"Good show, my scaly friend! Let's see if I can handle this quietly."
"Poor little things!" Lady Alhambra, looking up from lighting and creating sound effects for the event with a string of cantrips, exclaims. Turning the lighting over to the usual spotlights, she hurries to help the cute puppy heard the adorable snakes.
Lady Alhambra weaves together arcane gestures in an effort to cast charm to soothe and calm a snake.
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Between Lady Alhambra and Didymus, the two manage to coax the snake out of the stands. The crowd (especially those near where the snakes where hiding) gasps when they see them, and especially when they see Didymus lift them up with his bare hands. They seem to think this is part of the show as well, and they applaud politely when the snakes are escorted to backstage.
Didymus catches Eliza backstage, preparing to go out with the other finale acts.
"Those aren't mine." she says firmly. "All my snakes are accounted for." She shakes her head and rushes out with the Kanbali's and Swenja and Glumra Flamboni.
The Flamboni Sisters perform their act stage left, performing increasingly complex routines with ever more dangerous implements--starting with simple wooden pins, and then curved daggers and swords, and ending with flaming pins.
The sisters perform their act particularly well, and the crowd seems thrilled by the display.
Eliza and her menagerie of snakes take stage right. She handles numerous snakes, ending with the massive python Mr. Tickles.
Eliza and her crew perform well enough.
Finally, the Kanbali family take their places in the air, and begin their complicated routine, with Papa Kanbali walking the tight rope. The highlight of the routine, as always, is the daring Ndonga "Sparrowhawk" Flamboni, in her feathered costume, performing many daring leaps and aerial dives.
The ever daring Ndonga pushes her luck a bit, but she comes through, and the Kanbali's have the crowd on the edge of their seat.
With all the acts complete, the professor runs out to the sideshow to summon Poffo to end the ceremonies.
The massive human, glistening in oil as always, takes center stage.
The professor hustles out into the ring, quick as his frail body can manage, and pats Poffo on the back. The crowd roars, confused by the strange man in the ring, but well satisfied with the evening of entertainment they've seen.
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Everyone hovers backstage as the performers, Poffo, and the Professor return. Someone has placed a sheet across the fallen Myron.
"We've had a difficult night." Myron says in his quavery voice. "And we have a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow. What happened to Myron is a tragedy, but we must go on. Myron was many things, but he wasn't maudlin; he wouldn't want you to get mopey. Go out, enjoy your evening. Tomorrow we'll have a service for him, before we break camp and move on. Good night."
Most of the performers and crew head out, for cards and drinking and whatever other forms of revelry are available to the carnies.
The Professor quietly turns to all of you.
"I know some of you noticed the bite marks on Myrons legs. I want you lot to look into this--I don't think Myron's death was accidental. If one of us killed him, I want to know who. And if it was someone outside the circus, well, I want to know that, too."
Didymus hid his face under a paw at the start of the Professor's speech, but his tail was wagging away by the end.
Catching notice of this he angrily grabs it and holds it steady behind his back as the professor approaches him. Don't you dare embarrass me in front of the Professor!
"Hi Professor!" he blurts out, then bites his lip and blushes as he realizes he's interrupted. He awkwards waits several seconds to make sure the professor is done talking before releasing his words like held breath, "Hi Professor. Sorry Professor. Don't worry, Professor we'll find the culprit! Me and the team, we'll get right on it."
"I knew I smelled something fishy tonight." he says with squinted eyes surveying the scene.
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Happy that his lackluster performance didn't hurt the overall group, Kvothe sets his mind to the next task at hand. Finding Myron's killer. Surveying the group of performers, he wonders who could have done this
Gathering with the group that formed after the death of their leader Kvothe speaks up any ideas? I know it seems like a snake did the deed, but it doesn't seem like it was one of Eliza's. Does anyone see someone new hanging around tonight?
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BumBum's slap runs as he holds back sobs "Not fishys Didymus, snakeys. I heard fish can be poisonous too. If a snake eats a poison fish does it die, or is it double poisonous? Ohs, but something stinks all right. We gots to check all other equipment, make sure is no more surprises.' He snorts a huge gob of flem back up his nose and his tail stiffens with rage."Then we figure out what happened to our friend!" His tail them droops. "But how we's do that?"
BumBum turns to Kvothe "Axel still forty miler, and he went running off! We should find him. Thought he was just stage frighted, but maybe is more?"
The shoony's ears shoot up at Bumbum's suggestion, and then he drops on to all fours, and begins sniffing around rapidly at the feathers, and excitedly follows their trail.
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Exiting the big top, you can't be sure which direction Axel went, exactly.
Seeing you walking around, Lemonpot [ooc](slide 2, NPC spotlight).[ooc] The leshy has been with the circus for awhile, making use of his uncommon gift for the gab as a jointee--he runs (mostly) legit games of skill, bilking the rubes out of any spare coin jingling in their pockets.
He lifts the lemon rind he uses for a hat and bows deeply.
"How's it going, ya feckless #$@!'s" the little leshy says companionably.
"You lot see Axel scarper? Begs Myron for two weeks for a chance in the limelight and he gets the tumblie-wumblies the second he's on deck?" Lemonpot laughs.
Didymus holds up a finger as he continues sniffing the ground in a circuitous path.
Eventually satisfied, he stands up and finally takes notice of Lemonpot, and the serious expression on his face melts into joy.
"Hi, Lemonpot! We're looking for Axel right now. Professor gave us top billing on the detective job! We're talking to everybody to rule out suspects!" he squints and give him a good, close sniff. "You wouldn't hurt poor Myron, would ya?"
Didymus nods to the logic of appleheadedness disqualifying this particular brand of chicanery. "I suspect Mistress Dusklight is behind this, too. But we gotta do our duty!" he says with a salute.
"Sorry I accused ya," he says with an apologetic lick on his face.
Confident that all is forgiven, he gives a quick wave, "Bye now!" and resumes following the scent/feather trail, presumably heading for Axel's tent.
Noatuk follows Didymus. evenin' Lemonpot. Hows duh games t'night? Sorry I dinah ave duh time to swing by. Had me hands full in duh bigtop.
Once they get back on the trail.
Nice work handle'n dem vipers. Tis a shame what happened to Myron. You really tink Dusklight woulda sent dem after'im?
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"Heya, Noatuk. Games were good. You should come next time. Losing to an iruxi makes the rubes meshuginer."
Axel doesn't have a tent, exactly. "Tent's are for workers, Axel, and you're a dilettante." Myron said. Axel slept out on the ground for a night or two before he was taken in by Stone, the circuses carpenter, tinker, and all around handyman.
There's a campfire lit near Stones wagon. A number of figures are huddled around it, and you can smell stew cooking long before you reach the fire. It smells delicious.
The crew around the fire is eclectic. Stone, the carpenter; Pontypool, the head cook. Pagliacci and Madame Eugenia, two of the clowns. Swenja Flamboni, Ndonga Kanbali, performers. And Bragga, one of the roustabouts.
"Hello, folks." Pontypool scowls. That's okay, Pontypool scowls at everyone. There are gradations to Pontypool's scowls, and you think this is an affectionate one. And mournful.
"ᴴᵉˡˡᵒ, ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ. ᵂᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ˢʰᵃʳᶦⁿᵍ ᵐᵉᵐᵒʳᶦᵉˢ ᵒᶠ ᵀʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ, ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᶦˢ ʷᵃʸˢ. ᴾᵉʳʰᵃᵖˢ ʸᵒᵘ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʲᵒᶦⁿ ᵘˢˀ" Madam Eugenia says. The clown never removes her mask, but she has it tipped up slightly, just enough for her to eat and drink.
You do not see Axel present.
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BumBum will approach Stone's fire, pointedly ignoring it. "Hello everybodys. OOhs that stew smell like good grub. Enough to share? Not so many pickles today before show. I’s tell a story ‘bout Myrion if you’s want. One day I was feelin’ blue, but I kept finding pickles stuck on my tail. Find pickle, eat pickle. Pickle tastes sweet. Then look again, find another pickle, and another, and another” This will all be accompanied by some comedic pratfalls and the like. ”Not ‘till costume changey time did I see so many pickles stuck to inside of my big clown pants with syrup. Myrion funny guy.” He smiles, then sighs ”He was good man. Ohs yeah, anybody seen Axel? He done scarpered off. He got his kit ‘round here?”
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Pontypool scowls. "No pickles. Boy, he is off somewhere. Probably outside Rache's wagon." This gets a round of chuckles from the others, except Pagliacci, who rarely laughs, and Madame Eugenia, who never does.
"Stew is finished," he continues. "I'll go get some pickles from Boy's cart. Maybe candy apple, if there are any left. Is time for celebration." The cook plods off toward Boy's cart.
The others rush in, filling bowls eagerly. Pontypool might hock turkey legs and sausages to undemanding customers, but as a cook he's no slouch.
Stone jerks a thumb at his wagon.
"Axel ran in there after the show. He's upset." Stone says in a bewildered tone. As far as you can tell, Stone's never been upset about anything.
Madame Eugenia eats daintily--probably since she can't see the spoon or the bowl with her mask pulled up over her eyes.
"ᵀʰᵃᵗ ᶦˢ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ. ᵀʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ ʷᵃˢ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵖʳᵃⁿᵏˢᵗᵉʳ. ᴮᵘᵗ ʰᵉ ᵏⁿᵉʷ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᶦⁿᵉˢ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵖʳᵉˢˢᵉᵈ. ᴬ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ˡᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ. ᴴᵉ ʷᶦˡˡ ᵇᵉ ᵐᶦˢˢᵉᵈ."
Ndonga makes an obeisance to Pharasma.
"He will be. We butted heads a few times, of course, but theirs worse out there. We all know that." she says, swirling the beer in her mug and looking into the fire.
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Joining in the food line with the others, Kvothe take a portion. Eagerly tearing in to the meal, he listens to the others tell stories of Myrion.
I had almost left The Celestial Menagerie right after I joined. My first average performance and Mistress laid in to me real bad. Myrion saw and pulled me aside after and told me of his plans. He had a special way with people, to Myrion
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Didymus thoroughly enjoys BumBum’s performance and claps excitedly at its conclusion.
He happily accepts a bowl of the stew and licks Ponypool’s face in gratitude. He knew the cook we chose him for doing so, but he could swear he’s seen him smile while cleaning his face. ”Thanks, Ponty!!”
Not wanting to be rude to his other friends, he greets all the others around the campfire in the same way. He also takes the opportunity to serruptitiously sniff all of them for any scents matching the vipers or otherwise suspicious.
Afterwards he sits and eats with the group while enjoying the swapped tales.
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Didymus' sniffer smells...something. Off to the northeast. Not sure what.
Further off, he can smell Bardolph, the circus' bear. Bardolph has been injured for a bit, and is probably sleeping in his wagon. The circus has kept Bardolph around as a sort of beloved mascot since the death of The Great Fortunato, his former owner, who was stabbed in an alley robbery in Escadar. Myron couldn't stand leaving the bear in Mistress Dusklight's clutches, so he stole the wagon when he and the others left her circus.
Sniff, sniff. Somewhat closer. Northwest. In the woods, blanketed by a green smell. It's a yellow smell, a slithery smell. An atavistic impulse to run, every time you catch that scent. Snakes, in the woods. Vipers.
The door cracks open, and Axel peaks out with one eye. The folk at the campfire do a very good job of paying attention to something else.
"Is Swenja out there?" Axel whispers.
The shoony whispers back, "Hi Axel! Swenja? She's over by the fire, but it's us: Kvothe, BumBum, Noatuk, Al, and Didymus. We wanted to check on ya after the show."
At that moment, the small feathered reptile stepped out from behind the ranger and gave an inquisitive squak, "Oh, and Ambrosius, he always likes playing with your birds! Can we come in for a bit?"
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Okay, okay, hurry.
The door opens just enough for Kvothe and Didymus in, then he shuts it quickly.
"Sure, go on into my house." Stone mutters into his mug of ale.
The inside of the wagon would be cramped with two, but its overstuffed with everyone. Stone keeps his tools, odd bits of scrap that might be useful, and his few worldly possessions jammed in the wagon, alongside a small cot for him, and a simple pile of blankets on the floor for Axel. Axel has shed his cloak, and the doves from his act are scattered throughout the wagon, cheaping softly.
Axel flops down onto Stone's cot dramatically, the effect ruined slightly when his grouch bag bounces up and smacks him in the face with a jingle of coins.
"Ow."
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He looks up and shakes his head violently.
"No! I'm not a thief." He pulls the grouch bag off and pours it onto the bed, revealing a few silvers and a handful of coppers.
"It's all I've got left from when I left home."
Bum-Bum, Kvothe, and Nuatok are pretty sure Axel is telling the truth there.
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ok kid, we just wanted to check on you after the performances. Every one of the people here have frozen when the lights have shown on us. It's a learning experience, just know you're up next time.
After talking to him, we should leave him alone with his thoughts for a bit and investigate the other areas
Al would like to talk him up, trying to impart some much needed self esteem.
She tells a story about a sad little dwarf who wouldn't sing with the birds or some other such bulls#!@t. Elegantly.
It takes a good bit a'courage ta get out n'front uh all dem folks n'put on a show. More'n I got. Ya got sumpin' special in ya Axel. Yu'll make yer debut when yer ready.
Ambrosius hops up into the crowded wagon, startling the doves. He cocks his head in quick, jerky movements, mimicking the doves who look back at him with curiosity and anxiety. He hops closer to one, only to cause it to fly across the room to a new perch, his head panning to watch it fly, before snapping back to stare at the next closest dove, who promptly craps on Stone's pillow he was standing.
Didymus rubs the top of Ambrosius head like tussling a sibling's head, "You love the birds, dontcha boy!"
Listening to Axel explain himself the shoony gets very sad and feels rather guilty about suspecting the poor soul of murder. He perks up though at the comment that he's in charge of the show now. He'd never been in charge of anything more than cleaning the stables before now.
Dammit, not again! he seizes his errant tail once again.
After listening to Al's unusual tale, he punctuates the story by thoroughly licking Axel's face until he can get him to smile or laugh.
Didymus seems to consider the potential of this being Poffo's scent, but then shakes his head as he's quite certain what that smells like. "Onward!" he announces as he resumes his bloodhounding, leading the party towards the unidentifiable scent seeming to be coming from the rock outcropping southeast of the campfire. Ambrosius, halfmimicking his owner, and half actually tracking, follows alongside sniffing as he hops along.
Noatuk follows the ranger, likewise drawing his weapon when Didymus does.
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The group moves into the rocky area.
bum
didy
kvothe
Al
noa
ambro
Lichen clings to the boulders here, and a few hardy trees curl up from the rough terrain. One of the boulders looks strange--it takes only a second for each of you to recognize it as looking exactly like a cow, somehow turned to stone.
A strange creature, like a rooster with bat wings and a snake-like tail, pecks at the ground irritably as you approach.
bum
didy
kvothe
Al
noa
ambro
C
Noatuk releases a primal roar and leaps into action, striding forward to attack.
First action: Move 20 ft.
Second action: Attack with Meteor Hammer
Third action: Attack again
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Hearing Noatuk roar, Kvothe feels his hands get sweaty. He didn't pull a weapon, they were still in camp! Wondering what it could be, he peers into the darkness trying to recall what the creature could be. A song springs into mind, as he moves through the rocks.
headstrong, I'll take you on! Headstrong, I'll take on anyone!!
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Round one
- inspire courage
Kvothe (Hero 1)
Noatuk (Hero 1)
??? (-8 HP)
Lady Al (Hero 2)
BumBum (Hero 1)
Didymus (Hero 0)
*AmbrosiusInspire courage: all allies within 60' of Kvothe get a +1 Status bonus on Attack rolls, Damage rolls, and Saves against Fear effects.
Noatuk strides forward, striking mightily at the creature. His meteor hammer strikes home, slamming into the weird bat-chicken-snake.
Reacting faster than those in front of him, Kvothe dashes forward.
Kvothe isn't sure what this thing is, but anything that ugly must be evil.
He begins singing to urge his companions onward.
UglyChicken flaps its wings, awkwardly lunging towards Noatuk It pecks at him with its beak.
The attack scratches Noatuk's scales. He finds his body stiffening up, as movement becomes more difficult. His scales take on a grey, rock-like sheen.
It pecks at Noatuk again.
Luckily, its second attack does not hit.