Mas

Month of Blood

Mas was named after Moshran, the god of blood and bones. The month of Mas is shorter than all other months and the days are said to bring bad luck: this belief is common in Albar, Salkamar and Gynk.

Some orc-tribes and mercenary gangs celebrate the blood days (Radosh.) While the mercenaries usually use them for wild drinking orgies and scuffles, the Mas days have very contrary meanings amongst the orc tribes:

Some tribes welcome the month with joy and obeisance. They give into the ecstasy of fighting and celebrate the evenings wild and boisterous. Moshran, god of blood and bones, is the god of war and destruction, bloody revenge and rage. Huge caves are lit with torches and fires, and ceremonial fights are held there. It is a common belief that some disputes and quarrels are solved in these fights. The most of these fights are more of a ceremonial meaning and do not end bloodily.

Just in a few of the more wild and uncivilized tribes the warriors "slay each another in heaps". It is said that the wildest tribes sacrifice people - usually not captives from other tribes and races, but members of their own tribe who give themselves to the sacrifical dagger. It is rumored that these tribes believe that this death would be the biggest honor that a warrior could have, and that someone who died that way would be reborn under Moshran's blessing in a strong body. This custom, als well as the ritus of "slay each another in heaps" has becomes very rare, because the loss of any good warrior or hunter usually is a hard blow for any tribe.

Generaly, animals are slaughtered and sacrificed to the gods and to the ancestors. The meat of these animals is eaten in the evenings. For many orcs, these days are also a memorial to one of their greatest leaders in history: Drokan Norotar, who is honored highly as a hero and martyr. A long time ago, he united the peaceful tribes of the orcs and gave the orcish people a voice amongst all other races. But the neighbours of his state did not trust his peaceful intentions. Under the cover of negotiations he was trapped and murdered. The young state broke apart and what followed brought much suffering over the orcs. The flame-orcs see Drokan Norotar as a prophet who brought peace and civilisation under the wild tribes. Although he himself was no flame orc, some of his writings had great influence on the culture of their town fortresses. There is even a prophecy saying that a second Drokan Norotar or even his reborn soul will soon again reunite the tribes.

In his memorial, the "wild" tribes of the orcs smear ashes into their face and cut themselves with daggers and sword blades into their hands and scalps in rememberance that Drokan Norotar was beheaded and his hands had been cut off: As a sign that the orcs are leader- and powerless. With their blood-covered faces they chant dirges and elegies, which are kept going over all six days.

In other races this feast has the more symbolic tradition of sacrificing a small animal, usually a chicken or rabbit, without many words. This is done to calm Moshran and to prevent wars from happening, and to keep away bad luck. Usually there is no prayer, just a silent gesture. After the sacrifice, the people stay in their homes and hope that the Mas days are past soon, so a new year can come.