Hollow Eve Festival 392
This was a Simutronics-run paid festival, which ran from October 31, 2008, through November 11, 2008.
Elanthian Dates: 1 Uthmor 392 through 6 Arhat 392
Official Description
The Mystery Deepens
Posted on 10/07/2008
If the rumors are true, Elanthia as we know it just may be over. Stories are everywhere; the stars are missing, objects are falling to the ground leaving fire and destruction in their wake. Just what is happening in, or to, Elanthia? As the Moon Mages are the masters of the sky, perhaps this account of these recent happenings will supply some answers:
"It began with a madman -- a seer of the most classic tradition -- declaring that the constellations have voices and were fighting amongst themselves. Following this were declarations by god-botherers and boanerges -- madmen of the most classic tradition -- that the gods were fighting amongst themselves and the stars would soon fade.
"Something is undeniably amiss in the heavens. The prophetic tone of some constellations grows and twists, casting off visions and worrying the students. We have seen a sharp increase in meteorite activity, but our attempts to understand and contain this has been muddled by the holy men's claims that the rocks are stars fallen from the sky. Finally, a few stars have faded from view, though not yet any that are important to our practice.
"Grim and dramatic, these events are evocative of tales of our distant gods stealing Tasmine's tears and raining fire down upon Elanthia. Forgive me for my lack of faith, o' Phelim, at the notion that the gods are playing Tog Ball in the sky. I am a simple man, condemned to rely not on faith but on my organization's one thousand years of continual study into the heavens and the darkness that lies beyond them.
"The skies are in turmoil, a matter which should concern astrologers and bend all our attention toward understanding what the universe displays in front of us. I ask of the laymen to simply master themselves, and not allow the clergy to fill their diminished coffers through fear and terror at the night sky."
- Astrologer Fredrick Modah, Throne City Researcher
Clerics out only to fill their coffers? Perhaps not, but fear is most certainly at play. And as the Astrologer so eloquently hinted, it was indeed Phelim who is reported to have placed the stars in the sky. So, what do those among us closest to the Gods, those that call upon the Gods' favor to grant us life and keep us from the Starry Road think of recent events and reactions like Modah's? The answer may be in this intercepted missive:
"The heavens dim. The sky, ever changing yet always comfortably predictable, no longer is. The stars, placed in their home in the heavens by Phelim himself, fade away as in defiance; yet do people turn to the Church for guidance? Sadly they do not.
"Instead they turn to the brash and arrogant Moon Mages who believe they know more of the heavens then those who dedicate their lives to the Gods who created them. Insane ramblings about shadow creatures and the turnings of fate garner more attention than our pleas for piety and devotion. It is far easier to blame something over which there is no control than to look within and see that perhaps this is something we must work to correct.
"Even the animals and lesser creatures feel that something is deeply wrong with the skies. They strike out in anger and fear, seeking to right the wrong they cannot even comprehend. And here we sit, knowing the answer yet unable to convince the masses. We must rally around our Gods and pay them the daily devotion and love they deserve.
"Praise them as they have earned with all they have given Elanthia. Who knows what fate the Gods have slated should we continue to sidestep our responsibility and downplay their importance?
"The skies have turned red with the anger of the Gods. The stars themselves streak from the heavens, wreaking havoc upon Elanthia and its citizens. Yet there is hope. Small groups of Elanthians have turned to prayer. Clerics who had recently lapsed in their faith find it renewed. We must come together and seek new ways to appease the Gods, to demonstrate the depth of our love and devotion for those who created our very world. These fragments intrigue me. What use have they? The Gods never make it easy, for it is in the struggle that we discover the depth of our faith, and in that faith we find our strength and our passions. We must continue to preach, continue to inspire and spread that faith and passion to all."
- Gaervar Calindern, Clerical Historian
A bit of doom and gloom perhaps, but after all the sky is falling. Or parts of it, at least. And lest you think this is something only Clerics and Moon Mages have noticed, we have found evidence that even the common man has been affected by these goings on. These excerpts from the diary of a local farmer were recovered from the scene of one of the meteor strikes. Unfortunately, the writer ultimately got a bit closer to the events than he anticipated.
"I overheard some of those Moon Droolers talking about how the stars were dimming. I certainly couldn't tell any difference. They spend too much time looking at the sun through their telescopes, if you ask me.
"The Holy Fanatics are all up in a tizzy about the stars, too. But everyone knows they can find a "sign from the gods" in anything. A bear could pass gas in the woods of Therengia and five anlas later, a Cleric down in Shard claims he feels an ill wind coming and starts praying for guidance. Ill wind, indeed! Hah! Somehow, I don't think steering us around everytime someone's confused is what the gods are here for!
"Crazy Moonies spouting ridiculous prophecies, over-zealous Altar Scrubbers with doomsday message...the whole world seems upside down, but what I am most upset about is that animals everywhere keep going crazy and tromping all over my fields! That certainly has MY attention, but I still can't seem to figure out just what to do. Yet.
"Fact: the sky itself is burning. Pieces of the something are hurtling toward the ground and it isn't pretty when they hit. It's almost as if those Gorbesh cretins have returned to catapult us into oblivion. These fragments -- there must be something to them, right? I admit I am quite curious about them, although mostly I just want to take care of my fields.
"Hmmm...what's that strange whistling noise? Ah, well. No matter. It's time for bed. Morning comes early, but I'm always ready for it."
- "Three-tooth" Shroode, Turnip Farmer (327 - 392)
There you have it, straight from the people. While the Moon Mages research to discover exactly what is happening, the Clerics turn to the Gods seeking to discover how we can appease them and fix what is so obviously broken. That leaves the rest of us to deal with the fallout, figure out what to do with these "gifts" the heavens have provided us, and hope we don't get burned too badly in the process.
It is Time
Posted on 10/10/2008
When it began, it seemed harmless enough. Was it just a case of dirty spectacles or out of focus telescopes? The stars in the sky seemed different, but how? Odd visions of starless skies and eerie feelings confirmed that indeed the stars were dimming. Was it the work of the gods as the clerics proclaimed? Or just some twist of fate beyond our understanding?
Zealous Clerics and crazed Moon Mages latched on to the dimming, finding reasons to espouse their once personal theories to the world. The dimness spread and was soon noticeable to all of Elanthia. Even the animals sensed the change and fear took over, stampeding from their homes, unsure of what was transpiring. Elanthians, too, wondered aloud what to make of this strange phenomenon. Some turned to astrologers, others to the clergy, and some chose to look within themselves to find their own answer to the mystery.
As they pondered the cause, the problem only grew worse. The sky lit up with all shades of fiery reds and oranges, as flaming fragments hurtled towards Elanthia. These burning rocks struck the ground, causing tremors that could be felt to the very core of the planet, as well as the core of their souls. Those unfortunate enough to be caught in their wake were left burned, battered, or even dead. Fragments of these meteors have been found, some glowing, their origin still somewhat of a mystery, their purpose an even larger one.
They have struck everywhere, from the deserts to the islands. To make matters worse, undead seem drawn to them. Waves of undead have followed some of the larger strikes. Skeletons and zombies have been found carrying the fragments and now, the planets themselves have vanished from the sky. Are these fragments pieces of our missing celestial bodies? Have the gods forsaken us? Is Elanthia doomed to disappear next?
Throughout it all, while scholars have turned to magic and science, seemingly without answer, one message has been steady. Those closest to the gods, those we trust to restore us to life and bless us, have preached a message; a message of respect, of trust, and of reverence. The gods, need and deserve our faith and our love. For too long have we merely paid token attention to them. How many or us make them a daily part of our lives? How many pay homage to the gods beyond the offering of a simple token when favor is sought? It was the gods who created us and the gods who placed the heavens in the sky for us to ponder and aspire to. We must not forget that.
We must remember our place, as well as theirs, and gather together to celebrate all that They have given us.
It is time for all of Elanthia to assemble and to honor those to whom we owe so much.
It is time for a Festival for the Gods!
The Last Star Has Fallen
Posted on 10/31/2008
The sky has become a vast ocean of darkness. Emptiness reigns over all. A chill covers the land and as the wind blows, a faint chittering can be heard that sounds far too much like laughter to be a mere coincidence...
Location
- Province
- Forfedhdar
- Town
- Hibarnhvidar - Out the east gate.
Map
Tentative Merchant List
Join us in welcoming a list of merchants the likes of which have never before been seen!
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...AND MORE! |
Raffles, Auctions, More
But that's not all!
We will also have dozens of daily raffles, new and exciting games (along with The Darkbox!), and an Auction that currently looks to be so overstocked, it will be spread across two days!
Finally, and most importantly, every character who attends the festival* will also receive a fabulous, wondrous, and mysterious unique gift that has multiple special features and abilities! These special items will allow their owners to truly show the gods they they have not been forgotten, while providing everlasting benefits to your character that are not to be missed!
The Totem Puzzle
Ticket Price
Ticket prices start at $50 and are available in the Box Office for Prime, Plat, as well as The Fallen!
- Special Ticketing Information
- Due to the nature of the special gift items, tickets for this festival will be handled differently than ususal. Base tickets will provide access to the first character on the account who passes through the Festival Gates, however, there are tiered tickets available to allow access to two, three, four, or ALL characters on the purchasing account. These higher tiered tickets will allow multiple characters on the account to participate in the festivities, raffles, games, and special events, as well as allowing them to receive the special gift.