About The Carnival of Shadows (Tobyverse)
There are two rules in the Carnival of Shadows, two rules above all else. First is, Tal Faig's will IS the will of the Carnival. It is his creation, his entity and it lives and breathes and prospers by his designs. The second is that all who live under its shadow are broken. The Carnival does not accept the wholesome or the whole. For some, it is obvious why they went to the Carnival. They are twisted or malformed. Horrifying, repulsive or subtly wrong. But a heart of gold can live within an ugly shell, and there are no gold hearts in the Carnival. Not unless they've brought one back. Far more likely is that the person you see before you is broken inside somehow. Perhaps they are missing some key element of humanity, or had it stripped away by the vagaries of life.
The Carnival is a madcap entity that Tal Faig has shaped out of the darkness of Atlantis. But not just Atlantis. Members come from all over, from Empire city to the heart of Russia's transhuman slums. Some are changelings, or transhumans or supernatural creatures. Some are simply normal men and women, though normal is the furthest thing from their hearts. The Carnival of Shadows occupies a deep, dark place, squatting in the dark center of Atlantis's underworld. They do not rule it, but everyone, from the McFlint's to the Repelli Syndicate are wary of the Carnival. For who knows what they will do? One day they could offer your heart's desire, and all it would cost is the contents of your pocket. But another day they sweep into a crowded bank and demand all the money and half the people as their tithe. One of the most dangerous things about the Carnival is their unpredictability. Tal Faig is a fickle soul, and what he wants one day could change in a heartbeat.
Oh, and there is another rule. The last rule that anyone gets to know. Once you're in, you can never get out. The Carnival is for life. And beyond.
