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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 132, preparation for battle will be in full swing. With the reminder that both Miracles are currently at stake, both halves of the Summer Court will be putting together plans to reach the Huntsman. In the meantime, carnival members will be taken back to the Summerlands to get their shit together.
On Day 134, the mission will begin. Those willing to come from the carnival, the Summerlands, and military from the Summer Court will be brought to the Wyldlands to begin their search. The Wydlands are enormous and constantly shifting in geography, which means that finding the Hunt to begin with will be a challenge, let alone without giving an unnecessary amount of advanced warning. That's where the carnival comes in.
Faerie presences are very loud, and easily detected. Too many of them getting close to the Hunt's territory will alert the Huntsman to the scale of the attack, which is not in thier favour. Instead, the suggested plan is that the carnival travel ahead as scouts, alerting the Summer forces of enemy positions, enabling them to dive in as a strategic ambush. Their lesser auras and Wyld Fae essence will allow them to blend in - with some additional magical help, they may even be able to appear as members of the Hunt themselves. With the power of the entire Summer Court at their disposal, a lot of things are possible.
A few Summer Fae will be sent along with them - most notably Ignatius and Gild. Those from the carnival that ran with the Hunt will also have the key advantage of being able to sense the Huntsman's will, leading the rest in the right direction and anticipating the Hunts movements. As long as they can avoid falling back into the Hunt's sway, of course.
SETTING↴
The Wyldlands are a massive and mostly uncharted territory of Arcadian land that lies between the two faerie Courts. Historically dominated by the Wyld Fae, it has also periodically become the stomping grounds of bouth Courts armies, and is considered a no-mans-land where dubious or secretive operations take place. Obviously, the Wyld Fae have never been a huge fan of this, and Court military is generally considered to be an unwanted nuisance. The tension has only grown thicker since the days of the Great Beast's uprising, with many Wyld Fae caught between the tyranny of the Huntsman and the disregard of the Courts.
You can find any imaginable biome within the Wyldlands, and their locations constantly and gradually shift. A desert may develop into a rainforest within a period of a few weeks, and the only stable places are powerful Wyld Fae have set up their dens, grounding the territory into reflecting their own nature. In general, the landscape is somewhat surrealist in nature, with impossibly large trees being commonplace, along with floating islands, bizarrely shaped mountains, and other alien landmarks.
All of this makes it very difficult to navigate, but also perfect for hiding out in.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
With the Ringmaster defeated and claimed by the Huntsman, the ownership of everyone she has contracts with will have defaulted to the Huntsman himself - which means he is capable of forbidding everyone the use of their magic and powers. He does, of course, but it turns out he has little interest in keeping any of the Ringmaster's left over belongings. Soon after taking her egg, he passes off ownership of everyone else to an assembly of Winter fae that have been patiently lying in wait.
The leader of the fae in question? The Mother of Invention, a notoriously unorthodox magical scientist and researcher. While the Ringmaster is carted off to places unknown, the rest of the carnival is being whisked away to a place called Polaris for the indefinite future.
NOTE: If your character contracted with Ignatius, special rules will imply regarding their ability to use their powers. Right at the start, they will still mostly lose their ability to use powers, but as time goes on, their contract will conflict with the Mother's ownership of them, allowing minor uses of their abilities on a case by case basis.
SETTING↴
Polaris is a magical laboratory complex in Arcadia, floating just above cloud level. It belongs to the Mother of Invention, and is used by her and her technicians to study and develop magical theory. While stealing away mortals to this complex is a common practice, those taken from the Ringmaster's care are here under special circumstances.
All items, pets, and clothing will be confiscated on entry and locked away, followed by everyone having to go through a 'decontamination' process that mostly involves all the things you'd expect it to. You get scanned by various things and then sprayed with magical water vapor that feels very cold but apparently cleanses. Then, you are given new clothes - that are applied magically rather than being something you physically put on - and taken away to be individually interviewed. Please fill out this form as each of your characters, following the rules as explained. This interview will determine some things about how your character is treated during the event.
The new 'clothes' are actually just weird bodysuits in a shade of charcoal grey, with a texture somewhere between leather and silicon. It's flush to the skin and flexible enough to stay that way, but thankfully the material is thick enough that it isn't unduly revealing. You will mysterious find yourself not needing to eat or produce waste while wearing it. It's also basically impossible to take off on your own. If you are weirdly shaped, or have a lot of fur, feathers, or foliage that would get in the way of this, then the suits are custom applied and can be modded to accommodate such things. The design will endeavor to cover as much as possible while not being completely impractical. They generally won't cover things like tails or wings.
Characters will be locked up in compact cells during the night, either alone or in pairs. If your character is big they will be put in a somewhat bigger cell to accommodate their size, but there will still not be much leg room. The layouts are approximately like this, so if you have a roommate, things will be pretty intimate for your stay with them. Housing is functionally random and may change daily, irregularly, or not at all. Who you room with is your OOC choice, but in game characters are being assigned by the technicians.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 92 the carnival will have fled from Eden to a new rest location. NPCs will have been dropped off in the necessary places, and then the Ringmaster is settling everyone into a space vacation while she works on dealing with the aftermath of her fight with Lilith. More specifics will be incoming, but this is what you need to know.
SETTING↴
Shabondamashii is technically a bathhouse, but the name is also used to describe the small city surrounding it. 'Shabon', as often called by foreigners who are bad at pronouncing things, predated the community surrounding it - over time, the rest of the city has built itself around the famous bathhouse's existing prosperity. The city is incredibly dense, and mostly filled with things meant to appeal to tourists. In this case, 'tourists' also includes beings from many other worlds. It's a universal nexus of a more frivolous variety, and both employs and is visited by a large variety of unique species.
The owner is a powerful being, and as such, many employees are 'paid' via room and board, plus broad magical favours similar to what the Ringmaster would offer in exchange for service. Helpfully, everyone is there willingly, and are allowed to keep tips as a secondary income source. Service tends to be excellent, given the worker's desires to earn as much wealth as possible before returning to their homes.
The layout of the city is incredibly dense, and overflowing with content. In terms of what you might see, it's pretty much anything you can imagine being in the world of Spirited Away, primarily defined by Japanese and other east-Asian culture. It isn't exactly like the earth variety, but it's close enough, and will be recognizable to people who come from those backgrounds. For the most part, as long as you aren't making up resources for your character to stockpile, if something fits the setting it's probably safe to assume it exists. The specifics of this location super don't matter.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 79, full preparations to enter Eden will be underway. This isn't like past events where you'll just wake up in the new setting - the Ringmaster absolutely needs everyone's understanding for this. There are two major things that need to be taken care of before entering - blending in and knowing the context you're in.
According to various sources, Lilith barely visits Eden at this point. The whole set up has been spinning its wheels since nearly the beginning of time, and at this point, Lilith likely only shows up every few thousand years to see if there's been any progress. She also shows up to add more animals to the population, to replace the ones killed or outcast, but the residents all know to deal with this as a standard procedure.
This means that everyone is going to enter under the premise of being a freshly made Honorable - which means, in turn, that they will have to be in the form of an animal, and fit with the status quo. The Ringmaster will be handling the animal part, and will try to block out all of people's spiritual radiation with essence of Beast to make them blend in. There are also herbal mixtures that will suppress the carnival's auras, making them easier to hide their faerie natures. For the most part, people will have to settle on one super power that they will be able to use publicly, and the rest will have to be kept a secret. If you don't have any powers, the Ringmaster will lend you one for this mission.
Once everyone is transformed and everything has been explained, the carnival will enter Eden and pretend to be a new batch of beasts. They will integrate into society and, somehow, they will find the Silver Mirror.
SETTING↴
Eden is a realm created by the Nephalem Lilith, populated entirely by highly intelligent animals. Only beasts are allowed within its borders, and any form of 'man' (that is, humans, elves, or anything that is a creator of civilization in their world, even if they are furries) is forbidden to walk free. The alleged purpose of Eden was to create the 'Perfect' being, one pristine beyond the traditional ideals of good and evil. According to Lilith, only this being would be fit to rule the multiverse, and all other ruling species are sorely lacking.
The backstory of Eden can be found in these passages, discovered in the Athenaeum and available for viewing: The Silver Mirror, Eden, and The Serpent.
The majority of Eden is comprised of idyllic forests punctuated by beautiful architecture and art installments. The animals of Eden spend most of their time creating, whether that be building structures, designing art, or experimenting with the heights of music and theater. Essentially, they are all very cultured when it comes to the arts. However, their rate of output, and the fact that there is nothing to do with the things they make, tends to result in their creations being ritually destroyed just as quickly, as offerings to their Goddess Lilith.
Otherwise, the beasts act about the same way you'd expect people to. They have hopes, fears, interpersonal dramas, and everything else. The primary different is that they know no life beyond this one, and their pious devotion to Lilith is strictly upheld - even at the cost of their lives.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 63, the carnival will arrive a new world, filled with vast forests, and the Ringmaster will promptly kick everyone out. You guys are going camping, while she tears the carnival realm apart and expels every single thing the Faerie Courts could be tracking them with - if they go after the Silver Mirror, they can't risk being followed. So, instead of spending the week in trailors, the Ringmaster will dump a wide array of camping equipment onto everyone, including appropriate food and recreational drink. She says this place should be totally safe, but knowing the irony of that statement, she is issuing a number of safety precautions as well.
Characters are encouraged to camp all in the same area, but it's possible to slip away and be a loner. At least until the Security Team gets on your ass, anyway. Otherwise, you're advised to take some time to recover. This place could be considered pretty idyllic... even with the odd local inhabitants.
SETTING↴
The Camping Grounds are set in a vast alien forest, complete with waterfalls, lakes, and unreasonably big trees in places. The local animals are mostly benign, but on the strange side. There are various plants and insects with fluorescent qualities, including some over-sized mushrooms. There are also edible fruits and berries - the Ringmaster has provided the kitchen staff and Nightrunners a list of which ones are poisonous.
There is no high civilization here, so there won't be any performing necessary. Some of the creatures nearby come close, but fore the most part it's pure wilds. Also, notably, there are few local carnivores - the primary source of meat is fish, and most of the animals feed on insects or plants. As a result, the ecosystem is of the peaceful sort. Unfortunately, those fish also have fur.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 47, the carnival will find itself merged with the new location, the grounds moved from their usually dimension right into the middle of the Athenaeum. This mean everyone will be waking up to a carnival surrounded by bookshelves instead of trees - the major things being left behind are the forest, lake, and menagerie, which can be accessed through a convenient tree portal made by the Ringmaster. Otherwise, it's book time now, welcome to book city.
SETTING↴
The Athenaeum is a city sized library realm comprised of absolutely nothing but hall after hall of books. Some rooms are well organized, vast and carefully categorized, while others are simply enormous piles of tomes with no rhyme or reason to their contents. Many cannot be read at all. The ones you can read, however, are a sampling of literature and history from all over the multiverse, in quantities beyond your comprehension. The catch? The only true way to find what you're looking for is to trust in fate. Literally.
The books are cared for by a pair of celestial beings called the Curator and the Scribe. The Curator focuses on collecting and sorting books, both fiction and non-fiction, from all over the multiverse. Their idea of organization is esoteric to say the least, so finding your way around can be more than difficult. The Scribe, in contrast, is primarily a writer - they have penned millions of volumes of true stories from the multiverse, covering a random array of subjects from the beginning of time to the daily anecdotes of mortals in backwater galaxies. In fact, there are almost certain a few stories about you.
The real challenge is finding them. You could spend and eternity here without finding what you are looking for. Magic meant to find specific items is non-functional, and brute forcing the process is impossible. All you can do is follow the whimsy of the Athenaeum's stores and find what you were meant to find.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
There's not much preparation to this event. At the start of Day 30, characters will wake up to find the carnival on a distant planet, underneath a biodome. In the carnival, they'll remain their normal selves but once they leave, they'll find themselves transformed into a more alien form (more details on that below!).
The Ringmaster will give the carnival members a brief overview: welcome to the Space Olympics! For the first week, the Carnival will be performing for the athletes in the athlete's village. But for the second week, the carnival can actually compete in the Space Olympics. Characters can compete in one event, with the exception of Space Beer Pong. The Ringmaster is going to get that gold medal herself, dammit.
SETTING↴
You stand on a distant planet
Skyline of red plateaus
Strange air and vegetation
You're a winner!
Welcome to the Space Olympics! The year is 3022. This year's host is Zargon, which is only hosting because the four previous hosts all dropped out. Still, Zargon's put lot of time and money into developing a complex perfect for the Space Olympics. Floating above the planet's atmosphere is a large spaceship turned athletic arena, obviously named Olympic Spaceship. Stadiums are on every corner, there's swimming pools every other block, and a large racetrack surrounds the city. Places in Olympic Spaceship that aren't arenas either cater to athletes (training facilities, locker rooms, medical facilities, saunas) or cater to those watching the games (concession stands, shopping malls, merch stands, quiet rooms where people can just sit down). Space public transit can get you from one end of the ship to another in mere seconds.
The athlete's village is on Zargon, as well as the carnival. People can either stay at the carnival or in the athlete's village. Though Zargon doesn't have any oxygen, a combination of biodomes and terraforming technology have made it so that all athletes can breathe comfortably on Zargon, no matter what their species! Just stay inside the biodome. Space shuttles go from Olympic Spaceship to Zargon at regular ten minute intervals. Those staying in the athlete's village will get a junior suite: basically a small, hotel room type set up with queen sized bed, microwave and refrigerator, and an attached bathroom. The Ringmaster will cover minor incidentals—so keep your ass out the minibar!
The Space Olympics comprises literally every sport that people can think of, both summer and winter. There's track and field, ice skating, luge, and beach volleyball, but there's also more alien sports: three dimensional chess, pod racing, space poker, mechanical bull riding but the bull's some sort of weird Doctor Who type alien, and so on and so forth. All sports inexplicably have the word 'space' in front of their name. There will be plenty of opportunities for characters to try out any kind of sport when the arena is not in session! Any fake games from character's canons will not be represented, but if you ask around you can find suspiciously similar substitutes. Want to play a game of Space Muel Donsters? How about a round of that popular card game Space Schment?
( I FORGOT THE CUT TAG ) |
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| STAR GUARDIANS↴
► COLOURS: White/Gold/Accent Colour (Accent Colours are based on one's Soul Colour.)
► STYLE: Bright, fashionable, star-motifs, modern aesthetics, a tendency towards mini skirts and tall boots. Sometimes, inhuman features appear based on their familiar.
► MAGIC: "Spark" based power, manifested in the form of a magic weapon, a familiar, a familiar that turns into a weapon, or some mixture of these elements.
► TRANSFORMATIONS: Full of colours, lights, and anime nudity, they are a wonder to behold.
Historically speaking, most Star Guardians are women, but that is not exclusively the case. Magic uniforms tend towards being feminine, but are largely based on the Guardian's personality, and so can manifest as appropriately masculine when needed.
The "Spark" is a magical focus that comes from the soul - all souls have the capability of manifesting a Spark, but it is a rare few that manage to fully harness their capabilities with the aid of Creation. A Spark is a passion, skill, or interest that becomes enhanced to the point of being almost godly. For example, a skilled musician could manifest their instrument as a weapon, and use their magic to sway the hearts of a crowd, or perhaps use its pitch to shatter stone. A lover of animals could use their bond to communicate with the wild, or summon magical beasts to their aid.
The possibilities are endless, each Spark leading to its own realm of potential. The more skilled a Guardian, the better use they will get out of their Spark, and the more it will enhance their general capabilities, such a speed, strength, and endurance. The powers of a Spark are mostly only in effect when the Guardian is transformed, which they can do but summoning the Spark from their soul and allowing it to manifest as their uniform and weaponry, in a magical light sequence that seems to both take a long time and no time at all.
Familiars can be created by the Spark or uplifted from mundane (or not so mundane) animals that the Guardian kept as a companion. While the Guardian is transformed, that familiar will become able to speak, and will be endowed with a small amount of wisdom from Creation in order to help guide their choices.
A Star Guardian's power is based on their creative potential: on the amount of light inside of them, metaphorically speaking. Those with the most to bring to the world around them will have the most to bring to the team as a Guardian.
HARBINGERS OF VOID↴
► COLOURS: Black/Gunmetal/Accent Colour (Accent Colours are based on one's Soul Colour.)
► STYLE: Gothic, elegant, formal, old fashioned, cloaks, cowls, robes, gowns, jewelry with no particular iconography or symbols, armor pieces. Sometimes, inhuman features appear, like horns or spikes.
► MAGIC: Corrupted "Spark" based power, manifested in the form of a magic weapon. They can have familiars also, but they don't have the connection required to have the familiar/weapon combo. They use their magic as a tool towards an end.
► TRANSFORMATIONS: Badass, creepy, and sometimes a bit traumatic, these sequences often involve some mild body horror and general discomfort - but boy does it look metal!
Like the Star Guardians, most Harbingers are women. Aesthetics come across as a bit gloomy and concealing - while Star Guardians dress confidently and openly, the Harbingers hide behind clothing like a shield. Though they can use familiars as mounts and attack dogs, they lack the connection to fully utilize them as a spiritual weapon.
The Harbingers also tap into their Spark to attain power, but in this case the power of that Spark is inverted. The Harbinger's intention is to destroy reality, and they are willing and ready to destroy their own Spark along with it. A Harbinger of Hope will use that hope to destroy hope. A Harbinger of Dance will use their rhythm to take away joy. That most inner part of their soul has been corrupted, and redeeming them can feel impossible at times, even though it isn't.
Even if a Harbinger signed on to the Void willingly, being made into one corrupts them more deeply than they might have anticipated. The Void will find reasons within them, ways to turn them against the Creation from which they were born. This can make them temperamental or irrational at times, but they are aware of what they're doing. Their personality and desires have simply been changed to accommodate the Void's goals. They can be purified with great effort and willpower, but it's no easy task. Most Harbingers were never truly given a choice.
Harbinger familiars cannot speak, unless they could already, though they can be corrupted out of existing creatures. Much like Star Guardians, Harbingers are chosen for their creative potential - a great inner light is sought, because they greater the light, the more violently it can be inverted. The light of a powerful Spark collapses like a dying star, creating the Void inside them.
OOC INFORMATION↴
► AVAILABLE SLOTS: There will be 12 Guardians recruited willingly, and 12 Harbinger corrupted unwillingly. (Or willingly, if your character is a freak, but that will probably be seen as treachery against the carnival.) You may only submit one character for this purpose, unless there end up being left over slots, in which case you can choose a second.
► IC RESPONSIBILITIES: If you take a slot, it is expected that you will have the ability to be reasonably active in this event, since you are taking a position that is in limited supply. If you are uncertain about your ability to keep up, consider waiting before grabbing a slot. Not every recruit will be constantly required for plot to move on, but the mods will be unhappy to see slots getting wasted.
► SLOT CLAIMING: Slot claiming will open up on Friday. If more than 12 of each apply, then you will have the opportunity to guarantee your entry with AC points via a bidding system. The remainder will be chosen from the list of applicants via RNG. |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 1 of the new season, the carnival will depart from their lunar vacation and return to the regular carnival grounds. New arrivals will be given their official trailer assignments, and veterans will be asked to go over their trades with the newbies, to get them ready for the next touring location. Performers will be expected to put together some new performance routines, security and nightrunners will be asked to do some military training, etc.
Then, on Day 6, the carnival will enter its new location. Rather than integrating itself with the new world, the carnival will be connected via portal to a central park area in the city. Of course, the "vibrancy" effects mentioned below will still be allowed to leak into the carnival itself through this connection. The intent will be to spent a couple days exploring before going into Performance Week, but the carnival will be interrupted part way through their tour by the firm hand of plot.
SETTING↴
Wismuth is a large coastal city on the east shore of what would usually be the United States. The world it's part of is an Earth variant, meaning that while some aspects may be different, overall it will contain a similar look and feel to Earth many are accustomed to, including some overlapping celebrities, corporations, and technologies. Its most notable feature is that this planet is a part of what is called a 'Pillar of Creation' - a focal point of Creation's energies in the multiverse. The significance of this term will be explained in more detail as the plot moves on.
The immediate effects of this trait are that everything in Wismuth, and in the world surrounding it, is filled with an unusual sort of vibrancy - colours seem brighter, sounds seems to resonate more deeply, and all other physical sensations will strike visitors as oddly intense, including their own emotions. It's a subtle effect rather than anything that will be overtly disorientating, but it's almost as if everything is more "real" here than it is anywhere else. Obviously, the locals have had plenty of time to grow accustomed to this. On the bright side, as a tourist, you have the opportunity to experiment with this sensation as a form of recreation.
Wismuth won't read as overtly magical to anyone sensitive to such things, but magic will seem to flow with particular ease while you're here. It won't necessarily make a mage considerably more powerful, but it will put less strain on their efforts, and will somehow feel more "natural." While some realities may fight the presence of magic, this world seems quite the opposite.
Technology is somewhat more advanced here, allowing for better medical care, a healthier planet, and other mostly idyllic additions to society. Though the current year is still 2018, the qualities of this place seem to have resulted in things developing more quickly and positively. Make no mistake, though - people can still be assholes.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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| PREPARATION↴
On Day 6 of Winter Break (aka B6) the carnival will be... well, mostly staying where it is. Technically speaking, at least. While other times they've left the Ringmaster's realm for vacations, this time they are going to do something a bit differently. They don't have the best personal safety record when it comes to travelling for outside entertainment, so this time the carnival is staying home! Or, at least, it's staying in the same realm. The actual location they are going to is one of the carnival's two moons.
As it turns out, the moon is not actually moon sized. Instead of being a moon sized orb very far away, it is actually a much smaller orb unreasonably close to the surface of the earth - surely this would wreak absolutely havoc on the environment if magic wasn't responsible for it. According to Ringmaster, it's actually possible to fly to the moon by wing, if you're prepared to fly straight upwards for over an hour. Weird.
Lucky for you, she'll be creating a portal for everyone to go through instead. Workers will be allowed to visit the carnival grounds at any point during the vacation, but are asked to try to spend most of their time on the moon, in order to better encourage the spirit of celebration. What are they celebrating, exactly? Well, it's a bit hard to define, since everyone in the carnival comes from completely different seasons and universes, but according to the Ringmaster they are approximately celebrating the Fae holiday called the Lunar Solstice. However, you're also welcome to see it as Christmas or Hanukkah or New Years or whatever you prefer.
It's the Lunar Solstice, though, so they're doing it on the moon. Get it? Like, there are other reasons, but that's the best one.
SETTING↴
The Moon apparently has some kind of ski resort built on it now, so that's neat. Apparently it is a relatively new addition, made entirely for the occasion - practically speaking, it is frosty mountains with various cozy looking cabins scattered across them. Towards the center, there is a more densely populated area, with a number of larger buildings and living spaces built together like a little vacation town.
The temperatures are just low enough to keep snow on the ground, and never get oppressively cold. Day or night, it always feels like a perfect winter afternoon, good for a stroll as long as you have a coat or heavy sweater on. The small size of the moon is apparent from the horizon by its heavy curve, but thankfully the area the cabins are built in is facing up towards the sky, and not facing the carnival grounds down below, which would probably cause most a fair bit of vertigo. Of course, you can take a hike to the other side of the moon if that's your jam.
For most of this vacation, no work will be necessary, besides any voluntary training or practice. Food and cleaning are being temporarily handled by a commissioned group of allies called the World Walker Caravan, a merchant group whom the Ringmaster has helped out on a few different occasions. For once, the party is coming to the carnival, and not vice versa.
( MORE PLOT DETAILS BELOW ) |
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