Cirque de Pandemonium: a June Precap
The Cirque de Pandemonium is but two weeks away. As always, I, Betsy Bass, have done a little digging (not like the kind you will be doing) and have all the details ready for you ahead of time. I’ve done you all the courtesy of attaching the circus schedule at the end, so don’t put this down until you’ve looked at everything.
Who is running this circus? It’s quite the undertaking to put together such an exquisite troupe of performers, keep them fed and protected from zed, and travel across the wastes with such success that your name becomes a household word. Let me share a little of what I know about the Rungling family. Made up of three siblings, Al, Otto, and Ruby. Al is the man with the dream, Otto is the support system with a smile, and Ruby manages all the acts with a fierce loyalty to her brothers. How did a circus end up becoming their endeavor of choice? That sounds like an interesting conversation to be had with the family.
Of course at a circus you can expect clowns, games, and spectacles on a stage. You are also invited to my gear swap on Saturday at 3pm. “But Betsy,” you may ask, “You’ve simply got to know some of the tea behind the scenes, do you not?” With that I reply, “Oh yes, of course I do. Where shall we begin?”
Rumor has it that the newest batch of clowns included both some fantastic additions to their acts as well as a few ne’er do wells. Emptied bottles have been found in small piles just outside their encampments. Drinking on the job is frowned upon, I am sure. Whispers in the camp have become louder as it’s been longer than usual since that crew has returned. Was circus life too much for them, or has something else happened?
The circus draws in everyone, even poor old man Baudelaire has announced he will be visiting. It’s a shame what happened to his house, overrun by zed, forcing the whole family to evict or face the fallout of the tunnels. One can not blame him for not being so well of mind after all he’s been through. Perhaps a circus is exactly what the old man needs to escape his woes. As long as the sights and smells and sounds don’t overwhelm the old man, there should be peace.
Science. History shows we’ve hosted world wide fairs celebrating the advancements in science. A circus should do no less. The feelings that you feel upon meeting the surgically combined Rover Twins will not impact their pride. If you find medical advancements of interest, perhaps these two can provide sufficient advice on how they achieved ‘rebirth’ through science.
Timing can be so peculiar. Sometimes it works with us, sometimes against us. With their very last breath, a flame whisperer shared with one of my readers that they had a vision of a bloody mound of scrap somewhere not far off. Unfortunately they could not elaborate and don’t seem to be returning to life anytime soon. The opportunity to see for yourselves is here, will you take it?
Lastly I must talk about the vaults. The vaults, buried under the surface where we will soon all gather, contain secrets, stories, and a whole lot of stuff. Before we can discuss what might be there, let me share some of Requiem’s history with you.
The Hartwell family. They were publicly known for their deals within Property Management. Owning property brings in large amounts of money, they need somewhere to store it, they build the vaults. While the vast majority of the public would agree that a career like that would earn you a spot in Requiem’s reputation of thieves, it was no secret what they were doing behind closed doors. Alongside bundles of money, the truth behind what was happening during those living experiments hides behind those vault doors. William Hartwell understood the severity of what he was doing and the connections he had to make. Prior to the family’s fall during the Anastasia reign, Hartwell spent his days creating the most elaborate mazes filled with dead ends, traps, and nobody truly knows what else. And just our luck, the Runglings believe they have a way to open them. Are the riches of all types you’ll find in this vault worth the risk of traversing a maze designed by a paranoid, rich man?
This article was longer than usual, and I thank you to everyone that picks up my papers, mouths frothing at the chance to be the first one in the know. It brings me joy knowing that my deeds don’t go unseen and you, the people of the Fold, get to enter your next gather with confidence.
