❖ Introduction Riverfall can be a somewhat serious city. However, that being said, the Rivarians do like to celebrate and cling to their traditions in the form of festivals and holidays. There are not a great many holidays throughout the year, but the ones they do have are celebrated with great gusto and are often renowned as some of the most crime-less celebrations found anywhere on Mizahar.
Holidays in Riverfall seem to come four a season. Rivarians generally have one solemn holiday, one pointed towards the future, one based in the past, one celebrating women, and one having something to do with food. There are other smaller celebrations throughout the year as well, for example when a child comes of age or passes a Rite. Marriages and births are also commonly celebrated.
❖ Spring Name: The Valterrian Survival FestivalDate: 1st Day of Spring
Details: Marking the beginning of the new year from the ashes of the old, this festival celebrates life and its resilience in the face of chaos and destruction. The mood is festive, but tempered by the sadness for all that was lost. People look forward to the future while remembering the lessons of the past. Public celebrations do not indulge in any excess of revelry; instead, this is a time for everyone to be thankful and express their good will for the new year. Citizens visit their loved ones and take great joy that they have survived one more turn of the seasons. Highly symbolic presents, tailored to the individual, are often exchanged between family and close friends. There is no pressure or obligation to do so, but these small gifts are viewed as a token of gratitude and an invitation to carry on.
Duels and violence are forbidden on this day when the world is revived. Also, on this occasion every single citizen can hold a public speech if they so choose. Commonly, the speaker uses this chance to thank someone they hold dear and to make propositions for the coming year. The entire community will hold them to their promises regardless of race or gender, so such oaths should not be made lightly. Several Akalak have been dishonored upon not being able to follow through on their propositions by their fault alone.
A new tree is planted in Riverfall on the first day of spring, and carefully marked so that everyone can see the year when it was installed. Several people develop a special connection with the "Valterrian tree" of the year when they were born or some other significant time of their lives. Whenever a Valterrian tree withers and dies, the next tree will take its place so that life can always go on. Markets are open all day and art pieces are especially valued. It is not uncommon for people, especially those who lead particularly dangerous lives, to have their portraits painted, sketched or carved on this occasion, to remind them that they, too, are survivors. These works of art also serve as a part of them that will remain, should they not make it to the next spring.
Credits: Leo Varniak
Name: The Ink FestivalDate: 90th Day of Spring
Details:Rivarians celebrate the end of Spring by taking advantage of the warm weather and showing off some skin. Herrlock/Garad from Riverfall Ink receives a commission from the Council to do free tattoos, under a certain size, from dawn until dusk. Any amateur tattoo artists in the city also offer free tattoos, and though they don’t receive Council commission, it is a matter of pride to offer one’s gift to such a holiday.
Those with tattoos display them openly throughout the city, where many businesses offer festival discounts to those with extensive markings. All Riverfall residents, who have their residency tattoo, receive at least some small discount. In the evening, much of the public and those with the most spectacular tattoos meet on the floor of the Gideon Arena, where a winner of the festival is decided by public vote. Tattoos are not just judged by multitude alone, but color and quality as well. Epic stories may be told though one’s tattoos, relayed to the gathered crowd while the bearer stands on a box for all to see his marks. The winner from one year cannot win in the next five years, to make sure fresh winners are always chosen.
Children often are given henna or other temporary tattoos - often by child artists- as well, and have their own contests judged by child judges.
Credits: Rosela
Name: The Form And Fitness FestivalDate: 45th of Spring
Details: At the apex of Spring, when new life blooms and the days are once again tolerable, Riverfall earns its reputation for masculinity and bravado when the Form and Fitness Festival begins. Heralded as a contest of strength and prowess, the festival lasts for three days, in which Rivarians flaunt their strength and love of the physical form. All citizens are permitted and encouraged to attend, but visitors to the city may participate as well. Staged at Gideon's Arena and Gideon's Glory, contests of strength feats dominate the days while raucous drinking and celebration rule the night.
While many scheduled and official events occur throughout the festival, it is not uncommon at all to be challenged at any time to an arm wrestling bout or similar contest anywhere in the City. The incredibly brave or insane may also venture out to the Cerulean Outpost, where more brutal and feral challenges can be made, though these often end badly for the loser. On the final day of the Festival, a Body Building competition occurs in the Arena, where forms and definition take precedence over brute force. It is known to be second only to Beautyfest in attendance of the females of Riverfall. Prestige and honor are the main victories, though one special honor remains for the victor of the overall events. A winner of the Festival is named and the victor holds that title all year until the next Festival.
Credits: Elem Bree
Name: Sweetday!Date: 60th of Spring
Details:Sweetday is a holiday of happiness and self control. It is one of the several holidays that celebrate the ever-important presence of children in Riverfall by bringing a day of levity into their lives. It is also one of the few holidays that is not dedicated to a particular god. For Sweetday, the Zhongjie Warrens repopulate with candy stalls, all selling some manner of sweets. Professional bakers, candy shops, and family cooks can rent a space to sell their wares for the day. The festival starts informally after lunch and ends around dinner.
While adults must pay for their sweets, each child under 12 is issued a packet of tickets: 5 tickets for those aged 9-12, 4 for 7-9, 3 for 5-6, and 2 for all children 1-4. Parents of a very young child may spend an hour or two choosing for them, but the rest of the festival is spent dodging packs of children running from stall to stall, deciding what to spend their tickets on. Candy makers compete for the most tickets, using any advertising tactic available to lure children into spending tickets on their wares. The next day, the tickets are tallied, and the store with the most gets their spot in the Warrens for free the next year.
In the disciplined society of the Akalaks, gluttony is abhorred, but one must still make time to stop and appreciate the sweeter things in life.
Credits: Rosela
❖ Summer Name: The Day Of The DanceDate: 85th Day Of Summer
Details: Parties in the streets! Musicians line every street corner, playing music a plenty. The celebration of the end of summer starts 4 bells before nightfall. Males and females take out to the streets in casual wear, and dance till you can't dance no more. Most of the city takes to the beach for beach dances, but some like the quieter atmosphere of the parks where they still have music. From street corner to street corner, different music is always playing, allowing for people to almost always be dancing, to whatever they like best.
The Gideon Arena is turned into a staging area for the professional group dancers, with the outskirts turned into audience seating.
People have been known to dance all the way through the night till the dawn of the next day. Rhaus has been known to be at this festival some years, celebrating in the excellent music and dancing. Everyone is given a single necklace deep blue necklace, who they are to give that night to the person they think danced the best. The top ten dancers generally will have a dance off in the Gideon arena, to the delight of everyone else in the city.
Credits: Dex
Name: Seafaire!Date: 30th Day Of Summer
Details:Details: Being built nearly on top of the sea, Laviku is a vastly important god to Riverfall. Konti and Charoda, two species present alongside the prevalent Akalaks, owe their existence to either Laviku or his mate, Alavis. As is his right, Laviku demands sacrifice in his name and the city is happy to oblige.
Seafaire is a city-wide festival, and all citizens are expected to turn out for it. The mighty sea that protects Riverfall is celebrated with boat races, swimming competitions, and seahorse races. Companies and stores will often sponsor a competitor, though the winner receives only prestige. All praise goes to Laviku, who allowed the competition in the first place. Should an Otani wander into the harbor during the festivities to grant them a song, all other music stops as the city crowds into the harbor to listen.
Throughout the day, a great wreath is constructed at the end of the harbor. Every citizen, down to the last child, is expected to add some bounty, be it food, flowers, or worldly possession. Vendors set up stalls and sell wares cheaply, though the quality is highly important. No one wants to be responsible for incurring Laviku’s wrath for sending him their discards. Many shops make festival-themed variations of their typical wares, specifically for adding to the wreath. These vendors often add what does not sell to the wreath themselves at the end of the day. The wealthier families of the city make vast contributions, often with much pomp, in an attempt to out-do one another.
As the sun starts to sink, the Council of Ten holds a ceremonial tying of the wreath, wrapping it with net to be sure all contributions make it out to sea. The winner of the boat race slowly hauls the wreath out to sea, with the winner of the swimming competition aboard and the seahorse champion swimming alongside. Once they are out of the harbor, the rope is cut, buoys removed, and the wreath floats out to sea, slowly sinking. The festival is officially over when the wreath has completely vanished under the waves.
Credits: Rosela
Name: The Festival of LightsDate: 2nd New Moon of Summer
Details:The Festival of Lights commemorates the dual nature of all Akalaks and the endless cycle of Akajia and Syna. During the day, the shadows of the cliffs bring a bit of Akajia into the day; and during the night, Leth’s light brings his lover’s essence into the darkness. However, during the new moon, Leth is gone from the skies to join Syna as lovers do, and the people of Riverfall take it upon themselves to continue his work.
The Festival of Lights is a casual festival by day. Shops and stalls sell their wares at a festival discount, with a particular emphasis on candles and candle holders. Craftsmen and chemists show off the latest fashions in candleware, usually in darkened tents and back rooms to emphasize the lights.
Either during the day, or well in advance for the over-prepared, each citizen of Riverfall creates a unique candleholder. These are made primarily from painted glass jars or lanterns, but the skilled may craft their own. Each candle represents a single notion about the carrier, be it a physical object, an emotion, or anything else important to the one carrying it. For the first person able to guess what their candle represents, the carrier must present a small token of reward. It is considered bad luck if, at the end of the festival, one has a candle that no one has been able to guess.
Once night falls, the real festival begins. There is a night-long fair throughout the city, through which people carry their own candles and guess at the candles of others. Shop stalls remain open, and are joined by street performers and games of chance. Though most of the public does not make it through the entirety of the night, the young take it as a badge of honor if they can stay awake until the celestial lovers part and Syna returns with the sunrise.
Credit: Rosela
Name: Feastday!Date: 80th of Summer
Details: With the autumn harvest drawing closer at the end of summer, the people of Riverfall give thanks to Bala and the farmers who keep the city well fed. One final day of excess before the work of the harvest kicks in, and the whole city feasts. Most of the day is spent preparing food, so almost all non-culinary businesses are closed for the day.
Restaurants open in the evenings with large spreads for those who wish to dine out instead of slaving over their own meals. Those with extensive families often stay home and cook, and many social circles engage in a pot luck dinner. For those without families, or no desire to eat at home, restaurants enjoy a familial atmosphere, with complete strangers sitting elbow to elbow. Members of the known farming families in town are often given a free place at restaurants and friends’ homes.
After the feast, most adults sleep off their excesses while the children play games in their homes. The evening of Feastday is often slept away, and the streets are empty until the next morning.
Credits: Rosela
❖ Fall Name: The Fire FestivalDate: 25th of Fall
Details:Details: Celebrated in many locations across Mizahar, the Fire festival was originally introduced to Riverfall by Svefra seafarers. Their influence is obvious as the greater part of the festival takes place on the beach and away from the grass, where unchecked fire could easily run out of control. People gather around bonfires to chase the cold of the night and take turns sharing stories of sadness and hope, death and rebirth. Some of the tales are retellings of popular legends in local folklore, others are new, spun by the storytellers for the enjoyment of their audience. Some are even of a personal nature. The Akalak often share stories of battle, loss, destruction and redemption. It is not uncommon for people to start rehearsing their tale seasons in advance of the festival. On this occasion even the Nakivak women sit and speak side by side with the Akalak; all are considered equal on this night. There are no contests and no winners.
Fire dancers move smoothly between the bonfires, the torches they carry and juggle with ease marking them in the darkness. They entertain the audience in between tales, dancing on the embers and eating fire as the night marches on. Dressed in gaudy, flowing robes, they do not speak a single word throughout the festival. Taking care of the more solemn side of the festival, theirs is the duty of collecting a flame from every bonfire at the culmination of the event. Lighting a torch from each gathering, they bring them all together and stand in a line in front of a raised platform well visible from the sea, where a pile of wood and kindling has been prepared in advance.
As most participants assemble around the platform, a massive wicker figure dubbed the Dark One is transported on top of a wagon by eight Akalak warriors. The Dark One was woven by Riverfall's women and decorated by skilled artisans one season prior to the event. It embodies the worst challenge the city had to face in the past year and could be a Zith, a glassbeak, a Yukman or even a misshapen man deformed by disease. The wicker creature is hoisted upon the platform and the Fire dancers light the bonfire with their torches. As the Dark One burns, people hold hands and celebrate the cycle of rebirth. The ashes from this event are then buried somewhere in the city to fertilize the soil and make it so that new life can bloom from the blazing fire.
Credits: Leo Varniak
Name: Remembrance DayDate: 45th of Fall
Details: The golden age for the Akalak people occurred during pre-Valterrian times, when their race thrived in the great city of Valkalah. After the Valterrian, however, Akalak numbers shrunk drastically and the ones who remained were left to pick up the pieces. Their society is steadily being rebuilt in Riverfall, but the loss is still deeply lamented. Remembrance Day is a tradition put in place by the Council of Elders to allow the Akalak a public outlet for their grief and to ensure that their illustrious history is not forgotten. Over time, the holiday evolved so that the citizens of Riverfall mourn the loved ones they've lost post-Valterrian, as well.
On this day, it is customary to wear a red ribbon to honor the dead. Men tend to tie these ribbons around their wrists or upper arms, whereas women often braid them into their hair. During the morning, families gather and partake in their own traditions. Many honor Dira with prayers or shrines, while others choose to spend their time sharing stories, giving thanks, or meditating.
At mid-day, the city gathers for a public mourning ceremony. The Council of Elders and other prominent members of Riverfall society make official speeches about the past, and often emphasize the importance of hope for the future. Citizens are invited to share their poems and art, and children are told grand stories of Akalak bravery and honor.
In the evening, a pyre dedicated to Dira is filled with flowers and candles and sent out to sea. Those who wish to participate will hold a candlelight vigil along the shore. These candles are often decorated with a single red ribbon and inscribed with the names of the dead. Many citizens also choose to include messages or memories dedicated to their loved ones in these inscriptions. The vigil is held until the pyre disappears from view, though there are always some who stay until Syna begins to rise once more. On a more personal level people often float candles in the small lakes within Riverfall's park, holding private memorials dedicated to their lost loved ones.
Credit: Naeya
Name: BeautyfestsDate: 68th of Fall
Details: Beautyfest is a holiday filled with love, passion, flirting, and fun for both genders of all ages. Beautyfest is a fabulous holiday in which the women tease and flirt with the men, often even ending up with some "getting lucky". The women dress in their finest attire, put on the most beautiful makeup they can, and go with their friends to have fun.
The Beautyfest causes the streets of Riverfall to be filled with fun and exciting music, often different tempos and rhythms, to set the mood for any and all wanting to dance. During the day, the music definitely isn't as lively. During the most part of the day, the women dress in their finest clothing and jewels only to visit the free hair, makeup, and spa booths. There are even stations in which the women can get free mani/pedi's with the girls. After they are prepped they often head out and enjoy in the city's activities that are hosted by the businesses.
When the sun goes down, however, it's a different story. The music around the city livens up and at every corner and strip of street there is guaranteed to be a set of musicians playing a variety of music. The music varies in tempo and rhythm setting the mood for anyone. Dancing then occurs, and a lot of it. The men of the city carry around an average of 200 beads around, giving them to the woman they feel they care for the most. In order to get some beads the women usually move around, dancing, flirting, teasing, and flaunting themselves at the men. The woman with the most beads around is usually the most respected since she has pretty much won the Beautyfest.
Set aside from that, Beautyfest is not only pretty much a game for any woman. With the unlimited amounts of wine spread throughout the city, people tend to become frisky and the citizens grow more provocative and 'turned on'. When alcoholic beverages and sexual desire are thrown into the mix, things are bound to turn into the direction of love. In the end, many children are conceived after this night and many relationships blossom. In the end, not only does it turn out in favor for those who were looking for that, but it also helps their races strive.
Credits: Septimus
Name: The Wine FestivalDate: 80th Day Of Fall
Details:The Wine Festival takes place on the 80th day of Fall because that date assures that all the grapes have been harvested for the season. This is when the Winery begins to prepare for Winter and has more time to promote the Wine Festival. This is when the Bluevein Winery begins to stock the shelves with wine that has aged a year. Before the festival no previous year wines will have been put up for sale.
This holiday celebrates more of last years harvest than the current year for the wine that is served and sold is of the previous years harvest, although the current year is mentioned as well. Vendors across the city will stock their shops with all different kinds of wine from in and outside of Riverfall. The Winery will only sell Riverfall made wines. Wine prices are reduced for the festival and grapes are also in high demand for those who don't drink. All Bluevein employees have this day off, but most stay around the festival to work and promote sales.
Drinking is highly encouraged and drunks are not uncommon, although any sight of violence or harassment is dealt with promptly. This holiday is meant to be fun and care-free.
Because the Wine festival celebrates the harvest, the Goddess Bala is automatically celebrated as well since she is the Goddess of Harvest. She is thanked for the good harvest and prayed to for a better harvest if the current years was not good. Statues of Bala are set up around the city and offerings of wine, grapes and other plants or products of plants are given freely.
Credits: Syrah Steele
❖ Winter Name: Founding DayDate: 1st of Winter
Details: Details: While there is no agreement on the exact day when Riverfall was founded, tradition has pegged it on the very first day of Winter, as the last of the large outdoor celebrations before the cold season truly sets in. Most of the Akalak population belongs to the second and third generations since the founding, having heard the tale of the great march from their fathers and grandfathers. This festivity promotes remembrance of the city's common roots and is meant to remind the Akalak where they came from and what they accomplished.
Five days before the event, ten Akalak are selected to participate in the re-enactment of the great march from Valkalah. All interested Akalak volunteer by placing their names in a ballot, with the only requirement being that they must have completed their rite of passage and be considered adults. Oftentimes, those who volunteer have had their honor stained for some reason: participating in this event is an statement of their goodwill to clear their name. Lots are drawn and the names are announced. The chosen must depart on the fourth day before the celebration. They travel on horseback from dawn till dusk, going as far East as their mounts will take them in a day. Then, they dismount and make their return to the city on foot, carrying the city's banners and insignia with them. The celebration cannot begin until they have made it to the walls, so they would be greatly dishonored if they could not make it in time. There have been instances of the founding party being attacked on the Sea of Grass in the past. If a member falls during the march, it is considered a bad omen for the coming winter. On the contrary, if the party takes no casualties but returns with trophies from vanquished enemies, the coming year is said to be a fortunate one. In a single case, when the party failed to return altogether, Riverfall was ravaged by famine throughout the next year.
The townspeople stand on the walls and out of the gates, waiting for the founding party to arrive. As soon as they are sighted, cheers of joy welcome them into the city and all participants then gather into a procession to the Knirin gardens, where a number of heavy slabs of rock have been prepared. The Akalak spend a few bells erecting a makeshift structure out of those, symbolizing the construction of Riverfall at the hands of Cauldric Chivan and his men. Healers are always on hand as incidents are quite common, and the newly made building will be dismantled a few days later, only to be remade the next year. Once the construction is complete, and not a moment sooner, the revelries can finally begin. Dances, songs, wine and recitals continue late into the night.
Credit: Leo Varniak
Name: The Festival of LoveDate: 45th of Winter
Details: When an Akalak falls in love, it is a moment of both beauty and tragedy. The prolonged lifespan of this race means they almost always outlive their lover, which makes for a painful existence. Some realize this and despair, swearing to never fall in love. Others, however, do their best to make the most of the short time they have through celebration and reverence. The Festival of Love is a manifestation of the latter.
On this day, the Akalak honor Cheva - Goddess of Love, Passion, Vows, and Marriage. Many betrothals are announced, and more marriages occur during this day than any other, as it is considered good luck to marry when worship for Cheva is at its peak. Gifts are also exchanged between lovers or potential lovers, and a number of establishments across Riverfall hold "couples nights" for those who would like to celebrate their love through food, drink, and merriment.
Vendors peddle a wide assortment of perfumes and aphrodisiacs (the pheromone-heavy perfumes from Ahnatep are especially sought-after), and some even claim to sell "love potions." Discovering whether a love potion truly works is often a harrowing process, however, and many report experiencing short-term side effects after drinking a peddler's dubious creation. Fortune tellers also frequent the city and, unsurprisingly, tend to offer couples nothing less than visions of a happy future.
A popular tradition among Akalak without a lover is to gift necklaces of colorful, beaded glass to the woman or women they most admire. The more necklaces a women receives, the more she is appreciated. In order to signify whether or not they are in a relationship, thus giving the Akalak a sign of availability, many women playfully choose to wear a braided ribbon around their wrist. If the ribbon is on the left wrist, they are available. If it is on their right wrist, they are not. Games of seduction also abound. These are particularly well-liked by both men and women who are uninterested in love, but who wish to find a companion to warm the cold winter's night.
Credits: Naeya
Name: The Festival of HopeDate: 15th of Winter
Details: In the face of winter, where so much dies, The Festival of Hope celebrates life. A few nights before, Priskil changed the watchtowers of the world to signify another season passing. Riverfall celebrates with Oriana that passing, another season that brought them new children and the continuing life of the children who were born before.
The Autumn has taken much of the greenery from Riverfall, and the children of the city take the day to make wreaths and laurels from the newly shed branches. Though all children are required to make one, and wear it for the day, excessive stripping of branches is frowned upon, and adults are always on hand to assist and supervise the process. Each child chooses one tree to take their branch from, and leaves a small lantern in its place, to be lit in the evening. Babies and children too young to wear scratchy branches may wear a ceremonial laurel of cloth, with the images of branches stitched onto the sides.
Throughout the day, a festival is held in the city, centered in the Zhongjie Warrens. Games and activities specifically geared to children are held, such as animal tricks, puppet shows, and face painting. There is a scavenger hunt held in the Warrens, with an intricately carved bear totem to the child who completes it first.
After dinner, the city gathers to the base of the Azurite Watchtower, Priskil’s bastion of sadness and hope for her lover. At the base, all the able children of the city join hands and form a massive ring. Outside the ring, mothers or fathers with children not yet able to walk also stand. In unison, the children run and skip in a circle around the base three times, with the crowd calling out the number of loops as they pass. After the third ring, the children are laughing and stumbling too much to continue, and the ring breaks apart. The ring is the informal end to the festivities, and the child of each family leads them to where he or she hung their wreath lantern. Before heading home, the family lights the lantern, to help future children find their way to Riverfall.
Credit: Rosela
Name: The Ice MasqueradeDate: 80th of Winter
Details:This Holiday marks Riverfall's famous Masquerade Ball. Related to many gods, mainly Morwen and Rhaus, the winter masquerade represents the activity of life in the dead middle of winter. The festivities start at dusk, where everyone makes their way to the location of the Masquerade which is held at various locations depending on the year. Females generally wear white, representing the icy cold of winter, while the males generally wear black, representing the seeming always present darkness. All woman are free to dance with any man for the night, allowing for much more socializing and activity.
From time to time during the festivities, various activities for dances can happen, such dances with large groups, to random pairings for a song. But the main idea of the entire evening is for fun, socializing, and to exhibit life and activity together. The music can vary depending on the musicians, but songs of joy are the most common, as well as songs to spring, as the night designates the time that the beginning of spring is closer then the end of fall.
Any Vantha in the city are highly praised to demonstrate their ice carvings in the halls as decoration, and are highly paid for it by the city. Other decorations include white lights and shining crystals, with ceilings often covered with white veils.
Credit: Dex
❖ Miscellaneous Name: Eclipses Date: Varies
Details: Whenever an Eclipse happens, Riverfall celebrates.
Lunar Eclipses: When the moon passes into the shadows, completely obscuring it from view except as a small black circle in the sky. Though the most common eclipse, and fairly regular, followers of Leth and Akajia have a celebration the day of each one. During the day's of the eclipse, all businesses are closed 4 bells before the eclipse, and until 4 bells after. During those 8 hours, most citizens of Riverfall are expected to attend to a temple or a temporary alter to Akajia, or to meditate in Leth's Observatory. The shadows are very active during this time, becoming stronger and louder to those marked by Akajia, seeming as alive as a running horse. Once the eclipse officially occurs, meditation ends, and loud celebrations begin. The city organizes a parade throughout the city, with music and marching. In the arena's, people wrestle and spar through tournaments.
Solar Eclipses: Much less common, these days are cause for celebration all around. Akajia's followers see this as a day with the world covered almost completely by shadow, giving great power to those marked by Akajia and to the shadows themselves. Followers of Leth see it as a joyous time, as the two lovers in the sky leave the earth in darkness to spend time together, leaving the land to Akajia. All business is closed that day, and the entire city has a huge party. Down at the docks, fishing ships are set out almost immediately, due to the huge quantity of fish during those times. The entire city becomes alive and dark, moving through the shadows in stealth. Any light during this time is frowned on, as it's a time to rejoice in the darkness. Children and adults alike arrange games throughout the city, from chases to blind wrestling. All adults are given a necklace with a card having their number on it, and a city wide competition begins 6 bells into the eclipse. Everyone moves through the dark, the objective is to steal as many necklaces as they can from other people. The necklace's have a easy break away system, so all one as to do to steal it is to get a grip on it and yank hard... and then escape into the shadows. Once you have additional necklaces, you have to wear those as well. Each necklace also has a single small bell on it, so stealth is a requirement, especially since it gets harder as you get more. Only one necklace can be stolen at a time, to provide more fair play.
Credits: Dex
Name: GiftdaysDate: Various
Details: Giftdays in Riverfall are frequently assigned to all kinds of memorial dates in a person's life. There are the traditional gift giving days in Riverfall, but truthfully just about anything can be turned into a giftday. The Rivarians love giving gifts. Most are hand-made simple things that reflect the nature of the person's relationship or profession. Food items, crafts, even jewelry are often given. Sometimes even acts of labor are preformed on someone's giftday which is a welcome expression of fondness in Riverfall.
Gifts are given in celebration of a milestone in someone’s life. A milestone is an important event that can be a milestone, turning point or advancement in knowledge.
These milestones are usually:
Apprenticeships, Anniversaries of Births, Any Rites Accomplished, Birth of a Child, Deaths, Engagements, Forging of Lakans, Taking a Nakivak, Weddings, and Wedding Anniversaries.
Name: Zintila's TearsDate: Any meteor falling...
Details: Whenever a tear of Zintila streaks across the sky in the form of a comet, one of the first to notice is usually someone in one of the religious towers, high above the city with eyes turned upwards to the heavens. From there, the joyous news is immediately spread up the chain of command, always corroborated by several excited witnesses. By the time it gets to the City Council, half the city knows and the announcement of a holiday comes as no surprise.
Shops immediately close as everyone takes to the streets to celebrate and see if they can spot the fading tail of the tear in the sky. The story of Zintila’s sacrifice is told along the streets, through song, dance, and impromptu performances. Performers gather crowds to tell the tale, though for the spectacle only – never Mizas. To capitalize on a tear of the stars is in poor taste.
The day is joyous, but with a swell of pride and remembrance. As they remember Zintila’s sacrifice to save Semele, their own Mother Mizahar, they acknowledge the joy in sadness, and the honor in laying down one’s life for another. Despite Zintila’s lessened rank to that of an Alvina, there is great pride to be had in that humility.
Credit: Rosela