Balefire Night celebrates the Guardians' command of fire, which has been used to make tools and weapons, cook food, and cast light where light was needed. The exact date of this festival isn't verified, it simply takes place at the end of Autumn. (It could well be based off the British holiday Bonfire Night, which takes place on November 4.)
Celebrations[]
Owls of the Great Tree make a large bonfire on the beach, large enough it lights up the night as bright as day. The owls dance around the bonfire, circling it tightly at first but circling wider and wider as the fire burns hotter. They also test out their flying abilities by flying directly above the bonfire to ride its intense thermal drafts. Colliering games are also played. Once the fire dies down, hot coals are collected to roast meat and nootie nuts. On this night, only cooked meat is eaten to celebrate how the Guardians utilized fire to cook food. At the end of the night, any remaining coals from the bonfire were retrieved and brought to the forge to be used another night.
Any bonfire that was held this night was called a "Balefire" and likewise used to celebrate the owls' control over fire. There were multiple, smaller ones held around the kingdom. Rouge smiths would even tend to a balefire at a grog tree near their workshop to spread the festivities.
In Ambala, some owls dress themselves in green moss and leaves and fly around on this night, singing songs. Owls who do this are called "greenowls." The greenowls fly all around the Southern Kingdoms, sometimes even going to the Great Tree to join the Guardians in their celebrations.
History[]
Exile[]
By the time of Balefire Night, the Striga and his Blue Brigade had gained control of the Great Tree, forcing both the Band and Coryn to flee.