Quietus

The yearly lunar event known by most as Quietus, yet recognized by scholars of the occult as the “Term of the Iniquitous”, occurs on The Month of Ashes, when tales and myths long forgotten find themselves retold once more.
A night of Quietus is recognized, not as a celebration, but as a night of strife, it is said the planar barriers between the Material Plane and the demonic Abyss are at their thinnest during this 3 day term.
In Irilith, Quietus is referred to as the Long Night. While in Siguo they called it Obake Koshin.

History

• The Demon King’s Iniquitous Knights: Long ago there was said to be an Emperor, one that ruled half of Aphirion with a vast army of demons at his beck and call. He came to be quite bluntly referred to as "The Demon Emperor''. Little else is known of the legendary figure of an age long passed, yet the Demon Lords he once commanded would return to the Abyss from whence they came, many to recover from their wounds during the Emperor’s final bouts before his mythical defeat. Many of these Lords would later attempt to free themselves from their shackles throughout the ages that they might escape the depths of the Abyss to carry out their whims unfettered. Myth and legend rumors this to be the origin of Quietus, of the weakened barrier between the Abyss and the Prime Material.
• The Stain of the Eclipse: Leslaw Dwarakov, an Argonian sage and seer from before the Sorcerer Uprising. It was he who’s words would forever curse those Stained by the Eclipse. A vision of the future he was said to have had, a prophecy, The Demon Emperor’s return.
  “Under the veil of Quietus, demonic children Stained by the Eclipse would taint the rivers in blood and call forth he who once brought our very realm to its knees. Possessed by devils and monsters, these children would bring only ruin and death.”
  Leslaw’s prophecy, though a well intentioned warning, would lay waste to the lives of children born with this “Stain of the Eclipse ''Once, roughly every 5 years or so, the moons of Aphirion converge on a night of Quietus. Majestic as the sight might be, children born under this ethereal eclipse have a chance of being marked with the stain. Seen as harbingers of doom, these children are often shunned at youth and avoided as adults, often leading tragic lives."
  No well conducted scientific study could prove Leslaw’s theory true, that these children were born with evil in their hearts and fire in their blood. But try telling your average peasant that…

Execution

The period of Quietus always falls in the Month of Ashes but rarely on the same date. It occurs when The Three Moons of Aphirion are closest in alignment, occasionally this causes the dreaded eclipse of Quietus about once every 5 years.

Participants

During this time old stories are told. Passed from the older generation to the younger. You can often see street performers dressed as monsters, performing acts that depict dark stories told.
Most common folk will shut themselves in their homes for the period, leaving only to go to market or for work.

Observance

Rituals of all kinds, varying drastically from culture to culture, have been passed throughout generations to deter the demons from their homes and families. From tithes of gold to makeshift wards of salt and garlic, Quietus has bred all forms of superstitions amongst the people of Aphirion.
Most try to avoid giving birth during this time if they can help it. Children of the eclipse are often abandoned in some parts of Aphirion, especially if they bare it's mark.