Winter Solstice

Celebrations of dark and light

The Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year and occurs on Mornday 22nd of Snowturn every year. It has been celebrated since ancient times with traditions varying wildly from culture to culture. In the city of Capstone people celebrate with a huge communal midwinter feast , which is shared with every race and class regardless of status. Feasts are held in large buildings in each district such as the cathedral, the guildhall and even in the warehouses of the shipbuilder’s yard. People give thanks for their food and celebrate a good evening together, exchanging stories, gifts and also presenting community awards to hard working members of the city. It’s all fun and games, even on the dark side of the coin! Echoes of celebration can be heard deep below the icy cobbled streets in Capstone Sewers, as infamous groups such as The Locks and Quays gather in excitement. These criminal groups do not throw feasts or party in the sewers (for obvious sanitary reasons). They celebrate the winter solstice as “Darkest Night” . Darkest Night festival is everywhere where the party isn’t at, so whilst the lawful citizens of the city are enjoying their night out, thieves, underlarks and opportunists crawl out of the sewers and break in to abandoned houses for a long night of looting.

Silence in the boatyard,
Silence in the street,
The Locks and Quays of Haganport
Will rob you while you sleep.
— popular children's rhyme

The Capstone City Guard has an incredibly hard time policing two places at once and have to juggle the act of calming rowdy parties and catching heirloom-laden thieves. Everyone stays up to watch the sun rise, marking the beginning of longer daylight hours and the first light glistens off of broken glass as their night of merriment has drawn to a sudden end.