K'uhuhl Pepen [Flight of the Monarchs]
Flocks of butterflies descend upon yellow tents and sliced fruits as the bright orange sun descends over the mountains. Men and women with elaborately braided hair and beards laugh as they gather in circles, warm lanterns bobbing over singing raucous crowds, passing through flocks of fluttering butterflies and covered campfires. Behind the tents, carts and wagons laden with these people's worldly possessions sit, covered and guarded by the livestock that pull them. Before the first snows of winter come, these elaborate tents and campfires will have been cleared from the mountain pass, and the myriad colorful butterflies- monarchs, painted ladies, and sunsets- will be gone, descended to the deep rainforests of the lower altitudes to the south. But for now, celebration will reign on the Pepen pass, dancing under the warm orange sun.
History
To dwarves living in the holds in Dragonspine Mountains, the coming of winter is the signal of migration. Every year, as the days shorten and the nights grow colder, dwarven families spread out across the high-altitude plateaus gather their families, belongings, and livestock together, and move towards the cities. The final celebration held above ground- and, in fact, a celebration that the subterranean city dwellers even come to the surface for- is known in dwarven as the K'uhuhl Pepen, translated literally to the Passage of the Butterflies.
The origins of this tradition are obvious every year, as over the course of a week swarms of millions of orange butterflies pass through the Dragonspine Mountains, flying low in the lowest mountain passes, as they migrate from the temperate climates of the more northern regions of Aborea to the tropical southern rainforests, where they will spend their winters. No one alive knows when the migration of the dwarves from the plateaus to the mountain depths was first associated with the movement of butterflies, but every year grand feasts and parties are held in the mountain passes, as butterflies darken the sky and farmers move their flocks into caves.
The origins of this tradition are obvious every year, as over the course of a week swarms of millions of orange butterflies pass through the Dragonspine Mountains, flying low in the lowest mountain passes, as they migrate from the temperate climates of the more northern regions of Aborea to the tropical southern rainforests, where they will spend their winters. No one alive knows when the migration of the dwarves from the plateaus to the mountain depths was first associated with the movement of butterflies, but every year grand feasts and parties are held in the mountain passes, as butterflies darken the sky and farmers move their flocks into caves.
Execution
When the first of the butterflies pass through Pepen Pass, the families of ranchers and farmers are already on the move. By the time the first large swarms arrive, temporary shelters and tent cities are constructed- giving respite for travellers and migrants. Dedications are held at temporary popup temples along the pass, and along other smaller mountain passes, dwarves dressing in bright colors and selling brightly colored food- the last of the fruit from the warm season in the Dragonspine Mountains. The elderly often will dress up in bright colors and clothing that resembles the wings of butterflies. K'uhuhl Pepen is a time of joy and laughter, quite a stark contrast to the stereotype of stern and stonefaced dwarves that is often played into the rest of the year round.
Components and tools
As a festival to celebrate the ending of the short warm season- and, in fact, the only time that crops of any significance (other than fungus) can be grown in the Dragonspine mountains- food is very integral to the K'uhuhl Pepen. Alongside brightly colored and fresh (vegetable) foods, bright mountain flowers and incense are distributed across the various open passes. As the passes are generally dangerous to navigate come winter, many traders and travelers from nations on either side of the Dragonspine mountains make their final crosses of the mountains during this time of year, passing through and spending days in the many brightly colored festival tents. Prayers are often offered up to various deities, Hasuba especially, as well as incense and food offered up to diseased ancestors. Sugar water and fruit will be often laid out for butterflies to come and feed on, giving them energy in an almost religious gesture to strengthen them for the rest of their arduous journey.
Participants
The K'uhuhl Pepen is particularly special as a festival because it has no official planning board, no official affiliated organization, and no official intention- it is simply a loosely coordinated time for merriment and celebration before the cold gray of the mountain winter sets in and the Dragonspine Mountain dwarves head underground for the next 6 months. In addition, a large portion of celebrants don't come from the Dragonspine Mountains- many are travelers passing through the mountains before the passes close.
Observance
The days of K'uhuhl Pepen are not ever determined, but generally the celebration is centered around the end of summer and the beginning of fall, before the first snows of autumn. The celebration officially begins when butterflies fill the sky, massive swarms passing through the overpasses, and finishes when the cold comes and the butterflies have finished their migration.
Species of Migratory Dragonspine Butterflies
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