⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

Rita told Strange about the cavern the Twelve met in with the reflective ceiling that Acquisitions managed to get a peek at. Sometime before/during the party, Strange is going to try and find it via the reflections and the Silver Mirror. Can he find that chamber in the first place? And is there anything super noticeable/bad news about it?

[ringleaders]

He can appear in the ceiling mirror, yes.

When is he doing this, though? It makes a difference.

[kingsroads]

If possible, before the group that's looking for the Mirror heads out. He wants to scope out the area and report it back to Sans, Lambert, and Childermass so the three will know what to expect if they decide to investigate that area.

[ringleaders]

The meeting hall is occupied when Strange arrives, impossible to make inconspicuous as his image is projected right across that giant ceiling mirror.

Penemue is perched right beneath him, and tilts his head at the sight of Strange appearing.

"Hmm. That's no good."

[kingsroads]

If it's just Penemue there, Strange is going to look down at the raven, mutter an audible "Well shit" but still linger a few seconds as he tries to scope out the room for any visible entrances/exits or anything of noticeable importance within the meeting hall itself.

If someone else is there with Penemue (or the moment someone else enters the meeting hall), Strange is getting the hell out of dodge! He might be able to notice anything obvious, large, or impressive, but if there's more than one animal there, he's leaving.

[ringleaders]

"You're not just an illusion then, are you? What could they be up to."

Penemue considers Strange for a moment later, and then:

"You'll only bring more pain to your collaborators this way."

[kingsroads]

"I could be an illusion," Strange simply responds. "But I'm afraid my collaborator and I have already experienced our fair share of pain."

For the purpose of icly knowing this but saving you from oocly describing a room layout, how well does Strange pick up on the layout of the room? Is there anything changed about the room that wasn't there from Acquisitions' visit or anything that he can see in the room that Rita & the rest hanging out on the staircase during their visit couldn't see?

[ringleaders]

Nothing looks different based on what he's seeing right now. To see anything more he'd have to try opening his Third Eye, and he already experienced the splash back of that earlier.

"Just who are your collaborators exactly?" Penemue asks. "Much of what one fears is the unknown. Perhaps if you weren't unknown, we wouldn't find ourselves being so aggressive."

[kingsroads]

Yeah, keeping the Third Eye shut is a good idea. Considering that there aren't any big, obvious, physical traps here or an actual physical Silver Mirror, Strange has pretty much accomplished what he came here to do.

So naturally he's gonna just continue talking a bit!

"I think it's obvious who my collaborator is," Strange scoffs. He's spent the past week practically glued to Ignatius's side, after all. "Perhaps if you weren't so aggressive, we wouldn't be unknown."

[ringleaders]

"It is obvious, yes," Penemue says. "Are you also a fae?"

[kingsroads]

Strange is a terrible liar. But, he's discovered that he's a much better liar if his lies are technically the truth (which makes sense in his mind). He's forming a bit of a plan here but he's not going to tell Penemue anything unless he gets something in return.

"Tell me what you've done to him and I'll tell you about myself in return."

[ringleaders]

"Faeries have weaknesses. They are easy to exploit, to keep even the most powerful of you under control."

Penemue tilts his head around in a bird-like way.

"He says that the Mirror was from Faeries as well. Is that true?"

[kingsroads]

"You've ignored my offer," Strange points out, as if it's obvious. "Once again, tell me what you've done to him and I'll tell you about myself in return."

[ringleaders]

"Iron, isn't it?" Penemue says. "It was enough to break the enchantment. It's made it so he can't get away a second time."

[kingsroads]

That's something he can pass on to the rest. Bring someone less fae because there's probably iron involved in Ignatius's binding. Hell, there might be iron involved in bindings of other carnival members as well.

Strange is trying his hardest to keep his expression neutral, to take every piece of advice that Ignatius gave him about hiding his emotions and putting it into play.

"I find it odd that you didn't know the Mirror was from the fae until my collaborator told you. Doesn't Lilith trust her Twelve? Then again, it's not a good look that the foundations of Eden were built on stolen property."

[ringleaders]

"No," Penemue agrees. "It is not a good 'look' that the basis of our work in creating a perfect being would be built upon a creation of the most imperfect beings of all."

"Lilith has no need to trust us. Our opinions matter little."

[kingsroads]

Strange laughs a little as Penemue calls the fae 'imperfect'. He can think of a few fae met in their travels that might not enjoy being called 'imperfect.'

"If you don't like your situation, change it," Strange simply responds, as if that's the easiest thing in the world. He gestures to himself as he continues talking. "Surely you'll do better than us imperfect people."

He can't help it: there's a little bit of jackass taunting behind his words.

[ringleaders]

"Alas, we are not perfect either, which is the basis of our struggle." Penemue doesn't seem offended. "I only fear for my people, and what the cost a betraying their duties would be."

[kingsroads]

This conversation's been going on for honestly longer than Strange was expecting. And Strange knows the more he talks, the more likely it is he'll give something away. He knows about the room's layout, he knows more about Ignatius, and he knows that Penemue at least has exploitable doubts about all of this: that's enough info to cut this short and return back to the team before the conversation shifts elsewhere.

"My point stands. If you're worried about the cost of betraying your duties, then find a situation that changes the duties entirely. I did that once: it works better than you think." At least, he thinks it did. Strange hasn't exactly stuck around to see how England's doing with it's influx of magic. The taunting moves away from his tone a bit. At least with this, he's trying to give Penemue honest advice.

"Care for another piece of advice before I leave you?"

[ringleaders]

"I expect you're going to give it to me regardless," Penemue says, apparently unflappable by Strange's commentary.

[kingsroads]

You can take the man out of the circus performance, but you can't take the circus performance out of the man. Strange is blatantly indulging this as he gives Penemue a wide grin.

"Next time, get your information before you place someone in front of an important fae artifact. After all, I am the Marquis of Mirrors." He is a ham who is milking this 'possibly mistaken for fae' thing for as long as he can and getting his kicks while he has the chance to. "Manipulating this thing is child's play!"

At least, it's getting easier thanks to his own magic, Creation, fruit, and not really having anything else to do aside from 'figure out how the mirror works.' Like his huge ego would let him admit that, though.

And so, Strange turns around and tries to head back into the void of the Silver Mirror! Roll for over the top exit.