Kiern Vale Handbook

Chapter 3: Life in Kiern Vale

The Climate in Kiren Vale

Kiern Vale is located in the central belt of the Melestra continent. However, since the vale is high (approximately 1200-500 meters) above sea level, and its eastern reaches are the foothills of an extremely high and cold mountain ridge, its climate is much colder than neighboring regions, and other lands sharing its latitude. The seasonal cycle is relatively long, and ranges between 370 to 400 days.

The vale enjoys a relatively long and comfortable summer, with occasional pleasant rainfall (expect for few weeks of torrential rainstorms in the middle of summer). The winter is also long and harsh, and in between are two short transitional seasons. There are two main periods for harvesting crops – one in the spring (mainly wind barley) and one in the end of summer (after the rainstorms), primarily involving squashes and fruits – like the local opalberries.

The En’mirian Calendar

In spite of the fact that the different regions of Melestra have varied climates and agricultural seasons, the imperial En’mirian calendar (which originates from the Selentir plateau in central Melestra), was enforced throughout the empire – including holidays and tax collection dates – often leading to unrest among the locals.

The En’mirian calendar, which was enforced in the Kiern Vale centuries ago, includes a cycle of four equal-length seasons. It divides the year into twelve months, each consisting of 30 days, clustered into four three-month nominal seasons, albeit seasons bearing little relation to the cycle of years in Kyren vale, or anywhere outside of the Central Melestran Plateau. Each season is associated with one of the four Celestial Reflections, and marked with a matching color.

The month names are composed of:

· An initial: Ri (which means first in En’mirin), Ni (second) or Dal (third).

· The first part of the month’s name is derived from a color matching the relevant celestial reflection: Dar (golden), Ral (red), Lin (Blue) and Om (grey).

· The suffix “Tor” – which means “month” in the En’mirian language.

Following each of the three months seasons (except for the grey months at the end of the year), there is a three days intermission, during which the fading celestial colors blend with the rising ones. This period marks one of the imperial holidays, and holds great mystical significance, closely tied (among other things) to the crafting of magical gemstones.

The Colorless days (Bab Kefuj)

Following the “grey” group of months, between winter and spring, there is a period of variable length (from 1 to 31 days). Originally, it was intended as a correction to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons, and its precise duration was determined each year by scholars subdued to the priestesses of the empire. It also known as the “colorless days” as it overlaps with the “Bab Kefug”: a notorious ritualistic holy day of the devotees of Babus, the evil deity of pleasure.

The year in Kiern Vale – Month by month

Ri Dartor (“The first golden month”)

The month marking the beginning of spring, and the melting of the last snow. The harsh eastern winds weaken and cease entirely towards the end of the month. Farmers begin to work in the fields in preparation for the first harvest; scouts search for people who were lost during the winter, and explore isolated places in which the contact was lost. The first traders set out on the roads with cottage industry goods produced by farmer households in the winter months.

Ni Dartor (“The second golden month”)

The month marking the end of spring; uncultivated areas are covered with colorful blossoms; huge water lilies blossom along the banks of the rivers and on the surfaces of the lakes.

In the fields, the first harvest (mainly of wind barley) reaches its peak. The days after the harvest are considered a preferred time for weddings by certain classes, as well as a good time for sending out sons and daughters of age to start their apprenticeship for a patron.

Del Dartor (“The third golden month”)

The first month of summer in Kiern Vale. The blossoms wilt, and the wind direction changes to west or northwest, sometimes accompanied by warm, foggy haze from the Urgaka marshes.

This month is time for tax collection, often leading to unrest. Merchants ply the roads with their goods, in preparation for the Long Dawn festival. Unfortunately, highwaymen are also active, especially in the parts of the vale which are outside the protection of the large estates or the district city garrison.

The Long Dawn festival

Also known as “Festival of the Golden Flame”, this holiday takes place during the three “Orange days” which bridge the last golden month with the first red month.

The festival was meant to commemorate the triumph of the Celestial Reflections over the evil god Babus, as well as the later victories of the En’mirian legions. During the imperial era, it was customary to celebrate it with demonstration of power, primarily but not only after successful military campaigns. It was a time of fancy parades, frequently with trimmed armors, newly weaved war banners, and also for distribution of loot and other gifts, as well as amusements of the local crowd.

In past years this festival was – at least in some imperial regions – also cause for celebration for slave traders and their orders, during which they showcased their grim “merchandise” for sale.

Nowadays in Kiern Vale, the festival is mainly celebrated as the end of the first harvest season, and featuring the grand summer fair. The fair traditionally includes a formal meeting of the vale council, who later step out into the crowd as a kind of declaration of “all is well”. The fair offers both common amusements and competitions, and provides the best opportunity to find foreign goods, such a metal wares forged from Karansil Ridge ores, by the mountain dwelling artisans of the Blue Reflection.

Once, many goods from Orm’theril (“The Grey Principality”) were common in the summer fair, but recent events have made them much rarer.

Ri Raltor (“The first red month”)

This is the second month of summer in Kiern Vale. The northwestern winds strengthen, bringing more rain. The Gurg celebrate one of their main holidays towards the middle of the month, and traditionally showcase rare and strange plants and alchemical products.

This is a time for reinforce home and field before the midsummer storm season, and protect them from flooding. Some peasants are required to labor as payment of a corvee tax to the local nobles, usually for similar purposes. According to custom, a good lord provides sustenance to his laborers and uses some of this labor to provide possible shelter for the surrounding folk, in case of particularly harsh storms or worse – raiders that may exploit them as cover. It is the traditional duty of the local lord, among other things, the ensure that the shelter stands firm, its fortifications are in good condition, and that the roads leading to it are well-maintained, cleared of obstacles and safe to travel.

Ni Raltor (“The second red month”)

This is the notorious month of the midsummer rainstorms. Temperatures rise, bringing a sickening humidity with them. The skies are reddish-grey, foggy and murky, releasing a wave after wave of rain, accompanied by thunderstorms. Only Gurg or exceptionally tough scouts or adventurers dare to travel, especially outside the main roads.

In addition to the risk of floods, many other dangers are associated with this month, ranging from the outbreak of plagues to attacks by giant insects and other creatures who are fond of the rain and the deep mud, which make them much braver than usual. Occasionally, the deformed humanoids known as Pur’rati also venture forth into the civilized lands during this month.

Del Raltor (“The third red month”)

The last month of summer. The rains decrease, and the winds weaken. When the flood water recedes, it is time to begin the second harvest season, which includes mainly squashes and local fruits which benefited from the summer rains and can reach impressive size and ripeness. The most famous local fruits are the sweet and succulent opalberries, which are both eaten raw and preserved as jams, as well as serving as a a raw material for distillation of alcoholic beverages.

In the distant past, this month was a favorite time for wars among the various local nobles and other armed forces in the vale. However, such wars have not occurred for many generations, although they still have a place in local stories and culture.

Festival of the Shining Light

This celebration takes place during the three “purple days” which separate the “red” and the “blue” months. Sometimes, it is also called “The Horn of Plenty Festival”.

This holiday is primarily important to the artisan guilds, who traditionally showcase the best of their creations, competing with each other for the favor and coin purses of the nobles and other wealthy patrons. Knowledgeable individuals can easily guess the power dynamics within a guild, based on the order and way in which both goods and artisans are presented – including which young artisan or even apprentice is considered successful and honored within his or her guild, and who is viewed as no more then surplus or inadequate.

Most of the common folk, especially peasants, are not free to celebrate the holiday. Most of them will – at most – hold a festive family meal if they can spend time or afford one, considering that the second harvest is still at its peak. Nobles, on the other hand, will turn the festive feast into a display of power and wealth, primarily by showcasing fancy goods and artworks (and in older times, spoils of war). Wealthier nobles will host a traditional ball, to which lesser nobles, artisans and heroes will be invited.

During this holiday, and especially the ball, it is customary to present daughters and sons who have come to the fitting age, through a “Debut in Society” which frequently takes the center of the stage in the balls – either organized by the family or but a greater noble.

Ri Lintor (“The first blue month”)

The first month of autumn. The air becomes cooler, and the second harvest comes to an end – sometimes celebrated in small village festivals that serve as a late substitute for the noble’s festival of the shining light. Peasants, nobles and to some extend also city dwellers, begin preserving and storing goods and supplies for the winter. This month is also the peak of work in the distilleries, and frequently there are drunkards, beggars and other down-on-their-luck sorts gathering around, hoping to benefit from the surplus.

Ni Lintor (“The second blue month”)

The second month of autumn. Temperatures drop rapidly and the rains become cold, while the wind gradually shifts back, blowing again from the mountains in the east. Craftsman are busy creating items suitable for the encroaching winter season: from lamps and oils to warm fur cloaks and sharpening weapons for scouts and border guards.

The locals redouble their efforts to complete preparations and storage for the long winter. In middle of the month, it is customary for nobles to release the last locals forced to provide labor corvee in their estates, so they will be able to reach their homes before the onset of winter. Generous masters release their workers earlier, and often grant them a traditional gift for their families.

Del Lintor (“The third blue month”)

The First month of winter. Temperatures drop even further, and the eastern wind strengthens, accompanied by bitter cold. The heavy rains turn into snow towards the end of the month. Merchants and other travelers embark on their final journeys for the year, aiming to return to their homes before the winter holiday. Workers released from estates or from workshop in the bigger settlements travel among the roads as well, sometimes falling victim to swindlers and highwaymen who covet the wage money they carry. In the elevated areas, the howls of wolves begin to fill the night.

Festival of the Depths

Also known as the Festival of Deep Gaze or the Winter Festival, this event is celebrated over the three days which separate the blue and grey months, and was traditionally led by the Blue and Grey Celestial Reflections. This festival is a more solemn and mournful event compared to the other holidays. In this event, the empire remembers and mourns those who fell for its glory, primarily the priestesses who did not survive the battle against Babus, then the many who have fallen in battles and conquests made by the En’mirian legions.

In the past, the festival also served the priestesses for deep introspection, including examining their own failures and weaknesses. However, as the empire declined the priesthood became less skilled and more arrogant, this tradition faded – although they still hold some significance.

For simple folk in Kiern Vale, the winter festival serves as time to reconnect with the spirits of deceased ancestors, who receive offerings in request for blessing, protection and guidance. The shadow of winter looms over the festival, as the celebrants beseech the netherworld for protection and safety. Certain guilds of scholars solemnly present special studies and artifacts to other guild members and selected clientele intending to embark on dangerous winter journeys or to experiment upon various winter phenomena and creatures.

Ri Omtor (“The first grey month”)

The second winter month. The eastern winds become bone-chilling and dangerous, especially in the higher, eastern parts of the vale. The snow deepens and gradually extends from east to west. The roads become hazardous, and travel between villages gradually ceases. People enclose themselves inside their settlements. Aggressive winter creatures begin the descend from the mountains and gain courage.

Ri Omtor (“The second grey month”)

The winter reaches its peak in this month. The Kierna and other rivers freeze; many roads are blocked and the winds rage, carrying snowstorms from the peaks of Karansil ridge. Winter wolves, Rockling tribes and sometimes even more terrifying creatures wander close to human settlements, sometimes raiding farms and isolated villages – especially in the eastern parts of the vale. Experienced scouts or adventurers may occasionally brave the snow and wind to fend off invaders or carry warnings about particularly dangerous monsters which were spotted wandering inside the vale. Conversely, this month is also the time of several strange and rewarding phenomena – including a short-lived bloom of rare frost flowers which are considered to possesses magical powers; the possible appearance of snow gems, and sometimes even a strange sighting of phenomena in the sky, tempting adventurers or reckless scholars to venture into extreme danger.

Del Omtor (“The third grey month”)

This month marks the end of winter (along with the colorless days). The eastern winds begin to weaken, bringing less snow. Winter creatures become less daring, gradually retreating back to the mountains. Some roads reopen, while soldiers, scouts and workers venture forth to assess winter damage or reconnect with isolated places. Some nobles participate in the ancient tradition of late-winter travels to the provincial capital, symbolizing the end of winter and the beginning of the social, and political dickering, season.

The Colorless days (Bab Kefuj)

After the “grey” group of months, between winter and spring, there is a period of variable length (from 1 to 31 days). Originally, it was intended as a correction to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons, and its precise duration was determined each year by scholars subordinate to the priestesses of the empire. Those scholars combined astronomical observations with measurements of magical energies. Then, the exact length of the year was determined through consultations between various En’mirian temples, either by messengers or by magical means.

However, that period, known as the “colorless days” according to ancient traditions, also overlaps with the “Bab Kefug” (“the spring delights”) a notorious ritualistic holiday of the devotees of Babus, the evil deity of pleasure. Those devotees considered it a fitting time to gather significant powers and perform ‘unconventional’ deeds – often deeds which cost their unfortunate victims, and the devotees themselves, dearly

Therefore, that period was often perceived by many En’mirians as associated dark forces and death, while En’mirian priestesses and knights considered it a time of struggle for both soul and body, intensive training and preparation for renewal and the challenges of the upcoming year.

Festival of the Radiant Gate

A three-day festival, celebrated during the last three “colorless days” (in a year with fewer than three such days, it extends into the first days of the following year). The festival is intended to mark the opening of the portal into the celestial dimension of the En’mayri, the triumph of good over evil by the grace of the divine power of these gemstone-like entities, and the redemption of the world from the perversion of Babus and his followers.

Most of the celebration is reserved for nobles and other higher-class individuals. It signifies the completion of their training, sometimes marking the end of apprentice or cadet periods of priestesses and knights, which is the perfect time for military and religious appointments.

In the imperial era, vassal rulers were obliged to renew their oath to the radiant council – either in person or by proxy, usually a first-degree family member, presenting a symbolic offering from their homelands. In Kiern vale, nobles and other dignitaries would sojourn to the tower of the local imperial prefect, bringing tribute and feasting at his table as a declaration of loyalty. Sometimes, they used the event to present a promising heir to the prefect – a honor greatly exceeding the one obtained through the usual presentation at the ball of the Horn of Plenty festival. The assassination of the last prefect and his family, five years after the great shattering, ended this local tradition, but not the custom of traveling to the provincial capital, En’mirlor, at the end of winter.

The Ancient Far’lil Calendar

This calendar was common many years ago in the northern realms of Melestra, and in other countries inhabited by Far’lil humans or other human tribes closely related to them. While in the past, this calendar varied significantly from place to place, in recent times the prophet Galard Frun is attempting to unify it and establish a precise version “In honor of our great antlered father, Par Egul”.

The Far'ilian year is divided in a coarse manner into seven parts, each hinting at a natural phenomenon or activity symbolizing that part of the year. Each part is named after a different animal or creature. Starting from spring, the names of the seven “months” are: Butterfly, Rabbit, Deer, Dragon, Bear, Moose, Wolf. Together they complete a full cycle of seasons (so that in the end, the Far'ilian calendar remains somewhat synchronized with the En’mirian one).

The years themselves are grouped and numbered according to the “dominant celestial entity” – meaning one of the Great Father's servants or foes, represented by a group of stars which stood at the center of the sky in certain ‘holy’ times, or radiated magical energies – for better, worse or both – on the earthly realm, and kept his “rule over the sky” for several years, counted by the Farilic priests and elders.

For example: if the ‘ruling sky entity’ was identified with Dagazor the Black Satyr, and held in the center of the celestial sphere for thirteen cycles of seasons, then the fifth year’s wolf month would be called “Dagazor’s fifth wolf”, and so on, up to the thirteenth wolf.

Nevertheless, for many common folks who couldn’t follow this mystical counting, the month was and remained simply “Wolf”.

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