Festivals
From FiranMUX
The two Firan Festivals are planned around an agrarian calendar with the Spring Festival occurring in time for planting and the Fall Festival in time for harvest, as Firans are an agrarian people. Both festivals were traditionally hosted by the Cockatrice who possessed the city of Sarkaran and prided themselves on their hospitality. In 26 A.U. the city was wrested away from the Cockatrice during a war with the Gold Dragons, who as a result are the new festival hosts. The Festivals themselves consist of numerous events and contests, including the famous Pentathlons, where the most elite athletes of all clans have a chance to shine and win grandiose prizes.
Contents |
Festival Peace
The tradition of festivals is ancient in Firan culture, pre-dating the Republic. Because the festivals are planned around the planting and harvest of crops, which grow entirely out of the Gods' own benevolence and sustain the life of the Firan people, they are regarded as not only a time of celebration but a time when all of Firankind comes together to show their adoration for the Gods in the two biggest display of joyous gratitude of the year. As such, the festivals are regarded as largely sacred events and, indeed, it is believed that the times during which festivals are held were mandated by the Gods themselves.
Because of the sanctity of festival time, festivals occur under the sanctuary of what is known as Festival Peace, when Firans of all clans put aside their differences, pause any military aggression, and stay executions and punishment of criminals. All Firans are united as brothers and sisters during this time and are expected to act like it by one another, as well as the Gods. To call festival peace a 'law', however, is a misnomer. It is a divine commandment so ingrained into the culture of the clans that it would be inconceivable even to write it down.
Breaking Festival Peace
The violation of Festival Peace is a transgression which can, and has, brought down the wrath of the Gods. During the Fall Festival of 24 A.U., Lord Philander was executed by Lady Proxy Junia of the Bear Clan. The Firan people noticed the disregard for the Gods, were outraged and broke into riots, forcing Junia to resign from the position of Proxy. It was too little too late, however, and Gods made their displeasure known; chickens would not lay, women could not conceive, alcohol became poisonously potent, the sun would not shine and the eternal light in Eesha's temple went out. It took the Firans much hard work and prayer to earn the Gods' favor back. After the Great Dream of 25 A.U., many Firans believed that the Gods handed down a list of divine mandates known as the “God Laws” to the people of the Republic. While those claim remains dubious to many members of the Republic, it is still notable that amongst the laws was the following mandate: You will respect traditions, such as... that festival peace is kept.
Preparations for a Festival
With an entire race of people hanging on two of the most joyous occasions of their year, the responsibility involved in coordinating such an event is great. It is neither free nor easy and requires strenuous planning and funding to be successfully executed. However the planning of the Festival is, in many ways, it's own unifying event as people from all over the Republic come together to throw a successful celebration in honor of the Gods and for one another. Clan Leaders, Priests and Priestesses, cooks, servants, singers, dancers, actors, craftsmen and Nobles of every standing play a hand in making the Spring and Fall Festivals in Sarkaran a success.
Funding
Funding for the Festivals comes directly from the people by way of annual taxes to their Clan Leaders, who in turn make pledges to pay for the Festival. The funding pays for the food, drink, decorations, prizes of some events and payment for anyone on the Festival payroll. The only time anyone pays for anything out of pocket at the Festival is for services and prizes for a privately sponsored event or for purchases made from the Festival's many vendors. These vendors tend to sell toys for children, flower garlands and of course bouquets for the women, and other trinkets; food and drink are available free inside the Festival Pavilions and there are no fees to enter them, nor any of the events held within. The Festivals are open to all of Firankind.
Nobles
Firans have a hierarchical class-based society at which nobles are near the top and enjoy a slew of privileges for it. In return for all of these advantages, Firan nobility is expected to keep the masses fat and content, and there is no time during which this is more true than the Festival Weeks. Without the salvation of the common class - anonymity - every nobleman and woman is expected to run at least one event during the Spring and Fall Festivals or else face the resentment of the populace (in the way of lost social points). While certain members of the upper class are allowed a 'pass' on participating in the Festival events, it is a rare thing reserved mainly for very elderly nobles, Clan Leaders, Proxies, important Ministers, or anyone else who's responsibilities would obviously suffer should they be distracted by coordinating Festival events. What defines these responsibilities is, however, not clearly defined and the Firan people tend to be both fickle and unforgiving when denied their seasonal festivities. Young nobles are expected most of all to sponsor events and could be judged particularly harshly if they fail to live up to expectations.
Inns and Taverns
In a place where transportation is done mostly by foot and quality roads are few, inns and taverns play an important roll in daily life and that is particularly during the Festivals. Most people prefer to hold up a night in an inn than travel hours to get home, just to return to the festivities in the morning. The Silver Owl, an inn in Sarkaran, overflows with guests during the Festival while many more in Anarinuell - which lies right across the river from Sarkaran - are forced to close shop; all travelers are in Sarkaran and those who come from far away to attend the Festivals are usually wealthy and have family to stay with in Anarinuell, the heart of the Republic. Some still choose to cross the river back to Anarinuell when they leave the Festivals, but are forced to leave early in order to arrive home at a decent hour. Festival time provides the opportunity for unique roleplay staying in a new place with new people for those who can afford it and, for those who can't, making tent cities in the woods of Sarkaran to reside in for the length of the festival. Taverns Taverns and other food-serving establishments are also forced to close during Festivals. While there is no law saying they must, establishment owners simply choose not to do business during Festival Weeks, 'less they be forced to compete with an endless supply of free food and drink in Sarkaran. Employees tend to complain that they should be at the Festival and that there are no customers and store owners realize the Festival was paid for by their taxes and would also rather be attending themselves. The end result is that locating an open bar during Festival Weeks in Anarinuell or Sarkaran is nearly impossible. All the drunks are in Sarkaran!
Pentathlons
The tradition of the Festival Pentathlons were begun by Ranivor Elianos Firgalik and featured rigorous tests of mettle and the participants' fighting spirit and graniose prizes befitting such rigors and such a prestigious family as the Ranivor's, now called the Elianiks. They have become a Festival institution and while the events are still technically sponsors by the Elianiks, they are moderated by the Clan Council, who has made multiple rulings on prizes throughout the years.
Clan Council Decrees
In 24 A.U., the Clan Council ruled that Pentathlon wins are limited to three per person, thus keeping particularly talented athletes from racking up winnings professionally their entire lives. This decree was not retroactive and does not affect winners from before 26 A.U. A decade later, in 34 A.U., the prize of nobility was abolished and replaced by a second marriage prize, with which winners could marry into nobility if they so wished.
While Pentathlon prizes so not need to go to the winner and may instead be given away, they can under no circumstances be sold, as that would make crass the blessings of the Gods. This includes marriage prizes. While the Clan Council has chosen never to define 'sale' but trust that they will “know it when they see it”, they have made themselves very clear on the punishment for offenders; any man or woman caught selling their Pentathlon prize will be buried in an anthill (a punishment chosen by a narrow vote, but driven through by the Oshta Taria).
Categories: Events | Theme | History | Cockatrice Clan | Gold Dragon Clan | Religion | Festivals
