Are the characters in your campaign
tired of wandering in the wilderness,
going from one mountain fastness to
another, slogging through swamp after
swamp to locate and loot far-flung tombs
and the like? Don?t you think they?d like a
little R&R in a nice town where they could
rub elbows with humanity instead of
bugbears for a change? No, don?t just give
them another tavern in which to get
drunk, start fights, and flirt with the semiattractive
innkeeper?s daughter. Give them
the news about the big festival being held
in honor of the king?s birthday. It?s a great
place to meet people and have a good
time, and maybe even find a little adventure.
Of course, thieves would find something
to occupy their time.

Too much of an adventurer?s life is spent
in the arduous task of battling evil monsters
and traversing difficult terrain to
obtain treasure. Fairs and festivals can
offer welcome campaign relief. These
celebrations are often incredibly old,
marking the times of harvests, seasonal
changes, and other events important to a
culture. Despite local differences, most
such celebrations have a great deal in
common. They usually provide booths or
tents where food and drink may be purchased,
and many have a variety of entertainment
ranging from jugglers and
puppeteers to formal jousting events.
Vendors customarily set up tents to hawk
a host of wares (particularly during religious
celebrations, where pilgrims may
purchase holy keepsakes and souvenirs).
Still others may bring exotic beasts from
faraway lands to amaze the fairgoers.
Games of chance or skill are also favorite
stops for the local populace during these
affairs, often drawing larger crowds than
any tents except the beer tents (which are
usually near the casino tents.

Though festivals vary widely across
regions, they fall into a few general cate-
gories. Some of the more common types
are described as follows.

Religious festivals

Perhaps the most regularly occurring
festivals in AD&D® game worlds, religious
festivals mark the holy days of local faiths
and commemorate great events in the
histories of religions. These festivals are
usually sponsored and controlled by local
monasteries or churchs. Religious festivals
are usually more constrained in their
revelry (with the notable exception of
faiths such as those centered around Aphrodite,
Pan, and Dionysus). Such things as
processional marches, public invocations,
and the like are planned far in advance
and occur at precise times during the
celebrations to provide continuity.

During such times, unbelievers are most
at risk of being noticed, as they may be
obviously unfamiliar with local or religious
customs. While this is not a problem most
of the time, certain strict or zealous faiths
may react negatively to the presence of
outsiders, leading at worst to a spontaneous
riot and execution if the party has not
done its research properly before deciding
to attend. These festivals are beneficial to
clerics, who may gain the opportunity to
meet with elders of their churches or to
participate in required holy rites, thereby
fulfilling the requirements of their faiths.
(For example, at some time in his life, a
follower of Islam must make a pilgrimage
to Mecca before becoming wholly Muslim.
Fulfilling this duty even bestows an honorific
title ? hajji ? that the-faithful Muslim
must be called thereafter.)

In addition, clerics of other religions
may attempt to convert locals to their
religions during such celebrations, placing
these clerics on more favorable terms with
their deities since the acquisition of new
worshipers from the midst of another
deity?s followers is a dangerous practice.
Unless performed with great caution, such
clerics run the serious risk of offending
the opposing deity and his minions. This
could easily bring charges of sedition or
blasphemy, neither of which is a healthy
state of affairs for the offenders.

A less-frequent religious holiday often
takes place during the ceremonial endowment
or coronation of a religious leader.
Except for the official and highly ritualized
coronation, these affairs are less orchestrated
and tend toward a more festive vein
?similar to our Mardi Gras festival. These
religious fairs allow easier mingling, giving
the PCs more freedom to interact with the
other celebrants (and more opportunities
to get into trouble). During such times,
even royalty occasionally makes an
appearance, prompting many occasions
for the PCs to gather important information
or acquire the favor and possible
support of a local lord who may aid them
in a particular quest. Assassins have many
obvious options under such circumstances
(as do thieves), so it is prudent to encour-
age good behavior among PCs (or provide
for an airtight alibi).

Royal festivals

Unlike religious festivals, royal festivals
are more random in their occurrences and
temperaments. Much depends on local
heads of state as to the frequency, duration,
purpose, and content of these festivities,
causing considerable variation as a
result. Most typical are celebrations of
royal birthdays or marriages, which have
the advantages of annual recurrences in
the former case and considerable advance
notice in the latter. Fortunately, these
festivals lend themselves to advance planning,
and many can be attended by adventurers
over the course of time.

Royal festivals are merry occasions, most
being marked with certain (affordable)
extravagances being showered on the local
populace in the form of food, drink, and
entertainment. Even the king himself and
members of the royal family can often be
glimpsed as they move about the festivities.
Significant numbers of soldiers and
other law-enforcement officials are always
present to insure domestic peace, but as a
general rule, these peacekeepers seldom
interfere in the goings-on unless provoked
by either the behavior or demeanor of the
offenders. The most typical punishment
consists of subjecting the offenders to
some form of public humiliation.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are
the celebrations of royal coronations,
births, and deaths. These festivals (or
funerals) are difficult to predict or plan
for, making them chance occurrences on
the part of traveling adventurers. Each
individual celebration is unique, depending
on the locale, religion, etc.; of the
ruling house; thus, few generalizations can
be made concerning their styles and durations.
While royal coronations and
funerals attract powerful and influential
men from surrounding territories, the
manner of each is strikingly different (and
potentially explosive if the succession is
contested). PCs finding themselves in such
situations may well become embroiled in
some court intrigue and should always be
wary of the ever-changing loyalties and
alliances that saturate such occasions.
Assassins may even find their services in
great demand and may be recruited for
specific tasks by the nobility. Births in
royal houses offer a happy contrast and
are almost always marked by elaborate
displays of regal joy (such as the freeing of
prisoners or redemption of overdue taxes).

Though most festivities take place within
castle walls, the landed gentry often throw
public festivals to show proper appreciation
of their lieges' joy during good times.
These festivals are the ones most likely to
be attended by the average adventurer.
Except in large cities, where jousting tournaments
or other entertainment may be
the rule, these events generally take on
the atmosphere of county fairs. Outsiders
may find themselves to be quite conspicuous
but welcome nonetheless. Local attitudes
toward strangers should be
considered in hostile areas unless proper
disguise and mannerisms are used to
assure anonymity. This may fail to work in
very small villages, where almost everyone
is known to one another. Nevertheless,
while rural fairs of this nature may seem
of little worth, they provide excellent
opportunities to learn local gossip and
perhaps gain the ear of a landed official.

Rangers and druids may also find themselves
in favorable circumstances at a
royal festival if the local aristocrat is having
difficulty with highwaymen or has
received a poor harvest. Local heroes and
adventurers could also be employed to
guard roads where gifts from neighboring
rulers are to pass through.

Traditional festivals

Traditional festivals occur regularly and
are certainly the oldest and most common
celebrations that PCs will encounter.
These festivals are usually held to commemorate
a good harvest or mark a major
event that took place in or near the local
area. Traditional fairs tend to be strongly
regional and differ in content depending
on the climate, culture, and racial stock of
the region. Though many are held in larger
cities, far more such fairs are celebrated
on a smaller scale in towns and
villages. Depending on the locale, many
interesting events may be open for competition
(from greased-pole climbing to cowchip
chucking), along with the usual
judging of livestock, produce, and the like.
Villagers take great delight in attending
such fairs, bringing the entire family along
to join in the fun. As a result, these revelers
always seek to keep the celebration
within the bounds of good taste. While a
certain amount of drinking and revelry is
expected of fairgoers, local codes of conduct
are strictly observed. PCs who insist
on behaving differently may be asked to
leave in a forceful manner.

These fairs may be encountered most
often during the fall of the year, generally
beginning earlier in higher latitudes and
later in ones closer to the equator. The
primary exceptions to this rule are those
festivals held by seafaring cultures whose
people earn their livings from fishing or
trade. These celebrations may occur at
virtually any time of the year and can be
much more raucous owing to the roughand-
tumble types arriving from long stints
of sea duty. Unlike harvest fairs of farming
communities, the main problem here is
not how to avoid offending the locals but
how to keep from being accosted by
pirates and other unsavory characters.
Many an adventurer has awakened after a
blurry night of carousing to find himself
the cabin boy on a ship with no particular
destination.
 

What follows is a list of the festivals one
might encounter in a typical AD&D game
world, as well as their durations and highlights.
These festivals are presented here
only as examples of typical historical celebrations.
Admittedly, most AD&D game
adventures will continue to take place in
remote, desolate, or otherwise unhealthy
locales; that is how it should be (after all,
city adventuring has its limitations).
Although it is unlikely that such holidays
will recur often in an average AD&D game
campaign, the addition of these and other
celebrations can substantially increase the
interest of PCs to stop for a while.

Festival of Healing
Type: Religious
Time of year: Varies
Duration: 1-3 days

Explanation: This festival is celebrated
in some fashion or another by most religious
sects, primarily in their most sacred
places. The faithful and their families may
journey hundreds of miles to be cured of a
curse or other affliction at these gatherings.
Many healthy individuals attend as
well for preventive measures, as do clerics
who may have to atone for past digressions.
This is expected and holds no onus
of guilt for the repentant as the priests are
present to cure spiritual as well as physical
wounds. Otherwise, this type of celebration
resembles most others in terms of
food, drink, and entertainment, with the
exception of unusually large numbers of
souvenir hawkers mingled with the other
vendors.

Due to the religious nature of this festival,
visitors are encouraged to refrain
from offending the faithful. Many sects
possess zealots who do not take lightly to
any real or perceived slight to their gods.
Omens and visions, some perhaps quite
real, may be seen.

Harvest Fair
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Mid/late fall
Duration: 1-2 weeks

Explanation: One of the oldest of the
common festivals, Harvest Fair is traditionally
celebrated to give thanks for a good
harvest and is characterized by the quantity
and quality of foodstuffs available.
Various competitions take place at this
event, including the judging of livestock,
produce, wine and ale, boxing, wrestling,
and other locally unique events. Violence
may be encountered but usually consists
of fistfights. Although present, thieves are
not a major concern to fairgoers who rely
on barter to purchase many things. During
the Harvest Fair, druids, elves, and
representatives of other races from the
region may be encountered as they come
to barter for goods. Any visitor to such
affairs is urged to refrain from alienating
local residents, thus avoiding the "angry
village mob" scenario.

Guildfest
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Warmer months
Duration: Variable

Explanation: The Guildfest festival is
another of the commonly occurring fairs
in game campaigns. Sponsored and run by
a council of local guildmasters, this festival
is each guilds annual opportunity to show
off the best it has to offer. Fierce competition
between rival guilds sometimes erupts
in bursts of violence, but by and large the
festivities proceed peacefully. Though each
guild has its specialty (bakers and cobblers
do not compete directly with one another),
overall quality is the criterion of the
judges. These judges are usually only
ballot counters; fair attendees are expected
to vote for the most competent guild.
Because of this, there can be much ballot-box
stuffing and bribery in poorly managed
Guildfests, so final judgments may be
corrupted and therefore meaningless --
but no one seems to mind (except the
losers). In addition, fair-goers may receive
more in bribes for votes than they can
spend. As a result, beggars and other
unfortunates flock to such affairs in hopes
of a free ride for a few days.

King's Festival
Type: Royal
Time of year: Summer
Duration: 3-7 days

Explanation: A fairly common holiday,
King's Festival is generally celebrated in
summer and early fall, and varies in length
depending on the local ruling house. This
holiday is usually characterized by flamboyant
ceremonies, heavy drinking, and
other merrymaking. The festivals final
days typically include tournament-style
jousting and are heavily attended by visitors.
Archery competitions are common as
well, and all able bowmen are invited to
match their skills with the king?s best
archers for a substantial prize. Members
of the royal family are frequently seen
during such fairs, but they are accompanied
by a heavily armed escort at all times,
[See DRAGON® issue #118 for numerous
articles on competitions at fairs.]
    <Life at a typical fantasy tournament>
    <Archery competitions>
    <Jousting>

Though many of these festivals are
freewheeling, visitors are encouraged to
be prudent in their merrymaking. A rude
stranger could well be the king?s second
cousin; insulting such a dignitary could
lead to punishment in the public stocks (or
worse). Outsiders are welcome to see just
how wonderful things are under the current
ruler?s rule.

Ice Princess Festival
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Mid-winter
Duration: Variable

Explanation: Popular in northern realms
or regions where long, cold winters are
common, the Ice Princess Festival is
unique in that it always takes place in
inclement weather during bitterly cold
temperature snaps. Although this event
bears many similarities to its warm weather
cousins (with regard to activities),
there is one special event seen nowhere in
the south. Along with the many winter
sports competitions, such as sledding and
ice-wrestling, the festivities are topped off
with the judging of numerous intricate ice
and snow sculptures. Most of the larger
sculptures are built by groups of competitors
-- usually local guilds or monasteries
-- but many smaller sculptures are built
by the common folk. Due to the uncertainties
of weather, this celebration is seldom
held at the same time each year and can
break up quickly if a prolonged warm
snap occurs. Those attending must dress
appropriately.

Lammas
Type: Traditional/religious
Time of year: Fall
Duration: 1-2 days

Lammas is basically a druidic
holy day and as such is celebrated
worldwide. Though most religious ceremonies
go unseen by the public, many
rural communities and wilderness towns
celebrate Lammas as well. These ?unofficial
? festivals are loosely organized affairs
and are typically characterized by feasting,
gift-giving between friends, and excessive
alcohol consumption, making these
events both exciting and potentially hazardous
to a PC?s health. Depending on
locale, thieves may be present to take
advantage of the drunk and unwary. Visitors
are urged to take proper precautions
if intending to fully celebrate such a festival.
As a general rule, almost anyone may
attend village Lammas festivals, though
the rough-and-tumble attitude of the celebrants
does not lend itself to the fainthearted.

Miner's Fair
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Spring to fall
Duration: 2-3 days

Explanation: A predominantly dwarven
event, the Miner's Fair is held outdoors
during the warmer months of the year or
underground on a fixed yearly date. In
addition to competitions for the largest or
most impressive gemstones found since
the last festival, there are also contests of
strength and agility. These often consist of
hammer-throwing, stone-hauling, and
basic mining tourneys. There is also a
?treasure hunt? at some point during the
fair, which is won by the first contestant
to recover a specific gemstone or chunk of
ore from its hiding place in the area. Fre-
quent winners may be found boasting of
their abilities to ?sniff the stuff out.?

Though this fair is not necessarily closed
to members of non-dwarven races, the
presence of outside races is at best tolerated.
Fighting and endless bragging mark a
successful Miner?s Fair, thus limiting an
outsider?s interest significantly. As
dwarves do not recreate well as a rule,
this fair is customarily brief, never lasting
more than three days.

Neptune's Feast
Type: Traditional/religious
Time of year: Spring
Duration: 1 week

Explanation: Popular among port cities
and island nations, this festival vies with
the Harvest Fair for sheer longevity.
Though religiously oriented and usually
involving seaside rites and sacrifices, this
celebration is noted for its epicurean
delights. Neptune's Feast provides the
visitor with the opportunity to taste some
of the finest seafoods obtainable. Along
with an assortment of competitions
between ship's crews, the feast is always
climaxed with a race between the fastest
ships in the realm. During the closing
hours of this intense competition, betting
can reach a fever pitch. Those who plan to
attend Neptune?s Feast are advised to
avoid waterfront taverns and to beware of
newfound friends (who occasionally rob
their ?friends?). Careless fairgoers who
overimbibe may awaken to discover they
have been signed onto a tour of sea duty
aboard a ship of questionable reputation.

The title of this festival, of course, can
vary wildly depending on which deity the
festival honors. The characteristics of
seafarers, however, make these types of
festivals very much alike.

Regal Games
Type: Royal
Time of year: Early fall
Duration: 5-7 days

Explanation: The festival known as the
Regal Games is always held in a stable
kingdom, customarily the capital city itself.
During the games, the finest knights and
athletes from a number of realms compete
in competitions of skill, strength, agility,
and endurance to the delight of thousands
of spectators. Although this event consists
primarily of the aforementioned competitions,
many forms of entertainment and
amusement may be found, and the streets
are filled with merrymakers night and
day. Due to the unusually intensive activity
on the part of the city watch, most festivals
of this type are quite safe for anyone
to attend. In fact, some realms require the
surrender of all large weaponry as a condition
of entry to the city where the games
are held. Of course, with so many knights
out to prove themselves, evildoers generally
avoid approaching these fairs (unless
they are extremely powerful and brave --
a deadly combination).

Though visitors to the Regal Games
seldom participate in the competitions
held, the attendant festivities offer vast
amounts of entertainment and activities
for the fairgoers. Prices for basic commodities
and lodging are always astronomical
during the games, and visitors are urged
to plan accordingly, making reservations
some time in advance.

St. Cuthbert's Day
Type: Religious
Time of year: Spring equinox
Duration: 1 day

Explanation: This widespread festival
occurs across the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK® setting wherever followers
are of sufficient numbers to warrant the
event. St. Cuthbert's Day is always celebrated
from sunrise to sunset, and commemorates
St. Cuthbert's revelations to
local unbelievers many hundreds of years
ago. All celebrations involve the ritual
known as "cleansing," in which young boys
run beside the line of walking pilgrims and
smite them with green switches as they
approach the temple. Later, a copy of the
mace of St. Cuthbert is brought forth to
bless the assembled faithful.

Associated festivities include feasts lasting
from noon until late in the evening and
ritual bonfires lit at sunset. It is said that
whoever is warmed by St. Cuthbert?s fire
has one curse removed from him. Travelers
are cautioned to avoid interfering
with official ceremonies, and evangelists of
other faiths are seldom tolerated (but
often beaten).

Timberman's Days
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Summer to fall
Duration: 1 week

Explanation: Timberman?s Days (occasionally
called Logger?s Fest) is a raucous
and freewheeling celebration that focuses
on rough physical competition and games
of skill and chance. Gambling and drinking
are augmented by such sports as log rolling,
tree topping, and barrel riding.
Together, these events guarantee a good
time for all. Though accidents and injuries
are commonplace during such contests,
they are not unexpected. As a result, clerics
can do steady business throughout the
fest?s duration (though many participants
prefer to heal naturally as a sign of their
personal toughness).

Despite the difficult wilderness trek to
attend this festival, numerous travelers
may be found there, particularly rangers,
fighters, and barbarians from far-flung
locales. It is highly recommended that
visitors to this fest refrain from engaging
in competitions unless they have some
experience in the events (or unless they
have a good cleric handy).

Trapper's Rendezvous
Type: Traditional
Time of year: Early spring
Duration: Variable

Explanation: This festival is almost
always held in northern cities and outpost
towns, and is celebrated at varying times
depending on weather conditions. Following
the first spring thaw, trappers and
frontiersmen begin to congregate in border
towns to trade their winter?s harvest
of furs and to swap stories with each
other. These celebrations are rowdy in the
extreme, and huge brawls are likely to
break out in any given inn or tavern,
making for a considerable hazard to
passers-by who may be hit by flying
bodies.

Fighters and rangers will certainly enjoy
the freewheeling nature of the Trapper?s
Rendezvous, as will those of a chaotic
bent. Others may find the celebration a bit
trying, with the notable exception of
dwarves who often attend for fun.