Metamor Keep Calendar

There are 366 days in one year. Leap year is celebrated every two years and an extra day is added to December and January. Odd numbered months have 31 days while even numbered months will have 30. This means every two years there will be 32 days in January and 31 in December. Months and days have the same names used today.

Here is a list of the normal holidays(in no particular order), the dates they occur on with a brief description.

Summer Solstice, June 21 - 23. -- Festival celebrating the beginning of Summer. Unlike other festival times, a jousting tourney is also held, the winner of which receives the Golden Lance and the title 'Defender of Metamor'.

Autumnal Equinox, September 22 - 24 -- Celebrated for a good harvest. Many contests oriented with harvesting crops.

New Years, December 30(31) - January 2(3) -- Celebrations over a new year and new beginnings.

Vernal Equinox, March 21 - 23 -- Celebrating the end of Winter and the beginning of the planting season.

Remembrance Week, August 7 -14 -- This is in memory of the Battle of Three Gates. It is celebrated over a one week period. It is not celebrated on the date of the battle out of respect for all who fought in it. Mainly the battle is reenacted and honor those who fought at the battle.

Winter Solstice/Christmas, Dec 15 - 22 -- Celebration of giving and receiving of gifts between friends and general merriment. There will be several winter activities and sports. Christmas Mass (Service) is given by Father Hough for the Followers at the Keep.

Lord Thomas' Birthday, ?????? -- Celebration of Lord Thomas, of course.

Memorial Day, January 22 - 25 -- Honors the men and women who fought in past battles. Every year three different famous battles are reenacted, to honor the combatants.

Week of Sorrow, Varies -- This is a time when once a year, for a week long period, you must show respect for a deceased family member. Normally you would place food and an object(i.e. article of clothing) at that person's gravesite. You would then act as though that person is with you at all time for that week. (i.e. you would offer them food at the table) And every night you would pray for the safety of that person's spirit.

Those are the general holidays.

This is a list kindly written by Raven of the spiritual holidays. These are pretty much optional. Many thanks goes to Raven for writing these up.

Kala'kema: ("Akkala's Day" in the Old Tongue.) A day of prayer and petition before Akkala (Goddess of Healing and Purity) for a healthy and prosperous new year. January 10.

Vele'kema: The day of Velena, goddess of Beauty and Love. Lovers commonly express their affection for one another on this day, and many women engage in various rituals entreating Velena's aid in capturing "the right man." February 19.

Dokor'kema: The day of Dokorath, god of Battle and War. Regions at peace entreat him to be merciful and keep his hand away from them, while lands engulfed in conflict and war (as the Keep usually is, with the forces of the Northlands) pray for victory. Dokorath is believed to honor those who do _honorable_ battle on this day in his name. March 12.

First Planting: The Lightbringers bless the soil of the surrounding lands and pray for good harvest in the coming year. Sacrifices from the previous year's harvest are made to the earth and river nymphs. April 1.

Dvali'kema: The day of Dvalin, god of storms, lightning, rain, and all weather. Petitions are made for good weather in the coming year. April 30.

Kammo'kema: Day of Kammoloth, king of the gods. A great feast is hosted by the Order in celebration. Ceremonies consist of prayers, petitions, and drink offerings (libations). May 15.

Artela'kema: Day of Artela, Queen of Nymphs, goddess of The Wilderness and The Hunt. One animal caught in the annual Duke's Hunt is released back into the wilds as a show of mercy. (Heavens only know if this is still being observed since the Battle of the Three Gates.) June 3.

Day of Dedication: At sundown, all priests and priestesses renew their vows of dedication to the Lightbringer Order. Fasting precedes this day for a full week, and is participated in by all priests, sanctioned healers, and other temple workers. June 22.

Yajii'kema: The day of Yajiit (yah-JEET), goddess of Fire and The Sun. At noon, on what is believed to be the hottest day of the year, one-twentieth of all the cattle in the land are ritually slaughtered in sacrifice, placed on stone altars and burned to ashes. These ashes are then spread over the fields and pastures of the land. July 20.

Samek'kema: The day of Samekkh, god of prophecy and light. At an hour past sundown priests participate in a meditation ceremony believed to induce visions of the future. Involves a large fire and herbs known only to the Lightbringers and their assistants. August 2.

Day of Admission: New priests and priestesses may be inducted into the Order on this night, and this night alone. A time of strict preparation precedes the ceremony, beginning on the Day of Dedication. The eldest member of the Order -- the Lightbringer -- has final veto power on any and all applicants. September 13.

Wvelki'kema: Day of Wvelkim, god of the seas. Its importance to the majority of Keepers is questionable, considering how far they are from the ocean, but anyone travelling to seaside towns and port cities will without doubt find some sort of ceremony or festival taking place. These events probably vary dramatically from place to place, ranging from the self-indulgent (wild parties on all ships in harbor) to the gruesome (throwing a young virgin off a cliff into the sea as a sacrifice). Lightbringers only conduct ceremonies on this day for any Keepers (or friends of the Keep) living in coastal lands or travelling by sea. September 29.

Daedra'kema: The most feared and dreaded of all holy days. On this day, the daedra -- sinister, manipulative, basically out-and-out evil brothers and sisters to the Order's "heavenly" pantheon -- are allowed to roam unchecked in their meddling with mortal affairs. Most appear mysteriously in cities and villages throughout the Midlands, taking on human appearance and indulging in their favorite vices -- preferably dragging down with them as many mortals as they can. Others take on nightmarish forms and terrorize the peasantry. This is a Lightbringer's toughest working night of the year -- s/he must spend the entire night awake and vigilant, protecting the Keep against all daedra who step out of line and cause too much trouble. Keeping them all _out_ of the Keep -- or anywhere else -- is impossible; the most ambitious goal of the priests and priestesses on this night is containment. Raven Lightbringer doesn't look forward to facing it alone. October 30.

Meta'kema: This is the day of celebration for Metamor Keep itself, a feasting day where one and (most) express their thanks for the Keep's creation and continued existence. The Lightbringer Order prays a blessing over the Keep's inhabitants to Kyia, the nymph who is the spirit of the Keep. This day is alternately known as Kyia'kema. November 24.

December has no Lightbringer ceremonies -- for some reason, no member of the pantheon will claim that month as their own. Because of this, December has commonly become associated, in the minds of the Lightbringers, with the Supreme Creator -- the unknown, inscrutable, true king of the gods. No ceremonies are held for Him because the Lightbringers know nothing about him (and the other gods aren't talking). To the Lightbringers, the implication of The Followers of the Way placing their celebration of Yahshua in December is all too clear.