⇨ EDEN PT. 2

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 86 - Day 88
Where: Eden
What: The Furies of Eden have been found and have agreed to ally with the carnival to achieve their mutual goals. Meanwhile, tensions in the city only get thicker. How much longer until everyone's cover is blown for good?
Warnings: Increasingly high chances of ritual sacrifices.

FRUIT OF KNOWLEDGE↴ Progresses has been made, but obstacles are approaching. As various characters fall under suspicion for their unusual natures the threat of backlash from the community of Honorables and Architects grows imminent. Several carnival members have fled to the Barrens, allying with the Furies of Eden, a rebel group bent on defying Lilith and taking Eden for themselves. Meanwhile, those still in the city are left with the aftermath. Information is still being cycled between the two groups, via various super powers and delivery methods. Sans has been freed from the control of his Architect and has left to find the rebels, but his delivery service is still being used to disperse information. You can assume to have been told about anything on this spreadsheet that's been addressed to the entire mailing list. ► TENSIONS GROW: As the days go on, the attitude of long term residents have only grown more suspicious and hostile. Several members of the new arrivals have gone missing, and it seems as if the locals are starting to suspect these absences are intentional rather than accidental. Some of the most ornery of them will say things that suggest that they think they've run off to join the heretics, but they will be hushed by those near them. However, no immediately violence is being imposed on people from the carnival's entry group. Not that you've seen, anyway. ► SAMYAZA'S INVITATION: Displeased by the atmosphere being created by all this distrust, Samyaza the Hare, Architect of Festivities and Music, has invited all of the remaining new arrivals to an exclusive garden party of hers. Everyone who is still in the city will be invited to attend, along with some choice members of the native population. The actual party will be happening on Day 88. Attendance is strongly recommended by the other Honorables. The nature of this even will depend on what occurs before it, and will be covered in more detail later in the log. The invitations go out on Day 86. ► HERESY UNVEILED: On the evening of Day 86, the city of Eden is alight with controversy - a band of Furies have been found! Hasma of Araqiel (the horse featured in Missing posters last week) has been caught within city borders, along with two Honorables of Eden who had been secretly colluding with her. The three condemned Furies have been bound and chained in cages in a public areas of the city, awaiting trial and punishment. It's a similar tone to criminals being locked in stockades for the civilians to mock, though the initial city mood seems more uncomfortable and nervous than angry. There is a horse, squirrel, and border collie currently imprisoned. ► RINGMASTER'S RETURN: On Day 87, the Ringmaster will be returning from her investigation. Specifically, she'll be arriving at the doorstep of the Furies in the Barrens, and will be entering to visit her associates within. Apparently, she's been spending all this time searching the barrens for entrances into the core of Eden, as well as trying to communicate with the Serpent. Neither have yielded major successes, however. Carnival members at the Furies base can ask interact with her through investigations.

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya's not really one for being stuck circling in one place either--it's more time with too little to do than he's used to, and it makes him a little too aware of what progress they aren't making.

He circles the rec room at some point, which is where he spots Peridot doing puzzles. It's probably a good idea for everyone from the carnival to continue to keep tabs on each other, so with that in mind he walks over and tilts his head to peer at her work. "May I ask what that is?"

[alienwear]

She has one of those 3D wooden puzzles clasped in her little raccoon paws, and is dutifully taking it back apart.

"Some sort of wooden toy designed to engage and distract the user," she says flatly, pulling two pieces apart. "There are several varieties available here. I've already solved them all multiple times, so, now I'm testing out different strategies to see which allows me to solve them the fastest."

[chronosynthesis]

"Ah." That's all he has to say about it at first. Distraction seems like an adequate descriptor, given the circumstances that even have them watching and waiting.

He shifts back, folding himself in close as he glances around the room for a moment. "The Furies seem to have a stable operation here."

[periphrasing]

Peridot sits up a little at the shift of topic, setting the puzzle down slowly,

"They've been doing this for a long time without being detected," she nods. "It's impressive. By my calculations, an alliance with them would be extremely beneficial to the completion of our task. The problem with THAT is that it's hard to offer them anything concrete without contacting the Ringmaster first..."

[chronosynthesis]

"We should try to find her." Not the least because there's a lot of information to fill her in on, and she'll be the one making the judgement if they have to bail--although he doesn't foresee her leaving without the mirror even in dire straits. "Perhaps a member of the Furies can provide us a better idea how to navigate the barrens to locate her... provided we do, have you already an idea how to assist them?"

Vaguely offering their services won't mean much of it's not a task they have the time to afford themselves to or would be excessively risky.

[periphrasing]

She fidgets uncomfortably at that. "Not especially," she admits. "It sounds like taking the mirror away from Lilith would be a mutually beneficial move, but I'm not really sure how we can convince them of that, or what we can do to earn their trust in the meantime. It's possible the Ringmaster could promise to provide an alternative sanctuary for them in the event that disposing of Lilith somehow destabilizes their realm, but I don't want to go making promises on her behalf."

[chronosynthesis]

"Do they have a plan for disposing Lilith?" He won't say that they can't just by virtue of her own power, but even if possible it isn't simple or likely to come without sacrifices.

"It seems as though removing the mirror will already cripple Eden's goals. I think a bigger concern will be the retaliation they face when it is gone." He's estimating the biggest barrier to their trust is just proving that their group isn't going to completely screw the Furies over with their mission. They're in enough of a corner to already be open to the idea of outside help, it's only figuring out how.

[periphrasing]

"I'm not sure that they do have a plan," Peridot admits. "Though as far as retaliation is a concern... I've been talking to Yefefi and they divulged some interesting details to me. It almost sounds like the worst of Eden's methods of punishment involve the use of the mirror. That's their best guess for what happened to the Serpent, anyway; Lilith didn't do that to her with their own power. The Fruit and the Flame both come from the Mirror, and the Mirror somehow reversed their effects."

[chronosynthesis]

"Do they?" He pauses, considering that. It makes enough sense, if you consider sapience and passion as extension of ones self--their soul.

"If the Ringmaster is more capable of using the mirror, perhaps there is a way we can use it to their aid." Make another fruit and flame, or perhaps reverse its effects. Some way to give them a defense against her punishment. "If the Twelve themselves are using it, it just be easier to control than the Rose, but... I would consider it ill advised to let anyone else try in her stead."

[periphrasing]

"Trust me, I agree with you on that." Surely they're both remembering the reaction Steven had to the Rose. Peridot isn't keen on repeating past mistakes.

"It just feels like we're stuck until the Ringmaster decides to show up again. I don't like it."

[chronosynthesis]

Mounting an assault on their own would probably be a terrible idea, but... "Well, even if we cannot promise anything we should at least integrate with the Furies and find more commonality in our goals. It will be easier to forge an alliance if we understand more about each other."

Maybe talking isn't the kind of action Peridot is anxious for, but it's something. And even if the Furies are cautiously welcoming, it's clear there's still a barrier to their trust they'll have to overcome.

[periphrasing]

"Yeah. You're right," she groans, resting her chin in one hand. "Honestly I think that's about the only thing we can do at this point. It's not like I'm opposed to learning more about a super cool group of secret rebels, I just..." Huff. "I wish it felt less like we're sitting around doing nothing while all of our friends are still out in the city risking their lives."