⇨ EDEN PT. 3

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: End of Day 88, on to Day 89
Where: Eden
What: The carnival breaks into two groups, as one entertains the Architect Samyaza at her festival, and the other assaults the Cathedral through a secret passageway with the intent of claiming the Silver Mirror and liberating those imprisoned.
Warnings: Ritual sacrifices.

IN GOD'S HANDS↴ Only those left in Eden and remaining undetected will be able to come to Samyaza's festival, which is an increasingly small group. It's also a dangerous proposition - there's no way to know what Samyaza has in store for her visitors, only that she apparently wants to interact with them before allowing the other Architects to act. It could work as an excellent distraction, drawing the eyes of the Architects towards the festival instead of towards the Cathedral while the attempt to claim the Mirror is taking place. For those that arrive in Samyaza's gardens, they are beautiful and well prepared, and music of otherworldly perfection flows through them. Tables are arranged with amazing works of art as their centerpieces, while the trees themselves are made into dazzling displays of color with an effect that seems to turn their leaves into pure light. Samyaza will be presiding, a hare that looks like she's made of something ephemeral, like wind of pure colour. She invites you in kindly, saying that before she speaks, she will honour you with a song... ► THE SET UP: For the first hour or so, the festival will be nothing but celebration. There are other Honorables there, but not as many as usual - the main event are you and the other new arrivals. After the hour mark, Samyaza will perform her song. Until then, threads can be made focusing on the pre-song mingling and planning. Will you listen when she sings? ► THE TWIST: There will be more happening at the festival than Samyaza plans. While she is comfortable waiting to act, other Architects are less patient. ON HOLY GROUND↴ With carnival members (and Ignatius) in enemy hands, there's no more time for hestitation. Based on the information given to her by various carnies, the Ringmaster will meet with the Furies and declare her intent to attack the Cathedral's underground during Samyaza's festival on the evening of Day 88. The Furies will agree, saying that those they have on the inside will use their influence to ensure there are as few Architects and Scholars are blocking their way as possible, but they must all still expect a fight. Furies from the base in the barrens will be coming along with this raid group, using what information they have to speed transit through the underground tunnels. They only ask two things - that after the Mirror is collected, it be used to save the lives of Hasma and the other captured Furies, before being used to repair the mind of the Serpent herself. ► THE SET UP: The Ringmaster will lead the way into the secret ruins that Childermass and the other found - the main difference is that she will smash right through the cracked wall defending the depths of the Cathedral, clearing the path entirely with her now serpentine body. Her plan is this - to draw the attention of the Architects to the surface by taking on the appearance if the Serpent, while carnival members and assisting Furies search the tunnels below to find the Mirror and the captives. ► THE TWIST: The people captured by the Twelve and imprisoned in the garden (AKA characters on the TDM) will be found, but the carnival members won't be. At least, not in the same place as the other captives. A megathread will go up for the group that goes to capture the Mirror, but you are free to NPC and thread confrontations will Scholars that are protecting the underground prison and the chambers where the Twelve held their meetings. Please report any Scholars that are killed or seriously harmed to the mods. Lambert will be leading the part of the group heading towards the Mirror, while Sans will head the group searching the tunnels for captives. Now is the time to let loose and use all your powers. It's probably best to keep your disguise to catch people off guard, but it is no longer necessary. New characters will be directed to post here once accepted.

Comments

⇨ ON HOLY GROUND (HEIST)

[ringleaders]

pluto, new arrival dropping in!

[krunmacula]

The animals are restless.

She doesn't quite know what that means, and she just hates that! But she's managed to put this much together, at least: something is different. There's an air of tension (she thinks?) and suddenly each glance she catches from one of her captors means something entirely new. She acts no differently, of course; she gives each of them the same fond smiles and waves she'd give anyone else. Just because they've kidnapped her doesn't mean they're not worth all the love she can give!

That perfect, unbreakable facade lasts far longer than it has any right to. There's a rumbling sound- no, a feeling, under her feet and far in the distance, and everything threatens to fall apart. Hope flashes across her face, and she can see alarm clear and present in the animals', and it's all she can do to stop herself from running for it there and then.

She just needs to be patient. She just needs to wait this out a little longer. Soon, something will change - for better or for worse.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya probably gets a few odd looks as he slips into the garden at the beginning of whatever guaranteed chaos there's going to be with this breakout attempt. He's not recognizable to the scholars, as a red fox, but he doesn't stop long enough for questions.

When he sees Pluto his ears perk up and he immediately makes a beeline to her.

"Hey," his voice is hushed.

[krunmacula]

The moment a fox approaches her, Pluto feels a familiar, constricting knot in her chest - anticipation. Something's happening, that much is obvious, but she still can't tell what! For all she knows, this fox is a rebel - or another one of the guards. She's missed her powers since the moment she arrived, but right now possibly more than ever.

So she's careful not to give away too much from her own end, smiling peaceably and responding in similarly quiet tones. "Well, hello there." She crouches down to speak to the fox, careful not to alarm any of the nearby 'staff.' "What brings you here?"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya leans in close when Pluto does, his face flicking sideways slightly. There probably isn't a lot of time to talk, so he won't be cagey.

"We're going to get you out." Whoever 'we' is. "You and everyone else trapped here. Um, can you move okay?"

He's not sure the state of health they've been kept in. They don't look starving, but that doesn't mean something isn't wrong.

[krunmacula]

Well, that answers that! Pluto can't help the slight relief that crosses her face, or the way her smile visibly brightens. "Goodness! Aren't I lucky that you're here, then."

She doesn't wait for a response, moving straight into answering his question instead. "It's sweet of you to worry, but I'm fine. All of us still here are, I believe." And the ones who aren't here, too. At least she certainly hopes so - it's not like she can just tell anymore. For all she knows, they've been summarily executed.

What a human move. Their captors really aren't as ascended as they might like to think, are they?

[hippocarnival]

"That's good." His shoulders slump a little with relief. At least they aren't so hurt that they can't run.

He glances around again, then moves his head to try and point the way. "There's more people we have to find. I don't think we have anywhere safe to leave you, so you'll have to come with us."

⇨ LILITH'S IMPERFECTION (MEGATHREAD)

[npcarnival]

Those searching for the Mirror once again arrive at the meeting room of the Twelve. They've had to fight off a few Scholars along the way, but through a combination of forces have made it past - how they choose to approach now may change from outright violence, however.

The room appears to be empty, all except for a single inhabitant: Penemue the raven. He sits on a pedestal near the speaking platform, staring away from the entrance. His feathers ruffle occasionally, but he doesn't seem to be paying much attention.

[anti_nonsense]

Upon getting a glance at the raven, Rita immediately ducks away from the room, facing the others.

"What should we do...? We won't be able to use the transport with feather-face getting in the way," she whispers. "There's enough of us here that we could take him out, if we need to... or someone could create a distraction."

[whattaprick]

"Hold on," Lambert says, raising a paw, murmuring. He has, after some thought, elected to remain a cat for this expedition -- it's a more portable and swifter form than his human one -- but now there's a knife strapped to him with a belt and a shadow gem at his throat.

"Seemed like he was alone when Strange spoke with him earlier, but that doesn't mean the others didn't leave anything with him. Look around for any sign of traps before you do anything."

And by that, he means use magic. In the meantime, with more mundane eyes, he glances around.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita sighs and, without commenting on the kill him suggestion, pokes her head back in to get another look, this time using her third eye to see if she can detect anything beyond what the naked eye can see.

[prazerbutterfly]

"He's more than that," Tyki speaks quietly. "When I was stalking about the library, he had a chamber there he liked to hold himself up in. His entrance was swift, mere seconds, and ink splattered everywhere. But the minute he was gone it vanished, clean as if it never was." It was quite stunning actually and it's clear in Tyki's voice.

He too is bipedal, 'human' again, though he's able to use a smaller transformation if need be. "But Mr. Ram is right. We don't know who else is around." He's not smoking right now, like he usually does, due to sensitive noses. And if anyone small wants to perch on his shoulder for a higher advantage, he doesn't complain.

Dark, a new arrival to yell at you!

[apaintingdarkly]

To say that Dark has had enough of this place is a vast understatement. He's the phantom thief. He does the stealing. He doesn't get stolen. It's infuriating.

When the atmosphere begins to change he finds a nice vantage point hidden in the foliage of a tree and waits, fully intending to catch the first stranger he sees by surprise.

hello have a pigeon sized hummingbird

[fortuneglass]

Is it possible, for a hummingbird to sneak up on a phantom thief? If it isn't, he at least won't catch her by surprise since she sort of went through the tree from behind him.

The hummingbird is mostly white- and she seems to practically glow. But what's important is-

"Aha!" she hisses, bouncing a bit in the air. "Good, another- Hey~ Wanna get outta here~?"

I Will Not Do Violence To Pretty Birds, say it with me dark

[apaintingdarkly]

In fact, because this particular hummingbird is so large and animals are the enemy here he is looking for just such a thing. He hears her a scant moment before she’s on him, but it’s enough that he doesn’t startle. Instead he eyes the bird with consideration, wondering if he’s fast enough to snatch it out of the air.

Wait, what did she say?

“What did you say?”

i can't wait for him to see her in person-shape tbh

[fortuneglass]

"Shhhh shh shh!" she chirps quickly- glancing side to side, and sighing. "Listen- I'm from 'The Carnival'; we're a group who've infiltrated this place...there's no time for too many details, obviously," the bird coughs, apparently rather nervous.

"But the point is, getting you out of here! We didn't even realize they had so many down here, yeesh..." she mutters, moaning a bit. "...what a mess..."

The best worst thing

[apaintingdarkly]

Ah, more carnies. Well, he’s taken directions from stranger looking birds.

“Took you guys long enough,” he grumbles, keeping his voice down now. “Alright, point the way, birdie. I won’t give away the game.”

[insidescoop]

Well!! That sure ruffles her feathers. "You-!! We didn't even know you were here to begin with, don't act like this was scheduled!!" she pouts.

"Now then...just stay close, and I'll lead the way!" she hums, darting back down through the cover.

⇨ UNDER HOLY GROUND (RESCUER MEGATHREAD)

[osteothropy]

So, hello! Maybe you've just joined the party. Maybe you've just gotten rescued by some weird animal you've never met before, and broken out of that garden prison. Lucky for you, after you get out into the tunnels with your new rescuers, there is a point of guidance.

Unfortunately, that guidance is a scary looking skeleton dog.

For those in the know, they will recogize one of Warden Sans's three skeleton dog familiars coming to find them after their successful caper. They will chase you down and bark for your attention, basically being a pest until they get you to follow them. Once you've done so, you'll eventually be reacquainted with a much larger skeleton - scorpion - wolf: AKA, Sans's scary monster form he takes on every so often.

He's waiting for you to arrive, hunkered down, with some knocked out Scholars nearby. He looks over the new arrivals, for a moment, before rumbling out an unnecessarily intimidating:

"Hi there."

[krunmacula]

Pluto is intimidated. Saying anything else would be a lie, after all. She's never seen something like this before; she's never seen a normal wolf before now, after all, at least not in person! She's lab-grown, lab-raised, never stepping foot on a real planet and certainly never seeing something like this, even in people's narratives and memories.

But intimidation certainly isn't enough to stop her now. Especially not after she's spent the last thirty minutes on the run - she's only just getting a second wind, stumbling towards a wall and resting her weight while she catches her breath. Once she's certain she can actually get words out, and that she's not going to say something she regrets, she smiles wide and gives a cheerful little wave. "Well, hello to you too! Are you my knight in shining armor for today?"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya comes up right behind Pluto, also catching his breath before he pads around her side to look at who else is here. There's a face he was hoping for that's missing, and his expression starts to crumble as he looks over at Sans.

"Did anyone find Gongenzaka and the others?"

It's a last bit of hope after Yuya accidentally led Pluto down random tunnels for way too long.

[osteothropy]

"Nah," Sans says to Pluto, his skeleton wolf face doing little to get across his emotions. "That's this guy, here." He nods at Yuya, sounding a bit cheeky.

And then, to Yuya:

"Sorry, kid. The room where you smelled him last was the only evidence we have. They must have been moved somewhere else... with any luck, one those Architects will be able to tell us where."

[textsfromhotland]

And then there's Alphys, still a small yellow rabbit with stupidly long ears.

"Uhh... do we really want to ask the Architects at this point? I don't think they like us all that much anymore."

[fortuneglass]

Carly is floating along their way in hummingbird state, leading yet another imprisoned behind her. "Whooo!! Okay, that's some of us..."

And...what are they talking about? Architects?

"Well, some of them are on our side, we know that much!" Carly chirps. She looks to Sans. "Ah...actually, if you're the one saying it, you must have proof of who that even is, right..?"

She is getting ahead of herself however- she looks to the one behind her. "Well. As you can see, we're one step closer~!" As he can see, there's a very large skeleton who forms the answer to 'what did you do to the honorables' as well.