Swamped

You were pretty distracted when you saw this, but in whatever state you're in right now, you can see every detail even though it was just a moment's glance at the time.

Specifically, you can see that there's a very unusual building in the background. It looks a bit like a temple. There's glass orbs on either side of it, with some kind of glowing sea creature inside.

All except one orb, which is broken.

This sounds a lot like that ceremony Susan was talking to you about, with the sponge jellies. Which you're remembering perfectly despite only giving it a moment's thought, and you think you're getting more and more unsettled by how well you're remembering things.

So you focus on what you're going to do. It seems that whoever this is, they'll be getting a portrait painted at the festival. Apparently after one of the water lanterns gets broken, since that's evidently what these glass orbs are. Is that the sabotage attempt you're supposed to be worrying about?

"Yes," the wizard says suddenly. In the present. Okay, so you think you've worked one thing out.

You think what it boils down to is, you let the lantern get broken, so the painting gets made as you remember it. Probably other stuff that's a part of history happens because of it too. But you have to make sure that whatever larger plan involves the lantern breaking fails.

Well, that's a tall order, but it's also a lot more concrete than a lot of what you've been doing tonight. Better than running around chasing Guild members without a clue what you're doing.

The wizard's note says "that's all", so you guess you're done. You concentrate hard, and try to pull yourself back to the present and stay there.

But just as your consciousness leaves the past, you catch a glimpse of something else that happened tonight.