Emillion Mods (emillionmods) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-09-23 07:43:00 |
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The harvest festival was a traditional yearly throughout Emillion, celebrated mainly by commoners. The smaller outlying villages often held their own festivals and gatherings, but this day was the largest event, and as such, drew the greatest crowds. While dinner parties at the estates of wealthy nobles weren't atypical, they nevertheless were of a different purpose and mood than those in the lower class districts. A special service at the Grande Cathedral was held that morning, its sermon meant to serve as a seasonal reflection, with offerings of fruit and food baskets left by outlands worshipers who had travelers to the city that week. These plentiful offerings were often distributed by the Church toward its various services throughout the city. Farmers had been busy bringing their crops to the city during the past week, and the Bazaar was now rife with an abundance of seasonal produce. But more importantly, the park in the Commoners District had been set as the central hub for the festival events, where the wide expanse of grassy space was now beset with tents and tables, flags and flyers, where baked goods, canned jellies and jams, fresh breads, smoked meats and sausages were sold right out of the travel cart. Temporary cooking stations bustled with a legion of experienced cooks, with fires roaring and kept to temperature by a set of hard-working black mages who were offered a free meal for their efforts. Lining enormous benches, people bought meals by the heaping plateful, partaking in a large communal feast. Many competitions were held for farmers and craftsmen of varying sorts, for such categories as pie baking, quilting, woodwork, smithing, all judged by a committee of yearly volunteers awarding gil prizes for the winners. These events brought the usual amount of competitors and spectators each year, and were often a spectacle to those wandering by. Sponsored by a local tavern, a small charity fighting exhibition was held on a large wooden stage off to the side of the park as well. While the spectators bought various ales and drinks provided by the tavern, each participant would enter a drawing to fight one surprise opponent, and the winner was provided a book of vouchers for drinks and food. The proceeds gained from the competition were said to go to the redevelopment in the tenements. Volunteer mages were kept on stand by for the duration of the exhibition, in case an unlucky participant found themselves in need of healing. Traveling bards and actors made an appearance at the festival as well, including dancers, musicians and singers of all variety, there at each hub of activity to collect coin for their performances--and rumors too, perhaps. |