The Farewell of Plenty

The northern lands lack the fertile lowlands of the south; their scattered plains are interrupted by the ancient Whispering Forest, while the surrounding highlands are rocky and difficult to cultivate. These conditions shaped a distinct semi-nomadic culture that differed greatly from the southern barbaric settlements which evolved into Fiorlas and Skarm.

During the month of Wilt, as the final fruits fell and the leaves withered, the tribes prepared to leave the plains and ascend to their sheltered wintering sites, until the snows of Sleep thawed again. They knew no agriculture and relied on the seasonal yield of wild trees and shrubs. Before departing, they honored the divine powers that renewed the land each year: Anara, the Verdurous Mother, Ivaris, giver of water; Nir, whose rays nourished all life; and the twin moons, Sel and Lun, who watched over them by night.

The ritual took place on the 46th day of Wilt, when both moons stood full in the sky. Elders recited prayers while others burned twigs, dry foliage, and objects they could not carry with them. The matriarch of the tribe then scattered the ashes upon the soil, speaking to Anara as one mother to another. This symbolic act mirrored a funerary procession; it was a gesture of mourning for the land’s passing abundance, and a plea for its return after the long Sleep's end.

When the dwarves first arrived in the region, they brought with them the knowledge of agriculture. With their guidance, the northern tribes began cultivating the land, achieving greater yields and improved crop quality. Some even dreamed of adapting dwarven methods for subterranean farming, but the soil of Doriande proved too foreign; such techniques required innovations that had yet to be conceived. At first, the dwarves viewed the farewell ritual as primitive—but in time, they came to recognize its remarkable practicality: the ashes replenished the soil with nutrients, preparing it for the coming season.

Over time, the northern tribes gave up their migrations, settling near arable ground and retaining their upland paths only for pastoral use. Yet the farewell rite endured, transformed into a harvest festival.

Today, villagers celebrate the end of abundance with joy. During the final days of Wilt, they prune their fields and pile the trimmings into towering bonfires that burn throughout the festivities. Dorian wine and dwarven ale flow freely as locals roast river fish and meat in honor of sustainable bounty.

When the fires burn low, beneath the ancient glow of Sel and Lun, the village women scatter the first ashes among the ornamental trees as a symbolic offering. The rest are gathered and sent to processing workshops, where they are transformed into fertilizer for the next season’s crops.

The main component of the central ceremony hasn't changed over the years. Though modern villagers no longer burn their shelters as their ancestors once did, they still gather tree branches and wilted leaves from their cultivated fields.

The northern Dorians have watched the huge bonfires under the twin fool moons for centuries now.

The elders who once held all religious duties have, in time, been replaced by priests, the matriarchal structure has been abandoned. Yet during this ritual, the old customs are preserved. The elder men chant the old prayers, while the elder women are the first to scatter the ashes.