Scene 4 – Going to the Circus – CF:5 – 3:30pm
Armitages arrives at the circus.
Which version do we get > 1-3 Neutral; 4-6 Sinister > 6 >
Suspicious, standoffish locals move hesitatingly between the stalls and rides of a flea-bitten carnival. Anxious mothers pull their children tight. Fathers fish in their pockets for the keys to their automobiles. An unblinking painted eye adorns the red tent of a fortune teller. The low weeping of a disappointed client can be heard from inside the closed but candlelit tent. Scantily-clad women parade about on the forestage of a hoochy-coochy show, their fleshy charms celebrated by a boater-wearing fast-talker. In the distant gloom, apart from the rest of the show, stands the freak show tent. A parade of painted deformities disports on its cloth banners, attracting onlookers afflicted with a taste for the grotesque.
Places to go:
• Red tent housing a fortune teller
• A hoochy-coochy show with scantily-clad women, managed by a fast-talker in a boater hat
• Isolated freak show tent showcasing painted deformities on cloth banners for those interested in the grotesque
Can I find a paybooth? > very likely > Yes > Innocently Hard >
In front of the circus stands a lonely booth, where someone supposedly can buy a ticket for entry.
An innocent looking young girl sits in it. She talks so quietly that she is hard to understand.
Une:
The neutral NPC’s converstion mood is neutral. The prejudiced NPC speaks of belief regarding the PC’s current scene. >
Girl: “Hello Sir, I belief you want to visit our wonderful circus. We have delightful activities for any of your desires!”
Armitage: “That is good to hear little girl. You seem confident in what your people present. I would have a question though. Do you guys keep a list of attendence?”
Can Armitage convince her to give her this information?: Human Die + Occ (Fail: The girl closes the topic) > 6, 3 , 1 >
“The Agent succeeds brilliantly and gets thing extra. Maybe more than they some bargained for. “
Girl:”Of course, good record keeping is the foundation of every good business.”
The girl gets a board with clipped on paper from under her desk. She hands over the board.
As Armitage reviews the attendance list his heart drops. Multiple times his own name is listed on the board. But it is not only his name. All occorunces are signed with his signature, which clearly identifies as his own.
Dark Die against Stress and Insight > 4 > Stress and Insight each raises to two.
How is this possible? He cannot remeber ever being here before.
Armitage:” Sorry, did we talked before? Do you know me?”
Does she know armitage > 50/50 > No >
Girl:”Sorry Sir, I cannot recall meeting you before. But even if we did, my memory is not as good and stable as the list in your hands! Would you like to get a ticket?”
Armitage:”Ah yes, of course.”
Girl:”Thanks!”
Armitage is paying the girl, and swiftly takes a photo of the attendance list with his smartphone, before giving it back to the girl.
Armitage heads for the fortune teller tent. As he stands before the tent a crying woman rushes out of it, nearly running him over.
It seems the tent is free to enter then.
The interior of the fortune teller’s tent mirrors the worn-out ambience of the carnival outside. Barely lit by the flickering flames of a few candles struggling against the draft, the room is wrapped in a veil of gloom. The pungent scent of stale incense hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the mustiness of old fabric.
The walls, cloaked in the same faded red fabric as the exterior, are draped in shadows. The tent feels less like a refuge and more like an extension of the dilapidated carnival, an unsettling enclave shrouded in a morose atmosphere.
At the center lies a wobbly, circular table, covered with a threadbare cloth patterned with faded celestial symbols. Resting upon it, a clouded crystal ball, a well-worn deck of tarot cards, and a handful of chipped rune stones serve as the fortune teller’s tools of trade.
Two mismatched chairs flank the table, their stuffing poking through worn-out seams. The fortune teller’s chair is slightly more padded, its sagging cushions bearing the imprints of countless hours of uneasy fortunes.
The fortune teller is a captivating figure, her weathered face marked by time and a life lived in society’s margins, yet emanating an enchanting allure. Her eyes, intense and inscrutable, are repositories of deep knowledge and untold secrets. Clad in a patchwork of faded velvet skirts and a threadbare lace shawl, her persona is as eclectic as the cultures she’s traversed, adorned with glinting trinkets that whisper tales of her past.
Her gnarled hands reveal dexterity as they gracefully shuffle the well-worn tarot cards or caress the surface of the clouded crystal ball. Her voice, a raspy whisper, carries a hypnotic cadence that permeates the silent confines of her tent. The somber air surrounding her reflects the worn-out carnival outside, yet her resolute spirit and the uncanny power she wields continue to command an intriguing mix of respect and caution.
Une:
The neutral NPC’s converstion mood is sociable. The inquisitive NPC speaks of command regarding the PC’s experience.
Fortune Teller:”Sit down, Sit down! Make yourself comfortable!”
Armitage takes a seat
Fortune Teller:”Very interesting. I see a lot of people tainted by the past and worried for the future, but you seem tainted by the future worried for the past. Tell me how did the future came to you?”
Armitage:”In form of a letter.”
Fortune Teller:”A letter? That is a funny one. I heard about visions, runes and many more, but getting a letter. Seems ironically formal for a conversation with the world beyound. But enough question of mine. What do you want to know?”
Armitage:”Did I visited this circus before?”
Does he get an positive answer? > 50/50 > Yes >
Fortune Teller:”Indeed, I remenber you know. But then you were different you were (Nicely Ruined) in a pretty pickle.”
Armitage:”What was my issue?”
Issue? >
Bold:
abnormal the wild (Natural*) overcome by close friend
*Natural: those blistering hot days and those hurricanes, or the mall.
Fortune Teller:”You told me a storm was coming and the only way to overcome it, was by getting from someone you trust as much as you trust yourself.”
Armitage:”Like for example myself?”
50/50 > Yes
Fortune Teller:”Yes you are right. You said you need help from someone you trust like yourself. You asked me if I can help you connect to your past and future self.”
Armitage:”And could you?”
Very unlikely > No
Fortune Teller:”No, I can get glimpses into possible futures. But I cannot build direct bridges to exitences in other times or dimensions.”
Armitage:”Did you guide him or me to someone who can?”
50/50 > No
Fortune Teller:”I was not able to help you with your wish. But we talked so much about your past here now, are you not here to learn something about your future?”
Armitage:”Sure, go ahead. It can only get worse, right?”
Bold:
tedious holdings (Factional*) overcome by strong attribute
*Factional: these Waylays involve the larger players in the world. The subject usually represents a component that has a much bigger scale than a PC’s party.
Suddenly the room gets darker and the orb in the middle of the table starts to shine brightly. The Fortune Teller is looking intently into the bright ball then she starts to speak:
Fortune Teller:”Different Factions will hold to there factions with all their might. Your journey will be tedious and will strain you to the bone. But if you use your strong attributes, you might be able to overcome them.”
The room gets visible lighter again and the orb stops to glow.
Armitage:”That sounds kind of uplifting. Thanks!”
Fortune Teller:”Your welcome. Visit me whenever it pleases you!”
Armitage leaves the tent.