melodiesofeternity | Event || The Festival of Light

Event || The Festival of Light

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ A rather large graveyard full of unblemished tombstones is a place one should be expecting to be caught by surprise. Ashelia turns to look at Legault as he crouches at the grave. ]

It could be...symbolic. [ She takes a step or two towards the grave, tilting her head in thought. ] The Tale of the Heroes of Light seems more a part of Imperial culture than elsewhere in Vaikuntha. By all accounts, there were thousands of Heroes sacrificed throughout the cycle of Crystallis' death and rebirth.

[ She spreads her hands out, shrugging. ]

That, or a plague of some sort.

I've been thinking about that, too. It could be some kind of monument. Graves can be marked in so many different ways.

[Or maybe there's some trick to reading them that he can't see? He removes his glove and runs his fingers over one of the graves. Ah, if only it were that easy. Once he's done, he stands up, putting it back on.]

Now, there's something I don't know much about. Crystallis, the Heroes...I take it you're familiar with them?

I was one. [ Ashelia doesn't seem too pumped about it. ] So, yes, somewhat familiar. If you've any questions, I'd be glad to answer them - that is, if you've a name. [ She laughs lightly, motioning with her head for Legault to walk with her. ] For my part, I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca.

My name is Hurricane—or at least that's what I'm used to hearing. The pleasure's all mine, Milady.

[Well, if she's a noble, the least he can do is bow. It's quick enough to be cordial without being overly reverent. He certainly doesn't owe her allegiance, but he can do what might be expected.]

I wouldn't even know where to begin. I've only heard Crystalis mentioned a few times in passing.

[ Ashelia nods. Well, here goes. ] Crystallis was a world much like this one - more than we thought previously, even, given the similarities between Sen Riqeaux and Aqures Ixen. Many believe the worlds are connected somehow, or more precisely that Vaikuntha is the world that was created after the defeat of the Goddess of Death.

A world that steals citizens from other worlds...if it can happen once, I'm not shaken to hear it's happened before.

[He's familiar with transportation magic, but this is on an entirely different level, isn't it? He'd be awed if it weren't so frustrating.]

Why don't you tell me more about her? The Goddess of Death. That's quite the title.

[ Ashelia shrugs, somehow still able to make the casual gesture look...elevated. ] I never knew her as such. Kalki was a woman bent on stopping the Calamity. The ends justified the means for her. The woman had gambits upon gambits, plans behind contingencies behind plans...we were always reacting, never even one step ahead of her, and always playing right into her hands.

Honestly, I couldn't think of a better title for the woman, myself. But she believed she was doing the right thing - and who am I to argue? One cannot deny that killing millions to save trillions is better than the alternative.

She sounds more than unpleasant. I can think of someone like that, and even now the thought of speaking to her again makes me want to retch.

[Rest in pieces, Sonia, you fool.]

On paper, you'd be right. But what decision was she making? Can you tell me more about that next?

I'll not speak to her decision to somehow destroy the very concepts of life and death, as I was not present, but before that...

[ There's a deep sigh. ]

It was revealed that the very nature of Crystallis, as modified by the Ancients, consumed the life force of other worlds. Specifically, the worlds the Heroes of Light hailed from, due to our connection with the Calamity...

[ She pulled out a small, perfectly spherical crystal. ] ...through these. As ominous as it all sounds, and I suppose it is that, it also allowed us to utilize two jobs at once. A useful skill...but beside the point.

The point being, through these crystals, our worlds were being drained of their life, and the cycle would keep repeating. So, to sacrifice the people of Crystallis, or the trillions that would eventually be consumed by Crystallis and the Calamity?

Destroying life and death...trillions of casualties...my, I feel like a fool, letting myself get caught up in this.

[His tone is light; he clearly didn't have much choice in the matter. He'd choose to go back in a heartbeat.]

How do you feel about all of this? You said you were there before, and now you're here again. They aren't giving you a chance to relax at all.

[He's still mulling this information over. For the first time in a long time, he feels at a loss for meaningful words.]

How do I feel? [ Ashelia stops walking. She has things to say, but... ]

It...matters not how I feel. It matters not how any of us feels about any of this. The facts are that we are trapped here and none of us will ever return home if we do not fight. I don't intend to stop fighting.

[ Her anger safely locked away, she continues walking again. ] Rest assured, the cause of our being called here will be revealed soon enough. We've not been branded Heroes of Light yet, but if this truly is another cycle, or Crystallis' new form, we're here for the same reason.

You don't really think that's true, do you? You're no animal—you can't live without feelings, whether you like it or not. Unless you're a certain friend of mine, but even he's been opening up more lately. It's creepy.

[It's his turn to stop walking as he waits for his own reply. Ashelia is too young to feel so cold and cynical, he thinks, but what does he know? He's been killing since he was even younger, and the part of him that has remorse isn't fully formed.]

It's a shame. I'm not much of a fighter. Maybe I should leave all the heavy-lifting to you?

[He smiles. He's probably kidding.]

[ Ashelia smiles wryly. ] Now, I don't believe that. You would seem to know your way about a dagger or two.

[ Yep, she seems to be completely ignoring any and all talk about her feelings. ]

[If she doesn't want to talk about it, he's not going to push. He's wonderful like that.]

That I do. They have a particular fondness for my face. Maybe I ought to try picking one up the next time someone lunges for an eye. What do you think?

[ That one gets a genuine chuckle out of Ashelia. ]

Do make sure you're grabbing the correct end.

I'll do my best. It'd be a shame if I let you down, but it'd be an even bigger shame if I had to walk around with scarred hands. I'm already unpleasant enough to look at as I am now.

[He looks exactly like the first villain in any novel or play and no amount of costuming will change that.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event || The Festival of Light

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