From One Illness To Another

For those of you concerned about me after my last entry, I'm feeling much better now. The end of my illness coincided with the start of the Dragon Festival in Cantha. This, it turns out, was a mixed blessing.

Decorations for the festival went up well early of the intended festival start which let to good spirits for all. And curiously, the recently slain began to release trapped energies of the Jade Wind that devastated Cantha centuries before. There was such speculation about the value of these orbs of energy that I soon found people calling out in the courtyard of Shing Jea Monastery, "W.T.S orbs > 250 g." Had I known then what I know now, I would have sold those few orbs I had. As it is, I still have several hundred orbs in my possession as the emperor only required 250 in exchange for the Dragon Masks the Celestial Ministry was distributing. I wonder what they're doing with all those orbs now.

The festival itself was fascinating, from the drake hatchling grab to the Dragon Arena. Where I met my downfall was on the Nine Rings. For the price of ten tickets, you have the chance to win back 15, 25, or even 55 tickets. At 15 gold pieces per ticket, there is a lot of money to be won or lost. At first I was on quite the winning streak. But, as a old dwarf in Droknar's Forge once told me, the house always wins. No matter how much I tried, I could not stem the tide of tickets and gold from flowing out of my purse. It was so bad and I had so little money that woke up on the Rings of Fortune, a lower stakes version of Nine Rings, wearing my Yule Cap and without a cent to my name. People even started to call me Hapless Kira behind my back.

My little sister got me shaped up enough to fight another chaos incursion and redeem my orbs. In all, it was an eventful festival, but I am sworn off gambling for life.