Autumnal Equinox

Occurring Endday 8 of Tsubadish for the year of writing, the Autumnal Equinox is marked by the village Darétik through an evening festival that in turn is  preceded by two hunts carried out earlier in the day. The quarry are large beasts indigenous to the land and sea of the areas surrounding the village, targeting a mature Giant Elk bull for the former and a shark of prodigious size in the latter. These hunts present a significant danger to those who take part, and have been known to claim lives.

Upon delivery back to the village, their meat is used for the evening’s festivities as part of a meal. A tradition is observed, whereby participants are to dress as Hags (who are to go and cause mischief among the other villagers) or Heroes (who are to deliver cheer to the villagers). The Elder - Edatsuyurn - foretells the victor, and over the course of the night both sides are to fight in a performative way in an attempt to subdue the other.

The origin of the festival, of the Hags and Heroes, and its reasoning for why these two beasts in particular are targeted is lost to time and during the village’s many moves, but have proceeded without a noted exception from even before the time of Edatsuyurn. She herself stated a belief of how a story is told through the rituals of the day.

It could be assumed that some meat may be spared or somehow preserved in stockpile for use over colder months. Other uses for unpalatable remains are not known, however the village does have a complement of trades that may tan hide or find use for sinew and bone.

Edatsuyurn has indicated that she believes that despite the fact that this years festival was successfully completed in all regards the magical protection that it was meant to provide has in fact failed. It has been suggested that a failed festival would lead to babies dying for a year after the festival. It seems, however, that the main aim of the festival is to protect the village from the attentions of the Dazyanum. These creatures are now able to influence and even enter the village. Edatsuyurn has suggested that this may lead to the village needing to be relocated.