The Festival of Ashen Reverence

A holiday dedicated to celebrating and worshiping the dead, transforms the landscape into a vivid tableau of the afterlife each year. On this sacred day, families gather to scatter the ashes of their departed loved ones across ceremonial grounds, where the act of dispersing these remains is believed to honor the spirits and help them find peace in the beyond. As dusk falls, necromancers take center stage, using their potent magic to enhance the celebration. They weave elaborate spells that bring the ashes to life in a cascade of shimmering, ghostly hues, creating ethereal patterns in the air that dance and shimmer as if guided by unseen hands. Spectral apparitions, summoned through arcane rites, emerge to offer guidance and blessings to the living, while enchanted lanterns float overhead, their light casting soft, otherworldly glows. The necromancers' enchantments also allow participants to engage in vivid, interactive experiences with the spirits, who share tales and wisdom from beyond. This immersive celebration bridges the realms of the living and the dead, turning the day into a profound and visually stunning homage that intertwines reverence, memory, and magic in a deeply evocative tribute to those who have passed.

History

This tradition began as a simple way to manage the corpses of those that have died. There was no practicle means to bury or embalm the dead. Cremantion offered a simple way to prevent the dead from poses health hazards to the living. Over time, traditions around the scattering of the ashes began to become as important as the burning of the corpse.

Execution

When someone dies, their corpse is immediately cremated as a health measure. The family then keeps their ashes in an urn in their home until the day of the festivale when the ashes are scattered on cermimonial grounds.

Components and tools

Ceremonial Ashes

Collected from the remains of the deceased, these ashes are central to the ritual. They are often treated with sacred oils or infused with magical essence to enhance their potency in the rites.

Ethereal Ink and Quills

Crafted from dead birds, these are used to draw intricate runes and sigils on the ground, altars, and ceremonial scrolls. The ink glows with a spectral light, marking the boundaries between the mortal and spirit realms.

Phantom Lanterns

These lanterns, made of enchanted glass or crystal, contain enchanted flames that emit an otherworldly glow. They float and drift through the air, guiding spirits and adding to the visual splendor of the festival.

Spectral Dust

A fine, shimmering powder that necromancers scatter during the ritual. It is made from crushed crystals believed to be blessed by the spirit realm, and mixed with crushed bones. It creates glowing trails and patterns when dispersed.

Death Mask

Masks worn by the necromancers, crafted from bone, obsidian, or other materials associated with death. These masks are enchanted to channel and protect against spiritual energies, as well as to facilitate communication with the dead.

Spirit Vessels

Containers designed to hold and release spiritual energy, such as urns or ornate glass jars. They are used to capture and contain manifestations of the dead or to project necromantic spells during the ritual.

Blessed Incense

Specially prepared incense with ingredients like myrrh, frankincense, and rare magical herbs. When burned, it creates a smoky veil that aids in summoning spirits and enhancing the ritual's mystical atmosphere.

Glimmering Fabrics

Used to drape altars and ceremonial areas, these fabrics are woven with enchanted threads that reflect and amplify magical light, adding to the ethereal and immersive experience of the festival.

Observance

May 16

Primary Related Location

Necropolis

Related Organizations

• Necromancers

The air shimmered with magic as families gathered in reverent silence, the ashes of their departed swirling in soft breezes over the ceremonial grounds. As twilight deepened into dusk, necromancers stepped forward, their hands weaving intricate patterns of glowing arcane light that brought the ashes to life in breathtaking displays. Ghostly figures emerged from the radiant patterns, their spectral forms illuminated by floating lanterns that pulsed with an otherworldly glow. Apparitions danced gracefully, their movements both sorrowful and serene, as they offered whispered blessings and ancient wisdom to the living. Children reached out, their laughter mingling with tears as they touched ephemeral hands that felt both warm and fleeting. The entire landscape transformed into a luminous tapestry of the afterlife, where the living and the dead met in a harmonious celebration of memory and spirit. The night was alive with the hum of magic, the soft flicker of lanterns, and the echoes of shared stories—a bridge between worlds that honored the past and wove hope for the future.