[EVENT] FESTIVAL OF SHADOW NIGHTS

[khuimods]

Characters: Anyone and everyone!
Date: Throughout October
Location: All over the archipelago
Situation: It's Goth Christmas, Khu Ioduan style baby
Warnings/Rating: Spoops and scares

"The Festival of Shadow Nights is technically only a week long event from October 20th (Kicked off with the Masquerade) until October 27th (ending with the Night Parade). However there is a certain enthusiasm for the holiday that is infectious and many people celebrate it throughout the entirety of the month."



STREET FAIRS

Street Fairs will be incredibly common throughout Aifaran. Business owners take advantage of this holiday season to sell their wares. The Erol'a stalls are particularly lavish as it's mating season for a number of crustaceans, and they have on display a huge variety of beautiful shells and delicious seafood. Gourds of all sorts are also in season (and always in particular abundance) so enjoy a large amount of foods and beverages containing squashes and melons. Games, beer and wine tastings, and artisan candies are also major additions to these street fairs.

GOURD FOLK

One can expect the rather bizarre occurrence of the Gourd Folk. Once believed scions of the Night Parade, these vines that have taken on the size and shape of a small, human child are, in fact, not quite so mysterious. The man behind the curtain was revealed, and it's Daemid mischief at its finest (for a given definition of "finest"). These pesky piskies are moving house and using a bit of their magic to do so. So, if you don't want a room full of acorn squash (and the subsequent invasion of Daemids), punt these pumpkins back into the patch from whence they came.

SPIRIT LANTERNS

A tradition of the Festival of Shadow Nights is the making and lighting of spirit lanterns. These are elaborately decorated lanterns can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, from paper, to glass to seashells. Their candles have particularly unique properties - the flames burn a multitude of colours depending on the wax used. While the spirit lanterns are largely used for decoration, they have another purpose as well - to invite a brief visit from those marching in the Night Parade. Red lanterns repel the dead, and there is a certain taboo around hanging them outside private residences. The logic goes that since any dead that come in cannot actually harm you, you must have a guilty conscience and not want to be reminded of what you might have done to the unwanted spirit.

THE NIGHT PARADE [OCTOBER 27th]

The Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts is the culmination of the week of Shadow Nights. It is a parade no one attends. The streets are emptied before midnight as people go to their homes or take shelter in local pubs and cafes, for tonight the dead walk the earth. They parade through the streets, silent save for the the soft chime of bells that a few may carry. Spirit lanterns are lit and hung in windows or outside doors to welcome the dead inside for a brief visit, though bright red lanterns ward off the dead. These apparitions cannot be touched nor can they speak, at least not in any sound a person can hear, but leave out paper and ink and the stronger spirits can form brief messages or leave small tokens long lost or forgotten. These visits last at most a few hours before these ghosts must return to where they came from.

Comments

Questions!

[khuimods]

OPEN

[annihilist]

A - Spirit Lanterns

For all the good things happening in his life, Devin isn't taking any enjoyment from the festivities (and not just because he doesn't tend to care for festivities in general). There are a lot of ghosts who could come looking for him, and only a tiny fraction wouldn't be interested in revenge. He can't help but thinking of that fraction, however, and the chance to see them again. In Keeliai, his parents and siblings had tormented him, but then-- then the ghosts of some of his only friends had arrived. It had brought sharpness back to his grief, but it also gave Devin a chance to remember what true friendship had been like. Maybe, just maybe, he can bring one of them here by force of will and keep his enemies at bay.

It's wishful thinking, and Devin knows it. There's still no harm in taking a look around and allowing himself a moment to image the possibility. Since he doesn't have much in the way of artistic skills, he's wandering through one of the street fairs and considering the lanterns and candles available.

B - Night Parade

Ultimately, Devin decides it's safer not to invite the danger of someone from his past. He's not strong enough to control who it is. The past few months have been full of enough turmoil without having an angry spirit come into his apartment to leave him a note. It's not worth the risk.

He finds a bar with red lanterns and claims a seat before the sun sets. There are other people here who seem to have the same idea, or else have other reasons to sit and drink for several hours straight. There is no judgement within these walls. "Have to wonder why red candles do a damn thing," Devin mutters, decidedly too sober for the amount of liquor he's consumed.

OPEN!

[acicular]

I. Street Fairs

Antarcticite has come to the conclusion that living things are very--busy.

That is not the same thing as having a gratifying vocation--if it were, perhaps this would not baffle them as much as it does--because in fact there seems to be little in the way of usefulness, or meaningfulness, to these street festivities. They find themselves wandering through the street fairs wearing an expression somewhere between curiosity and reproachful disapproval. (Disapproval, and a bit of envy. Having fun comes so easily to living things.)

A well-intentioned Erol'a has foisted a pumpkin-flavoured treat of some kind onto Antarcticite, who of course does not eat it; thus this is how they are seen wandering the streets, looking a bit lost in thought (but lost in a very pretty way).

OPEN!

[spoilsfun]

Conan did not believe in ghosts. He never had. And nothing he had seen in his life had ever convinced him differently. Not even his life here.

The dead were the dead, and that was the end of it. They couldn't come back to visit. Once someone had died, all you could do for them was to see to it that the truth was found, and see their murderers face justice.

Still, when the street festivals start his curiosity drives him out into the streets to explore. He wanders alone through the festival, trying out a few kinds of gourd and fish street food. Eventually he finds himself near a stall selling spirit lanterns and pauses to watch one being constructed.

OPEN

[ninjainviolet]

I: Street Fairs

Sheena's a sucker for street fairs, so it's no surprise that she can be found wandering through the area slowly, checking out the stalls and their wares. She's also experienced at this, so she's making one pass to see, and then a second round to go to the stalls that truly caught her eye.

One can either find her at one of the food stalls enjoying the food without hesitation or at a couple of the stalls selling seashells, trying to choose between a few particularly large ones.

"Hmmm... I wonder which one Ilda would like as a necklace?"


II: Gourd Folk

Suddenly, Lightning Strikes begin appearing in an orderly fashion--heading away from the Fair and looking like they're walking down the street. And in a way, they are.

At first, Sheena had been enchanted by the creatures as they followed her, but once the masks came off--so to speak, she was less than thrilled. There was no way the piskies were going to take up residence in her new place--now that she had finally moved in. So, after dropping her packages off at her place, she had begun herding them out of the area, using her Lightning Cards to guide them and keep them moving.

Suddenly, one tries to dart away towards a bystander--prompting Sheena to shout.

"Watch out! It's a Daemid!"


III: Spirit Lanterns (Before the Daemids)

Of course she's going to buy one. Or two. It's only natural since Sheena does have connections to certain spirits, after all. And that's who she has in mind as she looks through the colors--skipping the Red for Efreet for obvious reasons. But he's the Fire Elemental, so he's still covered.

True, it's not keeping with the main idea of the Lanterns, but to Sheena, it's a way to honor her Spiritual Comrades.

Right now, she's trying to decide between two Lanterns for Gnome--a squat round yellow one with a flower design that burns a white flame, or a squat round yellow one with a diamond that burns a green one. Spotting someone nearby, she calls out to them.

"Excuse me, but could you help me for a moment?"

IV: Night Parade Preparation

Okay, yes, Sheena believes in ghosts. How can she not? She fought a few of them on her world from time to time, plus there had been that strange vision of Corrine back in Keeliai. She hadn't heard from or seen him since, but she's hoping tonight will be different. That somehow he can break through and contact her again--even if it's just pawprints across the page.

And no, Tomoya won't be the one doing it because he's going to be with her all night to make sure.

Anyone--believer and nonbeliever alike--can find her anytime before midnight either buying the writing supplies she needs or heading home with her new purchases, looking somewhat hopeful.

And uneasy.

[ ooc: Her reaction to the message(s) received will be put out on the network. ]

OPEN

[lasergrenades]

A - STREET FAIRS

Pepper is all kinds of excited for the festivities. Street fairs and block parties are seasonal in New York, too, and since shopping is her favorite sport, this is another perfect opportunity to get out and have some fun. Even if she's not buying a lot, Pepper is definitely accepting samples of food and candy, and collecting information from artisans she might want to buy something from in the future.

And since a certain important someone is back in town, Pepper is in search of the perfect candy. "Do you have anything that's sweet but with a little salt and maybe has some fruit in it?"

B - SPIRIT LANTERNS

Although Pepper is a little uncertain about actually inviting a spirit into the townhouse. She doesn't have anyone who would be unsettling to see, but Bakura might. All the same, the process of making a spirit lantern seems like fun. Aifaran seriously likes its arts and crafts. There is one person she has in mind as she's making the lantern, which is taking shape in sweeps of paper and strands of beads that flash brilliant bronze and blue. "Just show up in the living room this time, please," Pepper says to herself, smiling wistfully.

Night Parade | Open...if you dare

[redlightgreenlight]

The dead held no power over her, never had, never would. Within the safety of the barrier, the magic of the Death Plane was weaker, Valdis had nothing to fear from it. The idea of ghosts walking the streets still unnerved her, but there were also opportunities here. So as the streets began to empty, the sensation of souls grew heavier, a sign that the ghosts were coming. Valdis lifted her nose to the sky and released a long, eerie howl, letting the sound echo in the darkness as she called to the dead. Green faded to red as she called out again, starting to move through the city, issuing another welcome to the dead. If she was going to spread rumors of a Death God in pursuit of whatever happened on the Narrakra, there was no better night to start.

The Ghosts were mostly silent, passing through her without any notice, though the sound of a bell lit the air every so often. The spirits weren't as chilling as she expected, though the existence of the red lanterns meant that some might be worthy of caution to those inside. She made sure to linger outside those doors longer than any others, singing her own song to the night air. Few enough Dreamfolk knew what she was for her to enact her plans, hopefully they wouldn't spoil it.