Chase of Wolf Moon

This Festival is celebrated mainly by those who are followers of Erastil on the 18th of Layft, mainly in Mer-Rein and Duthgar.

Mer-ren Celebration
As the Chase approaches a number of people are selected to be the "Wolves" this can be anything from one person in small villages to a few hundred for the larger celebrations. The selecting of the "Wolves" often involves a number of races to determine the fastest, available runners.

On the day at dawn the "wolves" are dressed in very animalistic costumes, with bright colours and shiny ornaments, these can be any animals and often unique if it is possible, there is always at least and normally only one person dressed as a wolf. Choice animals such as the wolf, horse, bear, eagle, lion and dragon are only worn by those chosen for the roles by the villages elders. Where there are larger numbers of "wolves" and people prepare there own costumes its considered bad form to come dressed as any of the major animals, and you will be turned away if you dress as a wolf. No one is ever dressed as a stag for the Chase. Once the wolves ready they're paraded through the town, during their procession the towns people come out and line their way, cheering and throwing brightly coloured flower petals over them.

At midday the "wolves" finish their procession at the centre of the village or simply at a designated place in larger settlements, the "wolves are then all given a numbered cloth tail and normally a golden coloured on for the wolf. Then with the sounding of a gong the wolves flee, running in all directions often making barking, howling and animal noises based on how they are dressed. This wild and chaotic event is loud, joyous and crazy, with towns people joining in the noise while chasing the "wolves" out of town.

At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon the "huntsmen" assemble at the same designated location, the "huntsmen" consist of any one from the town who wishes to participate, but it is expected to be proportional to the number of "wolves". The "huntsmen" dress in muted colours and camouflage appropriate to their area, they all carry longbows where possible or bows if not, and finally they have a large cloth sack. The organizer of the event will then pray a blessing over the "huntsmen" then release them to hunt, the "huntsmen" then have until sundown (around 7) to catch as many wolves as they can. it used to be that if you wanted to catch a "wolf" the Hunter effectively just needs to sneak up or run up to them and touch them, but that changed in the 5890's when it became more common to instead throw coloured balls at the wolves.

The stories say that this practice started in a small village to the West side of Van-Star where for a run of about twelve years the one "wolf" from the village repetitively went uncaught due to his superior speed. To make it more of a compition they introduced balls so that the slower "huntsmen" had a chance to get the wolf.

When a "wolf" has been caught they hand their tail to the "huntsmen" who is then able to hand it back into the organisers for a reward, the Wolf's tail gives a higher reward and sometimes the other "wolves" are also banded as to how much reward their tails return. If after sundown a "Wolf" has managed to retain his tail he is as so rewarded and it is considered quite an achievement.

While the "huntsmen and wolves" are out a feast is prepared any tailless wolves are required to help the cooks as they prepare, after sundown the "huntsmen" return and join into the feast followed by any wolves who haven't been caught, as these wolves enter the celebration truly begins and they are the guests of honour, the wolf dress as a wolf most of all if they weren't caught.

Duthgar Variant
In most places of Duthgar instead of selecting people to run as "wolves" they breed or catch foxes, rabbits, gazelle and even sometimes actual wolves, these animals are then covered in any sort of brightly coloured pigment, then paraded around the town in cages. The "huntsmen's" bows are also real and the day is just a hunt for the types of animals that were released, the tails of the animals have a number painted on and these tails are also worth prizes. the sundown feast is often later into the evening as the animals caught that day are then prepared for the feast.