The Boughring

Origins and Layout

The Boughring is Naath’s open-air district for celebration and public art. It sits in the northwestern glade where the Vermosa canopy opens enough to hold large gatherings. There is no roof or wall. Wind passes through, and light changes by the hour. Paths of packed earth and barkstone form simple circles and spokes. At the center stands the Verdant Amphitheater, a bowl of moss and stone seats shaped to carry clean sound. Around it lie the Greenseat lawns, then performance greens, painter’s groves, and small shelters for instruments and props. Farther out, the land rises into rougher ground at Thistlehold Rise and dips into crowded root-knolls at the Tangleroot.

The Boughring grew for a clear reason. Naath needed a place where all castes could stand together without crowding the Fountain Pavilion or the Trunk Market. It had to be large, easy to reach, and free of the noise of barter. The early Council marked the bounds with simple posts and posted three core rules: no stalls inside the inner circle, no weapons during rites, and no spells that can spread beyond a performer’s hold. Those rules have stayed. Paths lead in from the Roothearth, Embergrove, and Trunk Market so people can arrive quickly and leave without blocking others.

The district is not only for festivals. It also holds rehearsals, lessons, trials, and memorials. Children practice steps and basic music in the mornings. Actors mark lines on rootcanvas and set them aside for revision. Craftsfolk from the Embergrove bring sets and banners for fitting. On quiet days you can cross the whole ring and hear only a single voice at the Amphitheater and the light tap of tools in a painter’s tent. On feast days the place fills by plan, with marked lanes for entry and exit and volunteers at each gate.

Stewardship and Law of Festivity

The Naath Council oversees the Boughring through a charter posted at the Amphitheater tunnel and at each main path. A small office near the southern edge keeps schedules, fire permits, and night-watch rosters. The Council assigns a circle of stewards drawn from several castes. They plan the calendar, assign greens, and coordinate with the Merchant Guild and Wardens of Rootwatch. The Merchant Guild has no right to sell within the inner circle, but it may license temporary refreshment stands at the outer paths during major feasts. It also inspects lantern racks, rope lines, and raised platforms for safety. Wardens patrol the tree line and keep clear sightlines through the crowd. They remove blades at the entry ropes and handle arrests away from the stage to keep focus on the program.

Lorekeepers hold the authority to approve or deny ritual workings. Performers submit workings that affect sound, light, or wind. A Lorekeeper reviews the plan, sets limits, and writes a short seal on bark. If a spell risks a pull on the flows, the answer is no. If a spell might unsettle animals nesting in the canopy, the answer is no. If a spell is safe and modest, the answer is yes. On the day, a Lorekeeper sits where they can watch the stage and stop a working if it crosses the line. That record becomes part of the Cloister’s archive and guides future rulings.

Trial declarations and public statements sometimes use the Amphitheater. The law states that trials held here must be open, seated by caste without favor, and recorded by at least two scribes. The accused has a clear path to enter and leave under guard. No music plays until the Council speaker ends the session. Most trials still happen at the Fountain Pavilion, but the Boughring is used when a case requires wider witness or when weather at the Fountain would harm the record.

Night safety is strict. The stewards control the lantern times. Open flames are allowed only in marked firebowls and on the stage with a bucket line ready. Fire-dancers train for weeks and must carry a steward’s tag. Drumming circles in Thistlehold Rise must stop at first light. Dice games in the Tangleroot are allowed within set bounds. If a quarrel crosses into threat, a Warden ends it and a Guild arbiter writes the fine the next morning. The goal is steady use without harm and celebration without loss.

Life of the Ring

The Boughring carries Naath through the year. In early spring, families gather for seed blessings and first songs. Children take small parts on the Amphitheater edge and learn to speak to a crowd. In mid-spring, troupes from nearby glades arrive with handcarts of props and simple tents. They exchange pieces with Embergrove artists and begin to tour the lanes. Early summer brings dance circles and food-bard showcases that run from late afternoon to dusk. Traders from the Trunk Market set up at the perimeter and close at lantern light. The Seekers often hold quiet send-offs here before a long contract. They do not give speeches. A few names are read, and friends stand with them in a small ring.

Autumn is the height of the calendar. The equinox dance fills the Greenseat with marked steps and the Amphitheater with choral lines known by heart. Memorial tellings follow the harvest, with a simple reading of those who passed and a single response from the crowd. The Council uses this time to speak to the city about the cold months, food stores, and patrol lines. The words are short and steady. Winter does not silence the Boughring. Lanterns hang lower. Warm shelters go up along the east fence. Story nights move closer to the stage. The Wardens drill youth patrols in quiet hours, teaching signals, lines of sight, and how to move a crowd without panic.

The Boughring also gives space to arts that do not fit anywhere else. Mask-dancers who prefer small circles take the northern clearings. One-voice speakers work in the whisperbooths at the edge of Thistlehold Rise, where sound stays private. Painters in the groves show finished rootcanvas for two evenings at a time and then store it to make room for others. Musicians hold tune exchanges where each brings a short piece, plays it once, and teaches the shape of it to whoever asks. The rules do not measure taste. The stewards ask only for safety and fairness.

Visitors follow simple customs. No one crosses the Amphitheater stage during rehearsal. No one places coin on a stage floor. If you wish to support a performer, you use the small box at the path or speak to them after. If you wish to challenge a claim in a story, you may ask for a reading at the end. The Lorekeeper on duty decides if it is proper to answer that night or at a later date. Out-of-town troupes register at the office and are given two short slots and one larger slot if the crowd asks for it. The record of these visits helps the Council decide who to invite back during major feasts.

Notable Grounds and Traditions

The Verdant Amphitheater. This is the city’s main stage for rites, trials, and large plays. Stone seats hold a wide crowd. A tunnel at the rear leads to small rooms for dressing, storage, and Council use. Caretakers rake moss, mend rope lines, and log repairs. The stage floor has marks for standard layouts so builders can set pieces fast. On festival days, stewards chalk entry points on the Greenseat and assign bench leaders to keep aisles clear.

The Greenseat. These broad lawns form the open body of the district. Families lay blankets in marked zones. Chant leaders stand near the edges to keep time during mass songs. During training weeks, elders teach group steps for equinox dances and oath formations used when Naath needs a public vow. The Greenseat also hosts memorial lines. Names are read, a bell sounds, and people step forward in order to place a small marker. The markers are collected at night and stored in a plain chest beneath the Amphitheater.

The Tangleroot. This southern sub-district runs through root-knolls and uneven ground. It favors bard circles, dice games, song duels, and small crews that want to try new work. The Merchant Guild keeps limited watch here and posts a single rule slate at the main firebowl. Wagers must be clear and written if large. Stolen songs bring a fine and a public apology. Identity-swapping plays draw crowds here, but the stewards watch for real fraud. If a quarrel starts, Wardens take it outside the circle and settle it where it will not pull eyes from the stage.

Thistlehold Rise. The northern edge is rougher ground with thistlebloom and low branches. It is used by firewalkers, mask-dancers, and one-voice speakers. Vine-strung whisperbooths stand at even intervals so small audiences can meet a performer without noise. The booths are first-come except during festivals, when stewards assign time blocks. Drumming circles may continue until dawn in this section only, with a water line ready and a Warden nearby.

Musicians’ Enclaves and Painter’s Groves. Simple shelters along the western bend hold instruments and small workshops. Strings are tightened here, drums are patched, and rootcanvas dries on frames. These spaces are free to use when empty. During festivals, the stewards post a rotation. Tools stay with their owners. Shared items are marked and kept in a locked chest with a public ledger.

Festival Order. Major days follow a fixed pattern: opening path walk, welcome from the stewards, blessing or rite as needed, main performance, food-bard interlude, second performance or trial reading if scheduled, then closing song or quiet bell. The Wardens close the ring by sections to avoid a crush. Lantern lines are checked twice before the last watch. When storms threaten, the Lake-Wardens send a runner from Selenford with a weather notice. The stewards shorten or postpone the program and move people to safer ground along the east paths.