Wolf Moon

Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside villages. Thus, the name for this month's full Moon.

The full Wolf Moon is a time of fear for the many of the human inhabitants of Sylvaeon. But for the wolves, it is a time of magic, conflict and mystery. The Silver Moon is associated with the White Lady amongst the Folkish people of the realm and they see this full moon as a significant one for the animals of the land - especially the wolves.

The hunger of rogue wolves, as well as the packs that have no established hunting territory makes them restless. While there is usually no harm done to the humans themselves, if the Winter is particularly cruel, livestock may be predated by a pack that is experiencing particular hardship.

During the Wolf Moon, the wolves engage in behavior that will determine which packs retain their territories. This sometimes erupts into vicious combat between packs, but more often it is a test of wills.

Some rogue wolves are also formally adopted into packs at this time. Being a rogue wolf is a hard life. Whether the old pack was devastated by humans or the wolf was driven out of the pack by the Alpha matters not. The fate of a rogue wolf without a pack is a lonely and potentially deadly one. During the Wolf Moon, if a rogue has been shown favor by the pack, the ritual of formal acceptance, known only by the wolves themselves, is performed, thus bonding the rouge and the pack together.

Particularly knowledgeable individuals have reported witnessing another ritual amongst the wolves and prey herds of Sylvaeon. Established packs have been seen receiving the self-sacrifice of an elk or other animal on behalf of its herd during the Wolf Moon. If this sacrifice is accepted, the wolf pack will not predate the herd that has freely given to it for the rest of the Winter. The Rangers and Foresters that have seen this blood ritual say that the spirit of a wolf and its prey enact the same formalized hunt scene as in the sky above exactly as it happens.

 Sylvaeon Wilderness Traveler Tip
Wolves generally howl for these reasons:

    •    A rally cry for the pack to meet up
    •    A signal to let the pack know of a wolf's location
    •    A warning for outside wolves and others to stay out of a pack's territory

Mistletoe's lengthy history | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Mistletoe's lengthy history | Richmond Times-Dispatch:

"Mistletoe is a weird little plant that has inspired mythology for centuries..."

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Solstice in Sylvaeon

On the Winter Solstice, the Northern lands of Sylvaeon are filled with many sorts of celebrations and dread:

The Druids meet this shortest of days at special cairns, constructed to face the rising sun. The Druids meet in conclave this day and discuss the past year's events, pass collective knowledge to each other and hold mysterious ceremonies throughout the night.

At the palace of the White Lady, the Winter ritual of the passing the Staff of Seasons takes place in the Shine of the Seasons. The silver leaves on the staff fall to the floor of the shine, leaving only the few golden berries on vines which cling to it, still. The passing of Autumn in Winter marks not only the changing of the season, but also the two week long celebration of the royal lady's Winter Court. This is a time of great feasting for her subjects and contests of wit and prowess amongst the knights of the Fae.

In the city state of St. Valens, the Templars prepare for Christ Mass and are already well into Advent time. It is a time of pious reflection and planning for the next year. The people of the city state practice greater charity and turn their thoughts to thanksgiving for another year of survival in the strange world that as become their home.

The Viking clans prepare to celebrate Yule and are conscious that this is the time of the Wild Hunt… laying low and avoiding anything that might bring an inauspicious Wyrd upon them. The Yule fires will soon be lit and epic tales are told, songs of heroes sung and great drinking will abound!

Elsewhere, in the Wilderlands, the packs of wolves and night-lurking snowy owls will look for their next meal as prey animals try to make it through the Winter. Some fairy creatures frolic in the icy forests, while some begin to sleep, dreaming of Spring and the new life it brings...