Hey, pets people! Too much? So the holidays are
here, and we have found ourselves in a bit of
a schedule kerfuffle. We can't really meet up
this week to keep things moving with our main
heroes, but I figure that doesn't mean we can't
check out some of the other figures in our conquered
worlds. So this episode 158 is going to be a
shorter one, quite short, and it's going to be
just me. Well... Me and a couple of you. Uh,
haha, wink. So I hope you can forgive our little
holiday break. And speaking of holidays, there
is one swiftly coming upon the Radiance Adele
and upon all of our conquered worlds. Fifty years
ago, the stars fell from the skies of the desert
world of Ankaran Sangar. Shining streaks of light
crashed into the forces of the Horned Demon's
army, just as they were about to overwhelm the
final stand of the combined forces of that world.
These lights resolved into the forms of celestial
warriors, led by the brightest hero the conquered
worlds have ever known. This day, this miracle,
was quickly adopted as a representative of all
miracles. and its annual date would come to be
known as Skylight. Skylight, a celebration of
not just one singular miracle, but of all miracles,
an idea that serves as a common bond between
the once -25 Concord worlds. After all, in these
magical lands traveled by so many larger -than
-life heroes, miracles are not an infrequent
fact of history, yet they are always celebrated.
And now that day has nearly come upon this year.
We open up on a point of time somewhat disconnected
to the events of our main story, though it will
happen sometime during the current journeys of
our own larger -than -life heroes. As they travel
different worlds to create new miracles, the
Radiant Citadel is preparing to celebrate. We
see vibrant and unique decorations dotting near
every structure on the Citadel along the fossil,
many tied to the stories and cultures of the
resident or shop owner's homeworld. Luminescent
orbs are a common favorite, though, with hundreds
hovering freely in the air, caught in a slow
dance above the streets. Upon the eve of skylights,
they will be cast en masse into the keening gloom
below to hopefully deliver some light into the
ever -looming darkness. We see the facets of
the Oral Diamond are animated with short illusion
-made animations or luminary cast films, each
telling a story of a miracle from among the worlds.
On one screen, Fai -Me -Moon of Sumsunko climbs
to the peak of Avern Mountain to commune with
the spirits of the land. On another, Queen Jean
-Mi of Halry stands against the Gwishin of Arathelon,
the supernova, calling upon the power of our
ancestry to quell the luminary's undying rage
alone. On the largest facets of the gem, and
on all screens connected to the broadcast of
the crystal network, we see a scene of high honor.
Atash, commander of the Luminary Adventurers,
has chosen his lieutenants among their ranks.
Upon the central stage of the crystalline Aurorotown
Amphitheater, Atash hovers over the form of one
Rory King, his hand outstretched towards the
tiefling. Rory King, your loyalty and drive have
served our world well. Now, let your blaze light
the way for our true luminaries to follow. And
we see Rory take the angel's massive hand. My
fire shall burn a path for you. Beneath the animated
screens, we see the trade to Skelas. bursting
with rushing crowds. The shops all along the
thoroughfare resound with a buzz of chatter and
barter. Gifts are being purchased by the armful
and carried along from shop to stall to food
cart. Even a certain sad little china shop at
the edge of the trade discale near the now infamous
ugly coyote is just crawling with business. The
coyote itself, of course, is locked down tight
with an overly large closed sign sitting in front
of the not -saloon doors. The threat of a good
holiday business season is enough to keep aiders
shut down for a span of days every year. We see
the patch of respite is locked in constant flow
of ascending and descending gemstones, the twinkling
forms moving in a faster -than -usual orbit around
the auroral diamond. Each arrival begets a surging
wave of new visitors to the Citadel as the hub
between worlds is shifted to the role of a multicultural
shopping mall. Despite the recent barrage of
tragedies and shocks, the people of the conquered
world share one commonality that pushes them
into the light. They believe in miracles. Even
those not seeing the bustling crowds believe.
Something builds in the shadows of the citadel
as well. A countercurrent to the excitement and
frivolity. Folks that perhaps believe even more
deeply in the power of miracles. And that work
in secret to create the next one. Justice Undying.
Amongst those rebels hiding in plain sight, an
early Skylight's gift has been shared, has been
in circulation for some time. A gift given by
luminaries Shrike and Steadfast. A diamond holding
a particularly embarrassing scene stolen from
Rune Rusong's collection. It hides in the midst
of a very full collection of recordings of the
number two luminary, Fu Liling. This scene in
question takes place in front of a wide, well
-stocked bar in the corner of an auroral town
gala. As the clip starts, we see a very agitated
Runru Song dressed in the nines in a white fantasy
suit. He stands beside Fu Liling, the dwarven
woman dressed in a fine silken robe, light blue
and embroidered in the style of her homeworld
of Xing. Her black hair is bound tall with glittering
blue and white gemstones, and her makeup gives
her eyes a frosted blue border. Though a dwarf,
she still looms over the gnome, her nose upturned
in haughty disgust. They each hold a glass of
sparkling champagne. The runes is spilling over
the edge of his glasses. He motions with the
frustrated exaggeration of one who is deep, deep
in his cups. Just hear me out. I've been your
biggest fan forever. I love you, you know? You
got me in the game. I just wanted to meet you
and... Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! He reaches
out, his hand grasped at the silken robe as Fu
Lingling tries to step away. Without a word,
she whirls on Rune and pours her full glass over
his head. What? He stammers, eyes wide, and Fuliling
takes the opportunity to slip her robe from his
fingers and steps away with a rather scathing
chuckle. Rune watches her, and we see his face
sets into a look of fury. You, you, you bitch!
Fine, I don't care what you do. I can, I can
make you love me. You know that? When all is
done and we're in charge, you won't have a choice.
None of you will! The background chatter in the
scene goes very still. Rune, panting, turns to
regard the crowd around, a look of dawning horror
creeping over him. His eyes stop as they lock
onto the screen onto whatever mystery figure
had been recording this moment. And we don't
need Salome's observant feet to see that he mouths
the word. Fuck. The recording ends. How Rune
Rusong got a hold of the recording diamond and
how he managed to bury this incident is really
no mystery. After all, he has friends in some
very high places. But why Rune Rasaan kept holding
the recording is a strange matter. Perhaps he
just couldn't allow himself to erase any scenes
involving Fu Liling. Whatever the case, his loathsome
behavior and threatening words have become yet
another spark stoking the flames of justice undying.
And these very flames are about to ignite a powder
keg. We open on the House of Convalescence. the
five -tiered wedding cake palace hospital that
served as the celestial hub on the Radiant Citadel.
The angelic statue adorning its top smiles down
the bustling holiday -frenzied crowd moving past.
And flinging down over this crowd on silent wings,
we see two figures, two owlin, each carrying
a stringed instrument, a shamisen, and a noble
banjo. Luminary Auric Songweaver, the Song of
the Night, and Gluminary Vesper Songweaver, the
Midnight Rhymer, are moving into position. Whispers
break out in the crowd as they pass over by,
people pointing, laughing, and cheering. And
they notice that there are two of them. Both
twins are hero. Hero and villain together. Confused
murmurings erupt all around. The moving crowd
stalls before the House of Convalescence to watch.
We see our two owl and fly to a spot in the center
of the wide street directly in front of the house
of convalescence. Beneath them, a light begins
to shine in a near 30 -foot circle. The crowd
parts in a brief panic, opening up a space as
the light rises and shifts, coalescing into a
new form. Illusory metal framing rising on either
side of the circle, serving as supports for a
giant screen that hangs above the street. A jumbotron
of sorts. Odd gasp and excited chatter resound
as the Owlen drops into their programmed illusion
beneath the great screen that shows their stage.
And here, their instruments of justice and undying
are slowly drawn out. Auric looks to his twin
on the stage, then glances at a nearby rooftop
where the real Vesper Songweaver lies in wait,
the projected image in the street and on the
screen being controlled by the Midnight Rhymer
as he prepares to move on to the next step of
the plan. With a subtle nod towards his real
brother, and an obvious one to the fake, Auric
turns his attention to the crowd. Come one and
come all, for putting out a conscience thanks
to all of Adash's angels for showing us how justice
is blind and their loyalty is undying. And the
two begin to play. The sharp twang of the shamisen
mingles with the percussive plink of the banjo.
The chords boom out towards a house of convalescents,
and we see a flood of staff and patients flow
out onto the street. The windows along each tier
of the wedding cake fill with shadowed forms
of watchers. As the impromptu concert crowd swells,
a pattern of swirling lights accompanies the
music along the path into the hospital. A rather
hypnotic pattern, one might say. Auric cleverly
interweaving the spell's somatic elements into
the plucking of shamisen strings. As the figures
leading to the entrance stop and stare and throb
with the music and the lights, they take no notice
of the very notable figures that move past them,
pushing into the House of Convalescence to face
a very unpopulated entrance hall and an elevator
waiting on the other side. Somewhere above, in
the long -term care wing on the third floor,
a man named Cully, known to the world as Orin,
is being held prisoner. His freedom could give
a voice to the cause of justice undying that
would be impossible for the world to ignore.
His experiences, his truth, a blade that could
slice through the sapphire's intricate web of
lies. unbeknownst to the Sapphire, unbeknownst
to the crowds of the Citadel, unbeknownst even
to our primary cast of heroes, a third arc to
retrieve a third weapon has just begun. And we'll
call it there. Happy Skylights, everyone.