⇨ EDEN

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[steadydollypegs]

Doll puffs up, clearly annoyed despite being surrounded by Joker's own fluffy feathers. She's not entirely convinced that they can find anything while they're all animals and can't use each other's names, but she might also just be irate about the branding and feeling particularly lonely while hopping around in her little bird body.

"Well we better find it soon. I don' like anythin' 'bout this," she grumbles, so ruffled she looked more like a pom pom made of yarn than a bird. "...I keep thinkin' bout Smile. He had a brand on 'im too. When I saw it, I thought, 'that musta really hurt'."

[pipers_son]

To be fair, none of them like anything about this. Joker feels pretty confident in saying that, although he doesn't actually say it for now. While those who are staying in the carnival at this point know what they're in for and had their chance to leave, that doesn't mean they have to like it. It's just... a necessary choice.

Either they take risks like this, or they're stuck reacting to more and more horrible shit.

Best Joker can do is reach down and clumsily try to groom Doll's feathers like he's seen Feathers do more than once with him or anyone else who sits still long enough. Unfortunately, that means it's a lot easier to tell when he pauses at the mention of that particular person. It takes him a second to get back into it. "Well, now we know it does," Joker says, for lack of anything better to say. "Does yers still hurt, then?"

[steadydollypegs]

For the longest time, Doll hasn't wanted to say anything or talk about Smile or Black. It still hurts, even months later, and the last things she saw before the carnival still make her shudder, but time is helping loosen her grip on those proverbial cards. Maybe she's not ready to show her whole hand, though.

"Yeah. Stung like the dickens," she grouses, but leans into Joker preening her. That feels nice, and her feathers are slowly starting to come down. "...better not be permanent."

[pipers_son]

"Better stingin' than burnin', right?" he asks, although there's hardly any difference between the two. Whatever, it's fine. This whole thing isn't fine, but semantics between words can be.

"Anyway, I'm askin' because if it hurt too much, I could heal it for ya."

[steadydollypegs]

"...those seem pretty similar, Jo--... brother." And she narrows her little beady bird eyes just a smidge. Semantics doesn't make her chest feel better.

"Ya could?" She perks up a little bit. "I dunno, maybe y'should save it f'r somethin' bigger than just this though..."

[pipers_son]

A faint laugh bubbles out of his throat, and he nudges her a little. "S'not a one time magic wish," he teases her. "Just a little rest, and I can use it as much as I need ta." He's not perfect at it, yet, but he can do enough for something like this, he's sure.

"Besides, it's a little thing. It wouldn't take much at all. I promise. I've already used it on myself." If he hadn't, he doesn't want to think about what state he'd be in, with how long he's been in the carnival.