ringleaders: (Default)
Lost Carnival Mods ([personal profile] ringleaders) wrote in [community profile] lostcarnival2018-07-08 06:50 pm

⇨ EDEN

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION

So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished.

You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be.

Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch.


► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden.

► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified.

► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of.

You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again.

There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below.

► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help.

In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise.

You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.
insidescoop: credit - haptisms @ lj (>3>)

[personal profile] insidescoop 2018-07-18 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hmmmm...I see...." Interesting... She ponders this for a bit, seeking out her decision. "Perhaps...Both? The two colours can work really well together~"
spaghettimonster: (SPIKES -THEN- FIRE OR...)

[personal profile] spaghettimonster 2018-07-18 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Papyrus waits politely through the display, encouraged that the greeting wasn't in the same sounds - whatever that was, it's not a ploy to keep from talking to anyone. And that's a very showy tail, flashy and impressive in ways that suit Joker - Pesagni - even if it looks a little inconvenient.

"Oh! That sounds like a good name! I just got mine too... I wonder if that's why we're all here?" He looks back to the Cathedral, where there's still a lot of familiar-looking Honorables trickling in and out of the building. Maybe they're all fresh from brief and distant visits with their respective Architects, relieved that they hadn't been caught on the spot, like he's feeling. "Hope it's okay to take a while to remember them all... There's a lot of people." Even just the 40-odd people from the carnival would take a while, let alone all the local strangers.
periphrasing: (meme face)

[personal profile] periphrasing 2018-07-18 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
It is extremely tempting to jump the rat. Peridot feels like she could pull it off; just drop right down, turn back into a raccoon and get it into a headlock or something, like one of those action movie heroes.

She knows that would be foolhardy, though. She didn't exactly have time to see Syrlya escape so for all she knows, she's the only one who didn't get caught, and therefore might be the only one in a position to get them out of there. So instead of charging in, she carefully clings to the underside of one of the pyramids on her own empty cage. If she can, she'll wriggle into a position where she can watch the rat, but also be close at hand to Do An Assault if they look like they're going to try anything harmful to her companions.
chronosynthesis: (❖ Phase Retreat)

[personal profile] chronosynthesis 2018-07-18 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Syrlya, meanwhile, circles around to perch a little higher in the room to watch the rat below under his veil. He doesn't have a lot of faith in deciphering anything on the interface on his own, so he's watching the rat for a better idea just what's going on.
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
The rat sniffs the corner of one of the boxes, and then looks at the interface, which seems to be written in a language that Peridot and Syrlya can't read. After considering things for a while, the rat taps out a pattern onto one side of a pyramid facing them, causing the sigils to light up.

The base (facing the captive inside) glows blue for a moment, and then the pyramid shifts upwards like a lid. It's the box holding Lapis, now with one side ostensibly open. The rat peers inside, getting up onto their hind legs for a better look.

"Hello there?" they ask. "Can you understand me?"
mirrortide: (108)

[personal profile] mirrortide 2018-07-18 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, she isn't expecting the box to open so soon? But it's probably that it's good that it does, because she's very tentatively looking out, though even with freedom very much in sight, she stays where she is.

What a huge range of emotions that Lapis just isn't properly equipped to deal with right now!

"Uh. Yeah. I can? Is it alright if I uh, get out of this thing?"

She's. Very polite, at least!

(It's very much the fear.)
pipers_son: (leyline) (Also what is a socially acceptable)

[personal profile] pipers_son 2018-07-18 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
'Flashy but inconvenient' describes a lot of things about Joker so, really, it all fits in the end anyway. He cranes his head up a little bit more, feathers along his head perking a bit.

"It does seem like all the important things happen there," he says. "From the brands to this, now. I imagine we'll all get used ta things the more we go with it. But yer havin' me die of curiosity here- what name did they give you?" Basic curiosity should be more than enough for him to hear it, right?
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
The rat gasps.

"You can!" they confirm, sounding genuinely surprised. "I thought it would be weird for one of the cursed ones to ride all the way down here..." The rat scurries closer to the opening of the box.

"Are you from Eden? How did you get here? I mean... of course, I'll let you out in a minute, I just need to ask these things before because I'm supposed to be manning security today!"
mirrortide: (007)

[personal profile] mirrortide 2018-07-18 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, that's a tentative 'Yes,' so Lapis is feeling... Marginally more comfortable?

"We came from Eden... And I guess we walked? We followed the snake down here." Wait, how much of this is she supposed to be giving away?
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"You saw the Serpent?" the rat says, just as surprised. "Well, I guess that explains her shifting around so much... um."

They seems like they're trying to determine what else they needs to ask.

"I suppose... why did you come? You're not hostile, are you?"
mirrortide: (076)

[personal profile] mirrortide 2018-07-18 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"We were looking for someone. And I'd rather not be? Everyone else in these might not be all that happy, though. Considering that you suddenly boxed us all in without any warning."
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, it's just what the system does," they say, raising their paws into a shrug. "Usually it's just Bezaliel's goonies or cursed ones slipping in through the tunnels. Here."

They run over to the three other boxes 'typing' in some kind of code into the sigils on the side of the front pyramid. Each one does the same thing - the base of that pyramid glows, and then shifts upwards like a lid. The last pyramid box has nothing in it.

"Oh, there's nothing in this one..."
periphrasing: (I'm sad and I don't wanna explain)

[personal profile] periphrasing 2018-07-18 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
At this point Peridot determines that it's probably safe enough to reveal herself, and clambers out from her hiding place with a sigh of relief. "That's because I'm up here," she says weakly, and drops onto the floor.
Edited 2018-07-18 18:56 (UTC)
chronosynthesis: (❖ Deja Vu)

[personal profile] chronosynthesis 2018-07-18 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
That's... awfully trusting of the rodent, just releasing them on the word they aren't hostile. Syrlya deliberates, but with others revealing themselves he decides to fly down and drop the glamour to reveal himself.

"Are you an ally of the Serpent, then?"
seniorvicejanitor: (r090)

[personal profile] seniorvicejanitor 2018-07-18 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's...a lot," Rhys says, trying to figure out what he'd feel if he could do that. He doesn't necessarily want to feel everyone's feelings. He doesn't care. He'd want to know what they were thinking to give him a possible leg up but that's about it.

"Does feeling what they feel influence you at all?" Rhys wonders. "Do you get sad when you feel someone else is sad?"
moonfang: (TODDLER TEMPER TANTRUM)

[personal profile] moonfang 2018-07-18 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
The box with apparently nothing in it but tooth marks (and what looks like.... a burn on one of the walls? what happened in there) shifts a bit as a still angry, but invisible, Zangetsu swims out of it. They finally found someone intelligent down here and he can't blow it just because he wants to. He also may have injured himself slightly trying to get out. Slightly. He retreats to the shadows to watch.

And sulk.
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Zan, when attempting to swim out of the box, runs into an invisible wall where the gap left by the 'lid' is.
Edited 2018-07-18 18:58 (UTC)
moonfang: (FUCK YO BAN-POOL)

[personal profile] moonfang 2018-07-18 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
BONK.

"FUCK!!"

Hearing spirits might be a little easier than seeing them...
stompadour: (ugh)

[personal profile] stompadour 2018-07-18 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Jasper clonks her head into the same invisible wall immediately, and snorts in indignation.

"What's going on here?" she demands.
seniorvicejanitor: (r067)

[personal profile] seniorvicejanitor 2018-07-18 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"I suck at art." Which didn't really answer the question. He'd done some really shitty sculptures that he wasn't going to tell anyone about. He'd used mud and dirt because clay wasn't really in abundance.

"So, I try and avoid it," he lies, shrugging. "I'm better at being a businessman."
mirrortide: (049)

[personal profile] mirrortide 2018-07-18 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Lapis, on the other hand, gets up to try and get out, resulting in a loud ass 'THUD' from a bear head hitting an invisible wall due to too much excitement at seeing that SOMEONE IS OKAY.

It doesn't seem to stop her too much? Probably because polar bears have thick as shit skulls. But also she's quick to goingto start pounding on that invisible wall. Just with massive paws this time. She has to get to Peridot.
Edited (bonk) 2018-07-18 19:08 (UTC)
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I see," the rat says faintly. "So I was in a lot of danger just now, huh?"

Then people start running into invisible walls.

"Stop that, there's a wall there! I'm going to open it, but you all have to make yourself visible first. How am I supposed to trust you like this?"

The rat crosses their arms. Looking at you in particular, Zan.
moonfang: (uurrrgggh)

[personal profile] moonfang 2018-07-18 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Zangetsu glares at the invisible wall.

"..........."

Quietly, he admits in a voice that sounds whispery and ghosty to the rat, and just kind of defeated to his carnival compatriots.

".... I can't. It's permanent."
npcarnival: (Default)

[personal profile] npcarnival 2018-07-18 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"What??" the rat asks, sounding incredibly unconvinced. "No way!"
chronosynthesis: (❖ Elusive Mind)

[personal profile] chronosynthesis 2018-07-18 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"We have no intention of being a danger to you, provided you do the same for us." He's not worried about the rat himself, anyway, but who might be working with him.

He cranes his neck to look over to Zangetsu's box. "And he is a.. spirit right now. He left his body in Eden--think of it as his talent."

It's better for Zan himself to give details, though, because Syrlya doesn't know more than that.