I was thinking about generating a sidebar profiling prominent community events throughout the year. This would include religious festivals, season markets of note, moots, social activities (such as Shamus' dance), and so on. These would be events particular to Lerenil, as opposed to those that occur everywhere in Chybisa, although some major national holidays (the king's birthday, Larani and Peoni holy days, etc.) might be included.

Such a list would help a GM quickly determine what might be happening while the PCs are in town, or help him select a time for them to visit when interesting events are occuring.

Would such a list be a useful addition to the article?

I can start building a list of events that are explictly mentioned in the article. Does anyone have suggestions for those that aren't? This wouldn't be a long list, I expect; perhaps 30 entries maximum. So it might exclude recurring events and just profile annual ones.

Here's what I have so far. Any comments or suggestions?

Lerenil Calendar
Listed below are some of the annual events that occur in Lerenil. Sophia Tribad maintains a very detailed Chybisan almanac that covers a variety of seasonal events applicable across the kingdom (http://www.geocities.com/chybisa/almanac.html).

Nuzyael: River traffic increases with the spring thaw
Nuzyael 14: Baroness’ birthday
Peonu (early): Lerenil Horse Fair
Peonu (late): Genin Trail Caravan arrives in Chybisa from Melderyn
Larane 17: St. Ambrathas Festival
Agrazhar 25: Angyla Festival
Halane 4: Baron’s birthday
Halane (early): The baron’s annual taxes, aid, and scuttage are due
Halane (late): Genin Trail Caravan returns to Chybisa from Kaldor
Iivin 28: Legith clan gathers in Rolyce for 10-day moot and fete
Ilvin (late): River traffic falls to a trickle
Navek 15: Baron’s Ball in Caer Lerenil, held for his lords and knights
Navek 28: Shamus of Chasel’s party for town tradesmen
Morgat (late): The Royal Court; the baron and his lords travel to Burzyn to enjoy the king’s hospitality.

What about commodity faires? Something along the lines of the wool fair mentioned in the Selvos expansion. Though it may be that wool is hauled to Burzyn for a market there, it could also be that Lerenil has a fair that attracts buyers from Burzyn.

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::Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone -- all by itself.::

What local commodity, aside from horses, might rate a fair? Cash crops don't tend to excite merchants as much as wool and mounts. There's no hay fair!

A pot fair, perhaps? Might we extrapolate a thriving local industry beyond Uthr? Would sellers be most likely to sell their goods to merchants who travel off the Genin Trail, or would they fetch sufficently better prices in Burzyn to make the extra trip worthwhile?

I guess that depends on the baron's relationship to the royal DEA.

Part of the challenge with a market around cash crops is the decentralized nature of things. If there was a major textile industry somewhere else, then dye plants, linen, and wool, etc, would draw its buyers to Lerenil. But since the 'industries' are so dispersed, and there is no export of things, we probably won't see that sort of activity.

Maybe it is only the horse fair -- will we even have a wool market? Who is buying it? Only Lerenil's clothiers? Or did Burzyn not get enough from its local manors to supply the need of its clothiers?

_________________
::Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone -- all by itself.::

So... The horse fair is in Peonu... that is good because its just after the Spring Migration northwards. The Dugeai wouldn't want to keep the 'extra' horses they have acquired for trade long than they have to.

How long does the Horse Fair last for?

The Dugeai spend the summer just south of Chybisa - have we identified precisely where?

Presumably they will move around in their 'summer' range, so they probably have number of camp sites. One of them is probably nearer to Lerenil, and is the one we are describing. It will be from here that they bring their 'trade' horses to Lerenil.

While other tribes will bring horses to the Fair (or to Burzyn), particularly the Kotorhai, the Toluai, the Tiasi, and the Pohakokai, and even the Jangunnana (the 'amazon' tribe), the Dugeai trade not only their own horses, but horses they have acquired in trade from their Urtiguri allies. The Dugeai will have around 380 horses available for trade.

I imagine the Chybisans would like to put the Horse Fair down to a certain date and length, but the Hodiri aren't as mindful of the calendar, and so the fair starts when they show up enmass, and ends when they've had enough and leave.

About two weeks, I'd say from beginning to end, with lots of horse dealing throughout and a big general fair over the weekend where Burzyn merchants bring general trade goods to the Lerneil market and trade for saddles, tack, and other items the Hodiri bring with them.

That sound about right? The horse fair is written up in the Lerenil article.

Sounds about right to me.

In my p-Hârn, I have the horse fair in Burzyn starting up about mid-month. Starting in Lerenil early month, attracting early buyers looking to get a deal, makes sense to me.

I have the fair in Burzyn starting around the date of the eclipse of Yael (14 Peonu) and ending about the end of the month when the seasonal caravan heads for Tashal.

Maybe that eclipse is the informal signal for those who are interested to move on to Burzyn.

_________________
::Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone -- all by itself.::

Okay, here's the revised version. Thanks for the eclipse, Sophia.

Lerenil Horse Fair
Early in Peonu, the Hodiri begin drifting in from the western plains to barter their surplus livestock and crafts. Many tribes continue upriver to Burzyn to meet the annual caravan from Thay, but those unwilling to travel further into civilized lands stop in Lerenil.

There, amongst temporary corrals and stalls set on the West Common, barbarians and landed men bargain and barter over colts, palfreys, oxen and asses—as well as such goods as saddles, furs, and the occasional Chymak carving. Many buyers are local, but enterprising ostlers and caravan masters from Burzyn also attend in search of bargains.

The fair runs about two weeks from beginning to end, with much horse dealing throughout. In a big general fair over the first weekend, Burzyn merchants bring general trade goods to the Lerneil market and trade for the various goods the Hodiri have to offer.

The Chybisans have made attempts to establish a fixed time and duration for the Lerenil Horse Fair, but the Hodiri aren't as mindful of the calendar, and so the fair starts when the first tribes arrive, and ends when the Hodiri have enough and leave. Traditionally, the eclipse of Yael on Peonu 14th signals the end of the Lerenil fair for the Hodiri, but personality conflicts among chiefs and traders and the state of trading in Lerenil or Burzyn often play as large a role in ending it earlier or later. When the fair is over, some of the tribes return to their summer lands, while others continue on to Burzyn to meet the Thay caravan.