Day of Shadows

Day of Shadows
A celebration of darkness and evil, the Day of Shadows is known as a holy day to all creatures mortal and demonic who revere the dark powers of the world. All followers of the dark gods (Onûs, Gilana, Xi'rian, Dúnmharú, Sléachta, Melantha, Perdita) and those who revel in evil in any way, shape, or form spend much of the year anticipating this occasion very much in the way that most of the blessed living anticipate Anaris - the Day of Light.

The Day of Shadows is feared far and wide as a day where vile acts such as torture, sacrifice of the living and other such abominable acts are practiced and enthusiastically celebrated. This day is set aside because the dark power of Onûs made it so. Using the full extent of the dark power at his command, the Void Serpent cursed this day, causing the holy light of the celestial divine to be cut off from the blessed living, and strengthening the power of the dark Ilith'ari.

On this day celebrations of many sorts are common. Among them sacrifice of the blessed living done in a way most pleasing to the god in question are often practiced. Clerics of the dark gods will often seek to impress their deities, as this is a particularly powerful time and can prove significant when seeking aid or guidance.

Because of the warping influence of Onûs, this day is also well known as "the Day of Death". On the Day of Shadows, mindless undead are known to rise without the aid of a necromancer to control them. Vampires are able to roam freely even under the noonday sun, as the taint of the magic of Onûs prevents them from coming to harm. Conversely, the blessed living who are not the thrall of darkness flee from the night and are loathe to move about even during the day. In particularly dangerous areas, even common folk have been known to squirrel away their annual savings to have protective magics cast on their homes for the nights of the Day of Shadows celebration, which can often leave such magics in short supply during this period. Similarly, agents of the dark powers have been known to prepare for this possibility, using powerful magics to dispel the protective spells. It is said that those who are capable of prophetic dreams are particularly plagued during this period as visions of murder, torture and violence assail their every thought.

Timing and Other Holidays
The celebration of the Day of Shadows is often three days long, with the festivities culminating around the actual Day of Shadows itself, which falls between the 30th day of Theris, and the 1st day of Nuallan. On rare occasions, the Great Hunt will overlap the Day of Shadows festival, and will cause a great deal of internecine conflict between the forces of Shadow (particularly worshipers and devotees of Sléachta), and the loyal followers of Jolarä. These uncommon intersections are known as the Days of Blood among both devotees of Sléachta and devotees of Jolarä.

Carnivals
In Sidereus, while carnivals are often received with great jubilation and fanfare, it is most common for carnivals to roam the land during the time around the Day of Shadows.

However, not all is as it seems. Because of their association with the Day of Shadows, carnivals have also become a breeding ground for murderers and thieves. Sacrifices to the dark gods, and all manner of heinous rituals are common during this time.

Particularly, evil followers of Melantha and Dúnmharú will make it a point to infiltrate Carnivals and hold games of chance where the stakes are high indeed. Locks of hair, whole limbs, and even first born children have been known to be gambled away in exchange for a chance at items of great power.

Out-of-Game Notes

 * Jack o' lanters, Pumpkins, and the like have no place in the Sidereus game world for Day of Shadows events.


 * The phrase "trick or treat" is commonly used as a threat, insult or a curse, because marauding Fae will often use this phrase to torture mortals before stealing their children or eating them alive for reasons unknown to the peoples of Sidereus.