Cirque de l'Etrange

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Jake
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Cirque de l'Etrange

Post by Jake »

As the suns rises over Rhydin slowly burning off the morning mist, and its sleepy citizens (those that sleep) come awake, there's a strange taste in the air. It's a taste of popcorn, cotton candy, and salt-water taffy mixed with just the faintest hints of terror and wonder. Something old is in the air, stirring primal memories of days gone by, and promising wonders and adventure anew.

Denizens venturing into the streets while wiping the sleep from their eyes discover flyers drifting along the streets, announcing the arrival Mr. Darq's Cirque de l'Etrange.
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Last edited by Jake on Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Madame Polvere
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Post by Madame Polvere »

The wagons began rolling through the town at three in the morning, winding through the cobbled streets. There was music coming from one of -- all of -- none of the wagons? There was music, that much was sure, wobbling notes that recalled all songs and none followed the train on its way to Battlefield Park.

Near the center was a wagon bedecked in ribbons of every bright color found under the sun, or moon. On the side was painted the words “Madame Polvere” along with the icons of a fortune teller; a crystal ball, magical trails of stars surrounding it and a pair of hands. Every circus needs a fortune teller, do they not?

Madame Polvere had been with the cirque for long years, leaving those left behind memories that would remain with them forever. Stormy eyes that saw more than a mortal should see and, for a price, would divulge what such sight revealed.

From within came the dulcet tones of singing, “L'arte nel suo mistero, le diverse bellezze insiem confonde...” The words drifted on the air and out into the night, calling to those with mystery in their souls, calling them to her...
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Post by Tara »

The black carriage barrelled through the peaceful cobblestone streets of the small village of Edenville, bowling over anything that was in its way. Steered by little Tara Rynieyn, it was no surprise that many creatures died that day. Tara didn't know how to drive and even if she did, it was more fun to run things over than gently direct the carriage out of their way to avoid collision.

She played a little game with herself each time she was at the reins. Old people were fifty points. Children, one hundred. Middle-agers, as she called them, were two hundred and fifty points provided she could both break all the bones in their body and kill them in one strike. This, believe it or not, took some skill. You had to hit them in the right spot on their body or they wouldn't stay down. If you didn't, they'd just moan and crawl along the ground until help arrived. She had been practicing religiously but sometimes the stubborn people just refused to die so that meant she only got one hundred and fifty points.

Within thirty seconds of entering Edenville, Tara Rynieyn had racked up over a thousand points which was impressive given that her previous scores had never even topped five hundred.

She was thrilled. This made her the all-time champion! Never before had she gotten so many points in so short a time. She couldn't wait to go tell all her friends of her new achievement. But, first, she had pressing business to conduct in Edenville. The circus was just days away and she was in a real hurry to get ready for her big date with Jake. This was just one stop in the many she had to make that day.

She stopped the carriage outside an antiquated looking shop and hopped out onto the sidewalk as the horrified screams of onlookers to the various tragedies she caused, rose up around her. Many of them were family members of those killed, some were just rubberneckers. Most stared at her in disbelief but one brave soul had the nerve to approach her.

He was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. Not a middle ager but not a child, either. She didn't have the heart to knock people off in this age group because they were much more useful to her alive. If she could seduce someone this age and keep them in a permanent trance, she could quite possibly feed off them forever and have a mindless slave, to boot. The more souls she collected and corrupted, the happier Lucifer, her lover, was. While humans were always worrying Hell might one day start overflowing, those who actually lived in Hell and ran it, were always concerned there was never enough souls to fill it.

So when the young man approached, furious and cursing at her, Tara Rynieyn just smiled. It was hard sometimes to keep a straight face when someone was losing their cool with her because she knew all she had to do was tap them and they'd drop dead of a heart attack. Her powers were limitless, it was just she dumbed them down considerably so she could better interface with a society she knew would one day, be at her mercy.

"Hello there," she crooned and leaned up against the thin air around her to regard the young handsome male. While she hardly wore any clothing, she found that if a man was angry at her, it was best to redirect his attention by playing with the neckline of her nightie. They would usually look to her ample bosom and lose their train of thought rather quickly.

But sometimes, as was the case with this particular young man, that didn't work and more severe measures had to be taken.

"Are you mad, woman?! You just ran over twenty people in the street and didn't bother to stop! What is wrong with you?!" he cried, closing the distance between them fast.

She had a hunch he wanted to hit her. If he did, not only would he become her eternal slave and footstool but she'd make him work double-shifts in the tar pits of Malacoda's Eighth Circle of Hell. She'd call it a peace gesture. That would definitely ease the tensions between the social classes of the Inferno. As the Whore of Babylon and Lucifer's number one concubine and mother to his child, the AntiChrist, she ranked pretty high. Malacoda, however, was a few notches down the totem pole and was forever trying to make up the difference.

The demon lord was still angry at her that she wouldn't become his lover so they were at constant war. But a young man like this one would be just the right thing to distract Malacoda for a century or two, giving her enough time to build up better defenses. As it was he repeatedly tried to kidnap her from the Tower of Dis, making the poor fallen angels who guarded her, work triple-hard to make sure that didn't happen. The last time it did, Lucifer was so angry he chopped some of their wings off in retaliation.

It wasn't the best of plans but it would have to do.

"Lots of things, really, if you ask those who know me. Let's not dwell on the past," she said with a giggle as she eyed the spectacle behind them and then wrapped her arms around his waist in a gentle but insistent embrace. "I do not believe we have been introduced. My name's Tara. What's yers?"

"Edward," he croaked and looked down at the strange girl who was now hugging him despite having murdered so many innocents just moments earlier. "I...err...."

Stuttering was the first sign her enchantment was beginning to work. Pretty soon, the longer he looked into her eyes, the more lost in her version of reality he would become. The world around him would fade to black, her thoughts would merge with his, he would come to believe he was being fed grapes and sweetmeats in a golden temple, surrounded by scores of beautiful women that she called her priestesses but were really just demons in disguise. It was all an illusion of course, a pleasant and benign construction of her mind that served as a smokescreen to the horrible truth behind it. It seemed to relax her victims into thinking she was a playful and friendly goddess but then, later, after the seduction took full hold, it would all disintegrate rapidly and he would find himself in the cancerous bowels of the earth, chained to her dark throne and being threatened by every manner of mythological monster one's mind could conjure up.

And, that, would just be the first hour of his confinement. If he did not go completely insane in this time (which most did, unfortunately), after that he still had the rest of eternity and her deranged sense of fun to look forward to.

"Edward is a lovely name, I think. Tell me, Edward, I seem to be a little lost. Is this Edenville?" she asked and began to caress his bottom lip with the tips of her fingers. They were ice-cold. The body she possessed was that of a vampire and that little aspect of her appearance she could not help. If she walked around, clad in the terror she was known for when people throughout history wrote of her, she'd never be able to talk to anyone, they'd be too afraid of what they saw. So, in one way, Tara's body was useful because it was nice to look at and she was so beautiful, in many ways, that she was disarming.

And, honestly, Edward, glassy-eyed and weak at the knees, was so transfixed, he honestly didn't feel the coldness of her fingers.

He nodded his head slowly and began to smile. It was working. Like P.T. Barnum once said, there's a sucker born every minute.

"Excellent. I'm going to go into this shop here for a few moments," she said and nodded towards the building beside them. "If you would be so kind as to watch my carriage an' horses, I would make it worth yer while. Would you do that for me, Edward?"

Edward, the sucker, was all to happy to comply.

She skipped into the shop, throwing open the door, jostling the bell overhead and headed towards the counter. The shop was empty save for herself and the proprietor, whom she waved at like they were old friends. Having witnessed the carnage outside and her brief encounter with Edward firsthand, the proprietor was not sure he wanted to do business with her. She gave him the creeps.

And that was okay. She had a way to work him over as well. While it wouldn't be as mentally vivid and exciting as Edward's, it would still do the trick to get her what she wanted.

"Hi!" she cried enthusiastically and jumped up on the glass counter, swivelling around to face the man she was to do business with. He leapt back in surprise and put his hands up like he was being robbed.

"I don't want no trouble! Take what you want and leave!" he said, clearly terrified.

She frowned. It looked like she wasn't going to have to do anything to convince him, he was doing all the work for her. "I don't want no trouble either, really, jus' what I ordered. I'm not going to steal from you, old man," she said and it was true.

Tara believed in only stealing for specific reasons. If she took the time to place an order with a business, she had every intention of paying for it. But if she wanted to shock people, she'd rob someone blind just to see the reactions of others. Other than that, she only ever stole from someone who had something she wanted but could not obtain any other way. Since there were only two of them in the shop, there would be no one to see her do it and she had only come to get what she ordered like she said. So his goods were relatively safe.

The proprietor blinked. "Who are you?"

She frowned again. Couldn't he tell by her trademark pigtails who she was? Everyone else could!

"Tara Rynieyn. I placed the order for the ferris wheel, remember? I got it for my boyfriend, Jake! See, we're going to the circus on our first date this weekend an' I thought that he should have something to remind him of it for when he comes home! He's jus' gonna love it!" she giggled and scrunched up her shoulders.

"Uhh," the proprietor shook his head and gestured around them. "I do not know if you happened to notice, Miss, but most of the wood items I make here are very large. One of my employees should have explained to you that the ferris wheel, being enormous, would need to be delivered. It is not something you can just carry on out of here."

This was now the third time she frowned, a fourth and the old man was looking at an agonizing, slow death. She'd pluck his eyeballs out and forcefeed them to him if necessary.

She glanced over her shoulder at the shop and through the windows at Sucker Edward who was still guarding her carriage but thought he was getting a spongebath by naked nymphs in her temple and sighed.

"You mean I can't jus' put it on top of my carriage? I brought it for this express purpose," she said with a pout.

"No," the old man said with a shake of his head, "you cannot. It would crush your carriage, Miss. Now, if I recall correctly, the ferris wheel is done, I just need to paint it. You said you wanted it pink, yes?"

She giggled and kicked her legs off the side of the counter. "Yes! Jake likes pink! It's his favorite color!"

The old man laughed. "Well, then, that will only take another day to do and then I will have it shipped to......where did you want it go?"

"Jake's brewery! I gave the address when I placed the order!" she said with a huff, a little annoyed that he was asking her questions she had already answered. Tara hated to repeat herself.

"All right, Jake's brewery. He'll have it by the end of the week, I promise. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Tara began to rock back and forth upon the counter. It occured to her that her trip here had been a waste of time. Jake's ferris wheel would not be delivered until the end of the week, unlike later today as she originally thought. She did not want to go home empty-handed. She wanted to have something to give Jake when she saw him later because somewhere along the line, when she was learning about the mating habits of the human monkeys she was surrounded by and tried very hard to emulate, she was told that good girlfriends and boyfriends gift each other things.

Sucker Edward, who was currently experiencing the pleasures of therapeutic massage by none other than Persephone herself, was not a good gift for Jake. Disappointed in herself, she rolled her head back and happened to look up at the wall directly behind the proprietor. There, a few feet above his head, was the ugliest doll ever. It had a shock of black, unkempt hair, two rows of spiked teeth, wild, crazy eyes and in its hand was a tiny spear.

Anyone else would have overlooked it or been unnerved by it, but not Tara. This was right up her alley. After all, she was known for her doll collection with Arthur, the voodoo doll, being the most famous of them all.

Her eye caught it and she knew she had to have it for her Jake.

"Yes! How much for that dollie there?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from the scary looking doll to look at the old man.

The old man looked up and his eyes widened. "Oh, no, that's not for sale, Miss," he said apologetically.

Tara frowned a fourth time and instead of plucking out his eyeballs and forcefeeding them to him, she flew forward off the counter to knock the old man to the ground. She quickly sat down on his chest and flashed her own two rows of spiky teeth.

"I saiiiiiiiid, how much for that dollie there?"

The old man didn't have time to scream because she was cutting off his air supply. Gasping for air he tried, in vain, to push her off him but despite her petite appearance, she was rather heavy. "No...you don't understand...that's...that's a Zuni fetish doll. They.....require a lot of care. I cannot sell it to you."

"Why not?!" she screamed in his face. "I own lots of dolls! I know how to take care of them! This is for my Jake! I simply must have it for him! Do you want him to think me a bad girlfriend?!"

But the old man would not relent. As he started to pass out, it also occured to her that without him, Jake would not get his ferris wheel so she quickly stood up so as not to suffocate the man. She wanted to but it would put a wrench in her plans. She could do almost anything but one thing she couldn't was build and paint a ferris wheel, that much was certain, considering she didn't even know how big they were.

"Please understand," the old man wheezed as he slowly stood up, "the doll can be dangerous. To own a Zuni fetish doll is to accept an enormous responsibility. It is said that the soul of a Zuni warrior passes into the doll when he dies, so that he may continue to fight even after death. The medallion around its neck, were it to be removed, would cause the doll to come al..."

"Shaddup, old man!" she shrieked and backhanded him. He fell back down to the ground and was silent. Tara took this opportunity to climb up the wall like a spider, retrieve the doll from its hook and jumped back down to the ground. Since he wouldn't sell it to her and she wanted it so badly, she had no choice but to take it.

As she walked out of the shop, she swore she saw it smile at her but that might have just been the light. Sucker Edward was waiting dutifully by the carriage and eagerly took up the reins in her stead so she could ride in the back, in comfort and stroke the ugly dollie.

It had a face that even its own mother wouldn't love but she did. To her, it was cute. She was fairly sure Jake would agree with her.

Sucker Edward, it turned out was worse of a driver than even Tara Rynieyn. When he turned the carriage around and took off out of town, he scored an easy fifteen hundred points, but Tara was too busy imagining Jake's reaction to the doll, to even care that Edward, and not her, was now the game's champion.

As the carriage disappeared down the road, the old man came to and the first word out of his mouth upon regaining consciousness, though very soft in his weakened state, was, "alive."

Tara Rynieyn, in her haste, never got the chance to hear him. By the time she reached Jake's brewery, after fiddling with the doll a little too much, the little golden medallion around the doll's neck had broken off and not wanting Jake to think she had given him an incomplete gift, she just tossed it out the window, figuring he'd never know the difference.

She then went inside to look for him and show him his new gift.







((Author's Note: I took the Zuni fetish doll from one of my favorite horror movies "Trilogy of Terror" starring horror-movie-queen Karen Black. In the story, Karen's character obtains the doll to give to her boyfriend as a gift but quickly runs into trouble when the medallion around the doll's neck breaks, causing it to come alive. It terrorizes her and eventually possesses her after she kills it. The line that "it had a face that even its own mother wouldn't love" is a variation of what Black's character says when she looks at the doll initially. I thought I'd include it here for comedic effect. Hope you enjoyed the story. ))
Madame Polvere
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First come, first served...

Post by Madame Polvere »

The tent was set up, arranged just so and off to the south of the other attractions. Madame Polvere required a semblance of silence to be effective in her arts. It also meant that it was a curious soul that came to sought out the further reaches of the cirque, searching in the shadows for what may lay within.

There were a few people arriving already to watch the circus unfold, they kept a respectful distance and thus were allowed. Madame Polvere caught scent of the woman before sight and settled herself on the cushioned seat to wait.

There was an air of easy confidence surrounding the stranger, and as she stood well over six feet Madame Polvere was not surprised. It was the ghostly image of wings around those lanky shoulders that intrigued the gypsy.

“You may approach if that is your desire, Angelo.” Madame Polveres voice was often likened to a warm summer breeze, carrying the scents of a forgotten winter.

“Desire? Curiosity, I’ve met a few fortune tellers in my time. My name is Red, not Angel.” The womans tone was friendly, though there was a hint of wariness. Red moved forward and paused before the table laden with the accouterments of a fortune tellers trade.

Madame Polvere waved a hand to indicate a chair opposite her own, “Please take a seat, Bellona.” This time using an ancient Roman name for the goddess of war.

The woman paused, eyes as green as the darkest emerald focused on the gypsy, but they could not move a woman with no fear. “Do you always call strangers random names?” The question asked as Red shrugged the bastard sword from her back and slid onto the chair.

“Not all, but with you I see your past in your future.” Spoken as the woman settled into the seat.

“The past affects the future, it is the way of life. You make a decision now, it becomes the past as it shapes your future.” The forest green eyes hid more intelligence that she normally allowed to be seen, even the gypsy could tell.

“That is true enough, and not enough with you. You were brutal in the method you tried to sever your past from your future, Angelo. You maimed your body, blade and soul.” The images that drifted through her mind were sharp, and although clear their meaning was not yet revealed to the gypsy. A sword reforged, a violent blow to remove those ghostly wings, and a wall built against created nature. It intrigued the gypsy and she used silence now to draw the woman out.
Cirque
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Post by Cirque »

Crystal water turns to dark
Where ere it's presence leaves it's mark
And boiling currents pound like drums
When something wicked this way comes...

A presence dark invades the fair
And gives the horses ample scare
Chaos rains and panic fills the air
When something wicked this way comes...

Ill winds mark it's fearsome flight,
And autumn branches creak with fright.
The landscape turns to ashen crumbs,
When something wicked this way comes...

Flowers bloom as black as night
Removing color from your sight
Nightmarish vines block your way
Thorns reach out to catch their prey

And by the pricking of your thumbs
Realize that their poison numbs
From frightful blooms, rank odors seep
Bats & beasties fly & creep

'Cross this evil land, ill winds blow
Despite the darkness, mushrooms glow
All will rot & decompose
For something wicked this way grows...

(()) Credited to Ray Bradbury
Cirque
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Post by Cirque »

As the moon shows her luminescent face over the slumbering streets of Rhydin, and quiet whispers take the place of the boisterous activity of the day, a caravan of brightly decorated wagons begins a slow procession into town.

Tumbling figures dance past closed doors and shuttered windows, pasting up posters and notices inviting one and all to a night of fun and terror, mystery and wonder.

Mustachioed strongmen and bearded ladies parade along dimly lit cobblestone streets, casting beckoning smiles to sleepy denizens peeking through curtained windows to see what happened by. Dwarfs and feral children danced and howled into the night, leading great beasts of fur and fang. Monstrous creatures with long snouts and the girth of houses plodded along, decorated in bright red carpets and ridden by snake-charmers and veiled beauties with kohl-rimmed eyes.

Slowly the caravan rolled in, north from the SouthGate, through the shadowed streets of Old Temple, across Middlebridge, and thence through the open plaza called the Marketplace, and on to the open plain of Battlefield Park.

Wagons circle and open, spilling out brightly colored clowns and acrobatic dancers. Canvas tents unroll. Up go poles and torches, followed soon after by festive pavilions. Stakes and cages were set. Booths settled and made ready. The smell of roasting nuts and baking pastries float through the air, offering a welcoming allure.

Long shadows dance in the firelight with the feral children and veiled dancers following the tune of lilting pipes and primal drums.

Fortunes are in the air.

A circus comes to town.
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Post by Napoleon Bonarat »

Something wasn’t right in Badside.

Shopkeepers kept peering out their windows, looking to the sky: storm’s comin’.

Passers by kept looking over their shoulders, certain someone, or something, was following them.

Dockworkers were short-tempered. (OK, that wasn’t so unusual.) Grunt kept looking out at the harbor. Annoyed with Grunt’s inattention, Rabble tossed a crate right at his gut. “Pay attention, ya fat goblin!”

“Up yours, weasel face!” Grunt glowered, tossing the crate aside. Rabble really did have a weasel face, and Grunt really was a fat goblin, but it was their tone that had them nearly coming to blows. Unease was the only thing keeping them in check. For now.

“Enough!” shouted the foreman, then he too looked to the harbor, uneasy. The shopkeepers looked out their windows yet again, passers by stopped their scurrying, slavers gathered their slaves in close. The hot breeze had stopped, Badside was silent. This just wasn’t right. All looked to the harbor.

With a loud, bubblegum >POP<, the Dread Ship Lollipop was there, bobbing gently at the dock, the (truly) Jolly Roger flapping joyfully in the breezeless air, and all of Badside could hear the rat captain’s gleeful order, “The circus is in town! SHORE LEAVE! ARRR!!” Moments later, a peg-legged and stuffed dog named Scurvy Dog Pete, the fierce and dread pirate pixie, Trixie, and a filthy sailor, Bilgerat, marched off the ship and onto the docks, tunelessly, but with great enthusiasm, singing a profane shanty they learned several years ago from Sarah the Stick. The Dread Ship Lollipop, showered in pixie dust and sunbeams, was glittering brightly. With that eyesore, the shopkeepers shuttered their windows, passers by scattered; this simply wouldn’t do:

Badside was closed until further notice.

The slavers--ever optimistic--held their ground, holding their breath in delight as three gruesome wraiths floated into view on the deck.

Yes! Badside would be saved! The Darkness does abide!

Even their whips seemed to perk up like charmed cobras, ready to see the horrifying wraiths devour this glittering, cheerful abomination.

That is, until they saw the two-foot-tall rat captain squeaking orders at them to finish the swabbing so they could go to the circus as well. And with that vision, the slavers lost hope, their whips slackened lifeless, and Badside lost a little of its bad reputation.

Its denizens mourned, deciding that perhaps it was time to take some time off until things could be set aright.

And this is how Badside and a rowdy PiRATe crew lead by none other than Napoleon Bonarat had a holiday at Battlefield Park to visit the circus.
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Red urThorne
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Another patron served...

Post by Red urThorne »

A frown was working it’s way across Red’s features, she was beginning to suspect this woman possessed some form of sight that was veiled to most. A glance around told her that there were no others nearby to hear the words spoken and that lent her courage to stay.

“Not tried, did. It was not a maiming, it was a reforging, there is a difference.” Red studied the woman closely, she appeared to be in her mid-twenties but her eyes told a different story; perhaps there was something in her blood that made her one of the long-lived. Red looked in her mid-twenties and that was a far cry from the number of years she had existed.

“Imperfectly. The past comes again. Your fall was not complete. One man seeks you for reasons he does not understand, another slips away for reasons you will not.” The words spilled forth like a river, flowing over Red and leaving her cold inside.

Something reached inside and grasped, slimy fingers clutching at places she thought defended and she balked, up and out of the chair. “No, I see you are a charlatan. Your words mean nothing.” Red spit the words out at the woman, turning on a heel and stalked away.

If she had turned back she might have seen the gleam of wicked joy as the gypsy smiled. Another patron served... another that would be left with nightmares long after the circus left town.
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Post by Darq »

A flyer for the circus is delivered, along with a hand-written note, addressed to each of the title-holders at their most recognized domicile. For the Barons, a delivery is made to the district manors. For the Overlord, to the Little Shop of Horrors. The Baroness of Seaside, in addition to recognition of her Barony, an address is also made to her as Diamond. Deliveries are made to the Red Orc Brewery, the slaver's guild, the Outback, and to the Heavenly Boutique. Hand-offs are made at the portal to Twilight Island for delivery to the Archmage and Keepers via the goblin postal service. A final missive is delivered to the Governor's residence.

The note, written in a flowing script on fine parchment, reads:
Mister Darq, Ringmaster of the Cirque de l'Etrange, cordially invites you to visit Battlefield Park where Baron Kalamere Ar'Din has graciously allowed us to set up our humble circus for the entertainment pleasure of the fine citizens of Rhydin.

The Cirque de l'Etrange will be performing for two weeks only, and opens tonight. This missive is your invitation and pass to attend the circus at your convenience, along with three other guests of your choice.

Be sure to visit our big-top where many grand performances are scheduled. A box has been reserved especially for our esteemed guests.

If games and fortunes are more your interest, be sure to visit our arcade! Have your fortune read or try your hand at games of skill.

Our bestiary and sideshows are sure to entertain, terrify, and delight even the the most jaded traveler.
But be careful! Some of our exhibits do bite!

We hope that you will join us for a fine evening of merriment and mystery! And bring your friends with you!
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Post by Lirssa Sarengrave »

A circus. The thread of curiosity, longing, and jealousy pulled her to the area where the circus was set up for their two week rendezvous with the citizens of Rhydin city proper. She had twice changed into her old motley, out and back in again. Finally, she decided to wear the motley shirt as a jacket with her britches and tunic. The hair she left as a curly flop of a mop, catching in the breeze as she slipped past tents and wagons.

She tried to be sneaky, just wanting to be near the performers. It brought good memories -- and some not so good -- of her childhood performing. A peak around the round of a large pandemoneous colored tent, she watched the acrobats go through their stretches, preparing for the night's exhibition of their talent.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" A beefy hand the size of a giant mallet engulfed her upper arm and picked her up so she dangled just an inch from the ground.

The man was large. It was not an orc, it could be a giant, but there was nothing about his dark, sparkling eyes that hinted at the fabled dimwittedness of giants. He sniffed and looked her over. "No free shows and no thieving."

Well, that was uncalled for. Lirssa frowned and with a swing of her legs, gave a push at his chest with her feet. "I'm no thief!"

The acrobats had been watching and one came hurrying over, fleet footed as a winged messenger. "Lirssa?"

In a contortion, her arm still in the giant's grasp, her feet against the man's chest, she arched her back and looked at the figure, "Tanya?"

"I can't believe it, Lirssa! By all the five hundred gods, how you have grown!"

Leave it to acrobats to have conversations upside down. Lirssa smiled, "You're still tumblin? I thought you were gonna give it -- umm, wait a minute." She straightened and looked at the giant man. "Can I get down now?"

"Yes, Sydney, do let her down."

Once back on her feet, Lirssa gave Tanya a hug, but then frowned, her voice pitched low. She looked past Tanya's shoulders where other acrobats, unfamiliar faces to her, were casting glances their way. "Did ya get free of Buford?"

Tanya went pale, but she nodded. "Sorta. Look, folks here don't know I was once on the take. Yarba and Eleanor are in here, too. Nobody looks too close at this outfit, 'fraid something will nab them in the night. Best cover I could find, keep moving and all, we never stay anyplace long. You gotta keep it secret."

"I promise." Lirssa nodded, tucking another secret into her mind.

Tanya looked her over. Lirssa could tell she was wondering, doubting, but then she nodded and gave a smile. "Come on, I'll give ya a backstage tour. Have you kept up your skills? Still remember the hanging tree I taught you?"

Lirssa nodded, she remembered, but there was no way she could do it. Tanya had taught her many of the balancing contortions that Bubber could not, and there was a guilt there that all that work, the risk she had taken in the teaching, had been for nothing. But, no, that wasn't true, and Lirssa bolstered her courage, brought up a smile, and hand clasped in the older girl -- now young woman's -- hand, she went on the backstage tour to ooh and ahh, chatter and laugh, with the bizarre and beautiful of the circus.
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Post by Darq »

A faint music drifted through the air on a cool autumn evening. The casual listener wandering near Battlefield Park that evening might have heard what sounded like an accordion, or perhaps a circus organ, but listening closer faint words were carried along in the wind.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!
There behind a glass is a real blade of grass
be careful as you pass.
Move along! Move along!

Come inside, the show's about to start
guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth.
You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo.
You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll ....

Right before your eyes we pull laughter from the skies
And he laughs until he cries then he dies then he dies
Come inside the shows about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
A crowd of late-night circus-goers wandered past a smiling barker waving them on to the big-top. Vendors harked their wares, sweet salt-water taffy, caramel apples, and clouds of cotton candy. Eyes wandered about, taking in the neon lights and colorful displays. Kids and kids-at-heart threw rings at bottles filled with water in the hopes of winning small, carnivorous, golden fish.

At the corner of Fortune-teller Way and Sideshow Avenue, a man in a brightly colored hat, with gleaming, white teeth encouraged passers-by to "test their might" and ring a bell mounted atop a towering scale measuring from "cuddly puppy" to "mighty, he-man superhero."

The crowd flowed by, mindlessly following a dancing gymnast, swirling about in gauzy veils that hinted at pale skin, but only revealed the deepest green eyes in brief flashes that lured the watcher on.

Ahead a massive tent pavilion, flaps drawn aside and held by great gray beasts with long snouts, wicked tusks and enormous man-crushing feet. In the bedazzled guests swept, filling into rows of wooden bleachers, eyes turning to the three rings in the center of the tent where a shadowed figured stood motionless.

As the seats filled, and the lights dimmed, a single opening in the top of the pavilion opened, allowing a shaft of moonlight to beam down into the center ring, illuminating the shadowed figure. A face lifted up, with a tortured smile and haunted eyes. A hush fell over the crowd and music started softly playing from nowhere and everywhere. The music built slowly, circling around the tent, behind and around the audience before flowing towards the center ring.

The ringmaster's smile widened in impossible fashion, and a hand went up to tilt a top-hat forward.
Welcome to my nightmare
I think you're gonna like it
I think you're gonna feel... you belong
A nocturnal vacation
Unnecessary sedation
You want to feel at home 'cause you belong

Welcome to my nightmare
Welcome to my breakdown
I hope I didn't scare you
That's just the way we are when we come down
We sweat and laugh and scream here
'cuz life is just a dream here
You know inside you feel right at home here
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Post by Jake »

A girl in auburn pigtails skipped merrily along Sideshow Avenue, her violet eyes danced with mischief. She danced with careless abandon through the crowd, oblivious to her path. Those too slow to dodge her of their own volition were swept away with a glance or a flick of a wrist. Bodies crumpled and collapsed with soft moans. She hummed cheerfully, and her gossamer green skirt flounced around her, while blood-red bows tied into her hair danced about giving her movements the illusion of youth.

Unable to repress her exuberance, she burst into song to match the rhythm of her step.

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.



With her last skipping jump, the auburn-haired temptress landed squarely in front of a cotton-candy vendor. She pointed with glee "that one please!" And away she danced, her blood-red lips tearing off thin tendrils of sugary confection.

"Oh, how I love the circus! Such creepy delight and delicious fright!" She blew a kiss to a man whose eyes lingered too long, and his eyes rolled back. He slumped to the ground in a boneless puddle. Tara frolicked past, waving a shaming finger at him though he was long past caring.

Her eyes were alight with fiery glee. "I can't wait to meet up with my boyfriend!" She skipped over to the bearded lady who was busy combing through soft, luxurious strawberry tresses. "He'd better get here soon!" Away she danced and twirled, the bows on her pigtails flew about like weapons, slashing the air. She stopped suddenly in front of the shaggy-faced dogboy. "Or I'll have to hunt him down!"

The dogboy threw his head back and howled into the night.

Tara swept back into the flow of traffic, violet eyes shining. Her hands flashed outward, tossing aside the cotton candy.


Nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide

It's not love
I'm running from
It's the heartaches
That I know will come

'Cause I know
You're no good for me
But you`ve become
A part of me

Everywhere I go
Your face I see
Every step I take
You take with me, yea
h

As she danced down the middle of the avenue, the crowd parted before her with desperate speed save for an amber-golden blonde-haired girl who fell into step to Tara's left, and began singing in harmony.

Nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide

I know you're
No good for me
But free of you
I'll never be, no

Each night as I sleep
Into my heart you creep
I wake up feeling sorry I met you
Hoping soon that I'll forget you

When I look in the mirror
And comb my hair
I see your face
Just a-smiling there


A panicked couple threw themselves out of the way, one to either side of Tara's path. Girls stepped from either side of the path and into Tara's wake, one with silver-streaked red-hair and pointed ears, the other with dark hair and dark eyes. With quick glances and smiles, PJ and Jaycy joined Taneth in singing harmony.

Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide

I know you're
No good for me
But you've become
A part of me

How can I fight a lover
That's sugar sweet
When it's so deep, so deep
Deep inside of me

My love reaches so high
I can't get over it
It's so wide
I can't get around it, no

Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
From you, baby
Just can't get away
No matter how I try

I know you're no good for me
But free of you I'll never be

Nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run
Got nowhere to run


The quartet of girls danced down the avenue, headed for Fortune-teller Way as their song swept a path through the crowd.
Last edited by Jake on Sun Oct 17, 2010 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Jake »

The orc stamped down into the brewery, glaring about as was his wont. A dimunitive figured stood before an even more dimunitive figure. They appeared to be conversing, but it all sounded like gibberish to the orc.

"oooga ooga!" spoke the tiny goblin in the floppy hat with obvious glee.

"Oooga ooooga!" answered the even tinier Zuni fetish watch-doll.

"What the hell are you doing with that thing?!?" the orc shouted at the goblin. The fetish doll had attacked the orc, or his customers, on more than a dozen occasions since arriving at the brewery. The first attack had been quite a surprise. A tired orc, falling into his bed after a long day of brewing, had suddenly discovered a miniscule spear stabbing into him. A quick backhand sent the doll crashing into a wall a dozen feet away, but the doll recovered with supernatural speed and charged him again and again with reckless persistence.

The half-orc had incurred a half-dozen bleeding wounds before he had stuffed the obnoxious doll into a box and locked the lid tight.

Two nights later, the orc was just finishing up his rounds, locking up the doors and windows when a pint-sized doll flew at him from atop a barrel of fermenting ale. It had clung to his hair with resolute determination, and nigh impossible to pry loose. Jake finally slammed his head into a barrel of grain, raising a mighty bruise that had lasted for days, but dislodged the evil fetish doll. Once again the orc locked the doll away in the box, at a loss how it managed to escape the first time. This time he strapped chains around the box, and locked those into place as well.

Several attacks later--on the orc, or upon delivery-men who refused to set foot in the brewery any longer--and Jake was still unable to figure out how the doll kept getting free.

And here the doll was, standing in front of the brewery's goblin, gesticulating wildly and dancing from foot to foot, waving his pint-sized spear in the air.

"Hiya, Jake! The goblin hopped up to stand at the side of the fetish doll. "Me and Killamook were just telling jokes to each other! He's hilarious, Jake!"

The orc did a double-take. "The what? He? It's telling jokes? Wait..."

"Hee hee!" The goblin picked up the doll with both hands and pointed him at the orc. "Tell him the one about the duck that walked into the bar, Killamook!"

The fetish doll shook its spear at Jake and muttered in some strange language. "Oooga ooga boooga oooga!"

The orc flinched, readying to ward off the tiny doll's attack. "What the...Mojo, have you been letting that thing out of the box?!"

"Hee hee, he gets so lonely, Jake! He doesn't like it in the box! He told me!"

"Mojo, you stupid goblin! I am gonna gut you and boil your insides!" The orc glowered and stamped forward, seething in anger.

The Zuni fetish doll fought against Mojo's hold, and flailed about, making stabbing motions at the orc with his spear. "Oooga chaka, oooga ooga chaka!"

"What's that? Oh! Right! Of course! Jake you're going to be late! You need to hurry!"

Jake stepped back, perplexed and startled out of his rage. "What? What are you talking about? Late for what?"

"Oooga oooga!" the doll clamored back.

"Your date with Tara, Jake! At the circus!" Mojo relayed to Jake with glee.

"Ooga chaka?" Mojo inquired back to the doll with amazement.

"Oooga oooga oooga chaka!" Killamook chanted back.

"Wait a minute..." faint warnings were going off in the back of the orc's head.

"Oooga chaka, oooga oooga oooga chaka," the goblin and the doll chanted in singsong fashion.

"No way..." the orc growled, rolling his hands into tight fists.

"Oooga chaka, oooga oooga oooga chaka," they continued to chant as they danced back and forth.

A compulsion swept over the orc and he rose up, he clamped his hands over his mouth, but it was no use.

I can't stop this feeling
Deep inside of me.
Girl, you just don't realize
What you do to me.
When you hold me
In your arms so tight,
You let me know,
Everythings alright, ahahah

I'm hooked on a feeling,
I'm high on believing,
That you're in love with me.


Oooga chaka, oooga oooga oooga chaka

Lips as sweet as candy.
Their taste stays on my mind.
Girl, you keep me thirsty for another cup of wine.

The orc did a shuffling dance towards the stairs, followed by the chanting Mojo and Killamook close behind.

I got it bad for you girl,
But I don't need a cure,
I'll just stay addicted, If I can endure
All the good love, when we're all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on.


Jake burst into his living quarters and pulled off his sweaty work leathers and changed into fresh, black leathers. Killamook and Mojo did a jig, hopping about the bed.

I'mmm, I'mmm Hooked on a feeling.
I'm high on believing that your in love with me.
All the good love, when we're all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on.

Ahaha I'm hooked on a feeling,
I'm high on believing,
That your in love with me.


Orc and back-up singers marched down the steps towards the front entrance of the brewery. Jake grabbed his best swords and clapped them around his waist. Mojo stood on one shoulder combing out the orc's hair, while the doll hopped about, giving the orc's boots a quick shine.

I'm hooked on a feeling,
I'm high on believing,
That your in love with me.

I say I'm hooked on a feeling,
And I'm high on believing,
That your in love with me.
I'm hooked on a feeling.


The orc swept out of the brewery, still helplessly humming, heading off in the direction of Battlefield Park, while Mojo and Killamook waved from the front door. "Have fun, Jake! Don't stay out too late! Don't worry! Killamook and me will keep things safe!"

"Ooooga oooga!" the Zuni doll chanted.
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Post by Jake »

Maria swaggered along the arcade, humming to herself, baseball slung over her shoulder even here at the circus. Adie danced and giggled alongside of her, pointing at all of the games she wanted to play and the funny clowns. "Please mommy, please! That one! That one!"

"Maybe later, sweetie, after we see the show. How about that?"

"Ok, mommy!" But four steps later she spotted another game, one with large stuffed animals as prizes, and had to point that one out too. "That one, mommy! That one! I want a panda bear!"

The captain of the Wrecking Crew dueling team and co-owner of Wrecking Crew Thoroughbred Racing, stepped along with a light step, singing to herself.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,"


From near a game involving a large mallet and a bell, a muscular young man stepped into her path. "Hey, hot mama! Looking good! How 'bout bringing some of that action over here!" The man gestured down, showing off his toned abdomen, bared by the torn shirt that he wore. He winked at Maria and stepped a little closer, oblivious to the little girl dancing around Maria.

SMACK!

"Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."


"Bloody hell, why did she hit me?" The young man, getting back up from a prone position, rubbed at the side of his head where it had been kissed by 42 inches of hickory. Behind him, a trio of young guidos laughed and pointed at him.

Mother and daughter swirled off into the crowd, heading for the bigtop. "Ooh! That one, mommy! We have to do that one too!"
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