Two hours before the event

The air is crisp and clear on this autumnal day. There is a slight chill, but it should warm on the afternoon. The celebration is beginning to enter full swing as the vendors have finished setting up their stalls. There is the aroma of spiced cider and fresh tarts fill the air. Children laugh and play in the square. A fiddler is playing a jovial tune to match the feeling in the air. Games of chance are being constructed down one avenue. The only thing that detracts from the mood are the dark gray storm clouds to the south.

Well, not the clouds themselves, but how the older villagers stop and stare at them. The clouds ring the mountains that form the border between the peninsula and the mainland far to the south. The mountains are a six day overland journey from Uncegilla Cove, and storms generally blow in from the north and west. It is unlikely that they will cause any issues for the festival. But the way they keep looking to the south is strange.

Pha nods his eyes glossing over slightly at his level of achievement in the task and meeting the deadline, "Mohsen explained to do something to truly motivate me during the festival to focus on winning so I shoved two thirds of my worldly possessions into the egg... if I don't actually get it back I'll probably die before the coming spring." he explained quite proud scratching the side of his face with a slight smile.

Yaru would realized a sane person would probably not due something so extreme, Pha's time with his guardian, Mohsen, was probably nothing but life continuously to extremes though. "What you put in yours?" Pha added noticing other people around their age in the center of town now and eyed they quietly.

Pha not one to be actually social by normal means started sizing up the others that will be at the Rite ceremony and spots the towering twin ladies and nods his head back when they look in his direction. Elbowing Yaru to get his attention as well so he would notice. He was currently not causing any trouble so there wouldn't be any problems most likely... but Pha had the greater part of two hours and anything could happen.

"She." Pha corrected handing him the rind from the fruit he was eating with feral hunger and manners. Wiping his mouth he shrugged, "I guess, no one said the ceremony involved standing around for long periods of time... lets check to see what we can get into." Pha looked around on things to get into like the games of chance maybe or at least watch as he started to meander off. If Triat noticed he'd give her a mock two finger salute. Standing here meant kids would eventually bump into them... he didn't want to get yelled at for stepping on a kid today...

As the participants start to gather in the square, more and more people start to show up. They all meander around and exchange small talk. The popular games this year seem to the "Snitch Catch", which is a clear synth cylinder chamber just wide enough for two grown men to stand shoulder to shoulder and raise their arms straight up. Once the door is secure a control panel turns on a weak anti-gravity field and a fan in the floor. There are a hundred colored slips of paper in the chamber with the contestant and they must struggle to grab one or more strips of paper while the wind and lack of gravity work against them. Children usually tumble head over heel several times on the thirty second time period. Adults have a slightly easier time staying upright. However, catching the lips of paper is still difficult. The ultimate goal is to catch the gold foil strip which earns the grand prize of one of Widow Fesessa's famous fish pies.

Another game that is more luck than skill is "The fishing game", popular for obvious reasons. A large tub is filled with water clouded black by squid ink. Fifty or so fishing baubles are being stirred around by a small numenera device. Below each of them hangs a colored, weighted ball. If you choose a bauble with a green weight you win a trinket. If you choose a red ball the bauble will pop and release a foul smelling aroma. The aroma only lasts a few seconds before disapaiting. You know from your years growing up the ratio is 1 green ball for every four red ones.

The mayor, Genran Faddle, and the Council of Guild Leaders is at the opposite end of the green. They mingle on the small wooden stage used for these types of events. It seems the mayor will be making a speech soon. Skirting the outside of the crowd a group of boys known as the Clay Rats seem to be taking everything in. Their leader Chaig is participating in the Rite today. However he is nowhere to be seen.