ORIGIN

Gem-bezzled acrobats swing on delicate ropes, breathing fire into the air. Clowns below raise their arms in unison, and the lights suddenly cut out, darkness punctuated by nothing but bursts of flame. A spotlight tracks the gymnasts as they tumble towards the ground, gasps of horror filling the air, until an expertly-cast levitation spell stops their fall at the last moment.

The crowd goes wild.

Behind the scenes is a different story. Clowns wipe off their makeup to reveal tired eyes and drooping faces. The Ringmaster appears, as cheery as ever. "Great job, guys!" they proclaim, "work a little harder, and I might give you bed privileges! Ha-ha!" They slap the back of the closest clown, who stumbles from the force of it. Everyone else sighs wearily and returns to half-heartedly practicing their moves for the next show. Over and over and over.

The crowd goes wild.

Carnival shows meet corporate dystopia in CLOWN INC., your very own gembound circus! See feats of magic beyond your wildest imagination! Witness spectacles from caves near and far! And turn your eyes away from the overworked employees backstage struggling to carve a life from this dreary world...

The Clowns have (hopefully) formed an alliance with the Imps of Tunnel F, and base their shows in "The Little Tent"-- a strange structure made of colorfully painted fabric and poles. This makes it easy to transport, which they use to host local Shows near other groups on a regular basis. During a Show, gembounds will be invited to watch as jesters juggle balls, as clowns display colorful displays of magic, and trays of delicious food are passed around the stands. But don't look too hard-- if you do, the Ringmaster may pull you aside for a talk...

Goals: To spread joy and laughter throughout Origin Cave. To host at least one show. To have a show attended by a Master, NPC, group leader, or other influential gembound.

1. One must have fun. Clowns are expected to always put on their cheeriest face and try hard to entertain the audience. If the viewers aren't grinning ear-to-ear by the time they leave, they're doing a bad job. Those who disrupt the hijinks are to be punished.

2. All clowns work equal. Origin, species, and gender have no bearing in the troupe-- only how good you can juggle balls. Clowns are to treat each other like brethren and not fight unless they have a good reason to.

3. Follow the Ringmaster. They are always right.

Jesters are the young and inexperienced, the apprentices of the group. They're raised communally with little knowledge of their birth parents. During Shows, they are often found passing out food to the audience or assisting in stunts. Once a Jester reaches 4 cycles or has gained enough knowledge they further specialize into one of the following categories:

Clowns: The common worker. Clowns cast Magic rolls to dazzle the crowd with impressive spells. The more flexible may participate in on-the-ground gymnastics as well. Offstage, the work continues as Clowns are expected to gather resources for the troupe.

Acrobats: The more flexible of CLOWN INC. engage in stunning aerial pursuits. One may swing from invisible steps made of air, while another coils around a rope suspended from the ceiling. Given their stealth, they are also preferable for "containing" any runaway Clowns.

Lesser Tamers: These animal whisperers specialize in training lesser gembound to do tricks for the stage. Given their expertise with animals, they also collect meat of dubious quality on the side.

Ringmaster: the leader at the head of it all. The Ringmaster(s) introduce the cast at the start of each show and make sure everything runs smoothly. The role is only afforded to 1-2 gembounds at a time, appointed by the former Ringmaster to be their heir.

What's that? You want to know more about the Shows? Glad you asked! Each Show is split roughly into four parts, or posting rounds, with an overarching "theme" and storyline tying them together.

Before the Show: The Little Tent is set up and Clowns practice their moves backstage. Loud bells ring to attract curious gembound to the scene. Those who want to attend are ushered in by a Jester and left to choose a seat from rows of wooden stands surrounding the stage: a large semicircle drawn in the ground. Another Jester passes snacks through the crowd as they wait for the show to begin.

The First Act: The baubles dim, the spotlight shines, and the Ringmaster themself step out into the light! They explain some basic instructions (please turn off your baubles, do not touch the clowns) and the performance begins. The beginning starts, providing exposition as to what is going on and who our main characters are. Remember: while the stories of the Clowns can be dramatic, they are comedic at heart, and typically feature light-hearted and goofy elements.

The Second Act: The bulk of the performance, and where Clowns really get to show off their skills. They may use magic and physical strength to accentuate the storyline. Audience members can be chosen at random to participate in tricks.

Intermission: The show takes a pause for audience members to stretch their legs, get more snacks, or talk to each other.

The Third Act: The story wraps to a close-- not with a bang, but with a spectacle of light and magic. Many clowns save their best performances for last to truly wow the crowd. After the show's over, the lights turn back on, the ringmaster comes out and thanks everyone for attending, and gembound are directed to the exits to leave. Meanwhile, a few audience members are chosen as "special guests" to go backstage...

The Little Tent is a circular pyramid-shaped building made of tightly woven plant fabrics dyed white-and-red. It's separated into two main parts: The Stage and Backstage.

The Stage is a large semicircle drawn into the ground, surrounded by stands made of light wood. Baubled lights hang over it to illuminate the place. It's here where shows are performed. But hidden behind a vine screen is the Backstage, where the clowns live. It's a far different place from the colorful stage, brown and grungy with wear. Jesters inhabit the very back, where easily-portable hay is arranged into sleeping nests and tunnels. Regular clowns, acrobats, and tamers sleep haphazardly across the floor, or roost in some of the wooden beams that hold up the Tent. The Ringmaster lives in a special pop-up room made of the same fabric as the walls, furnished with furniture that rivals Cepheus' palace. Unequal, yes, but the leader deserves special treatment, don't you agree?

Provided are a list of character blurbs to help kickstart any potential clown characters. They're all free to use and should not require a ucs or rcs.

Name: Comedy
Role: Ringmaster
Stone: Milky Quartz
Element: Light
Appearance: A ringtail lemur of the most peculiar design. Their body is lean and grey with alternating black-white stripes on their tail. A quartz mask, styled in the way of ancient greek comedy masks, completely conceals their expression at all times.

Name: Giggles McGee
Role: Clown
Stone: Ruby
Element: Energy
Appearance: A small, pure white llama. They step with a certain bounce, as if every fiber in their body were constantly invigorated. A red ruby nose sits beneath baby blue eyes.

Name: Leo Blackhat
Role: Lesser Tamer
Stone: Obsidian
Element: Animal
Appearance: A big, hulking specimen of a lion. Their fur is a tawny gold, their mane large and rugged with golden streaks. The face appears kind, at first, especially those soft brown eyes they have. Their stone takes the form of a pure black top hat situated neatly between their small ears.

Name: Pumpkin Trotter
Role: Acrobat
Stone: Opal
Element: Pressure
Appearance: Certainly one of the largest Clowns, Pumpkin is a grand African Elephant in all their grey glory. They have large ears, especially for their species. Their stone forms her skull and leaves just the last few layers of skin, making it look like they are constantly wearing white makeup.