Day of Wandering Creation
The middle point of the Week of Days, dedicated to demonstrating locals' cultural heritage from the Balapyup Tribe of the Sandsage Nomads.
Nearly all of Bedlam's Halflings and Rock Gnomes are descended from members of the Balapyup tribe who gave up nomadic life after the Sandsage Nomads were driven out of their native ranges in Einborg. This day is theirs to showcase the things that made their ancestors stand out among the various nomadic cultures: culinary traditions, crafts, and agriculture.
Nearly all of Bedlam's Halflings and Rock Gnomes are descended from members of the Balapyup tribe who gave up nomadic life after the Sandsage Nomads were driven out of their native ranges in Einborg. This day is theirs to showcase the things that made their ancestors stand out among the various nomadic cultures: culinary traditions, crafts, and agriculture.
Execution
Daytime Activities
The Day of Wandering Creation is said to be the most bittersweet morning of the week's festivities. As people begin wandering through Bedlam to peruse shops of traditional nomadic crafted goods, they are greeted by chipper Halflings and Rock Gnomes who host the Day's events. Openly stating your current mood is the historic greeting of the tribe, and on this morning virtually all the day's hosts are happy to finally have their time. In Balapyup culture compliments are exchanged often and with earnest. This custom is enthusiastically displayed throughout the day and brings a light heart to guests. The bitterness of this bittersweet morning is simple: it comes after the Day of Vivid Life, so the majority of the town is hungover and coming down from last night's cactus juice.
The Balapyup hosts are friendly and cheerful faces who direct visitors to the out-of-town events of the day. Besides showing how the tribe makes its goods and running shops to sell said goods, the main events of the day actually take place outside of town. The Day's two formal events all take place outside of Bedlam's sprawling skyline, so some directions are needed.
The first event is a guided tour of the 'wilderness' outside of town. What guests to Bedlam usually see as naturally occurring plants in the landscape are actually farms, and they're guided through these agricultural ecosystems on wagons or horseback while hearing about the history of the nomad's crop management. Many are surprised to learn that this sort of camouflaged farming is a crucial part of the Sandsage Nomads' tribal migrations and inherent survival.
The tribes, primarily the Balapyup, developed these natural "food-scapes" to go unnoticed so that their ancient enemies in Einborg couldn't destroy or contaminate their sources of food. These food-scapes are usually planted in trees, bushes, and grains because these crops can be left alone for extended periods of time while the tribes migrate elsewhere. The Balapyup are the most respected tribe for their ability to plan and manage hundreds of food-scapes throughout the Sandsage Ancestral Lands, which are used by all the nomadic people who live there.
The farm tours last all day but see most of their attendance happen in the morning. While these are going on, descendants from other tribes lend a hand at setting up a large fenced-in area near one of the town's main stables. Guests often gather early to watch as several hundred goats are herded to the site to await various contests.
The Balapyup tribe is known to keep a resident herd of goats across their migratory patterns. To honor this, the Day of Wandering Creation's second half is full of caprine competitions that invite guests to participate. No magic or psionic abilities are allowed for these, as the Balapyup has virtually no association with arcane arts. These contests include:
Supper & Song
Besides their skill in craft and agriculture the Balapyup are recognized as having the best culinary traditions among the tribes. While traditional meals are available throughout the day, most of the would-be partakers are outside the city watching goat-adjacent shenanigans during the daytime hours. Once those end, however, Bedlam's streets fill once again and the wind carries the fine smells of meatballs over gluten noodles, goat cheese-based soup, and spices flutter upon the wind. The city grows quiet for the first two hours after contests end as people spend that time enthralled with supper.
After taking a delicious evening meal, the night's only formal events are musical performances scattered throughout the city. Most formal performances incorporate descendants of the Valdéra people, for these two tribes spend much of their migrations alongside each other and collaborate to make beautiful music. If any cactus juice is left over from the night before, it makes a welcome return among the populace and won't survive a second night.
The Day of Wandering Creation is said to be the most bittersweet morning of the week's festivities. As people begin wandering through Bedlam to peruse shops of traditional nomadic crafted goods, they are greeted by chipper Halflings and Rock Gnomes who host the Day's events. Openly stating your current mood is the historic greeting of the tribe, and on this morning virtually all the day's hosts are happy to finally have their time. In Balapyup culture compliments are exchanged often and with earnest. This custom is enthusiastically displayed throughout the day and brings a light heart to guests. The bitterness of this bittersweet morning is simple: it comes after the Day of Vivid Life, so the majority of the town is hungover and coming down from last night's cactus juice.
The Balapyup hosts are friendly and cheerful faces who direct visitors to the out-of-town events of the day. Besides showing how the tribe makes its goods and running shops to sell said goods, the main events of the day actually take place outside of town. The Day's two formal events all take place outside of Bedlam's sprawling skyline, so some directions are needed.
The first event is a guided tour of the 'wilderness' outside of town. What guests to Bedlam usually see as naturally occurring plants in the landscape are actually farms, and they're guided through these agricultural ecosystems on wagons or horseback while hearing about the history of the nomad's crop management. Many are surprised to learn that this sort of camouflaged farming is a crucial part of the Sandsage Nomads' tribal migrations and inherent survival.
The tribes, primarily the Balapyup, developed these natural "food-scapes" to go unnoticed so that their ancient enemies in Einborg couldn't destroy or contaminate their sources of food. These food-scapes are usually planted in trees, bushes, and grains because these crops can be left alone for extended periods of time while the tribes migrate elsewhere. The Balapyup are the most respected tribe for their ability to plan and manage hundreds of food-scapes throughout the Sandsage Ancestral Lands, which are used by all the nomadic people who live there.
The farm tours last all day but see most of their attendance happen in the morning. While these are going on, descendants from other tribes lend a hand at setting up a large fenced-in area near one of the town's main stables. Guests often gather early to watch as several hundred goats are herded to the site to await various contests.
The Balapyup tribe is known to keep a resident herd of goats across their migratory patterns. To honor this, the Day of Wandering Creation's second half is full of caprine competitions that invite guests to participate. No magic or psionic abilities are allowed for these, as the Balapyup has virtually no association with arcane arts. These contests include:
- Goat wrangling - contestants have to try and catch a specific goat before leading it to a specific pen, which is utter chaos when scores of people are trying to do it all at once.
- Headbutting - a strength contest for those
foolhardy enough to try. Tieflings are generally the favorites of gambling onlookers, since they are one of few humanoid species to have proper horns. - Riding - children can take a guided ride on trained pack goats, and the Balapyup descendants perform a few riding challenges from atop their pack goats. Riding goats is an observed but uncommon practice among the tribe itself, but nonetheless makes for a fun crowd show.
Supper & Song
Besides their skill in craft and agriculture the Balapyup are recognized as having the best culinary traditions among the tribes. While traditional meals are available throughout the day, most of the would-be partakers are outside the city watching goat-adjacent shenanigans during the daytime hours. Once those end, however, Bedlam's streets fill once again and the wind carries the fine smells of meatballs over gluten noodles, goat cheese-based soup, and spices flutter upon the wind. The city grows quiet for the first two hours after contests end as people spend that time enthralled with supper.
After taking a delicious evening meal, the night's only formal events are musical performances scattered throughout the city. Most formal performances incorporate descendants of the Valdéra people, for these two tribes spend much of their migrations alongside each other and collaborate to make beautiful music. If any cactus juice is left over from the night before, it makes a welcome return among the populace and won't survive a second night.
Components and tools
The Day of Wandering Creation is one of the most resource-intensive Days during this extended festival. Many farmers and craftsfolk work diligently year-round simply to produce enough for this single 24 hour period. Some of the major items needed include:
- wagons for farm tours
- clean, maintained roads through the area's food-scapes for smooth tours
- fences and seating for assembling the goat arena
- ingredients for cooking traditional Balapyup meals throughout the day
- materials for crafting traditional Balapyup goods and clothing
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