Tulunárë

When the light of Theia shines bright,
the Olosse stay out to their hearts’ delight

Moonbeams pierce the canopy of Eldertrees, illuminating the underbrush of the Greenwood, while the scents of roasted and candied tree nuts and herbaceous teas waft through the air. Gathered ‘round a fire, Olosse folk young and old regale each other with tales, song and revelry under the light of Theia at her apex. Through their celebration of Tulunárë, the Olosse maintain a key element of their Aéldelin heritage in modern times.

History

Among the oldest traditions of the Olosse, the Tulunárë can be traced back to the late Aéldelin and the aftermath of the Separation. As the wood elves struggled to gain their footing in their broken land, community elders saw the need for a morale boost among their people. With the first apex of the Theian cycle a mere two days away, the elders began the preparations, readying the nuts and tea leaves for the evening.
On the night of the first Gathering Fire, each elder built their own fire, around which the

many wood elves gathered to share tales of the great Elderwood before the Separation. While the children were awed by the amazing stories, the adult Aéldelinians were warmed by the tales of their old home, the event warming hearts in a way they hadn't since the events of the Dagortauré. As the night grew late, the stories flowed, with elves bouncing from

fire to fire to share in the camaraderie and revelry, as their spirits rose with the fire smoke above the canopy.
The Tulunárë was such a success in improving the wood elves' morale that the elders continued setting up Gathering Fires on the nights of Theia's apexes throughout that first summer after the Separation. The fires continued through the fall and winter seasons, keeping spirits elevated and lighting the spark for restoration among the elves. As the air began to warm again, the fires in the bellies of the now-Olosse had strengthened enough to strike out and expand across the Greenwood once again. Many of these new communities, both settled and nomadic, were built around the fires of the Tulunárë over the first year, allowing many to start anew not just in location, but with new peers as well.

Observance

The Tulunárë occurs once every 28 days, on the evening of Theia's apex. As the nearest moon sits high in the sky, it's light penetrates the canopy of the Greenwood

far more than any night of the cycle, illuminating gathering places in a soft glow throughout much of the night. On this day, Olosse will begin roasting nuts for the festivities around midday, making sure to prepare enough for the entire community. Typically, dinner is a lighter faire this evening for most Olosse to save

room for enough of the roasted and candied nuts - delicious variations on the staple food they often consume raw. The air begins to fill with a heavy herbal aroma after dinner as families begin to brew large pots of tea while elders, with the help of a few young folk, stack the firewood and begin to light the fires for the evening. Community members join each other by the fires, one by one as they finish brewing their teas, arriving with bowls and jugs in hand, ready to revel in each other's company.

The Thread That Binds

Throughout the revelry of Tulunárë, the main focal point centers around the stories told amongst the Olosse. Once the elves settle in around the fires, the stories begin with the youngest children making attempts to retell stories of little ducklings and owlbear cubs to the delight of everyone around, particularly their parents and grandparents. As the evening continues, everyone takes turns sharing stories, the storytellers growing older with each story. The older storytellers often recite tales of old from millenia ago, weaving the threads that bind together the history of the wood elves, keeping the traditions of the Aéldelins alive in the modern day. The evening ceremoniously winds down with a tale from a community elder. Reaching deep into their bag of old lore and legends, the elder shares a tale that is tied in with an important lesson for the community, one that often relates directly to a member or family in the community, though its lesson may not manifest itself until later in the Theian cycle. Regardless, there is a prescience in these stories, one that often guides the Olosse through their long lives.

Translation

The Gathering Fire

Etymology

tul- "to come" or "to gather"
nárë - "flame" or "fire"

Primary Related Location

The Greenwood

Related Ethnicities

• Aéldelin
• Olosse