Lost in the past

Chapter 1

It was winter, and the festival of Luminis Celebrandum was about to begin - a celebration held every three years to send the spirits of the present into the past, thereby protecting the future from evil influences. During this festival, villagers and townspeople gathered to perform the ritual. However, in the village of Rusticum Flumen, the festival was celebrated with a special tradition: around midnight, the Nocturnus Mortifer appeared, who supposedly could enchant the spirits into another time.

We now find ourselves in the house of Florianus, the only son of Lucius Octavius and Maria Octavius. His father is a hunter, and his mother is a weaver. Florianus himself is 19 years old, with dirty blonde hair and a sturdy build, and he had a blue triangle on his hand as a kind of birthmark. He works as a street master in the village and is responsible for road construction. This evening, Florianus sits in his room, carefully selecting a shirt.

"This is a good shirt," he murmurs quietly to himself as he prepares to go downstairs. He walks down the stairs to his mother, who is also ready. "Hey Mama, do you know when Dad will be back from hunting?" he asks calmly.

"Hey my boy, you look good in that shirt, and he should be back soon," she said. Shortly afterward, the father came in, wearing dirty clothes and carrying a deer on his back. "I'm back, family, and I caught a deer. We'll have that to eat," he announced, but the mother interrupted him: "Honey, we're going to the festival soon. Change your clothes and clean up, then we'll go. We'll prepare the deer tomorrow, not today." Lucius replied: "You're right. I'll quickly remove the organs and hang it up." He went to do that, then cleaned himself up and changed his clothes. He wore gray pants, a gray shirt, and a white cloak, along with a necklace bearing the logo of Imperium Gloriosa, which glowed slightly. Florianus had no idea what it meant and had only asked about it once.

After about 45 minutes, they were ready to leave the house. "Hey Mama, how long will the festival last this time?" Florianus asked. Maria replied, "Well, the last festival went from late evening until 3 in the morning. The festival and the ritual take a while, and if you count the dancing and music, it can last a long time." After about 15 minutes, they reached the festival. Everywhere were colorful lights, music, and jesters spreading joy. People in white clothes milled about, and in the center of the square stood three large stone statues: a king, a magician, and a chained anthro creature that presumably symbolized victory. All the statues looked at a marked spot in the center of the square, where a woman in a thin, transparent dress was dancing.

"Mama, I suggest we get something to eat first and then go to the center of the square. What do you say?" Florianus asked. "Yes, sure, I wouldn't mind that," she replied. After getting something to eat, they walked to the center of the square, where the festival was slowly beginning. Shortly thereafter, three magicians emerged from the crowd, stood in front of each statue, and began chanting mystical words and reciting poems. During the ritual, the ancient spirits were summoned into the past.

Suddenly, Florianus was bumped by a man and thrown into the center of the square as the ritual reached its climax. There was a bright flash of light, and Florianus disappeared without a trace. His parents were beside themselves and searched for him in vain. It was assumed that he had been sent into the past...