Elanthian Holidays/Autumnal Holidays

Elanthian Holidays/Autumnal Holidays is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

A selection of various fall celebrations found across Elanthia. This collection encompasses ceremonies from the autumnal equinox to just before the winter solstice.

Imaerasta

The Seafarer's Search

Name of Holiday/Celebration: The Seafarer's Search

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Throughout Imaerasta

Who celebrates it: Elves (Loenthran and Nalfein origins)

Where is it celebrated: Throughout the Elven Nations

A short description of the holiday: The stories state that a Nalfein naval officer arrived at a port in Ta'Loenthra and fell in love with a flower peddler who occupied the promenade, selling her bouquets to tourists and passersby. Being a timid individual and given his calling, the young man would slip small notes amongst her bouquets, the flora-shaped pieces born of a technique he had learned in Atan Irith, each one inquiring about facets of the woman's life, her interests and hobbies, favorite foods, and even her preferred way to take her tea.

In turn, the woman would place one particular bouquet to the side of her display, her response tucked into the flowers for her mysterious admirer to peruse, her cards asking her questions in turn. And so, the story continued, the pair courting through origami and notes, their relationship building from afar until one day, the woman unfolded her note, the writing revealing a series of clues leading her to the next flower, until she arrived at a tall-sailed man-o'-war, the naval officer waiting on bended knee to ask her hand in marriage.

Elves celebrate the day by creating entertaining hunts for origami, often concealing the folded pieces in plain sight, cleverly blending the paper in the most mundane locations. While the original story is one of courtship, the holiday has evolved into a lighthearted celebration of creativity and prowess, the rewards of discovery, and the thrill of the hunt.

Inye'saq yt'Lakas

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Inye'saq yt'Lakas or Autumn Star Ceremony

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Autumnal equinox

Who celebrates it: Inyexat

Where it is celebrated: Atan Irith

A short description of the holiday: As the Star-Spear constellation (also known as The Trident) rises in the sky at the autumnal equinox, the Inye'saq yt'Lakas or Autumn Star Ceremony commences. This particular ceremony honors and blesses the Star-Spears and their ongoing protection and companionship with the Children of the Starlit Wilds. Divinations are made beneath the constellation's light, auguries read, and advice given for the next year.

The next day is filled with displays honoring Star-Spear prowess -- from small children showing off newly learned skills to warrior students facing off in matches to Star-Spears competing amongst themselves. It is a day of skill and revelry. The final event of the day is a good-natured brawl between all Star-Spears in that area. In Inyevexl, where the largest ceremony is held, this is known as the Capybara Brawl. Star-Spears mounted on their specially bred capybaras and armed with blunted spears take to the arena for a "last warrior standing" match. The winning Star-Spear and their valiant capybara are crowned with woven vexmoss-and-ghostvine circlets dotted with toadstools.

The celebration culminates with a joyous sunset feast.

Feast of the Fists

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Feast of the Fists

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Autumnal equinox

Who celebrates it: Denizens of the flotilla

Where it is celebrated: The flotilla

A short description of the holiday: To the uninitiated, the Feast of the Fists may appear to just be a violent, bloody brawl perpetrated by long periods of sun exposure and copious amounts of liquor, but to those who frequent the flotilla, it is a celebration of strength and fortitude, as the life of a pirate is fraught with peril, never truly guaranteeing that one will see the next sunrise.

On the autumnal equinox, the flotilla travels to waters near (but not too close to) Kraken's Fall. The piers are overwhelmed with pirates and privateers from around the world, each ship bedecked in spoils gathered throughout the year. Rich fabrics and jewels from "perfectly legitimate business interests" are draped across cannons, "liberated" furniture and home goods are arranged into ingenious sculptures, and barrels of "appropriately obtained" beverages are set out along gangplanks.

Theoretically meant to be a farewell to summer, it also serves as a unique sort of harvest festival… where the harvest is the lucrative spoils each ship has gathered. Food, drink, and other goods are shared (sometimes freely given, but typically by barter, purchase, or brawl). After noontide, the crews send forth their chosen representative, and a brawling tournament is held. The flotilla sets up a complex system of betting that naturally favors the house, but bet properly, a pirate may rake in enough to take the winter off in leisure.

As word of the flotilla's Feast of Fists spreads, many victims of high seas crime attempt to seek out their wares during this day. If they are lucky, they are allowed to brawl for the right to re-obtain ownership should their "perfectly legally obtained" property be found aboard the flotilla. If they are less than lucky, they may find themselves thrown in the deep blue center of the flotilla to face whatever lurks in its depths. A few full-on naval assaults have occurred in the past as well but interrupting a pirate's well-earned holiday when so many are gathered in one location is truly a bad tactical move, and it has never ended well for the navies who have attempted it (it has however been a perfect ending to a perfect holiday for the pirates).

Sea Kobolds' Night Market

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Sea Kobolds' Night Market (or Kobolds' Eve)

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Just after the fall equinox

Who celebrates it: Kraken's Fall, pirates

Where it is celebrated: Kraken's Fall

A short description of the holiday: In the days leading up to the flotilla's Feast of the Fists on the autumnal equinox, pirate ships abound in the seas around Kraken's Fall, and cargo holds are often emptied out in preparation for taking on new cargo for the fall. While pirates spend their equinox brawling, the sea kobolds in their holds gather up their bounty from the year thus far -- the scraps of things that just happen to "fall off the crate" in transit.

Armed with a veritable bounty of questionable goods that are even more questionably obtained, the sea kobolds make their way into Kraken's Fall on a night just after the fall equinox and set up what has become known simply as "The Sea Kobolds' Night Market" or "Kobolds' Eve" (often in a dodgy warehouse near the docks, but the location may change from year to year as the sea kobolds attempt to be sneaky). For one night only, the sea kobolds hawk their wares to any interested parties before spending their profits on rum and drinks to see them through the winter.

As dawn hits, the sea kobolds are all safely back aboard their ships, confident their captains are none the wiser. Of course, unbeknownst to them, their captains intentionally dock at the Folly to allow them this harmless subterfuge. Indeed, many of them make bets on whose sea kobold will make the most profit off these less-than-savory wares. It's a subtle way for the pirates to recover from Feast of the Fists and to keep their lucky sea kobolds happy for another year.

For the denizens of Kraken's Fall, since many have piratical ties, Kobolds' Eve is a cherished event. They turn out in droves to buy the terrible wares, overpaying massively to keep these adorable creatures happy. Some even bring baskets filled with food and drink for the sea kobolds to take back on the ship with them (not that they need it -- they are well taken care of as lucky sea kobolds). While this is not as surreptitious as night markets in other areas, it is still a fine evening to be had by all.

Yinmai Xanye

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Yinmai Xanye or Chrysanthemum Blossoming

Date of Holiday/Celebration: The last weekend of Imaerasta

Who celebrates it: Erithi

Where it is celebrated: Atan Irith, with the biggest festival being found in Yachan-Ra

A short description of the holiday: During the peak blossoming time of the yinmai and other chrysanthemums, erithi across Atan Irith hold the Yinmai Xanye. Also known as the Chrysanthemum Blossoming ceremony, this autumnal ritual starts with a solemn reminder of the colder months to come, of those souls who have blossomed to the sky, and of the harvests being laid away.

The chosen "host" of the ceremony recites passages of remembrance, for example, and exhorts the community to prepare for winter. They thank the farmers and hunters and remind everyone of their interconnectivity as a community and as a people. A special chrysanthemum tea is brewed each year, and all at the festival partake.

After this more subdued start, the ceremony turns toward the celebration of life, this time focused on chrysanthemums, an autumnal-blooming flower. Communities cultivate these flowers in a variety of colors, planting them to blossom in elaborate patterns and competing against one another in a good-natured contest for the best blooms and most elaborate floral art. In some communities, a "Yinmai Rai" is chosen; this person is said to represent the raiyatha or soul of the yinmai and the community. They may "hold court" and "make decrees" for a day. These are typically making decisions on when to start the great feasts, and what stories should be told around the bonfires each evening.

Ta'Ardenai: Autumnal Court Celebrations

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Scythes of the Widower, Harbinger of Reunion, and Crepuscule's Final Clutch

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Throughout the fall season

Who celebrates it: Ardenai elves

Where is it celebrated: Ta'Ardenai

A short description of the holiday: At the start of this court's session, black-headed grossbeaks with ribbons of burnt umber tied with autumn leaves are sent to the various courts. The three ceremonies of the Autumnal Court are Scythes of the Widower, Harbinger of Reunion, and Crepuscule's Final Clutch.

For more detail, see the Autumnal Court section of the Ta'Ardenai Seasonal Courts document.

Jastatos

Fledging's Frolic

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Fledgling's Frolic

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Throughout Jastatos

Who celebrates it: Elves

Where it is celebrated: The Elven Nations

A short description of the holiday: The cooler month of Jastatos ushers in Fledging's Frolic, a month-long celebration of the joys of youth. Childhood activities, stories, and songs are shared amongst friends and family and swiftly followed by a feast of confections. The Fledgling's Frolic Feast is a contest of culinary prowess with dessert as its medium and the crowd as its judges. Contestants create elaborate displays showcasing their confection, the only rule being that the entree must appeal to the sweet tooth.

Former winners include a Nalfein sloop filled to the brim with fish-shaped macarons flavored with summer fruit-infused creams, a detailed replica of the Library Aies inset with diminutive book-crafted mints, and a life-sized statue of a Loenthran artist chiseled from rock sugar.

Nielme'acalwyr

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Nielme'acalwyr

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Sometime in Jastatos

Who celebrates it: Those of the Wyrdeep

Where it is celebrated: The Wyrdeep Forest

A short description of the holiday: While the exact time of year when the Wyrdeep Huntsman and his companion Nyin'niel were brutally lost is unknown, those of the Wyrdeep choose to remember and honor them in the autumn, typically Jastatos, in the Nielme'acalwyr or Wanderer's Ceremony of the Shadowed Heart.

The ceremony begins when the wolves of the Wyrdeep begin to howl without ceasing for more than an hour. In the last several decades, this has always occurred in Jastatos, and it is often near the Eve of the Reunion. With the exception of very small children, the entire community fasts for all three days.

A trio of honorary "mourn-wolves" dress all in white and take turns ensuring the mournful howl of an instrument echoes across the forest for the three days and three nights of the ceremony. The instruments may vary, but each mourn-wolf has perfected their instrument's sound to imitate the Wyrdeep wolves' mourning cries. It is a great honor and incredible responsibility to be chosen as a mourn-wolf, and those of the Wyrdeep do not take failure in this endeavor lightly. Some stories say that to falter in the howl is to bring the pack upon you, and those who have fallen are never seen from again.

On the first day, elders collect bone arrows and place them at the roots of nearby wyrwood trees, and on the second day, a sled laden with goods is drawn deep into the heart of the forest by a small group of community leaders and left as an offering in memory of the trader who brought items in times of great need.

Unless tasked with specific roles in the ceremony, all denizens of the Wyrdeep stay inside these first two days and nights. The mood is subdued during the day, and each night is filled with recountings of the Wyrdeep Huntsman and his white wolf, Nyin'niel. It is thought that hundreds of versions of the story exist, and while each enclave may have their preferred story passed down through grandmothers and mothers, during the Nielme'acalwyr, several versions are shared each night.

On the third day, magic-workers with an affinity for earth shift the land and create a pit. Effigies of the Huntsman and Nyin'niel are blessed by ritual magic, with offerings to carry them through to the afterlife. The effigies are lowered into the pit, the earth closing about them as the keening cries of wolves and mourn-wolves increase.

Finally, a crudely crafted effigy of a trader is dragged by the entire village to the nearest wyrwood tree, where it is tangled amongst the branches and left as sacrifice. The eldest grandmother cuts her palm and presses it to the tree, whispering sacred words to the Shade of the Wyrdeep and asking for protection for the winter months to come (these are only shared from elder to elder and never spoken otherwise).

Returning to the enclave, the people of the Wyrdeep wait. When the final wolf howl drifts away, the mourn-wolves cease their song and return, and the fast is broken with a feast. Depending on the proximity to harvest festivals or Eve of the Reunion, other activities may now also be included.

On the Term Nielme'acalwyr: The term is believed to be an amalgamation of the Elven term for heart ("Niel"), and more accurately a truncation of the wolf's name, Nyin'niel, and Old Kannalan terms. Specifically, "wyr" means "wanderer," and "me" is thought to be an affix for types of ceremonies. "Acal" however has claims in both Old Kannalan and Sylvan, so its provenance is a bit unclear; both have their roots in words for shade or shadow.

Yrsael'wan

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Yrsael'wan

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Early Jastatos

Who celebrates it: Sylvans

Where it is celebrated: Various

A short description of the holiday: The annual Yrsael'wan is a small arts festival held in early fall, typically within the first few weeks of Jastatos. Depending on communities' proximity to one another, this may be a small, local festival or a larger, joint affair. Regardless, the focus of this weekend festival is on the artistic style known as yrsael alore andemit (colloquially "yrsaelan") which translates roughly into "finding the opposite edges of art within the tree."

During the two-day festival, yrsaelan art is the focal point, of course, but other artists will display and sell their wares also. The festival hosts name a panel of judges who review all entries and award prizes on a variety of categories (all dependent upon the individual area's celebration). Feasting and celebration of art and trees abounds during Yrsael'wan, and it is seen as a time to relax in between the busy preparations for the upcoming winter season.

On Yrsaelan: Yrsaelan artists find the perfect downed tree (never one felled by people but one where nature has taken its course), and they spend months, if not years, sculpting it. The end result is an intricately carved, dual-sided sculpture, with each side showing a different artistic vision.

Many use yrsaelan to highlight the different faces of oneself, but rarely are they so simplistic as to be merely happy/sad or good/evil renditions of a person. The art is all about opposites, dualities, edges, and subtleties. While yrsaelan artists are typically found within the artistically inclined Fresiawn D'ahranal, some of the best in the modern era are Lassaran, as they weave the intricacies of a wandering life away from the great trees into their art.

Triumph of the Imperium

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Triumph of the Imperium; Patriarchal Triumph; The Basilican Triumph

Date of Holiday/Celebration: 15th of Jastatos (once per decade)

Who celebrates it: Faendryl

Where it is celebrated: New Ta’Faendryl, Gellig

A short description of the holiday: The triumph is an ancient tradition of House Faendryl that sanctifies the victory of military conquests and elevates the status of the commander to near divinity. Before the reign of Yshryth Silvius Faendryl, Patriarch XIV, the landed aristocracy had long been raising their own loyal forces, which had contributed to more than a millennium of usurpations in Ta’Faendryl. Following the execution of his own mother at his coronation in -45,898 Modern Era, Yshryth engaged in a campaign of purges against treason and sedition, making other armies illegal within the sovereign lands known as the imperium of the Patriarch.

What would be recognized now as the “House” system formed in the -45,000s Modern Era through various treaties between the most powerful cities, which among other things, recognized each other’s territorial claims and disallowed banded militaries from passing through the borders of other nations. In this way the Great Houses, with their exiled legions, dominated the western provinces. Yshryth made it high treason for provincial forces to cross the Horn of the DragonSpine, whose eastern horn was a corridor between the mountains and House Nalfein, ending at the Vaalorian fortress of ShadowGuard. It was known as “the inviolable cordon” of the Empire.

In this fashion, House Faendryl sacrificed its narrow ambition to assume the moral authority to act as the high seat of the Elven Empire, allowing itself to be landlocked, as well as relinquishing the right to expand its northern marches in the East. House Faendryl, first among equals, was the balance in the balance of powers, the spokes in the wheel around which the Elven Empire turned.

The provincial legions were required to disband in the West before returning to House Faendryl. Triumphs began as civil ceremonies where legion commanders, who were often governors with their own imperium in the provinces, would be honored for returning their spoils of conquest to the capital and pledging their loyalty to the Patriarch. There were military processions in Ta’Faendryl where the former leaders of conquered territory or rebellions were brought to the Basilica to be executed, unless they swore before the masses their subjugation and fealty to the Elven Empire.

In these ritual ceremonies the honored "imperators" of the triumph were portrayed to the “lesser races” as ascended demigods between the Arkati and mortal men. Those who had been granted triumphs held much stronger claims to the throne, or standing to marry into the royal line, which held true for families with triumphant ancestors. In this way Yshryth bent the oligarchy to the will of the throne, forged a nation, and made war between the Houses (or “kinslaying”) as anathema to Elvenkind as insurrections or coups against their sovereign rulers.

In the modern day it is very rare for a military commander to be given a triumph, which is instead a privilege of the Patriarch, who has sole power and authority over all military forces. It has not happened since the Chancellor of the Armata, a second cousin of the Patriarch, was honored by Korvath Dardanus for shattering the combined armies of the Turamzzyrian Empire with a single legion in the Third Elven War. They are instead given lesser triumphs, known as ovations, as procession leaders during the Patriarch’s triumph, which is held once per decade on the anniversary of Rythwier founding New Ta'Faendryl.

The Armata disbands itself one cohort at a time at the port of Gellig, saluting “Hail Chesylcha” and "Honor and Glory to the Patriarch" before its great victory monument, the broken hulls of Ashrim warships that mount the seawalls of the city. The centuries engage in an imperial march to New Ta’Faendryl, where they disarm and proceed through the eastern gate, following Korthyr Boulevard in waves of squads to the center city until they reach the Patriarch’s Palace. The centurions and legionaries must then prostrate themselves before the Palace, under Palestra blades, and swear renewed oaths of loyalty on the fortunes and sacred honor of their families to the Patriarch himself. Officers thought to be guilty of subversion or treason are often beheaded by the Basilica during this ritual for the enjoyment of the whole city. Tradition holds that the families of the disgraced will be provided for if they absolve their dishonor by committing their own executions.

The Triumph of the Imperium is an immense and terrible display of pageantry for the glory of the Patriarchal supremacy. The Basilican sorcerers summon amongst the most horrible demons of war that may be controlled, flying over the triumph and encircling the Palace itself, making an unspeakable spectacle of House Faendryl’s power and dominion over all worlds.

Eoantos

Founder's Day: Bloodline Withycombe

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Founder's Day

Date of Holiday/Celebration: 1st of Eoantos

Who celebrates it: Withycombe burghal gnomes

Where it is celebrated: Turamyzzrian Empire

A short description of the holiday: Celebrating the anniversary of Sjandor Withycombe's first speech to the burghal gnomes in Tamzyrr, Founder's Day is one of the most important holidays for many burghal gnomes, especially for those in Vadzyrr. A head gnome is selected on Founder's Day, often based on tinkering skills. On this day, Withycombes gather with family and friends, exchange presents and showcase their work of the last year as well.

See also Withycombe for more information.

High Holy Day & Founder's Day: Bloodline Winedotter

Name of Holiday/Celebration: High Holy Day & Founder's Day

Date of Holiday/Celebration: 1st of Eoantos

Who celebrates it: Winedotter burghal gnomes

Where it is celebrated: Elven Nations

A short description of the holiday: Following Withycombe tradition, Winedotters celebrate their Founder's Day on the 1st day of Eoantos, but they also combine it with their High Holy Day, placing more emphasis on the latter. The Winedotter families that serve the royal houses of each elven city-state host this day each year. They provide toasts to the Arkati, their founder Lyosi Wyandotte, and the compound elders. The celebration involves a great deal of wine and toasting, so the formality, by the end, is questionable at best. A Chief Taster is selected, the honor going to the vintner who brings the best wine, as well.

See also Lines of Blood: A History of the Gnomes for additional details.

Ayd Bre'Cyr Casroh

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Ayd Bre'Cyr Casroh, roughly translated - Day of Heavenly Light or known better in common as Day of Freedom

Date of Holiday/Celebration: 6th of Eoantos (November 6)

Who celebrates it: Aelotoi

Where it is celebrated: Cysaegir, Glimae'den Wildwood

A short description of the holiday: Ayd Bre'Cyr Casroh, roughly translated to "Day of Heavenly Light" or known better in common as "Day of Freedom," is the date officially recognized and celebrated by the aelotoi as a celebration of their move to Elanthia through the portal from Bre'Naere. The portal initially opened on the 30th day of Jastatos (October 30th) and was the start of the aelotian migration. However it was about one week later that the monarchs of the five elven houses recognized their inadvertent part in the plight of the aelotoi and granted them the right to earn full citizenship in all elven city-states. Along with this, the aelotoi were granted Glimae'den, which was then renamed to Cysaegir, meaning their refuge/sanctuary. Celebrations are a combination of joyous for the freedom granted, while simultaneously holding a somber feeling for the past and those who were unable to pass through the portal.

Immolation of Darkness

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Immolation of Darkness; Night of Ash and Fire; The Wrath of Noi'sho'rah; The Terror

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Eoantos (exact solar date varies, once per three Lornon cycle lunar years)

Who celebrates it: Dhe'nar

Where it is celebrated: Sharath

A short description of the holiday: 30,000 years ago, the promised land of Sharath was consumed with intense power struggles between the three ruling castes. Their councils were seized internally by tyrants who vied for supremacy. There were magi and priests slaying each other in the streets, brutal squads of warriors, as well as abuses and oppression of the worker caste. There are even tales of insurrections by the workers, who were ruthlessly put down with fates worse than death.

What is known is that the Temple caste would come to dominate Sharath. They terrorized the masses with sacrifices of “traitors”, whose blood would flow from the pyramids they had built to their own grandeur. The High Priest sealed off the Shialos du S’karli, the Library of the Way, where he studied dark magic and ultimately proclaimed his own divinity.

Much of the history of the Dhe’nar in the Second Age is shrouded in oral traditions and the privileged secrets of the high castes. In the legends of the Dhe’nar lorekeepers, it is rumored that it was truly the magi who had come to power in Sharath, having subverted the will of the rulers of the other castes. It is said that the High Priest was under the manipulation of a demon, having been summoned to this end, which led to him seeking his own ascension to godhood following a sign from the stars. There was a great celebration held for a month between the full moons, with most of the Dhe’nar coming to witness a blessing from the heavens. The priests held that they had perfected the Way and were gods.

What followed was an inferno of utter destruction that killed almost the whole population. Fire rained from the heavens, quakes tore open chasms in the earth, the sky was pierced with stone and lava and the forests were turned to ash. This would come to be known as the Great Fire.

Most of Sharath was obliterated with the rise of Gh'Thuul U'thnoga, the Great Mountain, which was strangely filled with caverns and vast underground warrens. The warlocks and priestesses would come to reside high in the Great Mountain, where they keep the only written records, and strictly limit the knowledge of magic to the ruling castes. Power has shifted back and forth between the warlocks and priesthood. The Obsidian Council was formed to enforce the balance between castes and keep the whole of society rightly ordered toward the Way. It would take many thousands of years for the Dhe’nar to recover their numbers.

The Southron Wastes were flooded with orcs and trolls after the defeat of Despana, which in turn is when the dwarven ancestors of the Khanshael were first enslaved. Over the millennia the Dhe’nar and Khanshael, with their inner struggles and failed revolutions, became near equals and dependent on each other for survival. The remnants of her dark forces threatened them throughout the Age of Chaos. These were resisted with extreme prejudice, either made into slaves, or annihilated and all but erased from history.

Thus, the Dhe’nar came to place great importance on never losing control over those in inferior positions of power, twisting the Way not only into a dogma of supremacy over other races, but also their own hierarchy. It was in these years of struggle and the search for purity, of trauma and cruelty and the reclamation of power, that the Obsidian Council, with some irony, instituted a month of celebration that surrounds a re-enactment of the Great Fire to purge the Dhe’nar of traitors. It is held on the new moon of Lornon on the leap month, which occurs every three years, preceding the month when the bloodening of Lornon occurs near the full moon.

Once every several hundred years or so it is held not at night, but when the world is suddenly plunged into darkness, as the sun is replaced with the blazing Eye of Noi’sho’rah. Such a vision of the First Brother, though prophesied, will only be fulfilled at the appointed time if the children of the Arkati have truly followed the Way. To fail is to perish, and all will burn.

Known as the "Immolation of Darkness", or simply "The Terror", the rulers of Sharath symbolize the invasion of the sky by the Great Mountain and the assault of the Dhe’nar on the heavens. Only through unity will the whole ascend to ultimate power, beyond even the Arkati and all other celestial forces. In this Way alone will the wrath of Noi’sho’rah fall instead upon the enemies of the Firstborn.

Criminals and disobedient slaves and “apostates” of the high born, those who have turned their backs on the Way, are bound to the walls of the Great Mountain. The Temple priestesses take flammable oils harvested from the tropical trees of the jungles and pour them down the sides of the mountain, much as their ancestors spilled blood from the channels of their pyramids, which are ignited by the magi to purify the Dhe’nar by incinerating those who have fallen from the Way. Fire storms are summoned from on high. Heretics are hurled from the heights of the mountain into the flames.

Waves of dark essence are unleashed in concert with bolts of nether as the ritual crescendos, reaching higher and higher up the mountain, until finally there is a burst of flames and searing light from the summit. The fiery whip-blade of Sharath erupts as a volcano, with lightning and thunder, striking up into the black sky to stab at the Dark Moon.

Flowing like molten lava into porous drains in the base of the mountain, the oils of the jungle burn and throw off smoke from sealed off sections of the underground labyrinths of Sharath. Soot and ash of the immolated rain from the skies on the people and surrounding villages, blessing them for their adherence to the Way. The masses below are whipped into a frenzy of religious ecstasy and terror as they rise victorious over the darkness. In the night of ash and fire the Firstborn are one, and they know what it means to walk with power.

Hearth's Heart

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Hearth's Heart

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Second weekend of Eoantos (November)

Who celebrates it: Elves, artists

Where is it celebrated: Originating in Ta'Loenthra, Hearth's Heart has been recognized and celebrated across the Elven Nations

A short description of the holiday: Hearth's Heart originated as a celebration of the works of a famed Loenthran writer, her literature honored through various artistic interpretations throughout the city-state. The holiday expanded and evolved as it was shared across the Elven Nations, its charming origins bringing together lovers of literature and art during the cold month of Eoantos. On the day of Hearth's Heart, elves visit friends and loved ones, gathering together to exchange written works, artwork, and other various crafts, the emphasis placed on the face-to-face interactions often few and far between during the winter season. The focus is not on the artist's skill, but on the intentions of the gift, be it a thank you to a kindly acquaintance, a declaration of love, or a simple intention to bring a smile upon a stranger's face.

Olive Harvest Days

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Olive Harvest Days

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Mid-Eoantos

Who celebrates it: River's Rest

Where it is celebrated: River's Rest

A short description of the holiday: Held on a weekend in mid-Eonatos during the olive harvest and pressing, Olive Harvest Days is a small celebration of everything olive. The olive groves of River's Rest are bustling during harvest, and during Harvest Days, this versatile crop is lauded with a variety of olive-centric food kiosks, toys, and activities.

Children and adults alike participate in educational tours about the olive, getting hands on with harvesting and pressing, and a hay maze is set up amidst an already-harvested grove and filled with a number of booby traps and surprises along the way. Cooking contests that highlight the use of the olive in its many forms are frequently held, and for the strong-stomached, an olive oil-guzzling competition is a must. Olive farmers often visit Aeia's shrine during the weekend as well and pay homage to their local deity and her blessings upon their crops.

While this is mostly a low-key event, some of River's Rest's more… offbeat… residents and adventurers have a "side" celebration dubbed "Olivemania" that is held once the more impressionable minds are tucked into bed.

A highlight of Olivemania is a thumb-wrestling competition. Participants must place pitted olives on all of their fingers before wrestling. After several rounds (of thumb-wrestling and of drinking), invariably and inexplicably some begin to wear the olives on their toes as well. When they turn from thumb-wrestling to roshambo, olives (literally) begin to fly, and if you win roshambo whilst simultaneously managing to dislodge an opponent's finger-olive and land it in someone else's drink, you drink for free for the rest of the event.

Other Olivemania invents include olive darts (wherein you throw an olive toward the dart board, throw your dart, and skewer the olive to the board in order to score), olive-themed cocktail creation (and drinking) contests, and the final event to cap the late night -- wrestling in a vat of olive oil. The less said about the latter the better according to many (who, it must be said, say a great deal about NOT saying a lot about it).

As harvest festivals go, Olive Harvest Days in River's Rest is certainly one of the more unique, whether you stick strictly to the daytime activities or choose to participate in Olivemania.

Day of Eonak's Gift

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Day of Eonak's Gift

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Last day of Eoantos

Who celebrates it: dwarves who worship Eonak in their community

Where is it celebrated: anywhere Eonak is worshiped

A short description of the holiday: During the month of Eoantos, dwarven crafters spend their time making the finest quality items of their chosen trade. Once finished, each dwarf presents their creation as a gift to another member of their community on the last day of the month. The reason(s) as to why any dwarf is chosen to be presented with this gift is declared publicly, and can be for personal reasons, a favor done previously, or by the merits found through the chosen dwarf's accomplishments. These items often become heirlooms in the gifted dwarf's family and provide a sense of unity between the families within each clan.

Podsfall Gatherings

Name of the Holiday/Celebration: Podsfall Gatherings

Date of Holiday/Celebration: After the first frost in Eoantos

Who celebrates it: Giantkin

Where is it celebrated: Across Elanthia

A short description of the holiday: Each autumn, as the first frost blankets the lands of Elanthia, the clans of the Giantmen celebrate a cherished tradition known as Podsfall Gatherings. This informal holiday is celebrated by both the nomadic and settled clans.

On this day, giantmen of all walks of life leave behind their towns, cities, or camps to wander the forests in search of honey locust trees, gathering their prized pods. For the nomadic kindred, the holiday often coincides with their seasonal migrations, making it a time to prepare provisions for their journey. For those who have embraced more sedentary lifestyles, it is a way to step back from urban life and rekindle their bond with nature, their clans, and their past.

The pods, celebrated for their versatile sweetness, are collected with a tinge of excitement and laughter. Older clansmen will remember running through the forests trying to find the biggest of the trees, while the young do just that.

What makes the honey locust pods so unique is that their casing acts as a natural container for the sweet syrup stored within, making storage for all not an issue. The "pot lid cake" tradition is particularly beloved, as families gather around their hearths and campfires alike.

Rarely is a traveling giantkin without a bit of cinnamon bark and honey locust pods, which allows them to make a strongly spiced and heavily sweetened tea that is an autumn favorite. This tea is often called wynyfed, taking its root from the Kannalan word for wandering and drink.

Notes on Pot Lid Cakes: Cast iron pots with straight feet are often used by the nomadic clans, indeed even those giantkin that live in cities will have one of these somewhere in their larder. Elaborate meals can be made within the cast iron pot as they only require a bed of coals to get them as hot as an oven. The lid of one of these pots has a handle in the center, but the underside forms a shallow bowl.

Pot lid cakes are created in these lids while the meal is being consumed as they do not take long to bake and will utilize the already hot lid. A thin layer of dried or fresh fruits is laid into the lid while the syrup of honey locust pods is poured evenly over the fruits. The cake batter itself can be made from flour created by drying acorns, amaranths, almonds, or other nuts that can be found on the trail.

Consumed for breakfast or dessert, the cake is often a favorite.

Harvest of Amber

Name of the Holiday/Celebration: Harvest of Amber

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Last weekend of Eoantos

Who celebrates it: Citizens of the Turamzzyrian Empire

Where is it celebrated: Turamzzyrian Empire

A short description of the holiday: Traditionally celebrated by the Green Sisters and Order of the Edelweiss, though picked up in more recent years by the combined efforts of various Imaeran orders and Hospitaller orders, Harvest Amber is a communal effort to prepare farmlands, orchards, and places of cultivated growth for winter. Started sometime between 4628 to 4632, M.E., these efforts were originally aimed at preserving as much land from the icy clutches of the Ice Queen to ensure that her prolonged winters harmed as little foodstuff as possible when growing could begin.

Typically, a weekend affair, the last of the harvestable items are stored for the long winter, before fields are “laid to bed” in a type of simple winterization. Hay is thrown about the fields, canvas is wrapped around fruiting trees and bushes, and the leaves are burned in a large bonfire on the final night. In some areas, beets, turnips, carrots, radishes, and garlic are pre-planted in hopes that deep in the ground they will begin their growth before winter freezes the ground.

In the early 5000, a rumor that the Winter Witch was returning spread throughout Northern Hendor, causing widespread panic. However, during that time a talisman created of fresh shorn wheat and strips of Imaeran altar linen was created and distributed to every household. The priestess that shared the talisman, which looked like a wheat-limbed, white-dressed doll with flaxen-fronds hair, with every household. She instructed many how to create the doll and told them to keep it on their hearth throughout the long winter. She told them that if they burned it on the coldest night it would stave off the eyes of the Winter Witch, keeping them and their neighbors safe from her clutches. Though many eye this with a bit of speculation, not many can claim it was without validity for the Winter Witch has not returned. As such, this doll is often built on Harvest of Amber and stored on hearths throughout the winter.

Eorgaen

Day of the Paladin's Observance

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Day of the Paladin's Observance

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Second Volnesday of Eorgaen

Who celebrates it: The Order of Voln

Where is it celebrated: Across Elanthia

A short description of the holiday: On the second Volnesday of Eorgaen, a vigil is held in the open throughout the night to watch the passage of The Paladin constellation and to meditate upon Voln's mandate.

Day of Winter's Joy

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Day of Winter's Joy

Date of Holiday/Celebration: First or Second Week of Eorgaen

Who celebrates it: Gnomes, particularly Greengair (Forest Gnomes) and Winedotter (Burghal Gnomes)

Where is it celebrated: Elven Nations, anywhere with snow

A short description of the holiday: The Day of Winter's Joy celebrates the artistic possibilities of snow and ice, both of which can be found in abundance across the Elven Nations of Ta'Vaalor and Ta'Illistim. The (usually) friendly holiday competition entails the molding of snow into whimsical sculptures found throughout their Greengair compounds, though Winedotter gnomes and their penchant for all things clockwerke have incorporated elaborate ice carvings into their contests, the exhibitions on display for public viewing alongside stands selling hot drinks and hand pies for the wintry contest. Two gnome winners are announced, one for snow and one for ice, and bragging rights are awarded for the month of Eorgaen in the form of their likeness sculpted in their chosen medium and displayed at the center of the compound for all to admire until the melting season.

Although others are encouraged to create their own snow and ice art, the compound sculpture and accolades are awarded only to gnomes, as one gnome stated, "That's just too much ice for anyone taller than a gnome."