Clown

Clowns are the most powerful faction in the contested lineage, and secretly control the entire plane of existence through their jokes and japes.

clown gun

## The Genesis of the Clown

### Creation Myths

To fully understand clowns, and their culture, it is imperative that the reader understands the clown view of the world and universe. The central dogma of Clownology, or Honklicism, is that the universe, sentience, and all known experience take place within the confines of a vast joke, known as the Great Goof. The one reciting this joke is known as the Honkmother, Goddess-Empress of all clowns, existing both as abstract myth and real, cosmic force. Clowns believe that the first sentient being to become aware of the true nature of the universe, Doink the Clown, was merely a child when he became enlightened. As he understood the joke, he laughed, and laughed until the breath was gone from his body and the blood stopped flowing in his veins, his skin turning a pale white. Enlightened, he was banished from his clan, a banishment that could be overruled by a duel. Doink challenged the clan chieftain, Bongo, to a ritual duel for his freedom.

### The Duel of Doink and Bongo

There is almost no historical evidence of the duel, although physical evidence confirms its existence in the form of the Honkuton Crater, a massive, 300 kilometer wide crater responsible for the extinction event that proceeded.

Bongo was a peerless warrior, and a legendary fighter that had slain vast beasts that terrorized the world. His abilities were derived from his silence, and his flawless mental fortitude that allowed him to manipulate the world around him, creating invisible traps and barriers to defeat his foes. Doink, however, was enlightened, and could see the code of the Honktrix that made up the physical world, and the true nature of the cosmic jest. They fought for weeks, months perhaps, with thousands being killed in the collateral damage. The dotted suit of clowns is worn in legacy of the splatters of blood that stained Doink's tattered robes as he fought on.

Outfought, and strugglign to live, Doink realized that he needed to use the most powerful technique: the Honkuto (Alternatively known as Honkytonks) Shinden: Fist of the Clown Star. By channeling the raw energy and mirth of the Honkmother, Doink tore the fabric of reality and added onto the very concept of the Cosmic Joke, rewriting the nature of existence. This raw, untrained use of the Honkytonks emerged in a colossal pie crashing into the earth, detonating in a blast of raw nuclear energy compared to the burst of a dying sun. Still, this was not enough to defeat Bongo, but his will was shattered, So overtaken by the sheer jokes and pranks that had gone down, Bongo began to giggle, and laugh, and then full on guffaw. His vow of silence broken, his powers left him, and Bongo was cleansed. Doink looked upon his former enemy, and saw not a foe, but a fellow prankster. Doink annoited Bongo's nose with his own blood mixed with the blood of the Honkmother, and the two became the first clowns.

However, there was discord. The surviving followers of Bongo's tribe grew angry at his failure, and saw his weakness in breaking his vow. From then on they swore to overthrow the Clowns, and retake the world for their new organization - the Brotherhood of Silence, and coronate the last survivor of the original tribe, Jingles, as Mime Prince of the Cosmos.

### Powers and Abiltiies

The most devastating clown power comes from their awakening and understanding of the cosmos on a fundamental level. While weak clowns can merely manifest this in the form of Prankometric energy, such as banana peels or pies, more experienced clowns can alter reality itself to suit their humours. Legends say that Doink and Bongo will return on the final day, the Day of Jokes, and reveal the grand punchline to their followers, reshaping the entirety of existence as we know it.

## Modern Clowning

### Decline of Clowns

While clowns have enormous powers and centuries of lore, civilized nations have begun to weed out clowns in an attempt at becoming more serious and less playful. From the very dawn of civilization, clowns have been humiliated, bruised, and shunned. But still, clowns live on, in the shadows and in the sidelines, joking in secret and doing their part to spread mirth around the world.

### Dark Carnival

The most paranoid believe that the most violent and aggresive clowns gather in the Dark Carnival, a shadow government that rules the world from its shadows and terrorizes all with its brutality. Their leader, Bonko, inspires mass rallies and cult gatherings, and claims himself as the descendant and heir to Bongo's power.

### The founding of Honktropolis

Honktropolis is a legend for all clowns, a shining city on a hill, a place where jokes and japes are free and fun is everywhere. Civilized nations have done their best to surpress all knowledge of it, but clowns everywhere believe that at the end of their 10,000 year journey, Doink and Bongo founded a metropolis where jokes could be free, and everyone would be happy and have fun together in a wacky paradise. All clowns seek to reach Honktropolis, in life or in death. The legendary Honk Squad, a team of mighty clowns, is said to hail from Honktropolis, and arrive to save clowns wherever they need help.