Two days ago this was an empty lot, an abandoned field near the edge of town. Then the trucks rolled in, big semis huffing clouds of noxious fumes, and able-bodied men jumped out to set stakes in the ground, run string to mark off areas. The townspeople whispered excitedly as the posters and flyers arrived around town, posted on telephone poles and bulletin boards, stacks of them on the counters in shops.
The Dark Carnival was in town.
The tents aren't the brilliant red and white stripes of the carnivals of yesteryear; these are black and gray, burgundy and purple, dark jewel tones lit from within by lanterns and candles and black-lights. Torches burn at the entrance and a sign warns all who enter that they are lost. Here the carnies walk among the crowd dressed in leather jackets embroidered like a skeleton's infrastructure, weaving expertly between the marks and disappearing into the crowd so effortlessly you'd swear you'd seen a ghost. Barkers call to passersby, luring them in for the sights and sounds. Canvas banners ripple in the wind, which carries with it the scent of food cooking, the hot smell of machinery and oil.
There are cries of laughter and delighted squeals coming from the midway, the freak tent, the handful of thrill rides. People walk out of the psychic's tent looking a little uneasy, laughing it off as hokum even as their skin crawls. And some of those shrieks from the haunted house... well, they sound a little too sincere, don't they?
Of course, not all who enter will leave when the night is over.
This is the Dark Carnival.
OOC: We are an extremely active, widely-varied original character/PB community which focuses on threads and is AIM-log friendly as well. We have been open and thriving for several months now and are always welcoming new people into the fold. This is a supernatural RPG based on creatures found in worldwide mythology and cryptozoology. We have characters from all walks of life, as well as good, bad, neutral, chaotic and other in alignment; we have plenty of room for plot development for anything you can throw at us!
Right now, things particularly wanted are: burlesque dancers, a 'madame' to run the burlesque tent and keep the girls in line (does not have to be female), cooks/chefs, bartenders/servers, riggers, janitorial crew, jugglers, game booth operators, freak show acts/performers, a tutor for the younger members of the carnival, ticket-takers, ride operators, security personnel, vendors/merchants/artisans, clowns/mimes, and much more! Check our 'wanted' page, we have tons of lines open for love interests, enemies, best friends/bromances, rivals and more! We welcome people coming in as pairs or groups as well! |
