[PUBLIC CHANNEL] RINGMASTER'S EIGHTH ADDRESS (D30)

[lordofthering]

[Around the start of the new performance week, the Ringmaster will light up everyone's radios with an important message. Or, rather, some important musing.]

Hello, this is the Ringmaster speaking. I say that for the benefit of any new arrivals - everyone else surely recognizes my voice, by now. The rest of this may leave you in the dust as it will be touching on some carnival history, but you can may questions if you want to get up to date.

So, I spent a lot of time thinking when the lot of you were busy with that Pillar drama. As most are aware, a couple months ago we went on a mission to retrieve an extremely powerful artifact called the Blue Rose, which we have been using to defend the carnival from faerie threats. Which, seems successful so far, given that Nightshade didn't dare enter the grounds the entire time we were there! A victory, indeed.

It got me thinking, though... the Blue Rose actually comes as a set. As I've explained to a few of you, the Blue Rose is an organism created by the first Queens of Arcadia. Only three artifacts of its kind exist, as far as I know, and I fairly sure that none of them are actually in faerie hands.

So, I thought... what if we were somehow able to get the other two? Not only would that be enough to ward off the Courts completely, it would go a long way to defending us against any of the other nonsense we come across! Perhaps we could even go back to business as usual, for a while...

Anyway, in an attempt to be more forthcoming, I am presenting this idea to you for general 'work shopping' purposes. I know that the Blue Rose was a big hassle to get, but we know so much more now than we did then! I think it's worth a second look.

Comments

[lordofthering]

[Another, audible frown.]

Nothing that I said was a lie. That may have been a less... refined... version of myself, but I maintained my honesty. Wyld Fae are primarily seen as assets to be controlled.

[whattaprick]

And just living outside the Courts is enough to piss them off.

[ Ugh!!! ]

You really think they're both out to get you? Not just Summer?

[ One's equally bad as the other, in his opinion, but both at once would be a nightmare. ]

[lordofthering]

[Her thoughts exactly!]

It's definitely both. If anything, I thought it was the Summer Court cared less...

Really, nothing any of you did was the sole source of their aggression. If anything, they'd probably just been waiting for an excuse to bother me again.

[whattaprick]

Well, they definitely care now.

[ No shit, Lambert. As easy as it is to just say he has half a year or so left on his contract and this really isn't any of his business, that's not exactly true, is it? There's at least two more wishes he'd like to see granted. So, reluctantly... ]

If you're serious about this, we're going to need something better than rumors or hearsay to go on.

And if they're paying that much attention to us, you can't rule out that the Courts will figure out what we're up to.

[lordofthering]

It's probably safest to assume that they will catch on and work from there.

That is, if we get a real lead to begin with. It may be a shot in the dark, but for all I know even looking into it will start something. Which is why I brought it up now.

[whattaprick]

You got a plan to protect the Carnival to go with that? Maybe make sure everyone’s got an egg waiting for them if they ever kick it?

How’d you know the Prince had the Rose in the first place?

[lordofthering]

That level of upkeep would be more than I could take on - bringing people back from the dead is harder than it looks! There's a reason I haven't done it already. That, and the fact that perceived immortality makes people stupid and careless.

It's because he was my uncle. I heard mention of it from what you could consider to be my 'family' - then, once I had left Arcadia myself, I encountered him under the premise that we were both Wyld Fae under self-imposed exile. I suppose we were both looking for companionship, but he was nothing like I'd hoped.