The Festival of Hope
The silver-haired elf arrives as a soft breeze, his hair more easily distinguished by the offset of the pure white of his robes. The robe's sway at their leisure, leaving not to betray the intent of direction of the wearer. With precise timing, he arrives at the podium. Also with equalled precision, some unseen hand seemed to expect his arrival, delivering a blue leather-worn book on a wisp of silvered breeze. The thud of the large book opening on the podium announces him and quells the varied voices of the student body.
"From the tainted seed that once only valued profit, bloomed a brilliant blue flower of the new hope." Damion Makavoi, Scribe & Chronicler to his majesty the King.
The elf, pausing for effect, then breaks yet the silenced again.
An excerpt taken from the penned tales of the King's Bard, Damion Makavoi, first witnessed and scribed within the collective works of The Chronicles of the Lightning Brigade. Now regarded as Bardic Renown and cataloged at the Grand Library of Skyhaven.
The "Chronicles", as they are also referred, are a myriad collection of over 100 tomes and manuscripts by varied authors and bards of the age. It is the first tome of which we shall discuss in referencing locale Holiday and Custom..... Please turn to page 37.
History
As many across the continent celebrate the the coming of Richfest in varied ways, in western Furyondy what was once a "holiday festival" aimed at taking advantage of traveling merchants. But in the year 585 on the week before Richfest, for those same merchants making their way to the capital, it soon became a holiday of remembrance and a festival celebrating those that brought a better life to the small riverside town known as Branaford.Professor Aleanghymn, Law-citer & Oath Bearer to the Maid
Through the Years, many a traveler and merchant had treated the sleepy village of Branaford as not much more than a respite on the banks of the Velverdeva in route to the capital to the east or more lucrative cities to the west.
The small town's commerce evolved through the 560's to take advantage of the visitors by staging their own market sales a week earlier than that of the capital or their western neighbors with the "hope" of procuring some merchandise from those weary travelers wishing to bring long travel to an end a week sooner yet still make a reasonable profit for their wears.
This economic shift grew to a festival of its own, with the locales calling it "The Hopefest", a play on words with the hope of revenues before the national festival of Richfest.
But on one such eve of the local event, orc raiders from the south aided with abominations left over from the dark lands of "Old Spit" (Emperor Iuz) seized the King's Road and King's Bridge effectively cutting of aid at the Att River and leaving Branaford now, suddenly, behind enemy lines. For three days the king's commanders poured troops into the bridge head hoping to break the lines, but a hulking creature of the abyss would not yield the crossing. Many a knight volunteered to meet the foe in honorous battle only to become the latest head to decorate the foul creature's belt.
The King himself thought to take up the gauntlet but was advised not, his advisors fearing not only for the king's safety, but the morale of the troops and the nation hung in the balance of such an outcome. The king demanded an alternate solution by morning or saw no other means to remove the thorn separating him from his subjects in Branaford.
Late into the night the toiled various plans and schemes to solve the challenge lay before them.
The Knightly conclave determined the bridge was too narrow for an effective unit charge with heavy lance. All agreed the Att river was too swift to ford across at the point of the bridge. Such a crossing would have to be done a hundred miles to the south. All strategists and advisors came to the same conclusion, Branaford's wooden palisade walls would not hold for such a duration, once the creature became bored with taunting the knights at the bridge.
Dawn came... and no worthy plan was set before them....
Unknown to the king, a steadfast group had already took up the gauntlet. As the king's trusted scribe arrived at the bridge site to announce the king's decision and coming arrival, many a vassal, knight and man at arms were already along the eastern shore witnessing a battle for the bridge taking place.
See the A Written Account of the Battle of King's Bridge for more details.
Components and tools
Maiden's Bloom is often decorating many local graves, monuments, the location of the old palisade gate, and of course, the site now known as Maiden's Bridge
Observance
Passively observed in western Furyondy, with a more dedicated following in the Duchy of Branaford. The Festival of Hope begins as it did traditionally, on the 25th of Wealsun.
It is the events of the observance of the holiday that have evolved from their self indulgent motivations of commerce and economics to a collection of days reflecting what could have been and being thankful in remembrance to those that made it happen.
The site, now named for the Battle of King's Road. It was here the Maid and her companions turned back the tide of darkness and brought forth the Day of Hope.
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