Tales of Solhaven (storyline)/2024-05-20 - Festival of Oleani Fertility Rite (log)

The Fertility Festival ritual was held as part of an automated ceremony during the Festival of Oleani in Solhaven. It was held at both 11am and 7:30pm ET on 5/20/24. Below is the rite with only NPC actions kept.

The melodic chime of the bells at Oleani's Temple cascade across the cobblestones, their soft chiming a delicate reminder that the 7:30 PM Fertility Ceremony is about to take place in the temple on Liabo Esplanade.


[Oleani's Temple, Sanctuary]
Moonlight pours through the narrow windows recessed into the top of the domed ceiling, the silvery light painting the marble floor in cool silvery hues.  Several rosewood benches fill the space and are arranged in three crescents.  One series faces the northwestern altar niche and another the northeastern baptismal alcove, leaving the largest group turned to an empty space at the center of the nave.  Interrupting a colorful fresco along the northern wall is a simple maoral door.  You also see a rose-crowned young human acolyte and a tawny-haired human priestess.
Also here: Bathcwyn Missoni who is sitting, Sir Cryheart who is sitting
Obvious exits: northeast, east, south, west, northwest

One by one, citizens enter the sanctuary, each either standing or taking a seat on one of the nearby several rosewood benches as they await the start of the ceremony.

One by one, acolytes enter the sanctuary.  Each is dressed in flowing white gowns of light cotton that are belted with bright red sashes, their brows crowned in ribbon-laden flower circlets.  They hold small baskets of fruit which they offer to those assembled.


>look acolyte
Tightly spiraled, the young human acolyte's brown-black hair is drawn back from her face by a silken scarf of dark red, a ring of white roses laid over the fabric, while the edges of her baby fine hair are laid flat and smooth along her temple and forehead.  She is dressed in a simple gown of niveous Vornavian silk with split sleeves lined in red satin that highlights the warm bronze of her skin tone and is overlaid with a heart-patterned tatted rose gold.  Her expression is open, and her high cheek bones and subtly almond-shaped eyes of deep brown rest within an oval face with a slightly flared, flat nose.

>ask acolyte about Ceremony
Leaning forward, the acolyte whispers to you, "There are many ceremonies we perform this time of year, and they are open to all who wish to fill their hearts."  Offering you a smile, she leans back.

>ask acolyte about Fruit
Leaning forward, the acolyte whispers to you, "The pomegranate is a sacred piece of fruit, its interior covered in seeds that are surrounded by a sweet red juice.  Its abundant seeds represent all the possiblities of life, while its protective outer shell is a type of armor that keeps that life safe.  Each of us has the potential to be the pomegranate.  A bright shell that protects the sanctity of life."
Before leaning back, the acolyte presses a plump bright red pomegranate into your hand.

Leaning forward, the acolyte whispers quietly to Missoni before pressing a plump bright red pomegranate into her hand.

>ask acolyte about Blessing
Leaning forward, the acolyte whispers to you, "The priestess is happy to offer blessings to all.  Regardless of gender, culture, or race, all deserve the blessings of Oleani.  Should you wish the blessing, then please feel free to GIVE her a flower or some seeds as a symbol of your desire."


A light murmur slips through the gathering as a tawny-haired human priestess enters the sanctuary.


>look priestess
Ample with a pear-shaped body, the human priestess is dressed in a simple shift of blushed white with split sleeves lined in mauve.  A rose-patterned tatted overgown of iridescent chainsil yarn adorns her torso, trailing into pale red rosettes that blend into the skirts of her gown.  Her hair is drawn back from her high brow by a woven circlet of red and white roses, the long chestnut brown tresses spilling to the middle of her back.  She has large, golden brown eyes and subtly tanned skin.

>ask priestess about Blessing
Whispering quitely to you, the priestess says, "If you wish to receive the Blessing of Fertility, then please GIVE me your donation."


"Oleani, Goddess of Love and Fertility," the priestess intones as she opens her eyes and lowers her gaze.  "We call upon you now in this sacred space, where the boundaries between the mortal realm and the divine are thin, on this your holiest of days.  Hear our voices, Oleani, as we gather before your altar, seeking your presence and your blessings upon this ritual of fertility."

The priestess's words echo softly throughout the sanctuary, reverberating against the walls and ceilings like the gentle murmur of a brook.

Calling out loudly, the priestess turns her gaze upward and towards the flower-laden rafters of the temple as she recites, "We invoke you, Oleani, as the bringer of life and the nurturer of souls.  You who hold the power to kindle the flames of passion and desire within our hearts and to bless us with the precious gift of children.  We stand before you now, humbled and awed by your boundless love and compassion."

Soft murmurs and the rustling of clothing filter through the air, mingling with the soft sound of chimes rung by acolytes dressed in white and crowned in ribbon-laced blossoms.

Several paritioners murmur an echo to the priestess's invocation.

The priestess's voice rises and falls like the ebb and flow of the tides of Solhaven Bay as she continues, "Oleani, hear our prayers, and grant us your favor in this sacred hour.  Bless us with fertility, abundance, and the promise of new life.  Fill our hearts with hope and optimism, and guide us along the path of love and creation.  We offer ourselves to you, Oleani, as vessels for your divine will, and we trust in your wisdom and your grace to lead us ever onward."

Several parishioners bow their heads, while others move through the standing assembly and make their way towards the priestess.  One by one, they present themselves to her, offering donations in the form of bowls of seeds, apples, bundles of flowers, or loose cardinal feathers.  She accepts them with grace, solemnly passing them to a nearby acolyte before turning back to the supplicant.

With a smile, the priestess kisses the forehead of the supplicant before her and whispers a quiet blessing in her ear before moving on to the next parishioner.

The priestess accepts the donations of another supplicant and kisses her on the forehead before whispering a quiet blessing in her ear and moving on to the next parishioner.

With a smile, the priestess kisses the forehead of another supplicant and whispers a quiet blessing in her ear before moving on to the next parishioner.

>give priestess
The priestess is in the middle of a ceremony at the moment.  Perhaps wait for the blessing or ask one of the acolytes for assistance?

The priestess accepts the donations of another supplicant and kisses her on the forehead before whispering a quiet blessing in her ear and moving on to the next parishioner.

A final supplicant presents herself to the priestess, who provides the woman with her full attention.  She murmurs in her ear and then kisses her forehead.  As the woman returns to the gathering, the priestess turns her attention back to the assemblage.

The flickering candlelight casts a soft glow upon the faces of the participants, illuminating the depths of the look of reverence in their eyes.

The priestess raises her hands in a gesture of benediction, signaling the end of the sacred ceremony.  Several participants follow suit, bowing their heads in reverence and closing their eyes in silent prayer.

"Oleani, Goddess of Love and Fertility," the priestess intones, her words carrying the weight of solemnity and devotion.  "As we prepare to depart from this sacred space, we offer our thanks and our gratitude for your presence among us.  May your blessings continue to guide us on our journey, filling our hearts with hope and our lives with abundance."

Those gathered listen intently, their lips moving as they silently repeat the priestess's words.

"May your love surround us like a gentle embrace," the priestess continues, her voice rising in a crescendo of reverence and awe.  "And may your light shine upon us always, guiding us through the darkest of times and illuminating our path with hope and promise."

As the final words of the benediction fall from the priestess's lips, a nimbus of pale pink light stretches outward from the altar, touching all within the temple.  A sense of peace and serenity briefly caresses your thoughts, leaving you with a sense that the blessing has been heard.

In a display of reverence, several worshippers bow their heads and murmur soft prayers.

With heads bowed, the white-clothed acolytes lead the priestess out of the chamber and deeper into the temple.