Carnivàle · of · Shadows

What has transpired over the last year...

Due to irreconcilable differences in the management, the Midnight Circus has split. Some of the members of the Circus have joined with Astarte, Blotto and the Bishop leaving Miami and heading west to join the new Cirque du Freak. The fairest Nicholas and his companion William, have also decided to leave and travel to parts unknown. After the death of Benny Budrose, William has decided to see the world with his friend NIcholas.

The remaining members of Anastagio's Carnivàle have formed a theatre troupe. Pooling their financial resources they have purchased the old Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Miami. Having decided to seek employment with the new theatre troupe, the Barlow Brothers have also chosen to remain in the employ of Anastagio and the fae. The Orpheum's marquee has been changed and the playbill now announces Anastagio's Carnivàle of Shadows. The remaining fae have joined together to form a single Motley, now called The Shadow Players. They have abandoned the old Hollow and have expanded the Loft of Semiramis as their new Hollow.

The past year has seen much growth in the players, who have decided to adapt their performance skills to the stage. Whitman has donated $10,000 of his own money to purchase new lights, repair the old seats and even buy a brand new red velvet curtain. Hermaphrodite has remained as playwright and stage director and has adapted his alchemical skills to helping the new Motley develop their acting, dancing and musical talents. Hermaphrodite has even obtained the patronage of both the reigning monarchs of Summer and Autumn, Grandfather Thunder and Queen Namaah, both who have commissioned plays for both the upcoming Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox.

On the 15th of January, 2005, the Shadow Players Motley swears the Motley Pledge and jointly begin to expand their new Hollow. The new members of the Shadow Players Motley are:

Patches Baird, Wizened Chirurgeon of the Summer Court
Sigil, Darkling Mirrorskin/Brightone of the Winter Court
Wally, Ogre Gristlegrinder of the Summer Court
Whitman, Beast Steepscrambler of the Autumn Court
Mr. T, Beast Hunterheart of the Spring Court
Rati, Darking Leechfinger, of the Spring Court
Apollo, Fairest Flowering of the Winter Court,
and
Iolanthe, the Elemental Snowskin of the Autumn Court


Game Date: June 20, 2005

One the eve of the Summer Solstice the new troupe begins preparations for the staging and production of Hermaphrodite's new tragedy, titled: The Tragedy of Tom Hood. Per the request of Grandfather Thunder, he requests a play to commemorate the events that led to the Declaration of Endless Summer, which is the event that led to the death of the King of Autumn and the ascendancy of Grandfather Thunder as sole seasonal ruler of the Freehold of the Trident.

For the previous 2 weeks the Shadow Players have been rehearsing. It is to be a play in IV Acts, each leading to the climactic death of Tom Hood, the exile of Rose Thorn into the Florida Everglades, and the crowning of Grandfather Thunder as sole ruler of the Miami Freehold.
As the play begins the Motley go about their assigned roles. Just as the Act II closes and the curtain comes down they realize the audience (which has just re-entered from a brief intermission) is unusually quiet. As they prepare to open the third and final act they realize a foggy mist is seeping through the front of the main stage, held back by the thick red velvet curtain.

As Sigil and Whitman notice from the side wings, they realize something is amiss. The entire audience, composed mostly of members of the Miami Lost, are unconscious, even the musicians in the orchestra pit lie immobile. They see large leather-clad beings moving in the balcony section, slowly approaching an unconscious Grandfather Thunder. Even his bodyguard Deathless Ivan is nowhere to be seen. The Players then decide (fearing that the source of the trouble is the poisonous gas) to keep the curtain lowered to prevent the mist from entering the back of the stage. Mr. T and Wally decide to go back stage and bring out the large wind fans to see if they can dissipate the poisonous mist. Meanwhile Patches decides to ascend to the catwalk above and try to intercept the shadowy figures.

As Patches reaches the first figure, he realizes that it is not human but a Hobgoblin, a creature twisted by the psychoactive properties of the Hedge. He intercepts it and defeats it. Whitman meanwhile makes his approach by climbing the opera box beside the stage, but moves slower to circumvent the attackers. As he converges with the interloper, he realizes that the Hobs carry knives dripping with some sort of poison. As they defeat them, Patches falls to the floor below, crashing atop an unconscious mortal, who breaks his fall.

About a couple of minutes later Whitman and Mr. T have moved two large wind fans to the main stage, raise the main curtain and the poisonous mist begins to dissipate to the rear of the theatre. The enemies lie dead, their plot to assassinate the ruler of Miami thwarted. Patches, Whitman and Sigil investigate, realizing that the fumes may have been produced by a certain Goblin fruit that was emitted from the punch-bowls in the main lobby and the champagne bottle besides Grandfather Thunder. As the poisonous mist dissipates, slowly the audience begins to awaken, some chocking, some with nausea.

Name: Whitman
Original name: No record. Family died from grief. No known siblings or extended family.
Height: 4'6"
Weight: 86 lb.
Skin: Yellowish-grey.
Eyes: Grey.
Hair: Black
Age: 22
Actual Age: 70
Notable feature: Two spots cresting down the side of each eye, which are actually arachnid eyes that provide an accelerated visual clarity at night. Hairs on his body are thicker, like spider hairs.

There was once a sweet embrace that govern Whitman's life. No, that wasn't his name before Arcadia, but its the only name he knows now. At the very edge of what remained of World War II, Whitman was the son and heir of a Canadian investor, up until his disappearance in Huntington, West Virginia. The family called a search in the region, but he was nowhere to be found. Some spoke of a giant bird or a moth, which took him. All they know was that Whitman was playing outside of the home their family had stayed at. Stripped through the harrowing experience, passing the sharp, spiney Hedge that immediately dulled the spark of his young spirit, Whitman came to the alien landscape of his new home with barely any appreciation for it. The fear and horror of being in a land so different, seemingly far from home, it caused him many tears for months. Not broken, but frustrated. It is not to say that Whitman was strong and brought up in a hard home, but that deep inside him--- there was something missing and the boy was steadily preoccupied with the curiosity of that empty space.

For the next dozen years, there would be no ease to the wonder or the fear. Extremes within this edge of Arcadia, full of emotions and creatures, became normal. Under his bestial masters known as the Fae, Whitman was selected by an arachnid brood-mother called Second Spiral, to tend the egg-sacs scattered in her dark treetops among the forests. With no personal direction or rhyme, Whitman devoted himself to servitude while fixated upon his hollow existence, a drone. In time, Whitman did not know his steady transformation into the likeness of Second Spiral's minions. Retarding his size and actions, Whitman's capacity as an individual and having once been human, were ultimately hindered.

The situation changed, when fellow members of the Autumn Court paid Second Spiral a visit. For whatever reason, Second Spiral found herself confronted by her superior, First Circle, then destroyed. Whitman made attempts to protect the egg-sacs close to his fallen matriarch, but instead was thrown into a silk prison that was subject to consumption by First Circle's children. In Second Spiral's death, the woods of her territory turned closer to the colors of a vibrant autumn, browns and yellows. To some luck, other members of the Autumn Court deemed Whitman and some others bound to Second Spiral, as unlucky for destruction. Instead they were reconstituted as slaves to various members of the Court.

Whitman was given to Silvertongue, a skilled craftsman who was skilled at manufacturing anything, which was quite a feat considering he was a large anaconda. With a trusted magical broom called Put-put, Silvertongue was a kinder and more involved master. With a penchant for consuming his slaves who spoke with others. A very jealous master. But Whitman's service would be short-lived, as a group of Acanthus mages penetrated the way into Arcadia and were involved in a double-crossing with a middle-man and led to Whitman's escape while Silvertongue was distracted. The comfortable part of the young man wanted to stay, but a greater urgency compelled him away.

Through what Whitman now recognizes was a Token, an iron hammer of minor significance, the boy's consciousness swam and blacked-out various times. Each time Whitman's eyes opened, he saw different landscapes, every push against the land beneath him a strain to his own existence. Silvertongue inevitably caught up to him, due to his being a snake and being quite large. Whitman was tired and collapsed, clasping the Token to his chest. Before Whitman finally closed his eyes to rest, he saw the large fanged mouth of Silvertongue open. Oddly, when he opened his eyes later, the stretch of thorns he once saw years ago were present around him.

Hermes & Aphrodite, among the occasions that would visit the Hedge, made some sort of exchange with Silvertongue. All Whitman saw was Silvertongue's sad reptilian eyes, then the Twins' warm expression. It would be another week, before Whitman found himself back in the mortal realm.

Although Whitman was not put under the close care of the Court of Freaks, he was found very useful in building and maintaining the various facilities of the Circus. Instead, Whitman was like a little brother to everyone, but not one to garner any spotlight, due to either his notorious laziness or the fact that his tasks often put him out of the public light. In the time building up to the opening of the Circus, Whitman spent time with the Scribunda Sisters and learned more about mortality and the years lost to where he should have had parents. There were many nights after the opening of the Circus, where Whitman would watch others, observing their lives and feeling the rollercoaster of emotions that he never had the opportunity to truly appreciate. Eventually he approached the Court of Freaks and felt they might better help him collect his lost existence.

Whitman's name is derived from Walt Whitman, after reading the poem: "A Noiseless Patient Spider".

Amtrak 97 Silver Line to Miami, Florida

January 9, 2004



Nine days ago I turned 104.

I feel like an antique stool. And not a particularly fancy one, either. Just an old stool sitting in the corner of some fire-eaten, forgotten barn; termite scarred, water-logged, and rickety.

It’s not just how the world has changed in the long century since my abduction, it’s how I’ve changed. Sure, there’s the obvious: The disquieting, quilt-like visage which greets me in the mirror. The horrifically detailed memories of the alchemical surgeries I performed at the behest of my Keeper. The terrible foreboding that comes with knowledge of the Others’ existence...

All those plague me, but it’s not any of those things. Not really. It is, in fact, just a simple feeling. That same one you get when you’ve misplaced your pocketwatch, only writ large. I know that something very precious was stolen from me. I would say that I know it deep in my soul... But that’s precisely what I fear is missing. I’ve been hollowed out and an irrefutable truth had wormed its way into my brain:

I’m not Emory Ellsworth Baird anymore.

Which, of course, begs the question: Who am I? Or, perhaps more appropriate: What am I.


Certainly I met some like me in Topeka during my genealogical research. They were easy to spot, after all, with nimbuses of flame, horns, and the like. “Changelings,” they call themselves. But even with this newfound companionship I still felt terribly alone. Thank God I stumbled upon Cornelius, and thank God he told me about the Fetch-children. I’m now on the trail of that creature which bears my family name. Miami was the bastard’s destination, and I haven’t found any obituaries for him. I only need a little of his blood... But I wonder if I might not just take it all, to spite him.



But that’s in the future. There’s much to do before that moment. This is the present.



As I sit here uncomfortably on this “Amtrak” train, the 10th hour of my trip, one thing is plainly obvious: The 21st century is the time of Now. Every desire that goes unfulfilled is a tragedy. Every moment of patience is a moment wasted. Everything’s faster, everything’s cheaper, everything’s like me... Hollow. I suppose that should make me feel better, but it makes me feel worse; there’s nothing here to fill the empty space inside. And I know that sounds pathetic, but I don’t think it’s pitiful, I think it’s damn frightening.



Even this speeding, unrefined hunk of steel I’m on feels fake somehow. It’s speeding along at 130 mph but I can’t hardly feel a bump. Where’s the reassuring clinkety-clank of the locomotive? The exhilarating steam whistle as it lurches into the station? Why does every square inch of my wonderful, long-lost country look the same? Off-ramps, pre-built homes, strip malls, parking lots, fast food stands... On and on, forever. The character’s been drained from the land, leaving a dried husk. But that’s not the worst part. The worst part’s that nobody seems to care.



That brings me to the people. Or what seems to be people. They aren’t like the people I remember, though. Even during the worst days of the War there was more life in those soldiers than in the gray automatons inhabiting this place. They hurry about their days, eyes on the ground, hearts tied in chains. They seem almost as soulless as I feel. What happened to their spark? Has it been bred out of them, like domesticated dogs? Has it been sucked dry like the country they inhabit?

No, that’s not it.

They’re afraid.

The world’s darkening. I’ve felt it ever since I came back. And when the sun finally sets they know the brighter they shine the more they’ll suffer. So they’ve hushed their spirits, and avoid looking around; because when you look around – really look around – the obvious becomes startlingly, horribly clear.

This isn’t how the future was supposed to be.

Who’s doing this to the world? The Others? Or some stranger, even darker force? Either way I suppose it’s probably too late. This patient’s too sick to survive.



But it’s never, ever too late for revenge.

Game date: Saturday, June 5

In the early part of the morning Patches finds Sigil and they talk about his fetch's progeny, an old man living in a local Miami retirement community. Sigil believes, and tells Patches, that some local residents have been reported missing. He has not investigated further, but he believes that the old man may be involved with these disappearances.

Around mid-morning (9AM) Anastagio asks the entertainers and carnies to gather at Bacchus' Tent, where some carnies are having a breakfast of pizza and day old coffee. Anastagio informs those gathered that some thefts have taken place, namely $8 thousand in cash from the safe deposit in his RV and some rare Goblin Fruit from Astarte's camper. He wants everyone to be vigilant and keep an eye out for anyone who is not part of the carnival or who is acting strange.

Patches takes his young rescue, the 12 year old girl Ophelia, to the local Denny's by the Bayfront Market. While there they get to know each other and chat. He finds out from the girl that she is not anxious to get back to her father, a rich local gangster named Don Velasquez (who has made his fortune smuggling Cuban immigrants and also selling cocaine). As they prepare to leave Patches sees that a black sedan has blocked his truck and seem to be inspecting it. Patches tells Ophelia to remain inside diner while he investigates what the men in suits want.Shortly after, a gunfight ensues, Patches, using his rifle, kills one of the men while the other wounds him in the leg.

Patches returns with the girl to the carnival and finds Flash Barlow to help him fence his old truck. Later, Patches buys a newer truck (a 2003 Black Ford 150 model). Patches meets with Sigil who informs him that the Espada trade humans to the True Fae and that they make bargains with humans for promises of power/wealth/youth & beauty in exchange for talented children.

Later that night, around 10pm, the group, (after making plans to investigate who Don Velasquez is and why Ophelia doesnt want to be returned to her father) drives to Miami Beach and to a small island mansion off Sunset Lake by the Bay Shore Country Club. They comandeer a speedboat which is used by the owner of the island to ferry over. Sigil, Wally, Whitman and Patches take the boat across to the island and after a brief confrontation on the docks they land.By then Sigil has jumped into the water after one gunman started shooting at the boat. Whitman also has disembarked and made his way to the island, where he climbs the side of the villa. On the second floor Whitman see's a young handsome man in his mid-20's. He is wearing a silk robe in the master suite and there is an unconscious nude female on the bed.

Meanwhile on the dock, Patches and Wally are having a gun-fight with the guards patrolling the grounds, killing them. Wally has picked up the submachine gun from one of the bodyguards and both he and Patches move to the main entrance. They meet with Whitman who has opened the door for them and he informs them of the man upstairs, whom he believes may be Ophelia's father. They proceed upstairs, confront the man and discover he is indeed the young girls father. He was granted youth (possibly through a goblin contract) by the Espada in exchange for his daughter. The man offers them money, drugs, anything they want if they will continue to grant him his youth. He tells them he was an old man close to death and now he has been given a new breath of life. Whitman particularly is not amused and using his sock puppet informs Velasquez that they have the power to take his youth away unless he obeys them. The man confesses that the Espada took his daughter but he swears he didnt know they would kill her. He agrees to take them to where the Espada took her, which happens to be the Flamingo Hotel and the Riptide bar.They then take Velasquez and leave him with Hermes & Aphrodite but not before Whitman extracts a pledge from the terrified man.

Game Date: Monday, May 24th

After the events of the previous night the characters return to the relative safety of the carnival. Returning to the safety of the Hollow, the characters rest and awaken around mid-day Monday.

Later that day the group gathers to consult with Hermes & Aphrodite as well as with Astarte on the best course of action to help Benny, who's deteriorating sanity has led him to be immobilized or heavily sedated. Patches informs them that the young girl they rescued is stable and recovering. The consensus is that a Dream ritual be performed that will lead the characters to the source of Benny's Dream poison, excise it and possibly release Benny from his Keeper's subliminal domination.

Much later, at the Hollow, the Motley gathers for the ritual, presiding are Hermes & Aphrodite as well as Whitman, Mr. T (as Tiger now calls himself) and Patches, who medically oversees the blood transfusion between Malcolm and his father Blotto. The characters drink from the chalice containing Malcolm's blood and the ritual begins. A loud pounding is heard coming from the Hedge-side door, which soon explodes inward into the Hollow, a pale mist filling the entrance. In moments long, thick tendrils of thorny rose vines spread inward, crawling on the Hollow's walls, floor and ceiling. The thick, cloying smell of roses fills the air. A shadow spreads and Lord Pomperil, Benny's Keeper, appears in all majesty. Standing over 8' tall, part thorny rose bush, part human with golden yellow eyes and thick yellow roses that grow to the ceiling, the True Fae calls for Benny. In the chaos that follows the players realize that Hermes and Aphrodite have betrayed them, as well as Mr. T, who laughs at them maniacally, both abandoning them to a doomed fate. Pomperil attacks Wally and Nicholas, a thick, engorged spiny tentacle lances out to strike them from the monstrous Fae.

Time slows to a crawl and what appears to be seconds solidify into hours. The Motley continues to attack, hacking at thorny tendrils, tearing pieces from the enraged Keeper. By the end of the attacks Pomperil lies hacked and defeated, and Benny lies dead, impaled on a penile lance of huge rose thorns, his leg severed at the hip, blood splattered everywhere...

Minutes later the players rouse from a deep sleep, realizing all that has preceded to have been a Dream Duel with the Dream Poison avatar of the True Fae Pomperil. After drinking Malcom's blood they all fell into a deep dream trance. They realize that Hermes & Aphrodite did not abandon them, nor were they betrayed by their friends. Still, Benny lies dead, his eyes open and distant.

Later that evening the Motley mourns the loss of Benny. Despite his grief, William crafts a suitable coffin, and takes Benny's body into the Hedge for burial.

Near 11pm, the Glenwood Guard Motley, as well as Whitman, Patches and Mr. T, are all invited to a private audience with Grandfather Thunder at the Freedom Tower on Biscayne Boulevard. Deathless Ivan escorts them to Granfather Thunder's office, more formally dressed than is usual for the terrifying Ogre. There they are presented gifts, (goblin fruits) as tokens of loyalty and in gratitude for their efforts to safeguard the Lost of Miami against the incursions of Loyalists and the True Fae. Grandfather Thunder also offers them a place in the Freehold of the Trident.

Game Date: Sunday, May 23rd Around 3am the Midnight Circus closes, its opening night a success. Many of the Lost of the Miami freehold talk about the grandeur and splendor of the performances, enraptured and entertained by the acrobatics, clowns, aerialists and even the Hetaerae's renowned Cootch show. Many talk about Astarte's white Bengal tigers, rarities outside their native India. The tent of freaks draws a vast crowd which pay to see Hermes & Aphrodite do their celebrated puppet dance. As the circus begins to close shop, Astarte sends word through the carnies that she wishes to talk to the Glenwood Motley and Patches Baird. They gather at her trailer, and she informs them that she fears for Benny. She fears that he is becoming lost to the dreams of his Keeper, and that his spirit is struggling to retain his sanity. She has observed him over the last couple of days and has consulted with Hermes and Aphrodite, who believe that a dream elixir may be the only thing to save him. Astarte also tells them that the Manikin twins want to meet with them.

Shortly after meeting with Astarte, Patches goes to meet with the twins. They inform him that they are interested in his Fetch's child, that his flesh and blood could be used to distill a powerful weapon against the True Fae. He tells them that he will consider it, but promises the twins nothing certain. Hermes finishes the meeting by telling Patches that a member of their court may have knowledge of where to find one of La Espada's safe houses. She tells him to go to the Big Top and ask for Whitman, (naming himself after the renowned American poet) also known in the Carnivàle circuit as the Amazing Spider Boy.

Patches heads to the Big Top, where several carnies are taking down banners and shutting down the lights. One points a short, boyish changeling with arachnid eyes who scurries down a rope to meet with Patches. They introduce themselves and Whitman tells him that he does have a fairly good knowledge of the Everglades and can lead him and the motley to a cabin used by the Loyalist to corral humans. Whitman and Patches return to meet with Hermes and Aphrodite, each sharing their durance's and getting to know each other a bit better. Whitman agrees to help Patches as a favor to the leader of the Carnival's Autumn court. Patches decides to seek out Nicholas, who is practicing his juggling outside his motley's wagon. He informs him of what Whitman has told him and they agree to head out.

A couple of hours later, around 6am, heading west on Highway 41, the motley, Patches and Whitman follow the trail to a lonely cabin in the middle of the Everglades. They take a southern trail, down to a remote part of the swamp called Shark Valley. After getting stuck on the thick swamp mud, the group leaves the truck and continue by foot, seeing in the distance a lone wooden and concrete observation tower, approximately 60 feet high.

As they approach the observation tower the sky begins to lighten as dawn approaches. Several of the group notices that there are a couple of figures atop the tower. As Nicholas leads the group they note a dark shape diving off the top into the murky swamp water. Nicholas believes this to be Galena, the Swimmerskin. As the group reaches the wooden platform atop, they note a tall, attractive Lost who wears ivory fish-scale armor and a large broadsword. Haughtily he asks the group who they are and threatens them if they do not tell him who they are and what they are doing in his domain. Nicholas returns the challenge and a heated melee ensues. The Fairest is defeated by the combined efforts of the whole group. Divesting him or his arms they rouse the Loyalist to discover his name is Parcifal, (as Nicholas had guessed) a member of La Espada. As the group draws weapons, Parcifal activates a Contract (of Vainglory), which results in Sigil fleeing in awe and horror. The melee ensues and after numerous wounds, the Loyalist is brought down. Patches stabilizes him, and using smelling salts rouses him from unconsciousness. He is furious that he has been defeated by what he deems as inferior and unworthy opponents.

They proceed to have him bound with bandages but as they begin to descend the observation tower he jumps into the swamp about 20 feet below. Just as he is about to hit the water, Patches shoots him with his rifle, shattering Parcifal's shoulder and killing him. Meahwhile, near the edge of the swamp below, Sigil makes the discovery of a medium sized swamp boat, which has been moored and hidden with sawgrass. He decides to disable it but shortly after the group gathers together again they use a contract to fix it temporarily.

Following Whitman's lead through the swamp they follow close to the muddy shore. About 30 minutes they see a huge, withered cypress that has been used as a hang-mans tree, dozens of bodies are tied, dangling and decomposing in the humidity and tropical heat of the Florida Everglades. As they turn a bend in the swamp, it begins to narrow to a shallow stream, and Patches lands the skiff on the shore, near an old wooden shack with rusted, corrugated aluminum roof. They disembark, noting that the shack looks newly abandoned.

As they approach, Whitman, using his ability to quickly climb surfaces, shimmies up to the roof, finding an entrance through a hole. Patches cautiously opens the main door and finds the grizzly sight of 4 freshly killed girls, their blood has soaked the floor boards and a coppery tang lingers in the humid air. He quickly begins inspecting the bodies, trying to see if any of the girls are still alive. All have had their throats slit open. One, however, seems to be barely alive. Patches uses his skills as a chirurgeon to stabilize her and keep the girl, who appears to be barely over 12, from dying.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Nicholas and Wally discover a shadowy being with razor shark knives for talons, which attacks them. In confronting the shadow creature both are wounded but manage to defeat it, as it discorporates into the shadows, leaving behind an arm that Nicholas has severed with his fae-rapier. In one of the bedrooms Whitman discovers signs of someone (or something) under the house in the storm cellar. He rejoins Patches and Sigil in the main room. Nicholas and Wally see a trail of bloody footprints leading out of the kitchen and into the swamps, and decide to track it. About 30 minutes later, the group (minus Patches who stayed with the only surviving girl) finds a short, squat Wizened roasting hotdogs outside a small camping tent. He greets them in a gruff manner but appears non-threatening. He tells them he may be of help in finding the person who's boots they are tracking. On a small stump the group also sees a large, leatherbound book (which the Wizened looks at from the corner of his eye). He agrees to help them but they must answer his riddle:

The Glass Hangman's Riddle
I am a blind child
I am the end of blindness
My life is measured in minutes.
I am as old as the world.

I am the death of dreams.
I am the birth of hope.

Name me?

Nicholas answers "the sun" to which the wizened asks if this is the final answer. The group agrees. The dwarf responds "wrong!" The answer, he says, "is Dawn."

He then asks for his payment, one of the group must stay with him, to which they refuse. The wizened threatens them with a fae curse if he is not given what he wants. Aldric agrees to lead them to the rivers edge. There the group sees a man in a red ski cap immobilized up this his neck in the mud. Aldric uses an elemental contract to trap and immobilize the group, a few escape the trap. By the end of the conflict the dwarf dies impaled on a cypress tree, run through by Nicholas' sword. They discover that the body buried up to its neck is a dummy, made of twigs and sawgrass. They salvage his belongings, among which is a short stick with a crystal attached and the large leather-bound book. The group leaves on Patche's truck and heads back to Bayfront Park and the safety of the Carnivàle. Perusing the journal Whitman discovers it is in part a list of merchandise, human merchandise, listing names, ages, prices paid by Goblin marketeers and purchases made by prominent members of the Freehold of the Trident, among them Maria Thorn.

 

Game date: Saturday, May 22nd

The game opens with the characters following up on a lead about La Espada's human trafficking activities. Following up on a lead given to Nicholas by a human pledged to him, the group breaks into the old Flamingo hotel, one of several La Espada's safe houses. Patches drives them shortly after 9pm, parking a few blocks away while keeping the truck ready for a speedy get-away. Nicholas, along with Wally William and Sigil climb up the fire escape and discover signs of humans serving La Espada's as thugs and muscle, abducting young girls and boys and purportedly selling them to the True Fae. They manage to interrogate a couple of fae-struck humans, and this leads them to follow the trail to a cabin in the middle of the Everglades, about 2 hours west of Miami.

After leaving, they head back to the Carnival, which has opened for its inaugural night in Miami. It is well attended by humans and many Lost of the freehold. The carnival opens at 11pm.

Barker: Anastagio

“Step up now, Gentlemen and Ladies, come this way, here in the Olde Time Lunar Carnivàle and Midnight Circus of Marvels, we have curiosities to suit your every inclination, demonstrations and displays, unique sensations, and, if your old enough, a previously unimagined sexual delights included in the modest cover fee. Here you’ll find the wonders and horrors of the Museum of Curiosities, divine your past, present and future with the Scribunda Sisters. Do not miss the Herculean glory of the World’s Strongest Man. Hop upon the mystic Ferris Wheel of Time and ride the Carrousel of Dreams. Behold the daring aerial dance of Rati & Nikos. Delight in the equestrian mastery of the De’Equesto brothers and laugh with abandon, and perhaps to tears, with Blotto and Friends and The Bishop’s clownish antics.

“We'll give you honey for your eyes, primeval elixirs, constructive lies, and illusions to bedazzle. But when the candles flare and shake, then the shining rulers of blissful Arcadia will wake. As Pices rules the sky the Gypsy Queen and Beast Tamer holds Primeval court with her companions Shiva and Hecate and in the Summer Ring the Warriors practice martial wonders. In the Tent of Freaks the alchemical marriage of Hermes and Aphrodite strike enchantment and fear whilst the Bishop presides in solemn laughter...

“Step right up, step right up and come on in…”

Semiramis’ Loft

Barker: Smiling Sid

“Step right up, step right up, Gentlemen and Ladies, this way…

You dare not bring your wives! Persuade your husbands to remain at home! Beyond these doors we guarantee admittance to a hidden demimonde with ritual embellishments unpracticed since the second century. There's mountebanks and fiery worms and roses made of time in grand array. Step right this way! Step right this way!

”Roll up, roll up, Iolanthe and Apollo perform their celebrated dances that lately have scandalized the Orient, removing first their clothing, then unraveling their bodies, to a musical accompaniment provided by Rosenkrantz and his Babylonian Playboys. This is one you must not miss! Tell all your friends! Tell all your enemies! Tell all the people that you do not know! The Loft of Semiramis is open if you dare. Step right up and see the show! See the show! See the show!

“After Midnight, the immortal Serpent Lady Rati manifests herself for your delight and your edification. Patrons of a nervous disposition may experience a roaring in the ears or dislocation of the temporal lobe, for which The Loft of Semiramis is not legally responsible. Step right this way!

“Those customers concealing rational certainties must check them at the door and may retrieve them from the cloakroom staff upon their exit. Come inside! Come inside! Come inside!

“We'll give you honey for your eyes, ephemeral drugs, and constructive lies. But when the candles flare and shake, then shining rulers will wake the Snake. Wake the snake. Wake the snake. We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake the snake! We're going to wake!”

The Ringmaster Speaks

Barker: Anastagio

“I am talking to ourself. We are listening to myself. As everything draws closer in the telepathic susurrus, the kindly night of eyes, and we remember what we are and know it for the first time. Each self now unfolded, gem fern fractal shape of every life revealed in all its scaled magnificence. The light grows stronger. Something gains upon us from within, and now the banquet, now the rain of stars, now the embrace, the kiss of the invisible. I love you. There is something happening. There is only one moment. There is only one room. There is one person here. I love you. You already know this. You already know this:

“There is no such thing as magic.
Is no such thing as magic.
No such thing as magic.
Such thing as magic.
Thing as magic.
As magic.
Magic.”

Finale: A Carnivàle of Lights

Good men and gentle wives
Set down your care tonight
Wake up from your lives
Behold a Carnivàle of lights

Time has failed you
Yet now the streets are bright
There are angels in you
Walk through all your foundry walls
Behold a Carnivàle of lights

Be ye hale or be ye frail
Jerusalem’s in sight
Leave ye now your mill and gaol
Behold a Carnivàle of lights

Time has stained you
Put on your gowns of white
There are angels in you
Fields again rise through the lanes
Behold the Carnivàle of lights

Game date: Thursday night & morning, May 20th

The game begins at midnight with Nicholas Ironblade and Patches Baird attending the Summer Court gathering at the American Airlines Sports Arena. Both arrive and are greeted by Deathless Ivan, an ogre serving as Grandfather Thunder's Bodyguard. He is not big on social graces, but admits the two into the basketball court, where the others have gathered to meet some of the new Summer members of Miami. Nicholas and Patches notice that only a handful of Lost are gathered in the central court. There they meet: Pietro, a Gravewight, Marissa, a Swimmerskin and a pair of Wizened who style themselves after Hobbits, Merry and Pippin. Along with these they notice Myra Bell Star, the Wizened cowgirl. She flirts a bit with Nicholas and informs them that she has agreed to return to Anastagio's Carnival as a favor to Grandfather Thunder (and to serve as his eyes and ears). They also find out that other members of the Summer Court are not in attendance because this evenings event does not include the traditional duel, and because Grandfather Thunder has several motleys actively patrolling the streets of the Freehold.

After only about an hour of minor socializing, Nicholas and Patches decide its late enough and return to the carnival grounds for some much needed rest. They walk back to the carnival grounds.

Later, a few hours later in the Hedge, the Glenwood Motley are awakened by music coming from the Hedge-side door. William awakes and realizes that Benny is not sleeping by his side, he rushes out, met by Wally, Nicholas and Sigil. They follow the sound and see a young girl, bound, shackled and completely naked, covered in bruises and cuts; a thin chain around her neck, held by a small dog-faced goblin in dirty leathers. He proclaims he has a message from Benny's Keeper: "Come back to me, all will be forgiven if you return." He then cranks the small wooden Victrola which plays an old Patsy Cline record. The girl then sings the Patsy Cline song "Crazy"

"Im crazy, Im crazy for feeling so lonely...
Im crazy, crazy for feeling so blue...
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted...
And then someday, you'd leave me for somebody new..."

As the girl finishes the song, the goblin is attacked, Nicholas rushes him, as William rushes forward to protect Benny. Just as Nicholas impales the goblin the girl's neck explodes in a spray of bright, arterial blood, the collar around her neck projecting blades that end her life. As the girls death-throes end, Benny begins to scream loudly, just as William reaches him and gently takes him back to the Hollow.

They all discuss what this portends and then set up guard duty.  Later that morning they inspect the Victrola and the broken record (having been destroyed by the Motley).

Later that morning, near noon, the Motley heads to the carnival to continue preparations for the opening Saturday night. Wally heads over to the Barlow's camper to meet Ivan who is helping him in his strong-man routine. Nicholas finds Rati, who is practicing her aerial acrobatics routine. Astarte is also practicing with her Bengal tigers in the central ring of the Big Top.

Sigil informs the Motley that he intends to spy on the Riptide bar, leaving for the South Beach side of Miami. Around mid afternoon Patches finds Nicholas and Wally, intent on following up on La Espada and their activities at the Riptide bar. They decide to take a truck over the causeway to the old Flamingo Hotel, near Flamingo Park (which houses the Riptide bar). As they head over Nicholas gets a call from Sigil, according to what he has gathered, the Riptide is La Espada's headquarters, seeing some Lost entering and leaving at various times that afternoon. He also informs them that he believes the bar to have a doorway to a Hollow, probably in one of the rooms in the hotel rooms above (the Flamingo seems to serve as a seedy, "by the hour" hotel). He also tells Nicholas that he also saw signs of human trafficking, (a young 13 year old girl being taken out of the trunk of one of the vintage Cadillac's and carried bound and gagged into the Riptide).

At the Hollow, William and Benny hear music again, and discover that this time his Keeper has sent a slave boy with a goblin delivering a similar message. William prevents Benny from going outside, just as the boy is also killed after delivering a love ballad. William bolts the Hedge-side door and heading to his workshop begins to forge a lock to prevent Benny from leaving the Hollow again. Its a mundane lock to which only he has the key.

That afternoon, Nicholas receives a call on his cell phone from Pedro Escobar, the fae-struck informant who's pledged to inform him of the doings of La Espada. He informs Nicholas that that evening they are to abduct a young girl and provide him an address. When they investigate further they discover that the address is actually a middle school. As they begin investigating and canvassing the grounds, the group hears a musical recital in progress. Inside the Nautilus Middle School auditorium a young girl of 11, is performing a piano solo, accompanied by a small orchestra (Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2, 2nd movement). The audience is captivated, and the players quickly realize why the True Fae would want this girl--she is able to literally hypnotize mortals with her music. As William and Wally investigate further outside, they hear as a white cadillac speedily approaches the auditoriums main entrance, two human gunmen emerge, one with a shotgun, the other with an automatic Uzzi. Inside, Nicholas is investigating back stage, seeing the girls parents off the side of the stage, as they too are enraptured by her performance. In short order the gunmen enter the main lobby of the auditorium, confronted by Wally who engages one of them. The other rushes forth through the main doors and fires his Uzzi, at first to get the crowds attention. Nicholas, hearing the gunfire in the main hall, decides to rush forward. Outside, William and Patches hearing the gun fire head to the auditorium.

Nicholas, drawing his blade, rushes at first the mortal with the Uzzi, but not before the gunman has half-emptied his clip on the crowd. Wally, confronting the one with the shotgun, is hit directly, falling back into an unsuspecting older man, crushing him. As pandemonium ensues inside the auditorium, Patches notices that only one gunman remains in the back seat of the Cadillac outside, who identifies himself as Pedro Escobar. As the melee ensues inside, William enters through the side, summoning the power of his hedge-spun dagger to distract one of the gunmen. Distracted by what appears to be a large dragonfly, the gunman is caught unprepared for the attacks from the Motley. After a few seconds, both gunmen lie dead. Wally is heavily wounded from the shotgun blast, but not mortally. The motley manage to sequester the parents and the young girl, (who's name is Ofelia Velazquez) and convince them to leave Miami for a few weeks, telling them that they have earned the attention of local gang members.

The motley returns to the Carnivàle later that evening. They seek out Astarte, who is offers to use her goblin healing contract on Wally, stabilizing his wounds. They return to the Hollow to prepare for Maria Thorn's soiree. Around 10pm, the motley and Patches head to Maria's party. Many mortals are in attendance, but the players see that some are fae. Maria soon appears wearing Williams hedgespun creation, and offers him payment for it in the form of a small glass ampule containing her first heart's desire. They also soon realize that Maria's soiree is replete with humans offering sexual favors to the fae, even approaching Patches and the motley. The affair soon becomes an orgiastic bacchanal of sex, food, wine and other carnal appetites; which reminds Nicholas too much of the banquets of his former Keeper. He informs the rest he has plans to leave. Close to midnight, the players leave Maria's ocean-front villa, heading back to the Carnivàle, wondering what just happened.

As the group gathers back at the carnival grounds, they decide to investigate La Espada, who are meeting at midnight at the Flamingo Hotel.

Which takes place the night of María Thorn's club opening, Wednesday, May 19th, at approximately 11pm.

Picking up just after the bomb blast...

 

There were maybe 2 or 3 dozen people in the club when the bomb went off, many of them are now severely wounded or dead.  Those who are well enough, run for the doors.  There are multiple small fires spreading.  Three men have come into the club: an ogre in insectoid armor with an ax, a man in a suit wielding two semi automatics, and a man in a cape.  The gunman is shooting and killing anyone who is not running for the door.

 

Nicholas and William engage the men.  William attacks the caped man.  Nicholas takes on the gunman.  The ogre attacks Wally.  Sigil helps Wally fight the ogre, while Benny stands behind Wally healing him.  After Nicholas takes down the gunman, he runs to help William against the caped man, but the caped man sets off explosives that were strapped to his body.  William and Nicholas are blown back by the blast.  After a few rounds against Wally, the ogre drops his ax and flees into the Hedge through a door at the back of the club.  Wally and Sigil chase after him.  Patches and Astarte, who appears mortally wounded, follow through the door and then Benny, William, and a now unconscious Marco.  Nicholas carries the gunman out of the club through the front door, unaware that the others have gone into the Hedge. 

 

In the Hedge, Sigil and Wally chase the armored ogre through the swamp to a large cypress tree that he disappears into.  Sigil finds a doorway into the tree, revealing a rope that leads down into a large pit.  Sigil climbs down the interior wall of the tree.  Bugs swarm Sigil, but he is able to fend them off with his elemental fire glamour.  At the bottom of the hole is a locked metal door, (a hatch like you would find in a naval ship or submarine) with the image of a blade upon its surface.  Sigil climbs back up to the top of the tree where Wally is waiting for him.  Sigil marks the tree, suspecting that this is the entrance to a hollow.  They head back to the others.

 

Patches, Astarte, William, Benny, and Marco stay near the door that led them into the Hedge and tend their wounds.  Once he is sure that William is going to be okay, Benny goes off to find Sigil and Wally, walling William in with plants so that he cannot stop Benny.  When Wally and Sigil rejoin the group, Benny has not returned, but they find a note from Benny among the tree leaves.  It says that he has returned to the hollow and will meet us there. 

 

Outside the club, Nicholas carries the unconscious gunman into the street.  María Thorn, getting out of her limo, runs up to him, wanting to know what happened.  She is in shock seeing her new club destroyed.  She leads Nicholas back to the limo.  After tying up the prisoner, Nicholas goes through his wallet and finds business cards for La Espada in the his wallet (the cards have the same emblem, a cross-hilt sword, that Sigil saw upon the metal door in the tree).  Maria goes pale at the sound of the name and explains that La Espada is a group of lost who are still loyal to their keepers.  Despite the apparent threat, Maria says it would be inappropriate to disturb Grandfather Thunder at this time and she does not want to bring the prisoner to him.  Nicholas says he will question the prisoner and Maria is pleased by that, though she does not want to be present.  Instead she loans Nicholas her limo and driver so he has a private place to conduct the interrogation. 

 

Nicholas reviews the gunman’s recent cell phone calls and notes the following names: Galena, Arioch, Parsifal, Rachel, and Salazar.  Also, the name Sean Banshee is written on the back of one of La Espada's cards.  When the gunman, Pedro, awakens, Nicholas questions him.  Pedro is scared but hesitant to reveal too much.  Nicholas turns on the righteous rage and then refers to himself as the Vengeance of the Lord.  This terrifies Pedro and loosens his lips.  Pedro works for people who he believes are demons, including Arioch, the ogre who was with him in the club.  Sean Banshee and Salazar are two other “demons.”  Pedro has killed and kidnapped normal people who associate with “other demons.”  He knows of other mercenaries who also work for the demons, but it is not a regular group.  They sometimes meet up at a local dive bar called Riptide.  He knows that some of the people they kidnap – particularly pretty women and children – are then sold to more powerful demons.  That night they were targeting Maria.  They blew up the club early because their “informant” mistook Astarte for Maria due to the red roses in their hair. 

 

After showing Pedro the Hedge through the car door, Nicholas extracts a pledge from him.  The next time they call Pedro with a job, he will call Nicholas and tell him everything.  If he breaks the pledge, he will go mute.  Nicholas keeps Pedro’s phone and then throws him out of the limo.

 

During the course of the early morning, the motley meets up back at the Glenwood Guard's hollow and exchanges info. 

 

The next morning, we see that the big top has been erected.  The Carnival plans to open this weekend on Saturday.

 

We learn that Maria has spoken with Grandfather Thunder and convinced him to let her deal with the La Espada situation.  She invites the motley over for a dinner party soon.

 

The motley and Patches head to Riptide before Nicholas and Patches go to meet with the Miami summer court.  The bar is located on the ground floor of the old Flamingo Hotel, a dive with vintage Cadillacs, some convertible, parked in front.  Nicholas stays in the truck while the others go in.  Wally and Sigil – disguised as a girl – have a drink.  William checks out the bathrooms and back area.  Patches sits down next to one of the leathery old Cuban men who are scattered around the bar.  Patches tries to get info from the man, but doesn’t have much luck.  Meanwhile, a man in a white suit comes in from the patio and heads to the bathrooms.  Sigil senses that there is something magical about the man and tells Wally.  Patches storms out of the bar, frustrated, and Sigil goes after him.  Wally asks William to check out the bathroom again because the man in the suit has been gone for a few minutes.  William checks, only to find himself looking down the barrel of a handgun. 

Game Date: Saturday, May 15th at Miami Bayfront Park

On the motley’s first morning in Miami, Benny discovers that a brown fungus has taken root in the goblin fruit garden. It has killed the Amarinthine goblin fruit tree and is spreading to others. Upset, Benny runs out into the hedge. William follows and they discover that the hedge in Miami looks quite different than the hedge in Chicago. It is swampy, filled with strange plants, and appears to have been neglected for some time. 

 

The rest of the motley leave the hollow and survey their new surroundings in the real world. The Carnival is camped in a grassy park with an amphitheater. Across from the park are the Atlantic Ocean and a small island covered in nice houses. Not far down the road are a marina and the Bay Front Market. 

 

Anastagio wants the motley to become part of the Carnival joining as performers. He is pleased that Wally is going to be the Carnival’s strong man and that Nicholas and Rati are developing an acrobatics routine. He is hoping that the others will also become performers, but is willing to compromise. He suggests that William could manage or purchase the carousel. Benny wants to run a first aid station, but Anastagios suggests that he sell healing herbs and love potions, as its more profitable than healing cuts and bruises. Sigil offers to work as the Carnival’s seamstress. 

 

That night Grandfather Thunder welcomes the Carnival with a small reception at his council hall at Freedom Tower. The changelings from the Carnival, including the motley, attend. At the party, Sigil meets Patches Baird, a handsome, though patchwork, changeling who Astarte hopes to hire for his ability to enhance people’s physical ability to perform. Nicholas meets Myra Belle Star, a Wizened and member of the summer court who used to work for the Carnival. She does not seem fond of Astarte. William and Benny meet Maria Thorn, who asks William to make her a gown and invites them to come to the opening of her new club, the Condor. Other members of the Miami courts are present at the party, including Deathless Ivan and Queen Naamah, but overall there are few Miami Lost present. Benny, Nicholas, and Wally start drinking together. Benny and Nicholas get drunk. 

 

At about noon the next day, Patches comes to the Carnival and meets with Astarte. They agree that he will take over the wagon of the Museum of Oddities, at least temporarily until he gets his own quarters. Astarte then sends Flash Barlow to summon the motley. Flash hounds Nicholas and then William and Benny, all of whom go to the hollow for some peace and quiet. Something knocks on the hedge door to the hollow. It is a beautiful, talking snake claiming to be from Benny’s keeper. William kills it. 

 

Eventually, the motley meets up with Patches, Astarte, and two of the Scribunda Sisters, who are having tea outside their wagon. Patches is hoping to use the Broken Mirror, (which we took from Auberon’s office) to find the child that his fetch fathered. Patches believes that the blood of a fetch-child can be used to kill the True Fae. He is determined to murder his former Keeper. The motley agrees to let him use the mirror in exchange for a future favor. Patches sees an old man named Collin in the mirror. As is typical of Florida weather, a mild seasonal rain hits and it begins to pour.

 

Benny, Sigil, and Wally agree to go to Coral Gables with Patches to find the old man. Concerned about how things might play out, Nicholas and William take William’s new motorcycle (a gift from Benny) to Coral Gables. Nicholas leads them to Coconut Grove Retirement Village, an old folks’ home, and bluffs the attendant into taking them to Collin. Nicholas had the address because this is where Rosie’s fetch now lives. Masquerading as two priests – Father Wilcox and Father William – they briefly talk with Collin. He seems to be a lonely and nervous old man with ailing health.

 

During the ride to Coral Gables, Sigil, Benny, and Patches continue their discussion about whether or not the fetch child has a soul or is an Arcadian creature. Patches agrees to wait a few days as Sigil and Benny try to answer their own questions about the fetch child’s nature. They head back to the Carnival. Eventually Nicholas and William head back as well. 

 

That evening, while Benny is working on his goblin fruit garden, driving out the fungus and replanting some of the damaged plants, something bangs on the hedge side door of the Motley's Hollow. At the same time Patches knocks on the mortal world side of the other door. We let Patches in. The knocking gets louder on the hedge-side Hollow door and a booming voice threatens to blow the house down. Benny opens the door to find a little wrinkled goblin. The goblin has a message from Benny’s Keeper professing his love for Benny and begging him to return. Benny seems stunned, until the goblin’s insistence on a tip pisses him off.

 

During the next few days, Sigil goes undercover to the retirement village in Coral Gables, impersonating as an old woman to get to know Collin. After a few days he witnesses a rather disturbing outburst, in which Collin offers to tie Sigil up and bleed her dry. Collin spirals out of control and spoils the trip to Denny’s for everyone. Later that day, William meets with Maria Thorn at her swanky sea-side home, to get her measurements, he befriends her haughty but insecure servant Marco. William makes Maria a gown of green mist and fireflies and then swears a pledge with Marco. Myra Belle calls Nicholas and invites him to a Summer Court event the day after Maria Thorn’s club party.  

 

Wednesday, May 19th, the Club Opening
Three days after Grandfather Thunder’s party, the motley and Patches arrive at the Condor, Maria Thorn’s new club in South Beach. Astarte is already there, upstairs in the VIP room. Marco leads the motley and Patches to the elevator. Just before the elevator reaches the VIP room, a bomb explodes, tearing the club apart, killing some of the party-goers and maiming many others inside and outside the club. Nicholas pries the elevator doors open and is able to hoist Benny and Patches out of the elevator before the cables snaps. The elevator plummets to the ground with Wally, Nicholas, William and Marco. Benny runs to the stairs to help the others. Patches rushes to help Astarte, who looks critically wounded, a large shard of glass imbeded in her chest. Maske men with guns run into the club and begin executing anyone left alive.