⇨ 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

[anti_nonsense]

They're going to consult the Mirror...? They've got to see this. It's what they came for, after all.

Rita stays completely still, her attention partly on the Architects and partly on her own breathing, keeping it as slow and silent as possible. She focuses with her third eye, keeping a lookout for signs of magic.

[moonfang]

Zangetsu also opts to listen in a bit longer, using his soul sense to keep track of any movement of the Honorables above and below.

[amphibiopathic]

Starting to get the distinct feeling she’s in over her head, but sadly bereft of any unique perception-related skills, Eruka focuses on remaining still and concealing her soul as best as she can.

Her attention is focused on more mundane things. Like, is there actually anything in her line of sight that remotely looks like the Silver Mirror from the notes research has been able to gather? Besides that, are there any likely-looking exits besides the way they came?

[npcarnival]

"Armaros, Baraqel," the tiger says, "you should go and make preparations. Meanwhile, we have other things to discuss."

The spider and stingray wordlessly nod, and then look to the illusion of a sky up above. For a moment it ripples, becoming nothing but the reflective surface of a mirror - the versions of Armaros and Baraqel down below vanish, and their reflections leave for elsewhere.

"I think Azazel and Bezaliel have made themselves quite clear," says Saraqael, the wolf. "But are we going to heed Samyaza's requests? I do agree that chaos will only drive the Honorables away from our purpose. We're already making an adequate demonstration of Hasma and her accomplices."

"They will burn for their crimes," Azazel, the crocodile, snaps.

"Fear is a good motivator," Samyaza agrees, "but only in moderation. Too much of a spectacle and you'll drive fence sitters straight into the Furies arms."

"What we need most is information," Araqiel says, bowing his branch-like horns. "We must know if the entire batch is spoiled before we can simply throw them away."

Despite remaining silent, the massive lurking figure of Bezaliel lingers. It's been impossible to see his face, and only now he speaks.

"Something is here that shouldn't be," he says. Inexplicably, he fades out of sight.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita gives the other two a wide-eyed glance at Bezaliel's utterance. A moment passes, and the three of them start to creep back down the stairs, aiming to rejoin the rest of the team.

If they make it, Rita will use her information transfer technique to silently share what she just saw and heard with the rest of them.

[atouts]

Yeah, as soon as Childermass knows one of the Architects used a way to vanish that wasn't the sky illusion, he's dropping the "don't see me" spell and telling the ones capable of hiding themselves to make for the exit. The ones he's been covering -- Tanyuu, Tyki, and Rita -- are going to find themselves shoved into his own shadow as he makes for the exit himself.

Also via shadows, of course, flitting away through them as fast as he can. It's less abandonment and more that his own magic does have limits. He can only take so many people along and hope to maintain any kind of stealth at the same time.

[worldlyafflictions]

SILENT INTERNAL WHINING AS CHILDERMASS FLITS OFF WITH HALF THE CREW AND HE HAS TO MAKE FOR THE EXIT HIMSELF. UPGRADES HIS OWN 'DON'T NOTICE ME' SPELL TO A 'PLEASE PLEASE DON'T NOTICE ME' (ok he can't actually do that but he's thinking it).

Anyway he'll move along as quickly and silently as he can and huddle on the rubble until Childermass comes back to get him and Zangetsu out through the cracks.

[atouts]

Which he will do. Don't fret too much, Shima, as he's back almost as soon as the two arrive to move them back to the other side through the shadows. From there on, it's getting the hell away from the cave and hoping no one (like sneaky giant bears) have been watching them.