pompat

Pompat is a traditional communal ceremony described in the fictional culture of Valoria. It centers on harvest, social bonding, and the transmission of oral lore, combining song, dance, ritual food, and symbolic performances. Accounts of pompat appear in regional chronicles and folk tales, and it is celebrated in villages along the Serin River.

Etymology: The term Pompat is believed to derive from the Valorian word pompa 'gathering' with the nominalizing suffix -at, denoting a ceremonial event. The earliest written reference appears in the 12th-century Chronicle of Valoria, though oral tradition almost certainly predates it.

Practice and structure: A Pompat typically lasts from dusk to dawn over three days. It opens with a torchlit procession, followed by a drum circle and the recital of legends by elder storytellers. A central moment is the exchange of crafted objects, called pompat gifts, accompanied by a communal feast.

Symbols and participants: Costumes feature color-coded robes; a masked figure known as the Serpent Keeper presides over rites. Regional variants include Pompatia and Pompatura, differing in route, masked roles, and the specific legends told.

Modern reception: In contemporary fiction and world-building, Pompat is used to explore memory, legitimacy, and the tension between tradition and modernization. Some scholars describe pompat as a vehicle for communal identity and social resilience within Valorian-inspired cultures.