❝ every year, in anticipation of the spring equinox, the port of yeonghae flowers into a month-long festival leading up to that fabled midpoint between winter and summer. this festival is known as the spring summons, a custom that has endured since before the first blight. as evident by its name, the spring summons is rife with rituals and celebrations of new life, new prospects, and new company. the theme has always been the thawing, the awakening. it never matters how cold the air is when the festival begins; it instead looks to the future and how warm it may become, beseeching spring to return home . . . ❞
- excerpt from THE LAST BASTION: FESTIVALS, CELEBRATIONS, & CUSTOMS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, by historian xue xiaoling.
welcome to our first event! IN CHARACTER, the spring summons runs from mid-february to mid-march, specifically the day of the spring equinox. OUT OF CHARACTER, this event will follow a similar timeline, beginning today, feb. 16, and ending on march 21.
✧ CURRENT EVENTS
STRANGE HORIZONS: A NAMELESS SHIP ARRIVES BEARING GIFTS
within the first week of the festival, the port fills with ships from foreign lands seeking out the festivities. while some are well-traveled merchants or experienced sailors, others are a bit more naive, and the seaside wardens always have a busy time keeping track of new arrivals and making sure that no scoundrel tries to commandeer some unsuspecting noble's ship or their priceless belongings within.
among them, a flagless ship has spotted off of yeonghae's silver shores. it had seemingly arrived overnight; no one can say exactly when they saw it approaching, nor that they've seen much of its crew, if at all.
instead, a new, mysterious NOTICE has appeared on yeonghae's bulletin board, titled, I HAVE COME TO SHARE MY SPOILS...
to participate in this subplot, follow the instructions on the EVENT NOTICE.
MIDNIGHT RITUALS: OFFERINGS TO APPEASE THE WEAVE
the ELEIONOMAE have constructed this year's altar to the weave. located in the SOUTHERN WETLANDS, all are welcome to follow the crumbling walkways from the main road into the wetlands, to bring prayers and offerings to the weave.
it has been a long-held belief that equinoxes are the days when the weave is at its thinnest (in contrast with solstices, when it is at its thickest), but the eleionomae were the first to establish these altars, due to their natural, intrinsic tie to the weave. over the years, the custom has been extended to allow all species who wish to pay respects to the weave by imbuing a small, meaningful object with their magic, then leaving it at the altar. this altar is located about a 15-20 walk into the wetlands, in a clearing with a gnawled gloomwood tree that has been decorated with moonflowers and ghost lilies, which cast an ethereal glow over the area after dark.
it is believed that the weave will absorb the magic from the offerings over time, thus preventing it from thinning too much. offerings are considered most potent when delivered when the moon is high in the air . . . but the wetlands are a dangerous territory. it is recommended to travel with a partner to make any midnight offerings, lest the wetlands claim a soul without the town's notice.
SPRING BANQUET: HEIGHTENED SECURITY AHEAD OF PUBLIC EVENTS
a public banquet will be held on the first day of march, lasting the entire day and open to all. guests from neighboring areas such as eunhaedo and goseong are known to stop by, making it one of yeonghae's busiest days all year. the banquet is potluck-style, displayed on a long table in the heart of victory garden.
due to increased activity, some wardens from the eastern and western outposts have been asked to join the town wardens in keeping the peace in the heart of town. officials and guards from goseong have also been spotted among the guests. rumor has it that they have grown tired of the fruitless investigations into the theft of the mad regent's crown and are actively questioning citizens for more information on the thieves.
✧ TRADITIONS
ROOF WASHING: BLESSINGS FROM THE GREAT WATER DRAGON
with no promise that the last of winter's snowfall has passed, washing the roofs of houses now seem highly inconvenient, but this tradition has never been much about cleanliness. when the four cardinal dragons used to roam the world, the cardinal dragon of the west, also known as the water dragon, was hailed as one of the forebearers of good luck at the end of winter, a symbol of overflowing potential that would arrive throughout the year.
legend has it that when the ice thawed and waters began to churn freely once more, the water dragon would awaken from its slumber just off of mooncrest beach. it would soar so high into the air that it could no longer see the little houses in yeonghae, still covered in snow and the past year's history. thus, yeonghae's citizens take great care to clear their roofs during this time of year, in hopes that their homes would catch the water dragon's eye and earn its blessing.
this custom is mostly carried out by older or more traditional families in yeonghae, though the legend itself is ageless. because most older residents cannot take on such a physically taxing task, more requisitions for help tend to pop up around this time.
FORTUNATE FLORA: FLOWER CHARMS & DECORATIONS
while some look to the dragons for luck, others look to nature. on the first day of the spring summons, the ENCHANTED FLORIST releases the first of its magical spring blooms --- flowers cultivated with magic, grown to last until well after the spring equinox. each flower is considered a talisman for special luck - to bring good finances, good health, good relationships, or simply a good year - and can be given as gifts, worn as accessories, or hung on doors and windows.
however, unbeknownst to the shop, there were some irregularities with their stock. after a few days, some flowers seem to attract the opposite of good fortune; their cores begin to blacken after just a short time; and those who spend too much time breathing in their scent are beginning to fall ill. some have even begun saying that the scent of these charms might even be attracting lesser darkspawn . . . an uneasy thought, when the enchanted florist is supplying flowers for the SPRING BANQUET.
OOC NOTES
we welcome & encourage you to interact with as many aspects of the event as you'd like! since this event covers a period of time, threads can take place at any point during that period (ie. you can write banquet threads that technically happen in march). tag all threads that take place during the event with #sn:event001.
feel free to headcanon other celebrations / customs. the main theme of this festival is very much "reaching towards spring," with a focus on looking ahead and all things new. additionally, wherever NPCs are involved (ex. the guards from goseong), you can take creative liberty and write them into your threads. for certain parts of this event, please make sure that your askbox is open and anonymous is on!
any questions or suggestions can be sent over to the main; otherwise, we hope you have fun and consider your choices carefully. 🌸
