Traveler Con


 * &rarr; This article is about the event. For documentation of the episode, see Traveler Con (episode).

 was the gathering of worshipers of the Traveler. It took place on Rumblecusp, a tropical volcanic island south-southwest of Nicodranas.

Background
The Traveler scheduled it for the Zenith, the first day of summer, on the 26th of Unndilar, 836 PD.

The Traveler eventually told Jester that he had intended it to be a chance for his followers to meet and develop connections with each other, so that they would be less reliant on him. He gave Jester the responsibility of planning Traveler Con.

When the mighty Nein arrived on Rumblecusp, however, they discovered that anyone there gradually lost their memory and fell under the sway of the false god Vokodo, remaining permanently on the island to serve him. When Jester confronted the Traveler and asked if he had known this, he admitted he had, and referred to it as a backup plan.

The first Traveler Con invitees showed up on Rumblecusp just after the defeat of Vokodo, before any preparations had been made. Jester suggested to Doron that, since he and his family were planning to stay on the island, he could host the visitors for Traveler Con, and perhaps start a business operating a resort on the island; he and his family seemed happy with that idea.

Fjord talked to Jester about her goals for Traveler Con and his concern that the Traveler's followers would take out their possible anger at the Traveler on her, and told her to keep an open mind. She was concerned with whether it was "mean" to allow people to continue to worship the Traveler when, since he's not a true god and cannot help them in the afterlife. Fjord told her he cares about her, not the others, and that as long as she was getting what she wanted out of it, the group would back her up.

With five days left until Traveler Con, the Mighty Nein discussed what to do for the event, and the eavesdropping Traveler joined the discussion. They workshopped but rejected the idea of faking humanoid sacrifices.

The idea of moving the attendees to worship an alternative god was floated, and Jester liked this because people would be left with an actual god in their lives. Caduceus suggested Sehanine, the Moonweaver, who also had trickery as her domain. The party developed the idea of creating phallic drumsticks, hiding phallic statues near the village for a "dick hunt," and then having everyone carry the statues up to the volcano and throw them in. The Traveler was excited by the idea that over hundreds of years, Sehanine might have to absorb a dick festival into her worship because of Traveler Con.

Eventually they settled on the following activities:
 * A stage on which Yasha will play music (which they will leave for the villagers)
 * Have the attendees make their own dick-shaped drumsticks
 * Beat drums with the drumsticks
 * Have a dance-off
 * Hide all the dick-shaped Traveler statues for a dick-hunt
 * A fighting pit
 * Closing ceremony where everybody throws their dicks in the volcano and magical illusions take place "revealing" that the Traveler is actually the Moonweaver

The party used magic to build the stage and smooth a safe path to the top of the volcano. On each day, Caleb used Programmed Illusion to create a Traveler-themed image in a different location that would last indefinitely, thrilling Jester (and the village children). They hid the dick statues, including a gold-painted one, built the fighting pit and an arts and crafts area, made multiple large drums, and upgraded the housing.

With three days left before Traveler Con, the party realized they would need to feed a lot of people and decided hunting the Tyrannosaurus Rex they saw on their way to Vokodo would be the best answer. They found an even larger one and brought most of its carcass back to the village.

The next day, more Traveler Con attendees arrived, including Covak. Beau was horrified to discover there was no alcohol on the island (apparently forgetting Nott's bottomless flask), when a new arrival introduced himself as Kent Plucker, a traveling lute player. He came prepared with a pony cart full of dark-brown glass jugs holding rum. The party continued preparations for the Con.

The day before Traveler Con, "Traveler's Eve," more than a hundred attendees had arrived. The village was happily bustling, filled with music, activity, and chaos. That evening, a familiar red-haired figure sauntered up, in disguise to everyone but the Mighty Nein. He was quite pleased with the preparations and plans, telling Jester it would soon be just her and him... and a couple of other people, but she's his favorite. He said he wanted to show his appreciation to all of them, and asked if they all had cloaks, but said nothing more. Fjord was concerned about potential security; the rest of the group was more inclined to let chaos reign.

The revelry on the last night before Traveler Con continued with dancing, drinking, and discussion about relationships. Jester and Caduceus separated themselves from the celebration to attempt to Commune with Sehanine, but instead reached their own patrons, as the spell is based on one's close connection with the patron.

The next morning, Traveler Con began. The event kicked off with a bone harp performance by Yasha, enhanced by green mist and magical illusions and the beating of drums with dick-shaped drumsticks. Veth then came on stage to announce the princess of pranks, the tycoon of tricks, the conquistador of cocks, High Priestess Jester. Accompanied by three copies of herself, surrounded by tiny pink unicorns, and sporting a giant pair of butterfly wings, Jester appeared on stage. She announced the day's schedule and the day's activities kicked off.

In the afternoon, the dick hunt took place. The golden dick was found by Celia Ovesso, and Jester decided that her prize would be to be the last one to throw her dick into the volcano. Celia suggested that the Traveler had given her significant powers, and Jester was quite nervous and jealous they might rival her own. Veth noticed, and borrowed the golden dick from Celia long enough to treat it with Sovereign Glue before handing it back to her. After nightfall, Jester changed into her priestess robe and led the almost two hundred visitors up the mountain. At the edge of the caldera, Caleb cast Programmed Image to create an illusory moon above them, and Jester and the Traveler instructed the crowd to throw their dicks into the volcano one by one. A nervous Celia was the last one to attempt her throw, after the Traveler told her to trust him. She began running toward the edge, but was tackled by Beauregard, who thought she was going to jump in. Beau helped her up and Celia tried to throw her dick, but it was glued tight to her hand. She angrily stormed down the mountain.

The Traveler then addressed the crowd in a feminine voice, pulling his hood back to reveal sky-blue skin and white hair, and a feminine form. He announced that the Traveler is but one aspect of herself, a new avatar of Sehanine who has guided them to her. At that moment, the moon illusion vanished, the clouds parted, and a full white moon was revealed. The silver strands of moonbeams turned into white chains, wrapping around the Traveler and beginning to pull him upward. Jester grabbed onto him as a white-winged blue-skinned angelic figure appeared and spoke, declaring that he was a fraud and that the Moonweaver had nothing to do with this being. Despite the Traveler and Jester's protests, the planetar continued, announcing that Artagan would be dragged back to the Feywild and be judged there. As Jester, still hanging onto the Traveler, was being pulled up as well, Fjord cast Hex on Jester and used Relentless Hex to teleport to her and hang onto her back, telling her to let go. Jester refused, and argued with the celestial being let the Traveler go. When the entity asked her why she cared so much, Jester replied that she loved him, and the celestial being implied that if she kept hanging on, she would face the same penance as Artagan. It was then that Artagan himself kicked Jester loose, and Caleb caught both Fjord and Jester with Featherfall. The angelic being then asked, in a new, feminine voice, if Artagan had learned his lesson, and warned him to be careful with whose realms he prodded and poked before releasing him. His fall was broken with Veth's Featherfall spell. The voice of Sehanine warned the crowd to be careful in whom they trust, but that she could watch and keep them, and the being vanished.

After these events, the crowd wandered back down, and the sounds of ongoing festivities could be heard from the Vo Village. The next day, some of Traveler Con's attendees, including Covak, announced that they would be staying on the island.

Trivia
The name Traveler Con was coined by Marisha and is a reference to popular media gatherings, such as anime and comic book conventions.