Every summer, when the Cave’s heat and humidity become nearly unbearable, all Mycenians like to cool off with a fun day of swimming in the Fishing Pond. Local Kelphi host this annual tradition and ensure that everyone, from the tiniest, fresh-from-the-Sacred Tree children to the most wizened elders spends at least a little time in the water. Festivities carry on from sunrise to well past sunset, and meals are set out on long tables to be shared by all.

At the conclusion of each Paddle in the Pond Day, young families place their new flowers on the surface of the pond, to drift about in a riot of color and promise. It is said that the act of floating itself is sacred. Those flowers who float on the surface of the pond will be blessed by the Sorceress and will never need carving.

As Fennow, the river kelph who suggested the first event once said - “While frozen in stone, we could only sink. Once carved and remembered, we rise again. Rejoice in your memories, and float freely on this day!”

There are no unicorns. No actual, real life breathing unicorns anyway. That doesn’t stop the small town of Nogg from celebrating Earnest Unicorn Day, their most anticipated event of the year. Created who-knows-how-many-years-ago, Earnest Unicorn Day was the mastermind of Earnest Humphrey, a rather unassuming ineki (from all accounts), who had a fervent, unquenching passion for all things unicorns. They’re real! he insisted, and considering that the town was much smaller those days (one giant extended family, honestly), all the townspeople decided—well, there’s no proof there ISN’T unicorns out there.

To sum it up. Why not?

So this town, this still tiny little town, passionately believes in unicorns. On this day they organize massive ‘hunts’ to try to track the tricky creatures down (no unicorns allowed to be harmed, if one is seen then they are to try to lure it with purity in their heart and a big piece of rope. Mostly the adults spend a good portion of time stumbling in the woods being drunk, while the children collects unicorn shaped objects to exchange for points—the highest point earners recieve prizes). They sell unicorn flavored treats (rainbows, it all tastes like rainbows and a little bit of pixie dust [rainbows, apparently, taste like whatever the purveyor wants it to taste like]). There’s even unicorn bingo, where the numbers are drawn by someone stabbing the balls with a unicorn horn on their head.

For one glorious, colorful, unicorn day the townspeople celebrate the existence of unicorns—not because the unicorns did anything for them, but any excuse to have a celebration is a good one. At the end of it, when no unicorns have been found, the townspeople nod to themselves and explain it away with well they’re just shy and resolve to make the celebration even grander the next year.

After a full year of happiness and heartbreak; of good times and bad times, all the Mycenians gather. Bundled up in pairs with loved ones, or around great big bonfires to laugh and make merry. Looking back and discussing their year; their regrets and hopes. How the Mycenians would like to improve upon it, make next year even better. To avoid the same mistakes, and avoid new ones.

To look at the future fondly - and feel it in themselves to hope again.

So, as the new year draws every closer, the Mycenians likes to take a piece of paper. Any kind. Some use spare scraps, others find the best they could find; treating it as something to treasure, for one use only. And they hastily wrote on it, some who had left it off til the last minute, and others carefully penned theirs down. Having used the year to think about what they could want so much as to wish for it.

For that was the purpose of it all - The Wishing Festival; where wishes were sent off to come true.

The paper with the wishes were carefully folded, and tied to a small boat. A children’s toy, really. Tiny, but sturdy enough to withstand the extra weight of the paper. And then, just as the new year broke, they were set off. Hundreds of tiny boats in all colours, taking all the Mycenians wishes.

Their hopes for the year yet to come.

During the warm and sunny golden atumn days, when the temperatures are mild, Mycenians head out into remote foresty places to gather mushrooms and all sorts of fungi. Then they will gift their harvest to their loved ones, family and friends to show their appreciation and gratitude for each other. Together they will prepare meals using the edible mushrooms and other fruits as ingredients and enjoying themselves with cooking, eating, chatting, play and music, and usually spending time in their gardens before the cold winter days approach. Homes and gardens are often decorated with small mushroom ornaments and figurines, books about fungi are very popular. It is also a great opportunity to visit friends from all over the cave.
This tradition is called the autumnal gathering and conventionally takes place after the main harvests are accomplished, especially in the earlier times. But over the years it developed to be a sort of a holiday week, not tied to harvest seasons anymore.

At the end of every Life-Cycle (year), Mycenians gather together, forming temporary communities in the largest of caverns for seven days. Each individual brings what they can to contribute, often times with living partners or settlements cooperating to provide more than a single individual could. Though the earliest arrivals may reach the designated caverns up to a month in advance, the festival does not start until the evening of the last day of the Life-Cycle. With the harvest just passed, bountiful food is available. Of the plants that can be farmed, every variety available in an are is present; and the wild edibles that can only be found are gathered up to share with those unable to find them. The week is celebrated with song and dance. Arts of every kind can be found, traded and sold. It is a time of community, to interact with each other and share knowledge found about the Cave they lived in. The first, third, and fifth full days of the festival focus on celebrating the existence of the Ineki, Drasilli, and Kelphi respectively. On these days, the members of that race wear chiseled stone amulets, reminding them of their origin and why they can gather together as they are doing. On the last evening of the festival, a large bonfire is held. All who have gathered join the dancing late into the night. They dance together to celebrate life, the ending of the Great Winter, and the life of the sorceress who so painstakingly made their home. At the end of the night, the leftover supplies and materials are thrown into the fire to burn to ash. This serves to remind the Mycenians of the conflict and waste of the Great Winter, that the mistakes of the past might not be made in the future. During this time, a great many new bonds are formed. On the morning after the festival ends, those who with to form a new geness or kinnen journey together to the Sacred Tree to do so.

Every year, as autumn turns to winter and the wind blows cold in the caves, Mycenians gather to remember and celebrate those they have lost. Everyone takes turns hosting the night of the lost, though some families prefer having the head of the family host each year. Many begin their night by visiting the cavern where the lost rest, to pay respects and sometimes give offerings of food and drink, followed by a potluck feast that carries deep into the night and well into the morning. It is customary for guests to each bring a dish to the feast, and with the vast families Mycenians can have, this can keep the food and drink flowing the entire night. It is traditional to go around the table and tell stories about the lost, good and bad alike, to keep their memory alive. Party hosts often decorate for the night of the lost, and though the exact theme varies from home to home, elaborate altars dedicated to and featuring photographs of the lost are very common.

Every year, Mycenians gather to celebrate the coming of spring. Spring is an important season, as when it arrives, it renews the world and its magic. It’s common knowledge that during this season, the Bone Monster lays dormant, and many take the opportunity to explore the outside world to see new sights and celebrate the chance with others. While Mycenians do explore outside of the Cave, there are also chances for fun on the inside.

On the days that magic becomes weaker, Mycenians have fun trying to do things they would normally do with magic, without magic. For example, attempting to make food without using magic to coax them along. Another activity would be trying to keep a structure up with a team, using your skills and other objects, instead of magic. There are numerous other games like this, depending on the communite. This is a chance for Mycenians to show off their physical skills (or luck) and build up their relationships with others. These events flare up peoples’ competative spirits, as well as help them to remember that they are perfectly capable of getting things done without the constant help of magic.

The Ice Markets

This festival occurs two weeks after the lake ice freezes over. Predominantly a kelphi festival in the more frigid parts of the cave, it is slowly spreading to be celebrated amongst other species’ and mixed communities in the cave. The first tradition to be conducted is the boring of a small hole in the ice to determine its thickness. This takes place at a predetermined point in the year, and is done with a lot of pomp and ceremony. After some calculations are prepared and compared to the data from years before, this then dictates the size of the festival, or if it can even go ahead safely. If everything goes as planned, merchants will begin to build and set out their storefronts, which are made out of elaborately carved ice. While officially they will only have this week to prepare, most of the vendors will have been planning and practising their design and techniques all year long. It is very disappointing when weather conditions don’t permit it to go ahead. Everyone is aware of the uncertain nature of this festival, and that if the calculations prove to be wrong it may not go ahead as planned. Smaller, land based events may then go ahead in its place, but nobody feels this is quite the same. If only somebody here could control the weather! But that’s not possible, of course…

The main attractions are the glittering stalls themselves, as diverse in form and scale as conditions and imaginations permit. These are permitted to be added to by a strict limit of outside decoration, but purists consider anything more than carved ice to be a little too gaudy. There is a formal prize to be won for the most magnificent display, although there is a great deal of pride in simply competing or being part of the judging committee. The latter is made up of a group of elders, whose suitability to judge is deemed obvious by the number of previous festivals they’ve been able to enjoy. At the moment they are also predominantly kelphi, but the numbers are changing. Drasillis elders in particular seem to be particularly enchanted by this new tradition, which seems to echo their own original homeland of the snowy peaks outside the cave.

Unlike some festivals held in the lighter months of the year, the ice markets mainly showcase non-perishable goods and services. These range from cloth items, to fine examples of metals and minerals, or even masterwork weaponry. Particularly valued are displays of dance and song, and the title of Winter’s Skald is highly competed for amongst the poetically gifted. Although there is no particular dish of food associated with the festival, it is customary for the assembled merchants and families to pool some special ingredients they had sequestered away for the winters months. It is an (almost always) yearly reminder to live in the moment, enjoy things as they come and never waste an opportunity.

Roughhouse Day

Mycenians in general are a polite, sociable, and gentle lot. Even when conflicts arise, there are a multitude of ways to solve them without violence. However, even the calmest of Mycenians might have fire in their blood, and in order to prevent outbreaks of aggression, many places in the cave have taken up the tradition of Roughhouse Day.

Preparing for the day is important, because nobody wants to cause permanent injury or pain: healers gather and make potions and poultices, as well as charge their healing magic for the participants. High protein snacks are made to pass around, so everyone can keep their energy up. Mycenians uninterested in the activities are encouraged to prepare for a cozy day indoors, safe from any rowdy neighbors.

On the day itself, anyone who wants to take part in the roughhousing wears a red band around their forehead; healers wear green on their arms. The day proceeds mostly like normal, but at any moment, a red-banded Mycenian may attack another red-banded Mycenian, and the two can duke it out to their hearts’ content. Weapons are allowed, though the spirit of the event is friendly competition and physical exertion, “to get the blood pumping” as some might say, so nearly everyone who participates uses only claws and teeth.

At the end of the day, healers tend to the wounded, and snacks are shared to restore everyone’s lost stamina. Often, new bonds are forged through the friendly battles, and many a life-time friendship was created through a fight on roughhouse day.

“Haha… you know, for a long time, we thought we were alone. There were a lot of us, we lived in a big cavern, so we weren’t exactly alone, but we thought we were sealed in, sealed away. Every day we ranged the surfaces of our cavern, looking for any sign of a way we could leave - the smallest crack, the tiniest fissure, anything that might prove we weren’t alone in the world. We reasoned with ourselves, surely the Sorceress wouldn’t have left us alone, surely there must be a way out somewhere. But it got harder and harder to believe with each passing day, and one after another we started to give up.

“And then, one day, oh… twenty-four years ago now, she had an idea. Silphrent. She said to us, ‘we’ve been looking with our eyes, but the eye can be fooled by shadow. The ear cannot. There is a way out, and we’ll hear it if we’re quiet enough.’ So, she and the remaining searchers gathered us up in the center of the cavern and told us their plan, all we had to do was stay quiet, just for a day, and they’d find us a way out.

“After that, of course, we were focused on the actual act of getting out, the widening of that hidden crack in the wall until it was a full-fledged tunnel into the rest of this cave, but that’s another holiday altogether.”

In recognition of the day they regained their hope of freeing themselves from their seeming-prison, the denizens of Lesrain Cavern, both current and former, spend the day as quietly as possible. Anything that needs to be said is communicated in whispers or sign. Pots and pans are handled carefully, if at all, and activities that inevitably cause noise are avoided. Pawsteps are kept light as they go about their business and the rest of the holiday’s traditions.

Those who still dwell in Lesrain place embers in the places where each of the stalwart seekers began their desperate patrol. Those who live outside that cavern place a small bowl of embers next to the main threshold of their homes. The faint smoke of the embers represents the whisper of moving air that revealed the hidden opening.

Silphrent herself refused any direct depiction, but agreed to have a paraphrasing of her words etched into a stone plaque in the center of Lesrain: “The eye is fooled by shadow, but the ear has no such weakness.” Many Lesrain citizens make an effort to visit the plaque on Whisper Day, as a reminder to never give up and always search for another solution.

After synchronizing with the common Mycenian calendar and counting backwards, they determined that Whisper Day was on September 10th.

Stonesinging Festival

In the fall, when winter is fast approaching and the days are growing short, Mycenians from settlements deep in the Cave celebrate the Stonesinging Festival. It is a time to make offerings to the earth elementals who reside within the caverns and renew one’s connection to the world around them. Customs vary between settlements, but all make offerings of song and story as well as artwork, sculpture, and other trinkets. In return, the earth elementals offer their own songs, which renew the magical protections surrounding the settlements. They also work together with Mycenians to sing new structures into being.

It is said that the festival originated with the raising of a long forgotten township from the stone of the cave. A group of Mycenians, fleeing some threat - perhaps a tunnel collapse, or one of the large predators of the cave - found themselves helpless, trapped within a deep and dangerous cavern. Hearing their cries for aid, an earth elemental created a shelter for them by singing to the cavern rock. The Mycenians built a settlement with the aid of the earth elemental and its brethren, and showed their gratitude by sharing songs with them.

Some traditions are observed not in crowds with others, but by the self, by oneself. Some traditions are old and odd and not centralized at all. Either the tradition was not centralized to start, or it fragmented with the passing of time. A descent into the cave is not for others to watch, it is the facing of the self in the environment of the cave. Of course, that alone would lead to great variation in the way the tradition is held. Some treat the event as a test of courage—to go as far, as deeply into the cave as possible and then brag to all and sundry about it. Some treat the event as an examination of their own mind—a journey into darkness to find the brightest part of themselves. Some treat it as a journey to try and find an uncarved mycenian and free them from stone like they themselves have been carved. Some leave for months on end, and some leave for hours. Some tell all who will listen, and some tell no one. The only commonality seems to be the stone brought back—no two are alike because no two mycenians are alike. The Lapidary Trials is a journey that reflects the individual, and the stone that they bring back to symbolize their trial likewise.

This tradition began as a rumor, based on superstitious whispers between young Ineki. The story went that the spirits of departed loved ones were able to communicate with and assist the spirits of the Lost in returning to their bodies. It was said that best day for spiritual communication was the Spring Equinox. 

The celebration itself began with a few kids gathered around the graves of their loved ones.  Small markers would be placed, along with a favorite treat of theirs, and the living would tell the spirits about the Lost they were seeking.  A matching marker would be placed upon the Lost where they stood, hoping that it would help the spirits find their way.  The gift, of course, was something of a bribe, though that seemed too vulgar to admit.

As the years past, more and more hopeful mourners would gather and speak to the spirits of ones they’d lost.  Entire families and friend groups would host meals and hold festivities with the hopes of luring out elusive spirits, praying that they’d been able to find the Lost in the past year.  Of course, most people knew it wasn’t possible - that the Lost were just that.  It was a hard pill to swallow, though, and a little hope never hurt anyone.  So the idea spread further and further.  Some people came for the food and companionship. Some people came to swap stories of those that were gone.  But everyone agreed that if there was any way to reunite with the Lost, they would find it. 

Whether or not there was anything to this night remains unclear.  It couldn’t be denied, however, that spiritual energy was at an all time high on the equinox.  Perhaps it was just the promise of spring, of new life, of hope. But people swore that they could feel their loved ones around them. Those who didn’t quite believe in the detective skills of their lost family still capitalized on the influx in spiritual energy, and witchcraft was very common on the night of the Search.

A day to celebrate the diversity within the caves and foster relationships within the community through various activities. Some places have their own traditions. There isn’t just one way to celebrate this holiday.

Mycenians lend a helping paw to those in need, sharing what they have whether it be materials or their time. Non-profit organizations generally hold fairs, fairs, concerts, and other events to raise awareness of what their goals. In addition, several groups participate by holding fund raisers and volunteering their time. These include pet adoptions, health research, helping the homeless, beautifying neighborhoods, the big sibling program, and much more. One doesn’t have to engage in any of these activities. It can be helping a student with their homework, spending time with the elderly, and much more.

Mycenians flock to fairs and festivals. It doesn’t matter what they are or where they come from. It’s all about having a good time with others. They have various themes and don’t have to use the same one the others are using. It’s up to the organizers though most leave it up the community through voting. It’s a way to add a little something extra to the celebration and encourages Mycenians to actively engage in the activities. Several take this to heart and dress up according to the theme. They even have competitions for the best (and worst) costume. Some take it a little further and dress up their pets.

Some choose to spend time with their family and extended family. It isn’t about giving gifts but sharing experiences with those close to them. Families don’t have to be related through blood. They can be adopted into the family. Some friends are close enough to be considered part of the family.

We would like to thank everyone for their participation! All participants have been compiled, and prizes will be handed out within the next day or two. It will take us a little bit of time to parse through all of your lovely holidays, but we will announce the winners here as soon as we have decided upon them, and they will receive their prize soon after.