Storybrook

The Summer Solstice

As the days slowly lengthen, the preparations begin, Shamans practice their stories that have been told thousands of times, the various members of the tribes begin cooking and baking, filling tables upon tables with delectable foods. For over a week, the villages are overrun by layers of voices and smells that come together in a cacophony, one that is a sign that the longest day of the year grows near. For when the solstice is upon them, when the sunrise breaks above the hills on that fateful day, the air will be full of voices aplently, the stories of old carried on the wind over the hills and valleys of the Clay Giants' home.
Stories and food define many a celebration in the Cradle of Clay over the course of a year, but none are as important to the oral traditions of the Clay Giants than Storybrook. As the Summer Solstice begins with the rising sun, so too does the storytelling, voices carried over words that have been spoken many a time. During these tellings, it is common to see a device hidden behind the Storyteller, a machine carving into a simple shining disk. This is the entire point of Storybrook, a necessity for the oral traditions of these people to continue. The recording of the stories is paramount to a successful celebration.
Storybrook is the only celebration sanctioned by Story Telling of Olden Rarities of Yesteryear, the historical society of the Clay Giants tasked with the preservation of oral histories across Vóreios. During this celebration, the stories told are recorded for future generations and will eventually find themselves stored in the Starlit Tower with transcriptions for all to read. While the stories are often the same year after year or some are favorites for specific Storytellers, the celebration allows all stories to be recorded and captured, no matter how many times the story has been told.

History

The idea of Storybrook and the recording of stories by the Clay Giants is relatively new, although much of their history and culture is defined by storytelling and oral traditions. Upon STORY's founding in 27 EA, the idea to record stories became more prominent, although those earliest of recordings were nothing more than simple script on paper. These early transcriptions, while kept, are nearly impossible to read as the Clay Giants attempted to record the stories using the Giant script, but this task seemed impossible due to the large and harsh script.
As a fledgling society with some ties to those in the Human Empire, STORY was able to work with the Society for the Preservation of Historic Vóreios and its leader, Alexander Cross. Through research completed at the Starlit Academy, a machine was created that could record sound on disks made of compacted Arcane Dust. This revolutionized the Clay Giants' ability to record oral traditions and allowed them to work on preservation outside of Cradle of Clay.
The research of the recording device took a great deal of time and was not completed until after the end of the Eldritch War. As much of Vóreios and the world began to rebuild, the Clay Giants looked for survivors to record their stories. This work eventually led to the idea of storytelling celebrations and festivals that allowed a great number of stories to be told and recorded in a single day. Storybrook was the first and the Summer Solstice was chosen as it is normally the longest day of the year.
These celebrations have continued since those days, with Storybrook being the most prominent. Clay Giants are often the most prevalent participants but it is not uncommon to see others that have traveled to the Cradle of Clay to have their stories told and recorded for prosperity. STORY will record any story and transcribe it to the best of their abilities, saving parts of history that would otherwise be lost.

Primary Related Location

Cradle of Clay

Related Organizations

• Story Telling of Olden Rarities of Yesteryear

Related Ethnicities

• Clay Giant Culture

Execution

Recording devices are provided by the members of STORY and are set up in various villages across the Cradle of Clay. There is no set schedule for which Storytellers present at any given time, but a member of the organization must be present to record certain details about the story such as the name of the story, the Storyteller, and any other relevant or historic facts about the story that may be known. This process takes very little time and causes few issues throughout the celebration.
Along with a small stage for the Storyteller, tables of food and drinks are placed around the village's central area so that people listening can eat and be merry during the storytelling. These tables are replenished frequently, often by a group within the village that was chosen to provide food for the event.

Observance

Storybrook is celebrated every year on the Summer Solstice from sunrise to far past sunset. Most celebrations end when the moon is highest in the evening, but some celebrations have continued until near sunset the following day.