Anniversary of the Kurothic Carvings
"... And so we find...Find!... what you left to be found...Found!... Thank you Baa...Baa!... May you always create!Baa who creates!"
Background
The Anniversary of the Discovery of the Kurothic Carvings, also known as the Anniversary of the Kurothic Carvings, is celebrated at the Abbey of The Monks of Baa Yalu. While others may hold smaller celebrations, none are as grand for the simple reason that no other host has the manuscripts known as the Kurothic Carvings themselves.
All followers of Baa Yalu celebrate this day, but this article will focus on the celebrations held at the Abbey.
Kurothic Carvings
The Kurothic Carvings are the text that the Baa Yalu religion is based on. Despite the name, they are not in fact carvings, but a collection of manuscripts that document carvings that are said to hold the secrets of the Old World and the truth of the gods. They were recorded over 4,000 years ago by Too To Mo, and it is said that Too copied them from the sides of the Kurothic mountains, thus the name. The location of the mountains has been lost to time, but the lore of them lives on in the flock of Baa Yalu.
Preparations
People travel from across Minaka Vale, although this is often only the most devout. The High Priest of the Abbey extends invitations to several VIPs each year, who will play a special part in the festivities. This is seen by some as an honour, by others as a chore and, by those who accept, as an excellent way to shore up relations between themselves and the most devout citizens.
While the VIPs will be invited to stay within the Abbey walls, others who come may camp out in the forest surrounding the complex.
As this is an important celebration, the number of staff within in the Abbey is increased and additional security measures are put in place. This is for the protection of all those involved, as well as the security of the sacred artifacts stored inside.
Day 1
The main event for day one is a procession around the Abbey ground. It starts and ends at the Main Temple, with the High Priest leading the other priests, monks, special guests and other pilgrims or visitors through the gardens and around the outside of the complex. All participants wear masks representing the one of the four gods (Baa, Kaw, Skat or Hoo), The priests and monks wear larger papier-mâché heads, carrying gnarled twigs and chanting. Before the procession, there is a service in the Main Temple, led by the Head Priest, in which the story of the discovery of the Kurothic Carvings is told. The procession ends back in the Main Temple with the priests and monks throwing their gnarled twigs into a fire which has already been set up by staff from the Abbey. Music is played, songs are sung and participants dance and feast until the end of the night.Day 2
The second day is also known as the Day of Stories. The festivities mainly take place in the Manuscript Room at the back of the Main Temple, the same room where the Kurothic Carvings are displayed. The papier-mâché heads are used again by the monks and priests to perform stories from those same manuscripts. It starts with the creation myth about Baa mating with the sky serpent and birthing the egg that becomes the world. This is then followed by the story of Hoo and the Gnarled Twigs, Skat and the Stranger, and Kaw and the fire. Sometimes guests and visitors are invited to participate in various elements of this storytelling, acting out certain roles. There is also some elements of call and response and songs which everyone knows the words to. This is followed by a second evening of feasting.Additional Activities
As well as the two days of celebrations, there are several additional activities for users to take part in.Tours
While most of the Abbey is open most of the year, the week of the celebrations, guided tours are given which include some areas which are not usually available to the general public. This includes some of the spires, parts of the Archives and a glimpse at some areas of the priests' quarters. These tours are led by the priests and accompanied by security guards to ensure that no one oversteps, but is an excellent opportunity to learn the history of the Abbey. Tours run every day, except for the two celebration days, at 10am, 12noon and 3pm.Manuscript Display
Although they are safely hidden away most of the year, the day before, the days of and the day after the celebrations, the Kurothic Carving Manuscripts are available to be viewed by the general public. The Carvings are displayed in a magical case during the celebrations in the Manuscript Room at the back of the Main Temple. It is stored in a glass case and is protected by:- Prayers
- A magical alarm system
- Teleportation failsafe
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