Spring Turtle Hunt
The annual Spring Turtle Hunt is an annual visual hunt for the Golden River Turtle within the Greenwood. The Golden River Turtle is said to be a sign of a healthy ecosystem, and sightings during the yearly hunt are supposed to be a sign that the coming year will be prosperous and bountiful for the people of the Greenwood.
History
The Spring Turtle Hunt is an annual tradition within the Greenwood that has been observed since the early First Era. As the Greenwood slowly recovered and regained it's density in vegetation following The Separation, the last of the Aéldelinians constantly sought out signs and examples that the forest was returning to its former glory. Around the year 3680, 1E, five separate sightings of the elusive Golden River Turtle occurred around the fourth full Luna of the year. That year was the first time that the Greenwood's vegetation returned to over 90% of its original density from prior to the Separation. Known for being a symbol of good luck, these turtle sightings would continue to be rare throughout the early part of the first era, and would consistently coincide with the most successful years of growth within the forest. By the second millennia, young men within the Greenwood Culture would begin intentionally seeking the turtle out in the spring, taking it as a sign of the forest's health. The first official Spring Turtle Hunt occurred in the year 2045, 1E in what is now Breakwater Falls. The hunt has since become a yearly tradition that is taken as a sign of the quality of life within the Greenwood for the upcoming year.
Participants
On the day of the fourth full Luna of the year, the majority of women from communities within the Greenwood prepare a large supper for hunters - young and middle-aged men and women who often spend their days hunting and foraging.
Observance
The Spring Turtle Hunt is held on the fourth full Luna of the year, starting two hours before sunset, and ending an hour after sunrise. The hunters sleep in late and are greeted by a great supper that is eaten by the full community. Once the meal is consumed, the hunters set off for the rivers of the Greenwood, trying to spot the glowing golden patterns on the shells of the Golden River Turtle. The following morning, as the hunters return to their home shortly after sunrise, those who prepared the previous day's feast await the report of the previous night's hunt. Successful sightings will be met with another feast, while an unsuccessful hunt will repeat the same process, this time without a pre-hunt feast. The hunt will be repeated up to two additional nights in hopes of receiving a sighting. If the hunt is unsuccessful for three consecutive nights, those of the Greenwood brace for a year of strife in some way.
So they aren't actually hunting the turtles? Only looking for them? I wonder if someone would say that they'd seen one if they hadn't?
Correct, more like a scavenger hunt, but for one single thing! Of course, should someone lie about a sighting, that good luck a sighting brings could easily be flipped into a gnarly bit of bad luck for the liar...
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