World of Rathbone

The mark of civilization is the ability to plot the movement of time. All Morguthi shares the calendar of the peoples of Rathbone, with variance only in the annual celebrations. As with any good cycle, years are counted from the melting of winter’s cold and focus on the seasons of growing and harvesting. There are four seasons: the Time of the Fields, the Time of Growing, the Time of Harvest and the Time of Sleep. These seasons are subdivided into 10 months (the Time of Sleep being a single month known as the Sleep of the Land). Throughout the calendar are many special celebrations for the people of Rathbone to enjoy.

Time of the Fields - The Melting

This month lasts 25 days and sees the Sleepy snows melt revealing the green of the land. On the 3rd day of the Melting, rural communities celebrate the Festival of Awakenings. As with any good celebration there is drinking, feasting and public revelry. In more traditional communities leftover foodstuffs are shared with the families who scraped dry their barrels during the Sleep of the Land.

Time of the Fields - The Planting

This month lasts 39 days, beginning with the sales of seeds and ending in the great festival of Hope. In rural communities most merchants realize that seeds not sold by the 5th will not likely be sold that year, so they offer great sales and bake many of the seeds into honeyed seedcakes given as an incentive to buy. The four day festival of Hope begins on the 39th, the traditional date when farmers pay those who have laboured planting their crops. In the cities, this has become the traditional date on which yearly bonuses are paid to employees, so it is no surprise that this day ends in much celebration throughout the land of Rathbone.

Time of the Fields - The Hope

This month of 36 days is when the farmers know if their crops will be good this year. Often farms will prepare other fields for second harvest crops. This month sees the weather becoming much warmer and is usually a time of much needed rainstorms. The month starts with the remaining three days of the festival of Hope. Many religious communities have chosen to ties celebrations and high holy days to this festival. The Church of the Good calls a fast on the 1st and on the 2nd every believing household brings food to the local church for distribution to the hungry. The Church of the Good as well as many of the Church of Pelor often minister in healing gifts freely on this day in their respective temples and churches.

Time of Growing - The Waiting

The second longest month of the Morguthi calendar, the Waiting is a full 45 days. Farmers turn their attention to livestock during this time and it is also a traditional time of trading and jobs are rarely scarce in the cities during this time. The 24th day of the Waiting is known as the Day of Order, on it Arcane Wizards and Sorcerers celebrate the restoration of the balance of magic in the land. Legend has it that in the past great imbalances in the magic of the land results in the unpredictable release of wild magic forces. Many who celebrate this day recognize the work of Cea Luecia in destroying the Points of Focus that once governed the houses of magic in Rathbone. With these points destroyed magic was able to once again find its own balance, ridding the land of the threat of wild magic disasters.

Time of Growing - The Preparing

This short month of merely 24 days sees many farmers recruiting workers to bring in the coming harvest.

Time of Growing - The First Gathering

A month of 27 days in which the farmers are all hard at work ensuring the first harvest is successful. The 10th is an exception to this hard working month; on this day farmers bring a portion of their new harvest to the nearest community for a big celebration known as the First Fruits Festival. Towns like Druse shut down all non-entertainment related commerce and fill the taverns, halls and streets with dancing, feasting and singing. A tradition of toasts to the good fortunes of the previous year marks the evening celebration, everyone is expected to raise their glasses and get roaring drunk. While the Church of the Good does not exactly encourage the revelry, it is a time when priests share of the offerings brought by the faithful. More than a few toasts are raised that night in the church halls of the Good.

Time of Harvest - The Second Gathering

Many farmers who planted a second crop will gather it during this short 22 day month. Some farmers who could not employ enough workers for the first harvest will spend this month gathering seed for next year’s crops.

Time of Harvest - The Rejoicing

This 30 day month marks the end of the harvest season in style. The first five days of this month are filled with celebrations and revelry. These celebrations have even caught on in the more urban centres like Persimé.

Time of Harvest - The Fall of Leaves

Typically the leaves begin to turn colour on the first of this month and by the end of this 27 day month frost will have kissed the land. This is also the month that sees the first light snowfall in Rathbone. The Lifting is a celebration on the 7th of this month, a time when the Church of the Good celebrates the coming of their God and the giving of the stories of creation. Evangelists and priests can be seen throughout the land speaking before the great speaking posts, priests in remote locations have been known to erect new poles for this celebration. This is the most popular time for pilgrims to make the journey to the Temple of the Good.

The Time of the Sleep - The Sleep of the Land

This is the longest month (53 days) and during this month most rural inhabitants stay close to home. The snow lies crisp on the ground and shipping is slower due to the colder weather. On the 42nd of this month a sombre remembrance of the goblin raids is held. Families will remain awake with candles burning throughout the night, in some remote areas hay filled goblin effigies are burned.