tornálos

Tornálos is a fictional term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding to denote a seasonal, communal gathering among mountain-dwelling peoples. The concept appears in various works of fantasy and role-playing game sourcebooks and is not tied to any real culture. In its various depictions, tornálos functions as a social and ritual event rather than a single, fixed tradition.

In most portrayals, tornálos occurs at the onset of winter and lasts three nights around a central fire or stone circle. Participants include elder storytellers, musicians, and apprentices who narrate legends, recount genealogies, and perform songs. Ritual practices may include the passing of a carved totem, the sharing of symbolic foods, and acts of mutual aid or village cooperation. The event is framed as a mechanism for preserving memory, reinforcing social bonds, and transmitting ethical teachings, with narrative elements often used to address transgressions or conflicts within the community.

Variations exist across works. Some depictions present tornálos as a formally organized rite with explicit etiquette and hierarchies; others emphasize improvisation, communal participation, and egalitarian storytelling. In game guides and fantasy literature, tornálos is commonly used as a cultural anchor to convey worldbuilding depth and to drive plot developments through revelations or challenges that arise during the gathering. The etymology is typically invented for the fictional setting, frequently linked to a language family imagined by the author to have historical ties to the mountain peoples.