Birthday Celebrations
"Sorry to interrupt this little birthday celebration of yours Count Fenring but I did bring you a gift... revenge!"
"You really shouldn't have. And, I do hope you kept the receipt my dear Captain Buckthorpe; petty revenge at the hands of an inferior intellect is really not my style."
Birthdays in Tairos can sometimes be a bit of a dramatic affair. Most cultures celebrate birth and yearly birthdays with some kind of joyous event or recognition and usually with gifts and Alcohol . These traditions are deeply rooted in the tribal beginnings of the various different civilizations and their early rites of ancestor worship. Exactly how any culture or ethnicity celebrates birthdays will vary greatly; from the grand and hedonistic reveries held in honor of the high lords of Melanthris to the simple and sometimes intimate cleansing rituals conducted by couples from the Tairuk Tribes and everything in between.
Some examples of Birthday celebrations carried out across Tairos include:
Birthdays in Ghal Pelor
The metropolitan nature of Ghal Pelor means that celebrations of all sorts often merge or mutate into something completely different than what an individual's heritage might have dictated. With Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Tengu, and Humans all living together it would be impossible citizens not to assimilate parts of each other's birthday traditions. For example, the gift-giving common to elves, humans and tengu might be blended with the feasting traditions of halflings and the mournful gnomish practice of giving thanks to one's most important friends and kin whom have already passed on. And after such dour thanks perhaps the dwarven affinity for crawling from brewery to brewery might cap off the event.
Birthdays in Frial
The traditions of Old Balmoral are very much alive here. Gift-giving has always been part of most Balmoran holidays and birthdays are no exception. Gift givers will seek out everything from simple tokens of appreciation to priceless luxuries. The practice is believed to owe its origin to the early tribal days where fragile humans would celebrate each year of life by giving the person of honor a gift to help get them through the next year. The longer a person lived the more tools for survival they'd accumulate. Survival has taken a back seat in more modern times to gifts of fashion, food, art, and such. When gifts are given over they are often preceeded by the phrase "May it see you through to the next" or something similar. This too is linked to the tribal days of Balmoran civilization
Birthdays in Far Harbor
Like Ghal Pelor, Far Harbor is a melting pot of people. However; it lacks the order and infrastructure that allows for such comforts as organized party events. Only the wealthiest and most powerful merchants or Pirate Lords can host a celebration in their honor safely. Those with funds or connections will often hold their parties on the Glory Box, a luxury vessel owned and operated by Gayliese the Emerald Lady. Her ship is one of the few places in Far Harbor that is considered neutral ground between the Pirate Lords. Among the more humble commoners birthdays might be celebrated between friends, family, and crew in their favored tavern or dockside grill. A well-known tradition among such crowds is known as "A sip of Ambrosia" or "The Chalice of the Gods". The person of honor will often be served a drink from either tavern/grill owner or by the host/event organizer and the drink will generally be made of a mixture of the cheapest, most awful alcohols on the shelf. The drink is typically garnished with a whole minnow, anchovy, or similar small fish. The person of honor is expected to drink as much as possible in their first sip and anyone finishing the drink will typically earn thunderous applause. if the drinker finishes what he is served the common tradition is for the host to then drink the same thing while buying a round for all in attendance (or in the case where drinks are already free then they are expected to buy a bottle of particularly fine booze for the braze birthday boy or girl.
The Tribal people on Big Ruk Island will often share handmade soaps, perfumes, and other cleaning supplies with the person of honor. A very common and intimate practice found among adult tribes people is known as a Moonlight Cleansing. These rituals are generally carried out in an isolated body of fresh water where the pair of lovers will meet and the celebrant will be cleaned by their partner using fine soaps, razor sharp stones or shells, and the application of a tattoo significant to their totems, and then couple will spend the rest of the night together under the star-filled sky.
Birthdays among the Lakeside Elves
The Lakesiders enjoy a celebration like few others. They're a humble people without little to their names and living under the invisible thumb of the lords of Melanthris and yet when the time comes to honor the birthday of a loved one they spare no expense. Families will happily celebrate each other's birthday with gifts, food and a performance.
Performance is actually a very important part of the Lakeside tradition. Gifts of poetry, storytelling, singing, and even jokes are some of the most popular things one can receive. With so many performances being offered up a birthday celebration can often last hours on end but rarely is that considered a bad thing. In fact, the longer the better.
Whether the performance is of exquisite caliber or absolutely misses the mark the performers are always cheered on and appreciated. However; one act is anticipated more so than any other. That of the guest of honor. The celebration always caps off with toast to all the gathered party-goers and then a final performance by the celebrant themselves. Only then does the jubilee begin to break apart and everyone returns to their homes.
Birthdays among the Fae
The Fae are dozens of different races and cultures who all swore loyalty to the The Autumn Queen forming a single semi-cohesive people. Much like other melting-pot cultures the traditions of the fae races have blended over time and vary to even greater degree than those of Ghal Pelor for example. This is because many of these races are not even from the same world let alone the same continent. Many of the birthday celebrations practiced by the different fae races would be considered horrific to each other. For example the ravenous feeding frenzies of the Bargheist hunts stands in stark contrast to the biscuit plates and milk enjoyed by the Spriggan or the Gremlins' Scavenger Reveries.
That said there is one common thread that does bind all of the races together, Tea and chocolate ceremonies. All fae seem to enjoy chocolate tea and will often share a cup and some kind words or brief ritual with the guest of honor. This is believed to originate with the Sidhe, one of the Fae races of which the Autumn Queen is part of. The nature of the tea ceremony will vary of course between groups and can be as complex and intricate as any high elven solar tribute (as they call birthdays) or simply a warm cup shared in a brief moment of quiet between two friends.
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