Toc's Vigil
The Silent Festival seems a most somber affair to outsiders, several guards silently keeping a lantern lit through the night. But any who have attended the vigil know that a sense of camaraderie grows from keeping the light going, and even if no words are spoken, the members are closer than ever.Toc's Vigil, also known as the Silent Festival, falls on the day of the year where Toc, the golden moon, is closest. The moon represents the god Toc, known by the Aggregated Lunar Church as one of the five aspects of Acosta. Toc himself is associated with protection above all else, and the moon is known for its brightness and golden sheen.
The festival is typically celebrated by guards, sometimes guards' families, and always by members of the Merlonic Order, who are followers of Toc. The vigil starts from moonrise to moonset, and consists of keeping one lantern burning between all members of a group, adding fuel when needed, and passing it between as each member takes a turn on vigil. During the celebration, all members must remain silent.
The only time a vigil is interrupted is if the guards or knights must do their job, as Toc would forgive them for doing as they are meant to do. Large enough gatherings will often be able to get the job done quick enough for the members to return in time for their turn with the lantern.
History
The first recorded instance of the vigil predates most modern kingdoms. The oldest records refer to the one holding the lantern as "the lanterneer", which likely predates our modern understanding of the term. It is unknown if this is where the term originated from, but it does show that the silent festival predates the modern idea of Savants. In more recent years, there have been several attempts by the Aggregated Lunar Church to prevent the festival, though this rarely ends well since the vigil keepers are guards.
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