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! )
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At least with word games we might match him though...If he is what he is, then even a race won't work completely..!
We're in his territory, right? I have plenty to run or fly with, and so does everyone else... ....but he'd know the whole track, probably...
[it is, unfortunately, a strong point against Carly again as she realizes how many of her ideas-simple games, races, so on-won't work.
She sighs, sounding rather depressed now.] The only way to win is to find something we can do that he cannot and thinks he can, or that he already thinks we're bad at, but...
...we already proved we really are bad at everything...
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[ so that knocks out any ideas like "wizard duel." Still, Carly does have an idea so Strange is going to spitball off of that. ]
Can we find a way to turn something we were awful at into a challenge? We've plenty of options. Table manners, dancing, charades, the Hunt...we just need to make one of those a finite challenge, with a definite ending, and if possible, a way where multiple people can participate.
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...I guess that some of us... [..............Including her.] ....did okay at the Hunt.... ...but if it's him, the animals are probably...
not...animals...
[She has a lot of Deep and Upsetting regrets.]
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I did break an enchantment on one of the Hunt animals. My success rate is about half and half, but I might be able to double-check to see if anything subdued is an actual animal or not.
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That's the problem..! I mean...Unless he'd agree to a non-lethal hunt, but I don't think he's the type...
[This is feeling quite hopeless.]
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It takes a few moments before she speaks, but when she does, she's apparently calmed down.] ....We need to bring this to the Ringmaster.
[...]
...As soon as we can.
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I'll be ready when we do, [She adds. Fingers crossed then...]