Wellspring Day
This book can be found on a lectern in Firteid library. It describes the regional holiday of Wellspring Day, from the traditional rituals performed on the day to the performances, foods, and cultural exchanges that came to be added to its festivities.
Coordinates¶
| X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|
| 3997 | 82 | 3449 |
Transcription¶
When Lorahn begins to glow blue, the intensely pungent and spicy aroma of kehma begins flowing through the wide avenues of Firteid and Vulteid. Wellspring Day has come again!
Among the very oldest and most revered traditions of the Southeast, Wellspring Day seems to have originated from an early command made by the Lady of the Mirror Herself during the Deity War. Legend has it that Virtuo looked out at Maelihs’s atrocities and noticed the precariousness of Drehmari. So many were infected by plagues, converted into mindless Maelmari, or made into pawns by bribery. Although Her Virmari could help them stave off these ailments, She knew that creating too many would increase the likelihood of weaker initiates betraying her or abandoning her faith. Wellspring Day was one way to ensure that Drehmari came to Her.
While annual ritual cleansing and rites of purification performed by Virmari remain the spiritual core of the festival, Wellspring Day in the Tidal Dynasty has become so much more.
An atmosphere of anticipation begins at sunup along with the first rites of purification. Drehmari priests and monks are purified first, at the waters of the Kiln and sacred fountains within the Grand Parish and Temple of Virtuo Ascendant in Vulteid. Meanwhile, smoke slowly begins to waft from chimneys as the kehma is made.
A blend of flintroot, curry, waterpepper, cumin, and alamance, kehma is a thick orange sauce which fills the nostrils and brings a pleasant buzzing sensation to the mind. It is prepared over several hours in multiple cycles of heating, cooling, and stirring. It is said that the scent is so strong that it will last until the next year’s Wellspring Day and remind every Drehmari to remain faithful to Virtuo.
For those of the Tidal Dynasty, it is also a reminder to appreciate the local monarch, the eternally inscrutable Tide Queen. Under royal decree, no citizen is to work even a minute on regular labor on Wellspring Day. Instead, local farmers, butchers, and restauranteurs come out to the city centers to sell their wares. The sound of games, races, and talent competitions is supplemented by the efforts of musicians on stages and street corners and dramatic productions famed throughout the realm.
As morning continues, children spill out onto the streets to play as adults prepare for the events of the day. After all the priests have been cleansed, the oldest Drehmari begin to make their way to the purification sites first.
Finally, when the sun is at its highest point, a great gong from the Tide Queen’s personal collection is rung, and the shores are filled by visitors from across the realm. For that one day only, the Tidal Dynasty is open to traffic from abroad! They come in droves to celebrate and bathe in the rivers and bathhouses. After all citizens have been purified, the waters are then opened to foreigners. Great lines form from the outskirts to the center of the twin cities as runners sell them drinks and anything and everything smothered in kehma.
As the sun gets lower in the sky and sunset begins, most citizens gather outside the Tidal Palace in Firteid for the Tide Queen’s balcony speech. Her comments are typically brief, but full of strength and vitality, outlining her goals for the next year. Then, as she returns to her quarters, the final phase of the festivities begin.
In the center of Vulteid, a great play takes place, telling the history of the realm. In the beginning, it only told the story of the Deity War, but every year it adds more details and actors from throughout the realm. The author of this account has had the fortune of seeing the Living Archive on seventeen occasions and even contributing to its script. Surrounded by a ring of nine thousand lanterns, the atmosphere is timeless.
Finally, as the lines run out and the Living Archive concludes, outsiders are sent onto their ships and escorted out of Tidal lands. Citizens return to their homes and fall into beds. While the next week's cleanup is one of the hardest parts of the year, the magic of Wellspring Day is worth the hardship.