The feast of Lady Melisenda is the largest holiday in Datrus. It celebrates the founding of Datrus under Lady Melisenda. Officially it lasts for one week, but many celebrations last longer than that.
Food
Of course the primary festivity of the feast is the food. Lords will prepare free food for the citizenry and shopkeepers The feast takes place right at the end of winter and the start of spring. As such, the food that is eaten is primarily the last bits of over-winter food, and the first crops of the new season.
Common foods include:
- Jerky
- Smoked meats
- Potatoes
- Stews
- Borscht
- Peas
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Carrots
the first the last remnants of winter are used to make cold desserts. Common foods include:
- Shaved Ice
- Snow-cones
- Ice cream
- Maple Toffee
Festivities
The primary festivities of the event are feasting, some battle re-enactments and effigy burnings. There are also speeches, poems, songs, and typically some food contests.
Elkenalden and Ishtarim have their own special festivities.
In Ishtarim, Nerwora has several magical presentations, including magic fireworks.
In Elkenalden, they perform the Ritual of Flowing Waters. The Empress marches down to the river from the keep. Upon reaching the river she delivers a speech, wherein she promises to never again poison the river of Elkenalden. After the speech she bows and drinks from the river, then signals for the release of several funeral boats in honor of those who died during the Defeat of the Grey Ear legion.
Battle Re-enactments and Effigy Burning
On each day of the feast, five battle re-enactments are held, totaling 35 re-enactments. Each re-enactment features one of the 35 Legions of the Primal Host and shows how Lady Melisenda defeated them. Historically, she only defeated 22 of them, as 13 had left to subjugate Torveldus, but the celebration has re-enactments for all 35 anyway.
The most notable re-enactments are:
- The first re-enactment is the Defeat of the Gray Ear legion, who were the chief strategists of the Primal Host.
- Halfway through the festival is the Battle of Ishtarim, the fiercest battle in the war where Melisenda defeated the Red Demon legion who were the host’s strongest warriors.
- The final re-enactment is the Battle of Dawntomb Garrison.
During the feast there are also effigy burnings of various goblins, bugbears, worgs, and hobgoblins. The first effigy is always Warlord Shokor, but after that it’s a free-for-all.
Schedule
- Schedule is posted throughout town
- all the guards know it
- posted at the reeve’s office. Only covering official events happening here at the main stage
Throughout The Week - Every morning at 7, I will be here reading the day’s schedule - Free food in the square, from dawn till dusk - Free drinks and snacks from dusk till midnight - Battle re-enactments at 8, 10, noon, 2, and 4 each day in the eastern fields - Shops and Stalls will be available through town at various times
Day 1
- 8 - the re-enactment of the Defeat of the Grey Ear Legion - a cannon will signal the official start of festivities
- 9 - Band plays Blessings in the Cave, the national hymn of Datrus
- 11 - Kemany music competition - Ballad Preliminaries
- 3 - Borsht Battle
- 5 - Burning of Warlord Shokor
- 7 - Dance
Day 2
- 9 - theatrical performance of “Alex & Alexa”
- Most of the plays can be caught at the stage outside of Kemany. They will be performed regularly throughout the feast
- 12 - Radish Race - Charles Trill has been banned this year following the doping scandal, so it’s anyone’s race - Spesof & Tittlin
- 1 - Kemany music competition - Ballad Finals
- 3 - Kemany poetry competition - Limerick
- 5 - Sword Dance
- 7 - Drinking Competition
Day 3
- 9 - theatrical performance of “The Child Conqueror”
- 11 - Kemany music competition - Lament Preliminaries
- 1 - Kemany poetry competition - Elegy
- 3 - Band plays Grey Ear Dirge
- 5 - Ballet performance - “The Beginning of Datrus”
- 7 - Candle lighting memorial
Day 4
- 9 - Jerky Joust
- 10 - Battle of Ishtarim re-enactment
- 11 - Enrollment Presentation from Nerwora
- 1 - Band plays “Triumph at Ishtarim”
- 3 - Kemany music competition - Lament Finals
- 5 - Shaved ice eating contest
- 7 - Dance
Day 5
- 9 - theatrical performance of “Miracle Queen”
- 11 - Kemany poetry competition - Sonnet
- 1 - Kemany music competition - Folk Song Preliminaries
- 3 - Salad Showdown
- 5 - Burning of Warlord Griebiog
- 7 - Freestyle dance competition - Tittlin
Day 6
- 9 - Blessing from Archpontiff Oberstein
- 11 - Kemany poetry competition - Ode
- 1 - Pie eating contest - Spesof
- 3 - Kemany music competition - Folk Song Finals
- 5 - Maple Toffee competition
- 7 - Dance
Day 7
- 10 - Ice Cream Showdown
- 1 - Kemany poetry competition - Free Verse
- 3 - Jerky eating contest - Spesof
- 4 - Re-enactment of The Battle of Dawntomb Garrison
- 6 - The band plays “Melisenda’s Light”, officially ending the festivities