Braggi
Seigneur
Registration Date: 2006.09.23
Posts: 287
Location: B.C. Canada
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The
following is a combination of 4 reference posts on the holidays that
occurred in different regions of TES2 High Rock during the game.
Although inclusion of these would be nice if they could be done,
holidays are a bit problematic in TES4 engine due to the complexity of
the game. Thus, these are included as possible Lore reference sources
as they draw from various written materials connected with the
province. This can be used as a source of inspiration for the "feel" of
a particular area in game or for verbal references when writing NPC
dialogue, as just two possible examples.
(Note also that any invalidated entries from the sources were removed
in the first incarnation of the project. This was done with advice and
assistance from Hrafnkel who was the original project Loremaster. I'd
like to offer my sincere thanks to him for his invaluable help back
then.)
Morning Star
Morning Star 1 - New Life Festival: Today the people of Tamriel
hold the New Life Festival in celebration of a new year. The New Life
celebration tradition is one of free ale at all the taverns.
Morning Star 1 - Scour Day: Scour Day is a celebration held in
most High Rock villages on the day after New Life. It was once the day
one cleans up after New Life, but has changed into a party of its own.
Morning Star 15 - South Wind's Prayer: The 15th of Morning Star
is a holiday taken very seriously. Called South Wind's Prayer, it is a
plea by all the religions of Tamriel for a good planting season.
Citizens with every affliction known in Tamriel flock to services in
the temples, as the clergy is known to perform free healings on this
day.
Sun's Dawn
Sun's Dawn 2 - Mad Pelagius: Mad Pelagius is a silly little
tradition in High Rock in a mock memorial to Pelagius Septim II, one of
the maddest emperors in recent history. He died about 350 years ago, so
the Septims since have taken it with good humour.
Sun's Dawn 5 - Othroktide: The people of Dwynnen have a huge
party to celebrate Othroktide, the day when Baron Othrok took Dwynnen
from the undead forces who claimed it in the Battle of Wightmoor. Lore
note: Since the Warp in the West and Dwynnen's extinction as a
territory, only the knightly Order of the Raven remembers this holiday
in modern times.
Sun's Dawn 8 - Day of Release: The people of Glenumbra Moors may
be the only people to remember or care about the battle between Aiden
Direnni and the Alessian Army in the first era. They celebrate it
vigorously on the Day of Release.
Sun's Dawn 16 - Hearts Day: Today is a holiday celebrated all
over Tamriel as Heart's Day. It seems that in every house, the Legend
of the Lovers is being sung for the younger generation. In honor of
these Lovers, Polydor and Eloisa, the inns offer a free room for
visitors. If such kindness had been given the Lovers, it is said, it
would always be springtime in the world.
Sun's Dawn 27 - Perseverance Day: Perserverance Day is quite a
party in Ykalon. It was originally held as a solemn memorial to those
killed in battle, resisting the Camaron Usurper, but has since become a
boisterous festival.
First Seed
First Seed 7 - First Planting: On the 7th of First Seed every
year, the people celebrate First Planting, symbolically sowing the
seeds for the autumn harvest. It is a festival of fresh beginnings,
both for the crops and for the men and women of Tamriel. Neighbors are
reconciled in their disputes, resolutions are formed, bad habits
dropped, the diseased cured. The clerics at the temples run a free
clinic all day long to cure people of poisoning, different diseases,
paralyzation, and the other banes found in the world of Tamriel.
First Seed 25 - Flower Day: Flower Day is another of the
frivolous celebrations of High Rock. Children pick the new flowers of
spring while older Bretons, cooped up all winter, come out to welcome
the season with dancing and singing.
Rain's Hand
Rains Hand 13 - Day of the Dead: The Day of the Dead is one of
the more peculiar holidays of Daggerfall. The superstitious say that
the dead rise on this holiday to wreak vengeance on the living. It is a
fact that King Lysandus' spectre began its haunting on the Day of the
Dead, 3E 404.
Rain's Hand 28 - Jester's Day: On Jester's Day pranks are set up
from one end of a town or city to the other. It is as if a spell has
been cast over the community, for even the most taciturn and dignified
councilman might attempt to play a joke on his family. The Thieves
Guild finds particular attention as everyone looks for pickpockets in
particular.
Second Seed
Second Seed 7 - Second Planting: The celebration of Second
Planting is in full glory this day. It is a holiday with traditions
similar to First Planting, improvements on the first seeding
symbolically to suggest improvements on the soul. The free clinics of
the temples are open for the second and last time this year, offering
cures for those suffering from any kind of disease or affliction.
Because peace and not conflict is stressed at this time, battle
injuries are healed only at full price.
Second Seed 20 - Fire Festival: The Fire Festival in Northmoor
is one of the most attended celebrations in High Rock. It began as a
pompous display of magic and military strength in ancient days and has
become quite a festival.
Second Seed 30 - Fishing Day: Fishing Day is a big celebration
for the Bretons who live off the bounty of the Iliac Bay. They are not
a usually flamboyant people, but on Fishing Day, they make so much
noise, fish have been scared away for weeks.
Mid Year
Mid Year 16 - Mid Year Celebration: Today is the traditional day
for the Mid Year Celebration. The temples offer blessings for only half
the donation they usually suggest. Many so blessed feel confident
enough to enter dangerous dungeons when they are not fully prepared, so
this joyous festival has often been known to turn suddenly into a day
of defeat and tragedy.
Mid Year 23 - Dancing Day: Dancing Day is a time-honored holiday
in Daggerfall. Who started it is questionable, but the Red Prince
Atryck popularized it in the second era. It is an occasion of great
pomp and merriment for all the people of Daggerfall, from the nobles
down.
Mid Year 24 - Tibedetha: Tibedetha is middle Tamrielic for
"Tibers Day." It is not surprising that the lorddom of Alcaire
celebrates its most famous native with a great party. Historically,
Tiber Septim never returned once to his beloved birthplace.
Sun's Height
Sun's Height 10 - Merchants Festival: The bargain shoppers of
the known world are out in force today and it is little wonder, for the
10th of Sun's Height is a holiday called the Merchants' Festival. Every
marketplace and equipment store has dropped their prices to at least
half. The only shop not being patronized today is the Mages Guild,
where prices are as exorbitant as usual. Most citizens in need of a
magical item are waiting two months for the celebration of Tales and
Tallows when prices will be more reasonable.
Sun's Height 20 - Sun's Rest: All stores are closed in
observance of Sun's Rest. Of course, the temples, taverns, and Mages
Guilds are still open their regular hours, but most citizens chose to
devote this day to relaxation, not commerce or prayer. This is not a
convenient arrangement for all, but the Merchants' Guild heavily fines
any shop that stays open, so everyone complies.
Last Seed
Last Seed 21 - Appreciation Day: Appreciation Day in Anticlere
is an ancient holiday of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest for the
people of Anticlere. It is considered a holy and contemplative day,
devoted to Mara, the goddess-protector of Anticlere.
Last Seed 27 - Harvest's End: Perhaps no other festival fires
the spirit as much as the one held today, Harvest's End. The work of
the year is over, the seeding, sowing, and reaping. Now is the time to
celebrate and enjoy the fruits of the harvest, and even visitors are
invited to join the farmers. The taverns offer free drinks all day
long, an extravagance before the economy of the coming winter months.
Underfed farm hands gorging themselves and then getting sick in the
town square are the most common sights of the celebration of Harvest's
End.
Hearthfire
Hearth Fire 6 - Khurat: Every town and fellowship in the
Wrothgarian Mountains celebrates Khurat, the day when the finest young
scholars are accepted into the various priesthoods. Even those people
without children of age go to pray for the wisdom and benevolence of
the clergy.
Hearthfire 3 - Tales and Tallows: No other holiday divides the
people like the 3rd of Hearth Fire. A few of the oldest, more
superstitious men and women do not speak all day long for fear that the
evil spirits of the dead will enter their bodies. Most citizens enjoy
the holiday, calling it Tales and Tallows, but even the most
lighthearted avoid dark streets, for everyone knows the dead do walk
tonight. Only the Mages Guild completely thrives on this day.
Frostfall
Frostfall 13 - Witches Festival: Today is known throughout
Tamriel as the Witches' Festival when the forces of sorcery and
religion clash. The Mages Guild gets most of the business since weapons
and items are evaluated for their mystic potential free of charge and
magic spells are one half their usual price. Demonologists, conjurors,
lamias, warlocks, and thaumaturgists meet in the wilderness and the
creatures created or summoned there may plague Tamriel for eons. Most
wise men choose not to wander this night.
Frost Fall 23 - Broken Diamonds: On the 23rd of Frost Fall in
the 121st year of the first era, the empress Kintyra Septim II met her
death in the imperial dungeons in Glenpoint on the orders of her cousin
and usurper Cephorus I. Her death is remembered in Glenpoint as the day
called Broken Diamonds. It is a day of silent prayer for the wisdom and
benevolence of the imperial family of Tamriel.
Frostfall 30 - Emperor's Day: Once the 30th of Frostfall, the
Emperor's Birthday, was the most popular holiday of the year. Great
traveling carnivals entertained the masses, while the aristocracy
enjoyed the annual Goblin Chase on horseback. Recently, these
traditions have fallen into neglect. It has been decades since there
was a big carnival and longer still since a sponsored a Goblin Chase.
Sun's Dusk
Sun's Dusk 20 - Warriors Festival: Today is the 20th of Sun's
Dusk, the Warriors Festival. Most all the local warriors, spellswords,
and rogues come to the equipment stores and blacksmiths where all
weapons are half price. Unfortunately, the low prices also tempt many
an untrained boy to buy his first sword and the normally quiet streets
ring with amateur skirmishes. The rulers have pardoned most of these
ruffians in the past, but have promised to be less merciful in the
future.
Evening Star
Evening Star 15 - North Winds Prayer: Today is the 15th of
Evening Star, a holiday reverently observed by the temples as North
Wind's Prayer. It is a thanksgiving to the Gods for a good harvest and
a mild winter. Some years, the harvest was not particularly good and
the winter unseasonably harsh, but as the rulers are fond of saying,
"It could be much worse." The temples offer all their services
blessing, curing, healing for half the donation usually requested.
Evening Star 25 - Saturalia: The New Life festival comes a few
days early in Wayrest with Saturalia, traditionally held on the 25th of
Evening Star. Originally a holiday for a long forgotten god of
debauchery, it has become a time of gift giving, parties, and parading.
Visitors are encouraged to participate.
Evening Star 30 - Old Life Festival: On the last day of the year
the Empire celebrates the holiday called Old Life. Many go to the
temples to reflect on their past. Some go for more than this, for it is
rumoured that priests will as the last act of the year perform
resurrections on beloved friends and family members free of the usual
charge. Worshippers know better than to expect this philanthropy, but
they arrive in a macabre procession with the recently deceased
nevertheless. When ale flows free in all the taverns in all the cities
of Tamriel.
Sources
Daggerfall Chronicles: Pages 69-72,
UESPwiki: Holidays section
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Holidays
The Imperial Library: Holidays of the Iliac Bay
http://til.gamingsource.net/dfbooks/b033_holiday.shtml
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Braggi: 2008.08.27 01:38.
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High Rock Holidays
