Any suggestions for religious festivals?

[Phlebas]

I'm building my campaign up to a big finale, and some of the key action takes place during a big religious festival.

The god involved is a 'draconic' city god (i always envisioned it as the spirit of a long dead dragon lord looking after his hoard city from beyond the grave) and is worshipped by the common folk of the city (the wizards and the sages who run the city look to the god of magic instead). The seat of worship is the cavern in the middle of the extinct volcano that the city is built in.

All i have at the moment is a procession through the city, with a fly-by from a local 'good' dragon. But this is supposed to be a big every ten year festival, so any suggestions as to how to give it more flavour? (and some activity to confuse what else is happening would be useful)

any help gratefully received as I need help making it feel more significant than a village fete

 

[Starglim]

Temple Quarter has a dragon-god with a major, or at least highly active, temple.

 

[Turanil]

any suggestions as to how to give it more flavour? (and some activity to confuse what else is happening would be useful)

Take inspiration from Chinese festivals involving dragons. There are great fake paper-dragons animated by people, and thus you may think of having also or instead, wizards cast illusions of dragons, or of important events. Then, the festival's climax would occur at night, with streets lighted with torches, having fireworks here and there, and most people attending the festival wearing masks. Hence, there should be everything necessary for confusion.

 

[Gilladian]

In "Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns" (or I think that's the name of the book) there's a marvelous game that involves a mock dragon's hoard with treasures that people compete to grab away from a fake dragon. I played it out for my PCs once, with them as the dragon and a bunch of kids from a local orphanage trying to win stuff like bags of candy, new clothes, toys, and other useful stuff. Needless to say, the dragon lost a lot!

If you want real confusion, maybe the good dragon brings her young offspring with her on the flyby, and the kids get rambunctious and fly down to play.

During a festival like this there would be parades, speeches by VIPs, dancing, feasting, performances; every sideshow and carnival game, wrestling and feats of daring. Hey - break out the Challenge of Champions modules from Dungeon - set them up as challenges to anyone who wishes to compete.

There could be gladiatorial games, races in the streets or arenas, boat races in the harbor? Maybe there could be hang-gliders or even flying-carpet races, depending on the level of magic or technology in your world. How about hot-air balloons? Even stationary ones just going up on a rope could be thrilling, especially if one broke loose...

 

[Phlebas]

Take inspiration from Chinese festivals involving dragons. There are great fake paper-dragons animated by people, and thus you may think of having also or instead, wizards cast illusions of dragons, or of important events. Then, the festival's climax would occur at night, with streets lighted with torches, having fireworks here and there, and most people attending the festival wearing masks. Hence, there should be everything necessary for confusion.

now thats a very nice touch.....

(as is the idea of games during the day to complement a nighttime procession)

thanks for the ideas, thats got me inspired again!

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Consider, Phlebas, the reason behind the festival too. Why is it every ten years? What is being celebrated? Is it religious? Civic? A combination of both? Answering those questions tells you what groups might be involved and why, and then you can extrapolate more from that.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Some good ideas already.

You also mention that the city is in an extinct volcano. Perhaps the reason this occurs every ten years is that this is how often the clerics must renew their bindings on the fire elemental who powers the volcano (& wants it to be not-quite-so-extinct). Thus the celebration is religion masking a very serious matter which could destroy the city. You could have elements of the 'celebration' be secret aspects of the day-long invocation which the clerics are involving the crowds in without telling them the true purpose (must avoid city-wide panic, right?).

 

[Tonguez]

You also mention that the city is in an extinct volcano. Perhaps the reason this occurs every ten years is that this is how often the clerics must renew their bindings on the fire elemental who powers the volcano (& wants it to be not-quite-so-extinct). .

a 'draconic' city god (i always envisioned it as the spirit of a long dead dragon lord looking after his hoard city from beyond the grave)

So Undead Draconic entity trapped in the volcano kept bound by the 10-yearly civic ritual, and the city which has built up over the centuries and now thinks of the Dracolich as a god - and now the high priests has been found slaughtered...

there's your next campaign

 

[CruelSummerLord]

-People might come up and make offerings or sacrifices of copper and silver coins, beads and handicrafts, items of significance, as 'additions' to the dragon's hoard as a way of thanking him and ensuring his continued good will and protection. PCs might craft something significant to them, or they might leave a good amount of silver and copper coinage, or magic items they might otherwise have no use for, possibly with the dragon's spirit giving them a blessing in return for their offerings.

-Dances and ceremonies could be done as a ceremonial way of thanking the dragon, and your PCs might participate, if they're so inclined. Perhaps people could put on performances to entertain the dragon-reciting poetry and paeans, performing dances, singing bard songs, etc. Players can have a lot of fun writing or even performing their own pieces, if you want.

-Private prayers and communions with the dragon are possible. This might be a way to pass on prophecies, advice, or some other plot device to the PCs-if they ask the dragon's spirit a question, they might have a dream the next night that will give them answers that will lead them in whatever direction you want them to go.

-Given that it happens only every ten years or so, this might be a time for some of the really bizarre fringe groups, religious fanatics, or whatever other groups you might have, to come out and participate in the town's ceremonies, hold their own bizarre and twisted rituals to "honor" the dragon, or otherwise harass people. They might be just what they appear-crazy, if harmless, fanatics who just want to participate in the ceremonies like anyone else...they might be foreign spies who've come to the festival disguised as pilgrims, eager to get information on the city's defenses when their guard is down...robbers and assassins out to kill and rob people, using the chaos of the festival to distract peoples' attention...

-Who else might come to these ceremonies? Merchants might come to supply the festivities, pilgrims from outlying regions might come to pay their respects, any number of villains might come disguised as these groups, or otherwise accompany them to get past the guards and into the city. An assassin disguised as a pilgrim, a demon disguised as a caravan guard, a BBEG's agents posing as farmers who want to come and see what all the fuss is about...any number of people, with any number of agendas, might come to partake of the festivities.

 

[ephemeron]

What are the city's relations with its neighbors like? This festival would be a good time for allies to show their support and subjects to bring their tribute, making the procession more varied and lavish.

A festival of a popular god should be a lot of fun, and include a lot of different kinds of fun -- games and contests of all kinds, songs and stories and speeches about the city's history and heroes and the deeds of good dragons, special foods that are only served at this festival, drinking, dancing, a carnival atmosphere in which everybody sets aside their cares for a while and celebrates being under the protection of the dragon-god and the dragons. Maybe everyone wears dragon masks, and those who wear copper dragon masks tease people with gold masks for being too serious.