Weekly Pink Bubbles
Legend
Whether it was during the Solar Era—whose "reliable" chronicles hardly sound reliable—or the notoriously chaotic Eclipse Era, one thing remains clear: long ago, in a land of high mountains and deep seas, there lived those blessed by Guardian Spirits. Unlike the newly emerged "Astralis-Blessed Ones” in today’s Spirit Realm, back then, people claimed to see spirits with their own eyes. Only those unable to communicate with them were rare.
Those living under the protection of the Guardian Spirits found themselves powerless against this sudden calamity. One year, an unprecedented "Silence" fell upon the land. It was not a storm, nor a killing frost, but a dark, formless hush. Fish vanished from the seas, birds no longer… circled the skies, and the spirits seemed sunk in sleep, deaf to their blessed ones’ prayers. Boats came back empty, granaries thinned, and despair spread.
The Guardian Spirit-Blessed Ones tried every ancient method: they held the grandest rituals, chanted the oldest hymns, offered the most precious sacrifices... Yet the rituals felt hollow and drew no reply; the hymns made no sound; the offerings seemed frozen in place.
Everything remained the same—deathly still—as if it would go on forever, much like most places in the Eclipse Era.
Yet in this country there was a young man.
Poor but deft, he crafted the humblest yet most durable parts for ships of adventure. Such skill meant little in crisis, though, for he had been born unable to sense any "spirits." As the silence spread, his "uselessness" gnawed at him, and a reckless impulse rose up.
"If the spirits cannot hear those with voices, what of those without voices... but with hearts?"
He rushed back to his workshop and took out a little lamp oil and a small bag of rice saved for the New Spring. Lacking precious offerings, he hastily shaped a crude clay bowl with his hands. Knowing no ancient prayers, he murmured in a voice only he could hear: "I don't know who you are, where you are, or if you can hear me. But if you can hear—or see—"
He poured the oil into the bowl, arranged the grains of rice to form a simple circle in it—like a sun, or a full moon—and lit the wick. Lifting the lamp high over his head, he stared into the silent, dark void and shouted stubbornly: "Look! There is still light here! If you can hear or see me, please answer!"
He finished his cry.
Still, there was no reply.
The Guardian Spirit-Blessed One let go of that faint hope, sighing in disappointment once more. The miracle had not come.
But he shouted a second time.
A third.
...
A thousand times, and then beyond counting.
And somewhere, a spirit did hear—or saw him.
When the flame of that rough little lamp wavered up to its highest point in the dark, the miracle arrived.
Countless golden-shot blue lights ascended from sea and mountain—first a scatter of sparks, then a swelling tide—until the whole land was wrapped in radiance, and marks of blessing gleamed upon every person.
Then, the fish returned. Birds once again traced paths across the sky.
The Silence shattered like a mirror, dissolved like gauze into water.
It seemed the grand rituals won no favor—but selfless sharing and a heart of utter sincerity had.
How Are Customs Formed and Passed Down
This legend—whose truth remains unknown—spread far and wide. Not in that elusive land "of high mountains and deep seas," but in many other places, regardless of their geography. People came to treat it as part of their own culture, and over the years, a custom formed: releasing lanterns to ask the spirits for blessings of health and good fortune, even if an answer was rarely received.
In "documented" sources, people often associate them with the Four Lucky Colors, even though localized legends of the Skysea Wishing Lantern have little to do with those colors. Releasing a green lantern symbolizes a prayer for physical health, while blue, yellow, and orange represent career prospects, wealth, and harmonious relationships respectively. However, due to missing historical records from the Eclipse Era, much remains unclear—such as why some regions use pink lanterns in place of orange ones...
Beyond making wishes with lanterns, from a certain point onward—perhaps after long periods without any apparent response—people began using them as "drift bottles," writing concerns for their country and blessings for friends and family on the lanterns.
If someone else sees those kind words after the lamp is released, the blessing has, in a sense, been passed along.
By the Star Era, regions began to develop distinct designs from the same legendary source.
Most people picture spirits "living" in the distant sky, so they gather at certain times to release sky lanterns. But in places like Whale Island where the Guardian Spirit takes a more tangible form, people also release sky lanterns, but prefer sea lanterns. Early islanders believed that Whaltune dwelled in the sea, so communicating with it naturally meant setting lamps upon the water.
Though it remains difficult to prove that releasing lanterns truly builds a bridge to the spirits, the practice has been passed down intermittently across generations in many parts of Ourworld. People write wishes or blessings on the lamp, light the wick, then let it fly or set it adrift—hoping for an answer from the Guardian Spirits, seeking peace of mind, or simply embracing a festive ritual to celebrate with family and friends.
How to Make Skysea Lanterns
In recent years, crafting Skysea Lanterns from eco-friendly materials has become a growing trend—especially the part meant to carry blessings. As a result, many vendors no longer sell finished lanterns, but instead offer DIY kits, encouraging personal involvement from the very start as a sign of "sincerity."
Some regions have even begun hosting related activities, such as speed-crafting contests and "Most Beautiful Skysea Lantern" competitions. And after these events, of course, they never forget to pick a suitable day for everyone to gather and release their lanterns together. You've surely heard of festivals like the "Lantern Festival."
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