The Week of Ashes

History

Originated shortly after The Triad Warsas part of The Graven Pact, when leaders realized that grief itself was shared more deeply than victory or defeat. Early observances were held only in the Hall of Grief, where the names of the dead were spoken aloud in silence-soaked ceremonies.

Over centuries, it became planetary in scope: every ten years, work ceased for an entire week, across all cities, mines, and ports. It remained an important tradition among all three species. The last observance was a few years before the Shadow Star Bloom completely wiped them out.

Today, only fragments of the tradition remain; archaeologists finding them scattered across Nisa.

Execution

Duration: One week every ten years.

Opening phase: Processions to public squares or temples, where effigies or symbolic faceless masks are displayed.

Middle phase: A planetary “hush” — no formal work, commerce, or crafting is allowed. Families, broods and clans gather to share stories of the dead.

Closing phase: A communal silence, where bells or drums mark the end of grief, followed by renewal rituals (planting, rebuilding, or cleansing).

Variations existed: the Pecou often used choral lamentations, the Kiwta burned incense, the Ta lit subterranean lanterns for the lost.

Components & Tools

Faceless Masks: Worn during processions to symbolize shared grief beyond identity.

Torches & Lanterns: Lit at the end of the week to symbolize memory enduring.

Offerings: Clay vessels filled with water, ash, or salt, poured into rivers or broken in squares.

Drums/Bells: Used sparingly, often to mark the silence rather than fill it.

Participants & Key Roles

All members of society took part.

Mourning Leaders recited ancestral names or historical laments.

Children often carried the masks or lanterns, symbolizing that grief passes forward but is also lightened with time.

Occasionally, political leaders were required to speak not as rulers, but as mourners—erasing social hierarchy for the week.

Observance

Occurred once every ten years, in the month marked by the merging of the binary stars.

Some sects tied it to lunar phases or equinoxes, but the ten-year cycle was consistent across all three races.

The planetary silence was so absolute that records note birds and animals seemed to adapt to the quiet.