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"Who gets to decide what's normal and what's abnormal, now? If everyone wears a hat weaved from fancy rats on their head... should that be considered normal?!" - Oswald
Oswald is the ringmaster of the The 8 o’Clock Circus and later a member of the The Reverberation Ensemble. He first appears in the story of the 8 o’Clock Circus' reception, though he does not visit the Library himself until much later.
Oswald is a Distortion with a clownlike appearance. His body is mostly red, with a red and white diamond pattern covering his upper left and lower right body and the rest being solid red. Around his waist and shoulders are golden chains, likely accessories, and his feet are adorned with large golden bells. His head possesses two protrusions in a similar manner to the sleeves of a jester's cap, each of which ends with a single golden loop. He appears to wear a red and white mask with crosses for eyes and a jagged smile, but it is possible that may be his real face.
Later in the story, after joining the Reverberation Ensemble, Oswald wears the group's signature suit but otherwise his appearance is unchanged.
Personality
Oswald is a very whimsical and often childlike man who speaks primarily in nonsense and metaphor. He has no regard for what is considered 'normal', and is willing to go to any lengths to bring smiles to the people of the city. Despite this and his generally creepy nature, Oswald is shown to genuinely care about his fellow circus performers, preparing feasts for them and becoming very upset when they are slain.
Oswald cares for the people of the city more generally, too. He believes that people are suffering due to expectations placed on them by other people and expectations they hold themselves, arguing that these expectations are what gives rise to 'unnatural' emotions such as sadness and anger. He wants the people of the city to be free from expectation, able to simply be themselves and support others in doing the same, able to laugh from their hearts without a care.
Story
Oswald's origin is mostly a mystery. He Distorted after a voice, dubbed by him as "Ms. Sun," presumably Carmen; tempted him and achieved the Distortion that it is now and the The 8 o’Clock Circus.
Key Page story
Oswald’s Page
People have hopes and dreams!
“I wanna eat three blossoms of flowers!”
“I wanna be a swifty nifty thrifty kitty!”
“I wanna earn a fortune!”
And then they add:
“Maybe I’ll find delicious flowers someday!”
“Maybe I’ll get fat stacks of cash in my paws someday!”
“Maybe I’ll be showered in the loudest applause someday!”
“Someday! Someday! Someday!”
That dastardly “someday” just won’t stop popping up. But to have a hope, you’ve got to prepare incense to offer those wishful prayers upon. A world where one can’t eat flowers! A reminder that you’re a sluggish turtle right now! The beggarly reality! Setting the stage for the performance we call hope!
Thus and therefore, people have the wrong idea about how to have hopes! If they believe that the hopes will come true “someday”, they’ll just keep parroting that contemptible word! The day will never actually come! Having expectations this way will only leave you with bitter anger!
“I’ll change someday?”
“That person will turn over a new leaf someday, if I count on them and wait?”
Nyeh, tch.
People entertain the hopes as they please, and then bite at each other when the change they expected doesn’t happen. Clowns can’t give out smiles in a world full of mean teary friends!
So we should all do the stretches, starting today! Abandon all expectation—just keep a merry positive attitude and laugh no matter what you see! Let’s make a performance about what’s already come true, not of a supposed reality you hope for “someday”! I’m already on the stage, standing under the brightingest spotlight ever.
Speed Ⅱ Speed Dice Slot +2 (Cannot Overlap) Shimmering At the start of each Scene, exhaust all pages in hand and deck; add new pages to hand. Their Cost becomes 0. There’s No Time for Staggering Struts! Takes half as much Stagger damage from attacks and deflects. We Could Use a Helping Hand, Actually~? On the second Scene, uses a Combat Page that Stupefies the librarian with the highest HP. Once a librarian snaps out of Stupefaction, the page will be used in 2 Scenes. Collaborative Performance At the start of the Scene: give 1 Strength, 1 Endurance, and 3 Protection to the Stupefied librarian. When the librarian is Staggered: take 60 Stagger damage at the end of the Scene.After librarians are freed from Stupefaction 2 times, uses a Mass Attack page on the following Scene. Nuovo Fabric Take 1-2 less damage and Stagger damage from attacks.
Ready for a Surprise?!♥ Ready for a Surprise?!♥ ( 0) 4~8On Clash Win Recover 5 HP 4~8On Clash Win Recover 5 HP 5~9On Hit Inflict 1 ParalysisParalysis X For the Scene, reduce the maximum roll of up to X dice by 3 when using pages. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene
Pow~! Kablammo!!♣ Pow~! Kablammo!!♣ ( 0) Good Job~ If the last die on this page loses in a clash, the opponent gains 1 HasteHaste X Boost all Speed values by X for the Scene. and EnduranceEndurance X Defensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene. next Scene 3~10On Clash Win Last die gains +1 Power 3~8On Clash Win Last die gains +1 Power 3~5On Hit Seal a Speed die of target next Scene
Here, Catch~!♣ Here, Catch~!♣ ( 0) Well Done~ If the first die on this page loses in a clash, the opponent gains 1 StrengthStrength X Offensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene. next Scene 9~12On Clash Win Destroy all dice on target’s page 6~8
Shall We Somersault These?◆ Shall We Somersault These?◆ ( 0) Nice Work~ If all dice on this page lose in a clash, the opponent restores 2 Light 5~8On Hit Inflict 1 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~8On Hit Inflict 1 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~8On Hit Inflict 1 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)
We Need You, You Know~? We Need You, You Know~? ( 0) When We Meet~ Stagger target; Target is Stupefied next Scene 1~1
CLIMAX!!! CLIMAX!!! ( 0) Mass-SummationMass Attack Targets every enemy. A successful hit destroys the target's Combat Page or action dice. Summation If the attack is > than the sum of dice rolls on the target's Combat Page, they take damage, and their page is destroyed. ALL OF YOU;ONCE I BEGIN Inflict one of the following statuses to targets at random: 2 FragileFragile X Take X additional damage from attacks for the Scene., 2 DisarmDisarm X Defensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., 2 FeebleFeeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., 2 ProtectionProtection X Take X less damage from attacks for the Scene., 2 StrengthStrength X Offensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene., 2 EnduranceEndurance X Defensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene. 20~20On Hit Deal 8 Stagger damage
Combat Dialogue
Combat Entrance
Ohohoho! The show is about to begin~
Now, now! I want endless laughters and clapping to be heard and bird!
Victory Cry
A round of applause… for the clowns who joined us for tonight’s show!
Death
The spotlight was mine…
On Ally Death
M-my goodness… Our crew member…
WHY MUST YOU TORMENT US INNOCENT BEINGS WHO ONLY WISHED TO BRING LAUGHTER!!!
On Kill
Eee! It looks like one of your clowns was having toooo much fun there!
It’s so entertaining you want to roll on the floor, wouldn’t you say?
I knew it! My show can make anyone and everyone laugh.
Shimmering At the start of each Scene, exhaust all pages in hand and deck; add new pages to hand. Their Cost becomes 0. Does not gain Speed dice from Emotion Level bonuses. Showtime~ At the end of the Scene, all librarians take 2-4 Stagger damage. Prioritizes targeting the librarian with the lowest current Stagger Resist. I Can Shrug That Off! Cannot lose more than 50% of Max HP in a single Scene. Farewell…! Whenever an ally dies, takes 50 Stagger damage. The End of the Show Upon death, all librarians fully restore Stagger Resist, and all status ailments on them are halved.
Drops
Does not drop books.
Combat Bookshelf
Shall We Start the Show~? Shall We Start the Show~? ( 0) Mass-IndividualMass Attack Targets every enemy. A successful hit destroys the target's Combat Page or action dice. Individual If the dice roll is larger than the target's current die, they take damage, and the die is destroyed. Spawn Ms. Mermaid and Mr. Knife next Scene. Leaves combat for the next 2 Scenes 6~10
Introducing Our Newest Member! Introducing Our Newest Member! ( 0) Combat Start Spawn Mx. Bunny next Scene unless Oswald is dead 5~8 5~7 4~6
Pow~! Kablammo!! Pow~! Kablammo!! ( 0) 3~10 5~7On Hit Deal 4 Stagger damage 4~6On Hit Deal 4 Stagger damage
Ready for a Surprise!?♥ Ready for a Surprise!?♥ ( 0) 4~8On Hit Inflict 1 BleedBleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene 4~7On Hit Inflict 1 BleedBleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene 4~8
Shall We Somersault These?♦ Shall We Somersault These?♦ ( 0) 5~8On Hit Inflict 2 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~7On Hit Inflict 2 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7On Hit Inflict 1 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~6On Hit Inflict 1 BurnBurn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)
We Need You, You Know~?! We Need You, You Know~?! ( 0) Combat Start If target is Staggered at the end of the Scene, turn them into an ally 5~7On Hit Deal 6 Stagger damage 4~6On Hit Deal 6 Stagger damage 3~10
Don’t Resist~! Don’t Resist~! ( 0) Combat Start Target’s resistances change to "Fatal" for this Scene 5~7 4~8On Hit Inflict 1 BleedBleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene 4~8On Hit Inflict 1 BleedBleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene
CLIMAX!!! CLIMAX!!! ( 0) Mass-SummationMass Attack Targets every enemy. A successful hit destroys the target's Combat Page or action dice. Summation If the attack is > than the sum of dice rolls on the target's Combat Page, they take damage, and their page is destroyed. On Use Inflict one of the following statuses to targets at random: 2 FragileFragile X Take X additional damage from attacks for the Scene., 2 DisarmDisarm X Defensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., 2 FeebleFeeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., 2 ProtectionProtection X Take X less damage from attacks for the Scene., 2 StrengthStrength X Offensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene., 2 EnduranceEndurance X Defensive dice gain +X Power for the Scene. 18~20On Hit Deal 8 Stagger damage
Combat Dialogue
On-Screen Floating Dialogue
Ohohoh! Let’s host an even more dreadful performance!
A round of applause for the crew that will illuminate the stage~!
Now, now! There’s no time to waste! The flower doesn’t wait for the rain, you know?
Now each of us is giving off a… sour smell~ Good, good! The stench smarts my nose!
Please don’t let the curtains be pulled down so carelessly, this stinky performance has to go on!!!
A world filled with smiling spider buddies! I’ve been waiting for this day with a snapped neck~!
Trivia
Oswald greatly resembles the Ordeal of Crimson Dawn from Lobotomy Corporation, Cheers for the Beginning, a small clown-like entity which shares the harlequin-diamond pattern and squinted grin with the titular ringmaster.
Also of note is that his Mass Attack page "Shall We Start The Show~?" plays the signature sound of the Crimson Ordeals.
Impuritas Civitatis.
Impuritas Civitatis.
Speed Ⅱ
Shimmering
