Chapter 1, Session 3: Precision, Stretched Ink, the Circus
General Summary
Now here's how you lie Auriel, you tell a half truth that they could be convinced by and then you name drop. Always worked for me.The party took a moment to take in the picture of the Cirque Arcadia, a flamboyant and bright space filled with elite performers, all attractive and exotic in look... this led the party to realise that the circus wasn't 'training' so much as performing an advert for it's shows. With many locals attracted to and interested in the performances going around. Moments later, the party heard a shout in the distance and watched as Madame Precision approached the party, a sharp featured, thin and athletic woman who stood incredibly straight and was followed by a group of gymnasts in a perfectly organised triangular formation behind Precision. The group were clearly intimidated by the woman in the centre who immediately turned an angered eye at Peregrine and began to reprimand her for being late for rehearsals and for the state she was in. Peregrine began to explain what had transpired to her and Precision thanked the rest of the party whilst seemingly taking measure of them and their physiques; notably lingering on Hermione and Esmerae before dismissing both of them and not taking a second glance at Fionn or Auriel. Precision agreed to allow the party to rest in the circus caravans as recompense for their help saving Peregrine... after they were given a tour by one of Precision's most trusted acrobats Stretched Ink, a nightmare girl with a curved figure and a black near featureless face; however Peregrine was punished for her disappearance and made to take part in four hours of practice for the show the following day. The party split at this point and Stretched Ink showed them the circus including the main tent, the caravans for resting, travelling and supplies and the Ice-Crossers they used to travel across Kaechaek in all seasons. Stretched seemed incredibly nervous and awkward as they spoke and they revealed they had been practicing as they are playing the main role in the upcoming show and were trying to be more personable as a result. The party, naturally, immediately took a liking to her and Auriel declared that she and Stretched Ink were now friends (something Stretched Ink became incredibly excited about). Stretched Ink finished the tour by showing the party the Polar Displacer Beasts pen where they were fighting over meat and playfighting with one another... however, the party watched as Esmerae made eye contact with the beasts and they immediately became aggressive towards her before whining when she flashed her yellow eyes at them. After her training, Peregrine was spoken to by Madame Precision who showed far more tenderness in private, asking about her wounds and assuring that she felt okay, Peregrine revealed that she felt surprisingly fine... almost invigorated. Precision asked if Peregrine was going to act on her feelings recently and she admitted she was tempted by this new direction and thread of interest posed by the new group she had met. Precision then told Peregrine she would have to maintain her training and would always be welcome back no matter the choice she made. Peregrine then spent the night with Stretched Ink and they talked on their fear of dreaming and Peregrine's desire to move on; to which Stretched Ink admitted they would not be happy with but would always forgive Peregrine for... as she was the one responsible for creating Peregrine's Dream Trinket with the phrase 'fly high little Peregrine emblazoned on it'. Stretched Ink then expressed that she liked Peregrine's new group of friends and thought Esmerae was deeply attractive and Auriel was especially friendly to her. With that, the party (mostly) went to take a long rest in one of the nearby caravans and levelled up during that time. With their rest, the party levelled up... however, as they slept, many of them experienced strange dreams. Peregrine had a dream of being suspended in a voidlike room, naked and alone... yet she was surrounded by blazing furnaces of heat, eyes and song that wandered around her, tormenting her throughout the night. Fionn also dreamed, reliving a memory he had pushed away hard and fast; he sat in the bakers daughters bedroom. Blood coating his body as his master Spook Killian looted the house, remarking that Fionn had failed but had gained some experience and loot from this. Fionn knew how this memory ended but felt a desire to do nothing this time to avoid the pain he experienced as a child. However, a moment later the memory changed and he saw 'her' a tall and gently curved woman with olive tanned skin and hair that curled past her shoulder in hazel ringlets. Fionn also noticed her long dress and pointy shoes, the woman moved to Fionn's side and told him that he would overcome his master one day, Fionn represented not just a hunter of The Spooks but also a tender heart. With that, she talked Fionn into completing a salt and iron ritual and then told him to say what must be said. To which Fionn quietly says 'you are wrong, you are nothing more than the monsters.' With that, the party came to consciousness feeling rested and recovered from their recent perils and they learned that Precision, as a further thank you, had organised for the party to receive front row tickets to watch the Cirque Arcadia performance during mid day in Bloomwilt outer ring. This left the party with a couple of hours to do work of their own. And so, Firstly Fionn and Mallus went into the outer ring and checked out the local town where Fionn completed a trade for lighter armour with a local blacksmith and also traded some equipment so that his manacles could be coated in silver to better deal with creatures in his profession, this deal was made with Sphinx Fur Armourers. After that, Fionn set down his Wardstone in the centre of town, formally announcing himself as a spook for hire in the area and drawing the interested eye of several locals as he did so... despite many commenting that there were already The Venator in the area. Fionn returned to the circus with Mallus after hearing of the Venator and also hearing a local boy declaring the daily news has come in with updates on the civil war in Vallea. While Fionn ran errands, the rest of the party did their own tasks, including Auriel and Hermione leaving to investigate the circus itself before the show whilst Esmerae and Peregrine bathed and relaxed in the open bathhouse. Auriel and Hermione wandered the circus and specifically moved towards the main tent where they saw a single worker standing outside who Hermione convinced to let them check out by telling them that Peregrine had got permission from Madame Precision for them to investigate the area. Hermione attempted to explain to Auriel how to be an effective liar but the dragonborn showed their deep naivety by failing to understand Hermione; Auriel seemed to have had a deeply sheltered life whilst Hermione admitted to living in a space where she could lie and drop a name to go wherever she pleased. Soon enough, Peregrine and Esmerae tracked the pair down and Peregrine gave them a backstage tour of the tent, showing them how magic and technology made the show work and also showing them a space in the centre of the stage where a contraption would be used later on... Peregrine assured the party it would be worth the wait to see it during the show. With that, the party regathered together and Peregrine said their farewell to them so they could prepare for the show. The party made their way toward the main tent... with Hermione using some fine clothing and jewellery to trade for 10 gold pieces worth of show snacks (a truly insane amount) before they took their seats and the show started.
- Hermione attempts to teach Auriel how to lie and manipulate others... to limited effect.
Act 1: You take your seats and watch as the centre of the stage is lit and bathed in an orange sunset light that ripples and moves like the sunshine playing on a tide. There are scenes of merriment and play as acrobats with extended wings float from rope to rope above making short bird calls as the scene settles on a throne slightly above stage, looking down where a single elderly woman that seems to be cast in shadow before you realise she IS the shadow, a nightmare sat on a throne with the regality of a queen.
Scores of different music play around and the merriment continues, mixing with bird calls and moving acrobats suspended on ropes and wires pulling off trick after trick with smiles spread wide.
The scene then changes as the sunset vanishes and becomes a dark grey though the merriment does not end... then there is a swift cut as the queen on her throne stands and shrieks into the crowd, a shriek unnaturally loud that scorches across the stadium, enhanced by illusions and her own innate magic.
From the centre of the stage then the floor opens up and, rising via a telekinesis spell, is a piece of unfilled scaffolding in the shape of a circle, acrobats previously smiling and laughing climb around scaffolding and cast the stage in a silver glow all across as a moon rises, you then watch as Peregrine tumbles across the stage in a silent approach before reaching the centre and a wire hooks onto her back before lifting her into the centre of the moon and casting her in a red glow, a heart in it's centre that Peregrine shifts and pulses to match the beating of.
Act 2: The Moon remains in the sky as all the acrobats leave their scaffolding and the stage bathed in silver light as in the background, the troupe plays out a creeping string quartet across the stage, as those strings crescendo, the acrobats leap off of the moon and feather fall allows a slow descent before they begin to creep onto stage, tumbling and contorting their bodies into nightmarish shapes and forms in the moons silver glow, representing nightmarish shapes and movements as other acrobats and performers, dressed in brighter daylight colours cower and perform with a fearful expression as the queen on the throne performs around it in a solo medley, watching those on the stage below her suffer.
Eventually the crescendo comes to an end and the nightmarish acrobats, with Peregrine in their centre, cling onto the moon as it falls below the stage, closed away and replaced by an orange expression once more as just the queen and three other acrobats re-emerge on stage to rebuild.
With silence filling the now darkened stage, session was ended.
Report Date
28 Sep 2022
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