Session 35

Elfinmon 21st

While getting ready for the circus, Della approaches a handstanding Faust and gently asks if he'll be alright staying back by himself. What follows is a bizarre back and forth where Faust continues to say strange, slightly concerning things, with Eden trying to push on those points. Faust is determined to run in circles around the implications, though, and suddenly "agrees" to come with them.

Despite everything, all four of them arrive at the circus grounds. The area is now fully set up and decorated, the same pale ringmaster is standing tall welcoming people. One large tent stands in the middle with several smaller ones scattered around, including one labled as a petting zoo. Eden is instantly drawn to that and starts to drift in that direction, the rest of the party following behind. The creatures inside are less magical and mostly exotic: parrots, monkeys, a unicorn further back. In the back of the tent someone calls out for participants to step up and see "a terrifying creature". Della is enamored by the monkeys, however, and with big wet eyes accepts a peanuts from the monkey's handler to feed to it.

Eden gets a peek at the "terrifying creature" kept in a large, covered cage. The handler pulls back the tarp to offer them a sneak peek before the main show. Inside the cage is a strange, dragon-like creature. It has a strange look to it, though, almost like an undead creature. They're able to put together that it's a cursed dragon called a blight scale, likely born cursed. After that they do go all go and pet the unicorn.

Della gets popcorn, Eden buys a cup of wine, and as they're milling around they notice fire bursting into the sky while people shout in shock. They see through the crowed a circus performer, not a dragonborne, who seems to have been severely burned. Eden tries to offer to heal the worker, but the performer he speaks to assures it's fine, really. Even as they accept this and move away, there's a tension in the air that seems to persist. Della notices some of the other performers off to the side, talking in low tones, and they approach them. They smile stiffly at them as they reach into their bag to offer a salve for burn aftercare. Again they react strangely, and firmly insist it won't help.

Faust excuses themselves to go throw up. Everyone follows, concerned, offers water and talks to them for a bit. They sit with Faust for a while while they recover. Eden, acting on a hunch, reaches his senses out to search for undead and finds theyre festering within in the ring of the tent like maggots. He tells the rest of the party and obviously no one is thrilled. Vasilena assumes they may be vampires, while Della is concerned for what would happen if the undead attacked. Eden would really prefer to just leave it in the hands of the Hearthkeepers, but, relents to Della's insitence and agrees to stay.