Vai'antari
Vai'antari, otherwise known as the Nights of Six Stars, the Festival of Love, or Unity Days, is a celebration that honours Antarion, the god of stars and unity. In the six days leading up to the summer solstice, six stars align in the sky to form the constellation known as the Cyprian Spear. Once this annually appearing constellation is set, the worshippers of Antarion engage in this festival. Originally it was a political and religious affair, meant to display the power of the bonds between the holy orders, royal armies, and ruling bodies. As time passed and the old alliances faded, Vai'antari became a much more civilian affair. There are three primary areas of concern regarding Vai'antari: family, worship, and public. Families that celebrate Unity Days approach them as a time to appreciate the bonds they have together, as well as reach out to more distant kin. Massive families often have traditions of gathering in one place to enjoy the festivities and reunite with distant kin. Holy orders, and those associated with them, take this time to remember the bonds they share with their faith and the gods that they worship. While Antarion is the most common entity of worship during this time, other gods and forces are considered more than acceptable as well. The public is the most common and open affair for Vai'antari, as it as seen as a time when people can come together and join in the festivities. The affairs that take place vary between settlements, as different peoples have separate ideas on how to engage in Unity Days. Some see it as a romantic celebration, where many marriages occur and young lovers take the time to engage in feasting, dancing, and musical performances. Others see it as a raucous and wild affair, full of drinking and competitions and brawls. Often a single city will have these variations and more taking place, encouraged either by their diverse populations or at the insistence of the priests of Antarion. Whatever the case, Vai'antari is a much looked forward to time of peace and enjoyment to begin the prosperous and warm days of summer.
History
Long ago, Antarion descended from the distant stars to aid the gods in the war against their tyrannical masters. The overlords were defeated and thrown into the earth which they were born from. This new pantheon then began to see to the business of remaking their newfound kingdom in their image. To help ensure the continued cooperation between the rival deities and their subjects, the followers of Antarion declared Vai'antari as one of several initiatives to foster peace. While many of these projects lacked the longevity of the Nights of Six Stars, they were successful in helping to produce a prosperous and calm world. Vai'antari was originally a ritual performed between priests, kings and generals, though it leaked into their courts, temples and lower ranks until eventually it became widespread affair enjoyed by the masses. Now it is enjoyed across the land, and seen as a time of love, romance, competition, celebration and unity.
Execution
Vai'antari cannot begin until Antarion's priests, known as Constellar Conciliators, observe the formation of the Cyprian Spear. Once this is achieved, they declare the dawn of Vai'antari, and will emerge after six nights after the stars have parted to herald its end. The more minute executions are up to the families, temples, and peoples who celebrate the Unity Days. Couples will engage in a string of activities, families will reunite, athletes will engage in competitions, priests will engage in quiet ritual, and more. The Conciliators often have to work hard during these times to maintain peace between the celebrants, as some may take offense to how others enjoy the Nights of Six Stars. Generally their word is heeded, and others will back their claim, either stating the accepting tenets of Antarion or simply threatening those that would disrupt their enjoyment.
Components and tools
The spear is the holy weapon of Antarion, and thus it is seen as the focal point in many of the different rituals that people enjoy during Vai'antari. In the more competitive, physical festivities, people duel with spears or see who can throw them the furthest or most accurately. Newlyweds will stand before each other and each grasp an ornate, holy spear to say their vows. Families will have a carved, ornate spear as a totem, and when a family unites, they make new additions onto their family relic. However, Vai'antari has been violated before, and breaking a spear will often signal ill luck for the one who performed the deed with violent intention. Killing someone with a spear during Vai'antari is seen as a gross offense, on par with blasphemy. Thus these items are treated with reverence and caution by those that partake in the festival.
Participants
The Constellar Conciliators herald the dawn of Vai'antari, though their role is not to participate in the general festivities. True, they do engage in their rituals to honour Antarion and celebrate the alignment of the stars, but these affairs are relatively brief. Once concluded, the Conciliators will emerge and see to keeping the peace. While it is generally not a difficult job, there are times when individuals or groups start conflicts. They will try their best to mediate these disputes, and often succeed due to such affairs being part of their profession. However, they have had to call on the guards when these struggles become dangerous. This is a last resort option however, and the Conciliators mostly act as observers and watchers of the differing festivities. Whether to honour family reunifications, preside over weddings, or even act as judges for competitions, the Conciliators do their best to make their presence felt while letting people go about their business.
Observance
Vai'antari is observed six days before the summer solstice. It begins when the six stars of the Cyprian Spear, an annually appearing constellation, align. During the festival, each of the six stars will shine brighter than the others on a different day. These go from the bottom of the spear, all the way to the constellations tip. The colours of the flares go in the following order: blue, green, red, yellow, orange and then white. Some take this to mean that each day should have a different form of celebration, though the Conciliators allow the celebrants to interpret this phenomenon however they wish. At the end of the six days, the stars will break apart and slowly fade into the night. Once each of these six stars are beyond the sight of mortals, the Constellar Conciliators will call a conclusion to Vai'antari, and then return to their duties.
During a war, Vai'antari is considered a wild card. Many conflicts have found their end at the urging of the Constellar Conciliators, as the priests will do what they can to broker peace. Refusing outright to sign any form of treaty or even engage in peace talks during the Nights of Six Stars is seen as a bad omen, and thus even the most bloodthirsty conqueror will consent to dealing with their opposition. Some warlords have chosen to ignore Vai'antari in its entirety, and have staged savage raids and attacks when the faithful celebrants had lowered their guard. Though these efforts won their armies short term gains, most of the world would consider this practical heresy, and have often banded together simply to punish the transgressor. There have been at least five generals, kings and warlords who have tried this, and have never emerged triumphant in their conquests. However, that does not make Vai'antari a completely safe festival, as armies will often rush to claim victory before the stars of the Cyprian Spear can align. There have been many grim festivals "enjoyed" by defeated populations due to the rapid and successful efforts of their foes. Still, Vai'antari will often signal at least a temporary cessation of hostilities, for whatever good that can do to the victims of the conflicts that too often ravage the world.
There is, admittedly, a sorrowful side to Vai'antari. No festival, no matter how peaceful in intent, can escape the horrors of reality. Individuals who have lost family or friends succumb to despair or even suicide during the Unity Days, praying with their last breath that they can find their loved ones again. The lonely and the exiles become embittered during this time, and have been driven to deeds of cruelty and malice out of spite and pain. And of course, due to the wild nature of some of the celebrations, accidents happen. People die in horse races, in violent accidents during mock spear duels, or perish due to unforeseen circumstances. While situations such as these are natural, the people who were close to the victim feel the sting even more bitterly during Vai'antari. The priests and those they hire try to minimize risk, protect the celebrants, and many other projects to ensure the safety of the participants. But for all the holiness of their calling, they are still mortal, and cannot save everyone. Nor can they stop whispers from spreading, as enough havoc wreaked during Vai'antari can cause people to wonder if this year's celebration is cursed somehow. People will isolate themselves, become suspicious of their neighbors, or become outright hostile at the lightest provocation. Thankfully, such incidents are rare, but only in part because the Constellar Conciliators, town and city guards, and local rulers strive to make the six days as free from danger as they possibly can.
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