Wismacht

Wismacht, also called Vismacken or Vismatta, is a cultural and mythological festival celebrated across most of the Alvish Imperium. It is the culmination of the Alvish Mythic Calendar, symbolizing old age and a return to childlike wonder after a lifetime of hardship, which is represented in the three festivals prior to Wismacht in the Alvish calendar; Helkenacht, Aizkoffel, and Vitschel. It also parallels the first festival of the Mythic Calendar, Schalmacht, which itself symbolizes the innocence of childhood.

Most Alvish cultures shared similar mythical traditions; splitting the year into two parts, the normal cycles and the mythical cycles. The mythic cycles were initially tenets of faith among primitive Alvish communities, filled with festivals that glorified ancient mythological creatures. However, even after the secularization of Alvish civilization, the mythic festivals remained, and became a crucial part of Alvish culture and society. Most Alvish philosophers regard the mythic cycle, including Wismacht, as serving a dual purpose; to provide a fantastical element for children's lives and develop their creative imagination, and to provide a symbolic structure of morality for adults.

The mythology of all the mythic festivals, including Wismacht, was standardized by the High Curia in 7623 OM. During Wismacht, the Alvish visit the kingdom of the Mitzaar, literally the "Mountain-King," who had invited them to a grand feast to celebrate their accomplishments during the prior mythic cycle (which symbolizes the course of life). Though the Mitzaar himself never shows his face, his diminutive, rock-creature minions host the feast, and provide everything the Alvish visitors need. After the feast, the Alvish go to bed within the Mitzaar's kingdom, and when they awake, they are greeted by more of his rock-minions, who escort the Alvish to the "Hall of the Mitzaar," where they are free to enjoy all of the fantastical pleasures that the mountain-king offers. This ritual symbolizes death; after a long and fruitful life, the Alvish 'die' peacefully in their sleep, and thereafter can enjoy the warm embrace of the Mitzaar's happy realm. The celebratory practices surrounding Wismacht largely mirror its mythology. In every major Alvish settlement, a suitable mountain is chosen, and a system of tunnels and caves is carved into the mountain, to represent the mountain-king's realm. Despite advances in technology, the journey to the mountain is usually highly ritualized, often utilizing older technology to allow a slower, more elaborate trip on the night of Wismacht. The feast itself is traditionally prepared by volunteer chefs, and served buffet-style; it is also traditional among Alvish youth, once they become adults at age 22, to volunteer to both set up the buffet and clean up afterwards, repeating this for several years. The High Curia mandates that the feast should last the equivalent of three hours, after which all the participants retire to sleep in chambers carved into the mountain. In the morning, all of the Alvish proceed to the hall of the Mitzaar, where a variety of games and celebrations have been prepared. Most of these games are handpicked by the High Curia, and each is associated with its own body of lore.

There have been several modern innovations to Wismacht, most notably the tradition of gift-giving, which came about only in the 7800s OM. The exchanging of gifts occurs during the morning celebrations, usually preceding the other activities, and is often highly ritualized, sometimes involving theatrical productions. Due to the holiday's extensively ritualized nature, there have been times when proper celebration has been impossible for certain Alvish, usually due to war. In response, the High Curia publishes a yearly volume of contingency plans, entitled "The General Program for the Interruption of Mythic Traditions during Wismacht," which outlines how to celebrate the holiday in any one of 4,522 extraordinary circumstances, including 'general warfare' and 'homeworld invasion.' The volume is frequently updated, and each year there are usually between 5 and 10 extra plans added.