Welcome

To Elsiphim's first seasonal event! Read the story, complete activities, and craft wonders!

Story

The festival came out of nowhere. There wasn’t any information on it—no newspapers, no billboards, nothing. Although locals admit that it is a bit ‘out there’ and away from the established town, they claim it appeared out of nowhere. A large gate is located at the front of the property, and next to it, there is a sign that welcomes visitors and promises a fun night of autumnal celebration in a few days.

The house on the property is silent, with only a singular light shining through the windows on some nights.

But… how does such a sprawling festival spawn overnight?

That’s the question that brings you past the leafy, deciduous forests that border the nearby humble town. The land of the festival is larger than you thought it’d be—a few acres for sure. Initially, it could be mistaken for an average farm. There’s a large plot of corn and large pumpkin patches ready for harvest. Sunflowers turn to watch the sun rise and fall throughout the day, and hay bales are stacked here and there. Figures made of hay and scrap pieces of clothing stand guard over the farm, protecting them from becoming the dinner of some pesky birds.

As the sun begins to set, and you wander through the now open gates, the scene is lively. There are plenty of phims here and there, some hosting events to do and others just enjoying the festivities. You spend some time doing those (of course) but notice that something else has everyone’s attention.

A small light brown phim—one that must be a cherub given its small stature of only three feet—steps onto a wooden stage, projecting her voice. She has leaves wrapped around the base of her tail, a kind that matches her halo. “Hello! And welcome everyone!” She greets, lifting a paw to wave at everyone excitedly. “My name is Nellie, and this is my humble little farm and autumn event. I know that some have said that my property has appeared out of nowhere,” she chuckles a bit, seeming to grin even more when the crowd perks their ears in interest.

“And although I have been working hard lately on getting it ready for guests (and I hate to disappoint), my little house and farm have always been here. I’m a bit of a shy phim, so—I hadn’t yet made my way to the town, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little, and hope to make a great first impression with a fun party! I hope you all enjoy!!” Her orange eyes gleam beautifully in the last warm rays of the setting sun.

She makes her descent and talks to some nearby guests, and some others go back to what they were doing. That takes some of the fun out of it—that this wasn’t a festival that popped out of the air and wasn’t magical at all, but there was still much more to do!

As you integrate more and try to make a group to enter the corn maze with, you begin to notice the others whispering to each other. You decide to meander over, not approaching them directly but perking your ears as you get a bit closer.

“I also heard those eerie sounds last night… I just figured it was the screeches of an owlbear, but…” the one speaking trailed off as they see your watchful gaze. You quickly divert it, but it’s too late—they seem unsettled by your staring. You take the hint and go to find another group, this time making your approach known and asking to group up for the maze. They agree, but at the sounds of distant howling of what sounds to be a kitsune, the topic comes up again.

“Have you seen the forests around the property?” One asks you, a bit out of nowhere.

You hum, nodding your head. They were beautiful, all shades of orange, yellow, and red. Squirrels and other small critters traversed the branches as well as the floor. Eden was always so beautiful. So varied and unique, unlike your birthplace (though that was beautiful in it’s own right, as well). “It’s pretty,” you say.

They look at you confused for a moment, blinking. “You must’ve come from a different way… The way that we came,” they say, motioning to the rest of the group, “there were massive clawmwarks on trees, some were cut clean in half. And the leaves were still alive, so it was recent and it wasn’t because of the decay in the tree.”

You pause. They’re saying it was unnatural, and you tilt your head. “Perhaps an act of owlbear territorialism?”

The group pauses with you before slowly nodding. “Yeah…” they say softly. “Yeah! That must be it,” they chuckle softly, and you smile as you continue on. Eventually, you all push out of the corn maze. Some of your group give a relieved sigh (they thought they’d be stuck in there forever!) while others give a hoot of joy.

They head off for refreshments, leaving you alone to decide what to do next.

Prompt

You can find the new seasonal event prompt here! Complete it to earn autumn items used to craft a wonder pouch! Open these pouches to recieve a wonder token, which can be used to purchase things in the wonder shop! To begin crafting, head to the activity button and navigate to crafting!