Carnival of Trades

in: Orders, Cults & Groups

## History

*“Come one, come all, for the Carnival of Trades has arrived! Feast your eyes on the wonder and majesty found within the confines of the Carnival. Your wildest dreams and darkest fantasies can all be found in the Carnival of Trades!” ~ A ringmaster calling to the audience upon opening day.*

Just about everything can be found in the moving tents and carts of the Carnival of Trades. A moving world of mostly wonder and debauchery crawls along the landscape, all emanating from the main Carnival tents in the Desolate Canyons. It used to be one of the largest wonders of the world, an impressive city-like building that seemed to be in perpetual motion across the sands near Jazira. Over the centuries, many have wondered what moved the big city along the sands. Some have speculated that it was magic, slaves, beasts, or some combination of things that kept the city-state moving through the sea of sand. However, centuries ago, they abandoned their desert life with few knowing the reasons why.

It is said that many places witnessed the Carnival city traversing over the ocean in search of a new place to build and reform, eventually making their way past Salvador, Nocturnum, and Khemet to land in the Desolate Canyons. The once-roaming city became stationary. Its construction is a wonder, suspended over the vast canyons via platforms and rope bridges.

From the Big Tent, smaller carnivals branch off from it to travel along the lands and even the seas. They are full of bright colors and sounds, making it easy to find them as they roam over the land. The sound of music, laughter, and screams fill the air for miles around them; however, not all screams are of happiness.

As the saying goes, anything you desire and more can be found at the Carnival of Trades. Slaves, beasts, and magical items (both real and false) can be found within the colorful tents of the carnivals. There are also various forms of entertainment to be found as well. Jugglers, dancers, whores, fights…Imagine it, and Carnival doth provide it. One can even find absolution from the Sin Eaters that are hailed as one of the greatest wonders.

Many have speculated on why and how the Carnivals can roam the land seemingly without consequences. Countries tolerate them, and even the Witch Hunters seem to allow the Carnivals to roam without much incident, always keeping weary eyes out for the darker parts of the carnival. Others have speculated that the Master of Rings wields the threat of blackmail over the world's leaders. The source of the blackmail in question always seems to be changing, providing little validity to these claims. There are also rumors that the Carnival, with all its dark secrets and shadows, works as a worldwide spy network, trading information and carrying secrets throughout the world. The Master of Rings has always fiercely denied all allegations and simply says that the expanse of travel is due to their fierce guards who defend and protect the carnival.

The Carnival of Trades is a global organization responsible for moving goods between various countries. Oftentimes carrying exotic goods and wares that would not normally be found in the various countries. They are also known as neutral grounds for many people to come together, though the feeling of being watched overshadows neutrality. Still, they have helped facilitate peace agreements as everyone can stand on equal ground at the Carnival.

## Government

Many would assume that the Carnival of Trades has no form of government or rules. After all, the Carnival is the place where anything and everything is allowed and can be obtained. What rules could possibly be put upon a place of freedom and excess? Well, the few rules that are obeyed are simple and are known as follows:

* Do not get caught stealing from the Carnival.
* Do not attack the Carnival.
* If you manage to win your freedom, you are no longer considered a slave.
* If you lose your freedom, whoever you were before does not matter.
* All sales and trades are final.
* Who you are before entering the Carnival grounds does not matter.
* The word of the Ring Masters is law and must be obeyed.

The leaders of each traveling carnival are called Ring Masters. They are seen as absolute in their leadership over the smaller traveling carnival answering only to the Master of Rings. They tend to wear masks over their face or other such clothes to denote them being the leader of the group.

The Master of Rings is a figure no one has ever seen uncovered. They always appear wearing a solid mask and clothes that cover their entire body, save for bright purple eyes that peer out from underneath their hood. Some think that the Master of Rings is an ever-changing figure that cleverly masks their identity to conceal the switch between leadership. And thus, they are always seeming to be around. Not only do they oversee the Big Tent, but the smaller carnivals must come back every few years to pay tribute to the Master of Rings.

## Society

For the citizens of the Carnival, life is about fulfilling your own desires, as long as it does not go against the Ring Masters. You will be hard-pressed to find more seemingly easy-going people as those who make their livelihood traveling the land with the Carnival of Trades who seem to accept anyone and everyone into their fold. Yet they are not as happy-go-lucky and carefree as others would imagine; cross the Carnival, and you will never be able to run from them. Life for the Carnival is not as easy as one would imagine, from traveling with a grand caravan to doing shows and hosting entertainment every night. It takes a lot of work to live in the Carnival. The slaves and the “beasts of burden” slaves that must make the trek with them have it even worse. Slavery is common, and the slave trade is quite lucrative as well. Even in the smaller traveling carnivals, you will always seem to find slaves for sale amongst the citizens, save for in the countries where slavery is illegal.

Within the confines of the tents, public displays of affection are just as rampant and common as public displays of raging anger. Card games, lotus dens, minimal privacy brothels, bars, fighting rings and all manner of entertainment and business can be found here. Just as it is commonplace to see people giving in to their emotions, they are often seen as focused on their work. After all, their entire life is practically working for the Carnival with few moments of reprieve. You can find people, and slaves, performing all kinds of jobs. They tend to focus on whatever task they have at hand and do it to the best of their abilities. It is up to the Ringmaster to ensure everything is done correctly and that the Carnival stays on track and does not descend into complete chaos.

One of the only traditional things you can find in the Carnival is that the leaders, especially the Master of Rings, are respected and lead without exception, often by fear and dedication. A Ringmaster will rarely garner a more affectionate response from their carnival. If a Ringmaster is truly seen as being unfit to lead their carnival, then the others will mutiny against them. The end result is usually a fresh hanging decoration on the carnival ground and sometimes a new Ringmaster. However, there is no recorded history of a mutiny against the Master of Rings succeeding.

Thoughts of death are not something that Carnies give much time to. Death can come quickly and violently in the Carnival, and bodies, whole and sometimes not, are often hung up as warnings to anyone who might cross the residents. Stringing up the dead is not the only way bodies might be found around a carnival site: fresh mounds settle at the edge of campgrounds with the dead who are buried instead.

To say magic is common among the campgrounds would be an understatement. If the citizens of the carnival can perform magic to make whatever task they have employed themselves with easier, they will. This is especially true when using their magical prowess to draw in and awe the crowds for entertainment and coin. Carnival Entertainers will do anything to keep eyes focused on them and coins coming their way. The flashier entertaining denizens will always use whatever means are at their disposal to distract the guests, while the ones who hunt in the shadows use their limited amount of magic to blend in or help their secrets and trade.

Demons, while rare, can also be found in the carnival. Taking advantage of the wandering nature of the Carnival, they typically prowl the night carnivals, seeking more souls and power as they go from place to place. Demons are often welcomed and accepted among their number as long as their identity and practices remain discreet.

More common than the demons are the Arastani vampires. The Arastani commonly employ the discretion of a Carnival to implement some of their darkest arts. It is also rumored that the Master of Rings is the true leader of the Arastani.

## Day Carnival

The Day Carnivals are often more hospitable than their night counterpart. Following the aspects of Jiia, they are bright and lively, filled with music and laughter in the air. They are typically open during the day, with limited activity at night being more about freedom and mystery than the darker tones of the Night carnivals. It is often safe to travel among the tents of the day carnival and enjoy the performances of their entertainers without worrying about what lies in the dark corners.

## Night Carnival

While still hospitable, night carnivals are much darker and more debaucherous than their counterparts. Often they are more dangerous than their day counterparts, and it is more common to find demons offering deals and pacts in the back alleys and vampires hunting among the tents. The night carnivals often go all night and into the early hours of the day as they seek to fulfill the darker desires of those who come seeking.

## Sin Eaters

In a place where everything you want can be found, it should not be surprising that people can also find absolution from their sins. The Sin Eaters engage in a particular practice among the Carnival Citizens. The practice of Sin Eating works as much as the name implies. Food is prepared to represent various sins a person has committed, and it is then consumed by a Sin Eater to absolve the person of their sins. Whether this practice has some effect or is simply a means to give a person peace of mind remains to be determined entirely. Still, many claim that if you sinned against another living creature, the sin cannot fully be absolved unless it is consumed in front of the person that was wronged. The Sin Eaters' presence is one reason people believe the carnival is allowed to travel freely. After all, how many leaders do you know that do not suffer from their own sins?

A Sin Eater is usually someone who grew up in the carnival, is trained for this specific practice from an early age, and can be either a free citizen or a slave. While a free citizen takes personal satisfaction in serving in this role, a slave is forced to consume the sins of their masters. With the lifestyle of the Carnival, Sin Eaters can become fat and grotesque as they diligently take on the sins of those seeking their services. However, others perform in a ceremony known as the Dance of Sins, where Sin Eaters consume as many sins as they can before performing an elaborate dance for hours to burn the sins away from their body.

## Religion

The main religion followed by the Carnival of Trades is that of the Twin Souls. Many suggest that the carnival must move from place to place to mimic the constant chasing done by Jiia and Khalis. However, while the Twin Souls is the main religion, you can find practitioners of just about any religion in the various carnival groups, including those that follow Solonarium.

## Appearance

Humans born to the carnival tend to have bronze-colored skin as a result of generations working in the sun, striking eyes of various hues, and long dark hair for both men and women. Those who have been enslaved and then freed, or adopted into the Carnival, often reflect the appearance of the lands they originated from.

When clothed, they adorn themselves in bright jewel-toned colors and shimmering metals with bells that jingle and sing the song of their dance. Their wardrobe is carefully designed to be the most flashy and eye-catching person in the room, which can be quite difficult among their own people.

The bright, eye-catching citizens of the carnival also serve a dual purpose by allowing the darker trades of the carnival to take place out of sight. Those who work the seedy underbelly of the carnival often wear darker clothes and work in the shadows that the tents and wagons create. The bright sounds of merriment and dance often drown out the private talks and negotiations that linger just out of view.

The caravan guards and fighters equip themselves with a variety of garb and weapons that display the unique cultures the Carnival passes through.

*Credit for Lore: tigerhellfigh*