The Lorentide Kreel Festival

The Lorentide Kreel Festival is an annual event that combines old traditions with brand new. Loren, a vassal state within the Barony of Talona, is a newly founded state. People had lived in the area for centuries, but the inhabitants had never created formal governments outside their own individual communities. As the Kelerian Empire expanded the area now known as Loren became organized. In the past the people would have an annual Kreel Festival. Kreel is a teal-colored plant that can be used in multiple ways. It can be chopped to make garnishes to food with a slightly spicy taste, the leaves can be woven into useful items such as rope, sacks, and shoes. Kreel sausage is not well known in the world at large, but to the inhabitants of Loren it is a delicacy and eating this sausage and drinking wine would be a major part of the festival. The making of wreaths from Kreel to be hung on the outside of people’s doors has also been a popular pastime. The wreaths have a pleasant, spicy smell and has been known to have a calming effect on those that smell them. Before becoming a vassal state, the leaders of the villages would keep in contact with each other through informal means and the annual Kreel festival was one of the few topics that was formalized between all. Every Kreel Festival, the leaders of the various villages would decide where the next year’s festival would be. When Dame Lorissa established Loren she had been told of the Kreel Festival. She saw it as an opportunity to garner some good faith with her new subjects. She declared that the Kreel Festival would become a state approved holiday and would be state funded with the cost being paid directly from her personal coffers. In addition, the festival was expanded. The old traditions of eating sausage and drinking wine remained the same, but new activities were added as well. Dame Lorissa, always a fan of the arts, added more creative events with prizes. These events include cooking and crafting contests that use kreel. There are several different categories such as best kreel dish, best kreel crafts and categories for children to compete in. First, second and third prizes are awarded in each category, with prizes ranging from 50 silver to 10 gold pieces. The best in show prize is the top award with a platinum piece going to the winner. The generosity of these prizes has led to some fierce, yet generally good-natured competition. There have been 3 festivals so far and each has been a rousing success and has gone far to endear Dame Lorissa to her people. Though officially it is still known as the Annual Kreel Festival, it has been informally known as The Lorentide Kreel Festival. This way they keep most of the original name to honor the old traditions, while also respecting their new state.