Jonathan Strange (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kingsroads) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
limacharlie2017-10-31 12:27 pm
kingsroads) wrote in limacharlie2017-10-31 12:27 pm
Entry tags:
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! )
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! )
no subject
[ too much effort ]
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But if we ever suspect it's been compromised, let me know! I'll happily help spread mis-information. All manner of fake plans, rattled on the public channel all day.
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If that were to happen, you'd be the first to know!
By the way, I don't think I ever told you this, but I quite enjoyed your reading in the manor.
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Really? I mean, of course! It was the highlight of anybody's night! I'm thinking about doing it some more, once I have more books.
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[ they're all super boring academic tomes about magic. This would end up POORLY ]
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Nah, it'd still be pretty boring.]
Hey! That's a great idea. Then I can start tonight. Everyone could use a reprieve from the stress of the moment...
[Papyrus sure could.]
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Wonderful! I'll drop the books off inside your trailer sometime later today.
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Feel free to use my mailbox! Inside the trailer is...
[Still divided by tape between the orderly Papyrus side and the visibly lived-in Allen side. With the occasional deliberate item pushed across the line in an attempt to agitate the skeleton.]
no subject
Inside the trailer is what?
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[Hilariously... there may not be any mirrors in there. Papyrus hasn't gotten himself any. His first roommate was a vampire, so if there were any installed in there they got removed. Lambert would've taken any mirrors of his along with the move to the supervisor grove. And so, the only possible mirror culprit is Allen.]
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Perhaps when all this is finished, I can help you convince your roommate to clean up a little.
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[The mailbox is grateful. But don't be too discouraged, Strange; there's always the windows.]