DUNGEON ♛ LIEFSTE CARNAVAL

[boardmaster]

LIEFSTE CARNAVAL
20 JULY (DELPHINE) 2016

The Heroes chosen for this dungeon may reach Petrosian by any means they choose (by Airy with passports, by foot, by train, etc.) but they must travel to the area under suspicion by a smaller train, sponsored by VIPs; from there, they will take the fifteen mile, bumpy ride from the quaint town station to an open valley downstream. As you’re jostled around in your seat, a cheery announcement informs you that this train ride was sponsored by the illustrious Ryder, who felt it was necessary to express his gratitude to the Heroes and their admirable efforts that just barely saved his life last month. How thoughtful of him.

As the train chugs to a stop, beyond the forest and behind our Heroes, endless fields of gold seem to stretch out as far as the eye can see. What was once rich green grass has been painted yellow by the sweltering heat and clear summer sky. Few trees offer shelter from the sun, but most Heroes will have to provide their own shade as they wait for Secretary Verdoni and Ryder’s quick debriefing.

	Verdoni [ he looks so done with Ryder, but he has a job to do ] Every year, this field serves as the site of the famous Liefste Carnaval. For obvious reasons, we do not usually spend money to send our forces here, and if anyone would like to convince me otherwise, I shall have them entertain their fellow rapscallions at St. Amant.
	Ryder [ coughs ]
	Verdoni [ shut up ] However, due to financial constraints and missing people reports in the area, the carnival was canceled. And yet it is here. We have reason to believe that the reports of missing individuals tie into this carnival. Furthermore, our researchers say there is an abnormal amount of mana activity in the area. Given your previous experience with those, I don’t believe I need to elaborate any further. Your job is to investigate the carnival, find the truth behind it, and retrieve the dungeon core. As for your transportation, we’ve arranged a—
	Ryder Thank you, Secretary. Heroes. Out of gratitude for your heroic rescue, the least I could do was provide some incentive to fetch me a souvenir. This train, the Big Red, was built by one of Gammon’s finest mechanics. I had it shipped here under great expense so that you could enjoy the luxury of Gammon. I hope you Heroes are fortunate enough to visit my land soon. [ and as an afterthought: ] Ah, and rescue those people. Of course. By the way, this weather is absolutely dreadful. My skin was never this dry back in Cochrane. Guard A, Guard B, set up camp. We don’t want to faint from the heat later, do we?
	Verdoni [ why is this guy even here ] To answer the question on everyone’s minds: yes, there is a point to collecting these dungeon cores. Apart from restoring natural order to the land, we have reason to believe the dungeon cores may hold the key to finding a way home for you Heroes... Once we have proper confirmation, I will soon be able to make a formal announcement. Secondly, yes, Commander Lisbrand is still recovering from the Noir attack. We are hoping that she’ll be well enough to join us soon. For now, we do what we can.

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
Welcome to the Liefste Carnaval! Don’t be shy, come on in!

There’s nothing of note when you approach the carnival’s entrance. The hustle and bustle of any other fun-filled festival can be heard from the outside, complete with excited shouts and distant music. The smell of popcorn and other saccharine treats waft over and make your mouth water…

Before you satisfy your cravings, you should get a ticket. You’ll be greeted by a vaguely humanoid ticket seller entirely covered in confetti and pieces of torn tickets, with a rattling breath as if it caught a cold. It doesn’t speak and merely points to a sign that says 500 colle per person! What? Not everything comes for free. An item of similar value will also suffice.

If you refuse to pay and shoulder your way past it, you’ll find yourself shoved onto your back, face to face with the ticket seller himself. The bits of paper on its face rustle before it shuffles back over to the stand. Try again and you’ll find yourself getting further and further away from the entrance as a minor curse begins to settle upon you. You may come up with your own curse (e.g. loss of voice, speaking in gibberish). Thankfully, the curse doesn’t last long, but the message should be clear: pay for your ticket.

Once you have acquired your ticket, you are free to enter the carnival at your leisure. Should you turn around to ask the ticket seller for more information, it will vanish into thin air, leaving nothing but a small heap of confetti.

Walk past the first booth; a gaggle of happy children with balloons approach you with boxes of welcoming gifts. Though you might want to remember what all children are taught: don’t take candy from strangers.

MONSTER ♟ Wicht
Weak against Fire, Holy	Strong against None	Immune to Dark
A demon possessing a wooden puppet painted and carved in the form of a happy child with rosy cheeks. It offers BOXES OF CHOCOLATE to unsuspecting victims. Be warned: the chocolate will give you CHILLS AND MALAISE, and eating it will prompt fellow Wichts to link their hands together and circle around you as they chant RING AROUND THE ROSIE. This is not an innocent game, but a spell that accelerates the progression of the disease inside you, manifesting in RASHES, FEVER, SNEEZING AND COUGHING. The Wichts have no sympathy to spare; they’ll keep chanting ‘til you all fall down! Don’t feel like chocolate today? Oh, the Wichts insist. As they shove their boxes at you, their giggles turn into maniacal laughter. Their cherubic features melt into something sharper, harder, and you barely have time to react before they try to rip your heart out with their SHARP CLAWS. Catching Wichts is not easy. They use the wind magic of their BALLOONS to fly out of harm’s way, and the more mischievous ones will inhale the helium inside to release BANSHEE-LIKE SCREAMS that will stun and knock your party back. You can eliminate these demons by any means, but defeating these wooden puppets with HOLY MAGIC will banish the demonic spirit inside them, rendering them lifeless with the angelic features they originally had. These Petrosian-style puppets show really good craftsmanship! DROPS: Colorful Balloons, Gift Boxes, Petrosian Puppets, Wicht Claws, Mana-infused Wood

Suddenly, the cheerful and festive atmosphere vanishes. A flag flutters against a strong, abrupt gust of wind. Shadows seem to whisper and point and watch with gleaming, uncountable eyes. The paths are deserted and what was a vibrant place full of life is now anything but.


TWO ♙
In the chocolate box of the first Wicht you defeat, you will find a hand-drawn map of the carnival. It is extremely detailed and meticulously labeled with every ride, shop, and sideshow. Does this cartographer have a perfectionist streak? There’s a crudely-painted red heart circling one attraction in particular: the tunnel of love. But from the way the color dried, you’re starting to think that’s not paint…

Before you reach the tunnel of love, you have to pass through game stalls and the haunted house. Move quickly; those familiar Wicht giggles are approaching and they will not take no for an answer. Hide behind stalls or large crates to avoid them. Perhaps Rooks or Illusion Queens can cover the party’s tracks!

If you choose to hide behind stalls and crates, a cold draft might hit your back, send a shiver down your spine and make you whirl around to confront—no one. But you could have sworn you saw a shadow in the corner of your eye… Before you can think, something too close for comfort bursts into hysterical laughter, attracting the attention of the Wichts and forcing you to abandon your shelter.

However, Wichts can’t touch you if you join in the fun, and the carnival offers a variety of games to play, from dime pitch games to shooting galleries. A man next to a strongman game might even holler at you to step right up and test your strength. Neither firearms, ammo or hammers will be provided, but you’re Heroes, right? Improvise! Win, and you’ll be greeted by...

MONSTER ♟ Steun
Weak against Holy	Strong against Dark	Immune to None
Carnival staff manning the stalls with smiles that will haunt your nightmares. People who win their games infuriate them! Their weapon of choice depends on where you find them. Food vendors will be eager to hurl BOILING OIL or throw an entire GRILL at your face, while those at the shooting galleries might come at you with FIREARMS—real ones! But sometimes, a bullet won’t kill you. Instead, it will make you smell like cotton candy. It will also cast CHARM MAGIC on you, making your party members fall in love with you. Only strong willpower can break the spell… or you know, a good, old-fashioned kiss. Staff members may also toss stuffed toys at you, but these cute and cuddly things aren’t a gift of goodwill. They’re enchanted grenades that explode into heart-shaped confetti and release a gas that will make you LAUGH UNCONTROLLABLY for a good five minutes. DROPS: Assorted Guns and Bullets, Carnival Food Items, Stuffed Toys, Carnival Staff Jacket

Glad that’s over! Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the last area you needed to traverse. Checking the map again reveals that the haunted house is up next. But that shouldn’t be a big deal; you can usually avoid those by simply walking past, right?

Wrong. As you enter the area, you’ll soon realize that the roads around the house are clogged up by cotton candy and popcorn which might serve as convenient snacks to replenish your mana. The only free path leads to the front door.


THREE ♙
The floorboards creak as your party enters the haunted house. A flash of lightning preceding a crack of thunder reveals a large, arachnid leg. Clicking noises of pincers are the only warnings Heroes get before your party is grabbed and hauled upwards, one by one. Tough strings like silk trap your bodies in a tight cocoon that dangles from the ceiling. Resistance is futile, as struggling will damage your clothes. Don’t worry about flashing anyone; the spider is more than happy to cover your bare areas with more form-hugging strings. The spider silk seems to be enchanted, since captured Heroes cannot escape on their own. You must help them to proceed!

As the spider works on hauling its prey upwards, the others must rescue their comrade before it’s too late! Unfortunately, your entrance has awoken a sudden rush of monsters, and the blood and drool they’re spewing make it hard to believe they’re in costume. Hobbling and groaning zombies, scarecrows and half molten blobs or something in between are eager to have you for dinner themselves. The enemies themselves are not particularly dangerous; it’s their sheer number and the furniture they’ve knocked over which make this fight a pain in the neck. Kick and bat and suplex your way through the enemy ranks until you reach the rickety stairs.

Climbing with care, you finally make your way to the second floor. There is a spider lurking in a corner...

MONSTER ♟ Heer Spinnekop
Weak against Water	Strong against Earth, Wind	Immune to Lightning
“I must say, that was very rude of you. No one has ever turned down an invitation to my tea parties.” A calm and chipper tea-sipping, monocle-wearing SPIDER too big to fit through the front door. The wealthy Lord Spinnekop studied in Gammon for a time and the accent has stuck with him ever since. Despite his manners, he isn’t too pleased to have his snack stolen from under its nose. What’s he going to dunk in his tea cup now? So he’ll try to trap the Heroes once more with his SILK THREADS, please and thank you. His threads will wrap around you in patterns that bind and appeal to the senses. “Ooh, could you do that again? It makes my spinneret tingle!” For some reason, LIGHTNING MAGIC doesn’t work against the monstrous spider. But continue to refuse him and he’ll splash piping hot Gammonian Breakfast tea at your face… or shirt. Let’s hope you didn’t wear something thin and white. As the battle goes on, he’ll crawl from corner to corner, and soon, you’ll notice a method to his madness: he’s been weaving a HUGE, STICKY WEB for you all! “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’ll wash you down—after I chew and swallow!” Heroes he likes, he’ll trap in his web and eat. Heroes he doesn’t? He’ll toss them in a giant KETTLE of water he’s been boiling in the kitchen! How does Heroic tea sound? However, chatting with the spider (and boy, does he love to chat) will reveal that despite growing up in the lowlands of Petrosian and living in rainy Gammon, he detests water. WATER MAGIC might just wash the spider out! DROPS: Fancy Tea Set, Top Hat, Monocle, Gentleman’s Gloves, Silk Threads

You’ve had it with this @#$%ing spider in this @#%$ing haunted house! Goodbye and good riddance. The doors upstairs seem to lead to nowhere so you’ll have to climb through the open hatch in the ceiling to exit. On the roof, you can finally survey the entire dungeon, but don’t linger for too long. Otherwise, you’ll be compelled to jump off the roof!

Hope you’re not afraid of heights, because the only way to advance to the tunnel of love is by jumping from roof to roof.


FOUR ♙
Finally, the infamous tunnel of love rests before you in all its glittery, pink glory. Rose petals coat the sign and flower chains hang from the tunnel ceiling. Echoes of sensual moans can be heard from the outside, but there’s no turning back. Once you’ve secured yourself a swan boat, you’re in for quite the joyride. The dulcet tones of a romantic serenade give you something else to focus on other than the disturbingly intimate shadows on the walls, but even the music stops every now and then to amplify the voices further in.

Then all of a sudden, the water of the tunnel starts flowing in the other direction. Due to the shape of the boat, Heroes get doused in cold water, and that’s the least of your problems. More Steuns will come out of the woodwork and take potshots at the Heroes with their guns. Talk about wet and wild! The tunnel’s heart-shaped props might also come to life and attempt to drown Heroes. Why not? It’s not like couples ever want to leave.

After several merry minutes, the water will be drained out completely. Who doesn’t enjoy being stranded in the middle of enemy territory? As you walk down the tunnel, there’s a point that diverges into several paths. Following the path that smells like roses will appear to put you on the right track, but leads to a dead end. Looking around, you’ll find a raised, heart-shaped platform with graffiti that says, NOW DO IT! ❤

That’s awfully specific. Considering where you are, you probably meet the riddle with mild surprise. Maybe if you try to kiss someone, you’ll be able to advance! But actually, if you wait long enough, a simple hug might yet suffice.

Once the riddle has been satisfied, the wall opens to reveal the inside of a circus tent. Vacant bleachers surround the stage, and though they are empty, deafening cheers seem to come from people filling the seats. Without warning, all the lights go out, save for a single spotlight...

BOSS ♟ Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his Circus
Weak against None	Strong against Fire	Immune to Dark, Status Effects
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome to the best show in the world! I’ve travelled the seven seas, so I should know.” An outstanding and prolific RINGMASTER who recently fell out of the limelight. After some soul searching, Ser Lyon’s back with a bigger and better show that’ll knock everyone’s socks off! Eat your heart out, Cirque du Etoile. As the leader of this circus, he has the fully loyalty of his performers—and pets. With a crack of his whip, he summons large, maned LIONS that growl as they bare their sharp, white fangs. They attack the Heroes on his orders. Don’t let the large felines jump through those flaming hoops, as these will ENGULF THEM IN FIRE, too! Use WATER to put the flames out. ”Such teamwork… Geluk and I were the same. Why am I thinking about him at a time like this? For our next act…!” Should you defeat his precious lions, he will send out his beloved CIRCUS PERFORMERS: acrobats that can kick your butt, contortionists that can bend themselves twice over as they lock you in a CHOKEHOLD, unicycle-riding jugglers waiting for the right moment to toss you a KNIFE or MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, and tightrope walkers ready to DROP DEADLY SPEARS onto unsuspecting Heroes. You might even get tackled by the occasional cannonball man and GET LAUNCHED OUT OF THE TENT with him! Circus performers of all kinds will try to steal the show, and your imagination’s the limit. Unlike the ringmaster, these people are WEAK TO STATUS EFFECTS. ”He told me to meet him during the Festivale de la Ceinturonne, but I had a show that night. I couldn’t abandon my circus! That was years ago… I haven’t heard from him since. I wonder what would have happened… if I had gone to see him… If I had gone to see him…!” Although his stars are gone, the show must go on. As the drum rolls, the lone Ser Lyon reaches inside his mouth to pull out a sharp SWORD with a flourish. How long has that been in there? Not important. Forget about admiring his top-notch swordsmanship, too—he’s here to kill! Even as you keep your distance, you can’t escape him when he strikes you with his WHIP and singes your skin with his FIRE-BREATHING SKILLS. From time to time, he pulls MAGICAL BIRDS out of his coat to distract Heroes. They will disappear the moment you strike them. ”Bravo, bravo. The circus is my life, but… your teamwork has reminded me of something far more important. Still… we put on a good show, didn’t we?” Before his last breath, he pulls a lovespur out of thin air. It was his closest friend’s favorite magic trick. A DUNGEON CORE rises from his chest, and he ends the show with an elegant bow and a smile. DROPS: Ringmaster Staff, Ringmaster Coat, Lion Mane, Juggling Balls, Sword, Hoop, Balance Pole, Torches

Once Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his lackeys have been defeated, the phantom cheering cuts off. The bleachers are suddenly occupied by the missing Petrosians, exhausted and confused as to how they ended up here. The dungeon magic appears to have compelled them to act the way they did. Reassure them, help them down from the bleachers and make absolutely sure you leave no one behind.

Soon, the carnival gates open. The show is over and it’s time for everyone to go home.


FIVE ♙
Once you step out of the gates, there’s a flash of light and a final pop of confetti. The next time you blink, you’ll find yourself in a campsite. It seems like Ryder kept his word and set up a rest stop for everyone exiting the dungeon. You’re back in one piece and the area seems to be back to normal as well. Relieved murmurs spring up from the rescued Petrosians who are quick to thank the Heroes profusely before they are whisked away by Blanc’s medics for a check-up.

Verdoni Good work, Heroes. What you do with the dungeon cores is your business alone, but all efforts to assist us in assessing them will be appreciated. That includes providing us with said dungeon cores, of course. I will report our findings as soon as we can. Thank you.

As he leaves, he catches the sight of Ryder and clicks his tongue. That Gammonian is making good use of his human footrest again. Some things never change.

Now that Heroes have left the dungeon, they are free to do whatever they want to. Rest in the tents? Fill your rumbling tummies? Treat injuries? It’s up to them!

Comments

[shewhocompels]

It would seem Edward has been driven mad.

[Iron hard will plus not really being THAT into girls left Teyud largely unaffected by the charm effect. She grabbed Ed by the back of his shirt before he could climb on the stand or climb on Susan, then cautiously peeked over their improvised cover with one eye to judge distances.]

I can provide enough cover for us to get close, but we'll have to move quickly.

[suzinkazan]

And then I'll set the stall on fire. [She's hung up on that.]

And maybe Ed can stay low so he doesn't get shot while whatever is wrong with him runs it's course. [Hopefully he won't try to stab us, she thinks.]

[sky_shark]

I can keep the shots off us for a time, if you keep near enough to me. Gravity magic doesn't seem to have that much range on it, but it'll deflect anything that comes at me.

[Yeah he's. Going to ignore Ed for now]

[fuhrinkaed]

And I'll etch the beautiful view of Susan's passionate flames into my mind. The light from them makes your eyes sparkle, my dear.

Je t'aime, je veux sortir avec toi.

[He's broken out the French. Run.]

[suzinkazan]

...Ed what the hell is wrong with you, you're acting like... [...She doesn't want to consider the possibility.]

Just. Act normal! [She's going to get a headache from this, she swears.]

It sounds like a plan, though. Let's get close and get rid of them.

[shewhocompels]

[Teyud stared at Ed for a moment, looking thoughtful, then turned back out to the street with a mental shrug.]

I admit a lack of extreme proficiency with this but I shall make the attempt none-the-less. You may wish to cover your eyes when you approach.

[She held out both arms, letting the wide sleeves of her robes hand loose, then raised them as if she were about to start conducting an orchestra. When she lowered them again, she pointed them out into the street, unleashing a miniature storm of magical sand. It filled the air in a cloud across between their cover and the booth full of sharp shooters, lowering how far you could see to just a few feet, and got in eyes and mouths and was generally a huge pain in the ass. ESPECIALLY if you were trying to shoot at guys charging you like mad.]

Go!

[sky_shark]

[Well that sure will help a lot.

Either way, time to go! He'll dash at the stall, releasing the spell as he does. Anything that's fire at them enough to possibly hit is running into a repelling force and going in a totally different direction, or slides off it at an angle that makes the shots harmless.

As a bonus, it works on the sand too, so Agito can see at least. Being pure melee, he can't do much until he's closer, but he keeps by the others to cover them with the spell, ignoring the mana drain]

[suzinkazan]

[Susan stays close behind so she doesn't get shot, moving behind Agito. She tries to help cover them with small bolts of fire. She's trying to restrain herself though, so she has some mana when she gets closer.

And it's a good thing she did, cause those Steun are popping up to try and shoot again, and since she really is adverse to being shot, especially considering she doubts they'll use funny bubblegum bullets twice, she's going to immediately splash one in the face with her flask. And considering people using guns typically need eyes, that's a pretty good move, they don't like it.]

ED DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE OTHER ONE IF ANYBODY GETS SHOT I'M GOING TO BE VERY CROSS. [See: Mess you up.]

[fuhrinkaed]

Of course, mi amore!!

[He stands, tracing a heart shape in the air with the index fingers of both hands.]

Passionate blaze of my heart, take form and give power to protect this woman's sparkling smile!

[He grabs hold of the blazing heart in front of him and launches it at the other Steun, knocking it down.]

Je t'adore shot!!!

[shewhocompels]

[This is why Teyud prefers working with professionals. They're less likely to do something stupid in the middle of a fight.

While the dust cloud starts dispersing almost immediately, it only takes a few heartbeats for them all to cross the street. Teyud vaults the counter the Steun were hiding behind and went to town, her sword flickering back and forth, sending up sprays of blood, or whatever these human-like monsters had pumping their veins, with almost every strike.]

Edward! Your mind wanders!

[suzinkazan]

[Okay, that's enough of this.

There's temporary respite from being shot - at least once she sloshes more nasty goo over the enemies after Teyud cuts them.]

Edward, come here.

What is wrong with you.

[She's had enough of this and we're going to move past it RIGHT NOW.]

[fuhrinkaed]

Nothing's wrong with me. [He nearly glides over to her, as senpai is noticing aaaa!!]

I've simply decided that now is the time for me to tell you that I've loved you since the very first moment that we met, and I simply can't bear to hold it inside any longer!

[1/??]

[suzinkazan]

What?!

[Is he... does he.. wait.

No.

No that makes no sense, he's an idiot, he didn't suddenly realize anything and even if he did he's never acted like this.]

[2/??]

[suzinkazan]

[Which means he's being brainwashed.

Which is probably what that bubble gum scent is. Which she realizes, as her face twists from shocked, embarrassed confusion to FURY.

THIS CANNOT STAND.]

Last one.

[suzinkazan]

[And she's grabbing his collar.]

EDWARD JAY FINKLESTEIN.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT DESPITE THE THICK LAYER OF FLUFF ATOP YOUR EQUALLY THICK SKULL, YOU STILL SOMEHOW MANAGED TO FALL SUSPECT TO WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS.

ESPECIALLY WHEN NOBODY ELSE IS.

YOU STOP BEING BRAINWASHED RIGHT NOW.

[...and she headbutts him, holding his collar, and indeed holding him slightly off his feet.

Look, she wants him to say that kinda stuff but OF HIS OWN WILL. And, well. this isn't a kiss, but it basically is for these two.]

/2

[fuhrinkaed]

[okay i know this icon has a leg but come on it's the same basic idea shh just go with it.]

[The point is his head jerks back and he lets out a loud cry of pain.]

[fuhrinkaed]

[He tilts his head forward again, rubbing his forehead with his teeth gritted. He lets out a hiss of pain, that hurt like heck!]

Ah... S-susan..? Why are you holding me up like this? What was I even... did I just confess my undying love for someone again? There's too much magic like that around lately...

[suzinkazan]

[She drops him, with absolutely no tact or care.]

Yes.

You did.

Let us never speak of it again.

[sky_shark]

['...what the actual fuck.'
'Ah...charm magic, I think. Still, that was sort of cute. Headbutting Ed-san might've been a bit mean though.'
'No, it was entirely necessary because what the fuck.'

Ignoring Akito's giggles in his mind, Agito just adjusts his spell to make the monsters too heavy for them to move so Teyud can murder them]

I hate this place already.

[Just in case anyone wanted to know]

[shewhocompels]

[Teyud murders them. Thank you Akito.

She also watches the drama unfolding between Ed and Susan curiously. She's hardly an expert on Earthling psychology, but on the other hand their facial expressions are so exaggerated it's usually not too hard to guess at what they're thinking.

Or at least, that's what she thought. But what it looks like they're thinking makes no sense.]

It encourages irrational behavior.

[Said with the sort of distaste one might announce that something encourages mold. She wasn't wild about it either.]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Teyud and Agito have managed to deal with the remainder of the enemies, leaving Ed to nurse his smarting forehead.]

Th-that was a magical effect--something similar's happened before. I'm back in my right mind now. D-don't you guys worry too much, I'll be on guard from here out.

No matter what, I absolutely won't say anything flirtatious to Susan again. I promise.

[suzinkazan]

[She kicks his legs out from under him, dropping him onto his face.]

Just making sure.

[fuhrinkaed]

[DROPPED.]

[He totally deserved this.]

[sky_shark]

...great that's all I need, to deal with another idiot with a crush on someone. At least Akito's isn't here.

['Hey! Rude!']

Come on, let's get going before this thing becomes catching.

[shewhocompels]

[That's not actually a danger is it? Don't worry her like that!]

Emphatic agreement. I have no desire to prolong our stay in this...this picturesque locale.