Festival of the Muad'in

The Speaker for All

The Festival is more than a Choosing, it is a Blessing. The Arcane forces of this world speak to us through The Sceptre of Naporia, we are at convergence of ley lines. Fate has chosen Naporia as a nexus, and we are it's guardians. It is an honor to be chosen as the Muad'in, whether you serve for a year or for life. You are blessed.

- Marcus Moore, Archmage of the Wizard's College.

History

During the events of The Quiet Year, a golden staff was discovered on an isle in the center of the Icewash River, near the border of Naporia, as the river meets Clasion Lake. The wizards of the town became disinterested with the affairs of the town and it's rebuilding, and began building around the staff as a sort of shrine. A few years passed, with very little discovery into the nature of the Staff. Any wizard who tried to hold it, or explore it with arcane methods, suffered tremendous pains, burns or other afflictions. To continue funding study of the of the staff, the wizards formed a small college to train young people of the Three Hearths in the ways of magic. The college quickly grew in size, prestige, and wealth. One morning, some seventy years ago, some of the student apprentices snuck outside to the shrine and dared each other to touch the staff. As they sat there bickering and heckling with each other, the professors were roused. As they drew near to the young men and women, one of the teenagers leapt at the staff. As the staff cried out, the young man's hands seize the staff. Instead of being burned as others were he stood just fine. The staff and the other apprentices stood around in awe. The archmage of the time was summoned and when he arrived, the boy began to speak. The voice that came out was not his own, but some arcane deep magic spoke through him. The archmage had the professors and apprentices rushed inside. There is no document of the words the apprentice then spoke to the archmage, but when he released his grip on the staff, his voice was his own, and he did not remember what he had said. Everyday the archmage would bring the apprentice back out and have him touch the staff, but each time he let go, the apprentice was more drained. One year exactly after he first touched the staff, the apprentice died. The archmage began having other novices and apprentices touch the staff, most were burned, but they found another who could hold it and Speak. She also died a year later. The wizards kept this a secret for many years, and from the young in the college too, saying that those who became Speakers were afforded apartments in the top of the College Keep. Now the town has its suspicious, but it doesn't have the strength to yet challenge the College's magic. The Wizards rebranded the test as a festival and every year would decorate the town and make it a celebration of magic. The discovered ways to heal those who failed the test of the staff, and to prolong the lives of those who became speakers. They even gave them the name of Muad'in which means Speaker for All in the old Elven tongue.

Execution

Every year, on the week of the first full moon of spring, the Festival of the Muad'in takes the children of the town ages 15-16 to test. Only those families with children dedicated to service of the Communion of the Six Divines, may refuse the Wizard's call. The practice has been cleaned up since the initial speakers were chosen. In an almost assembly line fashion, the wizards speed the children through. After some years of no Muad'in, the College began offering the opportunity to any young people from neighbor towns. The festival lasts week and if a Muad'in is chosen a parade is held through the town and riches given to their family. They are then sequestered with the archmage. No one except the archmage of the college has access to the past words chronicled from previous speakers, or knows the fate of all the previous speakers.

Components and tools

The Sceptre of Naporia. A golden, staff of unknown origin capped with a large, beautiful stone. The Chronicle of the Muad'in. A tome documenting the words of previous speakers. None but the archmage may read it.

Participants

All the wizards of the college take place in preparations. All children in the town of Naporia eventually take the test. The archmage typically gives a speech before hand. If an outsider wishes to take part they must do a task for the College first. It is assigned by the archmage. In the past some outsiders have had to retrieve tomes and books, or retrieve special ingredients for potions.

Observance

The festival no longer occurs.

Primary Related Location

Naporia