The friendly innkeep explains that it's a local religious holiday, celebrating the dawn of the new year, by their calendar. In elder years, it used to involve a blood sacrifice, but they're more civilized, today, and the ceremony is more symbolic; the chosen priestess takes the male who was chosen for the rite last year, and gives him a mock burial, to represent the 'death' of the previous year, then chooses a new male and welcomes him in as the new year with a ceremony that 'shouldn't be missed,' he says, with a wink and a nod.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, the mages are fairly introverted, so local politics and such don't come up much, in the inn. He does get a few simple job offers, over the first week, and, if he takes them, and the chance to meet the advancement board, he's upgraded a rank in the mage's guild, which earns him a larger commission on crafted items and spells cast on behalf of the guild than before, as well as awarding him a set of robes, if he chooses to take them, of the guild's design, that function as +1 clothing.<br/><br/>Eventually, the holy day arrives, and most of the city closes down, to gather in the central plaza and watch the ceremony, before heading out for a day of celebration.