The City at the Center

Artwork by Tooth Wu

On this night, we return once again to Golarion, at the far reaches of the fabled city of Absalom -- the City at the Center of the World.
We pull away, panning high, until we are nestled over the shoulder of a pale samurai, who looks down at the city from a line of cliffs. As we turn to meet him, we see a wide-brimmed hat covers his face, framed by ivory hair the waterfalls to his waist. His right arm and ribs are covered in Tien script seals, but the Haze shows us what they contain -- a mass of blue-and-purple monstrosities, bursting from the man's flesh like a plague of locusts.
???: "The Sunburst Festival is starting soon, Daoshi."
Daoshi: "We have a few days yet."
???: "Does that mean... I'm allowed to play?"
The man chuckles, accompanied by a light nod of his head.
Daoshi: "I suppose Wendy already got a turn, and the others have their roles to play... What could it hurt?"
The unseen voice cheers, as Daoshi taps his staff on the ground -- humming a gentle tune -- and then continues down a path to his left, directly towards the eastern gates of Absalom...