Annual Holidays - Midsummer

To help you interpret the setting and game mechanics.
User avatar
Copper Dragon
Posts: 537
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:11 pm
Location: GMT +1

Annual Holidays - Midsummer

Postby Copper Dragon » Tue Jul 19, 2016 12:34 pm

Midsummer Day & Midsummer Night

Midsummer is a festival that celebrates love and music through feast. It occurs between 30 Flamerule and 1 Eleasias. It's known to be a time when love advances, and it is common conviction that the deities themselves take a hand to ensure good weather. If bad weather is experienced on Midsummer Night, people of high and low birth consider it an extremely bad omen. In leap years - years that can be divided by 4 - the day after Midsummer is known as Shieldmeet, a festival day of its own.

If Greengrass celebrates the budding of life, Midsummer embodies the culmination of it. Many folktales and ballads revolve around Midsummer as a special time, wrought with magic and destined love. Contests, music and dance dominate the day in many communities; and feasts, frolicking games, and stars bright in the sky and the eyes of youthful lovers rule Midsummer Night.

For the peoples of Faerun, Midsummer is a celebration no matter the gods. But if you venerate one deity above the rest...

Man's Rites in or near Impiltur

Midsummer morning, priests of Lathander the Morninglord perform the Song of Dawn.

While there is merry-making on this day, people are always to keep mischief and bad luck in the back of their heads. Worshipers of Beshaba the Black Bes engage in revels of rudeness and destruction.

Worshipers of Lliira the Joybringer open a holy festival with the Swords Cast Down ritual in which weapons are thrown on the ground with chanting and covered with fresh flowers.

Unknown to most outsiders, worshipers of Loviatar the Willing Whip celebrate the Rite of Pain and Purity. Some say they do so by dancing in a circle upon broken glass or other sharp objects.

Among the withdrawn folk, villagers, hermits, rangers and woodland sages that pray to Silvanus the Father of Forests, Midsummer Night is considered holy, and these people often give sacrifice by breaking and burying an object constructed of wood.

Worshipers of Sune the Lady of Love give special heed to Midsummer Night. They bring lovers and couples together, and spark the fire of love by playing flirtatious games in forests and parks.

By dashing decree of Tymora, Lady Luck's priests and faithful engage in a night of daring adventure, wild revels, mischievous pranks, and romantic trysts.

Worshipers of Shiallia the Fertile invite friendly creatures to join in feasting, dancing, and singing.

Worshipers of Talos the Destroyer call for storms and lightning.

On Midsummer Night, worshipers of Mielikki, Our Lady of the Forest observe planting rites. Popular Dalelander tales suggest Mielikki's sacred followers take part on the Wild Ride, when it is said that herds of unicorns assemble and allow them to ride bareback through the forest.

Worshipers of Milil the Lord of Song celebrate the Grand Revel with feasting, dancing, and the performing of parodies and wicked satire in song.

Worshipers of Oghma the Wise Loremaster make or renew agreements and contracts.

Man's Rites rumoured to be in farther lands
Worshipers of a Goddess of Wind and Sky gather in the Shaar at the ruins of Blaskaltar, the site of the first known shrine to this elemental being.

The government of Mulhorand takes a day off and priests of Horus-Re sing songs of praise.


The Dwarves' Rites
Worshipers of Berronar Truesilver the All-Mother mark this day with chanted prayers, speeches, reports on the workings of the church, and an underground festival.

Guardians of Gorm Gulthyn the Protector gather for ritual salutes, martial weapons displays, chanted prayers, and the offering of weapons used in a defensive action.

On Midsummer Night, worshipers of the dwarven goddess of merriment Sharindlar gather around a natural underground pool to dance and perform secret rituals to the Lady of Life.

Followers of Marthammor Duin call this day the Hammer and celebrate dwarven craftsmanship.


The Elves' Rites
Midsummer is not celebrated among the elves as it is done among some other peoples: perhaps they enjoy the revelries of mankind from afar. But among their fey-like, old gods, this day and night holds no special meaning, so scholars suggest.


The Gnomes' Rites
Worshipers of the deity Callarduran Smoothhands the Deep Brother observe the Festival of the Ruby at twilight, celebrating the gems hidden in the earth by the Master of Stone.

Priests of the gnomish deity Flandal Steelskin, the Gifted, gather to make worked metal offerings, exchange methods, and sell their best works on this day known as the High Forge.



OOC: Midsummer always occurs on 31st July, which is a Sunday this year (2016). I encourage you to incorporate this holiday into your RP or plans - and certainly to keep your calendar more free around 29th - 31st July, where a player-initiated event might occur. More details on it separately on our forums soon! I hope fellow players will find these annual holiday posts useful, and if you are curious, you can check out the Offline RP posts for Greengrass, Midwinter and the Vernal Equinox also on these forums.
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests