I had to cancel the upcoming Houses of the Blooded game with the Thursday Posse but still day-dream about the world. Making up fantasy holidays is good fun, here are some ven holidays.
Exodus
“We celebrate the leaving of the aelva danna by gathering with our neighbors and watching the stars, thus strengthening our alliances and making the blooded more strong.”
“And don’t forget the watching of the stars, that is important too.”
“Why?”
“To watch for signs that the wicked ones are returning..”
This is said to be celebrating the anniversary of the Sorcerer-King’s leaving shanri or the date when the blooded rose up under their banners and drove them out, depending on who you ask.
Exodus is celebrated by visiting a neighbor, making tight bonds and strengthening the ven. Some think this strength must be present in order to defend the ven when the Sorcerer-Kings return. These bonds are made during lavish feasts under the stars, during which the blooded make pacts with their neighbors and watch the constellations in the crisp autumn air.
It is an auspicious day for wedding announcements and the planning of as-yet unborn ven’s tutoring.
Swordsday
“What if the sword is not my strong suit? What of ven who see their souls represented in a quill or a sorcerous tome?”
“Ven have always been artists and scholars. That is fine. But on this day we set aside those tools and remember why we are blooded and the martial responsibilities at the heart of our baronies, counties and duchies.”
“But what if-“
“Then you lie and pay homage to the sword.”
This is the day the blooded spend with their swords, remembering the weapon that represents their lordly power. This is also the day when those who have taken the black and gone under a veil may return via Senatorial decree. If a great martial deed was done, a sword might be officially named on this day. If a sword was damaged beyond repair, it would be buried in the family plot, just like any other living relative.
Swordsday is an auspicious day for a duel and an inauspicious day, bordering on bad form, to take the red and set aside one’s blade for the weapon of revenge, the knife. It is never an auspicious day for Mass Murder.
Thanksgiving
“Thank you for being my teacher.”
“No, it doesn’t work like that. When one is poisoned at a Thanksgiving feast, the poisoned must thank the poisoner in some sincere manner in order to get the antidote. I haven’t poisoned you.”
“Oh, I didn’t understand. I’m sorry. I didn’t understand. You should thank me for being your student, as I just poisoned you.”
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with blood relatives and the best of friends in order to feast. It is also a time to play cunning games, as a tradition is to poison someone you love. It is bad form to let the poison run its course and allow them to die. Instead, the poisoning must be announced and the poisoned is given the opportunity to tell the poisoner why they are thankful to have such a person in their life.
Very often, someone is poisoned because they have taken someone in their life for granted.
This is an auspicious holiday for breaking off romances in order to concentrate on one’s life at home.
Githyanki Diaspora 