Session 31 - "Holiday Nights" Report

Jundar 37, 1246

It is the day before the new year begins, and Vakwari is celebrating in a quintessentially Karasan way: with many, many, many fireworks. This isn't to the tastes of either Thais Argyri or Olena, as Thais has a fair amount of PTSD from the The Cactsian Expansion War, and Olena's sensitive canine ears are overwhelmed by the sound.

Still, it doesn't take long as they are sitting around the table for breakfast on the last day of the year that Thais notices the spyglass from the shop window sticking out of Foenix Stolnent's bag. It's obvious that he's stolen it, but she chooses not to comment on it - especially when there is a much more present and shocking change to Foenix. That being that he has shaved his hair on both sides, leaving only the top braided back away from his face and revealing the angry red edges of the scarring on his back visible around his collar. He explains that he did it to honor one of the Cactsian New Year's traditions.

Micaiah Louvre suggests tattooing over Foenix's scars if he wants to keep them hidden, but Foenix refuses, saying ominously that he won't do that until the debt owed to him has been repaid.

Foenix has prepared a feast with traditional holiday foods from his hometown of Havre-Ordure, Cactsia, Dopplefen, and Karasi to share with everyone for their morning meal.

He also gestures to the backyard, where a small pyre has been built. Another Cactsian tradition - though one they can't begin lighting the pyre whilst Kona, Lara, and Aker are playing in the wooden jungle. Thais retrieves them and locks them in a room, while Olena reminisces on the traditions of Valsáth.

Her favorite tradition is a competitive hunt, in which she managed to fell a wolf one year (even with her friends stealing her clothes and gear). It unfortunately didn't win, as the one with the largest kill, not the most daring, is awarded the prize.

Micaiah talks about the wildly themed parties of Brillante, and how they even bring in live animals as entertainment/decoration... and when they can't get live animals the servants are sometimes polymorphed into said animals. She was the jaguar one year, she remembers.

It is an awkward silence before Thais points out to complete the tradition of the pyre they will need a calf with who's blood to douse the flames. She offers to go and get it, and after breakfast departs promptly.

It's easy enough to find the animal, and as she is leading it back towards their house Thais runs into Joy, who seems happy enough to see her. She asks after Olena, who Joy has heard is looking for her.

Thais promises to send Olena to Joy during the fireworks that night, but when she tells the Valset warrior about it, Olena hesitates. The fireworks aren't pleasant to her senses at all, and Olena feels out of practice in the ways of romance and sex. The party encourages her, only to be interrupted by a wan looking Dharma appearing from his room.

He explains he's heard back from his friends in Morvol, and they are unable to help him get back home. He is resigned to several months if not years in a foreign country until he can get enough scraped together to pay for passage home.

Thais, however, is not so quick to give up. She drags Dharma with her to the nearest temple to Felisis, figuring that the god owes them one and besides, a god of luck is probably the best chance of finding a solution.

She is absolutely correct in this, and the priest she talks to at the temple is able to arrange for Dharma to travel on a ship of faithful that will be leaving for Immithar in a short few weeks. The foreign paladin is overjoyed, and unable to express his gratitude completely, but Thais understands anyways.

Later, at the pyre, Thais and Foenix sit and prepare to offer mementos to the flames. Jacob Sterling and Olena have chosen not to participate, but are watching respectfully, while Micaiah has fucked off to gods knows where.

Foenix chooses to burn a bit of Alimony Symphero's shirt, and Thais also offers items from their fallen friend to signify the closing of this chapter of grief. Foenix also burns his shorn hair, and Olena, having a last minute change of heart, burns her dreyra medicine, as she no longer needs it.

Meanwhile, Micaiah has a private ceremony to honor Incenderre at the hidden altar.

As the sun is setting, Thais makes her way to the altar to Syria. She finds Junai there, and asks Junai why she joined the priesthood. Junai admits that her sister was very sick and suffering, and Syria was the one to grant her sister the relief of a peaceful death.

Meanwhile, Olena finds Joy in the crowd and they retreat together to the rooftop of Joy's home. As they sit and talk, Joy asks Olena what she wants out of this relationship - Joy isn't down for a friends with benefits situation, or a fling. She wants the commitment to trying for a future together. Olena, as an adventurer, knows that she and the others will be leaving soon and that she doesn't know when they're coming back, so she admits that probably it isn't a good time to try for a relationship together. Joy accepts this, and they enjoy the rest of their evening together.

It should be mentioned that when each Fate-Stepper retires to bed for the evening, they find a note from Foenix on their bed (see right column).

The next morning, Thais slaughters the calf and lets its blood quench the flames of the pyre, and she and Foenix work to begin putting together a meal from the meat of the calf.

As they begin to eat, Foenix tells them about what he found by asking around about Wishbacker's, the gnomish revolutionary, grievances. What he found out was that, for one, Wishbacker wasn't lying about the slow pace of bureaucracy. He's heard tale after tale of petitions, court judgements, and even actual governmental policies that take months or even years to be put into place.

Secondly, the Bannercrushers a gang made up of ex-military members, aren't arrested or prosecuted often, if at all. He also couldn't help but to notice that a lot of the city guard are also ex-military. He reassures Micaiah that his lover, Shale Adama (a earth genasi and member of the city guard, they/them), is too young to have been a part of the Cactsian Expansion War, so at most is guilty by association and not outright corruption.

He also pays his friend Tula Brighthollow to set up a meeting with the Bannercrushers in the next few days, but as he leaves her shop, a foul breeze blows, as things promise to get worse...