The Kosh'harg Festival

[Sadok]

The Kosh'harg Festival is a biannual event held by the diverse and numerous orcish clans of Draenor. It takes place around the spring and the autumn equinoxes, in honour of the time when day and night are the same length.

Origins:

Because of the vast differences in culture, dress, religious dogma and dialects between all the orc clans when they lived on Draenor, they were generally insular and independent cells. However the elders of all clans recognized the importance of meeting to discuss various matters, and thus the Kosh'harg was created and honoured.

Kosh'harg was always held in the shadow of Oshu'gun, the "Mountain of Spirits" in Nagrand. Any violence or vendettas pursued during the event was strictly forbidden and held grave consequences, since Nagrand was considered holy ground. The length of the festival depended on how many pressing concerns needed to be addressed, but such matters were a rarity, and the gathering shifted much more to the mood of a festival rather than a commune. Many Kosh'hargs were simply meet-and-greets to catch up and see old faces once more.

Within the Red Blade Tribe:

Since the corruption, many orcs have neglected their heritage and had long forgotten about celebrations such as the Kosh'harg. When they at long last settled in Durotar however, many orcs started to search for traces of their past lives again. One of the many traditions that sprung from this was the Kosh'harg, which is now once again a traditional celebration within communities such as the Red Blade tribe.

Twice a year, the tribe, along with any other orcs and friends of the tribe, ventures out to Nagrand to celebrate this tradition. Like their ancestors, they gather in the shadow of the sacred mountain Oshu'gun, sharing with each other tales and feasting upon food and drink. They are also encouraged to dare each other to friendly challenges or trials should any of the orcs be willing. Due to the ground they stand on, shedding blood in hostility or any other such conflicts are strictly forbidden, yet friendly duels are still allowed.

During the Festival, it is customary for the tribal Thur'ruk to venture within the Spirit Mountain, bearing blessings for the ancestral spirits. As is increasingly customary, the ancestors often grant visions or prophecies of the near or distant future in return. In the Annals, a record of these has been kept and many have indeed come true, though others have yet to be realised.

Though it is tradition to hold the Festival in the foothills of Oshu'gun, Kosh'harg has not always been held on the same grounds. In the prelude to the Battle for Theramore, all of central Kalimdor was considered vulnerable territory, and so the Kosh'harg Festival was held within Durotar's Valley of Trials, so the Horde forces could quickly respond to any Alliance incursions. When the Red Blades traveled to alternate Draenor, they held Kosh'harg on a cliff overlooking the Spirit Mountain, due to a hostile Warsong Clan annexing the Spirit Woods around Oshu'gun.