Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Twilight City Calendar

While an impious adventurer might get away with ignoring the events of the week of the God of a particular House, the major holidays: Carnalia, Sanguinia, Fungalia, and Magmalia are utterly unavoidable while within the city. They are a BIG DEAL, bringing in pilgrims from across the drow diaspora.


Every year the city's clergy gather at the Temple of the Dark Sea Monks to discuss the sacred progression of devotions to the city's gods. The calendar itself is not infrequently in flux as potent gods are lost or gained. There is a great deal of rivalry among priestesses for securing auspicious weeks for their temples.

The minutia of the calendar can sometimes be quite literally come down to the hour, minute, and second. Minor gods (who might have a single day of devotion) are not included in this Calendar. Some even more minor might even have particular hours devoted to their worship.

Twilight City Calendar

Every "Week" represents a Campaign Turn.

"The Blessed", if they are blessed this week, essentially have whatever Advantage exists in the RPG that is used, if rolling is ever required.

Week

Holiday / Devoted God

Devotions

The Blessed

Events

1

CARNALIA
(Manmanuk)

GRAND FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL INVERSION AND GIFT-GIVING. Inversion of societal roles. Getting drunk and violent. Gambling allowed in public spaces. The undead drunkenly riot through the streets. Violent, but killing is strictly prohibited.

Servants, beggars, undead, adherents to Chaos.

Customary riots in the streets. Gift giving by rich people.

2

Bael

Week of Strength. Bodybuilders, athletes, soldiers, and strong folk make pilgrimage to the sandy beaches to test their mettle in contests of strength and endurance. The Baelathon tests three sports of greatest importance: climbing, swimming, and exposure.

House Bael, bodybuilders, athletes, soldiers

The Baelathon - Games of strength and endurance on the sandy beaches.

3

Grachus

Festival of Doors. “All Doors Shall Open!” House Grachia declares that all doors shall remain open in honor of the God of Gates. Those that remain unopened shall be forced by House priestesses with sledgehammers.

House Grachia, Guards, Dogs

House Grachia sponsors games, including a grand bridge battle!

4

Baelis

Market Day. Foreign merchants will be allowed to hawk their wares within the Pomerium for one day. The Temple of Measures requires very particular specimens for live sacrificial rituals to honor Baelis.

Merchants, House Bael, Foreign Traders, Crabs 

House Baelis sponsors Market Day in the Pomerium.

5

Ronald

Week of the Castle. All people of means prepare for the coming Sanguinia by preparing their homes as fortresses. Sacred blessings are placed on the doors and walls by priests of Ronald. Fearsome traps are engineered to deter packs of revelers.

House Ronove, Traps, Architectural Engineers, Artificers

House Ronove sponsors a priestly procession and sacramental feast featuring consuming fat.

6

SANGUINIA
(Hydur)

GRAND FESTIVAL OF LOVE AND BLOOD. A time of love and “ritual purification”. Revelers don the bronze wolf mask and travel through the city in packs, eating the flesh of the weak and sick, howling. Vampires run amok. The health of the city is renewed by purging the weak, the hungry, and unprotected. The Queen Surrogate - an esteemed Priestess position, kicks off the festivities.

“Revelers”, Vampires, Lovers, Hydur, Those Seeking Vengeance

“The Purge”, essentially.

7

Bel

Devotions to the Matriarchs. Special household rituals are to be conducted in each home in order to religiously appoint or affirm the house’s matriarch.

House Beleth, Matriarchs, Mothers, House Undead

Funerals for those perished in the Sanguinia. The “Cleaning of the Houses”.

8

Mendos

Week of Work. Migrant worker-pilgrims travel to the north to harvest golden hills of wheat and transport them back to the city. Fair weather auguries a good year.

Pilgrims, Overseers

Pilgrim-workers are blessed by Priestesses of November.

9

Kaisal

Festival of Wasps. Wine served with honeyed venom provided by House Kaisal. Play a household game where everyone drinks from a chalice. One is “poisoned”. Sometimes it’s really poison.

House Kaisar, Wasps, Anything Which Pierces or Cuts

Honeywasp Queens are given tributes of blade-shaped flowers.

10

Mar

The Crawling God Awakens. But once a year it emerges from the earth to breathe the air and sing its invertebrate song. Offerings are made and a grand symphony is arranged to commune with its majesty.

House Fingol-Mar, Anything Which Crawls, the Paralyzed

Annual Symphony of the Mountain.

11

FUNGALIA
(Dolena)

GRAND FESTIVAL OF MUSHROOMS AND RENEWAL. Primary election season! Politicians buy votes using food.  Games of forage and athleticism sponsored by prospective electees for the glory of their campaigns.

Myconids, mushrooms, Zombies, Politicians

Patron-client oaths are annually renewed.

12

Lera

The Phallera! Festival of Mushroom Spawn and Dicks. Penis-shaped mushrooms everywhere!

House Leraje, Folk with Dicks, Mushroom Farmers

Penis-shaped mushroom soup is traditional and made basically everywhere.

13

Vasta

Festival to Foreign Gods. Shrines to foreign gods are paraded around the city and reside in places of honor for the week. Their priests are given leniency to perform rites typically considered uncouth.

House Vassago, Travelers, Adventurers, Smugglers, Foreign Priests

“Procession of the Unconquered”.

14

Timir

The Timurin Gauntlet. All criminals are given the option of suffering the wrath of the Sadistic God instead of their appointed sentences. If they suffer through the whole thing, their sentence is lifted. It’s considered an honorable way to get out of a dishonorable or disgraceful act (unless you fail).

House Timurin, Torturers, Jailers

Capital punishment is typically withheld until after this week, to give the condemned a chance at redemption.

15

Agar

Festival of the Sacred Frogs. Never, ever mess with the sacred frogs! The Sacred Frogs emerge from their hibernation (or don’t) to the observation of the Augurers of the Sacred Frogs. The Sacred Frogs are always able to predict the worst.

House Agares, Frogs, the Sacred Frogs, Amphibians

Several amphibian events coincide: the emergence of frogs, the spawning of olms, the salamander’s fiery resurrection.

16

MAGMALIA
(Tiamat)

GRAND FESTIVAL OF FIRES AND DISASTER. Arsonists run amok. Sacrifices of old unwanted things and junk are thrown into the volcano. The refuse pits are cleared and the city is made pristine.

Dragons, Arsonists, Cleaners, Disaster Clerics

Sacrifices to Tiamat. Cleaning of the streets (not a euphemism).

17

Ikord

Festival of Victory. House Kordelia puts on The Great Games! One full week of games, featuring every sport and contest the Drow have. Glory and blessings to the victors!

House Kordelia, athletes, gladiators who win.

Games! Games! Games!

18

Hakoldo

Festival of Smoke. The Thrice-Eaten-God and the Temple of Dreams offer citizens numerous inhalants to supplement their existence. Strange incense is burned upon the crossroads which dispels lucidity.

House Hekar, Auguries, Dreamers, Flying Creatures

Offerings of dreams at Hakoldo’s Temple.

19

Nix

Festival of Little Bites. Bite your lovers! Bite them often! Leave little tooth marks on their flesh as a sign of your jealous love. Draw a little blood, even. More marks = greater blessing by Nix.

House Nix, mantises, black widows, lice, lovers.

Games! Jealous lovers fight

20

Glazz

Week of Reflections. Mirrors are placed at crossroads and temples. Auspices are taken in reflections. Artists and clergy take drugs that allow them to see the Forms.

House Glasya, Beholders, Artists

Temple of Beauty hosts an artistic faire.

1 comment:

  1. Very nice, sir, very nice. Complete in its cultural ramifications, political aspects, geographic context and numerous folkways. I do enjoy a good religious calendar.

    ReplyDelete