Gaustmug (Gawst-Mugg)
Gaustmug or the Feast at Dusk is a yearly celebration amongst Orcs, Half-Orcs, and others that live in Orcish societies such as the Orc Domain of Utican. The celebration always takes place on the 30th day of Frostfall (the eleventh month on the Thinian Calendar). The celebration includes cooking and sharing large meals, athletic competitions, feats of strength and skill, and retelling stories of heroic Orcs of the past. The belief is that this feast provides individuals and the community with the nutrients, companionship, and inspiration needed to survive, achieve, and thrive in the coming winter months.
History:
Gaustmug dates back to the original Orc tribes of Hartha. Originally, Gaustmug was a bloody occasion where Orc warriors would be required to fight one another. An Orc would be denied food until he or she was able to best at least one other Orc in battle. The purpose was to harden Orcs, provide battle training, and punish those who were ill-prepared for war and combat. In some tribes, the grand melee that accompanied Gaustmug would serve as a selection process for the tribe's war chief. After the Harthan Orcs were conquered and assimilated into the Hellena Empire the celebration of Gaustmug changed. The Hellena Empire had fractured and decimated most of the Orcish priests committed to the original dogma of the Orc Pantheon. In its place, the Hellena Eclesiarchy integrated the Orc Pantheon into their own and recontextualized the fundamental beliefs of the Orc Pantheon to be less antagonistic to other ancestries and less brutal. As part of this change, the celebration of Gaustmug became a community-building event where Orc families would make large meals and share those meals with other families and the community at large. Competition remained an important part of the celebration, but the brutal brawls and starving of the losers are no longer part of the celebration. As Orcs spread across Thinia with the Hellena Empire, they brought Gaustmug with them. Any community with a large Orc or Half-Orc population celebrates Gaustmug.Food and Drink:
Certain dishes are considered integral to the celebration of Gaustmug. These dishes are;- Barbecued Boar
- Corn
- Bread
- Fermented Milk
