09. Festival of Lights (Part 9)

## Starring

Juniper as CorbinSophia as Laika

Noel as Fran

and

Kat as your DM

—Sophia

## Intro

All of the cast is *super* into sports and are absolutely celebrating the Super Bowl. Sophia’s play is all offence, no defense. But without defense she is open to Kat’s ultimate attack and is destroyed.

## Under the Veil

### Cecilia

As soon as the Goddess tells the Guardians that they need to talk, she goes completely rigid and falls back asleep. Cecilia tells them that the Goddess will be fine and that if they all act calmly there will be no need to fight, as:

—Cecilia

As the Guardian’s yell at her about working for Torva, she tells them that they were excellent choices for Guardianship and that she knows they have found a lot while she and the Goddess have been at the forest temple. She reveals that the imperfections in the Goddess’ current vessel, her muteness and fainting spells, were part of a plan implemented before this incarnation of the Goddess was born. She does not say whose plan it was but she does say that: ‘She was never good at tying up loose ends.’

She then asks what the Guardians wish to know from her. When asked what happened to the previous Goddess, she reveals that the shape-shifting vessel was used as a disguise so that someone could father the Goddess’s new body, as only a purely human vessel could hold her.

### The Faceless One

With that, Cordelia manifests in the corner of the room. Her veil is finally lifted to reveal that she has no face, only inky blackness. And then the blackness starts to boil and transform into the face of Alonia. It changes several more times before landing on a man with golden hair, coppery skin and teeth as black as obsidian.

He throws his head back to laugh and wishes the Guardians luck. His voice is so loud and abrasive that it sends the Guardians to the ground in pain. When they recover, both he and Cecilia are gone.

### The Goddess

Investigating the room, they find the door slightly ajar, indicating that the shape-shifter and Cecilia merely walked away, but they have no inclination where they went. The Goddess wakes up, scared and confused, asking what happened.

The Guardian’s begin to explain it all to the Goddess. The Guardians are still unsure of whether it is Torva or Vioni  who was possessing the shape-shifter when the Goddess was conceived but the idea that either of them could be her father does not sit well with them.

The Goddess takes the information fairly well, but the revelation that she has been missing for two days does shake her. Especially when she realises that she has no memory of where she was. She tells the Guardians that she only had fainting spells when her attendants were around. In addition, she does not have any memories of her past lives, which is highly unusual.

After a therapeutic group hug, the Goddess is disguised and the party sneaks back to the Deer clan to see the greater animals.

## Rest, For a Moment

When they arrive at the Deer clan, Cosu takes them to a private clearing. They tell her everything. Fran  is able to tell that she is especially agitated when they describe the last face that the shape-shifter took. She tells them that that is the face of Torva the Conqueror.

Cosu tasks the Guardians with finding concrete proof of their claims while offering the Goddess protection within the Deer clan. They decide to spend the night with Cosu.

### Necklace

Late at night, Fran casts Identify on Alonia’s necklace. Although she is unable to understand the magic on the necklace completely, she learns that it is in the same school as the Goddess’s magic and was meant to instill permanence and stability. Fran does not like this one bit and goes to talk to Cosu.

Cosu agrees with Fran about the possibility that the necklace could have been used to stabilise the shape-shifter form. She expresses regret that Alonia could have been a farce the entire time, but urges Fran to not bear the burden of this knowledge alone. Fran, a little teary, goes back to bed.

### Dad Time

Laika is roughly awoken by Buddy at three am. After a good wrastle session, they have a heart to heart and Buddy tells Laika that he knew the guy who was known to be the Goddess’ father. Says his name is Mark. They hug, and Buddy returns to the Wolf camp.

### Bad Dream

Corbin has a bad dream. The same bad dream of fire raining from the sky.

Except this time the sky turns into a purple void filled with stars with Corbin floating within. He sees a woman reaching towards him. She wears crow feather earrings, a wolf tooth necklace and bracelets made of deer antlers. She keeps changing bodies and when she grabs Corbin’s hand the world falls apart. He sees many things, flashing images, but finally he sees a little girl handing him the corpse of a vulture.

Corbin wakes up with tears streaming down his face and he doesn’t remember a single bit of it.

## Investigating

The next day is the day of the Festival of Lights.

The Guardians decide to go back to the Restorationist to pick up the library book, collecting proper attendant’s clothing to better disguise the Goddess before they go. They also come up with a code-phrase to determine if one of them is the shape-shifter: ‘What did you do last night?’ ‘Barf.’

The book is returned to the, now readable, and they find that it is about the magic of the old gods. A chapter that was especially badly ruined, was about the mortal vessels that the gods used to take. They learn that as long as a vessel exists, it can be re-inhabited by different gods.

Next, the party heads to the Magician’s Workshop to investigate the vial of lantern oil. The store is incredibly busy, but after the interference of the Goddess, they are able to secure both a laboratory and a beautiful assistant.

It’s at this point that Fran suggests cancelling the Festival of Lights to the Goddess. She vehemently refuses.

The beautiful lab assistant begins his tests on the oil and quickly finds that the sample is far more reflective than it should be. Divine Sense tells Laika that the magic in the oil is in the same school as the Goddess’ divinity. They find that when not in the Goddess’s presence, the oil instantly becomes less reflective. They begin to speculate about the lanterns being a kind of power conductor.

Although she still wishes for the Festival to continue, the Goddess compromises by taking down the banners that Cecilia and Cordelia ordered to be put up around the square and doubling the guard.

## The Festival of Lights

The party heads back to the Temple to prepare for the Festival. Laika organizes the guards and the Goddess is styled for the event, with golden designs painted on her skin.

Just as the sun is starting to set, the procession begins. The party walks through the main gates into the packed temple square, through the crowd and up into their places on the stage. The Crow attendant gives a speech in the Goddess’ stead and then the Goddess’ steps forward with a lantern.

A tiefling child breaks free of the crowd and much to the Guardian’s suspicion, the Goddess brings him gently onto the stage. Laika steps forward to interfere, but the Goddess stops her, and together the Goddess and the child lift the lantern into the sky. With it, rise the hundreds of lanterns placed around the square. For a moment, it is beautiful.

## The Fall of Estra

And then an archer shoots at the Goddess. Corbin quickly pushes her away, but takes an arrow in the shoulder. As the crowds begin to panic, the lanterns turn the sky a brilliant pink. Just like in Corbin’s dream. Every time the lanterns hit the barrier that surrounds Estra , they turn a brighter and brighter pink and the barrier begins to dissolve. As the barrier comes down completely, a huge gust of wind knocks the Goddess away from the Guardians.

Through the ensuing pandemonium, Laika manages to grab hold of the Goddess. But then the ground begins to crack under their feet. The whole island starts to shake, and then the ground opens up and they begin to fall.

Corbin and Fran hold onto each other and dive after them into the sky. Above them the island is crumbling. While Burger-Jerger is flying after the Guardians, Gingie  and Bae  are left clinging to falling rubble. Corbin tells Burger-Jerger to go help the other animals, but he quickly loses sight of her among the debris.

Fran casts Feather Fall on the party, and they manage to stay clinging onto each other. And then for a moment everything goes still, and the Goddess’ eyes are glowing golden and she is holding Estra together. But she cannot maintain it and faints. And then Estra explodes.

## A Message to Chantel

**Sophia** Chantel.. you are a beautiful owl. And I just want you to spread your wings and your big, wide eyes. And just-

**Noel:** Turn your head a full one-hundred and eighty degrees.

**Sophia:** Turn it around. Also, I still have your *Suspiria* DVD. Actually, I think it's Cody's- but I've had it for a long time and I will give it back... sometime. Anyways, you're great.

**Kat:** Chantel. The code-word is: Juicy wizards.

## Featured Characters

### PCs

* Laika
* Corbin
* Fran

### NPCs

* The Goddess
* Cecilia
* Cordelia / Torva
* Cosu
* Huberta
* Master Ice-Digger (The Restorationist)

## Featured Locations

* The City Temple
	+ The Goddess' Room
	+ The Temple Square
* The Great Forest
	+ The Deer Clan
* The City
	+ The Restorationist's
	+ The Magician's Workshop