(QW07) Celebrations

Factore stops working on the Leilon crane and looks thoughtful, her hand absent-mindedly spreading grease across her face.

The expression is quickly turned into a beaming smile as she finds the memory she was looking for.

"Glitterbright of course! We have many celebrations in Gnomegard, some that last over a week but my favourite was Glitterbright for sure!"

Standing up you can see Factore trace patterns in the air, almost making the pavilions and stands of the celebration materialise in front of you.

"There's folks from all over, showing art and food and dance and all things creative! But I would always be focused on the Inventors Show, where we'd show off our latest invention!"

A smidge of doubt crosses through Factore's joy, akin to the grease across her face.

"The last one did not go so well, I was showing my automated fire extinguisher but obviously you need a fire to showcase something like that so I figured I'd make something to make fire. How could I know that after a certain point fire can be... Too much?!"

The beaming smile widens again as she twirls a small tool in her hand and points at you."But guess who's automated fire extinguisher saved the day?! Mine! That was the first time any of my inventions worked so well. Later, after I was chewed out by the elders I was told I would be given a place in the inventors guild."

She jumps up and down unable to contain her excitement."As a junior sweep runner! Once you're in, you're in though!"

She deftly pulls a nearby rope causing a panel on the nearby crane to bang open exposing its innards. She tightens some of the fixings and continues. "But that's a great point, the next Glitterbrights will be soon! And I can showcase the Dragon slaying ballista! Ooooh I'm excited!"

Pine would consider the question, silent and thoughtful as he considered it.  Celebrations and festivals were generally things of community, of closeness and togetherness that he hadn't ever really been part of, either because he was on the mountains alone, or because he never truly felt like he was part of.

He'd watched some from the hilltop, when the celebrations outdoors brought light and sound that travelled on the wind in hints where he could watch from a distance; how the coloured lanterns and singing and laughter had given hints of yearning that he indulged in, but while he had enjoyed watching from a distance, he didn't think that was truly the answer to what they were asking.

Something closer, something more obvious might be better to stay.  Not untruthful, but easier to understand perhaps, especially considering who he was.

"In the mountains, dwarves often would celebrate the lives of those who had passed," he said softly, letting the tone mellow the echoes of the dead that came when he spoke, just enough to make it less of a threat, "They would drink and tell stories of the person who had died; of their lives, of their accomplishments.  It helped those who remained come to terms with a life well lived, and it helped the dead for the same reason.  The halls of the dwarven holds were filled with life during those times especially, of celebration, but also of respect.  Each would speak of the dead and share memories of them for others to know.  It was often loud, in those celebrations; jubilant in memory as well as bittersweet at the loss of togetherness.  I liked those celebrations that saw both."

Celebrations. A custom observed by many, a ritual of marking the passage of time granting a small respite from the march towards oblivion.

Yavieba was of particular interest to I, per my vocation. However, duty was not the sole reason. My fellow practitioners would see it as something that had to be done and many would even view it with distaste, a ritual put on us by a Queen desperate to be liked. No, there was something about this celebration that moved me beyond anything could.

By itself it is a celebration more akin to my way of being than most. It was not a time of frivolous merriment, as some lesser races might indulge in, but a period of solemn reflection.

The autumnal equinox, a turning point in the natural cycle, served as a poignant reminder of the ebb and flow of existence.

We contemplated the spirits of our ancestors, those who had passed into Arvanaith. It was a time for important decisions, for weighing the consequences of actions and charting the course for the future. Even then, I understood the weight of such deliberations. Judgments were passed, destinies were shaped. The very fabric of our society was reinforced during this week of introspection.

The healers, of course, played their part. It was during Yavieba that our role took on a particular poignancy. We accepted all who came to us, regardless of their station or ailment. The infirm, the injured, the despairing – all sought our aid. And we provided it, freely and without judgment. To witness the restoration of health, the easing of suffering… it was a powerful thing.

This is what made my soul soar high. What made this ritual unshackle its earthly tethers and ascend into something more…philosophical.

It was a reaffirmation of the inherent resilience of life. A reminder of what could be, what should be. It was then, as it is now, that I understood the true value of existence. Not in its fleeting moments of joy or sorrow, but in its potential. The potential for growth, for change, for the preservation of all that is. Such is the nature of existence, a truth that remains as relevant now as it did then.

Arya would during their travels tell stories from the feyworld and often it was about celebrations of some kind. The Fey loved that and it involved music, dancing, singing, food and it was always outdoors in the nature. You could tell this was something she seemed to miss being here in the material world even if she didn't actually say so.

Idris Family never celebrated much apart from noble gatherings for certain occasions which were always full of politics which Idris doesn't like. He does however enjoy the festive mood.

DM:
[Random thought, which of the siblings would Idris most have fun with? Like his brother is successful and serious but who was more likely to share a joke?]

Idris:
[I'd say Yona. 2nd youngest. Although she has her quirks she a good person I think. Rest of the Doryu too serious and wary of each other for real]

"Weddings," he would say without needing to consider it. "Weddings are by far the best sort of celebrations.  Young love, still in the vibrancy of hope, everyone determined to be joyful and either generous or wishing to show their position through conspicuous consumption."

The warlock gives a sort of wistful sigh, eyes watching the past rather than the present.

"There is always dancing and revelry, drinking and food, good music and abundance.  Yes, weddings are by far my favourite.  There are few cultures that manage to make them a dour time.  You do have to be careful to ward against pickpockets, of course, but that is the same for most places these days if you are a person of means.  Or even if you aren't."