Soulsnight and the Feast of Grains

Festivals of the Autumn Harvest

The days become colder and the skies more overcast. Travelers are treated to the autumn colors of reds, yellows, and browns while the leaves change and the grass withers. Farmers work through the morning in thick fog, reaping and harvesting as much as possible during the reduced daylight hours. All the while, the people of Eada sew together costumes and prepare masks, convincing themselves the finger-like tingle at the back of their necks in nothing but a chilly breeze from a crack in the window. Soulsnight is coming.

Traditions

Starting on the 38th day of Autumncrest, Soulsnight is an ancient tradition, long believed to be the evening when the veil between the Material Realm and the Shadowfell becomes thin and stretched, allowing lost souls and angry spirits from the plane of shadows to easily wander into Eada. In an effort to either scare these phantoms back to where they came from, or confuse them into thinking they've wandered somewhere unfamiliar, the practice of wearing frightening or bizarre costumes and delighting in the macabre was started.

Gourds such as squash and pumpkins, after being hollowed out, have ghoulish faces carved into them, a candle placed in its core to shine through the night. Effigies, usually made in the form of an undead or recently deceased person, are scattered throughout city streets and cemeteries, as are wood carvings of monsters and demons. Over time, these practices have lost their reverence as rituals of protection, and are instead enjoyed as holiday festivities.

During the day, children wander the streets in their costumes, seeking sweets and entertainment. Carnivals are common in more populated areas, with games and performances from local and traveling troupes busying the town. Apples are a common treat, used in everything from baked pastries to beverages, though more varied sugary snacks can be found in cities with strong trade.

Deeper into the night, rowdier activities begin as special ale brewed for the season starts to pour. The same games and activities enjoyed during the day continue, but adopt a more adult atmosphere; shows begin to incorporate scarier and bloodier imagery, pranks are pulled amongst friends, and lude behavior is generally encouraged (within reason). With so many people donning masks and outfits, members of the upper class, or even nobles, are known to join the festivities themselves under a disguise. All of this is conducted around giant bonfires, serving as both massive sources of light to keep away the darkness of the Shadowfell, and heat to keep away the cold of the coming winter. To those who remain awake, one last toast is given at sunrise, a small gesture of relief that the world has not succumbed to the horrors of the dark realm.

The Feast of Grains

In more temperate and fertile countries, as the sun rises on the following morning, the festivities of Soulsnight come to a close and the Feast of Grains, also known as the Day of Remembrance, begins. Originally a day dedicated to Pelor and his gift of the fall harvest, it slowly incorporated the previous day's obsession with death and the macabre into a day of reverence for those who have passed on.

Members of families and communities who didn't party until dawn for Soulsnight prepare a large gathering by spending the day crafting food and drink with loved ones and, before the meal is served at sundown, commit a small ritual in memory of the dead. These rituals involve lighting candles and releasing them into nature, usually by water on small floating boats or by air with paper lanterns, depending on the community. Like Pelor's other holiday in Springtide, practicing this holiday is accepted secularly, and practitioners of other faiths are encouraged to represent their gods in any way they choose for these events.

Dark Rituals

While many attribute these rumors to the overall spooky atmosphere of the season, it is hard for one to ignore the threatening tales tied to the holiday's dark origins. Stories of ancient cults have been shared, evil organizations dedicated to gods both known and unknown that wish destruction upon the mortal races and intend to use the thinning of the veil to pull Eada into the Shadowfell forever. Some suspect the grave-tending priests of the Raven Queen, inward and mysterious as they are, of committing rituals during the night involving blood sacrifices to appease their goddess. Most unsettling yet are the whispers of a new god, a deity residing in the Shadowfell longing to spread death and disease through those that revere him, only able to give direct commands through his high priests on this night.

Ghosts are generally believed to exist in Eada, but such a sight is rare...except for on Soulsnight. Many villages and cities speak of hauntings from strange spirits and entities, and the stories are varied. An old house, abandoned on the outskirts of town, may have moans emanating from the interior as a phantom candle floats across the window. A soldier, translucent and still dressed in full armor, is seen wandering a field that once hosted a vicious battle. Or perhaps even a ship long believed sunk is seen off the coast, a greenish glow surrounding it in the ocean mist.

Many of these stories are written off as flights of fancy, or unsettling tales to share with friends as the dark of Soulsnight creeps in around the fire. Still, an observant eye in the city of Delsaheim may notice increased security in the old districts, and every year in Burjinaya brings another tale of strange whispers and chanting down a dark alleyway far away from the bonfires. Whatever you believe, it always pays to respect the dead and beware the power of Soulsnight.