Day of Fallen Stars

We remember you, our fallen forebears. We remember the song of your stars, the light of your souls.

The elves of Istralar are not from this planet: not originally, at least. Having landed in Melaeden milennia ago, they often seem to have forgotten whence they came - honouring instead their legacies as former rulers of the world, as near-unparalleled artists, and as the foremost mages across all realms.
They have long since fractured from monolithic Galasthin, splitting into countries-turned-subjects like Ilendras, nomadic tribes such as the Isyrei, or transforming beyond all expectation into drow with separate cultures entirely.
But once a year, all of elven descent look back. In the darkest, most desolate depths of winter, they find time to remember what came before them - and the burning, enduring hope that has kept them able to go on.

History

...and so the tales tell of our first exodus, of a land broken by our greed, taken from us by our unworthiness. We remember the grace of our Lady. We remember you who sacrificed to let our kin carry on.

The tradition of honouring the past worlds and lives is one with roots in antiquity. House Ae'tharis, who are largely responsible for maintaining records of major magical events, possess records dating back to their lives on prior worlds: records that detail further worlds that current Istralan records had lost. The four primary element houses - In'tharon, Qu'athari, To'ranidion, and Su'namae - carry physical artifacts hailing from these prior worlds, whilst the remaining four have their own extensive collections of societal details. Through these combined, current elven society has been able to maintain strong ties to the past - and even groups of elves who have left Galasthin can maintain those bonds by communicating with their mother state. This is a right none are forbidden from save the drow.
It is said that the current observance of the Day of Fallen Stars began after the creation of Terra Arcana, but prior to the Worldrend. Those on Istralar would look to Seren's Light with their far-off kin on the other planet, the date coordinated by messages willed to the gods, and both worlds would - through this - spend the time remembering what had been lost. The drow reportedly caught on quickly, but instead of forcing themselves to the surface, those early drow honoured their past through blood sacrifice and offerings to their own portals and doorways, so that they might also be remembered - and to thank the elves in blood for providing them with a cause to exist.

Observance

On this day, we offer you our song. We offer you our food, and our crafts. This is the life you have granted us, and we honour you for it.

The Day of Fallen Stars is observed differently across the planet, but the chief celebration in Galasthin is one of celebration. Members of each town, village, and city come together at dawn to usher in the coming day with prayer, and spend the entire day celebrating and making offerings to those who had passed. If access to ancient artifacts is possible, they may be involved in the proceedings, else this day often melds with ceremony to Seren - progenitor goddess of the elves.
When darkness falls, those same elves look to the stars and observe the constellation to which they will travel upon death: Seren's Light. Their ancestors are here, and there also lies the way to every world they have touched. Typically, a leader of proceedings - often a high-ranking noble or official - will begin a story-telling of the year's events, and in turn, the watching elves will recap their own stories and sacrifices. When those are all done, they remember what has happened in the past - often touching on different important events through history, or scattered words from prior worlds.
The festival ends at dawn the next day with the planting of a tree. Beneath the tree lie written cards and carved ornaments bearing inscriptions for every elf who has died that year - so that they, too, may live on in memory.

The Drow

Whilst the drow celebrate this day differently depending on culture, it universally remains a day of celebrating their existence. Most treat it as a full day of feasting and revelries - those on better terms with elven civilisations will sometimes share in part of the elven ceremony, or send along a gift, whilst those in direct conflict will often take elven prisoners and force them through their own twisted ceremonies of memory.
Vaermyrhen Drow have fallen into the former group in recent years, after many of being in the latter.

Related Ethnicities

• Galasthin Elf
• Snow Elf