new zealand ♔ when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you | you say that i'm frozen

[lissatrinall]

♬ where i can never be - gary numan

WHO || Lis'sa, Kenzi, Bo, Klaus, Rebekah, Mars[Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a mysterious carnival that may be linked to some magical winter weather
WHERE || New Zealand
WHEN || August 11th [forwarddated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Strange winds have blown in, bringing on an unusually chill winter in New Zealand. The ground crunches underfoot with snow, the days growing shoter and stars holding court in the darkness reigning above. An unnatural cold permeates the town, and the river's jubilant voice is frozen under the ice. Birds abandon their nests for warmer climes, their songs silenced by winter's grim embrace. But the frozen riverbank now hosts a shimmering respite from the gloomy cold in the form of garish tents, joyful shouts, and sumptuous smells. Vaale's Carnival has come to town.

Gaiety and laughter cut through the cold wind, and even the sky-shy sun peeks its face from around the gathering winter clouds. Children squeal with delight and gasp in awe at the sights, sounds, and smells of Vaale's Carnival. The Titan's Wheel creaks and groans as a burly lumberjack tests his might wit a hefty spin, a family rushes giggling into the sprawling ice maze to the north, and dozens of happy skaters flit about the rinks atop the frozen river. Carnival dolls are handed to wide-eyed townspeople as prizes and a menagerie of freakish creatures and glowing lights beckons the curious. Garish skirts and scanty veils call others to a different breed of voyeurism altogether. Treats and wonders abound for young and old to enjoy, and for a time, the harsh winter is forgotten in joyful revelry. There's nothing to indicate any sinister going on whatsoever, as the group surveys the happy smiles of the crowd.

* Please make a list of all items your character is carrying in an entry in their journal before tagging into this post! They are free to have requisitioned any equipment or weapons they desire beforehand.

Comments

[asuma]

[Klaus has been keeping an eye on Mars, since Kenzi straight up shot him and he expects the mage to keel over any second, but when Lis'sa asks Bo to recount her team's carnival tales he gets distracted by feelings of superiority imagining the ways any of the attractions they saw might be twisted for more gruesome purposes.]

I'd hate to imagine what our new friends back at the beer tent have found themselves drinking in light of the carnival's darker purpose, wouldn't you?

[Smirkin' over at Lis'sa like he's amused by as much because ... well truth be told he kind of is lbr.]

Or perhaps the exotic dancers we crossed paths with earlier have decided to enact their well-deserved retribution against the overeager patrons who filled their tents.

[It seemed more threatening than a strong man competition or the "terrifying human fish" or whatever they had called it.]

[lissatrinall]

[ lis'sa considers all these, before coming to a decision abruptly ] It's too dangerous to split up. We'll check the beer tent first.

[ without waiting for agreement, she nods to klaus to lead the way. ]

[asuma]

[He likes to think of himself as the alpha male, so he has no problem taking point and leading the group back to where they handed some drunken racists their asses. :') These guys probably deserve whatever horrible fate awaits them tbh.]

[morethanasidekick]

Dude. You got a beer tent and strippers and all we got was a stinking Carnie Psychic?! [Kenzi with her pouty two cents as she falls into step behind the others.

Yeah that's the tag. Kenzi; Always on hand with the running commentary.]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars looks a little concerned as he follows them.]

Speaking of her, with all of this happening do you think she is actually trustworthy?

[lissatrinall]

What did she say to you?

[succubestie]

She gave us each a tarot card reading, which seemed harmless at the time, though accurate. I asked for her to give me a reading on how to stop the cold weather, and she mentioned someone in a position of authority wanting something they couldn't have.

Then the minotaur got out and we tried to leave. She stopped me, gave me this wand of shatter, and told me to use it well when the time came.

[charismapotion]

That is my point, everything was too close, and if everyone working here is messed up can we really trust that?

[lissatrinall]

Unless she was trying to warn us for some reason. [ either way, they reach the strong ale tent then. beneath the tent, reveling lumberjacks stand contorted in various stages of rigor as they slowly transform into gnarled trees, while their comrades stumble about in a alcohol-fueled haze engaging in one sided conversations with oak skinned friends. one scrawny jack drunkenly boasts about his axe work and obliviously displays his prowess by whacking over one of the tree-men and deftly splitting him into a small pile of logs.

more men are sprouting branches as they look around, while a wicked-tree-like pixie on the far side of the tent serves up more brew gleefully ]

[asuma]

It appears we're too late. [Klaus doesn't seem all that concerned about it.

Watching idiots get their well-deserved come-uppance was actually amusing to him.]

[morethanasidekick]

[Kenzi's horrified stare may have more to do with the betrayal of the booze than the fact that she's seeing men sprout branches and getting chopped up by drunken lumberjacks.]

Anyone else imagining Zombie Strippers right now? [No Kenzi that's probably just you.]

[lissatrinall]

There. [ lis'sa nods across the way, to the pixie, reaching for her gun, as she moves to the edge of the tent, ready to try to bypass the jacks and get closer. ]

[succubestie]

[Bo narrows her eyes at Klaus, speaking at a low whisper.]

As long as any of these people are still alive, we are not too late.

[She nods back at Lis'sa, following her lead, gun at the ready.]

[morethanasidekick]

[See Kenzi fallback onto old tricks and run towards danger while... hiding behind Bo.

With her gun at the ready.]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars didn't hold a weapon, he just followed. He figured lightning was in order if needed. Though he does inch closer to Klaus when Kenzi gets her gun ready, Shoot the vampire, plz.]

[lissatrinall]

[ as they draw closer, the fey seems to take note of them, reaching down to draw up a bow and arrow. he dips the tip of the arrow into the brew that he was serving moments before, and knocks the arrow... and we go into init! ]

[succubestie]

[As the creature begins to knock it's arrow, Bo fires a shot at it. None of the enemies here deserve any mercy or quarter, though that doesn't necessarily mean she'll...hit them. (atk 18, dmg 5)]

[lissatrinall]

[ it actually does hit! the pixie growls and looses an arrow at her in response (atk 24, only 1 dmg but she has to make a fort save) ]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars moved past Bo and the others towards the Pixie, as he cast shocking grasp again wanting to make sure it hurt the Pixie. (11 atk, 15 dmg) This idiot never learns.]

[asuma]

[Klaus rushes forward after the pixie sets its sights on Bo (hey, there was wood involved--he is being careful here sry), arriving just behind Mars to slam this bitch good (attack 34, damage 16).]

[lissatrinall]

[ jesus klaus. that's enough to send the pixie flying against the back support beam of the tent, where he splatters. yes, splatters. it's very dramatic. annnnd we're out of init ] I wonder if there's anything to be done about these people. But we can't worry about that now.

We should keep moving. [ she nods at klaus ] Destroy that barrel, first.

[asuma]

[Klaus looks over at the barrel that Lis'sa indicates, but he sure as fuck isn't going to break it where it will spill and splash all over him ok. He instead carefully picks it up to toss it in the direction of an emptier section of the tent, since they don't need anymore treebeards running around (idk is this a strength check if so he rolled 25. /flex)]

[lissatrinall]

[ that'll do man. it busts open and the liquid sloshes out all over the tent floor, but doesn't come in contact with anyone else. she nods, and starts to say: ] We could check out the-- [ but she's cut off by a sudden high-pitched inhuman laugh from the opposite side of the tent. standing in the flap is a two and a half foot tall, extremely gaunt creature, with elfin features and pale, bluish skin. long slender ears rise to a sharp point near the top of his head and his hair flows behind him like quicksilver. he wears a shirt and leggings woven from leaves and tree bark, and calls out towards them:

"So these are the foolish mortals that are spoiling my master's plans. Silly creatures, your salvation is before you, but you can't catch me!" at that point, he darts out of the tent, but anyone who makes a 10 spot check notices an ice shard hanging from a cord around his neck.

[morethanasidekick]

[Failing all the spot checks on this mission is Kenzi, who really only seems to be here to provide the commentary. (Spot 8).]

And this is what happens when Dr. Seuss has a bad trip....

[charismapotion]

[ Mars hadn't even had a chance to move much when the fugly creature spoke. When he ran off Mars noticed the ice shard (spot 12) ]

....what the...