Announcement: Ornathian Holidays

Category: General
Subject: Ornathian Holidays
Author: GS4-THANDIWE
Date: 2025-03-03

The Isle of Ornath has long been hidden from the world, though it does have its connections and ways, but much of its customs were not known to the continent of Elanith. With the mana storms receeding and allow safer, regular travel, we've gained some knowledge of them and their customs. Here are five traditions/holidays of the Island:

Hibernal Festival

Wrath of the Drake

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Wrath of the Drake

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Second Weekend of Charlatos

Who celebrates it: Ornathians

Where is it celebrated: Sleeping Drake Harbor

Held annually on the last full weekend of Charlatos in Sleeping Drake Harbor, Wrath of the Drake honors Fash'lo'nae, the Grandfather of Knowledge, and the fire, both literal and intellectual, that he gifted to mortals, despite the objections of the Great Drakes and other Arkati.  The heart of the festival is a torch race up the travertine cliffs to one side of the Spine of Koar, where competitors must overcome Nine Hazards to bring fire to the edge of the Agora Promenade.

The day begins with the arrival of contestants and spectators from across the island.  Outlying farmsteads send representatives, and the harbor fills with revelers as the morning is spent in debate and storytelling, where scholars, tricksters, and firebrands share tales of forbidden wisdom, lost knowledge, and the ever-present pursuit of truth.  Fire-eaters, flame dancers, and masked performers take to the streets, ensuring no mind remains unstirred and no heart untested.

At the third hour past midday, competitors gather at the base of the Spine of Koar, each carrying a lit torch.  The goal:  deliver fire to the peak, where a great wrought-iron brazier of firewood awaits ignition.  The path is fraught with Nine Hazards, each a test of wit, agility, or sheer determination.

The Hazards are:

1. The Assassin's Ambush – Several acrobats costumed as Onar attempt to snatch competitors' torches.
2. Harbingers of Lumnis – Stilt-walking parrots squawk riddles, blocking passage until answered.
3. The Drake's Tail – A sweeping rope obstacle mimicking a drake's thrashing tail.
4. Rolling Barrels – Large barrels tumble down the steps, forcing nimble footwork.
5. Shifting Pennants – Billowing flags and banners obscure the path, a test of instinct and memory.
6. Sheeted Spectres – Large white sheets mask the way, disorienting runners and representing the fog that can cloud a mind.
7. Echoing Wisdom – Competitors must repeat whispered phrases, but tricksters offer false words to deceive them.
8. The Scholar's Leap – A gap in the stairs requires a well-timed leap or risk being delayed by mischievous scholars.
9. The Great Drake's Maw – A massive Koar costume blocks the final stretch, opening only for those who offer fire or knowledge.

The first competitor to reach the summit and ignite the brazier is declared the victor, though no prize beyond prestige is given.

As night falls, the fire is carried back down, and the festival concludes with a grand bonfire, where the people of Ornath drink, debate, and revel beneath the firelit sky, celebrating the gifts of Fash'lo'nae and the eternal pursuit of knowledge.

While originally a single-day event, Wrath of the Drake has expanded in recent years into a three-day festival, incorporating preliminary games, performances, and additional challenges inspired by the Nine Hazards.

Vernal Holidays

Bericsaba Market

Name of the Holiday/Celebration: Bericsaba Market

Date of the Holiday/Celebration: First Full Weekend of Olaesta

Who Celebrates: Ornathians

Where is it celebrated: Sleeping Drake Harbor

On the first weekend of Olaesta, the harbor market of Ornath, closed for much of the year, throws open its gates for a highly anticipated annual event.  Farmers, poulterers, shepherds, and artisans from across the island descend upon the bustling square, eager to hawk their wares, test their skills, and stake their claim in the island’s most prestigious culinary and craft competitions.  For one weekend, the market is a whirlwind of voices calling out their goods, the scent of grilled fish and sweet preserves thick in the air, and the clatter of craftsmen setting up displays of finely woven textiles, carved driftwood trinkets, and freshly fired pottery.

While trade thrives, it is the competitions that draw the largest crowds, each category a test of skill and island tradition.  Culinary rivalries play out over the best island preserves, where jams, marmalades, and chutneys are judged not just on flavor but on their richness, balance, and longevity.  Fish dishes range from simple grilled fare with crisp citrus glazes to elaborate spiced roasts, each entry an attempt to prove its maker knows the sea best.  Breadmakers, too, bring their finest, whether soft, pillowy loaves or dense, nutty rounds meant to last through long journeys.  The cucumber dip contest is perhaps the most cutthroat of all; what began as a humble side dish has become a matter of pride, with families guarding their ingredient blends as closely as a jeweler guards gemstones.  Even shepherds take part in the fray, presenting their finest cheeses and strongest poultry stock, with judges weighing the plumpness of partridges and rock pigeons and the depth of flavor in each sample.

Though prestige is the greatest prize, the market is just as much a place of mischief and gossip.  Rivals keep a sharp eye on one another, some going so far as to send spies to hover near cooking stalls, listening for whispered recipes or watching for the subtle addition of a hidden ingredient.  It is not uncommon for a particularly good preserve or an especially inventive dish to mysteriously reappear in another vendor’s hands the following year, leading to playful accusations - or the occasional grudge that lasts well beyond the festival.  By sunset on the final day, champions are crowned, bets are settled, and old rivalries either find resolution or new fuel.  As the market shutters its doors once more, the island hums with the afterglow of competition, each participant already planning for the next year’s battle.

Kuon's Bloom

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Kuon's Bloom

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Ivastaen First

Who celebrates it: Ornathians

Where is it celebrated: Isle of Ornath

For those who wish to honor Kuon in a more gentle, yearly observance, Kuon's Bloom is a spring festival marking the first blossoming of wildflowers and herbs. On this day, healers, herbalists, and farmers leave their first harvest of herbs upon temple steps or at the edges of forests, offering them back to nature in Kuon's name. Children gather wildflowers and weave them into crowns and garlands, which they place upon shrines and doorways, or even offer as gifts to those who have dedicated their lives to healing and growth. In the evening, a quiet moment of thanks is held in homes, fields, and gardens; each person reflecting on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and the simple gift of being able to nurture something small into something great. Kuon's Bloom is a time of gentle renewal, an echo of the greater Vigil, but one meant to be carried out with joy and gratitude, rather than sorrow and toil.

Estival Holiday

Ephus Day

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Ephus Day

Date of Holiday/Celebration: 6th day of Koaratos

Who celebrates it: Non-Biblian Ornathians

Where is it celebrated: Isle of Ornath

Ephus Day is a light-hearted holiday celebrated every 6th of Koaratos by the common people of Ornath, where they poke gentle fun at the Scribes of Biblia by electing one of the island's children "Ephus for a Day." The origins of Ephus Day are murky, and apparently lost to history, though most say it traces back to a centuries-ago dispute between an ornery dairy farmer and a supercilious Biblian, that escalated to the farmer electing a local child "Ephus" and parading him among the farmsteads. This minor insult to Biblian dignity grew and evolved into the small and good-hearted summer celebration it is today.

In the weeks leading up to Ephus Day, Ornathian parents are wont to stir up excitement and curiosity among their children, asking them if they think they're smart enough to be Ephus and why. This leads to an evening bonfire, where children who wish to stand for election as Ephus are invited to share their wisdom with the voters present and make promises for their support. The child elected Ephus is crowned with a garland of flowers and carried on a bamboo litter through Sleeping Drake Harbor. The Ephus's brief reign is celebrated with fireworks and fruit skewers (as well as spiked punch for the adults).

The holiday is decidedly looked down upon by the Scribes of Biblia themselves, who see it as a mockery of their sacred rituals and way of life. Every Ephus Day, the Scribes are sure to be occupied with some piece of collective business, keeping them confined to the ground of Biblia, and far from the fun.

Autumnal Holiday

Kuon's Vigil

Name of Holiday/Celebration: Kuon's Vigil

Date of Holiday/Celebration: Second Weekend of Eoantos

Who celebrates it: Ornathians

Where is it celebrated: Isle of Ornath

Kuon's Vigil is a sacred time of storytelling, mourning, and renewal, honoring the gentle giantman who rose from mortality through his dedication to healing the land.  It is observed across the Isle of Ornath with each day carrying a distinct purpose and meaning.

Day One – The Longest Night

At sundown, the festival begins with The Longest Night, a time of storytelling and remembrance of the Ur-Daemon War.  Around great bonfires, families and communities gather, recounting tales of the coming of the Ur-Daemon, the battles of the Arkati, and the horrors that once threatened to consume Elanthia. While many weeks before the Winter Solstice, which is traditionally called the Longest Night, the event is named such as it was the first night of the great war so many centuries before. According to archives in the Library of Biblia, records speak of how the various races sheltered in fear as the first battle took place, noting "Great Wings covered the sky, large bodies writhed above, causing the sun, moons, and very stars to fall into darkness."

A highlight of the night is the Horror Story Contest, where the most chilling tales of ancient horrors and lingering shadows are shared.  Elders speak of the destruction wrought by the war; lands scorched, knowledge lost, and the fall of the Drakes.  Bonfires are lit across the countryside to stave off the darkness, symbolizing the mortal struggle to hold back oblivion.

As the night deepens, families prepare broken clay vessels, symbolizing the destruction after the war. Within these vessels, seeds are planted and kept within homes or shrines, awaiting their time to be nurtured.

Day Two – The Day of Mourning

The next day is solemn and hushed, known as The Day of Mourning. No feasts are held, and even nature seems to pause as people wear dark greens and browns in quiet reverence. It is a day of collective grief, honoring:

• The drakes who fell defending Elanthia.
• The mortals lost, whose names have long faded from memory.
• The wisdom and history that was destroyed, leaving gaps that can never be filled.

Temples, libraries, and healing halls hold silent vigils, and those who walk the land pause to listen to the wind, the rivers, and the forests, seeking the quiet echoes of the past.  At sunset, offerings of flowers and herbs are left at shrines to Kuon and Imaera, in gratitude for the renewal that follows loss.

Day Three – Kuon's Gift

As dawn breaks on the third day, Kuon's Gift begins. This is a day of labor and renewal, where all, young and old, take to the fields, gardens, and cities to plant new life.

The seeds started in the broken vessels are transplanted into the earth, symbolizing life rising from the remnants of destruction. People repair damage caused by mana storms, seasonal rains, or natural decay, clearing debris from farms, towns, libraries, and temples. Offerings of golden leaves and fresh flowers are placed before Kuon's shrines, honoring the one who taught mortals to heal the land and others with their own hands.

At the end of the day, families and communities gather once more, this time not for mourning, but for celebration.  Small green and gold lanterns are released into the night sky or upon the rivers, marking the end of the festival and the promise of regrowth.

OOC Information/Notes

• Ephus Day - Created by GM Sindin
• Kuon's Vigil, Bericsaba Market, Wrath of the Drake, and Kuon's Bloom - Created by GM Thandiwe

As part of our 35th Anniversary of Gemstone, we will be releasing multiple more documents surrounding Ornath.

tldr

Ornathian Holidays have been added to the Holiday Document.