flipside43 wrote:My first question is: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
My second is: What are some holidays for the Triad or Helm which may be celebrated on the Sword Coast in the current time in game?
"Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The priesthood of Tyr follows a monthly cycle of high rituals, beginning with Seeing Justice on the first day of each month, the Maiming on the thirteenth day of the month, and the Blinding on the twenty-second day of each month. These major rituals involve chanted prayers, thunderously sung hymns to the god, and conjured illusions: a gigantic war hammer that glows blinding white hanging over the heads of the congregation at Seeing Justice; at the Maiming, a gigantic right hand that bursts into view above the congregation surrounded by a nimbus of burning blood, then tumbles away into darkness and fades from view; and two eyes that burst into fountains of flaming tears until they have entirely spilled away and are gone at the Blinding. Early in the ceremony of the Blinding, symbolic blindfolds of diaphanous damask are bound over the eyes of the celebrants by clergy to remind the worshipers of Tyr's blindness.
In addition to the high rituals, Tyrrans celebrate daily rituals of prayer to the god, which take the form of a sung invocation, a series of responsive prayers led by a senior cleric, a short sermon of instruction or reading of wisdom from the Sacred Judgments of Tyr, and a rousing closing anthem. In temples and abbeys dedicated to the god, such rituals are celebrated every two hours around the clock, with the most important offices taking place at dawn, highsun (noon), the equivalent of six o'clock, and the equivalent of none o'clock. The dawn ritual, The Awakening, is a gentle, uplifting renewal of faith. The noonday ritual, the Hammer at Highsun, is a stirring, exultant expression of the church's vigilance and martial might. The evenfeast ritual, High Justice, is a stern, proud celebration of Tyr's commandments and the church's purpose. The evening ritual, the Remembrance of the Just Fallen, is a haunting, softly chanted reverence for those who have laid down their lives for justice, both inside and outside the faith—a ritual of quiet dignity and respect that always leaves many witnesses, even those who do not follow Tyr, in tears.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: During the year, the Tormish celebrate two great festivals (and on some years, three): the Divine Death on the 13th of Eleasias (commemorating Torm's death in battle just north of Tantras during the Time of Troubles, when he and Bane destroyed each other), the True Resurrection on the 15th of Marpenoth (when Torm returned to his powers, at the end of the Godswar), and the Shieldmeet.
The Divine Death is a solemn ceremony of remembrance for all the fallen who died for just causes, while guarding others, or in the holy service of Torm. After prayers and a huge feast, Tormtar go at dusk to the graves or battle sites where departed ones dear to them fell or now lie, light special candles, and pray through the night, recounting the deeds of the fallen to Torm so that none who fell may truly be forgotten. Torm often sends comforting dream visions to Tormtar on this night-but it is said among the faithful that if one sees Torm's death in a vision, it means that person's death in his service in the coming year.
The True Resurrection celebrates Torm's rise anew to power and is a joyous feast and revel where laws are set aside just for this one day and night so that Tormtar can stray from their principles of law and order once a year. Most use this opportunity merely to shock others by speaking freely or by enjoying sensual pleasures with their fellow Tormtar-but a few every year employ it to bring vengeance down on someone. (For example, a noble protected against all physical punishment by the laws of a realm but who ordered others mutilated might himself be mutilated on the night of the Resurrection.) Torm traditionally sends inspiring visions into the dreams of all his faithful in the sleep that follows this festival-and grants the Loyal Boon to a few, as a mark of his appreciation for their outstanding service: A new prayer is placed in their minds, granting them once chance to cast a new spell they would otherwise not be able to cast until they rose in experience by another level.
Shieldmeet celebrations are rituals expressing loyalty and renewing oaths and pledges. Tormtar prefer to marry, perform marriages, and finalize apprenticeship or training agreements on this day.
Throughout the year, faithful of Torm are expected to pray to the True God at least four times per day: at noon, dusk, midnight, and dawn. Prayers to Torm are uttered in a prescribed litany, which sounds like a rolling chant, and ask for guidance from the Lord of Duty, Loyalty, and Obedience. Since the Time of Troubles, the Penance of Duty has been included as part of the litany. To these rituals and prayers are added special prayers said when a follower of Torm needs extra inner strength to follow orders, to do a necessary but unpleasant task, or to support an ally or friend.
The faithful of Torm need practice only three special rituals: Torm's Table, Investiture, and Holy Vigil. Torm's Table must be observed at least once every two months. To perform this ritual, a Tormtar purchases or prepares a grand meal and then turns it over to a stranger (usually a beggar or citizen in need) to consume while they fast, waiting on the table. Within three days after the feast is done, the priest must confess any personal sins, failings, or shortcomings to anothe Tormtar priest and report on his doings to a superior.
Investiture is the solemn ceremony wherein a novice becomes a priest or priestess. It is the duty of every Tormish priest or holy warrior within a day's ride of the announced place of ritual to attend. The supplicant (only one priest is invested at each ceremony) prepares beforehand by rolling in mud or dust and then donning the oldest, filthiest clothes they can find or beg for. Thus attired, she or he fasts for a day and then in the evening (after the gathered priests have feasted) is brought in to the temple and washed clean with water by the visiting Tormtar. The supplicant is formally introduced to the presiding priest and accepted into the service of Torm-provided she or he passes the Holy Vigil. All the clergy then join in a hymn of hope, and withdraw, leaving the supplicant locked in the temple sanctuary alone to complete the Holy Vigil.
The Holy Vigil is repeated every time an individual advances in rank within the priesthood. Before departing, the presiding priest solemnly raises a naked bastard sword from the altar and casts it up into the air. By the grace of Torm (and a secret spell cast beforehand), the blade rises up and moves to hand a man's height above the supplicant's head, point downward. The more the supplicant gives in to fear or slumber or dwells on any doubts about his or her faith in Torm, the lower the sword slips. Though such swords move slowly enough that they rarely seriously injure when they touch the priest below them, the magic is broken if the sword draws blood, and the shame of being found with a fallen sword the next morning is extreme. If a Vigil is thus failed, the presiding priest prays to Torm for guidance and follows the True God's dictates: the Vigil may be repeated on the next night, or the failed one may be cast out of the church or charged with a penance or quest.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: There are no calendar-related special holy days or any other festivals observed by the Ilmatari. Instead, the daily rituals of prayer to Ilmater at least six times per day govern each and every day of service.
A special Plea must be made to Ilmater to receive divine dispensation for a Rest, which is a tenday vacation from serving Ilmater's dictates. Usually Ilmatari request this when they are emotionally exhausted, but some adventurer-priests use Rests to perform things Ilmater would otherwise frown upon. This custom is an established tradition that some leaders of the faith rely upon, sending their best fighting clergy out to do things that the church cannot otherwise accomplish (covertly removing a tyrant rather than confronting him openly, for example).
The most important ritual of the Church of Ilmater is the Turning: It is the duty of every priest of Ilmater to try to get dying persons to turn to Ilmater for comfort, receiving the blessing of the Broken God before they expire. As the veneration of Ilmater grows, even in death, his healing power becomes greater.
