"It was complete chaos. More innocent blood was spilled than the ground could drink up. Never had so many kind-hearted Luftkuns turned feral. The shame and guilt were so overwhelming that we have never been back to the Festival grounds. I shudder to think of what twisted evil could have sprung from that night," - Luftkun Historian, M. Washfulton. Transcribed by Burnside Thornton JR III, The Cob.
The Great Double Full Moons
Once a year the sky becomes a theater for a brilliant lunar show. In the spring the two moons that shed light on lands of The Lost Place make their closest approach. The Purple Queen and The Vile Moon climb to the top of the sky to face off in a battle of wills. The many creatures of The Lost place come out of their homes, or holes or nests to watch the epic showdown. The result of the battle foreshadows how the rest of the year will go in The Lost Place. This belief is so strong within The Luftkuns faith that they will try not to have children in a Vile Moon year. Some Luftkuns think that a passing loved one will be cursed to walk as the restless undead should they pass away during a year of the Vile Moon. In years of The Purple Queen, there is always a boom in Luftkun births. Weddings take place so young Luftkun couples start off in a new life in a year of blessing. Most new buildings are constructed in years of The Purple Queen to ensure that they stand long and strong.
The Festival of The Great Full Moons
As the cold winds die down and nights become more bearable the hearts of the Luftkuns begin to fill with excitement. Chatter starts as the Luftkuns pray for The Purple Queen to reign supreme. Doomsayers predict that The Vile Moon will slay The Purple Queen and this is debated around dinner tables and campfires. Luftkuns talk about the coming full moons while gardening and building. Little Luftkun children beg for The Purple Queen as they drift off to sleep. As the morning frost vanishes flowers begin to pop up here and there. Seemingly overnight these new flowers take over everywhere that isn't tended to by the Luftkuns. Insects return to the land and the nights are full of buzzing. A few weeks into this new rebirth, the moons disappear from the night sky and the Luftkuns know that they have four days before the Great Double Moons. It is time for the Luftkuns to do what they do best, party.
Bakers bake sweet treats. Songwriters write melodies and lullabies. Artists paint. All Luftkuns are so very busy doing their part to prepare for the Double Full Moons and the grand festival to show The Purple Queen their gratitude and wish her well in battle. Three days before the event carpenter and builder Luftkuns build an oak grand rectangular long table in the center of the field at the summit of Mount Amaranthine. In the center of the grand table, a dozen or so small tables are fashioned that are meant to hold a feast. A dance floor and stage are constructed. Pits are dug to roast fine meats. The day before the moons return Luftkuns from all through The Lost Place travel to the mountain field. Luftkuns are for the most part, optimistic, so songs of joy radiate all throughout the valleys and mountainside as they arrive.
Games are played, songs are sung, a grand feast inhaled, much beer and wine are consumed before the great event takes place.
At last, it is time for the battle. The land is bathed in colorful light from the moons. Luftkuns stand in awe of the spectacle as it unfolds. The moons rise and each year one moon will outshine the other. At this point that one of two things can happen. Should the Vile moon win the battle the party ends and the Luftkuns will return to their tents; the night is so quiet that you can hear the mice in the field scavenging the scraps from the great feast. In the case that The Purple Queen is triumphant the merriment continues throughout the night and following days until all the food is gone and the alcohol barrels run dry.
The Terrible Bad and the Last Festival
The Festival that I have described above is now a thing of the past. There are no journeys to the mountain top field. No songs or tasty sweets on the night of the spring full moon anymore. Instead, the Luftkuns stay hidden and cower away from that night both in fear and shame. You see, the last festival was almost one hundred years ago. Now understand that I wasn't there, this is just the tale as I was told it. This story happened long before I stumbled into The Lost Place. On that last festival night, The Vile Moon outshined The Purple Queen. A wind blew through the field as the Luftkuns returned to their tents saddened by the outcome of the night's events. A few hours later the quiet of the night was shattered as Luftkuns attacked each other as the first cases of The Lunar Sweats emerged.
The Double Full Moons
The world of The Lost Place has two moons; once a month both moons rise. One is a terrible green that looks to be bloated and infected with toxins. When there is but the faintest whisper of clouds in the sky, the pale green light is thrown from this infected disk and gives the appearance of gaseous vapors being emitted. The Luftkuns refer to the green moon as The Vile Moon as it is thought to bring sickness. The second moon that climbs is a plump purple lady presenting as elegant and regal. The Luftkuns refer to the purple full moon as The Purple Queen. The purple moon is thought to bring peace and goodwill. Each month one of the full moons will overshadow the other and as this happens the moon that shows fuller will cast a brighter light. The light from the brightest moon bathes the land in color and is a prophecy of either prosperity or shadow to come.
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