⇨ 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

[npcarnival]

"Those are your own mistakes to consider," he says, still staring away from the table. He sounds terribly melancholy. "My judgement of you is meaningless."

He's flinching at the pain in his gut, but it doesn't seem like the worst of his problems. The bits of faerie flesh left on the table have started turning to ash.

"But you acted as a true comrade in arms, and it would have been dishonorable to do anything less."

[scientificist]

At least Herbert is absorbed enough in his work to not have to really listen to people having emotions around him. It's keeping Ignatius a little distracted, and that's the best he can hope for without any access to fae-strength anaesthetising substances. The whole thing with the flesh tidying itself away is honestly pretty convenient, or he'd have a good pile going by now.

"I'm going to stitch you up now," he announces once he's cut out the last bits of damage he can identify. Squirming himself back down so his feet reach the table, he cleans off the tools again, hands the knife back to its owner, then takes out a curved needle and some silk thread to thread it. It's fairly difficult to make his first bite, and every one after that, but still doable with the needle gripped in his hemostat. (Sewing as a craft is such a wonderful excuse to accumulate something of a surgeon's kit.)

This task requires some leaping back and forth across Ignatius, to attempt to put as little tension on the wound as possible by alternating sides as he begins completing a slow horizontal mattress suture across the length of it. It seems a reasonable choice, considering he doubts Ignatius will take too much care with the injury after this.

[kingsroads]

Strange honestly looks a bit surprised when Ignatius calls him a true comrade in arms. The surprise lasts only a moment before he smiles. He leans back slightly, letting the weird void of the Silver Mirror support his weight as he looks over at Ignatius.

"I'd like to think I acted as a friend. And the point I made earlier this week still stands. Even when we're back in the carnival and when I'm free from your service, I'll still be on your side."

[scientificist]

It's probably fairly painful for Ignatius, what with the needle being made of steel and also the fact that he's completely awake now, but Herbert manages to finish up the last suture in fairly good time, tying it off and trimming the threads all at once now that he has access to the entire injury from on top of Ignatius' chest.

"I'll need to remove these later," he tells the fae, turning around to face him while still standing on him, "in a week or less. It will help if you can, bandage yourself with that cloth at the end of the table: I don't have anywhere near the leverage for that. You can. Use my scissors." Doctor duty done, he steps back down, places his scissors beside Ignatius, and walks to the plate, staring flatly at Strange. "You should go make yourself useful. I'm sure these animals have everything else handled in regards to. Us."

[kingsroads]

Strange just give Herbert a little frown. Go make yourself useful? What exactly does he—oh shit, there was a whole garden party bear fight that he ditched.

"Fuck," he swears, mostly to himself. Strange winces a little as he realizes his mistake. He doesn't seem too apologetic, though. Yeah, they had a semblance of a plan, but Strange knows he wouldn't be any use if he spent the whole time worried about Ignatius. Besides, everybody was doing a marvelous job beating the shit out of that bear, things are probably going good.

"Promise you'll keep something mirrored on you," Strange says, as he looks at both Ignatius and Herbert. He's talking to both of you guys, so listen up. "The clearer and more stable the reflection the better. If you can't find anything mirrored, then stand near still water. I'll be checking in on you after I try and make the rounds and I'll fill you in on what's happened."

[scientificist]

"Yes I'll bring the plate--" Herbert begins to grouse before cutting himself off and turning to the poor animals who have been here for this whole, idiotic procedure. "--unless any of you have something reflective that's, more convenient than this." He shakes his head and looks back at Strange. "Either way, yes, we'll. Do that."

[npcarnival]

Ignatius just grunts at Strange's request, but it seems like that's probably an 'okay.' Otherwise, he gingerly slides off the table and pulls the remains of his blood robe off, trading it out for some of that white fabric. He starts wrapping around himself in what seems like a fairly expert way - he can do bandaging just fine.

He has zero idea of the situation Strange is going to immediately find himself in.

[kingsroads]

Strange gives both of them a confident 'I've got this and nothing will go wrong!' sort of smile before he poofs out of the reflection and just goes right into a clusterfuck that is literally every other thread on this post.

[scientificist]

Right, well, at least that gets him out of Herbert's hair (fur?) for a little while. He takes a safety pin out of his pocket as well after a moment, just in case Ignatius requires it, and then sets to properly tidying up his sewing kit back into his pockets.

"Are we supposed to stay here in this garden," he asks the tapir once he's done, lying down and peering over the table's edge, "or are we continuing on somewhere else? Iii really have no idea what all this is about. I didn't even talk to Samyaza."