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Amberveil / Feast of the Fields

PostedSeptember 1, 2025
UpdatedSeptember 1, 2025
BySuraia Silverbell
Amberveil / Feast of the Fields

Amberveil / Feast of the fields

Date: Amberday, Cycle of Noent, Season of Envylon (Autumn Equinox)
Observed by: Towns, villages, and rural communities across the Xaverion Islands and beyond
Also known as: Feast of the Fields (common folk)

Amberveil—more commonly called the Feast of the Fields—is held on Amberday in the waning days of Envylon. It marks the equinox when day and night stand equal and the last of the year’s bounty is gathered. The festival looks both backward and forward: giving thanks for Envylon’s gifts while welcoming Ysandra in all her grace as autumn begins.Older than memory: a harvest celebration has existed as long as people can recall, enduring even through the Age of Darkness and long before the rise of the New Faiths and the current calendar. The invocations to Envylon and Ysandra were added later, layering new meaning onto ancient customs.

Names & Meaning

  • Amberveil — Favoured by elves, scholars, and the poetic; refers to the amber light that “veils” the fields at equinox sunset.
  • Feast of the Fields — The everyday name among farmers and townsfolk; speaks to shared tables and the bounty of gathered crops.

Traditions

  • The Shared Table: Long tables are set in the square or village green, laden with breads, fruits, roasted meats, cheeses, pies, and jugs of cider. Each household contributes from its stores.
  • The First Brew: The first opening of the season’s freshly brewed ale and cider. Among dwarves this is the heart of the festival—marked by toasts, tasting flights, and (friendly) drinking contests.
  • Harvest Dance: As the sun sets, musicians strike up circle dances that carry on beneath lantern light; humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and others mingle on the cobbles.
  • Lantern Lighting: Candles and lanterns are kindled at nightfall, symbolizing warmth and guidance as Ysandra’s longer nights approach.
  • Offerings of Thanks: A portion of food and drink is set aside at the field’s edge or before local shrines in gratitude for Envylon’s bounty and respect for the season to come.

Cultural Notes

  • Elven observance: A contemplative moment of balance—honouring abundance and the beauty of the darkening year alike.
  • Dwarven custom: The First Pour of new ale is treated with special reverence; refusing a proffered cup at Amberveil is said to invite lean luck in winter.
  • Village character: Practical and merry—laughter, story-swapping, and communal eating before winter work begins in earnest.
  • High society: In wealthier towns and noble circles, Amberveil may culminate in a formal Harvest Ball, echoing the same themes of abundance, gratitude, and craft in a grand setting.

Amberveil / Feast of the Fields

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