Major Annual Events

The Apex Colloquium

(February 1-7 in Arcanus)

The Apex Colloquium is an esteemed, week-long annual gathering in Arcanus, serving as a platform where scientific, cultural, and philosophical ideas are exchanged, debated, and immortalized. Scholars, mages, engineers, and intellectuals from all corners of Endros journey to participate in this prestigious event.

During the event, participants engage in rigorous debates on philosophical, ethical, magical, and societal topics that have significant implications for the future of Endros. Research breakthroughs and new technologies are unveiled in grand forums. Scholars seek to prove their merit through eloquent argumentation, logical reasoning, and depth of knowledge, with the most exceptional thinkers standing out. During downtime, scholars trade rare manuscripts and texts, and meet in local taverns and cafes to discuss and formalize their ideas.

Lexica, the Goddess of the Mind, oversees the event along with her Archivists and close disciples, who arrange for a set of final debates and unveilings by the strongest candidates. Up to three individuals who demonstrate unparalleled wisdom, research, or the potential to impact Endros most profoundly are given the extremely coveted Arcan Award. It represents the pinnacle of academic achievement. Recipients of the Arcan Award are recognized as legendary academics through history and will receive Lexica's Sacrament as essence permits throughout the next year.

The Tournament of Legends

(April 15-21)

Official week-long tournament of the Adventurer's Academies. Location alternates between Haven, Skywood, Onyx.

The Revelry Tour

(May 1 to June 5)

The Revelry Tour is a 33-day-long musical and performance tour across the major cities of Endros, drawing significant attention due to the presence of Lyra, the Goddess of Revelry. The tour starts along the Magtrain routes in Onyx, Hearth, and Titania, and then docks at each major city along the way to Starfell. This tour mimics the general formula of the Bard's Jubilee festival, including exaggerated performances, magical displays, spontaneous performances, and competitions.

The tour spends three days at each capital city, and two days at each of the remaining cities. Most of the tour's staff and performers are locally sourced. Only Lyra and a handful of her chosen Maestros perform at each city. Lyra encourages each city to express their culture, traditions, and customs. The tours attract significant pilgrimage from neighboring towns and contribute a significant amount of Prana.

Tour arrival dates are as follows: Onyx (May 1st), Hearth (May 4th), Titania (May 6th), Talon (May 9th), Meris (May 11th), Vale (May 14th), Aegis (May 16th), Eldara (May 18th), Skywood (May 20th), Alwich (May 23rd), Arcanus (May 25th), Marindel (May 27th), Haven (June 1st), and Starfell (June 4th).

Skywood Sports Festival

(Sol 1-14 in Skywood)

World-class sports tournaments hosted in Skywood.

The Bard's Jubilee

(October 22-28 in Stormcrest)

The Bard's Jubilee is a week-long annual festival in Stormcrest hosted by the Bardic College. It celebrates music, storytelling, dance, and performance. The city transforms into a sanctuary of creativity and artistic expression: vivid clothing, banners, lanterns, and magical light displays. Wing-suited performers soar overhead in synchronized aerial displays, and stage designs reflect each performance's theme. Competitions take place in Stormcrest's amphitheaters and stages, while spontaneous performances fill streets, taverns, and plazas. The event is hosted by Lyra, the Goddess of Revelry, drawing artists and spectators from across Endros.

At the end of the festival, winners in each category are crowned and awarded honors, with many of these awards serving as stepping stones to the rank of Virtuoso. The festival's greatest prize, the rank of "Maestro," is bestowed upon a single performer who receives Lyra's divine Sacrament, solidifying their fame and opportunity across Endros.

The Titan Games

(August 1-7 in Titania)

The Titan Games are a week-long, grand annual event held in Titania, the heart of the Titan Order and home to Kratos, the God of Conquest. This military-themed competition attracts warriors, soldiers, and ambitious fighters from across Endros, all vying for glory, recognition, and a chance to elevate their rank within both the Titan Order and society at large.

The Games begin with a grand procession through the streets of Titania. Participants, dressed in their military uniforms or battle gear, proudly bear the banners and insignias of their regions or units. Citizens line the streets, cheering for their favored contenders as the procession passes by. Before the competitions commence, all participants swear oaths of loyalty to Kratos and the Titan Order, underscoring the event's deeply rooted religious and military significance.

The core of the Titan Games lies in a series of large-scale, grueling battles between military teams. These contests are designed to test not only raw combat skill but also tactical prowess, leadership, and unwavering loyalty to Kratos. The tournament progresses through multiple rounds of elimination, culminating in a final showdown where one team emerges victorious. The winning team is instantly elevated in rank and status, with its leader receiving Kratos's divine blessing of anointment, promotion to the rank of general within the Titan Order, and a Lordship title of nobility.

While only one team claims ultimate victory, Kratos often recognizes other exceptional participants, offering them promotions, special assignments, or opportunities within the Titan Order. They may be invited to join elite units or serve directly under prominent Titans.

The most significant competitions take place in the Titania Coliseum, an awe-inspiring stadium known for its majestic battleground. The Coliseum is adorned with crimson draperies, golden accents, and martial symbols—swords, shields, and the imagery of conquest—setting a grand and imposing stage for the battles.

Kratos himself presides over the Titan Games, observing the contests from a grand throne within the Coliseum. His presence amplifies both the pressure and prestige of the event, as he may offer personal commentary, issue challenges, or even participate in demonstrations of combat prowess.

The Clash of Blades

(August 15-21 in Titania)

The Clash of Blades is a week-long annual tournament held in Titania, and generally the only time when Valkyrie bestows a Sacrament. Unlike the militaristic Titan Games, the Clash of Blades is dedicated to the art of pure martial combat in one-on-one duels. It draws the most skilled warriors, duelists, and martial artists from all over Endros who aspire to test their mettle, prove their superiority, and perhaps gain the attention of Valkyrie herself.

Participants engage in a series of duels at arenas throughout Titania, with the most important matches occurring at the Titania Coliseum. Duels are fought with various weapons or unarmed, depending on the tournament category, and are adjudicated by respected judges. These challenges are carefully regulated to ensure fairness. Cheating during the Clash of Blades will result in your swift execution.

Valkyrie participates in the final days when the strongest warriors have been identified. Being offered a duel against Valkyrie during the Clash of Blades is considered a great honor. If one sufficiently impresses Valkyrie with their duel, such as by inflicting a wound, they may be eligible to receive her Sacrament. Losing to Valkyrie is expected, and does not impact one's status negatively, nor does it affect one's position in the tournament. Regardless of the final tournament's outcome, the true victor is whoever Valkyrie bestows her Sacrament upon.

There is no uniform or prescribed dress code, as the event emphasizes individual expression. The Clash is meritocratic, serving as a reminder that true hierarchy among Valkyrie's followers is determined solely by one's prowess in battle, not by wealth or social status. Exceptional warriors of the tournament may earn titles and have their names inscribed in sacred scrolls kept within the Hall of Legends, ensuring their talents are remembered by future generations.

Aethertech Convention

(December 1-7 in Onyx)

Giant tech and engineering convention, contests, Aethertech displays. Organizations, nobles, and wealthy adventurers come to discover new technologies.

Onyx Sports Festival

(December 15-28 in Onyx)

World-class sports tournaments hosted in Onyx.

Major Holidays

There are many holidays throughout Endros, often unique to specific cultures, but a few that are well known and widely observed:

New Year's

(January 1st)

Celebrates the arrival of the new year and new beginnings.

Amara's Day

(February 10th)

Amara's Day, originally named the Festival of the Forgotten, was a tradition started by Amara herself. This festival involves community members leaving anonymous gifts at Sanctuaries for those who are often overlooked, such as beggars, laborers, or children. The gifts are handed out by the local priests, as they are often familiar with those who are most in need within the community. Small altars or memorials are built for those who passed away without recognition. Participants wear plain clothes to emphasize humility.

Primordia

(March 16th)

Primordia, also known as the Day of the Dragons, celebrates the elemental forces and Dragon Gods who embody them. Decorations are rich and symbolic, featuring motifs of dragons and the elements. Streets and homes are adorned with banners and flags in elemental colors. People wear garments incorporating the colors and symbols of their favored Dragon God. Face paints, masks, and accessories like dragon-shaped jewelry or elemental talismans are common. Children often dress up as little dragons or elemental spirits, adding a playful atmosphere to the celebration.

Day of Saints

(April 4th)

Citizens gather for a day of widespread Prana generation.

Druid's Day

(June 5th)

Druid's Day is an all-day festive outdoor celebration of open farmer's markets, street performances, village potlucks, and parades. The atmosphere traditionally features acoustic instruments, singing, belly dancing, and iconic group dances that date back to harvest rain rituals. The parades feature large animals dressed up and decorated for public appearance, with candied fruits being handed out to children by the parade attendants. Decorations across the festivities tend to include bright flowers, wreaths, bouquets, colorful fruit displays, and other natural imagery.

Women wear skirts and tops with flowery styles. Men wear shorts and often go bare-chested or have light summer tops. Flowered wraps are worn around the neck or hips, and can be rewarded by others when you do something fun. It's not unusual to see well-trained animals perched on people's shoulders. Men and women can provide a traditional gift of fruit or a flower bouquet to someone they like to signal interest, or as gentle reminders of their affections to their partners.

Festival of Lights

(Sol 2nd)

The Festival of Lights is a loud, extroverted, hard-partying, all-day festival of drinking and socializing. Cities are adorned with dazzling lights, lanterns, and magical luminescence. Events take place on major streets and sporting arenas. Kiosks are set up where people congregate. Unofficial sport matches are played with a common emphasis on gambling among the crowd. Drunken sports are also common, requiring players to be drunk to participate.

The streets emphasize food eating competitions, spicy food challenges, drinking contests, and gambling games. People dress in more stylish, flashy, and eccentric styles of clothing than usual. Body paint and funny hats are commonplace. Everyone rejoices in being more boisterous and loud than usual, dancing or cheering like a maniac, and trying to impress romantic partners with hilariously bad singing. The day ends with the annual meteor shower at night. People gather to stargaze and make wishes upon the falling stars.

Hunter's Day

(July 10th)

Hunter's Day celebrates and honors the living adventurers and historical figures who risk their lives to protect humanity from extinction. The day is filled with storytelling, martial displays, and competitions. Children dress up as their favorite heroes. Bards gather in public squares to recount epic tales of past deeds and glory. Dramatic reenactments of historical battles occur using volunteers, guild members, and trained beasts to simulate the intense battles that have shaped history.

At the heart of Hunter's Day are the arena matches, where warriors gather to prove their skill in combat. Fighters showcase their prowess in one-on-one duels, while group battles allow adventuring parties to show off their coordination and strategy.

After the midday battles, feasts are held in the city squares and guild halls. During the feast, adventurers share stories of personal battles and victories. After the feast, a warrior's memorial is held in observation for those who have died in battle. Adventurers and citizens alike pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the defense of Endros. Many use this time to make offerings, leaving tokens of respect at shrines and statues honoring legendary adventurers.

The night culminates with the Final Duel, a massive, ceremonial battle between high-ranking, well-matched adventurers in the community. While it is mostly symbolic, the outcome is eagerly anticipated. Spectators cheer and drink from the stands, and the atmosphere is electrifying. The victor is said to receive favor from Valkyrie and Artemis, and the duel marks the end of Hunter's Day.

Grand Masquerade

(September 26th)

People conceal their identities in costumes and masks.

Spiritus

(November 26th)

Spiritus celebrates fairy tales, ancient mythologies, the paranormal, and the magic of unknown worlds. People dress in elaborate costumes to roleplay as story characters, and spend most of the day on fun activities. Well-meaning pranks are expected, and people generally don't take things too seriously. People attend parties together and entertain themselves with communal social games and bizarre gift exchanges.

Minor Holidays

Minor holidays may be recognized throughout Endros, but don't include widespread festivities.

Nautilus Day

(February 25th)

Celebrates Nautilus, Dragon God of Water. Festivals in Anchor and Marindel.

Sylvara Day

(May 28th)

Celebrates Sylvara, Dragon Goddess of Nature. Festivals in Skywood and Rune.

Pyros Day

(July 1st)

Celebrates Pyros, Dragon God of Fire. Festival in Hearth.

Tempest Day

(September 21st)

Celebrates Tempest, Dragon God of Air. Festival in Stormcrest.

Terra Day

(October 3rd)

Celebrates Terra, Dragon Goddess of Earth. Festival in Onyx.

Local Holidays

Ancestor Day

(February 11th in Onyx)

Dwarven holiday that recognizes their ancestry and major historical figures.

Maiden's Day

(April 20th in Skywood)

Concordia and many of her Maidens gather at the House of Maidens. Celebrations take place across Skywood.

Forge Day

(October 4th in Onyx)

Forge Day celebrates craftsmanship, industry, and dwarven ingenuity. Artisans set up stalls, demonstrating their crafts to visitors. Dwarven guilds compete for prestige in professionally ranked competitions. Dwarves exchange finely crafted tools, jewelry, or personalized trinkets as symbols of friendship, admiration, or respect. Many proposals or declarations of loyalty are made with the presentation of a hand-crafted gift. Food and drink are hearty and simple, with large stews, fresh-baked bread, and tankards of strong ale.

Aedron Day

(December 8th in Onyx)

Major cultural event featuring crafts and pseudo-religious undertones.