FearFest 2019

[Keeper of Stories]

Posters all over the Marketplace (and the rest of RhyDin) advertise the up and coming FearFest, which runs from October 25th to October 31st. FearFest will take over the north side of the Marketplace, including half a dozen businesses on the north side. Attractions will include a haunted house, the Gates of Terror, Dixieland Zombie Marching Band, a Vampire Disco, and a large tent that hosts CarnEvil and Devils Circus at eight-o-clock and ten-o-clock respectively.



((Live Event will occur on Saturday, October 26th, 7pm ET. More details to come!))

[Keeper of Stories]

FearFest (Oct 25th-Oct 31st) has taken over most of the Orktoberfest Marketplace. In the center of FearFest is a circle of food-trucks selling: skewered meats (sourced from Matadero Meats), Jake Thrash's Pretzel Boy Pretzels, deep-fried appetizers and desserts, mini-burgers from Black Magic Burger, and "Terror Tacos." The great ferris wheel - Ring of R'lyeh - looms in the center with cobwebs draped over the garish orange paint. Surrounding this central location, we have attractions such as Mors Domus, Gates of Terror, the Vampire Disco, and a large tent hosting CarnEvil and Devils Circus. A ticket booth stands in the northwest corner of the Marketplace. Tickets can be bought in groups of five (10 Nobles) or fifteen (15 Nobles). Visitors can also buy an evening pass (25 Nobles) or a week-long badge (145 Nobles).

Mors Domus is the name given to an old row house on the north side of the market. Legend has it the house has been burned to the ground many times, only to rise from the ashes time and again. Visitors are taken on a tour of the house by two ghostly children, ten-year-old Azaleada ("Azalea") and her twin sister Maikodea ("Maiko"). The children stand on the unlit porch, solemn and pale. When you approach - alone or with others - the children ask if you will help them rescue their baby brother, Adonis, from the monster inside. Everyone who visits Mors Domus has a different tale to tell of the ghastly tour.



The streets between the RhyDin Chamber of Commerce and the south entrance to the Courthouse and Townhall are blocked off every evening at eight-o-clock. A mystical fog rolls over the only open entrance at the north end of the Marketplace. A simple banner strung between houses flaps in the breeze: Gates of Terror. The orc which stands guard - and takes your tickets - warns you: "Beware the monsters lurking in the night. They feast on humans and search for souls who dare to enter their haunting grounds. Watch your back, because there is always a reason to be scared of the dark." The Gates of Terror have a minor-friendly schedule from eight to nine, then become adult-oriented until closing at half-past midnight. Just as you start your journey, the orc warns you not to touch or attack the actors within.





For the week of FearFest, a sizeable indoor market has been converted into the hottest Vampire Disco this side of the Nexus. Disco lights illuminate costumed attendees and a bar at the back, serving Bloodwine, Brainbeer, and water. Catering to the young and the foolish, the Disco is hosted by Bathilde Bloodblade (Batty). Batty's outfit changes every night, supplied by Jelani Motiri of Brix in Babel, and she always wears a bejeweled cross around her neck. For a special musical treat, Batty has brought in EgoTrip's hottest DJs: Mori Midori, Mr. FijiWiji, and Moonbeau!



A black, red, and orange striped tent stands across the way from the Ring of R'lyeh. Master CarnEvil hosts two grand shows in conjunction with Canaan Devillier and the RhyDin Center for Circus Arts (RCCA). CarnEvil is a minor friendly performance of acrobats, jugglers, and contortionists. The Devils Circus at ten-o-clock has a darker theme where some scenes may be disturbing for younger viewers. Performance acts include the ladder, hand straps, trapeze, Spanish web, high wire, silks, knife throwing, sword swallowing, and the wheel of death.



On the west side of the market, cordoned off to prevent minors from sneaking in, are large beer tents in bright checkered patterns, piping smoke out of their peaks from the warm fire pits that sit in the center. The air is thick with the hearty smell of orcish carnival food. On the south side, under the grandest tent, is a wide wooden dance-floor. For the week of FearFest, we start with traditional goblin polka by Green Danube, Bree-Yark and the Groverels, and Stixil Styx. The second set is the Dixieland Zombie Marching Band. We close out with the loud and guttural sounds of ODM -- orcish death metal, colloquially known as "Oh Damn!" Famed ODM vocalist Fistmelda stands behind a makeshift bar of BadCider barrels, pouring fresh pints for the audience and the bands, who only leave when the last barrel stands empty.



A note on the Dixieland Zombie Marching Band: Unlike the festivals on Terra (Earth), this Dixieland Zombie Marching Band has real zombies. Over the years they have incorporated numerous undead into their ranks: ghosts, wights, vampires, and skeletons. Performing through FearFest, we have: Woodie Thorne on the trumpet, Heino Panshell playing the clarinet, Raylen Tombdust rocking the trombone, Darren Hollowmask carrying the tuba, Gedeon Deathdestroyer beating the drums, Sanetra Wildspell tickling the ivories, and Klement Swales pulling on those banjo strings.

((You are welcome to vapor with FearFest, add posts to this thread about your characters visiting FearFest, and play in the FearFest setting in our Orktoberfest channel from Oct 25th - Oct 31st. The Live Event is October 26th, 7PM ET. Player-created characters, settings, and groups used with permission.))

Sources and Inspiration: The Death House/Mors Domus from Curse of Strahd (Wizards of the Coast), Gates of Terror, and Dixieland Zombie Marching Band from Canada's Wonderland Halloween Haunt, some images from Terror in the Trees.

[Keeper of Stories]

FearFest is coming to Orktoberfest, and on Saturday, October 26th starting at 7:00 pm ET until at least midnight, there will be a Premiere Event!

Headlining the event is the Vampire Disco, located in an indoor market at the foot of the great ferris wheel, the Ring of R’lyeh! Hosted by the ghoulishly fashionable Bathilde “Batty” Bloodblade, this pop-up club will feature a fully stocked bar and some of EgoTrip’s hottest DJs!

FearFest is also offering ghostly tours of the nearby Mors Domus house; the haunted attraction known as the Gates of Terror, where horrible monsters (trained actors!) will leap from the fog at guests; acrobatic performances for CarnEvil and the darker Devils Circus under a large tent; and musical acts including Orcish Death Metal, goblin polka, and the Dixieland Zombieland Marching Band!

Dark rumors swirl around the Ring of R’lyeh itself, about midnight rituals and ominous whispers from beyond the Veil — but ride operators assure guests the ride is perfectly safe, and are offering discounted tickets all night!



(( FearFest runs from Oct 25th - Oct 31st in our Orktoberfest channel. The Live Event is October 26th, 7PM ET, and will run until midnight or later. The event will centre around the Vampire Disco. There will be a planned interruption to this event with some chaos happening at the Ring of R’lyeh. Everyone is encouraged to play and interact with our ‘planned chaos’, which will have repercussions for the rest of FearFest.

If you can’t make it, that’s okay! Use this thread to post outfits, vapor play etc. After the Live Event I will post a summary of what happened and anyone can respond to this thread describing your character interactions. Anyone who attends the live FearFest event (or responds to this thread) will receive a FearFest Inventory Icon.))

[Keeper of Stories]

October 25th
The Marketplace

A soft swath of orange, yellow, and pink touched the carnival grounds. Batty’s shadow stretched out before her as she strode hastily towards the Ring of R’lyeh. “CarnEvil!” she shouted. A tiefling with long horns curving from his forehead over his brown curly hair turned to face her. “Bathilde. What is it this time?”

“They’ve been at it again. The costumes, the wardrobe - it’s all been rifled through.”

The swinging chairs on the wheel above them creaked and groaned in the wind. CarnEvil walked around the large, sturdy base as Batty closed to his side. “Hmm. Is anything missing?”

“An odd item, here or there. Most of it was taken, worn, and then left unceremoniously on the ground. The Premier is tomorrow, Carn. You’ve got to increase security.”

“Hmm,” he said again. The ground under their feet squelched and oozed, leaving mud stains over his sharply polished shoes and her red heels. “Tell me, Batty, did you hear any rain last night?”

“What? Rain? Why are you concerned about rain!?”

“Just answer the question, Batty,” he snapped impatiently.

“Well, no. I was fast asleep,” she unstuck one of her shoes from the mud. “Maybe they were hosing down the ride?”

CarnEvil shook his head and dug into the pockets of his red, pinstripe overcoat. He pulled out a small, metallic rod with measurements on the side, flicking it on his hand once or twice. A dark purple glow grew from the tip of the rod. He knelt to the ground and rammed it through the mud. A burst of purple flashed outward, causing Batty to shield her eyes. Then CarnEvil stuck his hand into the silt and clay as far as it would go, pulling out some of the slick feeling dirt. He rubbed it against his fingers, rolling it and sniffing it. The wind whipped around them, bringing the bitter smell of winter from the north.

“Carn?” Batty shifted, shivering under her black dress.

Leaves danced across the ground, weaving between their feet before flitting away from the grounds. CarnEvil stood up, brushing the mud off of his hands and putting the rod in his coat. “Come, Batty, let’s go find the Operator.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Master CarnEvil



Bathilde "Batty" Bloodlblade

[Michelle Montoya]

Michelle decided to lean into her position as the Keeper of Water. With the excellent help of Andrina, Kohloss, Sargasso and a few other Tower of Water residents she came up with the perfect costume.

[Josette Wheeler]

The Devil's Circus--Knife Thrower's Assistant. Step right up and come see the Act...

[Isaac Wheeler]

((Taken from live play involving Josette Wheeler, Isaac Wheeler and The Hedonist aka Unintended Consequences))

Isaac and Josette Wheeler's performance at the Devil's Circus for Fear Fest 2019...with the Unintended Consequence of a specific spectator...

It had been awhile since Isaac had moved from one show to a different one. The thought settled on him like the first cold front to blow in up from north, a subtle reminder of coming change. He took another slow drag from his cigarette, the Showman reclining back on a stack of crates outside the big black, red and orange striped tent. It was a real ten-in-one type attraction that featured not only himself but aerial performances alongside traditional blade glommers and acrobatic feats.

The exhaled smoke drifted away as the pulsing bass beats palpitated the air as those resonated sounds reverberated into the open space around the converted market building. Isaac knew the old Crossroads was no longer the old Crossroads just as he knew it was no longer a home…especially given the past couple of nights. He hadn’t quite come to terms with that just yet but fortunately the show kept his mind focused on other things such as the talker down the way blowing his pipes trying to turn the tip and get the crowd inside

Another drag as he leaned back so eyes the color of cinereal storms could sweep up the garishly painted and cobwebbed ferris wheel. He absently wondered how much pig iron had been slung to hoist the Ring of R’lyeh. He’d heard the rumors regarding the Wheel and was inclined to believe them when he’d first heard the ride operators were offering discounted tickets. Benny’d blow a gasket if one of the jocks did that on a red one like tonight. It felt odd to look up and not see Big Eli slowly churning away in its endless loops, Jingles unique music choices competing over the old university horns with the glockenspiel notes. The Crossroads was kind of like Savannah in that right…it wasn’t missed till it was gone. The realization blown out with the next exhale, the lungful of chemical vapor hung for a moment before blending in and disappearing into the fog which permeated the lot.

Despite the differences, the similarities were more than enough for the knife thrower to feel comfortable. The bright colors and the lights were all there…even the tinge of excitement which seemed to electrify the very air like ozone trailing a lightning bolt was present on the lot. Hell…Isaac even wondered if the games and other joints were joing their locs and running strong action on unsuspecting souls.
A final drag as he glanced at a watch to see the approaching time had almost arrived. He exhaled and pushed up from the makeshift seat, the remnants of the cigarette falling beneath a boot. The circle of food trucks, similar to the eat houses on the midway, providing a gustatory invitation as he entered the tent to go and find his sister…and assistant…the competing smells twisting together to entice all of the townies, cowboys and rubes into finding something satisfying. “GTFM.” The old maxim drawled out with a single note of amusement. Didn’t matter the lot…didn’t matter the show…get that fuckin money.

Enticement? Surely the legion of souls in attendance tonight hungered for something more than mere gustatory satisfaction, yes? One could only hope so as the Hedonist emerged from the cordoned off beer tent, its brightly checkered façade and piping smoke adding such a festive flair to the evening.

Over-indulging was the realm of another and so his lissome frame emerged with a tranquility oozing from posture and gait as he prowled the open space of the festival. Of course, he was here with purpose but with so many distractions…who could blame the Hedonist if idle hands found purchase upon others before the start of the show?

The rhythmic tap of the figure’s cane kept beat as he moved, the golden-green smear of leonine eyes providing their own visual inquisition of the festival. He appreciated the irony, certainly, as numerous souls came seeking frights and chills if only to forget the mundanity of their existence outside these transient boundaries and to feel alive, if only for a brief moment, before resigning themselves to a promise that tomorrow might be different. And that was the addiction he leveraged, the weakness he elevated, the vice he spun as virtue to those desperate for a message, any message. Why segregate one’s life into moments of punctuated ecstasy amid a tapestry of banality?

The Hedonist had to remain resolute lest he fall beneath his own bewitching spell. There would be time to indulge his own existence, to inspire and entice those from proper paths in pursuit of more...wanton destructiveness. Yes…yes there would be time for that. A licentious smile stretched itself across libertine features at such a thought. “Step right up and come see the act…” An unctuous appetency to that accentuation as he produced an inviting nod for a couple to his side and proceeded forward into the large circus tent. He didn’t want to miss the show…nor his own contribution to it.

“You ready?” The dogwood drawl cutting through the turbulent bedlam of the backstage area. Isaac appeared in the mirrored reflection of the little station Josette had set herself in to prepare. Eyes roamed over the sugar spun pink ensemble with its ruffles that were sure to catch the light and eye of every member of the audience down to her pointe shoes…she loved that part of the act where she could bring a touch of French style to the stage. “You look great.” Spoken softly as he gave her shoulder a sibling squeeze of support and appreciation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Knives landed in rapid succession upon the stage, the steel blades landing just inches behind Josette’s powerfully performed travelling pirouettes which carried from stage left to stage right. Isaac rapidly emptied both vest and bandolier which held the numerous edged weapons. The final two which landed were drawn from his hip and were purposefully chosen for the end of this part of the performance.

Isaac launched them into the floor of the stage, the two blades parallel to one another and forming a perfect, if not precariously dangerous platform for Josette to hop up onto and display her balance and talent with a flourish. Possessed of a narrower tang, Josette was literally standing on the bottom of the blade closest to the handles. Isaac came forward as the applause sounded, the Showman reaching up to take Josette’s hand as she hopped down from her perilous platform. Careful to keep both himself and his sister in the spotlight as he walked her to the right where a large board had been erected. Behind them two yardies scrambled in the twilight to gather up the knives and return them to Isaac after he’d placed Josette in front of the target board.

Isaac paused to dramatically lower the blindfold over his eyes before he hefted the first of several blades that would be thrown her way. The show would see their points digging into the board and forming an outline of her body which Josette would step from to reveal she was unharmed with a flourish and wave for the crowd as the finale came to a close before Isaac would ask for volunteers to bring the audience into the show and let them feel the tug of terror as their lives danced in the palm of his hand and on the throw of the knife.
Isaac had rehearsed his part of the act too many times to remember, the Showman having never lost an assistant…on stage at least. He cocked an arm back as the audience held their collective breath and began to let loose with the knives, each hard, wooden impact combining with the gasp of the audience confirming that everything was as it should be.

Oh what a show, the Hedonist thought, as he clapped along with the others. The little knight was good with those adroit throws at spinning feet and yet it wasn’t the glinting blades which captured the majority of his attentions. No. It was that delicate little music box doll hopping down from the knives to be led across the stage. A tumid desire grew within him as he watched…oh how he wanted to shatter that delicately soft porcelain and dig with sullied fingers inside her until he mastered her just so that she’d respond as if on the strings of a marionette. Only then, when that temptation had been properly sated, would he divine the source of her light.

Hope. Belief. Faith. The finale of the sibling duet hinged upon something that was so fragile, so insubstantially unprovable. Allow him to reveal the mendacity of such a forgery that was trust. A glance of chartreuse eyes heavenward to note the ripple in the tent’s top. It might pass for wind but to the Hedonist it was a warning. Granted, it could be interpreted that he was defaming timeless rules yet where did the harm come in a simple nudge? And if the rules were so sacrosanct…so holy then perhaps He could present himself amidst them all and prevent what was fated to occur.

As the second to last knife was thrown by Isaac its trajectory was altered. The straight line beginning to curve as the Hedonist watched the tumbling blade and ignored the admonishing ripples through the tent. Just a little nudge. That was all it would take. Leonine eyes watching as the blade bent towards the delicate doll’s cage of ribs.

Josie played her part well. Well used to being on stage as both principal and soloist as well as a member of the corps de ballet, the ballerina thrived whether she was occupying the spotlight or sharing it with others. She truly loved being on stage with her brother, performing together and seeing him transform himself into something more vivacious and dynamic once the curtains opened. Josette hopped from the blades with a beaming smile and wave to the audience as Isaac led her to the final part of their performance together, those rococo ruffles straight out of a Fragonard painting with a Degas twist ornamenting her ballet body and bringing their own animated sashay to the stage. She posed dramatically, even giving the audience a coquettish surprised cover of her mouth as Isaac donned the blind fold and then offered a reassuring wink to those in the closest rows. Her brother would never miss.

Josie held her pose as the blades began to fly her way. Each one not even pulling a flinch from her body or cringe of nervousness to her face. Except that second to last blade. It looked like it was coming right for her heart. What had happened? Josie feeling that stomach seizing sense of shock a moment before she turned her head, the supernovas within her eyes coming alight and steering the blade to the side at the very last moment with nothing but a thought.

An unwonted and vexing frown pulled the Hedonist’s countenance down as the blade was turned away at the last moment. It was brief, the exceedingly rare feeling of disappointment yet it also ignited something equally rare within him. Genuine interest and fascination which threatened enthrallment…the sensation as addictive as that first climactic release, that first needle jabbed into a vein, that very first no twisted into a yes. How had she accomplished that? Apparently the little star could do more than just twirl. He was determined to know as he redoubled his efforts on the last blade, ensuring this one found the succulent bite of her left arm. It was past time that they knew the stakes. It was past time he earned his leverage.

Josette hardly had a moment to react as the last knife tumbled towards her. The shock from the first misplaced throw throwing her concentration as that drowning sense of panic resurfaced and consumed her and a tremor coursed through her body. The distraction of it was too much, the sudden spike of fear as sharpened steel was projected towards her exposed and vulnerable body short circuited her ability to completely steer the blade back away from her. There was the smallest little whimper of pain as the knife sliced at her upper arm but the show must go on. Josie carefully pressed her arm against her side to hide the narrow slash and beamed towards the audience while gesturing towards her brother to steer the audience’s attention and applause his way.

Isaac heard the gasps and shouts from the crowd as the last knife landed. He lifted the blindfold, triumphant smile faltering as he, from his position, saw the thin line of crimson from where the knife had just opened a line of blood along the underpart of her arm. Isaac Wheeler never missed with a blade and certainly never even came close to his beloved sister. His first instinct was to end the show, go to his sister and see that she was okay with profuse apologies spilling from that contrite tongue.

His face screwed up in question as Josette played it off, turned with that flourish and cleverly tricked the audience into thinking it just been an incredibly close shave and nothing more through megawatt smile and stunning ballerina posture. It took but a moment for him to read her look, the two siblings had a long history and could read one another with barely a glance.

Let Go

Isaac’s expression displaying his deepest regret before turning to face the audience. He swallowed the sense of self-loathing and put the best face forward while calling for the audience to stem their hearty applause. “As you can see…as you can see, ladies and gentlemen…” The antebellum accent carrying to the back of the tent like an itinerant southern preacher holding court beneath a revival tent. “The talented ballerina remains in one piece. Now I ask you…” Isaac pacing the stage as he cast his thunderstorm colored eyes out over the dimly lit audience. “Are any one of you…” Pointed finger arcing out over them. “Brave enough to take her place?” A clever bit of compartmentalizing on Isaac’s part as he cast a look back towards his sister to ensure that was, truly, not seriously harmed.

((Welcome everyone. If your character attends Isaac and Josie’s act please feel free to write their reactions. Thank you and have fun!))

[Yeardley Owens]

Everyone knew she had an ex-husband (that never existed) so why not? Bride of Chucky had nothing on her. The handkerchief white lace dress made for a perfect ripped up wedding dress, covered in blood, with the head of Chucky sewn onto the front, slicing his way out of the landscapers stomach with a bloody knife.

BRIDE OF MESTENO

[Doran Ilnaren]

Having chosen Ashitaka a previous year, this time around Doran went with another Ghibli anime and dressed as Howl, complete with color-changing hair courtesy of a potion he acquired for that purpose.

[Velen Ilnaren]

Velen attended FearFest in full Elvis Presley regalia: white satin jumpsuit with gold trim, fringed sleeves, and bellbottom pants. He wore shades and carried a guitar slung across his back.

[Mesteno]

For the third year in a row, Mesteno had abandoned his lazy sheet-ghost and opted for something of a more impressive, illusory nature. Demon King regalia, with a spiralling tangle of horns weighty enough to keep heads bowed low, skin of scorched black littered with scarification runes, dark as any drow, and eyes like chips of carnelian, absent all white and smouldering as if lit by embers. Unusually, he appeared entirely bald, but fingers would find the usual mess beneath the glamour if they went searching, and it was only the usual, shabby attire beneath the Demon king's cloven hooves and elaborate, gold metalwork.



[Credit goes to Kevin Cassidy on Art Station: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4bV8Z2]

[Mallory]

Mallory had pieced her outfit together from things she felt fit a slayer, a hunter of monsters, demons, and the undead, of all things:

[Keeper of Stories]

FearFest Aftermath!

The night started with drinking and dancing (and punching!) but soon took a turn towards darker terrors than planned for. The mysteriously darkening skies gave rise to chilling visions among the attendants, and creatures feeding off of people’s hopes and happiness began appearing in the shadows. Mud and slime started to cover much of the grounds, and a watery portal opened beneath the Ring of R’lyeh, dropping victims into a realm teeming with eldritch horrors. Among those who fell through was Michelle Montoya, current Overlord, Keeper of Water, and proprietor of Bak’d.

Dozens of creatures emerged from the portal to terrorize FearFest. Many were destroyed by brave souls in the crowd, but some made it out into the city to wreak havoc.

Some sought refuge in the Vampire Disco, but it was soon besieged by Abyssal creatures, and after a DJ (unaffiliated with EgoTrip) was murdered in the confusion, Abyssal fissures opened in the stage and allowed more beings to come in.

Eventually, a number of attendants managed to seal the fissures and worked with CarnEvil, the event organizer, to seal the portal, moments after five ragged-robed youth reportedly emerged from it and fled the scene. However, CarnEvil vanished with the portal, the great Ring of R’lyeh has sunk halfway into the ground at a precipitous angle, and a number of souls remain trapped on the wrong side of the portal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Public Playables

You are all welcome to play into/off of the Ring of R’lyeh aftermath as you see fit! Here are some possibilities:

Interactions with Eldritch Monsters
You can be a victim, a hunter, a bystander - you can even capture one for your monster collection! There are Nightgaunts, Grue, Manglers, Cthonians, Gugs and Star Spawn. Of course, there might be more that slipped through, your imagination is the limit!


Who did this and why?!
Five ragged-robed youth fled from the portal and into the city. Were they the only ones? Loosely speaking, a bunch of youth got together for some fun midnight rituals. They dressed up in (stolen) costumes and did spooky stuff under the Ring of R’lyeh. The rest is up to you! In your investigations/interrogations, do you find a ring-leader? Do you talk to someone who was beguiled and just along for the ride? Does a Star Spawn burst from their chest like the movie Alien? It’s all up to you!


Missing Persons
One disappearance, Overbaker Michelle Montoya, has been confirmed so far. However, others definitely fell into the portal either from the Ring of R’lyeh or courageous souls trying to rescue people trapped on the Ferris Wheel. Even if you weren’t at the live event, you could be someone who fell through The Gate to the R’lyeh. Perhaps your cousin fell through. Or maybe, you’re part of a special task force to help find and rescue the souls who are now trapped on the other side. Once again, there is lots to play with here and it’s only limited by your imagination.


The creative writing and license to play with this is all for you! If you want some inspiration, I have a stack of written descriptions for monsters and for falling through the gate to R’lyeh. If you want to use them, feel free to DM me on Discord. You can add to this thread or create your own and link it here. Go write!

[Pharlen]

The Governor arrived at the Fright Fest rather late, mainly because the precise shades of green needed for Desdenova's Minecraft Creeper costume apparently did not exist in the known universe of craft shops, and so, his costume was not one hundred percent authentic and perfect.

Desdenova was an unhappy Creeper, until his exasperated mother reminded him that no two monitors show exactly the same colors. Then he was a much happier horrible liable to explode monster.

Pharlen, on the other hand, was graciously arrayed as Glinda the Good Witch. In a gloriously poofy peach gown with a silvery crown and golden staff topped with a star, she by no means had travelled back in time and made off with Billie Burke's iconic costume. Probably.

"...Mooommm..." Desdenova rattled just before all hell broke loose. Pharlen exhaled, putting her hand onto Desdenova's shoulder, or, rather, shoulder area. She wasn't quite sure where he was under the costume.

"Stay put," she murmured, watching the events unfold from a relatively safe distance. As it was, she drew her elegant little Colt revolver and reloaded it with blessed bullets. The creeper danced gleefully behind her as she shot down several of the creatures trying to escape the carnage.

"But Mallory's in trouble," Desdenova complained soon after.

"Not as much trouble as you'll be in if you go running in there tra la like you know what you're doing," Pharlen replied, warmly maternal. "If you must, take your shots from here."

But it was some pretty big magic being thrown around in the festival grounds. Desdenova frowned and decided to simply start hitting the monsters as they tried to get past the panicking crowds.

When the gate was finally sealed, Pharlen muttered, pulling her phone out.

"Von Tombs. I need a full disaster crew out at the Orktoberfest grounds, stat. And round up all the high level mages, paladins, angels, clerics, you can, someone come pick up Desdenova and take him to Sard's, help him chase his uncle out of that library. The whole field is going to need to be cleansed. Get all the sage, salt, and tobacco you can find, too." she ordered, her brows knit.

"Silhaeven's ordered medical teams already, Ma'am," Tommy assured her.

"Oh, good, good, he's in the middle of that with Mallory, that's just fabulous," Pharlen noted dryly, "I want this mess cleaned up and buttoned down fast. If this town's going to hell, I'm going to be the one driving, not whatever pile driver yahoo that some idiot conjured up out of the depths of Wal-Mart's infernal bowels. Got me?"

"...Yes'm," the hapless Tommy replied.

"And I want the promoter's happy ass in front of me tomorrow," Pharlen finished with a snarl of a smile.

"...What... what if they're dead...?"

"Bring whatever's left, I'll rez them. Bugger. I better get down there and start glad-handing the casualties before their souls get too far away. If I have to wrestle them away from any demons, I am going to be unhappy."

"...Uh... I'm activating the disaster crews now, Ma'am." Tommy announced by way of response.

"Try and get a list of names of the people who put this incident down so we can pay them for their services. Oh look. Renna's here. How lovely. This just keeps getting better," Pharlen noted, her voice going saccharine, "Make it happen, Tommy."

"Yes'm, the teams are engaged, I'll be there in ten minutes to pick up Desdenova. Where is he?"

"Parking area, he'll be by the Rolls or Mommy will chain him to the wall forever."

"Geez, Mother," Desdenova complained.

[JewellRavenlock]

On Sunday, the word was out that those in need of a safe haven could find it in Little Elfhame, Old Market. Many of the horrors prowling the streets of RhyDin seemed to know better than to cross onto Elfhame's cobbled streets. Those who dared ended up facing the Wayward Knights or worse... their Faerie Empress.