The Arming

The Arming was a celebration of local militias and battle readiness in the land of the Vast, occurring on the 4th Tarsakh.

The Arming commemorated a time when the farmers and merchants of the Vast worked together and stood against orc raids out of the Earthfast Mountains and along the North Road and against bandit and pirate attacks all around the Vast.

Every year on this day, communities mustered and inspected their local militias. Defenders turned out with polished arms and armor and wore them proudly. There were also coming-of-age ceremonies, in which youths of both genders were presented with weapons or armor. This signified that they could now join their older kin in defending their homes and settlements.

These were followed by a variety of amusements and spectacles. There were weaponry contests and demonstrations that attracted challengers and spectators from far away. In the evening, there were feasts, where entertainers reenacted famous old battles and duels, sang ballads, and told rousing tales of battle and valor.

The Arming was more popular in the country communities than in the big cities.