Festivals and Celebration Days.

[Spearmint]

This forum will be used for players to have their characters participate in the various festivals and events that take place in Helix or Ironguard or any other location such a calendar event happens.

As a general rule, the year is made up of twelve 30 day months (using common calender names) with 5 festivals that happen during the year.

Mayday: 1st of May: Herne festival of Spring.

Harvest Festival: Day between 21st and 22nd of September.

Winter Solstice: 'WinterVell' a 10 day festival starting at the solstice on Dec 22nd and finishing on New Year's Day Jan 1st.

Hallowed's Eve: a festival remembering the departed and traditionally a day when folk dress up in ghoulish costumes to trick or treat neighbours. Oct 31st.

The two days between March 31st and April 1st:
Springfest and The High Sabbath.

[Spearmint]

Herne Festival of Spring:

Helix Village. Duchy of Aerik.
Mayday: May 1st 1066.

Any player whose character is in town on the above date may participate in the varied activities as the community and Hernite devotees celebrate the Spring festival.

Players may contribute to the festival by donating a gold piece gift up to the value of 100gp per level. They receive a reciprocal xp benefit to the value of their gift. During the festival there are competitions which will further reward the character enrolled with a monetary, item or xp reward if they win or perform well.

Sign up, sign up!

Greased Pig, a fattened sow, covered in olive oil, barbecue sauce and rubbing thoroughly with lard is released in the village to be chased down and wrestled. Winner gets the pig. (and xp).

Players chase down the pig, using a 4d6 skill roll vs their constitution score. If successful, they get a chance to wrestle the . Roll vs your Dex a 5d6. If successful, you roll again but with a decreasing skill check, roll 4d6 vs Dex. If successful then a third grapple 3d6 vs Dex.

At any time you fail, the pig has greased up and slipped away and you need to repeat the constitution check to catch the pig and repeat the last failed Dex grapple tests.

Stone the Crows

Players dress up as a Scarecrow (post a pic) and in the ploughed field enter the competition. Firstly the scarecrow remains as still as can be to attract a number of crows to roost upon his arms and head while at the same time other scarecrows are slinging soft mud rolled clods at the birds roosting upon their fellow scarecrows. roll a 2d6. The best scarecrow pic gets another d6. This is the number of crows which settle upon you. Other players and villagers then stone the crows with slingshot clods. A successful hit knocks a crow off, a miss hits the scarecrow and he loses 1hp temporarily. The Scarecrow winner is the last one still standing or has stood longest.

Winner gets a +1 sling, losers get to pluck the crows. All entrants get xp relative to the number of crows attracted and number they hit.

Maypole dancing exotic dancing for nubile and half naked performers to titillate and enthrall the crowd. Takes place in the Brazen Strumpet to music performed by Bublé the Bard. The competition is open to all and entrants get to keep whatever coins are passed their way. entrants roll 4d6 vs Dex and 4d6 vs Charisma. Scores are totted up, the lowest scoring wins the Maypole prize, some glitzy wear and all entrants get xp reward equal to their Dex & Charisma scores.

The Hunt

Entrants scout in the surrounding woods to hunt the best animal that will be offered in sacrifice at the Ring of Herne ritual. Reward is a horned helm and each competitor successful in bringing an animal receives a set of blessed arrows or javelins.

Festival pie competition

Describe your pie. What ingredients and meats you put in it, how it was baked and the designs crafted on the pastry. The best looking and tastiest pie gets a reward of a silver platter. All entrants get 25xp.

Tug of War

A 5-player strength based competition vs village factions. Reward is xp and kudos.

Mud wrestling

Straight up last man standing grapple contest using hand to hand combat rules. Winner gets a crafted broadsword.

sign up, sign up.

I will wait for the three current expeditions to either return or to pass the date of May 1st then open the festival up.

Put your names down for one or several competitions and we will roleplay through them.

[OGRE MAGE]

The boy mage Sven Jolly registers himself in 4 of the upcoming events.

Greased Pig
Stone the Crows
Maypole Dancing
Festival Pie Competition

He also goes around asking all of the other mages in Helix if they want to join up on an All Wizard Tug of War Team, thinking it might be fun or funny, or both.
Any takers?

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth signs up for 3 of the events.

The Hunt.
Tug of War.
Mud Wrestling.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth donates 100gp to the festival.

Sheet updated with a note that he borrowed 100gp from Sven.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven knows what the peasants like.

He secures 100gp in ale and food from the Strumpet and donates it to the festival.

20pp deducted from sheet.

Also, the 20 for Orgoth.

[Leitz]

Steban signs up for Greased Pig, Tug of War, and Mud Wrestling.

[sastaz]

Gerdal will participate in the:

Festival pie competition

Also, as previously stated, she plan to hawk her home crafted wares; tasty 'viagra spiced' mini stag pies, fruits of the forest savouries, slightly hallucinogenic mushroom vol-au-vonts, herbal remedies and rice-wine aperitifs.

[Spearmint]

With some expeditions soon to return to the village pre-Mayday in the chronology, and with new players on site I will open the festival challenges shortly.

So be creatively thinking of any competitions and earn yourself some xp or item rewards.

Sign up, sign up

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth signs up for 3 of the events.

The Hunt.
Tug of War.
Mud Wrestling.

[torkill]

Eldon signs up for some festival shenanigans.

Greased Pig
Maypole Dancing
Festival Pie Competition


I mean what halfling doesn't love food and dancing!

[torkill]

Eldon doubles back to the sign up sheet and adds his name to one more event. Then he rushes off to figure out his outfit.

Stone the Crows

[redwarrior]

Isvand looks at the list, sad that there is no flute contest. Feeling a part of this community, at least a bit now, he rushes to sign up for:
The Hunt.
Greased Pig.
Mud Wrestling.

While not all that strong, he thinks that he might be able to hold his own at these events.
He'll figure out how much to donate, once we've figured out shares from loot that's sold off.

[sastaz]

Gerdal will participate in the:

Festival pie competition

Also, as previously stated, she plan to hawk her home crafted wares; tasty 'viagra spiced' mini stag pies, fruits of the forest savouries, slightly hallucinogenic mushroom vol-au-vonts, herbal remedies and rice-wine aperitifs.

Previously not considering the different events befitting a lady, she will join the All Wizards Tug Of War Team, if Sven manages to assemble one

She will also join the Stone the Crows event, in addition to the pie competition.

[Spearmint]

Roll up, Roll up

"Hear thee, hear thee. I am pleased to announce the Mayday festivities may now begin." announces the town crier mid-morning as the Mayday arrives and villagers from scattered homesteads flock to Helix to engage in some community fun and fayre.

Traders line the streets, hawking various delicacies, street performers busk on corners for attention and a few silvers, merchant guilds decorate a flotilla of wagons and the town maidens decorate themselves in the most pretty of summer dresses.

The taverns do a roaring trade and even Alastar seems in a more lucid mood.

This is your chance for any character in Helix in Mayday (May 1st) to participate in various arts, crafts and competitions, culminating for any who wish to attend, an evening of Herne celebration and fireworks in the Shrine outside the village at night.

Some players have already signed up. With the third original expedition returning to town I will open this thread which means that Moriartus, Dougal, Barba and Friar John miss out as they are currently still venturing the Moors, though if they return to Crooked Yew by the 1st, they can participate in extra curriculum festivities there.

Steban unfortunately deceased and Rondahl, absent at the ruined moathouse.

But everyone else is currently available, so take the plunge and join in to gain kudos, xp, some rewards, garner reputation or notoriety.

so the way I will run this is probably take each event in turn, describe what is involved and then play the part of NPC competitors. You just post your actions, which may involve several rounds until a winner is proclaimed.

I will round this up at the end with XP and rewards
as I do with the expeditions.

Ok. Have fun.

[Spearmint]

So to kick start the festival, let me see how this runs with a simple competition first.

Festival pie competition:

Describe your pie. What ingredients and meats you put in it, how it was baked and the designs crafted on the pastry. The best looking and tastiest pie gets a reward of a silver platter. All entrants get 25xp, winners and runners up get more.

As well as the cooking, every pie gets tasted and judged. Several eminent guildsmen are playing MasterChef and will critique your offering.

After you describe the pie (which will gain a d6 modifier dependant upon your ingredients) you must roll a 3d6 + your wisdom skill and a d10 'tastometer'.

Any pics that get my taste buds flowing with get a bonus d4.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector gets up early, having bought ingredients and mixes and mashes stuff in his room before taking it to the dwarf forge for cooking in the forge hearths.

Here is his attempt to wow the judges with his 'Ma taught me but I didn't really listen' favourite recipe.

Highland Monarch Red squirrel and Venison pie. "A dish worthy of Lords and Commoners alike."

1) soft cooking the lardon cubes, finely chopped garlic, button mushrooms, julienne cut carrots and onions in his mess tins with a little acorn oil,

2) He mixes his flour (wholemeal from Hendon's) seasoned with pepper, salt and sprigs of fresh thyme and for a kick, a little grated jalapeno pepper, stirring in a beef stock until the whole mixture is a smooth paste.

3) then in a casserole dish add the haunches of sauté squirrel and strips of venison (mallet hammered to tenderise a little more flavour), more seasoning and half a bottle of imported red wine from Bollo. Cooking with an occasional stir until tender.

4) while that is cooling, I roll out some pastry, not sure on the thickness, perhaps a 1/4 inch suffices which I put into a goose fat greased tin to cook. When it is done I fill it with the tenderised meat and the fried veg, give it a stir, then another for luck. Probably tasting a juicy meat cube and that spicy squires leg because chef's need to taste their wares.

I layer it on the top with a lattice work of pastry, brushed with an egg and crimp the edges around the pie. Stick in the forge for a couple of hours, perhaps an extra half just to get that crispy crust but soft texture interior and served with a rich redcurrant thickened gravy and glass of wine.

Vann Hector's 'Highland Monarch' (venison pie) [3d6+10]=12+10=22 tasty [1d10]=2

hope that is the sort of thing. Sounds good but proof is in the eating. Here is a pic.

[gurusql]

Cadeweed signs up for the Greased Pig, Stone the Crows, Maypole Dancing, and Festival Pie Competition.

He hears that Sven is forming an All Wizard Tug of War Team and Cadeweed volunteers to be the anchor.

[sastaz]

Gerdal competes with her Bloodvein Petal Pi. In the palette is lingonberry, buttercup leaves, honey and rhubarb. On top of that there's the "secret ingredient" which is said to drain some of the blood from your digestive systems and instead allow for a blood rush...in the regions further down. Guaranteed to make this an evening to remember for consumer and lover alike. The pie is expertly decorated with an ancient geometrical pattern transcribed from a stone circle that used to be on this exact spot before Helix was established.

Have a magic evening!

Pie competition: [3d6+11]=12+11=23, taste: [1d10]=8

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

Since Halflings are always fans of food, this is from an old family recipe - Pork and Egg Pie

To start Cadeweed will hard boil a dozen eggs and peel 8 of them cutting off (and eating) the two ends from each egg.

To make the crust he heats milk, water, butter and lard in just the right proportions, and adds that to a completed mixture of flour, salt and egg yolk. to make the flaky crust.

The filling is a mixture of all the best parts of the pig including ham, bacon and sausage all ground together with onion and spices such as garlic, pepper, salt and rosemary.

This crust is placed in a pan, some of the meat mixture is put in the pan, the hard-boiled eggs are line-up with a "continuous yolk" from one end of the pan to the other. The rest of the meat goes around and over the egg and then blanket crust is created on top with some local plants recreated on top.

This will cook for 90+ minutes all the while, butter is used to water the leaves on the upper crust.




Pie competition: [3d6+5]=14+5=19, taste: [1d10]=4