The Festival Continues [Day 144]

[bastionmods]

Who: Everyone
Open: Open
When: Day 144
Where: all over the Bastion
What: Day 2 of the festival because that other post filled up fast
Format: any
Warnings: none

Day 2 - Day of Hope and Bravery

Once again, at midnight, another torch arrives - this time with a horse along with the gear and bullshead. As before, they are list by Zulf. Some of the other decorations fade out, to be replaced by Yudrig or Lemaign-specific decorations like horseshoes, saddles, hammers and plants made of colored metal. This will continue to happen throughout the festival, with new decorations overshadowing old ones, but the old ones still remaining here and there.

During the previous day, conversations with a any of the NPCs (or the recently arrived Uras) will bring up the topic of the second day of the festival. Should you care to listen, you'll learn that they use the very early morning of this day to make wishes, wishes that you must think in to a horseshoe that will be left on the side of your home that faces where the "sun" would be rising (the closest approximation to "east").

Speaking of horses! There seems to be a pen with stallions! Unlike Pyth, one must ride one of these stallions and try to stay on it as long as they can while it bucks and jumps about wildly. Good luck to whoever can manage this, it is not an easy task at all! Only one person can win Yudrig's favor, because at the end of the day the stallions will all take off back to... wherever they came from. The person that manages to stay the longest, though, will win a lovely pair of Yudrig boots, and will gain a single very fast horse for the Bastion to keep.

Along with the horses, there will also be races! Three legged races, races while balancing odd objects on spoons, so many races! Most of these are for the kids to make up for the lack of kid-focused things from the day before, but adults are encouraged to help and participate.

Incidentally, respect is also given to those considered soldiers. Be it by their own mental thinking ("I am a soldier for justice/I am a protector, etc") or by their actual title (this includes exorcists, exorcists in training, rebel leaders, etc) but they will be honored on this day for their bravery, comittment and efforts. The same goes for masons. There will be a table set up with charms for the bracelets, specifically hammer shaped ones - everyone is welcome to take one, but anyone who isn't of this persausion may find them too heavy to wear. The charm can be removed, though, but remember to keep the bracelet!

With that in mind, about midday the center of the Bastion will be cleared and people will be asked if they would like to participate in a game of "Defend Lemaign". It's basically Capture the Flag, but with a singular goal in mind - only one team has a "flag" (actually a small hammer statue) and that team must defend it from the other team. Teams can be any size, but once that statue is grabbed and brought to the other side, OR the timer runs out with Lemaign still within his "temple" the game is over. This will continue throughout the afternoon.

When evening falls again, the second torch for the day will appear to be lit, this one decorated with hammers as well as the standard gear and bull. The day begins to wind down, though there are once again other things to do - this time an entire area dedicated to various sizes of building blocks ranging from small to huge. Go nuts, build what you want, show off your creations! And keep them, they will come in handy later! This is not just for kids, even if it seems like it.

There's also jousting taking place. Nothing as dangerous as true jousting - just wooden horses on tracks that have to be manually pushed along (so be sure to take a willing friend with yout) and padded poles that strike padded armor. Winners will find more charms for those bracelets that were given out as their prize, and five shards per win.

Also, something to keep in mind: Since the day is focused around bravery quite a bit, anyone who shows off a particularly awesome show of bravery (be it personal like asking someone out that you like, facing a mild fear and not running away from it, or something even more spectacular) you will inexplicably find your entire room decorated with horseshoes. Horseshoes everywhere. Why? Yudrig, that's why.

And anyone who visits Lemagin's shrine, for whatever reason, will find themselves inexplicably hit with a wave of optimism. Just for the day, though.

This night winds down much the same as before, and again the children are encouraged to sleep outside while lulled to sleep by tales of Yudrig and Lemagin's adventures.

Comments

[fuckthemancers]

[It sure does look like somehow Zulf has gotten wrangled into something. But it's been noticed how many people don't exactly know about the Gods here, so..]

[Have a question about them? Just want to hear a story about them all, or one in particular? Heckle this guy.]

[hellpyre]

[Ever had a girl chinhands at you Zulf?

Because that's exactly what Rin is doing during these stories.]

[fuckthemancers]

[...Well his fiance did but you don't want to bring that up. Zulf finishes up his current tale- something about roses and Roathus- before turning to Rin.]

Ah, is there a particular God you want to hear about, Rin?

[hellpyre]

[Not really, no.]

Hm... what about Yudrig? That was the one I picked.

[fuckthemancers]

Alright, well then... I could tell you the story of how he was born, and how the Gods had to catch him, then. Would that interest you?

[hellpyre]

Yeah! I'd like that.

[Look her tail is even wagging.]

Story 1: How Yudrig Was Born

[fuckthemancers]

Alright. Well, here's how it starts...

[He clears his throat and starts to speak. Unlike a certain other person, he doesn't quite have a magnificent storyteller's touch. Still, he quite obviously likes telling the story, and his voice is pleasant. There have absolutely been far worse storytellers.]

The world was still in the process of creation. Some Gods had been born already, and some of them had already gotten into some adventures. Pyth had stampeded, Acobi had crafted her own chains, Lemaign had smithed his hammer, and many other such things had occurred. Creation was tiring enough without such ruckus, and so one day the Lorn Mother seated herself at the edge of the night sky so that she might catch her breath. She held her hands to her empty chest so that she might keep the shining star of her heart right in its place. However, through a single small gap between her fingers, a shard of starlight fell through. Before she could catch it, it was already racing across the dawning sky. The further it got, the more it became solid, and soon a brilliant stallion was running away faster than anything Micia had ever seen.

As it had been born of her, she felt a responsibility to catch the stallion. A small hand stopped her before she could take after it, however, and she found herself looking into the eyes of her son Olak. "Mother, please do not rush so! I have seen how tired you are. As I love you the most out of all your children, I will go fetch this stallion for you!" The Carefree Son finished his boast with a kiss, and then was off like an arrow fired. Out of all of Micia's children, it was true that Olak was perhaps one of the swiftest. He and the wind had an understanding, both so very fickle in nature, and passing moments never seemed to pass the same for him as they did for other things. With those two things combined, he was soon besides the still galloping stallion with a twist of his feet and a smile on his young lips.

"Hail, good stallion!" the young God called, forever in a playful mood. "It is in bad manners to run straight away from our mother who birthed you! Why do you run, stallion?"

The stallion gave pause from its frantic pace, for he was quite intelligent and understood that if he were to dismiss the Carefree Son then his luck would turn sour indeed. "Hail, brother, for that is surely what we must be if you say we share our mother. I could not say why I ran so, only that once I knew that I could do it, then I knew I had to! It is only in the midst of my run that it occurred to me that I enjoy it, and would not wish to return to our Mother just yet. It is a fine feeling. Perhaps you would like to ride me, so that I may show you this?"

Now, Olak was still the youngest of the Gods and forever a child. Even more, his domain lay half in fortune and half in whim. It was not a lie that he loved Micia dearly. However, the idea of riding such a brilliant steed tempted him and his motives changed in a heartbeat. He happily accepted, and the pair continued to burn a trail across the slowly warming sky.

Micia did not miss any of this. The Lorn Mother could see all, and this she did see. Because they were her children, this did not surprise her. Also because they were her children, she did not feel any anger at them. It was in their nature, after all. Still, now what was she to do?

Lemaign was the next to come upon the Mother, and he sat at her knees and listened attentively. When the Mother finished with her words, he took her hand and kissed her knuckles gently. "Stay at rest, Mother mine, and let my hope burn within you alongside your star heart. I will retrieve both my young brother and the stallion." Despite his words, Lemaign did not quite know where to start. He could construct many things to stop the Stallion in its tracks. However, he did not want to ruin so quickly the world his Mother had made with so much love. There was also the fact that with Olak and the Stallion together, they were full of whim and impulse. This made their next moves difficult to track. With some thinking, an idea finally came to him and so Lemaign went to search for his other siblings: Acobi and Pyth.

It was one of Acobi's tasks, then, to look after Pyth, and Lemaign found them both in a beautiful field where the grass was green and full. The bull was asleep, Acobi at his side, and Lemaign kept his voice quiet as he spoke to his sister of chains.

"I see you tend to your oaths so faithfully now, sister! I am glad to see this. You know I would never encourage you to break your vows." He said this quite carefully, well aware of his sister's strength. "However, I must catch a stallion for our Mother. I fear the only way to catch up with him is to take Pyth's assistance. Would you lend me your station as his caretaker so that I might accomplish this task?"

Now Acobi was not necessarily vicious, but her glare was as cold and hard as the metal of her chains as she looked upon her brother Lemaign. "You are right to say that I keep my vows in most seriousness, Lemaign! Mother has entrusted me with this task, and I should not break it for any task of yours!" Still, Lemaign bartered and pleaded with her, and soon Acobi relented. "On one condition," she warned, raising a shackled hand. "Make an oath that you will assist me with a task in the future, and I will come with you to bring back this Stallion you show such interest in."

Lemaign knew this was as good as he would go with Acobi, so he agreed readily and she bound chains to his wrist so that he would remember his promise. If he were to break it, then so would his own bones break- an oath given to Acobi's face is not something to take lightly. With that agreed upon, Acobi turned to Pyth.

"Up, brother bull!" she laughed as she smacked Pyth's flank to awaken him, as much abandon as she was oath. "We have starlight to capture, so up with you!" And so she gave him another smack.

The first had awoken the Wakeful bull, and the second sent him into one of his rages. Before he could rush away, Acobi took Lemaign's hand and pulled him onto Pyth's back alongside her. Soon, they were rushing through the land, looking for the Stallion and their young brother. When they saw them, Acobi stirred Pyth further and gripped his horns tight with her hands. It was a brutal chase, and Pyth's hooves stirred up plants of all strange manners. This would soon become the Wild- but that is a tale for another time. At last Lemaign and Acobi caught up. Using Acobi's chains, which could be broken by nothing but the maiden herself, he attempted to use it to catch the Stallion.

Once, twice, three times it took, for Olak made luck work for Lemaign. The chase came to an end.

While Acobi attempted to calm Pyth down, Lemaign confronted Olak and the stallion. He berated them for their actions, and demanded to hear the Stallion out for himself.

"Good brother," the Stallion pleaded, "I saw hope and I rushed to take it! Surely you cannot blame me for that."

"Now do you feel despair, hearing our Mother's footsteps draw nearer?" Lemaign questioned, and it was true. All four could hear Micia coming closer by the moment. The Stallion drew back in fright.

"I know despair! Despair that I might lose such a chance at this, and lose a chance to race across this beautiful sky once more! Spare me, brother, please."

Lemaign accepted these words and, when Micia came to them, argued for the Stallion's life. To his surprise, she agreed. "I had desired more children, and I have found exactly what I had wished for. Stallion, for however long your siblings stay, then so shall you. Show thankfulness for this and run across this same morning sky forever afterwards."

"If it is a wish I helped you with, Mother, then I shall do you more and bring such things to pass for those who see this sky with me!" the Stallion cried, quite relieved that all had ended well for him. The Lorn Mother could take as easily as she gave, after all, although never in cruelty. "When you finally call to me and welcome me back to your heart with open arms, I promise I shall listen then."

With that, Micia laid a kiss upon the Stallion's forehead, and blessed him with the name of Yudrig.

[amnesiadragon]

[By this point, Ryu has also wandered over and sat down. He listens quietly, eyes widening.]

... Wow. They sound really different from the gods I know.

[forhyrule]

[ Zelda likes stories about the gods and already likes talking to Zulf. It's a winning combination. ]

[fuckthemancers]

Hello, Zelda.

[He makes sure to greet her, just wrapping up another story himself. He remembers their conversation from yesterday, after all.]

Would you like to hear one of the stories I know regarding the Gods? If there's one in particular you're curious about, I'm certain I would be able to remember a story you would like.

[forhyrule]

Good afternoon, Zulf. [ It sounds like she came at the right time. ] I would quite enjoy hearing more about your gods.

[ She paused to consider. ] Who do you feel the closest bond to?

[fuckthemancers]

Myself?

[This isn't the first time he's answered this question- Night asked him as well the first day he came to the Bastion. Still, it's not something he's always asked often. Subconsciously, he rubs the ring of red that's about one finger.]

I've... always felt a draw to Micia. She was the first God I learned of as a child from my Mother, and I've always felt her presence in my life...

[But perhaps that's to be expected, after all he's lost even before the Calamity.]

[superdrowningskills]

[Alucard says nothing when he sits down. No questions, no requests, nothing but an expectant stare. It's not particularly intense, but it might be mildly unsettling.]

[fuckthemancers]

[...Uh. Hi there. Zulf stares back.]

I don't believe we've met.

[Best to break the ice before this gets too weird.]

[superdrowningskills]

...We have not. I am Alucard. You tell stories, correct?

[Yep, straight to the point. No beating around the bush here.]

[fuckthemancers]

That is right. My name is Zulf. Is there a God in particular you wished to hear of...?

[superdrowningskills]

...I am content with any tale you wish to spin.

Story 2: Hense's Roses

[fuckthemancers]

Ah, very well then. [Zulf curls up one of his hands and presses it to his mouth, thinking for a moment. He knows quite a few... Which should he tell?] Perhaps... Hense and her roses?

[That seems to be a good a place to start as any. Zulf smooths out his skirts and straightens himself up before he begins.]

Even in early creation, some Gods were more known for their skills in such an area than others. Lemaign was a genius with his hammer, using it just as often for crafting as he did for battle. Pyth could make life spring up in the wake of his hoofsteps, and Jevel could make life blossom ever stronger at his touch. Micia... Well, Micia had made all of them, and she continued to make more still.

Out of them, Hense perhaps had the most difficulty with this. She did so envy her siblings, who could coax life from earth and craft wonders that would make others marvel. To smith as Lemaign did seemed too difficult for her hands, so one day the Veiled Widow knelt upon a spare patch of earth and set herself to work. It took a very long time, but finally some green reached up to her dirty fingers. Enjoyed and enamored that her hard work was bearing life, Hense encouraged it. It was only halfway through that she realized she had coaxed to life nothing but thorns- branches and vines full of them. Still, she was proud of her work no matter how many times the thorns pricked her, spilling blood.

One day, while she was wandering, she came upon Roathus. She thought his state quite pitiful, punished by the Mother for greediness and now no longer able to enjoy the food he had once adored. Now he knew much of pain, so she thought she would share her other realm with him. "Poor Roathus," she sang, lighting a scarred hand upon his shoulder. "I will ask nothing from you today, and give freely this brief gift. Enjoy the taste of your food and drink." With that, she went on her way again. Pain and pleasure can be so sudden, and Hense was indeed that on many occasions.

Roathus felt quite touched by this act. The situation which had lead to his punishment brought him much shame, and he felt he had disappointed his family to unforgivable levels. For Hense to show she bore no grudge against him relieved the God greatly. He enjoyed her gift as best as he could. When he had sated his hunger to more bearable levels, he decided he would repay her. Such a thing would only be fair. He knew, as all the Gods did, of her difficulty with creation and so went to the God he knew would be able to assist with such a thing.

Pyth was busy with his duty in the fields, encouraging many good things to grow, but when he saw Roathus he gave a stomp of his hoof in aggravation. Roathus spoke quickly. "Hail, brother bull. I know no apologies can truly right what wrongs I have done against you. Instead of words, I shall let my actions speak. I will harvest this great work you have done, and shall not touch a single one for myself. This I will do to repair this break I have made between us."

A snort came from Pyth's nostrils and he tossed his fearsome horns. "I will allow this, Roathus. I will give only this chance to you, and no other. Let it be known that if you break your promise, I will come upon you with all that I am capable of, and then I shall drag you before our sister of Oaths so that she may judge you as well."

Such a thought made Roathus tremble, but still he agreed. More than ever he wished to repent, and more than ever he wished to repay his sister Hense. Immediately he went to work with harvesting fruits and vegetables and wheat, only his own massive strength to help him. Because Pyth still felt anger at his brother, he would sometimes cause more to grow when Roathus' back was turned. Despite how he was certain his ravenous brother would break his promise, Roathus continued to work hard even when his gaze was hollow and his massive body grew weak. Finally, all was done, and the Wakeful Bull came up to him.

"I underestimated you, brother!" Pyth said, glad to call him so once more. "We will feast well tonight, although I know such things give you pain. Do this for me every year, so that I may not forget that you are honest in your words for forgiveness."

Still weak in limb, Roathus replied, "Perhaps such hard work will make the food taste sweet and the drink will soothe my poor throat once more." Finally he was permitted to eat once again. In the midst of such ravenous feeding, Pyth inquired as to what had made Roathus finally act on his own, and so Roathus told him. The explanation satisfied the bull, and he agreed to help Roathus as best he could.

Hense was not expecting many visitors to her garden of thorns, and smiled greatly when she saw her brothers approaching. "Hail, Roathus. Hail, Pyth. What has you traveling to me today?"

"For your kindness the other day, sister," Roathus explained. "Perhaps we could change these thorns which draw so much of your blood." Right then, however, Pyth gave a shake of his great head. He had been looking closely upon the thorns, and had realized something. They were imbued with too much of Hense's power, and too firmly entrenched in creation itself. He could not destroy such things, only add to them. Perhaps their Lorn Mother could do differently, with her greying touch.

Both Pyth and Roathus did not know how they would ask the Mother for such a thing, and Hense raised her hand. "I have no desire to rid my creations of their thorns," she said, forever smiling. "Yet if you wish to do me a kindness, brothers, perhaps you could let these plants bloom?"

That, Pyth could do quite readily, and with Roathus' help they crafted a most delicate and full flower that flourished with white blossoms upon the thorny branches and vines. Hense's smile grew brighter as she saw it, yet when the thorns beneath such petals pricked her once again, her blood stained those petals so until they were deep deep red. She did not mind, and simply enjoyed the scent of her new roses. Satisfied that his sister was happy, Pyth took his leave. It was Roathus who stayed behind, and he asked his sister this:

"Why do you still smile so, Hense? The thorns still prick you, and now they are hidden beneath all the petals."

Hense gave a slow shake of her head, and laid a rose in his hair. "I still crafted these thorns myself, my silly Roathus, and I am proud of what I have made with my own two hands. If not for the thorns, then there would be no place for these roses to blossom. Pain and pleasure go hand in hand- now that I know one, I can appreciate the other all the more."

[yinyangfox]

[ While he had avoided most of the festivities as anything more than an observer, if there was anything the onmyoji could get behind it was the tales of other races and cultures. while he'd had quite his fill on his recent journey, this seemed a reasonable time to inspect their new Ura friend.

Seimei was nothing if not curious, much though his sedate nature tended to mislead others. He stood nearby through the stories, watching from a distance that was far enough away not to be bothered but close enough to hear, hands tucked into the long sleeves of his robes made from repurposed Ura fabric. He had other robes, but decided the celebration was a good reason to dress appropriately out of his usual light and solid colors and go for the bold colors and patterns of Ura fashion, even declining to wear his ever-present hat of office and simply biding his long hair back in a simple tail.

He never interrupts, never questions anything, just watches from that distance with his dark eyes as he listens and learns while studying the speaker. ]

[fuckthemancers]

[Fortunately for observers, Zulf is one of those who wears his heart on his sleeve and whose eyes ruin any lie he could try to speak. With enough watching, quite a bit can be learned about him.]

[What's most obvious as he sits and tells tales is that at the very least he was raised to be something of a gentleman. Every person who comes close enough to be considered part of the little circle gathered is given a polite nod, although Zulf doesn't interrupt his stories if he's in the middle of one. He holds himself straight while sitting down, hands folded neatly on his lap- hand movements aren't a thing for him, apparently, not overtly so.]

[There's something in his tone as well. Zulf speaks very clearly, a sign of someone used to speaking with people. He also has quite the calm tone, at ease with the idea of speaking in front of many people to convey an idea or explanation. It's not really a storyteller's voice. Still, it's obvious that he enjoys sharing his culture with those willing to listen. His dark eyes are heavy with... something, the exact emotion convoluted, but they light up everytime someone requests a tale or inquires about something in the story. Like someone remembering a part of their past that was important, once.]

[While Zulf doesn't speak with his hands, so to speak, he does have something of an odd quirk that Seimei might notice after a while. If he's been paying half as much attention to the other residents, then it's probably become clear that most of the Ura seem to wear red after a certain point. With Zulf, it's a bit more subtle than a red cloth tied around his arm. Tied at his shirt collar is a red string tie and, on the ring finger of his right hand, there's another neatly done. It seems that everytime he has a moment to himself or that Micia is mentioned, his fingers go to one of those two red strings. The more people there are, the better chance that he simply rubs at the string on his finger, but more one on one conversations make him reach up to his collar tie.]

[It's very obvious that he's with so many people as a means to keep his mind preoccupied from darker thoughts. It's obviously mostly because of what he does on the very few occasions when he catches a break from storytelling and no one else is nearby. One way or another, Zulf always seems to look towards the Monument. His interactions with others are done with politeness in mind. Yet when he looks towards the Monument... Zulf's dark eyes seem to get darker. Anger, bitterness, misery, frustration... Familiarity? That seems to be something reoccuring- familiarity at buildings such as the Distillary and the Shrine, but then there's moments when his wandering gaze land on things such as the farm or the hospital. In those moments, for just a brief second, his mouth gives a twitch at the corners as if he's not sure what to make of them. It's an easy to miss detail, gone in a flash. Still, he always seems to settle on the Monument most of all.]

[During those moments, if Seimei is listening carefully and can hear over the sound of the festival... He might hear Zulf humming a song under his breath, not even really aware that he is doing it. It's just habit.]

[yinyangfox]

[ Seimei listened and watched, as he often did. Even before the Bastion it had been his primary task for the royalty and nobles, not to mention a hobby of sorts. Kitsune had a vast interest in the goings on around them, even though they didn't commonly interact. The onmyoji had the distinct advantage of keeping a foot on either side of the proverbial line.

He listened through the stories, watched when there was a break and let his eyes drift to Zulf from time to time even while distracted by other tasks. His observations were casual and never lingered too long except for when they were allowed to do so by circumstance.

Eventually he decided to speak with the man, and changed course from the refreshments to intersect with the Ura. ]

Greetings. [ He spoke up, hands folded into his wide sleeves as he took the moment to bow politely in the way of his own people. ]

I hope you do not mind the approach. I was curious to meet our kindly storyteller personally. Your voice and manner make the time pass smoothly and you have an enchanting talent for the task. I do hope you enjoy the telling as much as we enjoy the hearing, and do not find entertaining others too tedious.

[fuckthemancers]

[Zulf has been faintly aware that there had been another listener a bit farther off, but there hasn't been much time to observe just who. When Seimei finally approaches, Zulf gives a slight bow back with his hand going up to his chest with the action.]

I'm quite glad that you have enjoyed the stories then, and my way of telling them. It's not something I expected myself to do often. Still, when I arrived in Caelondia, I found quite a few that inquired about the differences in Cael and Ura myths. Telling stories simply happened. It appears that the same has happened here.

Perhaps in learning more about how this world once was, it will seem less foreign to all of you.

[yinyangfox]

I have been blessed with an opportunity to learn a great deal. I recently took a long journey into the Skyway and spent time out there, speaking with the native creatures and studying what ruins I crossed. It is my wish to learn as much as possible. [ He nodded slowly, watching Zulf's face thoughtfully. He deliberately concealed his knowledge of other things, out of honor to his promise, but it by no means diminished his curiosity. ]

I would like to learn more about Caeldonian and Ura history - myth and reality alike. I have a home on the Southeast end of the Bastion. It is a place of serenity and meditation, as well as education and reflection. I would be honored to have an Ura guest to instruct me. It is my intention to compile as much history about the Ura and Caeldonians as possible and add these to my library, which remains accessible to any in the Bastion.

[fuckthemancers]

[It's admittedly rather flattering to hear that someone has come to him with this request when Zulf knows there are others in the Bastion that could be spoken to. He gives a polite bow of his head.]

It would be a pleasure to tell you all I know about both the Tazal Terminals and Caelondia. I was raised to know quite a bit about both, thanks to my adopted father. When would you like to visit your home?

[yinyangfox]

Whenever it pleases you to do so, sir. My doors are always open. Do not let my presence dictate your willingness to visit. It was built to accommodate guests in many capacities. A place of meditation and learning, I hope.

The first floor and gardens are open to anyone who chooses to visit, with or without escort or company. The library has plenty of paper and utensils. Perhaps after the festivities you would consider calling on me?