limacharlie | day 177, midmorning, post surprise skeleton visitor

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day 177, midmorning, post surprise skeleton visitor

[ set on whatever channel they've got set up that's just "people who aren't kidnapped"

holy shit guys, it's a plot infodump. The radio clicks on to Strange, who sounds very tired, possibly because the amount of sleep he's gotten over the past week is somewhere in the vicinity of jack-shit. ]

For all our new employees, welcome to the carnival. You were rescued from the manor of a fae known as "the Prince." He has previously kidnapped some of our number and warped their minds so they believe they serve him. Some have been rescued, some are still imprisoned alongside more of your fellow employees.

Previously, we were expected to simply behave and play along as he and the Ringmaster attempted negotiations. The reason why he's changed his strategy so quickly is that some of our number managed to steal an important artifact of the Prince's. I believe he still has some of the artifact's power stored in a battery of some kind, but I'm afraid I don't know the specifics. [ fill us in on that, Childerteam + Rooftop Adventure, Strange was under a magical mindwhammy for that part of the plot ]

Along with warping their minds, the Prince has poisonous magic of some sort. He also has transfiguration magic: some of the animals from the Hunt were servants and some of the animals prowling the islands are undoubtedly servants as well. Most worryingly, he has the power to take someone's true name—something which we believe happened to Papyrus's brother. Taking a true name essentially robs someone of their identity, their very essence of self. [ though the words are clinical, Strange's tone relays the fact that this is Bad News. ] We don't know of any way to retrieve one's true name except from the Prince himself.

The remaining members of the carnival are held prisoner inside the Prince's fortress. There's some sort of ward around the fortress that blocks radio communication and, most annoyingly, my scrying. There aren't any specific entrances to the fortress itself. It is alive as well, and can respond to the servants. Likewise, the Prince is an earth elemental which means that he's strongest at this sort of defensive outlasting.

[ and then Strange finally takes a breath and takes a sip of water. ]

I think it's obvious that charging at the castle head-first and recklessly won't work. We need a plan and we need to come up with one quickly. The Ringmaster suggested the idea of a challenge, challenging the Prince with a game that he thinks he can win though we know we can win. Alternatively, we did manage to rescue most of our number in Hell through a stealth operation. Something like that could be attempted again. [ yeah, that's right, they went to hell, sorry to drop THAT bombshell on you, newbies. ] I don't think I need to tell you how risky either of those options are but if you have any suggestions, now is the time to tell us.

( ooc: feel free to use this post for threadjacking/brainstorming/asking questions/catching your characters up on the plot/whatever! )

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[Syrlya hums thoughtfully.] No, I expect not. Did you ever attempt to use it on those that were under his control?

[It may not even be the size, but the nature of it. The brainwashing is something else from being turned into a horse.] I wish we had been able to learn more about the nature of it. We know, at least, that it is alive and it is being forcibly assigned to the shape the Prince decides for it. I wonder if it does not have even less free will than...

[He quiets as he considers the Warden's recent behavior. Lost, broken, afraid... all he could care about was doing what the Prince told him. Of the chance of getting his name back.]

I have. It, erm, went poorly.

[ as Tyki can attest. Though, this does bring up another question about the house. ]

I wonder...since the Manor is alive, does that mean it has a true name as well? I've little experience with the concept, but it doesn't seem that far-fetched.

[There's a long pause. Syrlya said it without giving it a lot of thought. Oh, sure, the Manor is a living house, much like he is a talking plant. But if taking one's name put them under such control of the fae they had no sense to be able to act against them.

Well, if it's a living creature, why shouldn't it? This is all a new notion to him, but he can follow the logic clearly.]

It is his presence that controls the Manor. He used the mirror to do it, but it requires his face and name. It isn't simply that he can manipulate the house, he has it bound to his will like the servants and the warden.

[There's a light smack, which is probably Syrlya hitting his fist against his palm--which he regrets immediately because ow, his poor injured hand.]

We should ask the Ringmaster to confirm it. Can we take a true name directly from the Prince himself?

[ out of the mouth of idiots. ]

I suppose that would all depend on how he stores it. [ this is a weird concept, but Strange is just rolling with it. ] It's like spells. I could easily take and cast a spell that someone had written down, but I could not cast a spell that someone stored in their thoughts.

[ a pause, before, ] It's a pity that the mirror isn't here. I'd have loved to examine it.

Taako may have it. We had to move quickly when the manor began to shift, and I didn't see if he was still holding onto it once we scattered.

[Getting the rose straight to the Ringmaster had been a little more important at the time.]

The Prince already has the spell for taking a true name, I see no reason he would not also know how to give it. Can we challenge him for a name?

I suppose so? But we'd have to offer up something of equal value if he wins. Most likely, it would be one of our true names.

[ and Strange has a FUNNY FEELING there won't be many volunteers for that. ]

It's a risk, but all we need is one victory. If we can claim the house, we claim most of his power... and then we can claim every other name he possesses.

[By force because, honestly, fuck the Prince.] After all, we aren't really going to leave all of those people to continue to suffer under him if we can do anything to help, are we?

We aren't.

[ there's an awkward pause before Strange swaps the feed to private. He knows this idea is terrible and might as well not say it somewhere where Childermass can hear. ]

I do have a half-formed idea about which name we can use as incentive. But first, do you know if the Prince can resurrect the dead?

[There's a long pause at that. Raising the dead isn't actually difficult, it's just doing it with a soul attached is extremely morally questionable and the body is still going to rot and lack free will from the Necromancer and--]

I don't know. It doesn't seem like there is anyone he would care about resurrecting in the first place. Why do you ask...?

I've an arrangement with the Ringmaster where if I die, she'll bring me back from the dead. Wager me and if we lose, slit my throat before the Prince can claim his reward.

[ jesus christ, strange. ]

Obviously you can see why I'm hesitant to suggest this until we learn more about the Prince. While he might not want the name of a dead magician, I know I'll be of great use to him if I'm alive.

I think that's completely stupid! [Suddenly, Syrlya realizes why the Ringmaster was concerned they wouldn't be able to pull off actually tricking the Prince into a trap.] What is going to stop him from coming for your name after she resurrects you?

[He's assuming Strange is coming back like some sort of zombie anyway. A true resurrection hasn't been heard of for centuries in Tyria, although... the fae are capable of magic well beyond mortals.] Trying to minimize the damage doesn't matter if we can't overcome the Prince at all. We need a way to win.

It took the Ringmaster a week to bring herself back from the dead! I'm a powerful magician but she's more powerful than me. That would be what, at least two or so weeks that I would be out of commission? I'd be shocked if we didn't come up with a better plan in two weeks!

[ Fun fact! Strange doesn't entirely know how resurrection works! But like hell he's gonna admit that. Also fun fact: the idea of dying is freaking Strange out a lot more than he's letting on. ]

If we're to challenge him, he won't even give us the time of day unless we have a bribe attractive enough for him to take the bait. Surely I would be good enough.

Do you think his captives will last that long? [Syrlya won't say it, but they both saw just how far he destroyed Sans in four days. They don't have the time.

He won't waste that kind of time again. He sucks in a deep breath to steady himself, because yelling at Strange isn't going to get a plan going any faster.] He's holding them out for a bribe in the first place--[Wait, that's right. They're captives, not dead. Prisoners to give the Prince and edge of them to surrender. They have something he wants, he has something they want.]

We have our Warden. He'll assume we want the Warden's name back, won't he? What if we don't specify? Let him choose any name he wants if he wins, but in return we are allowed to choose the name we want back.

[If it works... they look like they're bargaining far more short-sighted than they really are.]

I doubt the entire carnival will sign off on that. [ so we don't tell the carnival. c: ] Still, there's no reason we have to tell the entire carnival of that plan. We'll simply have to make certain that some of us look like more attractive targets so he'll focus on us instead of the children or the reclaimed captives.

[ because there is no way in hell Strange is going to let Tyki or Reira get recaptured by the fae. He's terrified of seeing Nightshade again, he can only assume those two are equally terrified of seeing the Prince. ]

If we do this, we'll have to be damn certain that whatever challenge we choose, we'll win. It can't be something like a race or a shooting contest where external factors might cause us to lose.

Of course, there has never been any option but to win.

[He doesn't want to see any of the other carnival members suffer either, but if they don't risk enough, they won't be able to reclaim the people lost.]

I will let you know if I have any ideas as to what exactly we shall challenge them with. With enough heads together, I'm sure we can come up with something.

Thank you. [ There's a pause as Strange mulls things over. ]

I do have another question, though. The Blue Rose...you were the one who wielded it. Do you think we could count on it's power during whatever it is we do?

[Hm, could they? Syrlya considers that for a moment.]

It was only briefly, but what I felt was... it is very powerful magic and amplified my own spells, but I did not get the chance to test its utility. I suppose, at least, if we needed raw firepower...

But I think we should avoid a violent confrontation when he has the very same power in that orb of his.

[Despite the fact that this is usually a situation he would solve with violence. After seeing what sort of destruction such a huge magical explosion could cause... well, there wouldn't be a victory.]

There are nonviolent spells, you know. I've a few of them in my arsenal. [ a pause, before, ]

Though you're right about the orb. And if his magic's anything like mine, then he could recognize the magical signature of the Blue Rose as soon as the spell was cast. But if we need to get everybody out of the castle quickly, we might be able to use it's power to help plan an escape.

I know. [There's a little bit of a scoff in his tone there.]

Using it for an escape is a good ides. It likely does have the power to let a mage carry an entire carnival of people away.

The Ringmaster was able to bring everyone back to the carnival from Portland. If we free the captives and recapture all the mentally changed, she might be able to do the same, especially with the power of the Rose at her side.

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day 177, midmorning, post surprise skeleton visitor

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whoops this is still Private

lmao yeah, I figured. ;)

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