Extinction Curse- The Show Must Go On!

[DarkOne-Rob]

"It's going to have to be alright," Giggles says, from his seat on the ladder into the wagon. "Nothing any of us can do will change the past, but we can make the future better. Besides - we're a circus, everyone here is a bit of an outcast or weird or something. We can help heal nature and the wilds and you can find some peace here with us.

It's probably not obvious, but I'm usually a pretty happy, crazy guy. I probably get in more trouble in one afternoon than most of the rest of the crew gets into all week! Though tonight started off with a tragic mistake, let's start having a better time. Come on - we should introduce you to the Professor. He will know how to go about talking to the rest of the carnies." Bouncing up from his seat, Giggles takes Nemia's hand (oblivious to any social norms or lack thereof) and begins to all-but drag her towards the Professor's wagon. "After that we can have something to drink and try to relax from all this..."

[JWallyR]

Vorkgrok raises one bushy eyebrow at the semi-apology, but at the lack of overt hostility being displayed by the halfling druid, he relaxes somewhat, resting the business end of his heavy sledge against one burly shoulder.

He falls into line as Giggles begins to lead their "guest" to the Professor. His readiness to do so suggests that he's not confident it will go as smoothly as Giggles seems to hope.

[MuffinMan]

"The Professor... good idea!" Tessara nods. "I'll go let the other performers know that danger has been dealt with, and that the Professor will make an announcement soon with the specifics. Go on, I'll meet you there!" She hurries off to begin reassuring the circus' other members that the immediate threat has passed, although she avoids giving specifics and to "Wait for the Professor - just a few minutes!"

[Gwynfrid]

The iruxi thinks long and hard before he answers Nemia. "You... Are a defender of nature. All of us here, we are defenders of our friends and families. The circus is our livelihood, too. I'm sure you understand, if you take the harshest view, and don't try to compromise, we will find each other in battle again.

The circus, you know, we play with animals. Like Ozkrak here. She's my best friend, and also my helper. We have pretend fights, and tricks, to make the children laugh. That's the circus. That doesn't mean we treat the animals poorly, quite the contrary. In fact, I hope you can help me with that. Sometime people make mistakes, intend no harm. Speak your concerns, before resorting to violence. That's the way of peace."

[Farmerbink]

The party returns in their own way to the rest of the circus family. A few people offer wary glances at the newcomer, but Tessara's proclamation of safety runs through the ranks like wildfire. Eager to hear good news, most of the families, workers, and performers race to their wagons to change out of costumes, prepare post-performance victuals, and otherwise go about their own way of celebrating a fantastic show or mourning the loss of a good man. Within a few minutes, the scene around the campfire of terrified refugees huddling together for safety erupts into activity and an on blend of mirth and mourning. Children laugh as they gambol about in the fringes of the firelight; adults commiserate and share stories over flagons of ale, whiskey or other libations; a few young couples share meaningful glances before wandering off to find privacy. "It's just what Thunder would have wanted," The Professor can be heard, reminiscing with another old friend nearby.

Loathe to interrupt the merriment, Giggles nonetheless feels compelled to immediately take the situation to The Professor for guidance. Within moments, a few harsh whispers and angry glances are directed at the druidess, but The Professor quickly takes stock of the situation and rises. "Friends, who of you never regretted an action? Jessop, I know you hate the story of your first wife. Sandy, we've talked for days over that seamstress you wronged. If Myron were here, I know what he would do. He would open his arms, and welcome our new companion. He would forgive lapses of judgement, made without good advice. I am not happy with her actions, but neither will I turn away someone who wants to be better- certainly not someone who lacks a home elsewhere." The whispers are quelled and many of the glances turn introspective. Nods and mutters replace condemnation, and before long a small queue is made, as old-timers approach patiently to make Nemia's acquaintance.

For her part, the Halfling is stunned into silence. As the Kanbali patriarch approaches to introduce himself, she looks frightened. When it's one of the Flamboni sisters, she seems confused. By the time half the troupe of Dwarven Throwers make their arrival, tears stream quietly down her cheeks. For probably the first time, she is witness firsthand to forgiveness, and in the immediate aftermath of her crimes, she struggles to maintain any composure at all. Sometime near the middle of the line, Giggles feels the magical aura wane and dissolve.

Nemia doesn't seem to notice.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Giggles watches things with Nemia for a while - much longer than his usual, short attention span would suggest likely. As things get tense he finds himself all-but hiding in the shadows, afraid the other carnies' anger could include him. When the Professor turns things around, though, he smiles and comes out to watch the scene more openly. When Nemia doesn't react to the end of his spell he sighs in relief before turning to get two plates of food and a couple of drinks to share with the halfling woman. As the stream of new companions trickles down he slips the plate and drink next to her, being sure she sees it before stepping back to give her some space to address her emotions.

After finishing his plate he looks for the Professor again, this time to say thank you and address Myron's body. "Thank you, Sir. I wasn't sure I had done the right thing, but didn't want more bloodshed tonight. I'm not sure I could have handled it...

What shall we do with Myron's body? Do you think we should bury him in the local graveyard? Whatever we do, I think I would like to compose something to say...will that be alright?"

After his conversation with the Professor the blue gnome yawns and stretches, the night's experiences finally catching up to him. "I think I am going to go find a place to set up my hammock and sleep now. Goodnight!" he says as he wanders in the direction of the clown wagon. Once there he quietly removes his stuff and finds a place in the open air to string his hammock and make a nest for himself. He is asleep within breaths of laying down.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I am not sure where Nemia should sleep, but I figured it would be good to have several of us as PCs make overtures to her. Giggles fed her, so maybe someone else can help her find a place to rest...?

[MuffinMan]

During the festivities, Tessara catches Vorgrok, Pip, and a few of the other rustabouts for a quiet word. "Let's all keep an eye on our new guest throughout the night, yes? The Professor seems to trust her, but she's still an outsider. The last thing we need is her wandering over to the equipment or animal cages and getting herself - or anyone else - injured."

Returning to the main campfire, she approaches Nemia as the revelry of the evening begins winding down. "You must be tired," she begins, trying to make her voice as pleasant as possible. "Myself, I feel like sleeping beneath the stars tonight. You can use my wagon tonight, if you want."

Whether the halfling woman accepts her offer or not, Tessara arranges her own sleeping bag on the ground within eyesight of wherever Nemia chooses to sleep. She finally lays her head down to rest, but sleep is a long time in coming...

[Gwynfrid]

Keshkaru remembers her days as the apprentice shaman for her tribe. From her old master, Aveshmet, she learned how the role was not just that of a healer and intercessor to weather, animals and plants, but also as a keeper of people's unity, especially after something very wrong happened between them. With that thought, she comes to Nemia, offering a share of the night's meal. We need to establish links, and above all, she shouldn't stay alone.

"I think the two of us have stories worth sharing, Nemia. Please allow me to sit with you, and to eat together with you. If it is OK with me asking... Where are you from?"

[Farmerbink]

"Why Giggles, of course that would be alright!" The Professor explains with a smile. "We're his family. If the people of Abberton will have him, we'll inter him here, and if not, we'll find someplace on the road or at the sea that's suitable for a wanderer like us." The "old" man smiles fondly as Giggles wanders off, finally demonstrating a little bit of his trademark flightiness.

Meanwhile, Nemia is markedly more reserved than any of you might have expected. Despite Giggles' confidence and the good results so far, this is clearly a difficult time for her. She's distinctly uncomfortable for most of the evening, though it seems to be largely a result of expectations being misaligned with consequences. She speaks with Tessara, Keshkaru, and the dozens of other circus members with short, curt (but not impolite) responses, never really offering more than simple answers. She even some things to herself, not wanting to speak much of her past or herself at all, really.

[JWallyR]

Vorgrok stoically marches a few paces behind the newcomer; only the most perceptive observer would notice the worry lines in the corner of his slightly-narrowed eyes as the situation is explained to the Professor, and at the first ripples of gossip that begin to spread. The Professor's words of welcome seem to capture the dwarf's full attention, however... and soon the forest-green eyes in his earthy face are glimmering with tears as the circus welcomes the halfling. His mind goes back to the day he found a place among the wanderers and misfits that have become his family... and the corners of his bushy orange beard tug upwards, hinting at the smile beneath.

After a few moments of watching adults and children alike filing forward to greet the increasingly emotional halfling, Vorgrok's gaze turns to the heavy sledge still resting, forgotten, against his shoulder. With a rueful chuckle, he tosses the handle up as though the enormous tool is merely a juggling club, catching it with a swift reach around his own broad back. "Won't be needin' this," he grunts to himself before trotting off to leave it with the rest of the tools for the night.

[Farmerbink]

As the hush and immediate worry of Myron's death is put to rest (though certainly not the fallout), the circus returns to something much more like its traditional post-performance attitude. Celebrations and libations abound, though a hair more subdued than normal. The odd counterbalance between celebrating a life, mourning a death, and welcoming a newcomer (similar in attitude to a baby shower), leaves a great many people perhaps reluctantly cheerful.

One way or another, the hours pass. When dawn's first light peeks over the horizon, the small campfire is still burning steadily- someone has been manning it periodically, even in the wee early-morning hours. The heavy aromatic evidence of roasting bacon permeates the camp with pleasant insistence. Whether still awake, or just rising, a small group of roustabouts talks quietly around the blaze, adding and removing meat as another batch sizzles merrily.

Less than an hour later, an unexpected guest arrives. The mayor of Abberton, one Jae Abber, begins asking about the camp. A rather bland-looking man, well into his fifties with thinning brown hair and a close-cropped beard sprinkled with salt, Jae Abber is asking, specifically, for Gigglespit Baderiggo Humbleback- while utterly failing to conceal some bemusement at the name.

[DarkOne-Rob]

(Giggles will require waking - he is totally sleeping late this morning! )

[Gwynfrid]

Keshkaru, as always, finds it difficult to maintain a festive activity for long after a long, hard day like this one, and she finds herself lying on her cot a few hours after sunset. On the flip side, she's up early, and in a fresh state of mind. She greets the major politely. "Yes, naturally, Lord Mayor, I'll go ask Mr Humbleback to join you promptly. If you will be take this seat and wait just a minute..."

She goes straight to the clown wagon, and spots Giggles' hammock in the nearby trees. She comes to give a gentle shake to the gnome. "Morning, Giggles. You have a visitor waiting for you."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Giggles' descent from his hammock is perhaps the least graceful thing anyone watching has ever seen. The gnome cries out in surprise at the gentle shaking, twists himself into a bundle, the bundle spins violently, and as it unwinds he lands on the ground with a loud "Ooof!" on his back. With the wind suddenly knocked out of him the blue man can only whine in a high pitched, pained "Eeee..." for several moments.

When the world stops spinning and he gets his breath back, Giggles shakes his head, immediately regrets it, and then slowly rises. "A what? A visitor? For me? Uh...ok...I haven't even been into town yet, so I know I didn't do anything to get in trouble...Any idea who it is or what they want?"

At Keshkaru's answer Giggles' expression grows even more confused, if that's possible. "I guess I should look halfway decent then, huh?" he mutters as he looks for a basin of water to splash into his face. After taking about a minute to get his appearance in some semblance of order (his hair is still a complete disaster, swept to the left and sticking up at about a 45 degree angle) he approaches the mayor and bows grandly, introducing himself. "Your mayorship! I am Gigglespit Baderiggo Humbleback. How can I be of service this fine morning?"

[DeVermis]

Pip gradually awakens to the sounds of the camp stirring. He rolls out from beneath his cot and wincing a little at the bruises from the night before. Old habits die hard and more often than not he prefers to leave his pack under a blanket on his cot while he enjoys the relative safety of the floor. It had taken several hours of observation before Pip was comfortable enough with Nemia's supposed change of heart to finally go to sleep.

A little ways away he can hear Giggles's distinctive voice. Dressing himself, he exits his tent and heads over to see what's going on.

[MuffinMan]

Tessara is awake but not yet ready when news of the mayor's visit reaches her. It sends her into a flurry of straightening her dress (this morning a practical cotton affair, not the gaudy silks of the night before) and brushing her hair, pausing only long enough to make sure that Nemia is still being monitored. Somewhat breathlessly she hurries over to observe, just in time to hear Giggles' introduction. "Pssst! Giggles - your hair!"

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a start Giggles looks at Tessara for a moment. "My Mayor? No, Tessara, he's the mayor of Abberton," he responds, still oblivious of his unkempt appearance.

[Gwynfrid]

"I think she's referring to your hair, Giggles." This is said with great earnestness. But, coming from the hairless iruxi, this correction is somewhat incongruous, and Keshkaru herself doesn't look like she's sure of her understanding of the subject.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Giggles looks even more confused. "My hair? What's..." as he runs his fingers through his hair he realizes it is a mess. "Sorry, one moment..." he says as he turns to the side. With a furious motion he does what he can to make it better, only to turn back to face the Mayor with hair that looks even worse! "Your mayor-ness?"

[JWallyR]

Vorgrok looks over at the developing scene from his position near the fire, where he deposits a load of gathered deadwood for fuel. Dabbing the end of his bushy beard at the corner of one mouth to wipe away some stray fat from the first round of bacon, he watches impassively.

[Farmerbink]

The mayor and Giggles meet, near the camp's central fireplace. He removes his hat, and inclines his balding head respectfully, holding the brown bowler gently in both hands. "Thank you so much for meeting me so early. My name's Jae Abber. I'm the mayor of Abberton, since my mother passed me the job almost 20 years ago, now. I- err.." He glances around, at the many many eyes appearing from the wagons and clears his throat quietly, awkwardly.

"Is there somewhere we could speak, uhh perhaps a bit more privately?"

[DarkOne-Rob]

Giggles' expression goes from sleep-addled to confused to thoughtful to concerned over the space of about five seconds as he attempts to comprehend the mayor's request. "Um...is something wrong, sir? If so, I would appreciate the counsel of several of our finest members. Will that be alright? If so, perhaps we can use the Professor's wagon...?" he asks, looking to the PCs nearby for some help making the mayor comfortable while still having level heads (or at least, more level than his) around to hear what the mayor has to say.

[Farmerbink]

Jae Abber nods, understanding. "Of course, of course," he assents. "I just... ahh, the issue is one for which I would prefer some discretion, though ultimately that is of less import than getting aid, whatever is needed..." He gladly accompanies Giggles, and the slow but steady addition of the rest of the party on the way to the Professor's wagon. The man is awake, and seated outside when you arrive, and gladly offers the use of the circus' largest non-cargo vehicle.

"Much obliged, thank you all so much." The mayor seems genuinely appreciative of the gesture, and much more confident in a context that doesn't involve dozens or a few hundred extra eyes.

"Though I found your performance last night positively riveting, my visit this morning is based on information I just received: that you and your companions were attacked last night- either by someone from Abberton, or otherwise loca" He frowns, a little ashamed at the implication.

"The situation is dire, here in Abberton," he admits, gravely. "My hometown has been terrorized of late, since a few weeks before you all arrived. I'm... sorry that it seems to have caught up with you as well."

"I don't see how any of my friends and family here could have become involved in such villainy, but the only other option is a nearby hermitage- and they are likewise a peaceful folk. The hermits are kind, humble, pious servants of Gozreh. They are led my a fellow named Harlock Hamdeel, a fine man- loves animals and nature of course, but honestly it's impossible to imagine him allowing anything like what has happened in town lately or here at the circus grounds last night."

He pauses thoughtfully. "We have not always been in agreement with the Hermitage, of course. There have been a great many challenges lately: last season the rain was particularly sparse, and the heat caused much of our crops to wither. We had a late cold snap this Spring which froze most of what survived that far. The wind has grown biting, scattering topsoil into dust storms, and many of the wells have run dry." He frowns, clearly upset by the difficult season. "I've never seen the streams so low, in thirty years. Some have vanished completely. I know nature passes in cycles, and many of the farming folks are hearty- 'we just need to be patient,' but now some of the hermits have begun to blame us, somehow! For.. what, I don't know. We're just farmers! They must think we've done something, but I don't even know what we could have done!"

He sighs, clearly reaching the crux of the issue. "Things have gotten really bad, lately. One of my folks got attacked by a wild boar in the street a few days Ago. The miller's family has gone missing. I wouldn't blame them for leaving town, but I fear they've been driven away, instead. I'd ask the sheriff for help, but no one's seen her in two days, either! I- I heard you were able to protect all your friends and other innocents here, last night... and... I... I thought maybe, you could do for us what you did for them? If you could, I'd gladly talk to Harlock about the woman who attacked you all. I can probably even get you into the hermitage to meet him so you can see for yourselves that he's harmless in all this...." He finally lapses into silence, clearly hoping for an affirmative response.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Giggles listens to the mayor as well as he can, though frequent yawns and rubbing of eyes suggest he is struggling a bit. When the man finishes the little blue gnome takes a moment longer to respond than might have been entirely proper before awkwardly saying, "Well...please do not worry about last night. We captured the person responsible and are handling their actions ourselves. They aren't from Abberton, so please don't worry about that."

Putting his chin in his hand in a thoughtful pose, the little man continues, "I don't know much about nature and seasons and all, but it can't hurt to talk to people. Keshkaru here," he gestures to the reptilian druid, "may be able to help more than me, but we will need to do some looking around town and the countryside nearby. Will that be alright?" he asks, looking to everyone in the wagon for confirmation.

[JWallyR]

From his position near the wagon's entrance, Vorgrok holds his peace, but beneath furrowed brows his eyes turn to rest their gaze on Keshkaru as well.

[MuffinMan]

Tessara nods in agreement. "It sounds like this... Harlock is someone we ought to meet. Followers of Gozreh should be more qualified than us to comment on the unusual weather, so we can start there. You said the sheriff was missing, too? Any additional information you can give us would be helpful: where he was last seen, known associated, that sort of thing."

[Gwynfrid]

Keshkaru, as is her habit, does not respond immediately. She listens, and ponders in her mind what is said. Seeing her companions look to her, she speaks at last.

"The Winds and the Waves sometimes show Their displeasure with sudden bouts of bad weather. But, as far as I know, Abberton folk didn't do anything to displease my god. You told us so, and we don't doubt your word, Lord Mayor. Now, animals attacking people in a town, that has nothing to do with divine intervention. That's not Their way.

Yes, I shall go and pay my respects to Harlock Hamdeel, and I hope that you, friends, we join me. Perhaps he will be able to explain why there's been such a falling out between the hermits and the town lately."

[Farmerbink]

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Ahhh..." At first, Abber seems almost overcome with relief. As he considers your words and questions, he quickly comes back down to earth. "Well, it will take some time, at least, to secure audience with the hermits. They're fiercely protective of their little corner of Golarion, and I wouldn't dream of causing undue offense by barging in without following their preferred protocol. I'll send word to Harlock of our uhhh hopeful remedy, but in the meantime if you wouldn't mind looking into the Millers' disappearance and Oldlin's Orchard- that's where Old Miss Hemmema was attacked by the boar, that would be an awful big relief to me."

He considers Tessara's words for a moment. "Uh, well, she-... uh I last spoke to her at the little jail in town, almost a week ago. I could get with some contacts and piece together who saw her most recently... I don't rightly even know where to begin searching for her, to be honest." He's obviously a bit embarrassed by the unhelpful response, but hopeful that you'll be able to find something useful at the other sites while he speaks with the townsfolk.

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a surprised yelp Giggles suddenly squirms up from his seat. It appears that his familiar, a snake as bright blue as he is, has tickled him badly as he tries to settle back down. "Sorry about that, Mr. Mayor. Um, sure - we can look into things at the orchard. Can you give us directions? Maybe we will get lucky and find the lady sheriff there too...?"

[DeVermis]

"Wild animals attacking without provocation sounds awfully familiar." Pip chimes in, turning his head slightly to glare in the direction of Nemia's resting place for the night. "We should make a stop on the way there to have a chat with our new friend"