Event || The Festival of Light

[eternitymods]

Who: Everyone!
When: August 18th - 25th
Where: The Empire
What: The Festival of Light is here! Feel free to use any of these prompts. NPCs tag will come sometimes this week. Please mention it in your top-level if you'd rather not be tagged by a random NPC.
Warnings/Notes: N/A

EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
— Third District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00 to 23:00 —
The museums in the 03rd District are open to visitors and are home to many relics predating written history. A lot of those old relics are items of archaeological interest or look like they could be really advanced technologies if they weren't broken beyond repair. Prototypes for Magitek Armor of a new age are exposed, alongside fragments of what are believed to belong to the legendary WEAPONs, machines that belong to the same category than Ultima WEAPON.

The section for Eidolons has all the Eidolons the characters have met so far as well as others yet undiscovered displaying on a gigantic wall-covering painting. The largest Eidolon on the painting appears to be a dragon some characters may recognize as Bahamut, he is so big he dwarves the other Eidolons and should one pay attention, his wings are actually the background of the painting.

Interestingly, someone has doodled something that looks like Ultros over Leviathan on the painting...


SUNNY STARLIGHT
— Ninth District || August 22nd – August 25th || 07:00 to 19:00 —
Do you really believe because it’s summer, you can escape the beauty and magnificence of Christmas? Think again. There is one thing all the nations on Vaikuntha are of one mind on: the wait from the December 26th of a year to the December 24th of the next is too long. This is why a band of Moogles, Lalafells, Bangaas and Zoras from all across the Empire have occupied half of the Ninth District. Decorated trees, Christmas music, people dressed as Santa Claus (and probably dying because of the heat), fake gift boxes as well as a very large and pretty box for donations all await you!

Kids below the age of 15 will all receive a gift if they come: plushies made in the likeness of the main villains of numbered Final Fantasy games! And when you press the button hidden on their stomach, they speak a random line. Who doesn't want a Sephiroth plushie saying "You are a puppet" or a Jecht one repeating "Cry, cry, cry" all day long?

It's like a dream come true!


MIDNIGHT AIRSHIP
— Twelfth District || August 20th – August 24th || 23:00 to 06:00 —
For the late sleepers, it is possible to board a special airship prepared by Hypellos to party up in the sky. The Airship flies all around the Imperial Territories and should characters so desire, they can ask to stop by one of the two other cities. Whether they want to dance, to eat or to enjoy the view, it might be a very fun and relaxing activity. It is also a very good place from where to watch the fireworks… Or to scout for an incoming Tarutaru and her weapon toy.

Note that all the personnel onboard are Hypellos. They are very serviceable and nice, but can try the patience of those not used to their accent. Of note, one Hypello is green and appears to be angrily stalking anyone heading for the "Sunny Starlight" event. He is quite sneaky though and will always manage to get away before being approached.


MOGNET EXPOSITION
— Ninth District || August 22nd – August August 25th || 07:00 to 19:00 —
The half of the Ninth District not occupied by Christmas fanatics is occupied by the Moogles working for the Imperial section of Mognet. Split for the regular Mognet for a decade, Imperial Mognet has managed to thrive. Imperial iMog Slates have all sorts of functions other iMog Slates could only dream of, such as games, grammar check and that kind of stuff. All of those things can be visited at the exposition! Not only that, but the Moogles are also putting on display things that have nothing to do with Mognet but more to do with Moogles themselves.

Come and visit the exposition to discover the rich and amazing culture of the Moogles! Kupo Nuts, Fur Dye, Fake Kupo Nuts, Pom Shiner, Carved Kupo Nuts, booklets titled "How to Use Your Cuteness to Exploit People," Mognet Bags, Deluxe Kupo Nuts, Sheets to Prepare Future Strikes, Mog Beds, Explosive Kupo Nuts, Kupo Champagne—

There is no end to what might be learned from Moogles!


CHOCOBO RACES
— Sen Riqeaux || August 23rd || 15:00 to 20:00 —
A Chocobo Race will be held all around the city! Will you compete? Shall you win? There are no prizes as all the money earned through the race is given to the Safety of Sparks Golsaucia movement. Those participating can bring their own Chocobo or get a temporary one from the people organizing the race. It will be a very bad Chocobo though, so they shouldn’t expect to win… Beware the Hamsters and Marlboro during the race though. It’d be a real shame to end up getting eaten while racing.


SHOPPING
— City's Outskirts || August 18th – August 25th || 07:00 - 20:00 —
On the city's outskirts are all manners of stalls by shoppers eager to make some money. You can find everything there: plushies, food, clothes, souvenirs, books and even cosmetics. Why, one of the merchant is even selling contact lenses covering nearly all of the rainbow's spectrum aside from green while another sells all kind of swords, even the supposed legendary Excalibur! This might be the perfect place to take on O'aka's Quest if you so wish!


MINI SPARKS GOLSAUCIA
— Eleventh District || August 19th – August 24th || Anytime —
Specially for the festival, stallholders from Sparks Golsaucia were invited and brought a few attractions to display what they can do. Noticeably, there is a shooting stand—Once again, a treasure chest game where characters are presented with ten chests and can open only one-- Prizes range from one Gils to gigantic plushies. The novelty this year is something called the "Kupo Boxes," Boxes you punch open and you get something: perhaps something wonderful like a 1 million gil ticket, more often than not though absolutely nothing. Will you try your chance? Be careful, your wallet might not survive it.


TOURNAMENTS
— Tenth District || August 19th – August 23rd || 10:00/15:00/20:00 —
There is a Blitzball Competition taking place during the Festival of Light! Characters are free to go and watch the matches, so long as they can pay for the tickets. At the same time, a Triple Triad competition is taking place. Characters are free to enter the Triple Triad tournament if they so wish. Characters who know Triple Triads have decent chances to win. And even if your characters lose, what matters is trying, right? There are no prizes to be won, as all money goes to the Triple Triad For Everyone associations.


CULINARY ATTRACTIONS
— Second District || August 18th – August 25th || 12:00 to 13:30 / 19:00 to 21:00 —
What would a festival be without free food and banquets? Not really a festival. In the fourteenth district, there is a banquet and many stands held by people from all over the Empire. All kind of food can be found here-- Refined food, pastries, cakes, cooked meals, etc. It's virtually impossible not to find something to like in all of this, and it's all free! There are, however, guards standing around on the lookout for Gourmands who would be tempted to ruin the fun for everyone. After what happened two years ago, better be careful.


THE OPERA
— Ninth District || August 18th - August 24th || 22:00 —
There is an opera every day for all to see for free, titled "A Goddess's Tears." It is a retelling of the creation myth, but shown from the (presumed) perspective of the Goddess of Death. The play depicts the Goddess as someone who started out as a rather sweet person, but whose life took such terrible turns she wished to die and resented life. Yet, death was too scary of a prospect for her and she couldn't choose what was better, Life or Death. As the play progresses, she decides both are equally terrible and resolves to create a world where those very notions shall no longer exist.

As the play unfolds, toward the ends the story becomes what people are more familiar with. However, rather than letting her die wordlessly, the four heroes appease the Goddess's soul by singing. As the four heroes sing, the Goddess smiles and sheds a single tear before passing away. It is said the play is very emotional, sensible people might want to pass on it.


HOUSING
— Fourteenth District || August 17th - August 27th || Anytime —
Before, after and during the Festival of Light, the characters will all need a place where they can rest. Thankfully for them, people coming with the Curti Center delegation are all given the keys to stay in one of the abandoned houses in the 14th District. Truth to be told however, those house look anything but abandoned. Why, it's as if people had been living in them up until very recently, given how either clean and ordered they are for some, or chaotic and neglected they are for others (Characters who were present in Melodies of Life will be able to notice the houses are nearly identical to what they were just before the time skip during endgame, though there are a few eerie differences).

At least, it's a good place to sleep!


ARDYNIAN DISCOVERY
— Fifteenth District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00, 15:00, 20:00 —
Everyday, it will be possible to get wheeled motor vehicle driven by imperial soldiers and go visit one of the other cities, case in point, Ardynia! Not much is done over there for the Festival of Light, but it is worth checking out, if only for the Wizard and Jester Jobs. It is a thriving city with people from all over the Empire, and it appears to be something of a shopping center for the imperial region.

And most importantly, discover the official headwear of Ardynia: the Fedora! It is said Archaeologists have imported this fashion trend to Ardynia when they pass by, but none know whether this is true or not. While most citizens have enough senses not to actually wear this dreaded hat, those who do wear it really look dumb doing so. And those who don't look dumb look like they'd make jokes about your pet's untimely demise while you're still crying about it.

Perhaps is is best to stay away.


PARASRAYA DISCOVERY
— Fifteenth District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00, 15:00, 20:00 —
Everyday, it will be possible to get wheeled motor vehicle driven by imperial soldiers and go visit one of the other cities, case in point, Parasraya! Not much is done over there for the Festival of Light, but it is worth checking out, if only for the Archaeologist and Catmancer Jobs, as well as the Weapon Master Association. It is a technologically advanced yet small and cozy city...

... If it wasn't for a tragedy plaguing the city: cats, cats everywhere. If the meowing doesn't kill you, the constant flow of cats asking to be pet, fed and to sit on your lap might. You may even encounter a few tired citizens paying you money to take care of the cat infestation around their house. Others however are really defensive of the cats and will hunt anyone trying to bring harm to them. Of course, the source of all these cat-related troubles can be traced back to the origins of the Catmancer guild.

But, perhaps it is a story best left for another day.


FIREWORKS
— First District || August 18th – August 24th || Midnight —
Fireworks will be launched from the Castle starting 00:00 and will end at 01:00, everyday of the Festival. No matter where you are in the city, anyone should be able to watch them with ease if they so wish. Unfortunately, it means falling asleep before midnight may be a bit hard with all the noise. On the 25th, characters will be with dining with the Empress as the fireworks happen.

Comments

[thehurricane]

You're right. If they were only counting the bodies, these graves would serve as a monument of sorts. It could be that they didn't have time, but having graves at all means they obviously cared for the people buried here.

[He straightens up, though he remains looking at the grave. So far, all he's done is agree with this strange woman. Another spider. At least she isn't clicking her mandibles at the tree roots. No, she appears more rational, dignified than that.]

If these graves were tied to bodies too badly burned or missing, that could explain why there are no names as well. It could even mean there's nothing buried here at all and we're only staring at ornaments. Isn't that a depressing thought?

[He voices his question with some amusement in his tone, like he's caught between disbelief and humor.]

[chatwithdeath]

A little more crude in that sense. If there are no bodies here, these markers only take up space. There are other ways to commemorate those returned to ash or unable to be found.

Though... I suppose if you're to warn people - to make them fear something happening again - a plot like this would work as if to say 'do you want this to happen again?'

[But honestly, what would such event be? And still, to deny the survivors from having a place to come and mourn lost loved ones.]

... It wasn't uncommon practice to leave the graves of criminals unmarked where I come from. I don't want to think all these graves could be criminals either, but something to consider as well.

[thehurricane]

Several markers or just a monument of one...whatever the case would be, it'd also depend on whoever planned this cemetery, wouldn't it?

[There's no accounting for taste, in other words. Logical as anything might be, it can all be thrown out if the plot planner was feeling quirky that morning.]

Where I'm from, the criminals are rarely given graves at all. If these plots are all for criminals, I'd have to say they're lucky ones.

[chatwithdeath]

Correct. It doesn't help that my senses seem dimmed here. Normally, I could send enough vibrations into the ground to detect something present, but it doesn't travel that deep now.

[And she wasn't about to actually dig up a grave... not while they could be being watched.]

There's a misfortune to being unmarked. Without a tombstone, they can pass into anonymity and become fortunate to be discovered in the future. However, an unmarked grave among a sea of them doesn't invite, but repels. They remain perpetually in a state of a known unknown to be identified, but forgotten as an individual.

[thehurricane]

[He voices her own thoughts for her, because grave digging isn't entirely beneath him.]

And I imagine digging is out of the question. It'd make us look a little too paranoid, which is a shame. You seem like fine company for an evening spent doing backbreaking labor.

[He thinks carefully on her next words. With a small hum, he step behind one of the gravestones and crouches down next to it.]

It's a little sad. [He doesn't look or sound sad when he says that, but he means it.] The only thing worse than death is being forgotten.

[chatwithdeath]

It wouldn't take that long.

[She has far too much experience digging and burying honestly.]

I suppose for most. Anyway, what honestly brought you out this way?

[thehurricane]

Hm...if you're as much of a digger as that other boy, I suppose it wouldn't take long, no.

[He, too, has too much experience burying...but it's better to bury than be buried.]

Oh, you know how it is. I thought I'd take a walk away from the festivities. It's awful loud in places.

[chatwithdeath]

Hm? Which other boy?

[She might have an idea who he's talking about, but just to be sure...]

Is that right? Well, you came possibly to the right place...

[thehurricane]

I'm not sure quite what to call him, and I don't think comparing you to him is fair. Let's just say you have something in common?

[He's not going to call them spider-people, that'd just be rude?]

I've never been much of a party person. I'm not very popular.

[chatwithdeath]

The other arachne? Yes, he has quite the disposition...

[Now he knows what he can call them...]

Hm, you don't socialize well.

[thehurricane]

That's a gentle way of putting it. There's nothing wrong with being simple, though.

[He won't begrudge him for that, not really. He finds Vanitas amusing on a number of levels.]

Nope. But that's alright. If I were out with the crowds, I'd have missed this chance to meet you.

[chatwithdeath]

I can't fault him. Many of us from that place often turned violent.

[Though, Vanitas might've always been like that.]

Perhaps not here. I was among the crowd earlier, but navigating through is not so easy.

[thehurricane]

['Turned' violent. How interesting.]

I see. I suppose tantrums like that can be expected when you come from a troubled home.

[Or, you know, asking older men if you can eat their legs. That counts, surely.]

I can imagine it wouldn't be. I hope these crowds aren't causing you other problems.

[He's not sure how other people would react to spider people at all.]

[chatwithdeath]

Yes... something like that.

[She should've found out if he needed to eat...]

They haven't been causing too much issue. I'm not unfamiliar with getting around if people don't move.

[thehurricane]

There's something endearing about that sort of purity, I think.

[Or the entire lack of purity in Vanitas' case. What a rotten person. Still. Endearing.]

I'm glad to hear it. You're not like that young man at all. You're the calm, organized type aren't you?

[chatwithdeath]

You could say that.

[Slippery slopes.]

Someone has to be. People have a habit of stirring up trouble whether intentionally or not. And when you're from the peninsula, it's imperative.

[thehurricane]

I'll admit, I didn't know what to expect when you opened your mouth. Where I'm from, the only monsters I've met are man-made.

[But no one wants to hear about that.]

My name is Legault.

[chatwithdeath]

I see... Well, where I would normally be from, the worse monster is just human and everything else is fictional.

[What do you mean? She'll want to hear about it... but later.]

Legault... I'm Naomi.