⇨ NPC MEET & GREET

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 76 - Day 78
Where: The Carnival
What: A gaggle of NPCs have arrived at the carnival to help with the acquisition of the Silver Mirror. There is an investigation thread for casual NPC interactions, and the rest will be handled in expositional megathreads.
Warnings: Nothing in particular!

HERE BEHIND YOU↴ As promised by the Ringmaster, near the end of the week there will be a number of guests arriving. All of them have encountered the carnival before in a variety of ways - you may have met them, or they may have been before your time. Either way, there are here to help. They owe the carnival a favour, after all. They are around for specific reasons, which will be carried out in the form of a couple conversational megathreads, but beyond that you are free to ask them questions in the investigation thread. ► THE DWARF FAMILY: This trio of dwarves (pictures here) are the heart and soul of the Worldwalker Caravan, aka the merchants that came to entertain the carnival during their solstic vacation on the moon. Brunis is a master tinkerer, Brauni is a master blacksmith, and Bal is a master chef. All of them are capable of creating amazing things, and if necessary they may be willing to do a few commissions for the carnival. ► SHIMMER & SCALD: A pair of escaped Winter Court changelings who used to belong to a fae called the Mother of Invention, and are now part of the Worldwalker Caravan. Shimmer is the more vocal of the two, and was apparently one of the Mother's top scientists before she fled. For obvious reasons, neither of them want the Winter Court to win the day. ► RAPH THE NEPHILIM: Mostly known for the fact that she was the brewer of the healing draughts that the carnival bought on mass from the Caravan during solstice. She uses her angelic powers to create and restore angelic artifacts, and knows a bit about angelic history. She's also had more direct experience with the Nephilim lifestyle than most. ► MOSS THE CHANGELING: Another changeling seeking refuge within the Caravan, she mostly gave the impression of being from the Summer Court. Unfortunately, whatever she went through seems to have traumatized her, leaving her so socially anxious that she struggles to carry on normal conversations. For those that met her, seeing her come out to the carnival in such a small group may come as a surprise. ► ALYSS & REYNA: A rabbit girl and a fox girl who were first encountered as starcrossed lovers under the tyrannical rule of the Prince. The efforts of the carnival helped to free them and the rest of the Manor servants, and instead of seeking refuge in the Summerlands, they chose to travel with the Caravan. They are mostly here on a social call, eager to say hello and lend what aid they can to the people who saved their lives. ► PRUDENCE & DAMIEN: The odd ducks out, these two are actually not from the Caravan at all! Instead, they are from Portland, in the version of earth that the carnival was trapped in for a month almost half a year ago. They were allies with the carnival during their efforts to break the barrier trapping them, and now, somehow, they've arrived at the carnival. Prudence is notably another nephilim, and the holder of a powerful angelic artifact called the Hand of God. Damien is her partner in crime and a warlock, or something.

Comments

[scientificist]

"This sounds like an inopportune moment for all of us to be transforming into animals," Herbert comments loudly from by the kitchen.

[npcarnival]

Moss looks like she's going to pass out. Shimmer glances at Strange and then comes forward, putting her arms around Moss's shoulders, as if hiding her from scrutiny in order to give her a break.

"He's a hunter," Shimmer says. "The Hunter. He travels as part of a massive hunting party and slays everyone who doesn't join them. And... yes, they will eat what they kill."

She looks at Herbert.

"And being a human wouldn't save you."

[whattaprick]

"But you got away from him somehow," Lambert says, pointing out what he reckons is the obvious. If he's a former Master, that implies getting away from him in the first place. "And the Ringmaster beat him before. So he obviously isn't infallible."

Yes, surprisingly, Lambert knows words longer than three syllables.

"Not that I don't appreciate the warning, but what would save us?"

[npcarnival]

"You just have to keep away from him," Shimmer says, more calm about the situation than Moss can be. "I know the Ringmaster is already working on making sure you won't be tracked. If none are you taken... then finding the others will be difficult for him. The trouble is that he can use the information and senses of anyone in his hunting party to find those close to them."

"It's called the Wyld Hunt," she says. "If you hear word of it, you best leave."

[flashover]

“Wait...” Rin says, scrunching up his features (and thankfully, speaking a lot more calmly thanks to that look from Carly), “Didn’t the Prince call his thing the ‘Wild Hunt’ too? Or am I just misremembering...”

Because he was a little (a lot) brainwashed at the time. His memories are hazy at best.

[hippocarnival]

"The Prince is definitely dead." Yuya worries over his lip remaining in spot as he listens to them. It's terrifying to hear, and it's bothering Moss to talk about, but...

"How... how far can you feel him? Do you feel it anywhere, or is he close?"

[npcarnival]

"Anywhere," Moss says softly, looking at the floor. "If he was close, I would be in trouble."

[kingsroads]

Strange shakes his head as he turns to look at Rin.

"I think the Prince's thing was just a hunt. However, the term might be familiar to you anyway." Strange starts to explain, gesturing with his hands as he talks.

"The concept of the 'Wyld Hunt' is repeated throughout the multiverse. For example, the name is found in Syrlya's, Lambert's, and my own world—the details, however, are different per world. And I doubt that any of our Wyld Hunts are anything like the Huntsman's."

[fortuneglass]

"Regardless," Carly notes, nodding and doing her best to keep calm, "The priority is avoiding him, and his hunt. Is there any way to possibly...identify members of the hunting party ahead of time?" She adds, voice soft.

[whattaprick]

"The Wild Hunt in my world would take people and turn them into its riders," Lambert adds, looking at Shimmer, since she seems slightly more capable of answering the prickly questions than Moss is, right now.

"Knowing what they look like would help. The one where I come from's a bad omen -- spectres in the sky, frost on the ground, that kind of thing."

[npcarnival]

Shimmer looks to Lambert and nods.

"That sounds similar to this Wyld Hunt, from what I understand of Moss's stories. The main difference is that it's less spectral, and... less riders and more hunting hounds, if you see the distinction."

She holds Moss in a hug, even as she speaks to the other contemplatively.

"The only way to survive the hunt once caught in it is to begin to hunt as well. Those captured will become a part of the horde... this is something that all started in the Wyld Lands, so it's not as dignified as riding around on horseback."

[chronosynthesis]

"Do those who begin to hunt ever defect? Or hunt on their own?" Because they should probably prepare for the worst in case they are captured, and that means pre-planning avenues of escape.

[npcarnival]

"Is possible," Shimmer says. "But the sooner the better. The longer you're in it, the more it can change you, the harder it is to leave again. You forget there was anything else."

"Specifically, you have to avoid eating any of the kills. Once you go that far, it's hard to come back... which is why Moss was able to get away. Her role allowed her the chance to deceive the others."

[fortuneglass]

Carly hasn't taken her eyes away from Moss, but there is a slow blink as she takes in the meaning of those words.

"Your role..?" She begins, focusing the question to Moss rather than asking through Shimmer. "...what roles were there, in the Hunting party..?" Quietly, she thinks to herself...

...Moss helped in the kitchens, right? ... "...Are...those 'feasts'... ...cooked?"

[kingsroads]

Who's been on a couple of upper-class Regency England hunting parties? This guy. Who's trying to keep his voice calm and level despite the fact that he knows this situation involves hunting people? Also this guy.

"The Huntsman would probably serve as the gamekeeper, the one who oversees all the proceedings. You'd need people to corral and watch over the hounds, pickers-up to get any wounded game that's left behind, and domestic help to clean the prey afterwards. Depending on the hunt, there might be beaters to drive the prey towards the shooters, but I doubt that's applicable here."

After all, they had said that the Huntsman's type of hunting involved more hounds, less riders. Strange looks over to Shimmer for confirmation. He's got no idea if he's got the details right but hey, at least this is a general idea.

"As for the feasts, does it matter?" Strange's tone implies that he doesn't think it does.

[npcarnival]

Moss sobs, leaning into Shimmer's shoulder. Shimmer's eyes go wide, and then she gives Carly a cutting look. Some things you really shouldn't say out loud.

"Can you please just read the subtext and move on?" Shimmer asks. "Mr Strange has the right of it..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya hadn't quite put it together until Carly asks about cooking, and then he realizes 'being human wouldn't save you' means oh, they eat people. And he's reminded of the truth of the Prince's hunt and suddenly he feels very, very sick.

Yuya covers his mouth to hold back a gagging noise.

"Ugh... why now?" The last thing they need is more depraved Fae chasing after them. "Can we hide from it?" Do they any option but run and hope they never catch up?

[fortuneglass]

If she hadn't already been berating herself after saying those words- not quite flinching but certainly going quieter and quieter, what with the words coming Exactly as she put it together- Moss' tears certainly do that forward, striking her like a knife. She barely hears Strange- let alone Shimmer, but by the time her light has dulled entirely she has certainly caught the sharp glare.

Her eyes are welling with tears, but she is silent, shrinking in place almost literally with how much presence is lost as the light dulls and pulls in with her mood.

She feels she wants to leave. She can't though, how much worse would that be, imagine, not that she's of any help here anyway given she's made it worse and...

Carly swallows, muting her own sobs, ducking her head to keep from drawing any attention from what's important. Maybe if she's lucky, her food can hide her.

[bananaspeedrider]

By the time it's mentioned that there's no discrimination on what can become prey in the Wyld Hunt and the... obvious implications, dinner is now over as far as Yugo's own appetite is concerned. He nudges away his plate entirely to the side, because why would anyone want more food after this bombshell?

Also he doesn't want to remember all too clearly his own experience with the Prince either.

"Plus there's not a lot of places they can't go already, right?"

[spaghettimonster]

After the Prince's Hunt, and everyone finding out that the Beasts there were transformed people... the inklings of what had happened underneath... Well, it was probably best not to think too hard about the food they'd all eaten as guests. Papyrus has made a point of trying very hard not to.

At least you're pretty sure potatoes were never people. Human or otherwise.

But there's something to the question of getting away, and he shoots a hand up in the air before talking.

"And, if the Hunt does show up... Well, Lilith's super strong, right? And she doesn't like outsiders coming in and... doing things. I know we're hiding, but... Things go better for us," not best by any means, but better, "when bad guys are fighting each other. Could we get them mad at each other, and sneak out in the confusion?"

[whattaprick]

Cannibalism in the cookhouse seems a bit too on point,. Not that Lambert’s stomach is easily turned, but he’s not so sure about anyone else, and even he isn’t that excited about dealing with vomit on top of all the crying ...

“Better not count on it. Lilith probably wouldn’t appreciate someone coming in to hunt her people,” he says, propping an elbow on the table edge. “She could just decide to wipe us out instead of picking a fight. But that’s probably something we’ll need to work out ourselves.”

Like, Moss doesn’t look like she’s about to be up to engage in any strategy pow-wows. He’d like to hear her answer Yuya’s question about staying hidden, before he fires off any more questions of his own

[npcarnival]

Shimmer had really been hoping to avoid the specifics of Moss's situation, or else she probably would have advised against sharing this information during supper. Oh well, too late now. Moss won't be answering these questions herself.

"There's no reason that he'd be able to track you to Eden... our point is that he's trying. The Huntsman was always an ally of the Courts, until the Ringmaster destabilized his reign. With the Winter Court apparently trying to sabotage her, and the Summer Court reacting to the capture of or murder of one of their own... it's no wonder that they've chosen now to rekindle their partnership with the Huntsman."

"At some point in the future, it won't be unexpected for him to catch up. But there's no way to determine when without more information. However, I don't think it should be shocking that the Courts are mustering their resources to strike back. The key will be to acquire the Mirror before they can."