Festival of First Smoke
Every fall in Carcassonne they celebrate the Festival of First Smoke. Its that first night that the air is crisp and cool and somewhere dancing on the air is the fragrance of chimney smoke. That comfortable reassuring smell of cedar and oak that smells like an invitation. But like many holidays, it is has its own little traditions. The children of Carcassonne dress up as monsters; Wolves, Bears, Trolls and Giants! They say it is because they are calling on the monsters of the Fortch Horde to defend Carcass Pass to the north, keeping the undead from invading the city in the night so everyone can rest easy and relish the First Smoke. As they dress as these monsters the children galavant through the town with gourds, going door to door and crying out “Feed the Fortch!” The adults, dressed as skeletons and comical visages of the decrept ladle them soup into the waiting gourds. It is a delightful afternoon.
Come Evening, the Cardinal calls the community to the cathedral and does a service. The usual religious service, with singing and celebration of the Purifier. But it closes up with a call for able bodied volunteers to dress as the Fortch and go to Carcass Pass to fight the decrept as the sun starts to set, so that those who usually guard the gate may return home to their families for the night. Granted costumes and given silver longswords they are sent north and will defend the city for the night.
Legend tells that nearly 150 years ago the Fortch came and saved the city in the same way that the volunteers re-enact it. The guard was able to rest and enjoy the fall. So it has become a day of feasting together, confident that the monsters will fight off the dead. But that legend is not quite true. The truth is it was a small clan of werewolves that saved the city, but they’ve been long since forgotten and their tale has been retold as the Fortch.
Come Evening, the Cardinal calls the community to the cathedral and does a service. The usual religious service, with singing and celebration of the Purifier. But it closes up with a call for able bodied volunteers to dress as the Fortch and go to Carcass Pass to fight the decrept as the sun starts to set, so that those who usually guard the gate may return home to their families for the night. Granted costumes and given silver longswords they are sent north and will defend the city for the night.
Legend tells that nearly 150 years ago the Fortch came and saved the city in the same way that the volunteers re-enact it. The guard was able to rest and enjoy the fall. So it has become a day of feasting together, confident that the monsters will fight off the dead. But that legend is not quite true. The truth is it was a small clan of werewolves that saved the city, but they’ve been long since forgotten and their tale has been retold as the Fortch.
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