The Circle of Fantasists

Introduction - The Circle of Fantasists, being a most awe-inspiring troupe of fairy maneaters, provides a fancifully incredible opportunity for one to be amused and entertained. Behold as acrobats dance in the air with the grace of luna moths! Jugglers tumble on gossamer spiderwebs as they toss burning swords with ease! Dancers dressed in costumes woven from silver and dreams dazzle and fascinate all spectators! And for the daring, amusements for one's palate await; delicious confections made with kneaded laughter and lovers' smiles and cool drinks brewed from memories of innocent childhood are sure to satisfy the visitors in ways no real food can! And once the entertainment is over, there are souvenirs and keepsakes to be had to remember this wonderful show by. The show, the refreshments, the gifts - the Circle of Fantasists offer them to all visitors freely. Of course, they should remember the rules of fairy etiquette: never take anything from the fairies, lest the fairies will take you.

Nature of the Circle of Fantasists - The Circle of Fantasists is an unreal circus where fairies perform breathtaking feats of acrobatic and kinesthetic entertainment in order to fascinate and enrapture mortal spectators. This is how the troupe of performers sustain themselves - whenever someone is so overcome with awe to forget the danger of accepting a fairy gift and takes their offering, that person now belongs to the Circle of Fantasists. There are claims that the fairy acrobats devour the victims. There are claims the victims are trained to perform along them forever. The venue is fantastic beyond any measure. Massive concentric fairy rings, with circular layers of toadstools, provide seating for the spectators. At the center of the mushroom rings is the ring where unreal entertainers amuse the mortals. Beams of starlight provide the frame for the circus's tent. Colorful streamers made of rare gemstones beaten flat and pliant hang from the top, fluttering along the cool night wind and scattering the moonlight in rainbow hues. White-winged moths flock to the circus, as if they also enjoy the awesome dances happening on center stage or as if they are the ones who are imprisoned here for their foolishness. The performers are of fairy nature. All are slender and diminutive in height and size, but they are all the more flexible and graceful for it. Every single one of them is marvelous to look at, some having silken hair in the color of sea foam and pearls, another wearing an opulent motley woven with strands of precious metals, yet different one dancing with her long hair that flutters like ribbons. They smile in true joy as they leap across the air and tumble on the ground. Whether they are happy to be performing such miraculous stunts or to be fed delectable meals afterward the performance, none of them says anything. As the performers fascinate the spectators with their feats, other fairies will pass among the spectators seated on toadstools to offer impossible snacks and drinks. No payment is accepted because this is the trap. The peddlers speak with a silver tongue, every word designed to convince the mortals that each candy offered is worth selling their soul. The food, of course, is stuff of fantasies; it may actually be worth to give up one's self to experience it. When the night's entertainment is over, the same peddlers will advertise how souvenirs for this otherwordly experience are freely available. They are tiny figurines of the performers, carved out of whole gemstones; a piece of glass that reflects a dancing phantasmagoria when shone with light; a picture book that never shows the same scene of the circus twice; and other impossible trinkets of such strangeness. But though these are given freely, none who takes it gets to return to the old world.

Consequences of Taking Fairy Gifts - Should a spectator be so fascinated as to accept a freely offered treat or keepsake, they shall become a property of the Circle of Fantasists. Unless a solution is found, that person can never leave the circus again. Considering the circus's reputation as maneaters, no fairy here is kind enough to let know of an escape. Once accepted, the person starts to show signs of fairy-nature - their voice develops an ethereal quality, their eyes glow with dim light, sparks dance on their skin, and such. If allowed to be, they will become just as fairy as the troupe themselves by the night's end. A trinket of unalloyed iron can quell the fairy magic for a while. A word that reminds the transforming person of the allure of everyday life's boredom may slow the troupe's claim. But the only guaranteed escape from this possessing magic is a barter: if anyone is willing to share for their favor a story so enchanting and so enrapturing to be worth even more than a human soul, the fairies may choose to have that story instead of the victim. Of course, the Circle of Fantasists are some of the finest entertainers of any realities; their standard for an excellent story is exacting and demanding.