ORIGIN

The carnies swept the stage clean, laughing all the while.

Spotlights were shifted, turned, their magic glare flickering and then steadying across the thick, purple curtains.

"BIG REWARDS," one bawled, the polka-dotted paper cone held up to his mouth. It amplified his voice, though there might've been a little magic in it too, judging by the way his call carried throughout the tunnel. "STEP RIGHT UP, STEP ON STAGE, TAKE YOUR TURN! DO YOUR BEST TO MAKE US LAUGH--AND WIN A FANTASTIC TOUCH OF OUR BEST MAGIC!"

The carnies laughed, and took their seats, waiting for the show to start. For once, they--and any other visitors--would be the audience!

This would (they hoped) be good.

All characters are invited to partake in COMEDY HOUR! To take part, just write your character stepping up on stage and performing any comedy routine of your choice. Tell a few jokes, do a whole stand-up routine, a little tumbling physical comedy for fun--oh, and of course there's a reward!

Fool Feet
Low Intensity Transformation. The user imbues their method of locomotion with foolish sounds: those that walk will find their feet honk with each step; those that float or fly will sound like wheezing balloons; those that crawl will sound like the inhale and exhale of a screaming rubber chicken; and those that swim will sound like drowning, wailing horns. A terrible spell for an ambush.

This spell is also available in the Magicka shop for a limited time! Anyone who posts their character taking part in the show, however, can immediately claim the spell for free in Update Me.

Edric, in an occasion probably as improbable as the Northern Lights coming to Origin Cave and inspiring a religious revolution, had taken some time to reflect on his life. What was he doing, always lurking by the entrance to Tunnel K to kill rats that wandered by and turn them into Oil sacrifices? It was like sitting around in your parents' basement. Those rats would all become Oil eventually anyway. Voices knew Orion was already well into the process of decay.

He should be going out here! Doing something USEFUL! Becoming the catalyst for the spread of chaos, the loyal servant that would turn to Oil places that would have remained green and vibrant for countless cycles! THAT was an impressive feat, not chasing around scant numbers of mangy rats and dragging them to the Altar as proudly as if he'd actually accomplished something. Edric limped through the tunnels with a grim determination, ready to embrace his true purpose in life--

Whoa there! What was that? Was this a party of some sort? Well, Edric was not against parties. He'd seen the messes left over by a feast of junk food, the stink and crowdedness of the backstage areas in Orion's arena before the DEATHMATCH!!!. He rushed forward, marble leg clunking and a wayward tentacle dangling from his forehead. "YEAH? I've got a joke right here--" he lurched forward, nearly tripping over the last step up the stage.

"OI!!! AHEM!!!" Edric roared over a wave of snickering. As you might expect, this boar who'd spent the past countless cycles of his life eating decaying rats in the Creator's basement didn't have any work experience as a comedian. But that didn't mean he was inferior! Edric was quite sure that it was all in the confidence. ASSERT DOMINANCE WITH YOUR STANCE! RADIATE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR VOICE! T-POSE TO MAKE THEM TREMBLE BEFORE YOU!

Edric assumed an arrogant expression, tossing his head to one side (the dangling tentacle slapped him in the eye, and he blinked inconspicuously while cursing under his breath) as he swaggered to center stage. "What..." he drawled, casting his gaze out across the audience "...is greyish red and bad for your teeth?" Silence as he anticipated the audience's reaction. And then: "... a BRICK! HAHAHA, HAHAHA, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" The boar roared with laughter, even overexaggerating his reaction to garner the reaction he hoped for. NO ONE would be able to resist laughing along with the influence of his confident, powerful LAUGH OF CHAOS!

A reward-? A REWARD?

Bentley wasn't sure what that would be, but in seconds his tail was wagging so hard that his entire enormous back end was swaying rapidly this way and that. He bounded to the imps backstage, begging: "Do you have something that will make me funny? Can I have a book after? Please? Please!"

Learning to read was still on his "work in progress" list but the opportunity to request a Book Reward sparked hopeful joy within his chest.

So: the carnies dressed him up. He didn't notice their sneering laughter as they stuffed Bentley into a dog-shaped clown suit, complete with striped billowing cloth and a curly wig that sat lopsided atop his head.

Instead, overjoyed to be taking part in something (anything), he ran out to watch the stranger who was going first.

A brick? he thought, and squinted golden eyes: for a moment, he wondered what that was. But his mind supplied the faint memory: he'd run into them in a Story, and they were, he thought, some kind of rock.

Which meant... throwing a rock into someone's teeth? "OUCH!" he barked, wincing, but it was kind've a funny joke, so a moment later he was laughing too-loudly and with lolling tongue.

When it came Bentley's turn, he was ushered up on stage: where he pranced excitedly, not knowing what to do or say. He remembered, only belatedly, a sort of trick the carnies did: and he bounded back off-stage again, returning a moment later with some random objects.

Two balls, one small and green and one bigger and red; a little rock; a scarf. He ignored the shouting behind him as he ran back up on stage. "THIS IS JUGGLING!" he declared, overexcited, and proceeded to fling one object after another into the air.

He caught one ball, to his credit, before dropping it again; everything else that he grabbed and flew just kept falling back on top of him, or he missed entirely, excitedly leaping to and fro in a clown-garbed and utterly ineffectual manner.

At least the carnies seemed to find it funny, though probably more at his failure to even grasp was "juggling" was rather than his actual act itself.

Bentley didn't care, though; he was having fun!

Game Master Dark

Edric

Bentley