As Azeroth awakens from its slumber of the long Winter night, its people begin to emerge from the warmth of their hearths to at long last seek companionship and merriment once more. In honour of the ancestors who came before them, the orcs traditionally celebrate this turning of the Winter winds with the bi-annual Kosh'harg Festival. Joyous voices are heard upon the roads to Garadar once more, where the time of the sacred festival has once again dawned!Once a festival for the orcish clans, the Kosh’harg Festival is now open to all people of the Horde who wish to join their orcish allies in unity and concord. For seven consecutive days, Garadar shall play host to time-honoured rituals, pilgrimages, games, competitions, markets, revelry and much more! Join us and celebrate the coming of the seasons, the unity of the Horde and the beginning of a new and prosperous year!
| Date | 21 - 27 March |
| Location | Garadar, Nagrand (Outlands) |
| Faction | Horde |
| Argent Archives | https://www.argentarchives.org/node/259432 |
The time has come once more to celebrate tradition and unity! Though not all is well in the realm of the dead, we must not forget our traditions and friendships. Now more than ever is it crucial that we pay homage to the revered dead and seek their blessing and protection in these times of fire and death. Be you orc, troll, tauren or otherwise, the Kosh’harg is now open to all people of the Horde who wish to partake in celebrating the traditions of our ancestors and the unity of the Horde.
Due to the nature of the event, it goes without saying that - as always - any who choose to attend this event are requested to be at their best behaviour. Being a festival of peace and concord, there will be no place for petty disputes, warmongering, political agendas, sudden demon attacks or whatever else that might disrupt the theme of the event. A great deal of time and effort has been put into organizing all of the events that are on offer and your fellow participants have all come here to have a good time, so for all of our sakes, keep this in mind if you choose to pay a visit to this lighthearted occasion.
Click on the events for more information.
Monday, 21st of March
20:00: Opening ceremony
The official opening of the first Kosh’harg of the new year! Guests will be welcomed and a short ritual will bless the festival and its visitors.Hosted by Kozgugore at the Garadar shaman stones.
20:15: Opening Ritual
An opening ritual in which the ancestors will be honoured and asked for their blessing for the festival.Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar shaman stones.
21:00: Costume Contest
Orcs are known across the world for their sense of fashion, and the Kosh'harg is the perfect place to celebrate this fact! To prove it, a costume contest will be held where the most fashionable may show off their creations. Though of course, non-orcs are perfectly welcome to participate as well...This year’s theme for the contest will be “Animal Spirits”! So show up in something suitable and see whether you can win the crowd’s vote!
Hosted by Kozgugore at the Garadar shaman stones.
22:00: The Great Dance
The renowned orc bard Mi'jaggor returns with his band of bards, the Rolling Thunders, to make another special appearance on the Kosh'harg! A Watch2Gether stream will be set up for people to tune in to for songs that will be played live!Hosted by Kozgugore at the Garadar Inn.
Tuesday, 22nd of March
20:00: Ritual of the Dead
A pilgrimage for those who wish to make offerings to the honoured dead at the sacred site of Oshu'gun. Though headed by the Red Blade Clan’s spiritualists, visitors will be welcome to perform their own rites and leave offerings of their own.Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar west gate.
~20:30: The Unclean Pyre
As no Blademaster can take a new banner without first destroying another, no chapter in one’s life can begin without grieving and celebrating the close of the previous. Run concurrently with the Pilgrimage to Oshu’gun, the Unclean Pyre has become a ceremony intended for those who cannot enter.Following the procession to Oshu’gun, and the Orcs’ entrance into the sacred mountain, those wishing to participate will travel to a sacrificial pyre built on the hills overlooking Oshu’gun. It is here that unclean remains of enemies, cursed objects, and perhaps mementos of fallen loved ones, can be safely destroyed in view of the Horde’s ancestors. Celebrate your triumphs, and what the Horde has given you. Mourn its cost, and those no longer with us.
Hosted by Vel’ravyn at Oshu’gun.
21:00: Brawl'gar
A fan favourite at nearly every Kosh'harg, the Brawl'gar returns once again in the form of a grappling tournament following a tried and tested formula. Prove you're the strongest brawler and, potentially, get some revenge for last Kosh'harg's tournament!Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar west gate.
Wednesday, 23rd of March
20:30: Rite of Ferility and Renewal
An ancient rite used to grand blessings to those seeking to grow their family or simply seek to make a fresh start in life.Hosted by Zi’tani at the Stones of Prophecy.
21:30: Om’riggor
A traditional rite of adulthood among the orcish people, the Om’riggor offers a chance for younglings who have not yet earned a name for themselves to take their first step upon the path to glory!Hosted by Kozgugore at the Garadar shaman stones.
Thursday, 24th of March
20:00: Archery Tournament
A test of skill and precision. People from all over the world claim to have the best archers, now it is time for them to prove themselves and see if they are indeed the best archers the horde has to offer.Hosted by Verzan and Rykana at the Garadar west gate.
21:00: Iron Fortitude
The Horde is known for overcoming many challenges, be they physical or mental. But who among the Horde is the most skilled of them all? Compete in five various tests of strength, agility and stamina and prove your worth in the Iron Fortitude!Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar west gate.
Friday, 25th of March
20:00: Grand Market
Though visitors are welcome to peddle their wares throughout the entire Kosh’harg week, this day will mark the opening of the Grand Market in which the finest of wares may be found! From simple trade goods to the most exquisite wares you will not find anywhere else at any other time, come and buy the finest items, or sell your own!Hosted by everyone in Garadar.
20:30: Swamp Beasts 'Uninvited
A call for aid from Zangarmarsh is sent to the Kosh'harg! The regular hunt has been replaced by a search for potential swamp creatures attempting to attend the Kosh'harg uninvited.Hosted by Verzan and Rykana at the Garadar west gate.
Saturday, 26th of March
20:00: Challenge of the Wyvern
A traditional competition with riddles and tasks that will take the contestants all over Draenor. Do you have the knowledge and speed required to finish first and to be granted the title of victors of the Challenge of the Wyvern?Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar shaman stones.
21:30: Cook-Off & Grand Feast
With all the game that’s been gathered throughout the festival, the attendees may as well put it to good use! Those who claim to have the finest culinary skills or are simply master artists at chopping meat will compete against one another to be crowned the Master Chef of the Festival! With, of course, a Grand Feast to follow, for it would be a waste to leave all that cuisine lying about!Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar Inn.
Sunday, 27th of March
20:00: Closing Ceremony
As the Kosh’harg Festival draws to a close, a final ceremony will be hosted to thank all visitors for joining in on the celebrations and to give any final offerings to the revered ancestors.Hosted by Zi’tani at the Garadar shaman stones.
21:00: Tournament of the Blades
With the Kosh'harg now over, blood can be spilled once more! Who will take the title of tournament champion this season? PvP tournament! Check out the tournament rules in the FAQ section!Hosted by Vel’ravyn at the Garadar west gate.
Isn’t the Kosh’harg supposed to be orc-only?
There was indeed once a time that the Kosh’harg was a festival solely for orcish clans. As a wise orc once said, however: “Times change”. A lot has happened since the orcs were the only ones to walk in Oshu’gun’s shadow, and the Horde has become a unified family. As such, we feel it’s only appropriate to open up the festival to all allies of the orcs as well. Rest assured that we will still strive to keep the traditions and rituals of old as intact and alive as ever, giving both orcs and visitors alike a chance to have a glimpse of traditional orcish values and festivities!
What about guards?
Considering every other community festival functions just fine without a host of guards attempting to keep the peace, we would rather steer clear of any authority figures for the Kosh’harg as well. Should any not keep into account the aforementioned disclaimer regarding the peace of the festival, we look to those attending the event (including but not restricted to guild officers) to remind their fellow participants to be at their best behaviour. Any foul or aggressive behaviour will do little more but to reflect poorly on those that misbehave as well as those they represent, so there is nothing gained from promoting antagonism during a festival of peace.
Can I host my own events and activities?
Anyone is more than welcome to host their own activities in addition to those on the official schedule! Feel free to reply to this thread if you wish to announce an event of your own and I will make sure it will be listed in the schedule. Do bear in mind that we will of course be hosting our own events as well, so there may be some overlap depending on what time slot you choose to take. Additionally, we will gladly help you out wherever we can if you would like help setting something up!
Can I set up a stall or sell wares?
Not only can you do so, but you are encouraged to do so! There will be a dedicated market event on one of the weekdays, but you are quite free to set up a stall or peddle your wares any other day of the week as well. You don’t need permission for this so long as no excessively dangerous or irresponsible wares are being sold, of course, so the more, the merrier!
What are the rules of the PvP Tournament on Sunday?
Due to the current Shadowlands PvP Meta’s cadence and the imbalance between certain classes and specs, as well as Gear Disparity, the following rules are in place for the Tournament of Blades:
- Participants must register via this thread prior to competing. Sign-ups close the day of the Tournament @ 12:00am ST. Please post on the character you’re intending to compete with!
- Participants must attend in at least one other listed Kosh’harg event to compete in the Tournament.
- Players are to participate on HORDE CHARACTERS OOC. While IC many attendees have a range of political viewpoints, this is to keep in line with the spirit of Kosh’harg and for the ease of facilitating the tournament. Characters played on Alliance will NOT be allowed to sign-up.
- Covenant Abilities (Class AND General) are not at any time permitted throughout the Tournament. This includes those which otherwise replace normal abilities (such as Warrior’s Condemn).
Conduits, by their baked-in-nature, are permitted. These are allowed up to a maximum of iLvl 285
Night Fae Players who are ‘podded’ will be considered knocked unconscious and defeated.
- Participant iLvl can not exceed 239.
PvP Gear must not be able to scale above the designated iLvl.
The Following Items are Prohibited From Use:
Legendaries / Artifacts of any kind - No Exceptions!
‘Gladiator’s Maledict’ Trinkets
‘Gladiator’s Emblem’ Trinkets
Tier Set Armour (9.2 only)
Consumables of Any Kind (Potions, Flasks, Food, etc.)The Following Specs are Prohibited From Participating in the Tournament:
- Any 'Healer Spec’
- Any Tank Spec which relies on self healing, up to and including:
Protection Paladin
Guardian Druid
Vengeance Demon Hunter
Blood Death Knight- Windwalker Monks
(Participants may compete with Gear / Forms used by that spec, but participating while PLAYING that spec is strictly prohibited).
Violation of any of the rules will result in a warning and a re-do of the match. Subsequent violations will result in IC disqualification for ‘Dishonourable Conduct’.
FAQ
“Why Do We Need to Register AS WELL as show up to another event?”
A: Partly for ease of forming brackets for speed of the event. In previous years, we’ve had RPers who predominately PvP show-up last day in Duelist/Gladiator Gear and wipe out the whole Tournament’s contestants. This is a measure to combat both.“Why set an iLvl restriction? I can’t gear in time!”
A: See above. Consider buying a set of Honor Gear, or quickly push through LFR or a few Normal Dungeons with friends! It only applies to average iLvL, and you can have several pieces well below to balance out the average.“Why can’t I use ‘X’ item / Why is my Class restricted?”
A: Shadowlands PvP is notoriously unbalanced due to the speed of its current combat in what is called the ‘High-Burst Meta’. In reality, most people can die within 5 GCDs against the correct abilities and items. This is to allow everyone a fair opportunity to participate, and put it more on skill instead of which DH can hit ‘The Hunt’ before their Rogue Opponent Stunlocks them for 8 seconds and then wins with Flagellation.“Why are Prot Warriors and Brewmasters the only Tank Specs allowed?!”
Due to the strengths of both Vengeance and Guardian as Tanks, as well as Prot Paladin’s ability to function as a healer with ~4 invulns, they are banned from play. Blood Death Knight has likewise been pruned due to unfair advantage.“Why are Windwalker Monks banned?!”
Windwalker Monks are currently the only class that can still one-shot other classes without legendaries or covenant abilities of any kind, due to the mathematical multiplication of how their mastery works with other stacking abilities.For obvious reasons, WW monks are barred from competing.
“Why all these rules?! I could dunk on you ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!”
These are to promote both an even playing field, and the spirit of competition. We want people to participate and have fun, and no one wants to jump in when they see their opponents are 2100 Rival Geared PvP Veterans of the current season. We want your new RP guildie to be willing to try it out without fear of being totally destroyed.Additionally, we also want those who are experienced PvP veterans to participate. It is our hope that this makes an even playing field that promotes RP and creativity for everyone to participate.
“Well then I’ll just use something during the event while you aren’t looking!”
You will be disqualified and barred from participation in future.Likewise, those looking to circumvent the rules with other similar prohibited items or abilities will be ICly disqualified for ‘Dishonorable Combat.’ Please keep the spirit of the Kosh’harg, and the Tournament of Blades, in mind while you participate. Fight Fairly, Fight for Fun!
| First Place | Second Place | Third Place | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costume Contest | Kru’gra Shadowbinder | Rokamo Goreye | Zi’tani Steelstorm / Zerphan Bladesmasher |
| Brawl’gar | Caleirn Windrise | Boshgard Firetongue | Zek’anu |
| Archery Contest (Beginner) | Headtaker | Skitch | Charmie |
| Archery Contest (Expert) | Tesha | Solstice | Rokamo Goreye |
| Iron Fortitude | Caleirn Windrise | Cao-kang Ironclaw | Charmie |
| Challenge of the Wyvern | Eastern Eccentrics | - | - |
| Cook-Off | Mei Lien and Nareshi | Aslon, Boshgard and Nathilza | Miama, Thundertaker and Wulu |
| Tournament of the Blades | Targnar Windsong | Zerphan Bladesmasher | - |
