Dawnsong

In some parts of the world, legend has it that the lady of summer visits her brother’s home each winter and only her presence brings light, warmth, and joy to the lord of winter’s kingdom. Every year he tempts her to remain with him just a little longer by crafting items of beauty in ice and snow. Only mortal voices raised during Dawnsong remind her of the beauty summer brings to mortal realms and encourage her to return for another year.

Only the most devout truly fear a failure to celebrate Dawnsong might lead to an endless winter, but one needn’t be quite that pious to want to carry on this night-long festival and the day of rest that follows it. Music and songs celebrating summer begin as the sun fades from view on the last day of winter. In smaller communities, each family takes a turn in maintaining the song, but in the cities and towns of the Westfold March bands of minstrels are employed to ensure the songs continue until dawn. During the hours between dusk and dawn food and drink are readily consumed and dancing is commonplace.

At dawn, all the singers gather and the Dawnsong, a simple nursery rhyme taught to every child, is sung:

In every treetop’s hanging bower,
All the buds and every flower,
The climbing rose, the fanning fern,
All long for your foretold return,
Come back to us, come back to us, we need your
warming power.

Thigh-high grass of brightest green,
Hides blooms in every shade between,
Poppy red and cornflower blue,
Each sparkling with the morning dew,
Come back to us, come back to us, our fairest
summer queen.

A shining and a golden day,
A sun that ripens wheat and hay,
Spreading oak, swift-running stream,
Grazing sheep and clotted cream,
Come back to us, come back to us, please lady
don’t delay.

Game Mechanics

Adventurers who sing the collective Dawnsong at the end of the celebration are filled with a sense of hope, optimism, and good fortune. Once during the following week, they may choose to re-roll a failed ability check .