⇨ THE WYLDLANDS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone pursuing the Huntsman.
When: Day 134 - Day 140
Where: The Wyldlands
What: Working as scouts from the Summer armies, the carnival makes a dangerous trek into the Wyldlands to find the Huntsman, defeat him, and save the Ringmaster from the Hunt. The day descriptions below are an outline, and details may change based on actions earlier in the week. Overall, though, it will keep the same general locations. You can make up encounters with Wylderkin at any time.
Warnings: Probably violence and gross Huntsman stuff.

HUNTING THE HUNTER↴ Upon first arriving in the Wyldlands, the carnival will find themselves in a scene much like the picture above - strange mountain ranges rise up around them, while thick forest cling to the land between. Every so often, giant silhouettes of Wyld Fae will fly overhead. Thankfully, the Summer Fae have picked an area with plenty of cover to hide in to begin their infiltration, and as the carnival is arriving via teleporation, there will be squadrons of Summerland and Summer Court Fae spreading out and concealing themselves within the trees. They will be following the carnival's trail as they move deeper into the Wyldlands, looking for their guidance to avoid the maw of the Hunt. The carnival Supervisors will be given several golden scrolls that unfurl into small light elementals. These will transmit information between the Summer armies and the carnival at speeds similar to sending a text message. They takes various forms, but most of them are abstract motes of light with wings and tails. When delivering messages, they take the form and voice of whoever gave the message, like a custom hologram that disappears immediately after finishing. After the carnival has been debriefed one more time, they will be sent off ahead to begin their scouting duties. Through a mixture of augury and expertise, the Summer Fae have narrowed down an area the Huntsman should be, as well as designated a general route that will mostly have ground cover. Who knows if it will stay that way, though, with how quickly the Wyldlands change. Much like in the Summer Court, time here is subjective - all sense of time varies between individuals, and the only solid way of knowing when a day is over is to have the light from the sky disappear. All time pieces will perform erratically while here. The carnival will still need to eat and rest, as well, which means that they will have to figure out the best times to set up camp. They have sufficient rations, at least. ► DAY 134: The carnival heads deeper into the forest on the first day of their scouting mission, told to head for a giant tree that they can see on the horizon. Apparently, this tree is a landmark that will remain consistent for the time being. Someone will have to check above the canopy every so often to keep everyone on target, which risks gaining the attention of flying Wyld Fae. There are plenty of Wylderkin around (lesser Wyld Fae that behave more like standard fantasy animals) but overall the journey through this section will not be hugely perilous, as long as they remain cautious and hidden. There will be a Megathread on this day, dealing with some optional and only mildly important Summer Court NPC interactions. ► DAY 135: Early during the next day of travelling, the forest will begin to fill with more and more magical fungi until giant shrooms have almost completely replaced the trees. At first they will seem innocuous, but as their presence becomes more inescapable, it will gradually become apparent than many of the mushrooms are poisonous to the touch - and eating them will be far worse! Those with empathetic connections to plants may be able to determine which are poisonous and which aren't, while some fungi may even have beneficial effects, if they get lucky enough to find and identify them. Generally speaking, though, there are few non-plant creatures around here, due to the fact that everything is toxic, including the swampy water that covers large sections of the ground. There will be no mod directed interactions during this period, besides handling general investigations. ► DAY 136: During the middle of this day, the carnival will finally reach the giant tree. On one hand, the plant-life has become relatively safe again. On the other, the giant tree is the lair of several neutral Wyld Fae who probably won't like the carnival's presence. On the other other hand, maybe those Wyld Fae might be willing to help or offer them directions? It's up to the group to decide if they want to attempt diplomacy, or to stealth past the tree and find their own way. There will be a Megathread on this day, based on however the team decides to handle it. ► DAY 137: Past the area surrounding the big tree, the lush foliage of the forest will begin degrading until nothing is left but dark naked trunks filled with glowing pods of various sizes. It's here that those with a connection to the Hunt will start to get a sense of the Huntsman's presence, and will be drawn in a vague direction. Unfortunately, this will also be their first major brush with the Hunt itself. Hunt patrols skirmish with neutral Wyld Fae in this forest, and the collateral damage of their warfare can be seen all over. The carnival will want to either map out a path through the trees that the fighting can be avoided for the sake of the Summer troops, or give them enough data to be able to handle the threat. How this portion goes will partly depend on the outcome of the previous day's Megathread. ► DAY 138: The forest will open up into the beginnings of a mountain range, with flowing water, luminescent plant life, and the occasional cluster of crystals sprouting from the earth. There are large parties of Hunt controlled Wyld Fae patrolling this area, and so making it through will require careful navigation. As the path becomes more and more mountainous, it will be possible to find routes that mostly avoid the patrols - this information will need to be communicated back to the Summer troops. There will be a Megathread here dealing with a Hunt patrol encounter. ► DAY 139: The mountains will continue to steepen, and the crystal formations will grow more huge and consistent. The air is always cloudy, and the air condition is bad, making it harder to breathe. Weather will become more and more unfavorable the higher into the mountains the carnival gets, with cold winds and lightning that frequently strikes the crystals and causes them to send out bursts of destructive energy. Paths will occasionally crumble. There is still a heavy Hunt presence, here, though they keep to safer trails - the best way to avoid them may indeed be taking the most dangerous routes. It's probably better than being mauled to death by beasts, though. Some distant mountain tops look like the might be volcanoes. There is almost no plant-life here, besides the most stubborn of brambles. By this point, the pull of the Huntsman has grown much stronger. ► DAY 140: The sky clears enough to show a deep red skyline. Barren cliffs are punctuated with rivers of lava, and paradoxically vibrant trees and foliage in erratic spurts. The those in the carnival with a connection to the Hunt will find themselves drawn to a valley in the center of the rocks, absolutely filled with Wyld Fae and other slaves gathered from around the multiverse. This will be the final encounter, and the carnival may have to trust in their Wyld Fae disguises to make it through. There will be multiple Megathreads here, detailing the encounter with the Huntsman and bringing this log to an end.

Comments

[moonfang]

Zangetsu, as intimately close to Gon and Gon's body as he is, can feel that burning on Gon's soul. Nope. It's gotten way too dangerous -- and if Gongenzaka's soul is burned away, there will be no saving him.

A grey, eyeless, blunt-toothed worm will appear before Gon in the spiritual space, and it speaks in Zangetsu's voice.

"Time to wake up."

The worm doesn't give Gon a chance to respond -- it swallows him whole, and Gon will find himself back in control of his body with Zangetsu, once again physical, on his back.

"I ain't lettin' you die, idiot."

He jumps off and surrounds himself in his own energy, hoping to cut the miasma of death, even if it's just a bit.

[betheman]

"Khhh-FFFFHHHWWSSSS-!" Gongenzaka's return to consciousness is a rough one, accented by rasping chokes and coughs that are far from helped by the miasma he's now abruptly being acquainted with. One could say he's been smoking, literally- but no, that was just his soul.

Perhaps a hair of a broken 'you're hurting us' made it through before he was pulled back- unwitting, as immediate as one would gasp in pain when stubbing their toe. It matters not.

They'll see her soon.

"Ahead," he rasps, still coughing up a storm as he somehow manages to stay on his feet. "That is her, ahead- kfh!"

"...She should know, that we are coming, at least," he wheezes, trying to shake himself into strength. His footsteps tremble slightly- but already he tries to move forward to their 'goal'.

[osteothropy]

"Is that actually a good thing?" Sans says tensely, watching Syrlya get ready to teleport. He's gone through this enough times. "Watch out, Syr," he says. "She might not be friendly to you getting close."

[periphrasing]

Peridot is scared. Maybe that's a bit of an obvious statement, since everyone here is probably scared to a certain degree, but the whole death fog thing has given her significant pause. She's shaking on the spot for most of the discussion, but Syr charging ahead spurs her to action.

"W-wait! Syrlya--!"

She dashes into the fog after him. No time to think. If she hesitates, she might try to talk herself out of it.

[flashover]

Rin dismounts from Kuro and gently bonks his head against his familiar's. Then, he clips both his pokéballs to Kuro's collar.

"Kuro... I want you to go back to the entrance, ok? If something bad happens to us, I want you to run. Take Nosh and Sparky to safety. Promise me that?"

The giant cat looks at Rin with big, globular tears in his eyes. He shakes his head insistently and Rin pets him. He is reluctant to leave, but Rin insists. Kuro rubs on Rin with enough force to knock the boy over, then closes his eyes and dashes back out through the tunnel.

Of course, he's blocked by the bone gate, now encased in solid ice. Sorry everyone, the boss door is closed.

Rin unsheathes Kurikara, surrounding himself in blue flames.

"This is what we came here to do! It's time to remind her who her friends are! We have to give it our all, or die trying!"

He doesn't know if he's rushing to his doom -- but it's too late to turn back now. He dashes after Syrlya and Peridot, a blue beacon in the fog.

[fortuneglass]

Gongenzaka is moving with all the speed and steadiness of a horse after a battle- but for all that he's slow, Carly isn't moving at all. Not immediately at least.

From the start of things, she's been quiet. It's uncharacteristic, to be sure- normally there's a nervous laugh. A short, witty comment, especially when the air is lightened by someone else's chatter.

But instead she has been quiet- her blindfold on intermittently for sight, but also to hide her eyes in general whenever it felt too much like they were going to well up. The pressure surrounding them now is crushing. It suffocates, much like the miasma around, and even with the blindfold on a line of tears begins to trickle down the side of her face.

"...Exactly," she manages with a small voice, perhaps only to herself.

Carly's fists clench at her side- and finally she darts forward, leaving a trail of 'pixels' like ashes in her wake, fumbling with her cloak of shadows from around her shoulders. She doesn't even manage to shout 'hold this', or, 'here!'- it falls to the ground as she rushes in and forward, light abruptly streaming off from her wings and tail.

"I... ...If we can't even try, there was no point in coming..!" she shouts, pushing the blindfold off her face to open her eyes to the room around her. Who knows if it looks any different in 'full light'- fog is fog.

But Carly's watery eyes take it in, and she runs for the 'Ringmaster's' presence. "RINGMASTER!" she shouts, choking on her words. "...RINGMASTER! IT'S US..!"

[spaghettimonster]

"It's... not the worst thing," Papyrus tells his brother, since... Yeah. Talking people out of things hasn't had the best track record.

"This doesn't need to be a surprise. It's better if it's not! If she knows we're here, and lashes out... We'll know that she's not friendly, yet."

Which, might spell a speedier and more certain doom than the magical fog, if she's particularly aggressive about it. He focuses on his blue magic, readying himself to ping souls and tug people - including himself - around to safety, if need be.

"And, if that happens, we'll lure her outside, so we're not in a tunnel of foggy death with her."

With a decisive nod on his foolproof plan, Papyrus rushes after the others.

[moonfang]

After watching a few people dash ahead, and a very large cat run away...

Zangetsu takes a moment to actually check the bone door they came through.

"... Well. The fire kid is right about one thing. We can't turn back now. Winter has us locked in."

Said cat, now small, is pawing at the ice with a distressed look on his face.


Zangetsu looks forward, the eerie red light casting strange shadows on his pale skin. He remembers a certain someone's words.

Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate

"Then there's only one way to go, isn't there."

[osteothropy]

Sans is watching Papyrus go with a fallen look when Zangetsu points out the gateway being shut. He spins around to look for himself.

"What?!" he yeowls, far louder than Sans usually gets. He can't fucking believe this.

[npcarnival]

As Syrlya exits the portal, and as others attempt to pursue him on foot, the red light intensifies through the fog. A massive, boney paw will smash into the earth right where Syrlya appears, vanquishing his attempt at forming a portal and also potentially smashing him into the ground.

A pair of great red eyes penetrate through the fog as a growl shakes the walls. Feathery wings extend across the ceiling, casting sickly hues across the arena they find themselves in. It's her.

She doesn't seem happy.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya doesn't get a chance to finish the portal, because one glance up and he has all of a few curse-filled seconds of magic exploding as he phases his body and teleports at an angle away from the Ringmaster--and the rest of the group, not concerned with his direction anymore than getting away.

The opening fizzles away in seconds.

[periphrasing]

Peridot skids to a halt with a yelp, stopping a ways off from Syr.

It's a chilling sight. The bony paw, the massive wings. It's hard to reconcile the image of the Ringmaster they used to know with the beast looming in the fog.

"Ringmaster! Stop! It's us, we're here to help you!" she cries, knowing full well there's no way that will be enough to get through to her. Mostly she's trying to draw attention away from Syr.

[fortuneglass]

"RINGMASTER-!" One more shout, and then there are the eyes. There are the claws, the same force shaking the walls forcing Carly to stop her run. She flinches- but sniffing, she stands straight despite obvious despair and fear, a hand at her chest.

"Mnh... ...Ringmaster," she calls, trying to bring strength into her words. "...I... ...I know, you already knew we were coming...Maybe not 'we' specifically," she manages, "...but I know... ...And I know, you're also the 'Phoenix', or were," she continues. "...So I don't know how much you remember completely... ...But I know that even without memory, you've always been you!"

Portland proved it- even if she didn't experience much of that version of the 'Great Beast' (or 'Beast' as it were) herself, it still proved it. "...I..."

Carly chokes on her words, the pressure around her bringing her typical hover to a grounded and almost unfamiliar stance. For a moment she can't come up with the words to say.

Desperately, she forces herself to find some. "...There's so much death in the air," she manages with a sniff. "...So much...Negativity," Carly continues. "...I wish I could clear it, the way you did for me...I wish I could just say one thing, and hear you laugh," she chokes, wiping her eyes. "Hear you speak again..! ...Because even if you take a different name...Even if you forget me, and everyone else, that happiness is something that you should never have to give up..! And that happiness..."

Her hand covers the mark upon her front- a sigil, almost like an egg. The sigil in itself does nothing.

But her hand opens, and moves forward, holding a token that was presented to her and the other supervisors what feels like 'forever' ago.

"...I would give anything, to let you have that happiness again, Ringmaster..! All my heart..all my soul...for so much more than just one year..!"

[whattaprick]

“For fuck’s sake—” Lambert curses as others rush on ahead, then glances to anyone else who hasn’t immediately run forward.

“Keep an eye out. Somehow, I don’t think that door’s the only thing Winter’s messing with.”

The sound of raised voices in the distance and something hitting the earth has him flexing his fingers, raising a hand to summon and hold up — what else? — a sword of flaming light, Creation’s warmth radiating out a short distance around it. If they’re surrounded by Death itself, he figures, maybe this’ll at least help push it back.

He moves forward to join the others, alert, ready to teleport and yank away anyone who might be at risk of being crushed by a massive paw, but he doesn’t contribute any yelling of his own for once, since everyone else has that well covered for now.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita catches Ignatius's look, and there's a flicker of apprehension in her expression as she comprehends the weight of what that reaction of his means.

She tightly grips the handle of her weapon, the electric whip she found in Polaris, and takes a few cautious steps forward. She doesn't activate it just yet, nor does she seem to be in a hurry to join those who've run ahead. Rita proceeds cautiously, keeping her third eye peeled for any sudden changes in the magic around them.

[moonfang]

"Yep..." Zangetsu responds to Sans with a lazy drawl, hefting his sword over his shoulder and padding back toward the frozen bone door. "I smell an ambush. That, or they're tryin' ta seal us in here with that nasty-ass gas."

He drops into a kendo pose, knees bent and both hands on his sword's hilt. He shoos Kuro out of the way with his foot. "Let's just see what we can do about that."

He knows good and well this is no normal ice, and it's going to take a lot to get through it -- time to give this his all while Team Friendship tries their best to bring the Ringmaster to her senses. He cloaks the blade in black and red energy, and starts wailing on the ice.

One of the pokéballs on Kuro's collar opens of its own accord, and Nosh the flygon appears in bright light. Zangetsu seems surprised, but then the dragon unleashes a plume of purple and blue Dragonbreath on the ice. He chuckles to himself and goes back to slashing, hoping to chip through the ice.

[starseedling]

The second that Peridot starts to run in, Steven (and, by proxy, Lion and Amethyst) are going in too. Lion seems very on edge about the whole thing, but in a 'it's time to fight' kind of way. Steven is on edge, too, but more in the vein of being afraid that everyone is going to melt or something.

Ever since they came in there, he's been able to sense the Ringmaster's emotions. She's confused and aggressive... the Huntsman must be pressuring her, an everyone flocking in is probably triggering some kind of instinctive reaction.

"Don't get too close!" Steven calls out, relieved to see Syrlya vanish away instead of getting ground into the earth. "She feels like she's being attacked!"

Because she is, in reality, but it's mentally instead of physically.

"Amethyst," he explains more quietly, "I'm going to try something, and it might be dangerous, so..."

Maybe she shouldn't stay sitting on him.

[npcarnival]

The fog is thicker here, and its effects are, too. It's an oppressive feeling of decay, and what was an itch will begin to turn to full out pain. It affects the full body, regardless of breath, regardless of physical makeup. To organics, it feels like exhaustion and aging, and to spirits and gems, it could feel like an erosion of their very being.

It's all too clearly coming from the Great Beast herself. It comes from her wings and out of her mouth like smoke, filling the air around them. She's the Miracle of Life and Death, but this is clearly only the latter on display.

She lunges forward at any one nearby, snapping her still-draconic jaws. Yet, ultimately, her movements are defensive, like an animal backed into a corner. The words people say filter in but slowly, and twisted.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya watches, listens as everyone else pleads with her. Sees her thrash, and it breaks his heart the pain she's in.

Yuya takes a breath to steel himself, then drops his shield and walks forward. Quickly, until he reaches into just the point of view. Then he stops, no sudden movements, and looks up at her.

He crouches, putting his staff down, disarming himself before taking a step closer.

"Ringmaster." Another step. Slow, steady, with his hand ourstretched. He doesn't shout, doesn't rush, doesn't want to startle her. He'll move as slow as he has to.

His fingertips start to glow faintly white as he channels the aspect of Creation left inside him.

[whattaprick]

If she's feeling attacked, the guy with the big old light sword stepping close probably isn't going to help, but the small bit of relief it provides Lambert from the oppressive air around them keep him from being distracted from the Huntsman in his head.

Instead, he comes to a stop, holding the sword parallel to the ground, over his head with one hand on the grip and the other on the blade, and wills the light it casts to shine brighter, trying to illuminate more of this dank, oppressive place.

"Look for any bindings or injuries," he calls out, voice strained. He hasn't heard any rattle of chains, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't there. Though he knows the Huntsman can exert his will with or without physical restraints, he needed the snake to hurt the Ringmaster -- and if it's still here, poisoning and weakening her, then they should at least do something about it.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst stops being a cat as she climbs down to Lion's back, behind Steven, so she can grab his hand. Hers is shaking a little. She feels like her limbs are all about to noodle out or something, like even though her gem is whole it's getting harder to keep herself together.

She keeps glancing around them with a sort of frantic energy, but she fixes back on Steven. She really, really wants to tell him not to do anything dangerous, but just being here is dangerous, there's no not dangerous option here. She squeezes his hand.

"You think you can... get through to her or something?"

[npcarnival]

With the added light of Lambert's sword, some things can be made out through the fog - it seems to cut through it in a way that normal light can't. There seem to be no physical bindings, but in terms of injuries, it could be considered extensive. There is no healthy flesh left on her now monstrous body - just bone and clinging leather. It's like she's zombiefied herself with her own magic, the essence of Death overflowing while the Life remains held back.

The claw that dug into the ground where Syrlya appeared is practically all bone, just like the fortress that surrounds them. With the effects of the fog, it feels like that may be the ultimate fate of everyone here, as well.

Her gaze lingers on Lambert, and then on Yuya, like something about their magic gets her attention. She hisses and pulls back, but remains steady. Creation, if anything, is most representative of her other half - the part that is locked away.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya can barely breathe when the extent of it is revealed. Tears sting is eyes as much from the sight of her as the fog, but he forces himself forward. When she pulls back he stops, holding out for a moment before slowly approaching her again. Step by step.

"Ringmaster, it's okay. It's going to be okay, because we're here for you." He keeps his hand raised, still faintly glowing, hoping he can reach her and imbue the comfort that Creation set in him.

"It hurts here, doesn't it? I'm sorry we weren't faster, but we're here now. Please--you want to get out, don't you? To be free."

[starseedling]

"I don't know," Steven says softly, mirroring Amethyst's apprehension, and also her sense of inevitability. "But I want to try." He squeezes her hand back and then let's go, sliding off of Lion's back. If this draws negative attention, he doesn't want anyone else to get caught up in it.

He leaps up into the air and floats, summoning up his Blue Rose magic and winding it around him. Fire and ice, hot and cold, swirls around him - a link to the powerful artifact that must be the Ringmaster's sibling. All the Rose ever seemed to want was the freedom to grow and to expand. Maybe the Phoenix felt the same.

At the same time that he opens up with his magic, he opens up with his mind. It feels dangerous, right now, to connect with her emotionally - especially when he knows that the Huntsman is in there, too. Yet, there is something he wants her to understand.

"Ringmaster," he says, loud enough that he hopes she'll hear him, but trying not to frighten her. The power of the Miracles resonate, and even before he opens up empathically, he can feel the weight of her presence. Energy pings between him, her, Syrlya, and Carly's eyes. "Even... Even if you don't remember us. We're still the same! We're stuck between everything that's happening, and everyone wants to control us! But.. we won't... we haven't given up! You can be stronger than him..."

He lets down his guard, allowing her to access him emotionally and pushing his own feelings to flow into her as well. Feeling of being trapped, of being used, of wanting to escape. Memories of the relief of having like-minded souls come from him. Like his friends from home. Like Yuya. Like Childermass and Lambert.

If she doesn't remember them, maybe he can remember for her. Maybe then she'll feel like she can listen.

[fortuneglass]

Though Carly has moved no closer since the room shook, the Ringmaster is near enough that her lunge threatens to bowl her over. With a single motion, Carly seems to vanish at the swipe- a scattering of pixels and feathers all that appears to remain.

But the actions of others have created a window. Lambert, Yuuya, Steven- and still the rest who act in that moment. As a tiny hummingbird the size of a mere pigeon hovers above where the Ringmaster lashed forward, she looks to the great red eyes- to the decayed state of the Ringmaster's body.

Energy stings through her eyes, shining dots of light through the fog. And with Steven's words, the bird begins to slowly move toward the Ringmaster as well- eyes focused as she speaks with a strength that far defies how she physically and even mentally feels.

"It's like Aslla Piscu, isn't it..? ...You warned me about him so much- the thing that first used words to make me hate the ones who loved me...and when that failed, took hold instead...If you listen to anything, Ringmaster, I beg of you to listen to your heart!" she shouts passionately. "...I broke through Aslla Piscu- I broke through the Void that did the same thing...AND YOU ARE SO MUCH STRONGER THAN I," she cries. "SO LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR HEART WANTS MOST...Because I believe...no, I KNOW!" Carly insists fiercely, coating herself with her fragile 'healing' flame and moving to try and make contact.

"YOU'RE THE BRIGHTEST OF US ALL- AND YOU CAN BREAK THROUGH THIS!"