The Blood Star Festivities
"There we were servants and here we are royalty and yet - sometimes we find ourselves struck by homesickness. So when the light hits the stars just right and makes the sky red like home, then we come out to celebrate the life we have and the one we lost." - Faris Alannah Gibbs
The Blood Star Festivities surround a natural spectacle that occurs in The Sajiris Mountains in infrequent intervals and usually lasts between 3 and 10 days. Originally it was only celebrated by the orcs and half orcs there but has since then become a big part of the culture in that part of Sun'almay and people even travel from farther parts to Masakhri.
History
While much of the structure of the orc clans that originally arrived in the Sajiris Mountains still remains, their actual culture has mostly been lost to time, became mere stories told to children and taught in Masakhri's schools, tales of the blood stone mines underneath Marypaz.
A couple of centuries after Marypaz traded away their orcs, however, they started to run out of their precious stones and had to find themselves new miners that were not yet familiar with the network of tunnels and pockets of both trapped gas and more blood stone. Furthermore the new miners had a more arcane approach to their work and eventually caused an explosion due to the magic being amplified by the mineral. It caused a layer of stone to detach and rain down onto the Sajiris Mountains.
The part of the orc population, that decided against the life in the city after the completion of the oasis, came now rushing to Masakhri, afraid of more debris and stayed there until the danger was resolved a couple of months later. Additionally the incidence brought a layer of blood stone to the surface, adding to the stars on Sun'almay's sky. Once in a while the light will hit them in a way that creates dancing lights in red, green and yellow that will stay there for a few days.
About a century ago there were blood stars that lasted a month. Opinions were torn over the occurrence - while many outsiders took it as a bad omen, The Orcs of Sun'almay held it as a meaningful sign. Two mountain clans had just declared war on each other when the sky showed first streaks of red and green, ending the war before it had even begun. It was also within that month that Valériane Gibbs repeatedly bested the former Faris in such a humiliating way that he eventually handed over his position to her which has been in the family ever since.
Since then the times of the Blood Star have been growing more and more apart.
Since then the times of the Blood Star have been growing more and more apart.
Execution
On the day, where the sky is just starting to get color, all business in Masakhri seems to come to a halt. Trials and travel plans are pushed back, political doings interrupted and work is put aside - excluding farmers in crucial harvest or sowing times, also excluding bakers which operate at full stretch to prepare to feed everyone throughout the festivities. Shop owners will get out the decorations that they have always prepared (since the event is so unpredictable).
The first official day of the Blood Star starts with a big hunt since all meat that is going to be eaten for all of the festivities must be from said hunt as a reminder to an easier life. On the second day mountain clans start to arrive, bringing prey as well.
The main attraction of the festivities are all about strength and fighting. Next to spontaneous brawls there are also official, gladiator-style fights, usually not meant to be to the death but it can happen. Ears being cut off as trophies are rather common.
Also, orgies - you often can pinpoint when the last festivities where by looking at times where suddenly a lot more babies were born.
If on the forth or fifth day the lights have not started to dim and there's a promise of longer lasting festivities, outsiders would start to arrive to join them. Around the same time parts of Masakhri's townsfolk will join a clan in the mountains to celebrate in a more intimate and authentic way. Some outsiders that have been part of the festivities for a longer time might go with them as well. It's not unheard of that they just decide to stay forever, causing the curious sight of a halfling or tortle among a clan of (half)orcs.
If the lights and colors are still lively and bright on the seventh day, the mood of Masakhri's citizens tends to shift a little. They get more quiet and show gratitude towards their deities for being blessed for such a long time.
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