Avaritia Arrival Log

[cancrymods]

AVARITIA

It's Vegas, baby! Oh wait, I already made that joke on the location page... With Esme's iron-fisted reign brought to an end and the Executors given time to take a very well-earned break, it finally comes down to descend to the next layer of Purgatory. Thankfully, with this being the group as a whole's second descent, things are a little less nerve-wracking this time around... maybe. Hopefully. ... Probably. Welcome to Avaritia. Feel free to use this arrival log to chronicle your initial misadventures in the Greed Layer of Purgatory. As noted in the location page, several locations will require further investigation if you'd like to get some information on them, so get investigating! Drop a comment down to the Investigation Request subheader if you'd like to explore. Get out there and have fun!

Comments

[cancrymods]

As the gang makes their way into the theater proper and Chiron hopefully avoids getting his hair filled with potato crumb, all of the lights in the theater suddenly blow out at once, plunging the building into darkness.

As you can imagine, this triggers a great uproar of fuss from the gathered Specters, but curiously, the mood of the crowd seems to be more excited anticipation than confusion or worry.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Well, this is definitely not subtle and therefore somewhat alarming. Is this what the Specters had expected? ]

What--?

[ Monarch's first thought is to look up and scan the darkness as best he can. This kind of stunt wouldn't have sparked such rumors if it was part of the show, right? ]

[schardynfreude]

...Everyone remain calm, stay close. [Just gonna! Hold on to Rei tighter nbd! ] Do hold on to one another so we don't get lost. Perhaps someone can pull out their phone for a little light?

[And then just a touch louder, as One Of The Crowd:] Goodness, this is terribly exciting. I'm all aflutter!

[twibeast]

[ When the lights go out, Beast’s eyes narrow. He doesn’t attempt to look around, but listening to the way the crowd is acting he’s not... as concerned as he would normally be.

That said he takes a step closer to the others and fans his wings out around their group like a shield, keeping his ears peeled as he’s reaching for his phone. ]

I’ve got mine, hold a moment—-

[cancrymods]

Before Beast can give them any extra light, a spotlight pierces through the dark, aiming at a point high above their heads. The glare of the light and the contrasting shadows make it difficult to see, but there appears to be a figure standing in the rafters high above their heads, cloaked in black and, you know, an actual cloak.

They offer a deep bow to the crowd of Specters, who are all tittering excitedly before throwing their hand out in a very needlessly dramatic gesture.

"A warning to all of you! The Phantastma Fantastique will offer up their dues before the night's end... or tonight's performance will not be going as planned!"

[ourtomorrow]

"Dues....?"

The theater - owes someone something? Extortion? There had been talk of organized crime when last everyone had put their heads together to discuss suspicious individuals....Why would the theater owe someone (or someones) something?

He has no way to know yet. More information. The crowd is enjoying this, but if it's a direct assault on the theater itself -

Monarch peeks between Beast's feathers, looking for ushers or other theater staff. What are their reactions?

[cancrymods]

The ushers and some of the security staff are trying to make their way through the crowd in the direction of the mysterious figure and they all seem to be rather irritated and wound up about the interruption.

The rest of the staff, from what he can see in the gloom, seem to be unified by their expressions of what can only be called "same shit, different day!". That's customer service, babey!

[twibeast]

[ Hey you wanna see some character growth?

Since he has his phone out anyway, once the spotlight comes on he lifts the phone and starts recording this so they can share it with the others later.

He figured out how to use that function of his phone, praise him later pls.

That aside: is there anything else to notice about the figure themselves? ]

[cancrymods]

So proud of this man.

That said, from this distance and with the high contrast lighting, it's hard to see much of anything. They appear to be dressed formally with a fancy hat set at a jaunty angle on their head. They seem to be quite tall and they are, of course, wearing a mask – though it's a full-face mask, covering all but their mouth and it's bone white. And their cape is just absolutely swish. Just loaded with sparklies and cool embellishments. Erik Basementdweller could never.

He doesn't get long to observe them, though, because once this mysterious figure sees the security hurrying through the crowd towards them, they give a pretty fantastic laugh and sweep their hat off their head to bow to the crowd. The spotlight turns off, plunging the room into darkness for a few moments and then all of the lights come back on with a thunk. The mysterious figure is nowhere to be seen.

[schardynfreude]

...I hate that I like this guy. [the DRAMA the PANACHE] Can't tell if they're supposed to be part of the show or not, really--how else did everyone seem to know they'd be here? [Who else could the Special Guest have been, especially when the crowd didn't panic like a chandelier was getting dropped on them?]

[twibeast]

[ Now that that’s done he puts his phone away (though whether he remembered to turn the recording off, who can say.) ]

Perhaps we should ask Sir Lion later. I don’t recall him mentioning anything like this going on.

[ SPEAKING of Lion though, Beast does another look around as he folds his wings back up. He’s checking to see what security is up to right now and if this could just be all part of the show, but also trying to see if anyone who matches Lion’s descriptions of their potential suspects is in attendance tonight. ]

[ourtomorrow]

We should search for him.

[ Monarch realizes that he's spoken up, and that he's been vague, in the same breath. ]

The "guest". They're the only one who can explain.

[schardynfreude]

If you think you can find our mystery fellow who's off and disappeared, and if you think you can find them before security or without bringing suspicion on yourself, and if you think they're the only one that knows the situation.

[Chiron is not so sure, but they're all...Executors here.] I don't think any of us have even seen the show before. Who can tell what is and what isn't meant to happen at this point? It better be amazing for the price...

comboplattering my mod & rei responses bc i do w/e i want

[phantasmagorial]

[ Security are looking Pretty Unhappy about this nonsense and are talking among themselves about... something or other. Obviously it's hard to hear from this distance and with so many Specters around, but it looks like they're making some sort of plan to spread out and find this mysterious masked figure.

As for the attendees, the crane machine guy and his grandson can be spotted, as can the younger woman but the older woman is nowhere to be seen. ]

Maybe we could split up?

[ She's never seen a Scooby Doo episode, tragically, so she has no idea what a terrible suggestion this is. ]

Monarch and I are smaller, so it'd be easier for us to sneak around without being seen... I think.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch has no memories of that time he was adopted into a Scooby Squad, either, so he nods. ] If it's part of the show, we've lost nothing.

[ He'll just...look stupid. Which he does not like, at all. But the same thing will happen if he does nothing and should have. ]

We'll be careful.

[twibeast]

[ Hmmm, three out of four huh...

Beast eyes those three and security a moment longer, tilting his head. But now that they’re talking about potentially splitting up he returns his attention to the kids. ]

Normally I would be extremely against letting you go on your own but... well it’s not a bad idea to go after them. And I know I at least would be quite useless in the sneaking department.

[ cause you know... him big. ]

...I would actually like to try and talk to security for a few moments. Perhaps that could buy you a bit of time to get a head start.

[phantasmagorial]

[ IMMEDIATE CONCERN ]

You aren't going to get yourself in trouble, are you?

[schardynfreude]

Trouble? Beast? [Chiron lowers Rei to the floor at last and touches a hand to his chest.] Simply perish the thought.

Mm... [SPEAKING OF TROUBLE] I've been trying to find a way to sneak backstage from the outside and have been thwarted at every turn- perhaps security might be a touch preoccupied at the moment...

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch nods: this all sounds promising. ] Let's cover as much as we can.

[ If the threat is real, the cloaked person should still be around! ]

[twibeast]

[ He puts a hand over his chest and looks mock offended. ]

Rei, I'm hurt. I merely wish to ask them a few questions as a worried patron! I shan't get in trouble over something like that, no?

[ He turns to Chiron, but aims what he says at all of them. ]

Do try not to get kicked out though, or else I may end up finding another companion to spend the evening with. If you keep your tickets on hand they might at least just shoo you back here.

[phantasmagorial]

If anyone could get into trouble over that, it'd be us.

[ She's not wrong. You can't tell her she's wrong. ]

We'll be careful. If anything gets wrong, we'll call you or text you right away.

[schardynfreude]

[He waves a flippant hand.] I'll say I got turned around in the confusion looking for the lavatory or something. [This is truly the most thought out and unobtrusive team nothing could possibly go wrong.] Meet back at our seats if something doesn't go horribly awry.

LET'S SPLIT UP, GANG

[cancrymods]

On TEAM TWO DADS, it's Chiron and Beast! And on Team Eighteenth Century Youths, it's Monarch and Rei!

Check in and let me know what you're planning on doing for your investigation.

[twibeast]

[ COOL SO Beast is heading right for the nearest security guard, whether he has to flag one down before they can go off or approach that group of them, whichever it need be. He makes sure to sound very concerned as he does. ]

Excuse me - will everything be all right? This is my first time here and I was not expecting such a threat to be made against the Phantastma Fantastique...

Team Eighteenth Century Youths

[ourtomorrow]

[ ...is going to try sneaking backstage, led by Monarch, who has a Theory. It goes like this:

--If the threat is legitimate, their quarry intends to mess with the show
--The greatest number of ways to mess with the show are stage crew-related (as seen from messing with Esme)
--To achieve that, someone needs to have infiltrated the stage crew or else hide

He's thinking of checking the catwalk, since that's a prime Hidey Spot, but if anything looks or sounds suspicious - or they themselves look likely to be discovered - he plans to adapt on the fly.

Sorry for the tunnel vision, Rei. He's not very good at remembering he has a person with him when he's thinking. ]