Twilight Carnival

Holidays
Owai-6's largest holiday!

 

Twilight Carnival


The evening air may be brisk, but the warmth of the Twilight Carnival calls all out for celebration and fun! Taking a stroll down one of the many streets of downtown, you'll find busting market shops decorated in the traditional harvest colors and adorned with spectacle artwork in the form of eye-catching Lantern Fruit carvings.
 
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Twilight Carnival is a holiday celebrating the founding of the Root Logic and the ideas it stands for. It is a celebration of ‘give and take’, how Alurizans can ‘take’ from the land in a respectful manner as well as ‘give’ back to the land and care for and nurture it.
 
  Food:
Alurizans harvest their crops from the rich Autumn soil, nurturing their people with fresh produce, distributed and shared amongst Carnival stalls across all of Owai. Experienced foragers harvest limited amounts of wild fungi and nuts for special seasonal treats. Wonderful traditional recipes are cooked up with all the harvested food, dishes that can only be tried during the Carnival. Excess produce and forage is shared with the wild areas, providing a pre-winter source of food to many animals and fertilizing the land.
 
  Gifts:
Many gifts are given during the Twilight Carnival. It is traditional to give small gifts to loved ones or those you appreciate throughout the Month. Most gifts are hand-crafted goodies, like homemade treats, small carvings or paintings, handmade pottery, etc. but gifts can really be anything the individual wants to give.
 
  Costumes:
It is said that long ago on the eve of the Reserve’s founding, Alurizans wore long hooded coverings and masks to ward off the Blight’s plague, and their clever disguises are what allowed them to win the war. These days, it's not known if that is truth or legend, but the tradition continues, and many Alurizans sport varying costumes as they navigate the Carnival grounds. While costumes can be anything the wearer deems their costume, many are traditional Twilight Carnival costumes that feature long coverings and a mask carved from a lantern fruit’s hard gourd. The mask is usually either an animal to celebrate life (carved from the gourd long-way to produce a snout with carved eye holes that glow), OR a carved skull with bone-like markings to ward off death.
 
Twilight Carnival is a month-long celebration, and so these features of food, gifts, and costumes continue throughout the entire month.
 
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Carved Lantern

A hollowed-out Lantern Fruit adorned with carved constellations that emit a soft glow. The tradition of carving these gourds was created when the Korso and Haddu worked together during the war. The Korso showed the Haddu how to light the way with the fruit's glow, while the Haddu showed the Korso how to carve star maps into the fruit. Today carvings are considered decorational. 

Lantern Chime

Gourds are hollowed out, dried, and fashioned into wind chimes in every size and shape. Their woody texture creates a pleasant, hearty, noise when they clack together and they bring a beautiful aesthetic as decoration throughout the carnival or at home. Alurizians who enjoy the sound tend to hang them year-round.

Twilight Garland

On the conclusion of the holiday, Alurizans will drape the garlands around trees in forests and cities to provide food and shelter for local animals; while any remnants will decompose and provide fertilizer for the land. These garlands celebrate the idea of Root Logic through their foraged ornaments that eventually return to the earth. It serves as a reminder to Alurizans both young and old that respecting the land is of utmost importance.

 

Wooden Figure

Many gifts are given during the Twilight Carnival. Most gifts are hand-crafted goodies, like homemade treats, small carvings or paintings, handmade pottery, etc. but gifts can really be anything the individual wants to give.

This small animal has been lovingly whittled from Aberion's emerald wood. Although simple in design, receiving this wooden figure is considered a great honor, as harvesting trees from Aberion is heavily restricted to ensure the forest remains healthy. 

Twilight Harvest Bowl

A large bowl carved from past Lantern Fruit decorations. Inside, one may find excess produce and mushrooms foraged during the Carnival. These bowls are not for the Alurizans, but are instead curated and left outside to be reclaimed by the wild. Each family will travel to their own special location to leave their offering. This gesture serves as a thanks for all the Alurizans receive from their planet, while also ensuring excess food does not go to waste.

Carnival Mask

This is one of two styles Carnival Mask are traditional carved into. The animal-shaped variety, often associated with a celebration of life, is carved from a Lantern Fruit cut in half vertically. While many are meant to be a nondescript depictions of animals, this one somewhat resembles a Koronok. The alternative style is the skull-shaped variety. These masks were said to have warded off the Blight's plague, though nowadays it's not known if this is true, or simply legend passed down by those who came before us.

 

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You could have sworn there was a knock at your door- but when you answered it, no one was waiting. Before you could begin to feel unnerved, you notice a small pamphlet at your feet. It reads: 

"A Lux Mart is opening SOON! Don't despair this Twilight Carnival, 
find everything you need to make the perfect crafts, costumes and cuisine this holiday season."

Flipping over the pamphlet you spy a map, and to your surprise the new store is located right around the corner! 

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You're holding up the pamphlet comparing the store's decore to the photo, checking the location again... you are certain this is it. The atmosphere is quaint and you can smell something yummy inside- though your nose isn't totally sure what it is. Sweet? Spicy? It doesn't matter. Your concentration is broken by the clattering of Lantern Fruit wind chimes. The store's window display is decorated with little Twilight Carnival staples; a leaf litter garland strung up high, and below is a small scene of wooden animal figurines. You can tell whoever is manning this has taken care when setting up the display. 

 The door opens with a jingle and  you look up to see a familiar teal Xero - Ziggy! In their paws is a flower pot with a small budding Lantern Plant. They stop to greet you. 
"Oh, you're quite early! Luca isn't even back from handing out flyers - but I get it! You must start Twilight Carnival preparations early - am I right?" Ziggy gives you a pleasant smile before setting the potted Lantern Plant down on a display rack. As you stand they catch the door for you. 

"Welcome to Lux Mart! I'll just be at the front reading, but I'd be happy to help you with any questions you have... especially if they are Twilight Carnival related."