[The Rain Summoning Ritual]
[Rating: A]
[The ancient and powerful Rain Summoning Ritual, once practiced by the enigmatic Goddess of the Moon, has been long forgotten over the ages. It’s said that this sacred ceremony can call forth rain during times of desperate need.
Your task is to rediscover this lost knowledge and revive the legacy left by the Goddess of the Moon.
By recovering the Rain Summoning Ritual, you can aid your people, bringing new life and prosperity to your land.]
[Clear Conditions: Revive the ancient Rain Summoning Ritual.]
[Clear Rewards: Receive 50 Stat Points.
Strengthen your affinity with the Goddess of the Moon.
Gain the ability to summon rain by performing the Rain Summoning Ritual.]
[Quest Failure: (Details not specified)]
Broken paused for a moment when he received yet another quest, this time delivered directly from the Goddess of the Moon herself. Hearing the name “Goddess of the Moon” triggered memories of the Moonstones, which he knew were also tied to this very same deity. It turned out that this Goddess held a wider influence than he initially realized, even involving herself in matters as a rain summoning ritual.
“What could the Moon Goddess possibly be doing with a rain summoning ritual?” He wondered. “Why rain, and why Slumdon Town? Does this mean the Goddess once descended to Yunatea, wandering its lands, visiting this particular town, and teaching Sandro’s ancestors about this ritual?”
Broken found himself increasingly intrigued by the Goddess of the Moon. The mysteries surrounding her beckoned him to uncover more. He considered discussing this with Freya and Lily, both well-versed in Yunatea’s history. Their insights could shed light on the puzzled pieces of this deity.
However, besides the mystery, the quest itself promised extraordinary rewards. Compellingly so. “Fifty stat points,” Broken mused, “that’s insane for a rating A quest!”
Moreover, he stood to gain a strengthened affinity with the Goddess of the Moon, though whether this would be beneficial in the long run was unclear. What was certain, however, was that his actions had increasingly intertwined with the Goddess-first with the Moonstone, and now with this rain summoning ritual.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Broken pondered whether there might be another way to gather information about the Goddess. Could he perhaps inquire directly with someone who might be familiar with her? Someone like… Goddess Akidia? He remembered that Akidia had once told him if he ever needed anything or wanted to speak with her, all he had to do was call her name and his prayers would be heard.
“Could it really be that simple?” he wondered.
With this possibility in mind, Broken decided to distance himself from the group for a moment, seeking a quiet spot to attempt this unconventional method of communication.
Once he was far enough, he whispered softly, “Goddess Akidia, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your busy schedule. I know you’re a hard worker and you need plenty of rest. But please, if you know anything about the Goddess of the Moon, could you share it with me?”
He waited in anticipation, silence enveloping him. Minutes passed, yet he received no response. Doubt crept in. “Am I doing this incorrectly? Should I visit the temple of Goddess Akidia to communicate with her?” he mused.
Broken continued to wait, but the stillness offered no answers. Deciding he had tried enough for now, he resolved to seek other sources of information.
“Well, I suppose I should ask Freya or the other members of the Ass Guild. They might have some insights into this Goddess of the Moon,” he thought.
While the others watched Broken, they couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.
“What the heck is Broken doing?” Jovina asked, turning to Ivana.
“Uhm… oh…” Ivana stammered, confused. “I’ve never seen him talk to himself like that.”
“Do you think something’s messing with his mind, making him a bit crazy? Hahaha,” Jovina joked.
“Uhm… Broken has been working really hard these past few weeks. Maybe he just needs a break,” Ivana replied thoughtfully.
“My Lord…” Yara chimed in, worry etched on her face. “He carries such a heavy burden for this town. He works so hard.” She began to cry. “My Lord is such a good leader. He’s always so kind and warm to me. I can’t help but cry every time I think about his kindness.”
Ivana wrapped her arms around Yara to console her. “It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“No,” Jovina cut in. “Broken is not fine. Just look at him. He’s talking to someone who’s not even there. I’m sure he’s hallucinating.”
A few moments later, Broken approached them with a smile, surprised to see Yara crying.
“Yara, what’s wrong?”
“My Lord, you’ve been working too hard. You’re starting to lose it and hallucinate. You should rest and let us handle the ritual,” Yara replied, still in tears.
“Who told you that?”
“Jovina,” Ivana said, glancing at her.
“What? Why?” he turned to Jovina.
“Sorry, Broken. You were laughing and talking to yourself over there. What else was I supposed to think? Hahaha,” Jovina explained, laughing.
“I’m okay! I’m not losing my mind.”
Then he focused back on the task at hand. “Let’s go. We need to take this rain summoning ritual seriously. I’m certain we’ll discover something fascinating here, haha.” His enthusiasm, however, only raised more questions among the others.
He approached Sandro. “Sandro, show everyone the dance and the song.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Sandro nodded and walked to the center, surrounded by the others.
Sandro stood silently for a moment, then began walking in a circle, marking out the area with stones on the ground.
“This is where we’ll have the big bonfire,” he announced. “We will dance and sing around the bonfire.”
The other farmers followed his example, laying down several stones to mark the spot where the bonfire would go.
“Now, I will demonstrate the dance choreography,” Sandro said, somewhat hesitantly.
Sandro stood up, raised both hands in the air, and exclaimed, “Alright, the dance is simple!
Start with this move.”
He demonstrated by taking a few sideways steps, lowering and raising his hands simultaneously. “Do this three times,” he continued.
Then he spun around, jumping as he spoke, “Jump and clap three times!”
Sandro clapped his hands and then kicked forward with his right foot, holding it in the air.
Still balanced, he looped back twice with his right foot raised high.
Afterward, he side-stepped several times, flapping his palms against his mouth as if making
some sort of sound.
“Lu Lu Lu,” he chanted. “Something like that.”
He continued, “I think the movement is that simple. All we need to do is repeat the dance
until the rain arrives.”
Broken narrowed his eyes as he watched Sandro’s dance. “That’s… so weird.”
Jovina, however, seemed enthusiastic. She ran up to stand beside Sandro. “Let’s do it again,
Sandro.”
Two women and three men joined them, positioning themselves behind Sandro. They all tried to replicate his moves, though Sandro would occasionally slip and fall to the ground. “You’re so useless and stupid, Sandro,” Jovina laughed. “I can dance better than you –
hahaha!”
After several rounds of dancing with everyone, Sandro turned back to the group and announced, “Now I will practice the dance along with the chanting.”
Broken muttered, “The song can’t possibly be just chanting weird words like ‘Ulo Ulo La la la,’
right?”
Sandro smiled awkwardly and started again. He began his dance, uttering several chants that made it hard to understand what he was saying.
“Uaaa Uaaa. Lu Lu Lu,” he sang as he twisted, jumped, and clapped his hands.
“Lua Lua. Da Tang! Lua Tu Lua. Hu Jan! Ulala.”
Broken sighed deeply as he listened.