Festival of Fire
Festival of Fire is a traditional event held annually on World of Dreams on 14th day of Tiger to celebrate both Kanna and Akino, both whom were raised to the status of Fortune on that day, albeit some hundred and twenty years apart. What originally began as a normal fireworks festival as since turned into a 'rocket war' where the devout flog to the temples, shooting fireworks across the Tokagure Garden, with the objective of hitting the bell of the temple on the other side. The fireworks used are of the traditional type, wooden sticks loaded with a propellant mixture containing gunpowder and chemicals that will cause the rocket to explode in dizzying flash of light.
The two temples, Shrine to Kanna and Temple of Akino sit on two low hilltops about third of a mile away from each other. Direct hits on each bell are supposedly counted on the next day to determine the winner, but each group invariably claims victory over the other. The result of this apparent disagreement is that both groups agree to settle the score next year, and the rivalry is thus perpetuated. The temples themselves and the nearby buildings have to be extensively boarded up and protected with plasteel sheets and mesh for the occasion. Locals living near the temples regularly express their dismay at the explosive nature of the custom but as the event brings in a lot of business to the eateries and hotels near by, the local authorities turn a blind eye to the few stray rockets that inevitably happen every year. The origin of this event is unclear, but local tradition holds that it goes back to 30th century. According to local lore the Festival began as a harmless fireworks festival, but that one year small group of believers fired a large rocket from Shrine to Kanna, accidentally hitting the bell at Temple of Akino and this mistake is believed to have caused the first 'rocket war'. While the devout are busy shooting rockets at each other, the business owners of the district arrange simultaneous show, their fireworks strictly aimed towards the skies. Many locations open their rooftops for their patrons so that they might watch the spectacle without having to risk getting struck by an errant rocket.
