S T O R Y W E A V E R
Tag: [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] | [member="Daxton Bane"] | [member="Kaia Verd"] | [member="Damien Van-Derveld"] | [member="Eli-Mae Forrest"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]
Vytal Noctura led the group to the dance hall where a host was being assembled by various members of the Mandragora. She invited those in her personal company to find a spot, at the front if they so desired, while she strode around to ascend to the stage before the growing crowd. The chamber was dark save for the light of candles large and small throughout the hangar bay. Skeletons, pumpkins, and webs alike dangled, hung, and stood about the room. Any tables had been moved aside to make more room for people on their feet.
"The women and men of the Mandragora would like to thank each and every one that accepted our invitation to join us on one of the most spiritual days of the galaxy's cycle. We hope you have enjoyed both the festivities and the food; and we hope those interested to learn more of the spiritual realm that coexists along side our own had an opportunity to converse and establish lasting relations with those that seek to unravel the many mysteries."
Bling for All
Vytal spread her arms out to encompass those in attendance. "Now, before we begin our final conjuring for the evening, I would like to thank those that volunteered," [member="Subject 74 Lucky"] and [member="Jorah zos Darnus"], "to select this cycle's Costumed Spooks. Dressed in the captivating and regal feathered garb of the night," the Nightsister gestured to her right and the image of [member="Amelia von Sorenn"] appeared, "and sporting the terrifying mockery of every child's favorite toy," [member="Tempest Yore"]'s appearance then surfaced to Vytal's left.
Amelia & Tempest Bling
"And now, for our greatest spell at the height of power..." The images of the Spooky champions vanished as Vytal extended her arm out toward the band as she withdrew from the stage.[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEbDXByF2EQ&list=PLhlz3EjXyT6vmf_CBuhK4Lxs8ofA0bGnW[/media]
Mandragora lined the edges of the room as the drums started, with six drifting upon the stage to face the crowd. Their arms extended toward them as they sang,
Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?
They parted down the middle and ushered all to a black spire aglow with the glow of the Nether that appeared before them.
Come with us and you will see this, our town of Halloween. This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Pumpkins scream in the dead of night.
The light that shone out of Pumpkins throughout the chamber grew brighter as a shrill cry filled the air.
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene. Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright. It's out town, everybody scream,
A mimed scream by the six encouraged the crowd to join in.
In this town of Halloween.
Out of a plume of smoke that burst into being between the six emerged a deep voice,
I am the one hiding under your bed; teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red.
Red eyes flared to life within the smoke.
I am the one hiding under your stairs; fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair.
With a snap of white gloved fingers, the smoke vanished and in its place stood a man dressed in red with trim of gold. A man wearing an ivory mask with a permanently carved, black grin, and whose red eyes peered out of equally empty sockets.
The voices of the Mandragora rose as the song continued. Their feet carried them side to side. Every now and then they spun in place while their arms undulated before and above them.
This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! In this town we call home, everyone hail to the Pumpkin song. In this town, don't we love it now? Everyone's waiting for the next surprise. Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can,
The stage performers turned and leaned forward toward a can that had appeared on the stage when no one was looking.Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll...
Content to let the performance continue, the red jester moved through the dancers until it let out a shrill,
Scream! This is Halloween! Red n' Black. Slimy green. Aren't you scared? Well, that's just fine. Say it once,
Those seeking to regain control of the silent station -- [member="Kathryn Foster"], [member="Subject 73 Red"], and [member="Haastal Verd"] -- suddenly appeared Stage Left with a wave of the Jester's hand.
Say it twice,
Another wave toward Stage Right had [member="Ashla Vella"], [member="Jenmae Ophiro"], [member="Seren"], [member="Cerria Rene"], and [member="Celiana"] appear.
Take a chance and roll the dice. Ride with the moon in the dead of night.
Once more, the Dancers mimed for everyone to scream with both hands.
Everybody scream. Everybody scream. In our town of Halloween! I am the clown with the tear-away face,
Even while the Mandragora sung it, the Jester mimed reaching up and pulling its mask free of its face. A jiggle of its head showed what it thought of that.
Here in a flash and gone without a trace.
The Jester's hands folded together and then exploded outward in a wide, circular motion. Then he threw up both hands high and behind himself as the next line was carried by an even deeper, louder, and ground-quaking voice from a shadowy creature that seemed bent due to the 'low' ceiling of the hanger,
I am the 'who' when you call, 'Who's there?'
Numerous spirits of light flared into being among the crowd,
I am the wind blowing through your hair.
They faded from existence as they'd come, only for shadowy beings to appear in their stead,
I am the shadow on the moon at night.
The spirits faded, and in their place a company of five more jesters whose masks and shapes varied yet all wore the red-and-gold attire appeared from behind the first as they sang,
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright!
Together, they all, the Jester, its company, and Mandragora sang,
This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
A hand flat across its brow, the Jester took center stage and panned its red gaze across those present.
Tender lumplings everywhere. Life's no fun without a good scare.
As though to answer, the Mandragora on stage looked at the Jester and called,
That's our job, but we're not mean. In our town of Halloween. In this town, don't we love it now?
An itch began to crawl itself away the flesh of those in attendance as the song carried on. Once more, the Jester cried out,
Everyone's waiting for the next surprise. Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back, and scream like a Banshee. Make you jump out of your skin. This is Halloween, everybody scream! Won't ya please make way for a very special guy?
Along the edges of the room the Mandragora had stopped spinning and swaying to the song -- or to the unheard beat those present were unwittingly a part of.
The shadowy present looming over the stage and the band surged forth as though stepping into a light previously absent. Its red eyes blazed as its tentacled mouth writhed and the crowd quaked.
Our man Jack is King of the Pumpkin patch. Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King, now!
The Jester cried with glee.
This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! In this town, we call home, everyone hail to the--
"What are you doing?"
Every woman and man in the chamber threw their hands forward and chanted in one voice, "Gan onber dan tohso ka kairn jos ootay nlarabata rinkan vil calue t'olan." [We banish you back to the dark places where madness creeps and terrors weep.]
A green mist swept up onto the stage and began wrapping itself about the towering figure that barely fit in the liberal space of a hanger bay. Its massive hand began to lift and draw down toward the crowd before it. Just as it sought to snatch up a host of morsels, the slimy visage of the Horror began to evaporate as so much smoke, and with it would go the maddening terror that had begun to grow in the minds of most present.
Silence reigned, and all was as it should be. The Mandragora then let out a great cheer of celebration to break the unease and shake people from realizing what they were not mentally prepared to accept. What went unsaid was how the great swell of energy they'd sought to gather this evening had been put to use banishing such a fiendish entity back to its realm. A creature that would drive those it did not feast upon mad by looking upon its monstrous visage.
Curiously, the Jesters were not to be found in the wake of the spell. It was one mystery that perhaps the Mandragora would continue to research; with the chance one day the two parties might meet again.
And therein, the planet of Omwat would find itself indebted to the mystics whose party brought them nearer their orbit to purge their station of a great evil that'd come to roost. The two governments established relations after coming to understand one another, and on that very special, spooky evening the people of all worlds had a reason to celebrate.
And so ends this Spooktacular Chapter in the Confederacy's History, but the story never ends.
The many guests were welcome to enjoy the games, food, company, and spirits until the sun rose.