thebastion | The Festival Continues [Day 144]

The Festival Continues [Day 144]

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.

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[Ever had a girl chinhands at you Zulf?

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

[...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?

[Not really, no.]

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

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?

Yeah! I'd like that.

[Look her tail is even wagging.]

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.

Edited 2014-01-02 09:40 (UTC)

[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.

I suppose that isn't surprising. Would you mind telling me how so?

[The story was wonderful, and Rin loved to hear it. So much so that she even applauded a little at the end. When Ryu spoke, though, she had to agree. To her it sounded more like something one would hear from Shinto, or anything but Catholicism.

She didn't say as much, waiting for Ryu to explain.]

[Colin, too, is sitting back and listening. He's also been recording this, both video and audio, for posterity.]

Well, the gods I know are summoned, not born. People who know the rituals call them from another world. If the ritual's not exactly right though, things go wrong. That's what happened with me and Deis.

[It sounds like quite a tale, but Zulf isn't sure if Ryu is interested in telling it. So he'll not press further.]

I see. Well, here, Micia created everything. The world, the other Gods, and then the people. When the end comes for all of us, she waits to help guide us to the afterlife.

[There's not a lot else to it really. He doesn't remember it.]

What's there?

[He has no idea what happens to mortals when they die. It's sad to think about. :( ]

Well, being thankfully very much alive, I'm afraid I couldn't tell you the details as I'm not certain of them myself. It doesn't help that some people disagree on it- [Because religion should always be more complicated, right] -but I've always personally had the belief that after they reach the Lorn Mother, she lets them rest in the night sky as stars and their spirits used to help the aspects of whichever God they felt the greatest connection to.

[Subconsciously, his fingers brush over the red string he has tied discretely on his right ring finger.]

You know, during Micia and Pyth's festival, her light is supposed to shine the brightest. The dead can travel between here and the realm of the living without fear of losing their way to her.

[Rin had gone strangely quiet during all of this. As a story, it was fine to hear, and she had told Zulf a while ago that these were things she wanted to learn.

But... it range a strange bell in her heart, a tug towards what she had been raised to believe and how she had come to disregard it all because she had felt as though no one could rightfully care for some one like her the way God was supposed to. Learning what she was... it only solidified her thoughts.

She was a demon. Demons were the darkness to God's light. Why should He embrace such a creation just because she came from a human mother?

Hearing that about Micia, it served to renew that pain in her chest. Light was better than darkness, wasn't it? So what if her flames could heal just as well as they could destroy? That didn't change what she was.

"Why did you save me, old man?!"

But...]

What... what about those that don't have light in them, though... ?

[But what if she had it wrong, and there was a far more obvious reason as to why Shiro saved her than she had realized?]

Micia can find light, even where there should be none.

[The phrase brings to mind childhood memories- both while dressed in warm clothes with larger hands gently holding his, and while in nothing but bare feet with dirt taking up nearly permanent residence underneath his fingernails.]

Actually... That reminds me of something. If none of you know, the home of the Ura- of my people- is a place called the Tazal Terminals. It's a mass connection of many different tunnels all leading to a center. For many, it's not uncommon to go our entire lives without seeing the sky. [A pause and his lips thin as he glances up towards the stars.] Well... Before, at any rate.

Still, fire was often used for funerary purposes and the smoke would make it dangerous in the tunnels we would dig. There was electricity, after a while, but many found it quicker to use a simpler and more traditional way. You see, there's a kind of rock and, if you know what you're doing, you can make it light up. It's very useful- finding some of the brightest around festival time could earn you a fine reputation.

The story more or less goes that once all of creation was finished and Micia was exploring it, she felt herself so overcome with joy that a tear fell from her. It fell upon a rock, making it shine with the same light that shone as her heart. There's a name for it, but I suppose the translation would be... Micia's Joy.

If she could do that for a rock, than I am certain she could bring the light out from any person.

[Ryu's voice is soft as he speaks up in response to Rin.]

... The Abbess told me that everyone has a powerful force inside of them. Not everyone can see it, but it appears as a pillar of shining light. Its size, color, the way it glows... those depend on the person. But everyone has one, gods and humans alike. Even me... and even my other half.

It doesn't matter what you are - there are a lot of people at home who don't look like what most people here look like. They have tails, or extra ears, or wings, or their heads look like an animal's. But they all have one. I don't think you would be any exception.

Hmmm...

So... is she a Psychopomp as well as a Goddess?

[All this talk of Micia has Colin curious, due largely in part to his own lineage. He's also taking note of Rin, but... that's a conversation for another time, in his mind.]

[Rin listened to Ryu, and to Zulf. It did make her feel better, and she almost went to explain why she was so concerned about it, but Colin cut in and...]

A psychowhat?

Edited 2014-01-03 07:40 (UTC)

A Psychopomp. Think... God's postal service. They get the souls of the dead where they're going, and protect them from anything along the way.

Even the strongest of beings doesn't wanna mess with a Psychopomp. Archdevils, Archangels, Avatars... it doesn't matter. They're basically gods themselves, except their only concern is seeing the souls of the dead safely on their way to whatever comes next.

Um.... The Grim Reaper, for example? Psychopomp. Charon? Psychopomp. Death? Aurora? The Valkyries? Psychopomps, all.

I'm afraid all of those examples are unknown to me. Still, yes, that is a part of Micia's role.

As I'm sure you've noticed by now, the Caelondian-Ura Pantheon focuses on duality with each of the Gods. You cannot truly know of, say, hope until you have felt some measure of despair, and vice versa. Micia's proper title is the God of Loss and Longing, but it is also accurate to say that she is our God of Life and Death. The Lorn Mother births all, and then welcomes us back to her arms when our life has been lived out, however long that may be.

When a person dies and their soul is freed of connection to the world of the living, they are guided to Micia by the light of her heart, which also protects them.

[Colin nods in understanding.]

A lonely existence, if she handles it all personally... What were the members of her faith like, if you don't mind my asking?

Just... in general, was there a priesthood? Shrine maidens? Something else entirely?

Indeed... [Another idle rub on the red string on his finger.] Another thing she is known for.

[But onto that next question.]

Well, you already know how Caelondia handles the Gods since the Bastion is a construction of theirs. They have a shrine with the various symbols of the Gods housed in it, and a priest or priestess to watch over it. Some had apprentices.

In the Tazal Terminals, we take it a bit more seriously. In the main hub of the Terminals itself, our Shrine is very large with separate areas for each of the Gods. Each area also had its own priest for that particular God, usually those who had been touched by the aspect in some manner. The easiest example would be for Gods such as Pyth or Lemaign. Some soldiers, when they retired, went to become priests. I actually considered such a path briefly, when I was younger. Smaller outposts throughout the tunnels had smaller shrines than that, but they still tried to give each God enough space.

For those who took care of Micia's shrine, they were often those who experienced great loss. There were mothers who had lost their children, or orphans... I even met one former warrior who lost his entire scouting group and dedicated himself to her. We all hear our calls differently, for different reasons.

Everyone can feel a strong connection to a particular God and even set up a minor shrine in their den if they feel there is a need. Still, you must give respect to each of the Gods. Ignoring them would be an insult.

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The Festival Continues [Day 144]

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Story 1: How Yudrig Was Born

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