The air was filled with the sounds of laughter and torment. The heat was oppressive, despite there being no visible sun in the blood red glow of the sky. A multitude of smells were wafted through like a thick haze. Sweet smells of food and ecstasy, mixed with bitter smells of blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids. All of these things hit Dido's senses as she made her way down one of the carnival's main paths heading back towards the entrance.
As the entrance came into view, Dido noticed a smaller tent than the others on the carnival's grounds. It looked a little like a miniature house, with a small iron picket fence around it. In the front yard was a fountain that was filled with some kind of red liquid that reminded Dido of wine, or maybe a potion. At the entrance of the picket fence, an Imp leaned against the fence watching her. Like many of the other Imps she'd encountered on her journey, this one was small in stature, and dark skinned. Small wings were folded in behind it's back. What made it stand out though was the jester hat on it's head, matching the same color motif of the carnival in it's reds and blues, and a small sash that it wore with something written across in a script Dido couldn't read.
Dido decided to walk over to the Imp who suddenly stood straight and smiled, revealing it's little fanged teeth.
"Hail!" came the high toned voice of the Imp. "Have you come to exchange your tickets?" it inquired.
"What do you mean exchange my tickets?" Dido countered, raising an eye brow.
"This is the gift shop!" the Imp replied gesturing to the house behind him. "I am the ticket master!"
The Imp brimmed with satisfaction thinking about his appointment. Dido examined the yard and the home again, but didn't see much in the way of prizes.
"What kind of prizes do you offer?" Dido asked.
"Oh! Many things! Potions, equipment, gold!" exclaimed the Ticket Master. "For example, you can get a Hellfire weapon in exchange for 20 tickets. If you need more tickets though, feel free to play more games!"
Dido considered this new information. Thinking about their journey so far, she realized they could use an equipment upgrade. Baator was likely only going to get more dangerous as they proceeded and it would not bode well if they were unprepared. Plus, Dido rationalized, she had almost a full day's worth of time before she had to leave. How dangerous could these games be?
Nodding slowly, she looked to the Imp.
"Can you tell me about the games?" inquired Dido,
"Yes! Yes!" replied the Imp, rubbing his hands together. "First, you have the Troller Coaster!"
The Ticket Master pointed with a tiny clawed finger over Dido's shoulder towards a large mountain. It had a set of iron tracks that started up at the top of the mountain and went fairly straight down to the mountain's base. There was one cart, which resembled an oversized miner's cart. The cart seemed to modified though, with something mounted on the front. Several metallic beams which ended in pointed tips jutted out, all in haphazard angles. In the cart there were four large Trolls. Each of them brandished a club which they swung around.
Dido watched as the cart was pulled up to the top of the mountain and then released. The Trolls hooted and hollered as the cart was released to followed the iron rails. It wasn't long before the tracks took a steep plunge down the side of the mountain and an audible wet sploosh could be heard. The cart began to be raised again with it's Troll occupants looking none the worse.
"All you have to do is survive the cart!" exclaimed the Ticket Master. He then continued, "If you do, you win the ticket jackpot."
"How big is the jackpot?" inquired Dido.
"Well, nobody has won it in..." the Imp pondered it for a moment tapping his chin with one of his talons, "it's been a long time. A couple hundred years I think."
The Ticket master then pointed further down the path on Dido's right. "Then there is the Hall of Mirrors!"
Dido shifted her gaze to follow where the Imp was pointing. There was a structure, or maybe it was a taxidermized creature that was once a giant worm. It's outside looked like a flabby fleshy skin which was pale in complexion. A yawning maw with razor sharp looking teeth formed the entrance.
"For each mirror you look into, you win 5 tickets!" explained the Imp, "but you have to survive what you see!"
Dido nodded. She then followed the Ticket Master's pointing to the next attraction. It was a large tent at the end of the path.
"There you will find the Whack-a-soul! You can earn tickets based on how quickly you can dispatch lemures."
Finally, the Ticket Master pointed back up to the Duke's tent at the top of the iron Ferris Wheel.
"One of the most popular games, though without any tickets, is the Duke's. You pull from his deck and take the chance to win riches beyond your wildest dreams, or torments unfathomable!"
Dido let a little smirk creep onto her face.
"I have tried that. I got what I needed."
She then nodded to the Imp and thanked it for the information. Dido decided that the Hall of Mirrors was the least dangerous of the attractions and began to set out towards it.
***
Tidal, Car, and Rachel headed for the front gate of the Carnival Eternal. They had divided their soul coin bounty between them and left a bunch in one sac to share with Dido and Flewid once they reconnected with them.
Arriving at the gate, the three are met with the expectant hand of the Nupperibo waiting for it's payment. Each member pays a soul coin and is handed ten tickets in exchange. The group heads into the carnival and takes in the sights and smells for the first time. Demons and Devils of all types are walking around, lined up for various attractions and seem to be having a great time.
Caravaggio was the first to spot Dido heading down a path on their left away from the entrance. Dido's gleaming armor and bright red cloak contrasting sharply against the dull hues of the carnival's red and blue fabrics and the darker tones of it's common patrons. With a quick tap on Tidal and Rachel's shoulders, Car began to lead them towards Dido.
As they begin to take their first steps, Rachel suddenly stops. She begins feeling a sense of crushing despair sweep over her. Her feet feel rooted on the spot and her mind begins to spiral. Their mission would fail she thought. They had already committed so many acts of wrongdoing, killing the various creatures of Baator and engaging in petty crimes such as theft. How could the hope to defeat Fraz if she couldn't even complete her own investigation when she was alive?
Rachel's mind flashes back to her final days of life. Selune had not answered her prayers in many season now. She had been on travelling on her quest to commune with her deity and find out what had happened. Her latest lead had lead her to a small town near Halas. She had received a tip that a local group of cultists had something to do with a bunch of the Gods falling silent.
Tracking them down to the fringes of the town, she had infiltrated the building they were using as a gathering point. An old run down warehouse. Strange marking where made on the walls. Looking at one close to her, she could tell it had been made with blood. It reminded her of a symbol she had seen in a book about ancient dynasties of Brisirith.
Before she could get much further into the warehouse, she lost consciousness. When she awoke, her head throbbed. She went to rub it but found her hands tied. It was then that she realized that she was tied down. But she wasn't on her back, she was up right. She was tied to a poll. There was chanting coming from all around her. Blinking to clear her vision, she could make out several robbed figures forming a circle around her. As the chanting reached a crescendo, the circle parted to admit a new figure. This figure had similar robes, but also wore a mask. It resembled that of a gargoyle. They were also holding something. It was a lit torch. Rachel quickly looked down and noticed at the base of the poll she was tied to, lay a bunch of kindling and stacks of wood.
The masked figure drew in closer. As the chanting stopped, the figure began to say a prayer as they placed the touch at her feet. Rachel couldn't make out the exact words, as it was in a language she didn't understand. But something felt different this time. She recognized some of the words in the figures dark prayers. She caught what she thought was a name - Fraz-Urb'luu. Then the fire consumed her.
Rachel was snapped out of her entrancement by a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked to see the red armored gauntlet of Tidal resting on her shoulder.
"Are you ok?" inquired Tidal in his usual deep gravely voice.
Rachel tried to reply, but found herself feeling suddenly very exhausted. Summoning her strength she managed a weak "yea". Tidal offered to carry her gear and then picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. Rachel had a much clearer view of the carnival now, as from her vantage point on Tidal's shoulders, she could see over most of the other Demons and Devils walking about. Suddenly she was moving as Tidal began to break into a light jog to catch up with Caravaggio.
Dido approached the entrance to the Hall of Mirrors. There was a small set of wooden stairs placed at the entrance for patrons to step up and into the gapping maw that was the entrance. A wooden sign hanged from the top by some rope tied around one of the fangs. Something was written on it, but Dido couldn't make out what it was.
She took the steps up and stood in the hall. The inside of the worm was not what she expected. It was a tunnel, made from old timbers which reminded her of the lofts of homes. Strewn haphazardly all along this tunnel were mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Some of the mirrors were very ornate in appearance, while other were very plain. Other objects such as spoons, pots, and even a bucket of what looked to be water lay along the tunnel. Some mirrors were hanging from walls, some left leaning against the wall, and others still placed on the ground facing up towards the ceiling. The ceiling had mirrors on it as well.
Dido spotted a night stand with a small oval shaped mirror on it. She walked over to it and peered into it. Instead of seeing her reflection, she sees a reddish devil. It seems to be dressed as a jester. It springs to life upon seeing Dido. It starts to dance, the bells on it's hat and feet jingling. In it's hand, it's holding a small ball of fire, which it begins to juggle. After a few moments, it stops juggling the fire ball and hurls it towards Dido. She reflexively dodges out of the way as the fire ball leaps from the mirror and zips past her head. A moment later, five tickets materialize on the night stand before her. Dido grabs them and puts them with her other tickets.
She then spots a small pocket mirror on a chair a few more paces into the hall. Walking over to it, Dido peers into it. This time, it's a Gelugon inside the mirror. It's insect like features come to life as it notices her. It chatters at her with clicks and whistles before leveling it's staff at her. A blast of cold air bursts from the staffs tip and Dido dodges away again. As before, five tickets materialize before her.
Dido began to feel confident that these mirrors wouldn't be so difficult to face to earn tickets. She now held 19 tickets and was only one away from being able to get a hellfire weapon. A weapon they would need to open the soul coins and benefit from the Choir's gifts through their soul trinkets. Deciding to go for one last mirror, Dido spotted a baroque looking mirror. Striding over, she peered inside. Unlike the previous two, this one didn't contain a creature of Baator. It was showing her a scene. A memory from her own past. And not one she was fond of.
She saw her younger self. Still in training to be a soldier for her town. It was a simple scouting exercise. They had to traverse a lake, then climb up to the check point on the mountain beyond. It had been her duty to check their boat's hull integrity before her platoon cast off from the shore, but she had chosen to brush off her responsibilities. Half way across the lake, they sprung a leak and the boat quickly sank. Her platoon was left to swim to one of the near by islands where they had to send a signal to be rescued. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of her career as the platoon was left helpless on the island.
As those emotions hit her, she felt weakened. Her knees began to buckle for a moment. Taking a moment to shake off the embarrassment and hopelessness, five tickets appeared before her. Dido grabbed them and decided to exit the hall.
As she stepped down from the stairs, she was greeted with a friendly sight. Caravaggio, Tidal, and Rachel came walking up to her.
"How did you gain entry to the carnival?" Dido asked, still trying to shake off her recent mirror experience.
"We liberated a Devil of his soul coins." Car replied, nodding towards the bulging burlap sac that was now tied to Tidal's belt.
Dido nodded in understanding.
"And it looks like you've been cured!" came the muted but excited voice of Rachel.
"Yes. The Duke was able to help me. But I'm not sure what the true cost will be yet." replied Dido, sounding a little ominous.
"What do you mean?" inquired Car.
"He had me draw from some deck of cards. I pulled out a card, but nothing happened. While the Duke seemed disappointed in that, he did look like he was expecting something." explained Dido.
She then went on to explain about the tickets and the gift shop. Dido highlighted the same rides the Ticket Master had to her. The group decided it was a good time to play some of the games and gear up before proceeding on their journey. Car and Tidal decide to give the mirrors a look. Each of them wandering in to earn some tickets. Dido and Rachel wait out front. After a few moments, the two emerge from the hall, looking a little worse for wear, but with some tickets between them.
They decide to head over to the Whack-a-soul next. A devil running the games explains that they must kill as many lemures as possible in a set amount of time. If they can beat the current score for the game, they win tickets. Rachel takes the first run by herself in the solo competition. As the round starts, Rachel is transported into a small purgatory plain of existence. Surrounding her is a numberless horde of lemures. The small devils were shapeless pale repugnant blobs. Rachel wastes no time. Quickly casting her spirit guardians, four ghostly pixies appear around her. With a thought, she commands them to spin around her.
Rachel then began to sprint as fast as she could. She picked a direction and ran. As she moved, her pixie guardians orbited around her, providing deadly kisses of death. Rachel had casted the spell to a high enough state that the guardians kisses would be fatal to the lowly lemures. Their bodies popping with each kiss.
After running for a full minuet, Rachel was then transported back to the tent where her companions waited. Her final score was 558 lemures killed. The previous record had only been 60. After being presented with 30 tickets, the rest of the group joined her for a group session. Much like Rachels solo session , the group blazed through the lemures and broke another record. They were rewarded 261 tickets for their new high score.
With a pile of tickets, the group then began to make their way towards the Troller Coaster. Arriving at the seating area for the spectators, they watched as the ride went though a full cycle. The cart was drawn to the top of the mountain, then released. It dived into an enclosed area at the base of the mountain. The enclosed area was just large enough for the cart to enter, but left no room for anything to avoid being struck by the cart as it entered. Many lemures were squished as the cart entered, their ichor splashing into the cheering crowd.
Rachel pondered about trying her hand at the ride. A near by Devil explained that one only had to survive to win the jackpot, but had to touch the cart in the process. After another few cycles of the ride going its course, each time more lemures being herded into the enclosure, Rachel finally settled on a plan of action.
She laid out to the group how she was going to enter the ride and survive. Since all she had to do was touch the cart and survive, she explained how she would use her Steps of the Night to jump out of the enclosed area, then touch the cart as it passed by. The group was a little nervous about her plan, but agreed to let her proceed. As a precaution, Rachel left all her gear with Tidal, incase the worst came to pass.
Heading down to the gate for the enclosed area, the crowd began to cheer in an uproar. It had been a long time since someone had been foolish enough to attempt the Troller Coaster. Rachel stepped into the enclosed area, surrounded by more lemures. The lemures just wandered about aimlessly as Rachel watched the cart being drawn back to the top of the ride. The crowd continued to roar it's cheers as the ride began.
Working quickly, Rachel cast her spell and began to jump up, landing on little starry platforms as her feet came down. As the cart drew near, Rachel performed a flip. Her plan was to let her hair touch the cart, so as to satisfy that requirement of the ride. However, her plan hit a snag as she let it dangle in front of the cart. One of the protruding iron beams at the front of the cart ended up tangled in her hair. Rachel had misjudged the angles in her exhaustion. As a result, Rachel got whiplashed as the cart then began to drag her along with it. As the cart slammed into the enclosed area, Rachel's body was sent careening into the side of the enclosed area.
There was a momentary hush over the crowd as they waited to learn her fate. The cart began to retract revealing the space in the enclosed area. The little halfling body of Rachel lay motionless on the ground. Dirt and dust covered her as a gentle gust blew through. The crowd erupted in cheers, as Dido and Car ran down to the enclosed area to retrieve her body.
Dido rolled her over, checking for a pulse. There was only the faintest hint of a pulse. Quickly unlatching a vial from her belt, Dido began to pour it's red contents into Rachel's mouth. There was a tense moment as the group waited to see if the potion had any effect. The seconds dragged on. Finally, with a cough, Rachel gasped as she pulled in air to her lungs.
The crowds cheers soon turned to jeers as they booed and hurled insults at the group. Dido and Car helped Rachel to her feet. With their continued help, Rachel was able to put her hands on herself and recite her cure wounds spell. Her feelings of pain began to subside as the spell took effect. She still felt stiff as they lead her from the enclosure and back out to the path. Tidal caught up to them as they stopped on the path.
"I don't think you want to try that again." Tidal jested as he followed up with a deep chuckle.
"Did I at least earn the tickets?" Rachel rasped between breaths.
"Sadly no." replied Tidal. "Apparently our healing intervention was against the rules."
Rachel winced in pain, but then nodded and let out a sigh.
"It's this exhaustion!" Rachel burst in an irritated tone. "Something happened when we entered the carnival."
"I think I know what it is." Tidal offered. "Ever since I took the bag of soul coins from you, I've been fighting off this feeling of exhaustion."
Tidal closed his eyes as he pushed past another wave of exhaustion. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, he continued. "I bet it was also why those Imps looked tired when they passed."
"Is there anything we can do about it?" inquired Rachel.
"Maybe the Duke's deck of cards has a solution?" offered Tidal.
Dido narrowed her eyes at Tidal as he made that remark.
"It is not the course of action I would advise." Dido quipped.
"I don't think there is much other choice." replied Rachel.
Tidal picked her up again and placed her on his shoulders. The group then made their way to the Duke's tent.
***
Once again, Dido found herself at the entrance to Duke Zapar's party chamber. Unlike her previous visit, this time all the Devils were awake. Most of them were seated together sharing the mouthpiece of a hookah as they passed it to the next Devil beside them. They only slightly paused to look at the party as they entered the tent before loosing interest and going back to their activity.
The Duke was still sitting on his plush pink settee. He lifted his head to watch the group enter, a glint in his eye. His smile grew and went ear to ear as he watched the group approach. As the party was about half way across the room to the Duke, he stood up and clapped his hands together as he greeted them.
"Well now, Aah do declare! It is marvelous to see you so soon after our recent rendezvous." greeted the Duke with his drawled speech. "And to what do Aah owe the pleasure?"
"I was hoping you might have something to help me with my exhaustion." Rachel asked in a soft tone as she stepped out to the front of the group.
"Well you look plain worn slap out!" The Duke replied, looking Rachel up and down. "But as Aah did for this li'l darlin' here," he gestured to Dido, "lemme offer you the same hospitality."
The Duke sat back down on his settee and pulled his deck of cards from it's drawer and placed them on the table before him.
"Aah'm fixin' for a li'l entertainment, and Aah'm reckon you're fixin' on rasin' Cain out there after this." The Duke said with a grin as he gestured with a waved towards the group. "So how's about you come draw a card?"
"What's the catch?" inquired Rachel as she slowly stepped towards the other side of the table.
"No catch." replied the Duke. "I'll give you one soul coin if you draw one card. The cure you're lookin' for might just be in this deck."
Rachel thought about it for a moment, then committed. Duke Zapar held the deck out before her and she picked one of the cards. Placing it on the table, the Duke gave a pitied look to her.
"That there is Euryale." The Duke said in his drawled tone. "Not what you're lookin' for."
Just then, Rachel felt a whole new level of exhaustion, as if it went right to her bones. She slumped forwards toward the table, struggling to keep herself up.
"You might have better luck now, if you draw some more cards." offered the Duke, with a sinister grin. "Aah can offer you three soul coins, if you draw two more cards."
Rachel didn't hesitate as she reached for the deck one more time. She put all her strength into pulling two more cards and flipping them up on the table. The Duke continued to grin as he explained the cards to her.
"Well now, the comet an' the moon cards." he said a little amused. "You're a lucky lady indeed! You've been granted a wish and a possible boon."
Rachel smiled. Maybe Selune was watching over her. The moon was her holy symbol and the comet was another related symbol for her. Rachel's lifted spirt gave her some strength, but she noted that nothing else seemed to be different. She still felt exhausted to her bones.
"I've heard of the power of a wish." Rachel said. "But what of the boon?"
The Duke clapped his hands together and leaned in to Rachel, his lips curled in a sinister smile.
"If you can defeat the next creature you encounter on your own, you'll be rewarded." he said in a hushed drawl. He then leaned back and spoke at his regular volume. "Now then, can Aah interest you in drawin' some more cards?"
Rachel shook her head and Dido came to her side to help her up. As the two moved away from the table, Tidal stepped up.
"I'll play your game." Tidal said as he grinned towards the Duke.
Duke Zapar motioned for Tidal to take the seat opposite him and and presented the deck.
"Now, if you draw three cards, Aah'll give you four soul coins." The duke offered.
Tidal nodded and picked three cards. He laid each card down on the table. Zapar's face lit up upon seeing the cards arrayed before him. He told Tidal what each one meant.
"The first card here," The Duke said as he pointed to it, "is the star card. You'll feel a li'l more dexterous now."
As the Duke said that, Tidal could feel his body becoming more limber. He could sense his reaction time being stronger.
"Now this one," Zapar continued pointing to the middle card, "is the ruin card. You now ain't worth a lick son. Any lands you owned are no longer yours. All you monetary wealth will evaporate."
Tidal could feel his belt feel lighter. He reached down to his coin purse only to feel and empty sac tied to his belt. Tidal's eyes narrowed as he snorted towards Zapar. The Duke just raised his hand to stop Tidal.
"Now now! Don't pitch a fit! Aah'm just the holder of the deck. It's your fate what cards you're dealt."
Tidal forced himself to calm down a little. Duke Zapar then pointed to the last card. He seemed to be equally excited and concerned at the same time.
"Now..." Zapar trailed off for a moment. "Aah haven't seen this card in a while now."
The last card on the table had only one thing on it. A skull. Otherwise, it was just a blank black card.
"This here is the Skull card." Zapar continued. "You better prepare to defend yourself now, ya hear."
As the Duke finished his last word, Tidal heard gasps from the other Devils in the room. He stood up and turned around in time to see a figure appear behind him. Floating mere paces form Tidal was a robed figure. At first glance, it reminded Tidal of Syllucraff. But this figure was larger. There was also no glowing eyes under the hood. Just darkness. And this creature carried something. A large scythe rested in it's hands. This was a specter of death.
The specter raised it's hand and pointed at Tidal. Everyone present heard it's voice. Though it was in their heads and not spoken out loud.
"You are challenged to one on one combat. No one may interfere."
And with that, the specter brought the scythe up above it's head before swinging it towards Tidal.
Comments
Post a Comment