewhere, outside, maybe. Servants moving around, seeing to things. Another event, only he's not invited to this one, this time. His parts are drifting off, or lost to the Prince's fist, hands trembling and someone shoves an onion into them, pushes him towards the way to the cave.

He's not particularly surprised to find it empty but for the betrayer, the stealer of clothing, the one to slam and lock Pandora's Box before the last occupant could escape. Herbert lobs the onion vaguely at the wall just beside Foster like a vegetable softball just before he folds slowly downwards: to his hands and knees, then forearms, then tilting sideways before he finally passes completely out.

Unconscious, he lies on the ground a couple of metres away from Foster, suit torn, one arm outstretched. Already, he's begun to make small, unhappy noises like a dog having a bad dream.

The Amphithere | Pre-Kill

[bananaspeedrider]

A - Shuriken Hurricane

Where is this? What is this? On the isolated island of thick forest, this beast managed to locate a body of water big enough to take a dip and simmer in. It's not very deep, but not too difficult anyway to swim through the small lake despite much of his heavy body is rock with miniscule crystals. He has no idea either of what’s happening, he just knows that there was probably agonizing pain, lots of it earlier… the people, the hunters! It was their fault! Somehow! And they’ll PAY!!!

For all the snake’s fury though, he would rather stew on it in peace. But unbeknownst to him, that’s simply not possible within the nature of the challenge. Anything that ventures where the beast deems too close to his waters (all his dammit) will be greeted by the amphithere’s warning strike and the piercing hiss packaged with it.

---
B - Wildcard?

[OOC Note: Since Yugo's kill thread is set in stone, this is mostly for those that want a quick skirmish with the snakebeast. Though just like his regular self, this monster doesn't know the meaning of quit or to flee... so threads here will have to end with the hunter doing so themselves.]

[pullingamiko]

Miko is not a tracker. In fact, she has never tracked anything in her life, beyond tracking down places that are still open for late dinner. She lived in a city then the desert, dammit, she doesn't know what to do in a forest!

But... she can't just do nothing. Not when so much depends on taking down these... well. Taking down her coworkers. But she can't dwell too much on that, either.

It's mostly by chance that she comes across the lake - and she jumps back from that strike and hiss, her ears flicking forward. "--Whoa, hey!"

Apparently she found someone, at least. She doesn't move away, trying to get a better look at him, but she's definitely on guard now.

⇨ VICTORY

[npcarnival]

The Prince has been looking increasingly sour for the last fifteen minutes – ever since it became clear that he was probably going to lose this challenge. He had thought that the carnival would be too cowardly due to their sentimental master, too unwilling to kill, even if it were only temporary. Yet, in this circumstance, he’s been proven wrong.

Oh well. It would have been nice to win across the board, but succeeding at his primary agenda will have to do. He gets to his feet, observing the pile of monstrous corpses that have been claimed in his his name. These fools have no idea what they’ve just given him – one meagre Name in exchange for the right to the Name of every captives that had been slain here. A symbolic sacrifice, their old lives ended and a new life begun.

As the last of the offerings are returned, he rises to inspect their bodies and provide the ressurections he had promised. It was a simple task to keep their souls trapped in their bodies after they passed for such a short time - as such, it was only a matter of kickstarting those bodies to live once more. One by one, the fallen beasts would return to their human forms, naked and still bearing the most obvious wounds - but alive. They would not die again so quickly, under his power, but they would still need tending to. That could come later.

It would take little effort to claim them, once the contest was complete. The Ringmaster’s own carelessness had bested her again. She had underestimated his power, his magical skill. Smirking ever so slightly, he pulls the book of True Name sigils from his coat.

"Very well," he says, determined to take defeat gracefully. "I suppose you have earned your reward." He’s already flipped open his book to the page with the skeleton’s name written on it, having assumed that was her aim. He can’t imagine why she would be invested in any of his other wretched servants.

"Yes," the Ringmaster says, also standing. She’s beaming. "As agreed, the prize was a single True Name from your collection." He’s still unfazed, already contemplating how he’ll have several more Names tucked away by the end of the day. "And as the victor in this contest, I request…"

Wait for it. He arches a brow at her boredly.

"…the True Name of the being that serves as your manor house and fortress."

It's only then that he realizes what he's done. His mouth hangs open dumbly for a moment, before babbling out: "How dare you-"

"By your Oath," the Ringmaster says, her eyes burning like coals as she clenches her fist before her, "I Command you to surrender my prize."

The words reverbrate with an unseen power, as if the pull of their inflexible will can be felt in the air. Stunned, the Prince flips to a blank page, with bemused and mechanical actions begins writing out unknowable letters in a light of vibrant copper. Once he's done, he tears the paper free, and raises it to his mouth, whispering something painful to overhear until its form.

Then, he extends his palm, and the word floats into the Ringmaster's hands. She grins with manic delight. As the enchantment of the contract begins to fade, the Prince's express shifts from confusion to anger and fear, and his wings are summoned immediately, beginning to life him into the air.

"█████ █ ██ ████," she says. "Destroy the Prince's fortress, free his captives, and then yourself!" Her own wings emerge as she tucks the name away, ready to fight as the earth itself begins to shake. "Syrlya!"

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya hasn't participated in the hunt at all, but his name is the only cue he needs.

From just behind the Prince he materializes into view, shoulders tense and eyes narrowed as. His right hand holds the Blue Rose, the vines wrapped more comfortably around his arm. He remembers the Ringmaster's directions, simple enough, and with a breath he points the rose towards the Prince... and it changes.

A rapier blooms from the rose in a brilliant burst of pure, powerful magic. He smirks, confident, and then draws his arm back into a position of battle.

"No, you're not going anywhere."

He can't give him the chance to lift off, or else Syrlya will never catch him. His weight tips forward and he lunges, thrusting the blade forward with all his strength. He aims just off from his spine, where he thinks he can hit the heart.

OTA

[sworntothesword]

Connie held her new sword unsteadily. She was still fragile from her only recently broken enchantment, in a new place, in a strange place, in a horrible game concocted by a monster.

And she would have to kill. Strangers. She wasn't sure if that was better. Strangers that she knew were good.

Maybe not kill, exactly. Or not permanently. But the pain wouldn't be. This wouldn't be like poofing a gem. These would bleed. Was she ready for this? She was having doubts now.

She'd opted for a long sleeved shirt and some khaki's and on top of that she had a few pieces of lamellar armor. No armor on her torso, she wanted to avoid being slowed down.