Summary
A holiday with a pedigree of several millennia to its name, the Sovusha is a festival originating from the
baarham. Before the
rise of their Dominion, during the
Great Darkness, the baarham threw off the shackles of slavery. In defiance of the world seemingly coming to an end, and a celebration of their new freedom, they reveled in the bonfire-lit dark. For them, it embodied coming together, surviving hardships, and rediscovering one's lost kin.
The actual nature of the celebrations and how they worked varied greatly during those two long centuries. When the skies cleared and the Dominion began forming,
King Ghown notably canonized it properly. He chose seven days in the coldest, darkest period of winter at the end of Dominion's calendar year. To the baarham, winter is a reminder of where they came from, and the hardships they've overcome. It is a time of settling one's accounts, reaffirming familial love/loyalty, and finding lost kin. For some, it is a time of funeral rites instead, burying loved ones and honoring those who've departed.
Due to the influence of the Dominion, Sovusha spread as an idea across Veltrona. While the longer lived peoples resisted incorporating it, the shorter lived ones eventually intermingled. Sovusha in particular was very compatible with a lot of 'winter' or 'year end' traditions most cultured practiced. Whether or not the full seven days were observed, at the least the Day of Sovusha itself was. The other days were usually co-opted by local traditions instead.
After the downfall of the Dominion, a lot of cultural rebirths sought to expunge baarham influence. Sovusha would be a rare example of something that, largely, went accepted or ignored. Rebranding it as a local holiday or something culturally 'their own' proved a fairly seamless process. As the baarham faded from the world stage, their venerated holiday remained somewhat common. In an ironic twist, they would often become stand ins for the villains or evils other traditions vilified.
The Seven Days
Each day has a general theme and purpose, but the specifics can change depending on local customs. They are:
Day of Calling – Heads of families declare their doors open, calling out their names for anyone who recognizes their bloodline. Those who tend the home keep their guests, while others go out and continue calling far and wide. It is considered proper manners to have something edible presented for free to visitors. Charity to those who come, especially those without family, is a virtuous deed. One's efforts on this day show their sincerity and honesty for trying to call home their lost kin.
Poorer families that cannot afford to do the charity normally pool together their efforts. Larger festival grounds are established, and a communal gathering area is created instead. Something of a class divide can become visible between those rich enough to be charitable at their homes or not.
Day of Keeping – Families shutter their doors to continue an insular, day-long gathering within the abode or other location. It is taboo to be away from one's family during this time, as one should be strengthening bonds. While originally most families kept to themselves, the tradition changed somewhat. Entire families would, as a group, venture across their homeland, or visit friendly families nearby. As the idea of strengthening bonds was reinforced, it's seen as a permissible thing.
Businesses are usually shut on this day unless a family's life is running that business together. Food shops, in particular, remain highly desirable to roving groups of baarham. It became a time of trial for the chef families, who, beset by so many customers at once, rush to meet their demands. In their culinary world it is sometimes call the
Day of Knives instead. Largely because chefs will burn through their knives remarkably fast from serving up food.
Day of Trials – Baarham love their magic and flaunting it even more. The Day of Trials is for when skills are brought to bear in all sorts of challenges and displays. What the trials are for, or about, is left to families to determine for themselves. In the spirit of Sovusha, the trials are nominally difficult but nonthreatening in nature. Complex magical spells, formula, crafts, and more are the typical norm.
Of course, baarham are more than willing to put large gathering trials up instead. These intense but short-lived competitions are used to settle grudges, debts, or prove one's mettle. Powerful families arrange them to flaunt their wealth and capability, as well as scout out new talent. Unlike the trials at one's home, much more serious affairs could be arranged depending on things.
King Ghown later prohibited any kind of blood sport or trials involving bodily harm, as he felt it violated Sovusha's spirit. Long after his passing the ban remains in effect, though some outcast baarham groups have elected to ignore it.
Day of Ceremonies – A very formal day dedicated toward ceremonial worship, pious showing, and respect toward one's perceived superiors. It is an 'extroverted' day in that the gathered peoples seek those outside their families. The purpose of which is to reaffirm larger societal ties, and also display where one's confidence sits. This day in particular is of import to the ruling families or those with great power.
The normal affairs tend to be ceremonial proceedings for the reigning rulers and affluent nobility. Political factions make a strong showing during this, but rules forbid fighting or threats of influence. While on paper this sounds like a way of people honestly showing where their faiths lay, it's only a surface level appearance. To boldly break this illusion by showing unexpected ceremony has ever resulted in endless drama.
Goddess worship tends to be one of the rarer ceremony types. Most 'ethnically cultural' baarham do not regard deities as beings who live 'above them' or 'out of reach'. They're examples by which all baarham strive to reach, at least in terms of power or prowess. However, they do form small cults around the personalities of goddesses, worshiping them like one does a celebrity or famous artist. In this way, the faiths of others have a minor, but accepted place in Sovusha.
Day of Gathering – While most everyone is usually preparing for the Day of Sovusha, the Day of Gathering is a specific 'last chance' window to do so. Heads are counted, festivities are finalized, and everything is moved into place. Depending on one's needs, it can be a luxurious day to relax or an utter nightmare. No real creeds dictate how it should be done, so most baarham without responsibilities go intermingling and enjoying small parties.
Community-wide events are usually held, such as going out to mine materials, gather wood or herbs, and find other things. What exactly is done has a sharp divide between urban and rural territories. Land owners in particular grew irate when roaming bands of gatherers picked over their properties. Generally, more urban environments focused on communal offerings given out by the ruling powers. A lack of offerings showed insincerity and greed, which easily riled up the less fortunate baarham. Otherwise, baarham groups would do the best they could finding offerings from the land itself.
Day of Sovusha – A name that roughly translates toward 'Day of All Our Shadows', it means to be present in a place where one can cast a shadow. It is a symbolic component of baarham culture, as those who 'lead from above' end up casting 'long shadows'. Sovusha abolishes rank, however, and so all stand equally around a family's bonfire. Traditionally, Sovusha demands the stripping of rank, pedigree, and symbolic attire. Only modest clothing is accepted, for the purpose of which is to unify baarham as baarham once again.
It is the closest event that comes to something egalitarian in nature to baarham philosophy. A very deliberate and forceful stripping down to one's 'naked essence', in very much the same way during the Great Darkness. Baarham are encouraged to open their hearts, as well as exchange precious gifts. It is important to share one's successes with others, so that all baarham can 'survive' better. Finally, celebrations (food, drinking, fun games, and more) fill the entire day as they live and enjoy it with wild abandon.
It is an energetic day, and one baarham embrace as best they can. For many, it is one of the few days out of a year their anxieties can be laid to rest.
Day of Solace – Originally the 'Day of Rest', it became the Day of Solace when
the baarham returned from exile. Their calamitous downfall humbled their cultural mind, and many baarham were lost, if not killed.
Vanzkah zahd Ghown, Queen Domina of Baarham ordered it changed so that all baarham might pay honored respects to their fallen. In doing so, she gave them a day to voice their sorrows, mourn losses, and grieve without shame. Just as the day before they celebrated life, so too do they respect death.
Wider group ceremonies are held, especially for those baarham without sanctified deaths. The traditional means of doing so is inscribing the lost baarham's name using a family member's blood. Barring that, an official or other person who would offer their blood up. These tiny talismans are then ritualistically burned, and the ashes scattered during high winds. It is a way of calling their spirits home to rest, and offering quiet they may otherwise be left without. A burned talisman that produces white ashes shows that baarham found their final peace.
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