⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 119 - Day 126
Where: The Summerlands
What: Ignatius and Gild portal everyone to the Summerlands, with hopes of appealing to the Summer Maiden for help. Meanwhile, the carnival gets the chance to relax in luxury as only tentatively welcome guests. Here is the location write up from the last time the carnival visited. Since then, of course, some things have changed.
Warnings: Nothing in particular.

THE SUN RISES↴ After taking the time to rest, Ignatius and Gild will be able to pool together their energy to portal the carnival (and the airship) to the Summerlands. Those still in Polaris will be left to their own devices for the moment as Gild intends to ask for the Summerlands aid in relocating them, hopefully as soon as possible. With the effort the carnival put into sorting things out in there, however, they should be fine on their own for a little while, at least. They will arrive in the flowery fields at the base of the mountains, and soon the Summer Fae will notice their presence. Since the last time they visited, however, the atmosphere has changed. ► YOUR ARRIVAL: As the Summer Fae discover the group's arrival, it will quickly become apparent that there is a tension present that wasn't there any of the other times the carnival has visited. The Summer Maiden comes to greet the group personally, with an entourage of armed Summer Fae. They are not at all aggressive unless provoked, but there is clearly a wariness that is new. They seem uncertain about Ignatius being here, and while Gild will be able to do a lot of the talking and smooth things over, the Summer Maiden will deflect having a serious conversation about affairs until the carnival has taken time to 'rest.' It's more likely that the Maiden needs a moment to think over this new information before dealing with it. ► SUMMER CITY: After the Summer Fae become aware of everyone's presence, and the initial uncertainties are accommodated, they will invite you into their city. There are stairs that lead up the sides of the mountains, but thankfully there are also magical means of getting up there as well. The Summer Fae will be willing to help workers with the injured as needed, offering herbal remedies and healing magic to those that want it. You'll also be invited to join them for dinner, but it feels like more of a formality, and no one is obligated to take them up on it. ► SUMMER PEOPLE: The fae here will do their best to entertain these new visitors - but it doesn't seem that much happens here besides day after day of peaceful meditation and relaxation. It is not uncommon to see Summer Fae spent days doing exactly the same thing, whether that be enjoying the weather, listening to music, or dancing - the day and night periods may be similar to earth, but when you don't need rest it can all blur together just the same. Some of the fae work on feats of agriculture or craftsmanship, and while there is no particularly need to work in this place, they take pride in the fact that they do. ► FAMILIAR FACES: One very different thing about the Summerlands this go around is that there appears to be a small settlement built at the base of the mountains, filled entirely with the former residents of the Manor. Alyss and Reyna will explain that they set up a place to live down there with the Summer Fae's help, and that the fae seems to be trying to remain hands off except when they are needed. The Manor folk overall seem to be doing well, though there is some tension regarding their place in the Summerlands - they are clearly seen as refugees, and while the Summer Fae do their best to help them, the arrival of the carnival and the request for even more help with refugee aid seems to be making things awkward. ► OF THINGS TO COME: The Summer Maiden will remain distant for the first few days, but according to Gild and based on personal observation, it will seem that the news that the Ringmaster has been taken and the idea that even more desperate mortals are requesting to come here are putting her at significant ill ease. She's not rude or dismissive, but she seems reluctant to address the situation head on, though she has said that she will hold a meeting with the carnival later in the week to discuss everything in more detail. None of them seem particularly angry or resentful, but they seem to regard the carnival as an ill portent of things to come.

Comments

[atouts]

With Lambert's arrival, anything else Childermass may have said or asked about related to the Void comes to a complete and total stop. He doesn't even greet the witcher as he strolls up to join them, he just... looks on, any of the anger he held onto before evaporating into sudden and dour fatigue. He firmly makes a point not to look at either Lambert's horns or tail. No amount of frippery can fool him, even if the decorations make his alterations easier on the eye.

Anyway, uncomfortable moments aside, he'll still remind Lambert he doesn't need to do this.

[npcarnival]

The Starlight doesn't seem surprised by them being interrupted, nor by Childermass's reaction to it. Instead, she will simply say 'of course', and that she had received Lambert's letter some time ago but there was little she could do from a distance.

Though, she's unsure of how well her ward will hold up with the Rose Queen's curse upon him. It doesn't hurt to try, though.

[whattaprick]

And Lambert will answer, with the air of someone who's trod this argument far too many times before, that it's not about needing to do it. He wants to.

The Starlight's words give him a bit more pause, though it's a considering one more than anything else. Does she know much about curses like this, then? Is there a better alternative she'd suggest, if not a spell to hide?

If she indicates a favorable answer to the question of knowledge about curses, he'll mention he has more to ask her about that general topic, but settling the matter of the ward for Childermass comes first.

[atouts]

And with the air of someone who's been exasperated by this same argument far too many times before, Childermass will fall into a stony silence from there on and just let the two of them talk around him.

[npcarnival]

No, it's less about the type of spell and more that the nature of a curse is to set up a magical connection to activate an effect at a later time. The entire point of a curse is to mark an enemy, so it's a matter of the Rose Queen's spell directly competing with the ward, and any other spell that tries to oppose it.

However, the Queen is a possessive creature... she wants to punish Childermass personally. So, instead of doing anything remotely, it seems more likely that she would wait until Childermass was somewhere she could personally enjoy the results. She may never get around to bringing that curse to a conclusion if it involves going out of her comfort zone.

Especially if Childermass happened to aligned with someone whom the Rose Queen would hesitate to cross...

[whattaprick]

Lambert says he imagines that list of people must be very short. And if it's another fae, he'll add, looking at Childermass for confirmation, he doesn't think the magician's going to be all that enthusiastic about it.

[atouts]

Well, the Rose Queen sees Ignatius as an underling and Childermass doubts the Gilded Mark scares her whatsoever, so unless the Summer Queen herself has a soft spot for the Ringmaster's leftovers... He says that, shrugging at the end. He hasn't a clue.

[npcarnival]

Well, The Starlight will say, they are in the domain of one of those fae right now.

[whattaprick]

That's going to have to be something Childermass asks the Summer Maiden about himself, then. Lambert's tone broadly implies he sincerely doubts Childermass is going to do it, probably because of the same idiot notion that makes him reluctant to accept Lambert giving anything up for his protection, but arguing about that can be done later.

He'd still like to get Childermass protection from the Count and at least try to see what can be done about the Rose Queen, given he doesn't want a repeat of the Athenaeum. He's willing to trade his witcher medallion for it. Will that suffice?

[atouts]

Childermass does consider it but, obviously, has reservations. Begging the Starlight's pardon, he doubts the Summer Maiden would take on someone who disturbs the rest of her people so, much less would he care to be the one who finds the end of her goodwill with the trouble the carnival has already brought to her doorstep just for asking...

Overall, his answer is Very Unsure About That. The Starlight might believe differently but Childermass doesn't have much confidence in anything left in him (though he won't say that out loud).

[npcarnival]

She has a sense of the potential paths to come, and it seems that in some routes, his and the Summer Maiden's journey may be unavoidably intertwined. He may never have to ask this of her at all.

As for the ward, she is willing to make the exchange. She will do her best to protect him from the faeries named.

[whattaprick]

Lambert visibly isn't too thrilled about the Starlight's assessment of Childermass's future, but he will, for once, keep his opinions unverbalized. He simply hands the medallion over to her and looks at Childermass expectantly. Well? Step up and get blessed, buddy.

[atouts]

Then he'll wait and see if they are intertwined or not. His actions already led to what's become of Ignatius, however indirectly, so he thinks he'll opt to be passive for now...

As for the ward, well, that business is happening even if Childermass isn't happy about it. He won't decline it, though.