The Sangha people tied almost all their grand ceremonies to their faith. The Creator needed no mention; with such a lofty station, He was hardly likely to be bothered with birthday celebrations. That made the symbols of the moon and sun a very important part of the occasion.
Death and rebirth were, after all, a significant part of Sangha culture.
Unlike most celebrations, which began during the day, the Sangha people started their festivities when the moon rose at night. That was rough on the foreign guests with regular sleep schedules. The wolf girl, for example, who liked to go to bed early and rise early, was already yawning. King Louis, on the other hand, was used to holding banquets in his own palace and was perfectly in his element.
The heads of state from various countries were seated on either side of the Pharaoh's palace to watch, while the heads of the thirty-three Pilgrim Families appeared one after another to present their carefully prepared gifts to the Emperor of the Sea of Sand. Following ancient tradition, each recited their family motto, passed down since the dawn of the era.
There was quite a bit to say about these Pilgrim Families.
Every one of them had its own distinctive style. This was reflected not only in its family crest and banners, but also in the unique responsibilities it shouldered within the Sangha Empire. Triss had explained the empire's political structure to Murphy a few days earlier, when they had some free time.
It was a typical "feudal oligarchy."
The thirty-three families not only controlled their own oasis fiefs, but also shouldered a series of "national responsibilities" within the Sangha Empire.
The fallen House of Bohm, for instance, was the empire's most important supplier of jujubes and wine. The little mummy's