Candlenights

Every year, in late Winter, on the week of December 25th to be precise, a celebration called "Candlenights" occurs. This is a tradition among all humanoids in Terra Caelum.
On the first day of the week before Candlenights, the Candlenights tree is set up. At the end of the week, Candlenights culminates with the systematic lighting of lanterns by the Herald. A Herald is chosen by the town council of each town, and they light the lanterns and send them up into the sky. A feast is then held, signifying a reward for your time spent doing good deeds and caring for others.
A large tree is set up the week before Candlenights, and everyone is given a chance to light enchanted candles and hang them up on the tree, as well as write small notes and cards to loved ones or to deities and hang those off of the branches too. People also give each other gifts on this week, or host feasts.
At midnight, the town goes to the nearest body of water. Each person taking part has a lantern representing a person, or people, or things, that they love. The designated Herald uses magic to light each lantern, the light causing each of them to levitate slowly and float up into the sky. Afterwards, the town celebrates the past year and the prospects of the future.
In drow tradition, it is common to light these lanterns at the edge of a cliff, and have them float down into the ocean instead. As they float to the bottom of the cliff, the lanterns go out, and if they are not recovered in the morning, it means that the goddess Lolth has seen them on this day, and accepted their gifts of light.

Notable Candlenights

Candlenights 2141

The first Candlenights, as celebrated by the Yerentil empire, involved mortal sacrifice.

Candlenights 2741

The six hundredth anniversary of Candlenights, a tragedy involving mortal sacrifice occurs again.

Candlenights 8001

A few weeks prior to Candlenights, the halfling city of Okhathage (capital of Breantis) was attacked by a void dragon under the command of Obscurus, to try and steal an arcane relic.

Candlenights 8002

The Candlenights Treaty was signed on this Candlenights, bringing in the Harper Reformation and the Alliance's system as a whole.

Candlenights 8004

Leading up to Candlenights in 8004, the city of Bronzemere and the entire Sword Coast was retaken by the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet.

Candlenights 8007

Around the time of Candlenights in 8007, the Alliance organised the Peace Party in Palace Balor in the Ashlands. It was here that the cult Eclipse was exposed by Ace Ventura.

Candlenights 8008

Coming up to Candlenights in 8008, there was a major attack by the Grey Wolf Tribe on Pumpkin Patch, a series of killings and kidnappings occurred in the Free Peach City and Okhathage, Zealot Seiddit's Preparatory School for Righteous Girls was destroyed and both Santa and Krampus were killed by adventurers.

Dark Past

In the early years of the Yerentil empire, the elves worshipped the moon. They gained blessings from Selene believing themselves to be chosen by the god Corellon. They believed that Selene was a beautiful feminine aspect of Corellon. In 2141, during the reign of Earendil Yerentil, they thought that inviting Crimson Monks of the east into their citadel and sacrifice them would give them blessings as a show of strength. It pained Selene, so much that she wept, and bled.
And the moon bled for the first time that night, as the elves executed every Crimson Monk who had been deceived. Of course the emperor knew that the blood moon was wrong. Crypts and catacombs all over Terra Caelum started to become unruly with undead as a result of the blood moon. However, the emperor spun it so that it looked like Selene was smiling down upon them and that this act pleased her. Moreover, there were more than enough clerics of Corellon to destroy the undead that had risen. The lasting damage had still been done, though.
A few months later, the first verified cases of lycanthropy were recorded.
Candlenights evolved into a more simple tradition, without sacrifice, and was celebrated every five years. However, six hundred years later in 2741, history repeated itself. Lycanthropes and easterners sacrificed many kidnapped high elves to the goddess Selene, and then engaged in acts of cannibalism. The Crimson Monks tried to harness the power of the blood moon they had incurred and successfully learned the fundamentals of necromancy. It was since then that the Crimson Monks got their name- as from then, they wore bright red robes.

Related Ethnicities

• Breantian