⇨ 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

[atouts]

"I can go with her," Childermass offers instead once he sees what Lambert is trying to hand over. "I have a spell or two up my wing that should work to keep the bird from seeing her at least. The spider noticing anything off less so but that's the risk we will have to take."

[prazerbutterfly]

"Eh," he begins to answer Syrlya's question, "I lost count a while ago. Maybe hundreds, thousands?"

He looks over at what Lambert is offering to Rita and then to Childermass offering himself. Tyki personally loved these type of situations. A gambler at heart, it made it far more thrilling this way. "Just be careful. I don't know if I can use my power of those webs or not should we need to separate you from them."

[spaghettimonster]

Of course the Architect Armaros left invisible magical webs, why would anything be easy? No wonder Sans got caught in the first place.

"If you touch the web," Papyrus addresses Rita and Childermass, "and feel like you're turning into a spider's webcam... Please call for help! There's a lot of us here to try to rescue you."

[anti_nonsense]

Rita nods, taking the offered necklace and rising to her feet. "I'll give it a shot. Watch my back."

She slips the pendant over her neck and activates it, then steps forward into the room, stepping as lightly as she can. Relying on the pendant and Childermass for cover, she walks straight toward Penemue, then reaches out and activates her magic. Conjuring a glowing interface, she'll try to look at the magic in the webs before anything can interrupt her.

[atouts]

Meanwhile, Childermass will have moved from whoever he was perching on before to sit on Rita's shoulder instead, muttering his 'don't look here' spell as they go. It's basically invisibility, if more in a sense of altering perception than actually turning invisible. Once it settles over the two of them, he'll fall silent, focusing on maintaining it while Rita works.

[npcarnival]

As the two of them enter the room, things are quiet, and seem to go according to plan. Penemue keeps ignoring them as Rita begins examining the magic of the webs more carefully.

They don't attach to Penemue at all, and are instead swathed around the place where the bird is sitting, and hanging from most of the ceiling. The exact type of magic it is is difficult to make out, but it's something like a construct with latent enchantment effects. The floor has something like that strewn across it, as well.

What comes to mind is the idea of how a spider can sense vibrations from elsewhere on their web, knowing exactly where to go to find their prey.

[anti_nonsense]

Silently, Rita touches a finger to her tunic, using her information transfer to silently tell Childermass what she's just perceived. Maybe he can tell the others...

For now, Rita sets about using the interface to 'edit' the magic in front of her, attempting to sever the threads. Maybe that'll alert Armaros, but there's a good chance that she's already done so in walking here, so it seems worth the risk.

[npcarnival]

Suddenly, Penemue turns around and looks right where Rita is standing. His eyes don't focus as if he can see her specifically, but he's looking in the area she should be.

"Hello," he says. "You've come, haven't you?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita freezes for a moment. Can he see her...!?

She’s not sure how to respond to his calm greeting at first. But... “Yeah,” she replies after some hesitation. “I take it you were expecting us.”

[npcarnival]

"Yes," Penemue says, simply. "We know that you want something from us, and it isn't hard to figure out what."

Penemue looks away again.

"But what would you do to get it, I wonder?"

[atouts]

Downside to this spell? Interacting with someone outside of it pops it like a bubble. If Rita wants to hide again, she'll have to rely on the gem Lambert handed her. He won't try pulling it up again now that it's apparent Penemue knows they're there.

"You'd be surprised," the crow on Rita's shoulder replies, "Or perhaps not. I suppose a writer will have thought up all kinds of ends to this story already."

[whattaprick]

Once they start hearing voices, Lambert makes a face, which is a funny expression for a cat to have.

"Now they've done it," he mutters, then looks to the rest, including the Furies. "Spread out. I want to be ready to cover Rita and Childermass."

And he looks to Tyki and Zangetsu, tail twitching impatiently. "One of you, give me a ride." Whichever one speaks up first, he'll be leaping onto their shoulder nimbly. He'll wait for others to make their own group arrangements before he announces:

"I'm dropping the silence spell."

[prazerbutterfly]

He drops his hand and his Tease flits into the air at ready, ignoring anything else at the moment except its Master's orders. He snorts gently at all that sneaking for nothing and tries his best not to shrug his shoulder given Peridot is still on it.

He glances back at Lambert at his request and lifts a hand at ready near his shoulder to help stabilize him whenever he decides to climb him, "Sure, sure." Because as far as he sees it, there is no reason to burden both fighters here currently 'human'.

[npcarnival]

"Hmm, a crow," Penemue comments, looking back to see Childermass. "A real one, this time." He pauses to think again for a moment.

"Yes I think having a certain amount of imagination makes the future a frightening place. I am well aware that Eden avoids keeping historical records, and for a good reason. There is little to tell, and much of repeating the same mistakes."

[moonfang]

Good, because Zangetsu doesn't particularly want to carry anyone around. He needs to be able to fight at a moment's notice. Whichever way Tyki and Lambert go, Zangetsu circles around to the other side. He walks on the air, about six inches above the ground, in case any webs are laid there like traps. He doesn't trust these Architects as far as he can throw 'em. Especially not Mr. Calm Crow, there. He isn't sure if he remains invisible to the powerful architects, but he keeps silent never the less.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya also nods, once, leaning over slightly to investigate the room. He can't see what Rita does, unfortunately, so it's a bit of a guess... but he teleports into the room, not too far from the entrance if he has to gather to the Furies, but far enough that they don't all get nuked at once from huddling. He keeps stiff, still, and maintains the invisibility veil on himself and the others, focusing more on keeping that spell up.

[atouts]

"A realm doomed to repetition, never changing," Childermass replies, ignoring the whole 'real crow' comment for now. That'll always rankle but maybe it'll be useful here. He cocks his head to one side, a curious bird-like motion. "Or perhaps not. You could take the chance for another ending. I know the serpent did try once upon a time. She's still out there, you know."

[anti_nonsense]

"Sounds like a stupid way to run a society," Rita chimes in, her attention still divided between Penemue and the interface before her, as she continues chipping at the magic threads. "But this guy's right. It can change. It's not just the Serpent... there are lots of beasts living here who want that change, and they're willing to do what it takes to make it happen."

[npcarnival]

"Mmn, perhaps," Penemue says. "But you should stop meddling with the magic of this place unless you would like to upset my companion."

He's looking at you, Rita.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita pauses, her fingers hovering over the keys traced in light. By now, Penemue probably could have alerted his allies if he wanted to... if he's cooperating that much, then maybe she can listen to him.

"To be honest, I thought she would have ambushed us by now. She's not hiding around here?" As she asks, Rita's gaze drifts upward, to the artificial sky. Could Armaros be in a connected room? She can't be far.

[spaghettimonster]

Like the others still covered under secrecy spells, Papyrus ventures out and skirts the edge of the room, a couple feet from the wall. He's looking around for visible dangers, and listening intently for signs that things are about to go wrong.

But really, he hopes Rita and Childermass can talk their way into the mirror.

[npcarnival]

"Armaros is watching," Penemue says. "She is not convinced. I suggested we perform a test, to see the nature of your intent."

Penemue glances towards the stairwell.

"Yet, she smells blood. The blood of our followers."

[moonfang]

Zangetsu is still being quiet.

But he has to stifle one of his unsettling giggles behind his hand.

Well, he did ask them to get out of the way...

[atouts]

Well, Childermass can't actually tell Zangetsu not to defend himself, so. He has to consider for a moment before he replies with, "You do. I regret that it came to that but those who did stand in our way had to be moved. They need healers, though, not graves."

[npcarnival]

"Then, I would like to attend to that," Penemue says. "But it would seem we are at a turning point in the plot, to continue the metaphor of fiction. If I trust your intent, she may not trust your competence."

"There are others of the Twelve who have been diverted from their watch to allow for this moment. Yet, it is hard to imagine what you could do to prove yourself worthy of such a gift as the Mirror."