The Radiant Masque
Overview
Once each year, when the days stretch longest and the warmth of the earth feels almost forgiving, The Solstice Syndicate throws open the grand, battered doors of The Solstice Casino and invites all to step into a celebration unlike any other in the Wastes: The Radiant Masque.
The Masque is a sanctuary of expression, defiance, and rebirth — a masquerade festival honoring queer identity in all its forms. It is both performance and pilgrimage, rooted in the belief that even in a shattered world, self-hood is sacred and love is resistance.
Though the world that birthed Pride Month has long since crumbled, the Radiant Masque carries its torch, re-framed through the lens of survival, chosen family, and the fierce celebration of those who live unapologetically.
History
The Radiant Masque began in 110 SE as a luminous celebration of queerness, transformation, and the beauty of the strange. Founded and hosted annually by Lyndi Herb Garnet, a vibrant and eccentric figure in Camp Hope’s cultural scene, the ritual quickly grew from a small, expressive gathering into a cornerstone of community identity. Drawing inspiration from old-world masquerades and queer pageantry, Lyndi shaped the event into a night of revelry, introspection, and self-expression—where participants don masks not to hide, but to reveal deeper truths. The Masque honors those who exist outside the margins, welcoming all who feel different, extraordinary, or unseen. Under Lyndi’s ever-theatrical direction, the ritual has become a living art piece that challenges conformity and celebrates the radiant spectrum of human experience.
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Customs and Rituals
The Parade of Faces
Participants don elaborate masks and costumes representing aspects of their identity — past, present, or aspirational. The masks are crafted with care, often from salvaged metal, bone, tech, and fabric. Some wear their gender or sexuality proudly; others tell a personal story only they can decode.
The parade weaves through the casino floor, now cleared for spectacle. The bravest — or boldest — may choose to unmask at the end, an act of self-declaration known as "shattering the silence."
The Burning of Names
In a quiet space behind the casino, a fire is kept burning through the night. Here, individuals burn slips of paper inscribed with names, labels, or identities they’ve shed. Survivors say it’s more than symbolic — it’s a way to make peace with the ghosts of who they were forced to be.
The Vow of Chosen Flame
A ceremony to honor chosen family. Couples, throuples, siblings-not-by-blood, queer collectives — all may make vows under the Vowfire, pledging loyalty, love, or simply shared survival. The Solstice Syndicate keeps a record of these vows in a Book of Flame, giving them weight beyond sentiment.
The Echo Stage
Performance is at the heart of the Masque. Drag, dance, song, shadow-plays, and memory monologues take center stage. Every year, a segment is dedicated to “Echoes” — retellings of pre-Fall queer stories, often reimagined through wasteland aesthetics. This is history as art, kept alive through voice and vision.
The Glimmer Bazaar
Queer artisans and allies gather to trade wares that blend survival and style: armored corsets, bright-spectrum cloaks, hormone-stabilizers, hand-scribed pronoun patches, and memory-charms. Proceeds support shelters and medicine for vulnerable queer survivors.
Cultural Significance
I exist. I matter. I am radiant, no matter the ruin.
The Radiant Masque is more than a party — it’s a declaration of humanity in a world that tried to forget it. For many, it is the first time they feel safe enough to be seen. For others, it’s a battlefield of the spirit, a place to slay shame and wear pride like armor.
The Radiant Masque stands as a vivid act of resistance against the rigid dogma of the Church of Hope, whose teachings often frame queerness as aberration and indulgence. By centering queer joy, defiance, and chosen kinship, the Masque directly challenges the Church’s vision of moral purity and social order. This has fueled an escalating ideological rift between the Syndicate and the Church, with the latter condemning the event as heretical and dangerous. In response, the Masque grows louder, brighter, and bolder each year—its very existence a flame that refuses to be snuffed out. For many attendees, participation is not just celebration; it is protest, proof that they will not be erased.
Dawn of Others © 2023 by Jacqueline Taylor is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Dawn of Others is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast, Dias Ex Machina and Eventyr Games. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC., ©Dias Ex Mechina and ©Eventyr Games respectively.
This sounds like a very emotional celebration! Intriguing that the masks serve a dual purpose: wearing them is self-reflective, and removing them is a separate act of self-declaration.
✏️ Take a WA unofficial survey
⛱️ Vacation with ghosts in Su-mehr Qiamp
Thanks! And thanks for hosting the challenge. <3