apocalypsehowcomm | [Network] Collecting Information

Who: Andrew Jaeger
Username: a.jaeger
Warnings: CW: Body horror, burns, mass burning deaths, human sacrifice. More will be added as needed

Good evening, all. For those I haven't met yet, my name is Andrew Jaeger and I'm looking to compile the information gathered in light of tonight's rather disturbing events. After several discussions, it seems like some of us have different information and I'm looking to put it all in one place, discuss it, and if possible, decide on a course of action.

I'll start by reviewing what I've been able to discover about the carnival over the course of this week:

* The Funhouse seems to have some sort of disorienting effect for those that go through it. I suffered this myself as well as witnessing others affected. I...found myself chasing someone that wasn't there, and when I came to, I was very confused and upset. I had been chasing an innocent bystander instead.

[That's hard to admit, but he does anyway. It's important that all the details are there for people, even the ones that hurt.]

* Photographs of the building reveal nothing concrete, though I did find some distortion around the ticket booth when I took shots of that. More on that later.

[He'll enclose those photographs here: there is some blurriness and warping around the ticket booth. Maybe he just took some bad pictures? Maybe, but the ones he took of the Funhouse look perfectly fine.]

* A psychic investigation of the ticket booth confirms that the train jumped the rails and crashed into a wall at the trainyard, then burned with people trapped inside.

I did catch something interesting before the fire, however, from the people in the car before the crash: "The end that will be a new beginning". This is a theme that seems to recur with the circus, so I thought it was worth noting.

* I don't believe that Pyre is human. If he is, he's possessed of some kind of unnatural power. He apparently has some sort of criminal history, possibly arson, that Fenix helped him out of, and he started out at the circus doing technical work before he began his show. He seems very loyal to Fenix, and very enamored with the idea of fire in general. "Wax poetic" in his own words...

I also witnessed him melt his hand down to the bone, and then regenerate it. He did this right in front of me, inside his private tent while we talked. I didn't see any signs of accelerant or pyrotechnics, he just snapped his fingers and his hand burned.

[Yes, that last bit gets added casually, because isn't that the sort of thing that happens all the time? Of course it does.]

* If the circus is drawing power from the fear they inflict during their shows, I'm worried about the possibility of a mass-casualty event. If the train wreck was some kind of offering or sacrificial rite, then another certainly isn't out of the question. I hope I'm reaching, here, but I'm not sure that I am.

I'm available to talk publicly or privately about any of these details, if it helps anything, but I would very much like to hear from anyone who talked to the other employees of the circus or found anything else of note. I haven't shared the information given to me by other ADI investigators, I'll leave it to those individuals to jump in with what they have.

Thank you for your time, and I hope this helps us form a clearer picture of exactly what's going on and what we're meant to do about it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I wasn't able to see as much of their train as I would have liked, but the cars I did see were covered in candles. Beeswax, I think, by the smell. Fire and melting things are an obsession for more than just him.

I don't know if it would be useful, but I have one.

I'd be curious to see if I could divine anything off it, but I'm wary of using my abilities too much here. I've been told it's not safe and I believe that. The backlash from the rail car was fairly intense as well. I experienced what those in the car did.

[He adds that last reluctantly, because that? That was horrible. He'd pay the price again if necessary but he's relieved that he probably, honestly, just doesn't have enough juice for it.]

Were you the one that took the pictures of the "shrines"? I didn't get a chance to comment on them at the time but I was shown them later.

Is that normal for how your abilities work?

[Because that sounds absolutely nightmarish.]

There must be safer tests that can be done at headquarters, to see if there's anything significant. Or chemically unusual.

[She saw those menus. She's not ruling anything out.]

It was living quarters for some of the performers. But he's right, they do look a little like shrines.

It was more intense than I usually experience, but it's always a possibility when you open yourself up to the psychic impressions left on something. And violent death tends to leave a very strong impression.

[He sort of knew what he was in for, and did it anyway. Some risks just need to be taken.]

They definitely seem to take their theme very seriously, even off-stage. I wasn't able to talk to any of the other employees, unfortunately, but Pyre at least was very devoted to the whole idea.

Devotion alone isn't a crime, but if they're committed to something malignant, then I'm definitely concerned.

If the town doesn't burn down around us in the next few days, I am buying you a drink.

[She's sticking with her first impression on this one: absolutely nightmarish.]

I'm not certain there's anything benign to be committed to here. But what you said about sacrifice - maybe we've already seen it.

I'd definitely welcome a drink when all this settles down a bit.

[He purses his lips in reluctant agreement.]

I'm not seeing a lot of benevolent intent here, either. Even if the real event has already passed, it's proven a success and will probably be repeated now that they know it works.

Pyre seemed to be well enough after the whole thing, thrilled even, but the audience got far more than they bargained for. Even if it turned out "okay" in the end.

[Because he's not going to say it's really okay. Not if it's giving power to something that shouldn't exist.]

If this wasn't already the repetition. What happened with Pyre was horrible, but it was contained. It could have easily not been, with that many people and that much accelerant in a closed space. It was like they knew exactly how far they had to go to get the result they wanted.

[She grimaces, glancing down at something offscreen.]

It feels like we're missing the piece that would tell us the shape of this. Whether this is them building to something bigger, or them accomplishing what they came to do. I don't think we can just wash our hands of it either way, but knowing would help shape our approach.

I can certainly paint a bigger picture of ill intent, but I don't want to overreach, either, and build up a conspiracy that's simply not there. But that's exactly what I was worried about.

[He frowns and leans back in his seat as he contemplates all this.]

This was apparently the first attempt at that particular spectacle before Boston, I wonder what their act was like before that. I expect more of the same, just without the disturbing finale.

I'm hoping to hear from others who were able to talk to Fenix Down and the other performers, and gather more information. Hopefully that will accomplish something, and if anyone higher up is paying attention, let us know what our further orders are.

[Which worries him, too, because he doesn't trust ADI yet- or ever.]

We should be able to find out about the old act, at least. Even if no one at any of their other stops has recorded it and put it on YouTube, people have probably talked about it.

I wonder if they have lost a member recently - if they're replacing someone with Pyre, or expanding their group.

I think that will definitely be important information to have. Also, where they got their start publicly and what their act entailed before Pyre.

I'd be very surprised if there weren't at the least some news briefs or interviews on the subject, given how aggressively they advertise. It's worth digging into.

If they always travel by rail, that will make it easier to narrow down where to dig. Though we can't count on that.

If tonight was their finale, they'll be leaving soon. We may need to follow them to the next stop. Some of us.

[The thought of the entire troupe of offworld conscripts heading out on a field trip is mildly terrifying.]

Their next stop is Boston, according to Pyre. Easy enough to confirm, I expect, and a short enough road trip if we need to investigate further.

[Please not the entire troupe of them, because yes, that is a terrifying idea.]

They seemed happy with the results of their test here, so I can only guess that Boston will be bigger and even more productive for them.

[And no, he is not happy about that.]

[She dips her head slightly in agreement.]

They will need to advertise ahead of time for a larger city. It will at least give us a timeline in advance - if they don't make any more unplanned stops.

There's not a lot of places to stop between here and Boston, certainly not big enough to draw a large crowd. So I feel secure in saying the city is their next stop.

And preparations will likely go faster now that they have some practice and know what they're doing. Plus the extra publicity of this past performance...

[He's not thrilled about it, but it doesn't feel like there's much to be done for the moment. Except to watch.]

I would like to hear what the official response is to what we've already gathered. They've really emphasized not leaving town, which complicates things. Fenix has the freedom to move that we don't.

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