limacharlie | 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! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ugh. I know, I know. I just feel like there's a way too obvious failure point here.

At least change the channel you use if someone who's in on any of this gets captured.

If you have any ideas or any way to plan for those failure points, then say them.

[She growls.]

I don't. Time's too much of the essence to go and spread word of in person meetings covertly. The enemy's supposed to be good at the long game and not so sure about quick reactions, too.

So for all the faults it may have, communicating over the radio is our best option.

[ but time to shove this conversation back to brainstorming. ]

The manor is alive. All we need is one challenge that we're certain we can win but the Prince thinks he can win. Anything physical is out, as is anything magical, and I refuse to pin the entire hopes of the carnival just on one person.

[ because focusing your plan entirely on one person is a BAD IDEA and it is a goddamn miracle that the Portland plan got pulled off as is. ]

Any suggestions?

I wanted to get its help on ball night, but if true names are all that anyway. [She makes a small disapproving noise.]

'Anything' physical, though? You know if he has any input here he'll be suggesting another hunt. By his standards most of us failed pretty badly on the last one. If we could play into that and provide prey that isn't people, I think he'd go for it.

I meant physical as in a fight or a test of strength or something like that. And the Prince himself should be able to provide prey that isn't people. If he can make a ballroom full of magical illusions that behave like people, he should be able to make a courtyard full of magical illusions that behave like animals.

Whether he does or not is a different story.

He'll want to rub it in that he can do this. I'm sure even if they're illusions they'll take human shapes when killed and seem real.

But they still wouldn't be real, which I'm sure would be a comfort for everyone.

If we do something like a Hunt, I can try and dispel the first animal I come across and relay if they're entirely magical or not.

Hopefully they wouldn't be real. One of the conditions would have to be 'no people'.

[She hesitates.]

I don't like to say it, but you should try and hold off on that until it's clear there are several and we'll be able to catch more. I really don't want to have to kill someone to win, but we really need that win.

I'm still going to give it a try, though. If only for everyone's peace of mind.

Right. Right.

[Another pause.]

Strange... if it comes to it, and I really hope it doesn't, are you... would you be able to kill one of these people if it means saving the rest of them, and us? We have to try to think about that before it actually comes to pass.

Absolutely.

[ maybe. He hopes. ]

I need to save the rest of the carnival. Of course, I'll try and save the rest as well, but if that means killing one of the Prince's servants, than so be it. Besides, it's better to be dead than to be stuck serving a fae like they are.

Hm.

[She wanted to hear a yes, but she doesn't like how quickly it came or how quick the justification follows, and she feels bad for both of those thoughts.]

Bet they wouldn't say that. I... don't think it'd be the best thing for that particular person, but it would be for all the others. I could do it, if there aren't other options.

The ones under his control certainly wouldn't say that. But the others...I don't know.

[ After all, Scout's never been brainwashed by a fae, forced into serving them. And Strange knew that given the choice, if he was himself but under Nightshade's thrall? The idea of someone slitting his throat would be very tempting. ]

Anyway, what matters is that we save our own.

We're not as special as all that. What matters is that this is stopped.

[She's pretty sure he'd disagree and say his friends are absolutely as special as all that. Move on, make the pragmatic argument:]

If we get our people back and leave this as it was, that's yet another enemy after the Ringmaster, and this one's completely conscious that he can hurt her by taking her people.

day 177, midmorning, post surprise skeleton visitor

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject