lostcarnival | ⇨ EDEN

Entry tags:

⇨ 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Too late, they already gave him a hint.

He lizard grins at Rita.

Yuya points out that they already asked for information on the mirror, which is what Ignatius said he'd tell them in exchange for information on his heart. If that's a hint, then now it's his turn to tell them something, right?

He leans over towards Iggy and stares at him for confirmation.

No. They never actually made a deal, Yuya. It doesn't work like that. If you just start spilling your load then that's not his problem, and it isn't magically enforceable.

Yuya asks if the only way he'll tell them is if he's magically forced to?

Why should he tell them if he isn't getting anything in return?

They seem to feel awfully entitled to his aid considering what they've done to him, generally speaking. He had a pay a price to even be here.

Strange buts in and reminds everybody in the group that he can break enchantments and he's more than willing to break or dispel any sort of magical coercion if needed. They came here to talk, not have a repeat of what happened in the Athenaeum.

He's looking directly at Lambert as he says this. Strange's subtext is clear: please don't Axii the skink.

Edited 2018-07-16 01:39 (UTC)

Yuya looks briefly offended and tells Strange that they're not doing that.

He'll explain he's asking because he doesn't want to every interaction with Ignatius to have to be deals with magic forcing them all to behave. He doesn't think that's a good way to handle their situation at all, on any side of it, and he'd like to reach a more honest understanding.

This isn't the best time to try and make a long talk for that, but he doesn't want the impression that they're all looking for ways to screw each other over. What happened with Ignatius wasn't a concentrated effort of the carnival, and they're really just trying their best to deal with all of this stuff that's been coming down on their heads.

Ignatius says he has no idea why they brought Rita if they wanted a civil discussion.

Yuya snorts before catching himself and holding it in as he reaches to like, pat Rita absently. He says with good humor that Rita's a very passionate person and says what's on her mind, and it's not an implication that they don't want to trust him, and talk... and he'll ask with understanding if Rita and Lambert make him uncomfortable, and he'd be more open if they weren't involved?

Rita clearly has no interest in dealing with him in a non-antagonistic manner, so he doesn't see why he should offer civility to her.

That's not subtext at all, Strange. Either way, Lambert ignores it in favor of reaching out to gently plant a paw on Rita's head and give her a conciliatory lick on the nose to get her to settle down, redirecting her irritation from Ignatius to him instead while Yuya does... whatever he's trying to do.

Rita's been looking like she's about to tear out her own fur for a while, and at Ignatius' comments, she'll bristle. She's here because she's known Ignatius longer than any of them, and wants to make sure they don't make any stupid, reckless deals, like Strange would. She's willing to make a fair deal, but it's hard when Ignatius won't even let them know what the hell he's doing here, or what he wants!

...but now Lambert is licking her and that's weird, so now she's going to complain at him instead for a while.

Yuya's expression drops and he looks to Rita and tells her if they don't show Ignatius any trust, he won't show them any trust, either. And if she doesn't trust him, can she at least trust Yuya that he's not going to do something stupid?

Then he'll turn back to Ignatius asks if he'd be willing to talk to Yuya one on one, then, because he wants to be able to be non-antagonistic with him.

Will Yuya's associates even let him do that?

Lambert says, over Rita's squalling, that he's only here because he trusts Strange (now it's his turn for a steady look at the magician). Strange seems to think Ignatius can be trusted to at least keep his word once it's been given, so they came to see if there was a shot at working something out.

Yuya speaking to Ignatius one on one, he's less thrilled about, but he says he's willing to let him do it. He'll will point out that he needs to be close by so he can keep casting the spell that keeps them from being overheard by others, but if Yuya and Ignatius want to be completely alone, well, they'll have to keep their voices down.

Rita is tense, her fur puffed out to hell. She'll concede that of course she trusts Yuya, but...

...

Ugh. She hates this, but she'll allow it, so long as any agreement they reach is neither for Ignatius to regain his heart, nor for a contract of servitude.

And finally, she'll remind Yuya to be careful with his words, damn it. She looks worried to all hell and not at all comfortable with this.

Strange idly responds that he's not entirely certain anybody wants his opinion, but Yuya talking to Ignatius alone is fine by him.

And he takes flight a little bit, flying away from Ignatius. He lands on top of Rita as much as he can, deliberately trying to squish her a bit.

Syrlya up above have no response, unable to hear anyone and just playing lookout up in the trees anyway.

Yuya smiles and thanks all of them. He'll give Ignatius final decision if he's okay being close enough to Lambert for the silencing spell, if he if wants to just keep their voices low and be alone.

Rita, partly squished, attempts to flail her claws at Strange's stupid bird feet.

Strange starts trying to pull at her fur.

HOW'S IT FEEL NOW TO BE BULLIED, HUH RITA.

Ignatius will start to climb down from the tree he's been sitting in. He says that Lambert can come and upkeep the spell, as long as he promises not to interfere in negotiations.

Lambert asks, ominously, if he's going to have to set both Strange and Rita on fire to get them both to sit the fuck down and shut up.

But with Ignatius coming down, his attention's drawn away, and he nods. He promises not to interfere with the negotiations, he says, unless he deems that Yuya or Ignatius might be in some kind of immediate danger. Not necessarily from each other, he'll clarify dryly, but if Syrlya sounds the alarm, they're all going to have to split.

He'll walk over with them to wherever they want to have their chat, then settle down into a catloaf on the ground, eyes going half-lidded as he tucks his paws under himself just to make himself look even less threatening. Happy now, Iggy?

Yuya nods in understanding, because it's true none of them want to get caught, and by Ignatius's lead they'll go a little further aside to talk in more privacy.

He'll start by asking, genuinely, how Ignatius is doing since arrival. Strange told him he was 'alive and well' after the branding, but... that was painful, Yuya can't imagine how bad it must have really been.

Ignatius just says that he's had worse. Iron is daunting, but it's not as if he hasn't felt its bite before. Of course, it's the first time since he had his heart torn out, which seems to have made him less able to cope with the after effects.

Yuya will ask, tentatively, what that feels like... missing his heart? He'd never heard of something like that, either happening or being possible, but he's also not super educated on Fae biology.

Ignatius doesn't have to answer, but it sounds pretty awful and he's willing to listen.

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