Day of Shaking Ground
The first festival of the Week of Days in Bedlam, which celebrates the cultural heritage of the Naerean Tribe of the Sandsage Nomads among local tribal descendants.
History
Tribal Legacy
The indigenous Einborn tribe of the Naerean saw a lot of desertion among their people when the nomads were expelled from their ancestral lands in the center of Einborg. Many of this tribe saw the prominence of other Human cultures who lived settled lifestyles and saw that sedentary life was a requirement for survival. This tribal society has a long-standing reputation as master equestrians, and this legacy endured settlement in Bedlam in the form of horse ranches outside the city.
Early Celebrations
When the Week of Days was first being created, the Naerean were enthusiastically supported to kick off the ceremonies. They are also the most represented tribe among settled Sandsage descendants in Bedlam, so it was decided that they would be able to coordinate an elaborate first day of events to draw people into the spirit of the heritage celebrations. The Day of Shaking Ground was the first day to be realized and has seen a few traditions and exhibitions fail or change out over the years. It turns out that few people cared to be told how the Naerean tribe manage their horses or managed grazing areas, which is what the first several years consisted of. Nevertheless, the Naerean descendants in charge of festivities listened to what interested attendees and this equestrian-themed jubilee continues to be one of the most popular celebrations during the Week of Days.
The indigenous Einborn tribe of the Naerean saw a lot of desertion among their people when the nomads were expelled from their ancestral lands in the center of Einborg. Many of this tribe saw the prominence of other Human cultures who lived settled lifestyles and saw that sedentary life was a requirement for survival. This tribal society has a long-standing reputation as master equestrians, and this legacy endured settlement in Bedlam in the form of horse ranches outside the city.
Early Celebrations
When the Week of Days was first being created, the Naerean were enthusiastically supported to kick off the ceremonies. They are also the most represented tribe among settled Sandsage descendants in Bedlam, so it was decided that they would be able to coordinate an elaborate first day of events to draw people into the spirit of the heritage celebrations. The Day of Shaking Ground was the first day to be realized and has seen a few traditions and exhibitions fail or change out over the years. It turns out that few people cared to be told how the Naerean tribe manage their horses or managed grazing areas, which is what the first several years consisted of. Nevertheless, the Naerean descendants in charge of festivities listened to what interested attendees and this equestrian-themed jubilee continues to be one of the most popular celebrations during the Week of Days.
Observance
The Morning Call
Horseback riders of Naerean descent take to the streets at a full gallop as soon as the sun rises.
"The race will begin in two hours! Stay out of the streets until midday!"
These instructions are repeated all morning. The streets are cleared of stalls and unintended obstacles days in advance, and the race route is marked with colored rope during these final hours. Travelers and locals, regardless of ancestry, are allowed to enroll in the race up until the final hour before the race starts. Those not participating in the race find their ways onto rooftops, elevated bridges, and balconies in order to watch the pending contest. Racers gather at a predetermined point in the city and await the starting drums.
The Race
The city is notified of the pending race by a large group of drummers whose music is magically amplified to reach most of Bedlam's urban area. When the final flurry of drum beats ends, The Race begins and all riders take off through the evacuated streets to the cheers of elevated spectators. The Naerean descendants do not partake in the race, but plan the route and obstacles to vary the contest every year. Any injuries sustained to the animals during the race are treated by local ranchers. Though not officially encouraged, gambling on The Race is considered part of the tradition. Coins, livestock, and even houses have been gained or lost as bets during The Race.
The winner is awarded with a documented Hartikan horse, the finest steeds in all of Yvard. These prestigious animals are not bred in Bedlam, but the horse ranches of Hartik happily donate one of their coveted animals nearly every year as the capstone of this celebration of the equestrian arts.
The Daytime Festivals
The Race constitutes the opening festival for the entire Week of Days, so no further spectacle or assembly is required for the Naerean heritage events. Local Naerean-owned tanneries display and sell leather goods made in traditional tribal styles; clothing, armor, horse tack, and personal accessories with the traditional leather aesthetics are featured throughout the city. Several horse auctions are held in the city center, and visitors to Bedlam are encouraged to bring their own horses to the city to be assessed and judged in pageantry contests and taken to a special stable outside the city for evening celebrations.
The Rumbling Procession
As the sun sets and darkness falls, the Naerean descendants of Bedlam dress in traditional tribal clothing (complete with braided leather "tether cords" to display any relationships they're in according to tribal tradition) and gather in the winner's stable outside the city. Everyone else once again migrates up into the elevated spaces of the city and awaits the Rumbling Procession, a grand parade when the Naerean lead winners of the day's various contests through the city streets to the cheers and adoration of the crowds. The honored participant of the parade is the winner of The Race, who mounts their Hartikan horse for the first time to ride in the procession. Musicians mixed throughout the parade play traditional Sandsage music on drums, tambourines, and castanets. Naerean dance is exhibited alongside the music by those on foot and by riders with trained dancing horses.
Once the parade has passed from one side of the city to the other, the Day of Shaking ground is concluded and the city sleeps in order to rest up for the next round of celebrations: the Day of Ivory and Ink.
Horseback riders of Naerean descent take to the streets at a full gallop as soon as the sun rises.
"The race will begin in two hours! Stay out of the streets until midday!"
These instructions are repeated all morning. The streets are cleared of stalls and unintended obstacles days in advance, and the race route is marked with colored rope during these final hours. Travelers and locals, regardless of ancestry, are allowed to enroll in the race up until the final hour before the race starts. Those not participating in the race find their ways onto rooftops, elevated bridges, and balconies in order to watch the pending contest. Racers gather at a predetermined point in the city and await the starting drums.
The Race
The city is notified of the pending race by a large group of drummers whose music is magically amplified to reach most of Bedlam's urban area. When the final flurry of drum beats ends, The Race begins and all riders take off through the evacuated streets to the cheers of elevated spectators. The Naerean descendants do not partake in the race, but plan the route and obstacles to vary the contest every year. Any injuries sustained to the animals during the race are treated by local ranchers. Though not officially encouraged, gambling on The Race is considered part of the tradition. Coins, livestock, and even houses have been gained or lost as bets during The Race.
The winner is awarded with a documented Hartikan horse, the finest steeds in all of Yvard. These prestigious animals are not bred in Bedlam, but the horse ranches of Hartik happily donate one of their coveted animals nearly every year as the capstone of this celebration of the equestrian arts.
The Daytime Festivals
The Race constitutes the opening festival for the entire Week of Days, so no further spectacle or assembly is required for the Naerean heritage events. Local Naerean-owned tanneries display and sell leather goods made in traditional tribal styles; clothing, armor, horse tack, and personal accessories with the traditional leather aesthetics are featured throughout the city. Several horse auctions are held in the city center, and visitors to Bedlam are encouraged to bring their own horses to the city to be assessed and judged in pageantry contests and taken to a special stable outside the city for evening celebrations.
The Rumbling Procession
As the sun sets and darkness falls, the Naerean descendants of Bedlam dress in traditional tribal clothing (complete with braided leather "tether cords" to display any relationships they're in according to tribal tradition) and gather in the winner's stable outside the city. Everyone else once again migrates up into the elevated spaces of the city and awaits the Rumbling Procession, a grand parade when the Naerean lead winners of the day's various contests through the city streets to the cheers and adoration of the crowds. The honored participant of the parade is the winner of The Race, who mounts their Hartikan horse for the first time to ride in the procession. Musicians mixed throughout the parade play traditional Sandsage music on drums, tambourines, and castanets. Naerean dance is exhibited alongside the music by those on foot and by riders with trained dancing horses.
Once the parade has passed from one side of the city to the other, the Day of Shaking ground is concluded and the city sleeps in order to rest up for the next round of celebrations: the Day of Ivory and Ink.
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