---

Music floods the streets of Altdorf.

Laughter crashes through overcrowded taverns.

Tankards slam against wood.

The city sounds alive.

---

That’s the problem.

---

A serving girl nearly drops a tray.

She laughs automatically.

The smile disappears the moment nobody looks at her anymore.

---

Stacy:
“They’re exhausted.”

---

Caelwyn watches the crowd carefully.

Dockworkers.

Soldiers.

Musicians.

People drinking like tomorrow is waiting outside with a knife.

---

Caelwyn:
“The Empire celebrates hard.”

---

A pause.

---

Stacy:
“No.”

---

Another burst of laughter somewhere deeper in the tavern.

Too loud.

Too fast.

Gone too quickly.

---

Stacy:
“It sedates itself hard.”

---

Silence.

---

The realization settles slowly.

---

The drinking.

The music.

The festivals.

The endless noise.

---

Not despite exhaustion.

---

Because of exhaustion.

---

A veteran near the bar laughs with the others.

Then fireworks explode outside.

For one second—

he flinches like the war just returned.

---

Then he smiles again immediately.

---

Masking.

---

The tavern keeps moving.

Music starts again before anyone can think too deeply.

---

Caelwyn:
“You know what the worst part is?”

---

Stacy looks at him.

---

Caelwyn:
“The joy is real.”

---

And that’s what makes it tragic.

---

The laughter is real.

The relief is real.

The dancing is real.

---

For a few hours—

people forget the weight waiting outside.

---

Factories.

War.

Debt.

Hunger.

Exhaustion.

---

The Empire doesn’t celebrate because it’s healthy.

---

It celebrates because silence would force people to feel how tired they really are.

---

Another bell rings outside.

The city grows louder again.

---

As if Altdorf itself is terrified of becoming quiet.

---

⚒️ Month 5 — Sacrifice & Belief

⚒️ Week 2 — The Mask Of Joy

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game — The Old World

Sigmar suffered for the Empire himself.

Later generations discovered it was easier to ask others to suffer in his place.

---

If you remember what this felt like —
you already know what you’re missing.

Step back into it.
Or keep missing it.

👉 https://startplaying.games/gm/dunchan

Want to go deeper?
Then don’t stop at the surface.

The full stories. The dossiers. The things behind it —
they’re waiting. Or they’re not.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/mythveilchronicles_bydunchanhuntergames