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The Circus of Wayward Wonders performs in an enormous tent capable of holding hundreds of people—and that’s a good thing, as it seems the entire population of Abberton has turned out for the show. Many of the town’s most prominent citizens, including the mayor, are among the throng jostling for seats, peering at the three rings that fill the center of the tent, and waiting excitedly for the show to begin.
As the lights go down and the audience settles onto their seats, the circus’s performers take their places backstage, awaiting their cues. Suddenly, several of the performers closest to the curtain that separates the three rings from the rest of the tent leave their assignments, gathering in a small crowd to exchange frightened whispers and hushed gasps. Amid the group, his body contorted as if caught forever in the throes of terrible pain, is the corpse of ringmaster Myron “Thunder” Stendhal. Everyone in the circus knew Myron for his amazing, powerful voice that could bring instant silence to the largest crowd, and he knew everything there is to know about putting on a successful performance. Now he’s dead, but the crowd is still out there, and they’re expecting a show.
The heroes begin the adventure crowded around Myron’s body with several other performers. Members of the circus are shocked, afraid, and uncertain what to do next. . The heroes may want to investigate the body, but there is no time. Their first priority should be ensuring that the show continues as planned. After all, the performers’ livelihoods depend on the spectacle they create; if they don’t perform, they don’t eat. One of the older members of the circus, a sideshow barker named Professor Zarlian Kyosophus, covers Myron’s body with a silk cape and
addresses the group backstage.
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Madam Scootch had been manning the sweets tent while the crowd was arriving and getting to their seats. Now that she isn't forced to push bad products at higher prices, she gladly sold all the things she could. She thought to herself that she could outsell the awful Celestial Menagerie due to feeling better about it, but she never felt comfortable putting this to the test.
As the crowd is mostly inside, she pulls a boy named Sevvy to man the tent, since there's not much to do. She likes to do a double check on the equipment before the show starts, to make sure it's safe. However, before she can start her rounds, she notices all the people backstage gathered. She makes her way through and sees Myron's body laid there, as if still in pain. She gasps audibly.
She starts to think of what she should examine first, but Professor Zarlian comes to make way for the performers. She is about to protest, when she sees all the performers commenting about their livelihood. She realizes what this means and is sad about it. She quickly tries to check whatever she can around and realizes that understanding what happened is going to take some thinking and prodding.
She does what looks more obvious to her. She looks around at the faces of all the other present to try to decipher how surprised, and sad, they are about Myron's death.
She goes ahead and double checks the equipment to make sure it's safe for the performers.
Before going, she says "If we're going to do this show, we'll need a new ringleader. Someone with a good voice, please step up."
The Princess bows toward Caine, and a line of flame surrounds him with a glowing heart for a few seconds. While he was primarily a dancer, he did have a voice that could go from a smooth soft purr to a roar that would knock the popcorn out of the back row.
Seated quite relaxed and chilled up on a haphazardly heaped pile of crates, boxes, sacks filled with sand and what looks like an enormous exotic saddle used for a defunct basilisk trick (only had the initial showing, since most of the audience couldn't attend a second) is seen our Amurun. Lazily performing easy smoke producing visual affects with his hooka, Kwai Chang Caine seems quite content during the preshow preparations.
As the sounds of quiet and nervous excitement meander throughout the backstage, the Swashbuckler slowly turns his blue eyes towards the quickly gathering crowd of performers. Sighing at this untimely interruption to his pre performance routine, Caine easily hops down from his perch, pushes his way through the path of onlookers to stand over the distinctly dead body of their ringmaster.
The Amurun is a big cat. He easily stands half a head taller than anyone else around the fallen leader. At 6'4 and easily 220 pounds the cat strikes the appearance of predator.
Folks. This tragedy is truly mistimed, but as our dead dear ringmaster would say...
Caine looks down at Princess Caravalle, as she pushes him into the literal lime light of the situation, the Amurun winks at her.
Caine quickly begins to groom himself in preparation of entertaining a crowd....
The Tian-Min man who calls himself Shi Xin Wang raises his carnelian eyes from the body as the Professor drapes a cape over. He wipes away the tears on his cheeks briskly. "No time for grief," he says, forcing the words. "Everyone is counting on us."
A shadow flickers over his eyes when the embellishing flames draw his attention to Caine. "I think Zarris should lead tonight." He bows toward the catfolk, "No offense."
The audience too is in shock, but impressed by your speeches.
Madam, you sense everyone is in shock, or terrified. Others are looking disbelief, especially the audience, some from the audience think this is an act, a trick, a prank, like ah ha, I gotch type of thing. Others from the audience think it is real. Everyone who is working with you can clearly tell you this isn't a trick and he is actually dead.
Madam does check the equipment, it would take more than a minute to check all of it thoroughly, but nothing is noticeable, with her engineering knowledge there doesn't seem to be anything obvious that the average person wouldn't miss. Doesn't mean nothing was or wasn't tampered with, it just means with her knowledge and at a quick glance of things she knows what to look for that others wouldn't and equipment doesn't seem faulty, like no loose screws, no malfunction, etc. from a quick glance at things.
The Amurun smiles at Shi Xin Wang, as he Moon walks into the center stage area. He seems to be pointing at the boisterous patron possibly about to blow this entire moment open for the negative.
The princess flitters out with glowing wings and begins to dance with a tendril of fire wrapping around her. A few people may notice a glint in her eyes as she spins and cavorts.
"It is what it is," Shi Xin Wang says. "We shall return to do your honors properly once the beast is fed."
He brushes his eyes again with the back of his hand before performing a back flip and landing in the form of an orange tabby. The tabby leaps into the ring and performs several leaps, rolls, and hindleg stands.
He is only occasionally distracted and bats at Princess Caravalle a mere three times.
Zarius tries a new flip he's been practicing.
You all do a good job, except for Zarris, the audience laughs and boos, but the act keeps them from leaving.
Madam finds some savataged equipment backstage that will be used in future acts.
The beer backstage has also been tampered with, higher, much higher alcohol content so folks get rowdy. Beer has been mixed with Fireball, and Mentos has been added to make sure the beer keeps its fizz so customers think they are drinking a pure 12 oz glass of beer.
Just then a woman in the crowd yells, Snakes!!!, Ah!!! She stands up and moves back.
You all work for the circus, so yes you know the circus uses snakes, but these snakes don't appear to be the ones your circus uses or ones that your circus would use. In fact, the circus only allows certain species of snakes, and whatever these snake are isn't even on the list of allowed species of snakes. Even Madam hears the scream.
Shi Xin Wang leaps into the form of a man and searches for the aforementioned snakes.
Cara takes to the sky to see if she can see the snakes from above, grabbing onto one of the tent poles for get a clear view.
Cara takes to the sky to see if she can see the snakes from above, grabbing onto one of the tent poles for get a clear view.
You can definitely see the snakes without this. The woman in the crowd used the point out action.
Madam is able to successfully tell the crowd what to do. Everyone near the snakes backs up slowly, everyone is now at least 20 from the snake. This gives all the Pathfinders a clear opening to the snakes, so they can grab or attack them without snakes harming anyone in the crowd.
Still in mid bow, the irritated showman frowns as the crowds attention is suddenly taken by Interlopers!
Caine straightens, brushes his shoulders off and Strides into the stands towards the opening being left by the retreating crowds.
Easily vaulting into the audience seating in pursuit of these upstarts, the Swashbuckler spies the wretched show stealers!
Auditions are only Wednesdays.
The Battle Dancer then begins to Fascinate the biggest snakes with his fancy footwork.
Fascinating Performance
Cara slides down one of the ropes to a point over the snakes.
Kwai fascinates the snakes, they will be fascinated for as long as Kwai keeps this up, not just 1 round.
Princess makes it there.
She looks to find such a bucket. If she finds one, then she'll grab it and get ready to cover them with the bucket.
In contrast to Madam Scootch, Shi Xin Wang leaps into the growing space around the fascinated snakes. He snatches at one with each of his hands, trying to hold it close to its head.
Princess finds a large empty popcorn bucket. Or you know, Madam makes one.
@Shi Xin Wang, 3 and you crit failed on one, but grabbed 1. would you like to spend a hero point. If not, it gets to make a strike at you for crit failing. This only occurs on a crit fail.
Shi Xin Wang crit fails when grabbing the snake the 2nd snake, while it does not get a reactive strike, this crit fail automatically starts Roll for Init
init snake 1
init snake 2
The Battle Dancer continues to show some fancy footwork, attempting to continue to Fascinate them....
Unfortunately, the Catfolk 's blue eyes are trained on the grappling attempts by Wang and he stumbles on some spilled, hot buttery popcorn. Probably came from the same bucket now being bandied about by Princess....
The snakes are 1 single move action away from all of you, unless you stated you wanted to be next to them or you were grabbing one, then you don't need a move to get to them as you are already in melee. 2 snakes remain, 1 has been successfully grabbed and captured.
Cara will Flutter down and attempt to land on the bucket over one of the snakes.
Zarris unleashes shards of force at one of the uninjured snakes.
Cara will Flutter down and attempt to land on the bucket over one of the snakes.
@Zarris, I'll resolve that as soon as I understand what Princess did, as your magic missile will go after the snake with 19 init, but before 10 init.
The viper has to move to Shi Xing Wang as it has reach of 0 Attack of opportunity if you have one Shi Xing Wang
2nd and 3rd actions, strike Not even close
Zarris force barrages one, but 9 damage doesn't kill a viper with a level bump.
The last one moves as action 1 to have melee strike of Shi
2nd and 3rd action, strike not even close
[b]All heroes are up.
The golden dragon tattoo on his left arm glows as he punches down on the approaching viper. The dragon rises off his arm and strikes in advance of his fist.
Shi Xin Wang then grabs hold of the snake. Looking around for someplace to store his handfuls of snakes, his tattoo keeps striking at the viper in his left hand, trying to knock it senseless.
With the reactive strike plus the grapple, that snake is dead, assuming you would grapple the same one that was force barraged, as I'm assuming you all are focusing fire.
One snake left
You know these are viper snakes. They are obviously tiny sized. If they bite you, you have to make a save against viper poison.
Cara realizes that there is no going back and releases a ribbon of flame over it. If the audience has to see death at the circus, it should at least be flashy.
Obviously her heart isn't into it.
Madam takes down the last one with a single shot after princess hits it for 1 fire, half of 1 is still 1. Combat over.
The threat is contained. Now you must convince the actors to still be acting and the people to stay with deception, diplomacy or intimidation, or another skill, but diplomacy works best.
"Oh, my, that was certainly exciting!" exclaims the Princess broadly to the audience. "But it pales in comparison to the wonders yet to be revealed on the stage. Please sit and relax and enjoy the rest of the show."
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Madam Scootch relaxes as the snake dies. As Princess Caravalle pushes the crowd to relax, the overweight woman goes to recover the dead snakes to inspect them later. As the show goes on, she tries finding its tracks to see where they came from. She is certain this somehow relates to the death of her friend.
Madam isn't able to follow any tracks, but princess is able to convince a few people.
"And nobody was harmed!" Shin Xin Wang shouts with an exuberant grin. He flexes in several poses, winking at the women in the audience. "You are safe when you come to the Circus of Wayward Wonders! Do you not feel the thrill within your heart at the illusion of danger?"
Having had regained his sure footing from failing to maneuver more than tripping, the Swashbuckler springs to his feet! Bowing low to the assembly, Caine shouts,
So sorry for the snakes folks! Come back next time and we guarantee no unexpected reptiles!
And with that you put on a good circus.
The act is still going on in the final act, but you hear some noise outside. Your boss points at you all Find out what is going on, we can't have them ruining our show.