Zemress festival
The Festival of Zemress
The Festival of Zemress is a relatively new festival, support for which is slowly spreading. It was proposed by the Zemress Islanders when they joined the Empire, following concerns raised by both themselves and visitors from the Sumaah Republic over the controversial nature of Feast of the Broken Wheel. The first Festival of Zemress was held in the Empire in 385YE, and it is fast becoming an annual tradition. It is held over the Spring Equinox, and at Anvil, it is celebrated on the Saturday evening of the summit.
While the Feast of the Broken Wheel explores an evening without virtue, the Zemress Festival is intended as an examination of it. It takes its spiritual inspiration from the life and works of Zemress, exemplar of Prosperity; both her bold leadership of her crew, and the stories of how she shared the fruits of success to enrich everyone around her. The festival has two parts: the Ship of Many Ports, followed by the Dockside Bazaar.
The Ship of Many Ports is a grand and noisy parade, stopping along the way to sing songs or tell tales of history and virtue. Someone must volunteer to guise as Zemress (the Sutannirs will pick if there is more than one candidate available) and is expected to embody her Virtue. Once they are ready, they "captain the Ship". This entails leading everyone taking part on the agreed route, although some participants have taken to building a mock ship for the parade.
Just as the Blade of the Isles was known to raise up those around her, so whoever is portraying Zemress is expected to gently encourage others participants to take a turn singing or telling stories if they feel confident enough to do so. The sutanirs encourage everyone joining the parade to also guise as an important inspirational figure - they may even be given a role on the "ship". Guerra can be the navigator, Erigo may be made the first mate and so on. Everyone is encouraged to act like members of the crew when not actively singing, dancing or telling stories.
In the evening, local traders set out their wares for the Dockside Bazaar. They sell trinkets, items, food, drinks and games to each other and passersby. As ever with the Brass Coast, this is an opportunity to make money, but Zemress was famous for her charity. According to legend, she would share the spoils of war with her crew, and then bestow what remained upon the poor and needy. To celebrate her legacy, the sutanirs collect donations from willing merchants and there is a friendly competition to see who can give the most. At the end of the night, the Hakima gather up what has been donated and find a worthy cause to put it to, just as the Blade of the Isles herself might have done.