Heartspring

Origins

Heartspring is a relatively young holiday, only about seventy years old, but, being such a joyful holiday in the dark of winter, it quickly spread across Starfall Rest. The Aethereal, Aveline, and a young woman named Kyra were the serendipitous creators of Heartspring.

Aveline was born and sequestered in the Aerie for forty years, surrounded by the love of her sisters. When Chrysalla the Starfallen traveled to the Horngate on realm business, she invited Aveline to accompany her, knowing the younger Aethereal had never seen beyond the mountaintop sanctuary of the Aerie.

Aveline discovered that she loved learning about the world and its many cultures, and soon, she began traveling across Starfall Rest on official duty. Yet, wherever she went, she met people who felt lonely, even those surrounded by family and friends.

She did not understand this. In the Aerie, love was expressed openly and often, in both words and action.

But seventy years ago, on the Ides of February, as snow fell over Darkenfell, blanketing the city in muffled quiet, she happened upon a young woman weeping alone in an alleyway.

When Aveline knelt beside her and gently asked what was wrong, the woman, Kyra, whispered that her love had abandoned her, leaving her feeling foolish for ever opening her heart again.

Aveline’s heart ached for her, and she tried to explain to Kyra that being vulnerable was important.

“I do not like to be vulnerable,” Kyra murmured, voice thick with grief, “for it is when I am open and unguarded that I am hurt.”

“Yes,” Aveline replied, ❝and that pain can be deep and scarring.”

“Then why,” Kyra cried, “do you say that being vulnerable is the only way to live?”

Aveline reached out, gently brushing away her tears. “Because,” the Aethereal explained patiently, “when you close yourself off and hide your light, you become a ghost, unable to touch or feel or breathe… and that is a much deeper pain.”

Aveline took Kyra home, where her parents and her brother were preparing supper. At the market, she gathered the only cloth and paper she could find, which was all in red and pink hues, and with it, the family festively decorated the house, bringing vibrant color and warmth into the dark winter night.

And in the process, Kyra saw the truth:

Even though her romance had not endured, love had never left her. It was in the lively moments around the hearth with her family and friends. It was in dawn’s first light, when she fed and played with her dog. It was in the quiet of the night, when she fondly remembered the love of her grandmother, now passed. It was in the shared moment of greeting a stranger at the market.

Love was everywhere.

Aveline promised to return the following year on the Ides of February to celebrate love with them again. The next year, more people joined. Then the neighborhood. Then the city. Each year, the celebration grew, until it spilled beyond Darkenfell, embraced by the entire realm.

Though Kyra has since passed, she lived a full and happy life, having loved deeply and been loved in return. Her story remains, guiding others when they feel lost, reminding them that love is all around them.

And so, every year on the Ides of February, people gather across Starfall Rest to celebrate the love that sustains them, not just romance, but the love of family, friendship, and self.

And Aveline, now known as the Aethereal of Love and Vulnerability, is always invited.

Traditions and Celebrations

As Heartspring spread across Starfall Rest, different cities and villages developed their own unique ways of celebrating. Whether through grand displays of romance or quiet gestures of love, the holiday has become a time of warmth, connection, and shared joy in the twilight of winter.

The Lovers’ Maze Rivalry

In the great and wealthy cities of Darkenfell and the Horngate, a friendly rivalry has blossomed around Heartspring, with each city competing to create the most breathtaking Lovers’ Maze.

The mazes are created from the Frostfire Rose, the only rose that dares to bloom in the frostbitten chill of February. These rare red roses grow in tall, hedge-like formations, that are carefully sculpted to create winding paths filled with hidden nooks and quiet alcoves where lovers may steal private moments together.

Each year, the center of the maze holds a surprise, a secret kept until the eve of Heartspring. Some years it is a magnificent ice sculpture, others a floating display of enchanted lanterns, and once, the Horngate unveiled a tree that bloomed with glowing crimson petals beneath the Heartspring moon.

Travelers from across the realm journey to Darkenfell or the Horngate to wander these mazes, seeking luck, romance, and the promise of love.

Lanterns and Floating Wishes

In smaller villages, where grand hedge mazes are beyond reach, Heartspring is celebrated in quieter but no less magical ways.

At dusk, families, friends, and lovers gather at the edge of rivers and lakes, their hands cupping small lanterns made of paper and wood. Inside, they tuck written wishes: words of love, unspoken dreams, or silent prayers for the heart’s desire.

As twilight deepens, they set the lanterns adrift upon the water, watching as their soft golden glow scatters across the rippling surface like fallen stars.

In recent years, some villages have begun crafting lanterns that lift into the sky, carrying the hearts’ wishes into the heavens, where they drift among the stars to find hope.

A Candle in the Window

On Heartspring night, it is customary for families, friends, and lovers to place a candle in their window as dusk falls.

This simple act is a symbol of warmth, love, and open-heartedness, welcoming love in all its forms into the home. For some, it is a reminder of absent loved ones, for others, a quiet invitation to new beginnings.

It is said that on the coldest nights, when the snow is heavy and the world feels quiet, Aveline herself walks among the glowing lights, ensuring no heart feels alone.

Lovers’ Charms and Tokens

Throughout the realm, merchants and witches alike offer charms, talismans, and enchanted keepsakes meant to bless love and friendship throughout the year.

Some are simple, such as hand-carved wooden hearts, delicate silver rings, or braided silk ribbons. Others are enchanted, tiny glass vials that hum with warmth when held by someone who loves you, or stones that glow faintly when placed in the warmth of one’s palm.

It is customary for lovers, friends, and even strangers to exchange small tokens on Heartspring as a way of honoring the love that exists between them, romantic or otherwise.

Heartspring Weddings

As the years have passed, more and more couples have chosen Heartspring as the day to wed.

Brides and grooms walk through paths lined with Frostfire Roses, their vows carried on the chill wind. The streets fill with dancers, music, and revelry, and the merchants of Starfall Rest thrive in the season of love, selling wedding finery, floral garlands, and celebratory sweets.

A Superstition of the Heart

Over time, a superstition, whispered from town to town, spread across Starfall Rest: to break a bond of love in the fortnight before the Ides of February is to invite ill fortune upon the heart. While few take this omen seriously, lovers have been known to delay difficult conversations until after the holiday has passed, lest they risk tempting fate.

Moonwinkle’s Meowments

Did you know? Every Heartspring, the Librarians of the Arcane Conservatory and their loved ones gather in the Librarians’ Hall for a lively gift exchange. The great hearth blazes, filling the hall with warmth, and everyone brings dishes, both savory and sweet, to share.

The party often stretches late into the night, filled with laughter, shared stories, and, on occasion, a bit too much Fairy Wine. This inevitably leads to even more laughter, as the storytelling turns to tales of mischievous daemon imps or the more… colorful suggestions that patrons have made to improve the Conservatory.

Though she prefers quieter gatherings, Moonwinkle never misses the Heartspring party. Purring softly in Sylwen’s lap, she listens to the stories and judges the food.

Sylwen has been known to say, “Love comes in many forms, and some of it purrs.”