OVERVIEW:

The Sunflower Festival

The Sunflower Festival is a month long event taking place from the 1st till 30th of June. Although the festivities do not last for all of summer, residents of Arcanus Isle take great care to enjoy the welcoming of the warmer season.

Festivities take place during the daytime and nighttime. In the day, events like the Sunflower Parade or the Lunar Tournament are enjoyed in the Lunar Coast and Downtown Arcanus Districts. When the sun sets, the night comes to life with fireworks. The streets are bathed in the light of the Golden Moon, a phenomena that occurs during this month alone. (see: Notable Legends down below.)

The Solstice Ball

When the Golden Moon is full of light, the Solstice Ball begins. Taking place during the 17th - 30th of June, the ball is an glamorous party that all residents receive invitations to attend. Everyone is welcome to dress in their finest attire and enjoys the live music and provided refreshments.

While visiting the ball, it is encouraged to explore the Observatory and all that it has to offer. The parties begin when the sun sets and lasts until the next days dawn.

Like last year, the ball is hosted in the Viderenox Observatory. See HERE for details on the observatory.

NOTE: Other activities such as sea shell collecting, beach parties, garden parties and so on are all celebrated during the Sunflower Festival. While you may create member-run mini parties and events during the festival, only interactions with the listed activities/areas will be considered valid forms of festival participation.

ACTIVITIES:

For a limited time, a number of Sunflower Festival wares can be purchased (for free!) from the Aevum Marketplace using the Sunflower Festival Voucher.

Some of these wares include:

Shimmer and Glows Sprinkler - An endless sprinkler that sparks and changes color! They are also non-flammable. (found in the Nighttime Shimmers and Glows activity.) Lunar Rod - A gold-flaked fishing rod with a special tackle that is highly attractive to the local aevum fish. (found in the Lunar Tournament activity.) Fish Charm - A small charm in the shape of any fish, made from stones, shells, or wood. (found in the Fish Spy activity.) Olympic Flag - A one-of-a-kind flag with the icon of the sport participated in. (found in the Nighttime Shimmers and Glows activity.) Garden Bracelet - A custom bracelet made with several unique charms and beads of flowers. (found in the Charms of the Garden activity.) Keepers of the Land, Sky, and Sea Shirt - A cool, breathable t-shirt displaying the logo of the volunteer organization. (found in the Keepers of the Land, Sky, and Sea activity.) Homeworld Wares - An item that is custom to each Echo, and are subject to the rules detailed in the event below. (found in the Gateway Flea Market activity.) (New!) Golden Mask - A beautifully decorated and ornate masquerade mask. (found in the Solstice Ball activity.) (New!) Flower Pop - A little popping toy that releases flower petals in a grand display. It resets after a minute, being mysteriously filled with new petals. (found in the Sunflower Parade activity.)

Requests will be processed from June 20th - July 4th. All requests should include a link to the thread, ask, or drabble that shows the participation in said event, in addition to the stats, and thread pages.

NOTE: with the exception of Garden Charms, these items cannot be gifted to other muses.

Downtown Arcanus.

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Sunflower Parade

One of the many highlights of the Sunflower Festival is the Sunflower Parade! It is a warm welcome to the summer sun and the influx of Ivurie Aether that comes with it. Downtown Arcanus has been decorated with balloons, paper sunflower petals, and plenty of other party decor (that are all fully recyclable). Music can be heard throughout the streets during the day. Especially nearby the Arcanus University campus.

During the cooler hours of the early evening, a parade of decorated floats are conducted by residents who choose to participate. These floats range from large to small, elaborate to simple, representing the residents of Arcanus and their love for their home.

As usual, to announce the event on her very own float is is Arcanus’ own Opal Luminous.

Notably, the East Tower Company and the West Tower Society are known to be highly competitive during the parade. Each year, they create more and more elaborate floats. The rumor has it that they may even be trying to outdo each other…. While the other rumor has it that they’ve even gone so far as to try and sabotage each other’s floats!

While many floats are crafted by various other notable figures and local businesses of Arcanus Isle, the Echoes are equally encouraged to create floats of their own for the parade. Or join in other floats to assist their performances. (Or sabotage other performances!)

Charms of the Garden

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

A favorite activity amongst festival-goers is creating unique garden bracelet for their friends and family members. There are dozens of different ornaments to choose from, each with their own meaning. All ornaments for Charms of the Garden are created by students at Arcanus University, and the proceeds return to the school’s funding.

The charms provided are as follows:

Echo Tree Nut ( peace in change ) 

Field Fish Feather ( brings good people into your life ) 

Sapeng Wool ( aid with memories ) 

Moonview Spring Stones ( rejuvenation )

Lunar Coast Shells ( wealth in the summer ) 

Heavens Mirror Bead ( mourning lost loved ones ) 

May Flower Bead ( protection ) 

Zephyr Lilly Bead ( guidance in dark times ) 

Orb Flower Bead ( good wishes ) 

Sunflower Bead ( happiness ) 

Aether Rose Bead ( balance ) 

There are multiple locations for bracelets to be created along campus grounds.

NOTE: The charm bracelets may be gifted to other Echoes participating in the Summer Festival. Upon voucher redemption, a link to the thread or ask featuring it is required to put this item on your stats page.

The Lunar Coast.

The Lunar Tournament

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

The Trawler Docks are open and bustling with activity! During this time of year, the ocean is flourishing with many forms of sea life. Some locals offer scuba diving tours of Arcus Cove’s coral reefs, while others will gladly rent out boats for other residents to enjoy the clear blue waters.

Of course, the docks are also host to the largest fishing competition of the year: The Lunar Tournament.

There are three main categories that one could enter into:

Biggest Fish (measured by weight and length)

Most Fish (measured by total weight)

Rarest Fish (judged by leading Marine Biologists of Arcanus Isle).

The competition has a catch-and-release policy upon completion of the final scoring.

Winners of each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 keys, a trophy representing their category, and a brand-new fishing rod!

Fish Spy

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Primarily marketed towards families with younger children, Fish Spy is an event taking place in Arcus Cove. Participants are given a bingo card and taken out the coral reefs. There, they can snorkel in the waters while looking for many breeds of fish on their cards. (The cards are water proof!)

Some fish to find that are native to the Arcanus Isle include:

Comet Fish

Gem Fish

Illumenoctopi

Ripple Kelpies

Successfully filled-out cards can be exchanged for a variety of fish charms.

Nighttime Shimmers and Glows

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In brilliant displays of wonder and light, a fireworks show is held every Sunday evening along Halycon Beach. Many gather all across the Lunar Coast just to watch the astonishing display. The firework shows change almost every night, with each display being more even grand than the last.

The show is hosted by Vander Bard of the Comet Promenade. Many enjoy watching the show on the Comets Ferris Wheel, especially with friends and loved ones.

Along the Comet Piers and Comet Promenade many shops offer great selections of fireworks, sprinklers, poppers, and plenty of fantastically sweet and savory treats the likes of fair foods.

The Clearview District.

Aevum Olympics 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Attention all sports fans! Hosted at the Clearview Stadium is the most highly anticipated events of the Isle! The Aevum Olympics. Aercon from all over Arcanus joing together to compete in various sporting events and prove their mettle. Sporting events include but are not limited to:

Track and Field (split between marathon and half-marathon sprints)

Swimming

Wrestling and Boxing

Various sports (e.g., soccer, football, baseball, tennis, etc.)

Pole Vaulting

Gymnastics

Ice Skating

Ping Pong

and many others!

Note: The Olympics can also include sports from an Echoes’ homeworld.

All are welcome to come and spectate or participate! There’s just one universal rule:

No Cheating.

Cheaters will be forced to repeat their event against an Olympian Android. (Specifically, one designed by the event’s biggest sponsor, the East Tower Company.)

It never loses.

Of course, Aevum’s Tossup is one of the most popular sports. Over the spring, the four teams have been preparing endlessly for the playoffs that occur during this event. Now, it is finally time for the four biggest teams to compete for the championship title.

See here for information on the local sport.

Make sure to follow Aevum Daily for updates!

Fanalea District.

The Golden Harvests

No people are more excited about the Sunflower Festival than the residents of the Fanalean Farmlands, and Echoes are encouraged to join in! Beneath the Golden Moon, the Fanalean community ensures that their fields are fully revitalized for the coming crops to grow.

Plenty of help is wanted, and Fanalean farmers employ any volunteers to pick up a trowel to clear the fields of Whisper Thistles, care for livestock, harvest the last spring produce, sow summer seeds, and prepare some fields to lie fallow for the season.

Up to 500 keys per day will be offered to participating echoes.

At night, the workers watch in awe as fields of sunflowers begin to glow brightly across the fields, matching the Zephyr Lillies around them. The sunflowers absorb sunlight in their petals, and then under the golden moon, they glow a bright golden color.

Sunflower Feast

During Sunflower Festival, locals will often spend time experimenting with new dishes and flavors. When new recipes have been concocted, chefs of all calibre gather around the bonfire at the center of Fanalea to share them. In fact, the whole community comes together!

Sunflower is a key ingredient in many of the foods found. A glowing, golden tea - called Golden Cortania - is made from the petals of the sunflower. It is especially a fan-favorite. Tins can of Golden Cortania be bought from select shops in the Vesper Town Trading Post.

Some of the foods that can be enjoyed include:

Sunflower Seed Muffins

Pumpkin Sauce Pizza

Eben Root Stew, and many others!

Honeyglow Meadery is also offering Sunflower Wine, which is only available during this festival.

The Aether Reserve.

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas

As nature is the focal point of the Sunflower Festival, the Padedue Temple, Whisperwind Hacienda, and West Tower Society have combined efforts to create volunteer programs to help clean up and protect the natural world of Arcanus Isle. 

Each of the participating groups has a specific focal point for what they bring to the organization. The Hacienda is focused on education, the Padedue Temple is focused on volunteer work, and the WTS is responsible for funding and advertisements.

Information booths with petitions written by the West Tower Society will be posted all throughout Arcanus. Signers will pledge to protect the environment and spread awareness about ways residents can keep Arcanus Isle spick and span.

Those who sign on to the petition pledge will be made automatic volunteers, where they will be assigned a location to clear up any trash and resident-made debris. These trips involve waking up early, and are often an all-day event. Supplies are provided to the volunteers by the West Tower Society, and Willow Westson has designed a cool shirt with “Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas” written on it. —They’re tie-dye!

Most volunteer work will be found along the Lunar Coast. Primarily: Halycon Beach, Arcus Cove and Arcus Reef. Downtown Arcanus’ Quill Pillar Shores, the Aether Reserve’s Moonview Springs, and any of the parks across Arcanus are also available as volunteer locations.

Merchant Town.

Gateway Flea Market 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In the center plaza of Merchant Town, a giant, mysterious tent has appeared seemingly overnight! Instead of the various food stalls and market shops, there now sits a wondrous pavilion called the Gateway Flea Market.

This tent houses brand new stalls full of Aercon selling or trading their random assortment of goods to anyone who may find a home for them. 

While many of of the prices come cheap, many other items may only be acquired through trading specific items that may take hours to find. An Echo dead set on a ware may find themselves embarking on a long and arduous Exchange Quest.

Curiously, in some of these stalls Echoes may come upon strange wares. Instead of the usual bits and bobbles however, what makes these wares so strange is that they may be familiar to the Echoes themselves.

These items range from books and journals, to trinkets, toys, jewelry and clothes, tools, decorations, and other such similar items. As with any item, these come at a price, and some merchants drive a harder bargain than others. However, as the marketeers love to say: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 

Be warned if you see one of the Pyrite Pawners triplets! They are all ruthless in their pursuit of unique items to sell in their shop.

Note: The following restrictions apply: The Items can: - Be items that exist in an Echo’s native world - Be pulled from any point in time in the Echo’s world, regardless of an Echo’s current or potential canon points. - Be minor canon items, background items, and major canon items. The items cannot: - Be any belongings found on an Echo’s application, current or future. - be weapons or magical in any way. - be eligible for the Tier Four Homeworld Redemption item. - Be larger than a two-foot cube. - Be items that canonically belong to another character or from a world separate to their own. All items redeemed must not serve a largely important purpose. e.g., Bilbo Baggins could not find one of the Ten Rings. These items must be found in either thread or drabble form in order to keep them. In which, a brief description of what the item is, and may be used is required. The thread or drabble must be submitted to the Aevum Marketplace as proof for approval to put on one’s Stats page inventory. Requests will be processed from June 20th - July 5th.

Viderenox Observatory.

Solstice Ball

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

During the last two weeks of June, the main event held inside the observatory is the highly anticipated Solstice Ball. At the twin moon’s apex, the ceiling of the conservatory opens, allowing for the light of the Golden Moon to shine upon the dancers below.

In order to attend, the invited must present their golden letter to the attendants at the gate. Inside, arrivals will find the well-decorated room full of people dressed in their finest, fanciest attire.

Attendants walk between guests with trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvre, though larger portions may also be found at the open bar and snack tables. The food has been catered by the famous Chef Trop Chere, owner of the Casa Nova restaurant. The featured wine is, of course, Honeyglow Meadery’s Sunflower Wine.

The telescope is also open to those who may wish for a closer look at the stars. Janus Astrophel can be found assisting visitors with the equipment and teaching them about Aevum’s galaxy. The studies and offices are closed during the event. Echoes who prefer to explore will find these doors have been locked. Fortunately, other exhibits may be explored, creating quieter areas of rest during the party.

Of course, the main activity of the ball is the dance!

A live orchestra fills the hall with beautiful music, while the dancers pair and waltz under the stars. In some of the dance numbers, the floor of the observatory matches the night sky above. In tandem with the floating star lights around the hall, this creates the appearance of literally dancing among the stars.

NOTABLE LEGENDS:

The Golden Moon

The twin moons of the Aevum Isles have always held a certain air of mystery to them. Most scholars agree that these moons are a symbol of Ebenos, while the sun represents Ivurie’s qualities. As Aerconi understanding of the Aether grows, studies have shown that during select periods of time, one Aether may influx so greatly that its influence may even reflects upon its counterpart.

One of these select periods is in the beginning of summer. During this time, Ivurie Aether burgeons so greatly that it reflects in the largest of the two moons, turning it bright golden color. As the light of the golden moon bathes Arcanus in its glow, it can be noted that plants grow much faster than usual, and the wildlife become more active and present in day-to-day lives.

Many speculate that this phenomena is the Aether replenishing itself in all forms of life. There is, after all, no other time of year where Aevum sunflowers glow as they do during the summer nights.

Now, residents of Aevum Isles look to the glowing, golden moon and her many stars for glad tidings, good luck, and rejuvenation.

OVERVIEW:

Logus Pocus Day.

During the month of APRIL, the Aercons of Arcanus Isle celebrate the coming of spring. Starting first with “LOGUS POCUS DAY”, residents make sure to engage in a full day of mischief and good-natured fun. After which, the preparations for spring are sure to follow. 

(see: Logus Pocus Day, cont.)

The Blossom Dance.

Taking place on the FIRST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY of April (2025, April 4th-5th), the Blossom Dance is a large gathering hosted by Fanalean residents in the Fanalean Fields. Participants and onlookers are expected to wear their springtime finest and join locals through the weekend for locally-made foods such as the May Flower Honey and Zephyr Lily Wines. The farmlands host strawberry harvests, and during the White Nights, Star-Step Moonelopes and Sunbeam Ceredae are more common to spot in the wilds around this time of year.

Towards the far west of the fields, along the border of the Aether Reserve, Wyrd Fae leave small gold coins for curious children. Legends say that only those pure of heart can find the coins, though they can be gifted to others once in the individual's possession.

Taking significant others to the Blossom Dance is a popular date choice, especially during the White Nights.

The White Nights.

During the 28th of April to the 3rd of May, Aevum experiences a natural week-long phenomenon colloquially known as “THE WHITE NIGHTS”. During this time, the sun does not set, casting a perpetual twilight well into the midnight hours. Schools are closed and workplaces observe reduced hours. The White Nights are a signifier that spring has come, and is often reserved as a holiday for families to enjoy.

NOTE:

Known as THE AMITY VOUCHER, LIMIT: 1 PER CHARACTER.

For the month of April: the Aevum Marketplace will allow TIER 1 MARKETPLACE ITEMS to be discounted to 50% off its market price.

Tier 1 items can be BOUGHT AND GIFTED to other members for the duration of the month.

Purchases will be processed during April. 27th-May 3rd.

ACTIVITIES:

NOTE: Unless specified, ALL activities listed for the Amity Celebration are observed throughout the Arcanus Isles.

May Crownings

May Crownings are a small rite of passage between young people within Arcanus Isle. Youth will spend some time crafting flower crowns and garlands for their best friends. The flowers of choice, despite the name, are daisies, bluebells, and marigolds. Some eleven attempt to weave heaven’s mirror into their garlands for their crushes. Receiving a crown often is synonymous with “you are important to me”.

Adults who like to continue the tradition may instead weave wreaths to hang for their loved ones. The more colorful flowers that fill the wreath (as well as the size and volume of the wreath), the more of a point of pride it is between friends.

Occasionally, some choose to utilize the may crownings to deliver crowns, garlands, and wreaths that speak of not-so-pleasant feelings towards other individuals. It is not entirely uncommon for anonymous wreaths to be left at a doorstep that say, in no uncertain flower-speak terms, “I don't like you even one bit”.

Logus Pocus Day (cont.)

Logus Pocus Day marks the first day of the Amity Celebration season for many arcanus residents. Fishermen gather the logus fruit from the small islands scattered around the southern perimeter, and sell them at the piers throughout the day. Logus fruit is known for its playfully chaotic characteristics, and many residents who partake in the holiday craft all manner of pranks featuring the fruit.

Eating the fruit produces a random effect that lasts 1 hour per bite taken. There are six cataloged effects:

Your voice changes to sound operatic, higher or lower pitched, or, in rare cases, speaking backwards.

Randomly change the color of your skin, eyes, and/or hair with wildly different shades that slowly peels off.

Particles appear coming off your body, which take the form of flower petals. The petals are unique to the person.

Your body becomes elastic, making you unbreakable … However you will be unable to grip anything at all.

The gravity of your body changes, making you incredibly dense, or float.

You turn into a Luna Flock. (No, you cannot lay eggs.)

CLEARVIEW DISTRICT:

Tea-lip Party 

In the spirit of good fun, the Tea-Lip Party is hosted in Nourriture Avenue’s Gazebo. Teacups made of tulips line round tables for an afternoon tea party. Tea is served to guests who partake, all with the knowledge that drinking from the cup may mean a variety of random effects — for the tea poured into each cup is spiked with various alchemical potions courtesy of JUNIPER’S CHARMS AND REMEDIES. 

This year, when ingested, the following effects may occur:

Your body progressively starts to glow any singular color of the rainbow. This lasts 24 hours.

You feel your tongue begin to twist. You can only speak in rhyme for 4 hours.

Your dominant hand is switched from right to left, or left to right. If you are ambidextrous, you now have no dominant hand. This lasts 2 hours.

You cannot tell a lie for 24 hours.

You will be followed by a little cloud of personalized weather, good or bad, usually taking the form of a small cloud. This lasts 6 hours.

All of your inner thoughts are audibly heard for 4 hours. You’re convinced everyone else is a mind reader.

(Felix often lost his cats and brewed this potion to make them easier to find.) You leave glowing footsteps that persist for 1 hour.

Your thirst is perfectly quenched for 2 hours. This drink is the quenchiest. (Also subjects the drinker to vivid hallucinations for the same amount of time.)

Many of the neighboring restaurants partake in the Tea-lip Party, offering various hour-de-vours to go alongside the precariously enjoyable beverages.

DOWNTOWN ARCANUS.

Coating Colors Day

Downtown Arcanus celebrates the Amity Festival with various color based festivities in celebration of the spring. One such tradition is to gather residents for a full day of color dusting the old roads of the main street. Residents engage in fun banter with each other by throwing small balloons with colored water and powder at each other.

Very often, this activity turns the streets into a colorful labyrinth. The elderly will partake by creating the colored powder solutions using various ancient methods and plants that grow across the Fanalean Fields and Silverbrook Hollow. The most famous of these colors are the pale blue, phosphorescent powders that come from the Zephyr Lilies, and the bright orange powder that comes from May Flowers.

As the Amity Celebration is traditionally a festival revolving around the bonds of friendship, family and neighborhood, this is an especially popular event for most Arcanus Isle residents to spend with their loved ones. 

Luminescence Concerts

Sponsored by sweetheart idol Opal Luminescence, the Amphitheatre is fitted into a grand stage where the residents of Arcanus Isle can compete against one another to see who has the best, and most influential, musical talents. Those who partake can perform covers of their favorite songs, write and perform entirely original ones, or even simply join in as part of the judge table. 

Despite the competitive nature of the concerts, the end goal of the performances are to promote creativity, artistry, music, and having fun. Opal often mediates the shows, congratulating all participants and rewarding them with various small gifts of their choice. (Usually musical in nature.) The pop star meets and greets her fans, often ending the week with a large concert showcasing the most popular covers and original music voted on throughout the week, as well as her own songs.

A majority of the proceeds gained by merchandise sales, sponsorships and so on are given to the St. Azalea Foundation.

THE AETHER RESERVE.

Tapestry of Traditions (April 28 - May 3rd)

As the White Nights finally make their appearance, the residents of Arcanus Isles turn their attention from the coming of spring, to the celebration of families properly. At the Padedeu Temple, groups of acolytes gather to create tapestries for paying residents as part of a fundraising event. 

These tapestries are created from spun wool and silks - called Sovenance Threads - with both versions hailing from a long-lost region. The threads are used to create an image of an individual’s home (metaphorical or otherwise), and often depicts important subjects and people in their life. Sovenance threads draw on the memories and true feelings of an individual’s heart to create these depictions. One or more people can contribute to a tapestry to create the finished product, and they can be extended once a year.

These tapestries are some Aercons way of preserving family traditions, mottos, and other elements of livelihood, and often serve as heirlooms to be passed down and continued from one generation to the next.

A Sovenance Tapestry can depict (and be influenced by) the following things:

An individual’s family. The definition of a “family” will always reflect the Echo’s definition of what a ‘family’ may be. This can include biological families, found families, friendships, work-family, neighborhood communities, pets, and so on. People of significance may also appear here, but never wholly negative individuals, such as a mortal enemy or a deeply personal rival. (These individuals may be hinted at by motifs instead. See below.)

Memories, Emotions and Unique Relationships Due to the nature of the event, acolytes will ask Echoes to focus on a happy memory for the threads to depict. These positive memories will take precedence over negative ones. However: neutral and negative emotions can still influence the tapestry if the emotion (or lack thereof) is strong enough. Neutral (or lack of) emotions or memories will contribute nothing to the tapestry being created by the acolyte, causing the Sovenance threads to simply halt in place. If a negative emotion or memory influences the tapestry, the effect is more varied, creating anything from a wholly unclear or distorted image, to an image that simply contains small symbols that relate back to any unfinished business, hidden afflictions, or unresolved conflicts. In the case of both positive and negative influences, the tapestry’s symbols and motifs act very similarly to dream symbolism. (e.g., a backdrop of poison ivy may indicate hostile attitudes or scheming thoughts; jealousy, anger, and revenge. A lit candle may symbolize seeking hope, comfort or enlightenment.)

A birthplace or other Significant Location. A tapestry’s backdrop may depict elements of an Echo’s home, favorite place, or other objects that relate back to this location. (e.g., a star motif for characters related to, or greatly influenced by, space. Or an artistic rendition of a significant landmark that is important to the Echo.)

(More on) Influential Objects, Symbols, and Motifs Throughout the entire tapestry, symbols, objects, and motifs that tie in to the Echo will appear scattered throughout the piece. These typically depict elements of the Echo’s personality (or personalities, if more than one Echo is contributing to the tapestry). What motifs appear are directly influenced by the memory or relationship being depicted on the tapestry being woven. People who influence the memory of the Echo who are not directly involved (or are a deeply negative experience) will appear as symbols and motifs (see above) throughout the tapestry rather than as a significant focal point of it.

THE LUNAR COAST.

Candlelight Passing

Also spearheaded by the Padedeu Temple staff is the Candelight Passing ceremony. This ceremony takes place from 7PM - 4AM during the White Nights. When the Midnight Sun basks the land of Arcanus Isle into a perpetual twilight, denizens of the Isle gather at the shores of Arcus Reef to send off small wooden boats (often letter-sized boxes) filled with offerings to loved ones who have passed on. 

These wooden boats are specifically fitted to eventually sink underwater, as the Aercons believe that when a member of the community passes on to become one with the Aether, the moment that the boats sink and its contents make contact with the water, the deceased are briefly able to feel the love of their remaining friends and relatives.

Activities:

Spirits Jubilee

Spirits Jubilee is a two-week-long party ( from Oct. 2nd - 19th ) dedicated to honoring ancestors, legacies, and the magic that dwells in all denizens of Aevum. Participants are encouraged to share gifts of candy, celebrate with parties and events, and dedicate time to honor the lives of those who came before. Many families will build temporary memorial shrines filled with flowers, food, candles, and other decorations to remember their ancestors. Others will focus on the family members around in the present with parties and fun traditions. 

During this time, children of all ages dress up in costumes. These can all range from historical figures, jobs, legends, fictional characters, and more. Some of these costumes may also include Echoes who are of Ardent rank or higher! The kids will go from door to door, collecting sweets from those who are giving them out (any household that has lights on) after they say the phrase “ Spice and Sweets! ”. 

Echoes can expect little ones to make appearances at their doorsteps, though this activity is not just limited to the younger crowd. Adults and teens may participate, too. All across the city, people are hosting costume parties and competitions showing off people’s creative talents. 

Some places may also offer the following kind of candy: 

Effect Candies: These treats may appear to be just the same as ordinary candies at first glance, but upon further inspection, these have a rainbow, shimmering glow about them. These candies are imbued with magical properties, bringing to life parts of your costume for as long as you eat them.  The originator of the candies is unknown, but it can be assumed it might have been a historical alchemist. Though their name has been lost to time, their legacy lives on with fervor! These treats are a community favorite during Yestereve Harvest, especially by those who seek the spice side of this activity.  EXAMPLE: - If you are dressed as a ghost, then eating the candy may allow you to phase through walls.  - If you are dressed as a pirate, you will find yourself gifted with a sword and stuck in talking in pirate speak. - If you are dressed as a dragon your wings will help you fly and you can breathe fire. Note: These candies can be received at any time and can be activated at any time during the duration of the festival. These candies do not transform the person into their costume, but rather create an extra effect to enhance the costume.  They will only work while the Echo is in a costume.  Candies may be saved after the event is complete, but they will lose their shine and magic and will taste bitter instead of sweet.

Downtown Arcanus.

The Fall Festival 

All throughout Downtown Arcanus, the streets come alive with the celebration of the autumn season. All of the shops and cafes sell all manner of autumn decor and fall-flavored favorites, following the shifting colors and cooling temperatures. Even the Archives get into the spirit by decorating the tables with pumpkin arrangements and harvest-themed displays.

Arcanus University is hosting a widespread Fall Festival, run by the student clubs with aid from the faculty. Each club has a different activity associated with it. The art club hosts face painting, the culinary program makes pumpkin pastries, the book club passes out fall books, the chess club has a giant chess board, etc. 

There are also plenty of carnival games to compete for prizes and a few small rides. There is a petting zoo hosted by the Whisperwind Hacienda for visitors to see. The Festival also has a section of booths dedicated to local artists selling home decor. There is plenty of fall fun to explore here as the university continues in full swing of its new semester.

Meanwhile, the Aurora Amphitheater will be hosting multiple locally directed and staffed performances. Everything from dance recitals to Shakespearean dramas, and even musical theater is welcome. Every day has a different show. 

The St. Azalea’s Foundation is also working in tandem with Fanalean farmers to host weekly food drives to provide warm meals and materials for those in need. During the Gladus Feast, they will be hosting a massive celebration buffet style for local Aercon and Echoes alike.

Rosewood District.

Twilight Screams

Several of the clubs within Rosewood have come together to host a special event called the Twilight Screams! The buildings have been decorated and refurbished into haunted houses for the season, filled with volunteers dressed up as monsters and ghouls meant to frighten visitors. Many of the costumes have been enhanced by effect candies, though the actors are not supposed to touch the visitors. That hasn’t stopped rumors from circulating that members of the Venom Rings have infiltrated the party intent on causing a bit of a ruckus. 

These “haunted houses” are hosted all throughout the month, and are typically busiest in the late evenings. Food and drinks are served outside the venues, usually trying to promote business to the bars, clubs, hotels, and other amenities of the Rosewood District. There are four main clubs that people can visit. Each has different themes to them. The following houses are listed in order of least scary to most scary.

After Tea Party - Decorated to mimic a high-end mansion, every ghost and ghoul is invited to the mansion for a high tea. Share in spooktacular blends and sweets that will be to die for! Or partake in a ballroom dance with music that will send shivers up your spine. These ghosts seem lost in their ways, spending eternity in a happy death. The halls seem never-ending, created by illusions of mirrors, fog, and projections that make it easy to get lost. 

Junkyard Jumpscare - The loudest and most eclectic of the houses. Actors pose as monsters and humans wearing thick layers of torn garments and junk armor, shouting about anarchy and rebellion and purging society of the status quo. They prefer to get into your face and utilize plenty of pyrotechnics and effects in order to make themselves known. Wars are always being fought. Will you pick a side? 

Raided Temple - An Egyptian-style tomb with many of a Pharaoh’s treasures, creating a unique decor and plenty of puzzles for the visitors to solve. There’s a lot of story in this house, detailing the betrayal of the pharaoh by his best friend who stole his wife and kingdom and now his animated corpse seeks vengeance. The actors here wear long cloaks and dark masks to hide their faces, with trailing scarves behind them. Do not touch the treasure! Lest the curse of the pharaoh’s wrath fall upon you!

Nuclear Science Facility - After an accident with a nuclear reactor, this house’s whole facility has become engulfed in radiation, causing everything inside to become mutated. As visitors travel through the space, they may see some morally questionable experiments that occurred in the various rooms. Toxic goop and monsters can be found everywhere, making this house the hardest one to complete. 

THIS YEAR, a brand new haunted house is being added to the roster! Every year a fifth house will be announced that will be totally unique to the year for exploration, offering brand new challenges and stories for the masses to enjoy. This year, we present:

Cirque La Terreur - A large multi tented circus with various acts and performances, hosted by the haunting clowns. This circus is rumored to have had many unfortunate accidents over the years, which have been recreated in walk through scenes for visitors to be entertained. Be prepared for horrifying hijinks on the trapeze above and the circus rings below as the clowns put on a show everyone is dying to see.

Lunar Coast.

Memirror Fog 

While the cities and forests celebrate, the Lunar Coast finds itself growing dormant. Creatures retreat to warmer waters while fewer visitors make their way to the beaches. The Comet Promenade remains active (as the show must go on!), but something else stirs in the air. 

Across the Arcus Cove sets a permanent fog, visible regardless of the weather in the area. The Kruptos Lighthouse is always visible during this time along Quill Pillar Shores, caused by the imbalance of Aether at play. Sailors tell stories about the Memirror Fog. An autumn phenomenon that settles over the shores of Arcanus. After watching the seas for long enough, visions of the past begin to appear. For Echoes, this can mean they can see glimmers of people, objects, or even places that belong to their homeworld. Beckoning them out to sea to follow them.

Going out on a ship will eventually lead you to Arcus Cove, where the visions will persist. If an Echo is drawn even further in, they will find themselves among the ruins of the old Aether Temple on the coast. Here, Echoes may relive experiences from their past while under the fog’s enchantment. The mists can only rely on the memories of the Echo and will replay as they were perceived at that moment. Even if the Echo behaves differently now than in their memory, it will continue onward, as if it is playing a recording. The memories are unable to be shared unless both Echos were present for the featured memory. However, anyone viewing from the outside may be able to break the enchantment.

In order to break out of a Memirror on one’s own, the entire memory must be played from start to end. Trying to break out before the memory has fully played out will result in the fog following the Echo as a shadow no matter where they go until the Echo finishes what they started.

Fanalea.

Gladus Feast

One of the most sacred and treasured celebrations of Fanalean locals is the Gladus Feast( from Oct. 28th-30th ).  The Gladus Feast is a prime time for loved ones all around Arcanus to gather together and celebrate a plentiful harvest. Fanaleans go all out when it comes to the food of the feast. Most of which prominently feature local harvests such as:

Sapeng Cheeses, Mushroom Medleys, Whole Yaffle Hog Hams, Gourm Turkeys, Pecus Grain Breads, Perlbery Sauce, Star Fruit Pastries, Arcana Pumpkin Pies, and a variety of classic fall favorite veggies and dishes. Mulled wines and spiced drinks are also provided by the Honeyglow Meadery.

There is plenty more to do during the Gladus Feast than eat plenty of food. While farmers prepare the fields to rest for winter and finish up the harvests, they also utilize the space to host all sorts of fun activities. 

Pumpkin Patches - available for Echoes to purchase pumpkins. Carving stations are also available to create fun and unique designs into the pumpkin’s face. Each participant’s pumpkin will come with a complimentary candle.

Corn Mazes - mazes with varying levels of difficulty. Participants who get to the end of the maze will be given snacks of their choice!

Bulb Beetle Gazing - Join sightseers across the Fanalean Fields to watch the Bulb Beetles fly and sing their mating songs.

Hay Rides - pulled by falcaniform-drawn wagons, these hay rides travel all around Vesper Town Farmlands to marvel at the fall decor and wheat fields. 

S’more Making - Join the Fanaleans in Vesper Town Plaza as they share spooky stories and old legends around the central bonfire!  

Wreath Making - Echoes can make a beautiful fall-themed wreath with materials supplied by the locals including ribbons, wires, and other wreath accessories.

Candle Making - Echoes can make custom, wonderfully scented candles to give to their friends or keep to remind them of their loved ones.

Everyone is invited to participate, especially when it comes to cooking!

Aether Reserve.

Totem Poles 

“Find yourself through the eyes of another. “ the ancient texts say. 

Throughout Silverbrook Hollow, totems stand scattered across the forest, each bearing carvings of all manner of creature. The origins of the Totems are unknown to locals, and all denizens will claim that these totems have always been there, and certainly have heard warnings to not get too close. Particularly when their eyes mimic candlelight.

Exclusively during October, the totems’ Aether stir once more. Echoes who venture into Silverbrook will eventually note that the eyes of each animal seem to always be following them. This is true no matter where they walk. Should an Echo make eye contact within five feet of the pole, or should they touch the carvings, the Echo will find themselves face to face with their own personal Alter. Soon, they will become engulfed in the totem’s light. Above the canopy, a small orange-and-gold aurora borealis lights, filled with the silhouettes of animals and other creatures..

When the aurora diminishes, the Echo will find themselves transformed into their Alter. Without an Alter Totem, the transformation lasts for three days. After which, their normal form will be restored. 

Echoes with shapeshifting powers will also find themselves unable to restore themselves.) 

Echoes who are already anthropomorphic in nature (or otherwise animalistic) will find themselves with a humanoid form for the duration of the effect.

However, for Echoes who have an Alter Totem from the Tent of Wonders, they will be able to freely shift in and out of this form.

Merchant Town.

The Tent of Wonders

In the middle of the market a mysterious red tent, draped in ornate purple fabrics and lanterns, has appeared. This is run by Maxamillia La Mystica, an eccentric woman who speaks exclusively in rhymes. Upon entering the tent, hanging all along the walls are various wooden carvings of all kinds of creatures and beings. These are called Alter Totems and are made partially from Echo Wood. Curiously, she already has a totem just for you.

Alter Totems

A piece of wood with mysterious symbols carved into it. All echoes may be allowed to receive a totem with or without explicitly venturing into the tent in threads or drabbles, but they may only ever receive one. 

Upon contact, the wood will shift and morph into the likeness of the Echo’s Spirit Creature. Also known as an “Alter”. These can be real, or mythological creatures. Examples of mythological creatures can include dragons, mermaids, centaurs, gorgons, griffons, pegasi, unicorns, phoenixes, sphinxes, banshees, and more!

These may also be animals found in the Aevum Compendium (marked with a plant, fire, or star emoji) or common animals from the echos homeworld.

The Totem itself does not appear to do much in your hands, apart from you feeling yourself drawn to Silverbrook Hollow… 

What each totem manifests into is entirely up to mun discretion.

Each Echo can only have one Alter Totem at any given time.

If the choice of creature changes during the events of the Festival, the Totem will shift accordingly. 

If a mun changes their mind about their Muse’s Alter after the events of the Festival, the Totem may be changed once by visiting the Totem Poles in Silverbrooke. After that change, it cannot be changed again until the next Yestereve Harvest.

Alter Totems cannot be destroyed, traded between, or gifted to other Echoes. If a Totem happens to get lost, it will reappear on the bedside table of Echo’s house.

NOTE: While all Echoes will be given one for the duration of the event, if members wish to keep their muse’s totem beyond the event, they will need to submit a Totem Voucher to the Marketplace (with proof of participation in this festival). Upon voucher submission, the Alter Totem will come with five charges that, in-universe, would last up to ten minutes. The Echo will see the totem’s power diminish by the candlelight in its eye. More charges may be purchased for 100 emblems after the voucher’s submission.

COMING SOON.

This year, a new way of participating in festivals will be introduced. A HALF MOON EVENT featuring a deeper exploration of a festival activity in tandem with the VICES will be available for echoes to participate in the seasonal event.

Stay tuned for more details coming OCT. 15th.

Submissions for the TOTEM VOUCHER will be processed from Oct. 22nd till Nov. 1st. If you received a totem last year but wish to change your animal, the voucher may be used to do so.

OVERVIEW:

The Sunflower Festival

The Sunflower Festival is a month long event taking place from the beginning to the end of June. While the festivities do not last for the entirety of the summer season, residents of Arcanus Isle take great care to enjoy the warmer weather.

Festivities take place during the night and the day. In the daytime, events like the Sunflower Parade or the Lunar Tournament can be enjoyed in the Lunar Coast and Downtown Arcanus Districts.

Each night, in the early evening, Arcanus residents end off the day's festivities with bright fireworks that light up the night sky. 

The Solstice Ball

Takes place during the 18th - 30th of June.

The festival concludes with The Solstice Ball, a spectacular event where everyone dresses in their best to dance under the glorious Golden Moon. (see: Notable Legends down below.)

Like last year, the ball will be hosted in the Viderenox Observatory. See HERE for details on the observatory.

ACTIVITIES:

NOTE: Other activities such as sea shell collecting, beach parties, garden parties and so on are all celebrated during the Sunflower Festival. While you may create member-run mini parties and events during the festival, only interactions with the listed activities/areas will be considered valid forms of festival participation.

For a limited time, a number of Sunflower Festival wares can be purchased (for free!) from the Aevum Marketplace using the Sunflower Festival Voucher.

Some of these wares include:

Shimmer and Glows Sprinkler - (available only with participation in Nighttime Shimmers and Glows.) An endless sprinkler that sparks and changes color! They are also non-flammable. Lunar Rod - (available only with participation in the Lunar Tournament.) A gold-flaked fishing rod with a special tackle that is highly attractive to the local aevum fish. Fish Charm - (available only with participation in Fish Spy) a small charm in the shape of any fish, made from stones, shells, or wood. Olympic Flag - (available only with participation in the Aevum Olympics) A one-of-a-kind flag with the icon of the sport participated in. Garden Bracelet (available only with participation in Charms of the Garden Activity. Garden Bracelets may be gifted.) A custom bracelet made with several unique charms and beads of flowers. Keepers of the Land, Sky, and Sea Shirt (available only with participation in the KLSS) A cool, breathable t-shirt displaying the logo of the volunteer organization. Homeworld Wares (available only with participation in the Gateway Flea Market) These items are custom to each Echo, and are subject to the rules detailed in the event below.

Requests will be processed from June 22nd - May 3rd. All requests should include a link to the thread, ask, or drabble that shows the participation in said event, in addition to the stats, and thread pages.

(NOTE: with the exception of Garden Charms, these items cannot be gifted to other muses.)

Downtown Arcanus.

Sunflower Parade

One of the many highlights of the Sunflower Festival is the Sunflower Parade! It is a warm welcome to the summer sun and the influx of Ivurie Aether that comes with it. Downtown Arcanus has been decorated with balloons, paper sunflower petals, and plenty of other party decor. Music can be heard throughout the streets during the day. Especially nearby the Arcanus University campus.

During the cooler hours of the late afternoon and early evening, a float parade is conducted by residents who choose to participate. These floats range from large to small, elaborate to simple.

As usual, to announce the event on her very own float is is Arcanus’ own Opal Luminous.

Notably, the East Tower Company and the West Tower Society are known to be highly competitive during the parade. Each year, they create more and more elaborate floats. The not-so-rumour has it that they may even be trying to outdo each other.... While the other rumour has it that they've even gone so far as to try and sabotage each other's floats!

It seems that the director of the WTS has been making massive steps in pushing a positive image for her company after recent events.

While many floats are crafted by various other notable figures and local businesses of Arcanus Isle (Echoes will find a representation of almost every Aerconi-owned business!), the Echoes are equally encouraged to create floats of their own for the parade. Or join in other floats to assist their performances. (Or sabotage other performances!)

Charms of the Garden

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

A favorite activity amongst festival-goers is creating unique garden bracelet for their friends and family members. There are dozens of different ornaments to choose from, each with their own meaning. All ornaments for Charms of the Garden are created by students at Arcanus University, and the proceeds return to the school's funding.

The charms provided are as follows:

Echo Tree Nut ( peace in change ) 

Field Fish Feather ( brings good people into your life ) 

Sapeng Wool ( aid with memories ) 

Moonview Spring Stones ( rejuvenation )

Lunar Coast Shells ( wealth in the summer ) 

Heavens Mirror Bead ( mourning lost loved ones ) 

May Flower Bead ( protection ) 

Zephyr Lilly Bead ( guidance in dark times ) 

Orb Flower Bead ( good wishes ) 

Sunflower Bead ( happiness ) 

Aether Rose Bead ( balance ) 

There are multiple locations for bracelets to be created along campus grounds.

NOTE: The charm bracelets may be gifted to other Echoes participating in the Summer Festival. Upon voucher redemption, a link to the thread or ask featuring it is required to put this item on your stats page.

The Lunar Coast.

The Lunar Tournament

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

The Trawler Docks are open and bustling with activity! During this time of year, the ocean is flourishing with many forms of sea life.

Some locals offer scuba diving tours of Arcus Cove's coral reefs, while others will gladly rent out boats for other residents to enjoy the clear blue waters.

Of course, the docks are also host to the largest fishing competition of the year: The Lunar Tournament.

There are three main categories that one could enter into:

Biggest Fish (measured by weight and length)

Most Fish (measured by total weight)

Rarest Fish (judged by leading Marine Biologists of Arcanus Isle).

The competition has a catch-and-release policy upon completion of the final scoring.

Winners of each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 keys, a trophy representing their category, and a brand-new fishing rod!

Fish Spy

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Primarily marketed towards families with younger children, Fish Spy is an event taking place in Arcus Cove. Participants are given a bingo card and taken out the coral reefs. There, they can snorkel in the waters while looking for many breeds of fish on their cards. (The cards are water proof!)

Some fish to find that are native to the Arcanus Isle include:

Comet Fish

Gem Fish

Illumenoctopi

Ripple Kelpies

Successfully filled-out cards can be exchanged for a variety of fish charms.

Nighttime Shimmers and Glows

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In brilliant displays of wonder and light, a fireworks show is held every Sunday evening along Halycon Beach. Many gather all across the Lunar Coast just to watch the astonishing display. The firework shows change almost every night, with each display being more even grand than the last.

The show is hosted by Vander Bard of the Comet Promenade. Many enjoy watching the show on the Comets Ferris Wheel, especially with friends and loved ones.

Along the Comet Piers and Comet Promenade many shops offer great selections of fireworks, sprinklers, poppers, and plenty of fantastically sweet and savory treats the likes of fair foods.

The Clearview District.

Aevum Olympics 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Attention all sports fans! Hosted at the Clearview Stadium is the most highly anticipated events of the Isle! The Aevum Olympics. Aercon from all over Arcanus joing together to compete in various sporting events and prove their mettle. Sporting events include but are not limited to:

Track and Field (split between marathon and half-marathon sprints)

Swimming

Wrestling and Boxing

Various sports (e.g., soccer, football, baseball, tennis, etc.)

Pole Vaulting

Gymnastics

Ice Skating

Ping Pong

and many others!

Note: The Olympics can also include sports from an Echoes' homeworld.

All are welcome to come and spectate or participate! There’s just one universal rule:

No Cheating.

Cheaters will be forced to repeat their event against an Olympian Android. (Specifically, one designed by the event's biggest sponsor, the East Tower Company)

It never loses.

Of course, Aevum’s Tossup is one of the most popular sports. Over the spring, the four teams have been preparing near-endlessly for the playoffs that occur during this event. Now, it is finally time for the four biggest teams to compete for the championship title.

See here for information on the local sport.

Make sure to follow Aevum Daily for updates!

Fanalea District.

The Golden Harvests

No people are more excited about the Sunflower Festival than the residents of the Fanalean Farmlands, and Echoes are encouraged to join in! Beneath the Golden Moon, the Fanalean community ensures that their fields are fully revitalized for the coming crops to grow.

Plenty of help is wanted, and Fanalean farmers employ any volunteers to pick up a trowel to clear the fields of Whisper Thistles, care for livestock, harvest the last spring produce, sow summer seeds, and prepare some fields to lie fallow for the season.

Up to 500 keys per day will be offered to participating echoes.

At night, the workers watch in awe as fields of sunflowers begin to glow brightly across the fields, matching the Zephyr Lillies around them. The sunflowers absorb sunlight in their petals, and then under the golden moon, they glow a bright golden color.

Sunflower Feast

During Sunflower Festival, locals will often spend time experimenting with new dishes and flavors. When new recipes have been concocted, chefs of all calibre gather around the bonfire at the center of Fanalea to share them. In fact, the whole community comes together!

Sunflower is a key ingredient in many of the foods found. A glowing, golden tea - called Golden Cortania - is made from the petals of the sunflower. It is especially a fan-favorite. Tins can of Golden Cortania be bought from select shops in the Vesper Town Trading Post.

Some of the foods that can be enjoyed include:

Sunflower Seed Muffins

Pumpkin Sauce Pizza

Eben Root Stew, and many others!

Honeyglow Meadery is also offering Sunflower Wine, which is only available during this festival.

The Aether Reserve.

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas

As nature is the focal point of the Sunflower Festival, the Padedue Temple, Whisperwind Hacienda, and West Tower Society have combined efforts to create volunteer programs to help clean up and protect the natural world of Arcanus Isle. 

As this is a joint effort, the Hacienda is focused on education, the Padedue Temple is focused on volunteer work, and the WTS is responsible for funding and advertisements.

Information booths with petitions written by the West Tower Society will be posted all throughout Arcanus. Signers will pledge to protect the environment and spread awareness about ways residents can keep Arcanus Isle spick and span.

Those who sign on to the petition pledge will be made automatic volunteers, where they will be assigned a location to clear up any trash and resident-made debris. These trips involve waking up early, and are often an all-day event. Supplies are provided to the volunteers by the West Tower Society, and Willow Westson has designer a cool shirt with “Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas” written on it. —They're tie-dye!

Most volunteer work will be found along the Lunar Coast. Primarily: Halycon Beach, Arcus Cove and Arcus Reef. Downtown Arcanus' Quill Pillar Shores, the Aether Reserve's Moonview Springs, and any of the parks across Arcanus are also available as volunteer locations.

Merchant Town.

Gateway Flea Market 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In the center plaza of Merchant Town, a giant, mysterious tent has appeared seemingly overnight! Instead of the various food stalls and market shops, there now sits a wondrous pavilion called the Gateway Flea Market.

This tent houses brand new stalls full of Aercon selling or trading their random assortment of goods to anyone who may find a home for them. 

While many of of the prices come cheap, many other items may only be acquired through trading specific items that may take hours to find. An Echo dead set on a ware may find themselves embarking on a long and arduous Exchange Quest.

Curiously, in some of these stalls Echoes may come upon strange wares. Instead of the usual bits and bobbles however, what makes these wares so strange is that they may be familiar to the Echoes themselves.

These items range from books and journals, to trinkets, toys, jewelry and clothes, tools, decorations, and other such similar items. As with any item, these come at a price, and some merchants drive a harder bargain than others.

The rule of the game? One man's trash is another man's treasure. 

Be warned if you see one of the Pyrite Pawners triplets! They are all ruthless in their pursuit of unique items to sell in their shop.

Note: The following restrictions apply: The Items can: - Be items that exist in an Echo's native world - Be pulled from any point in time in the Echo's world, regardless of an Echo's current or potential canon points. - Be minor canon items, background items, and major canon items. The items cannot: - Be any belongings found on an Echo's application, current or future. - be weapons or magical in any way. - be eligible for the Tier Four Homeworld Redemption item. - Be larger than a two-foot cube. - Be items that canonically belong to another character or from a world separate to their own. All items redeemed must not serve a largely important purpose. e.g., Bilbo Baggins could not find one of the Ten Rings. These items must be found in either thread or drabble form in order to keep them. In which, a brief description of what the item is, and may be used is required. The thread or drabble must be submitted to the Aevum Marketplace as proof for approval to put on one's Stats page inventory. Requests will be processed from June 18th - July 5th.

Viderenox Observatory.

Solstice Ball

During the last two weeks of June, the main event held inside the observatory is the highly anticipated Solstice Ball. At the twin moon's apex, the ceiling of the conservatory opens, allowing for the light of the golden moon to shine upon the dancers below.

In order to attend, the invited must present their golden letter to the attendants at the gate. Inside, arrivals will find the well-decorated room full of people dressed in their finest, fanciest attire.

Attendants walk between guests with trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvre, though larger portions may also be found at the open bar and snack tables. The food has been catered by the famous Chef Trop Chere, owner of the Casa Nova restaurant. The featured wine is, of course, Honeyglow Meadery's Sunflower Wine.

The telescope is also open to those who may wish for a closer look at the stars. Janus Astrophel can be found assisting visitors with the equipment and teaching them about Aevum's galaxy. The studies and offices are closed during the event. Echoes who prefer to explore will find these doors have been locked. Fortunately, other exhibits may be explored, creating quieter areas of rest during the party.

Of course, the main activity of the ball is the dance!

A live orchestra fills the hall with beautiful music, while the dancers pair and waltz under the stars. In some of the dance numbers, the floor of the observatory matches the night sky above. This creates the appearance of literally dancing among the stars.

NOTABLE LEGENDS:

The Golden Moon

The twin moons of the Aevum Isles have always held a certain air of mystery to them. Most scholars agree that these moons are a symbol of Ebenos, while the sun represents Ivurie's qualities. As Aerconi understanding of the Aether grows, studies have shown that during select periods of time, one Aether may influx so greatly that its influence may even reflects upon its counterpart.

One of these select periods is in the beginning of summer. During this time, Ivurie Aether burgeons so greatly that it reflects in the largest of the two moons, turning it bright golden color. As the light of the golden moon bathes Arcanus in its glow, it can be noted that plants grow much faster than usual, and the wildlife become more active and present in day-to-day lives.

Many speculate that this phenomena is the Aether replenishing itself in all forms of life. There is, after all, no other time of year where Aevum sunflowers glow as they do during the summer nights.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

You have has lived in Arcanus your whole life. Perhaps you have good neighbors, good friends, and a closely-knit family. Or, perhaps your muse is a loner. A na'er do well, who slinks throughout Arcanus at their leisure, wreaking mischief and causing havoc.

Whatever the case, life is perfectly provincial, though never without the classical ups and downs of mundane life.

You never seem to get that internship you've been working hard for this past year. Your family always seems a bit too busy, or you end up missing all of your dates with who you just know is the perfect person.

Sometimes, you can't help but wonder if you're cursed.

THE CURSE.

The Echoes have been cursed to live in a world that never changes, and where time never moves forward. Aercon believe that the Echoes have lived in Arcanus Isle forever. Despite this, everyone can only remember up to one year in the past. Trying to remember past this results in a splitting headache that could Blip an Echo who attempts to remember too soon.

(SEE: "Breaking the Curse" below.)

The Plot:

Each Echo's Aercon Self should center around a key part of who they are. This could be a complete personality change to reflect a strongly held belief, or reversion into who they think they are.

But every good story has a source of conflict! Perhaps your Echo's story is a coming-of-age story! Only, no matter how they might strive to do good, they simply cannot muster the courage to do what they need to do. Or anything they want to do, actually.

Perhaps your muse's story is a romance. They fall in love easily... but they cannot seem to catch a break. If their dates don't bail on them, then they cheat, or perhaps they've fallen in love with someone else!

Whatever the case, your muse's happily ever after is always just out of their reach no matter how hard they try. Their efforts are thwarted at every turn, and it seems that they just cannot escape their horrible luck. Some days - most days, actually - it almost seems as though they aren't allowed to break the status quo, or have any hope of a happy ending at all...

Echoes:

Lose access to all powers and supernatural abilities, afflictions, and otherworldly knowledge and information.

Humanoid creatures may become fully human / mortal for the duration of the Blue Moon.

If a muse is anthropomorphic, they may take on a human form as if they have always been human. Should you choose for them to stay in their normal body, no one (including Aercon!) will bat an eye or consider this abnormal.

MORE IDEAS FOR CURSES:

Your muse is on top of the world. Famous. Beloved. But without their knowledge, they must comply with directives given if someone asks it of them with the word "please".

Your muse is a thief, and quite good at it! Only their adventures are dictated by a great debt they owe to another. (You may use Omerta Nostra and The Vices as you please.)

Unbeknownst to them, your muse is separated from their family member or loved one, and while it is possible to connect to them, their paths always seem to fall apart, and miscommunication runs amok just as soon as your muse begins to feel comfortable with them again.

Your muse is a humble person with a humble job and is overall fairly comfortable in their quaint little life. But every time they are asked to do something outside of their comfort zone, they always choose cowardice over action.

Your muse remembers everything. Thing is: they're the only one who has ever remembered, and no attempts to remind anyone else has ever gone anywhere for a whole year....

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY MUSE HAS JUST JOINED?

Your muse may also be effected by the curse! Aercon Personas believe they have lived in Arcanus their whole lives, even if they can all only remember (very vaguely) the past year, and their immediate circumstances. You're effectively making a character based off of your character! So have fun with it. :)

If you would like to refrain from participation, please see the FAQ below!

BREAKING THE CURSE.

Echoes can break the curse either by remembering their true lives, or through an act of good-will that breaks their curse.

REMEMBERING:

Echoes will experience severe cognizant dissonance upon their first attempt to truly remember. They will be aware that they can't remember anything, but the curse will allow them to accept this, and/or consider their True Self to be a myth, legend, or fairytale.

If the discrepancies continue to be brought up, they will begin to grow overwhelmed, and some may feel as if their whole life and personhood are complete lies. The possibility of a mental break is entirely possible at this point in time.

With further investigation and attempts to remember, the Echo will then experience a splitting migraine. One that could Blip an Echo who attempts to remember too soon.

An Echo with enough knowledge and willpower may be able to brute force their way through the migraine and regain their memories and all unlocked powers. However, this change will not effect other inhabitants of the Isle.

AN ACT OF GOODWILL:

PLEASE NOTE: that this method will require a few instances of pushing past your muse's personal curse. This may be implied, threaded out, or a combination of the two.

Echoes may help their friends with their stories!

If an Echo is pushed to break their own curse, then they will be on the path to remembering their True Self.

The world around the Echoes will do anything and everything it can to disallow the Echoes from making a positive change for themselves.

If an Echo's curse is a struggle with cowardice, then that Echo will feel even more inclined to act cowardly instead of with bravery. If an Echo is ripped apart from a loved one, it will seem as though the entire universe is setting up any and every scenario possible to keep them apart.

It is the act to be brave, or the endurance necessary to reunite that will break the curse, and allow the Echo the willpower to remember.

DO ALL MUSES HAVE TO PARTICIPATE?

It is recommended that you do! However, should your choose not to participate, your may start your threads taking place in-universe before the Blue Moon's arrival (February).

When the Blue Moon is finished, your muse may comment on it as someone who did remember their True Self, and found the situation uncanny, but was otherwise unaffected.

WHAT’S THE PARTICIPATION BONUS?

Aevum Isles awards 500 Emblems for participation in Blue Moon Events. 

HOW LONG DOES ACT I RUN FOR?

Act I of Untold Stories will run until February 15th, 2025. 

All threads started featuring Act I CAN be continued into Act II. 

You do not have to participate in both acts to count towards your activity, but both acts will only count towards a singular event participation.

Act II will be posted on February 15th.

I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT IT’S NOT ON HERE.

Please let us know by asking your question in the Aevum Isles Masterlist’s Ask Box! 

Questions sent elsewhere (such as the Aevum Isles FAQ discord channel) will not be accepted, and instead Staff will ask to transfer your question to the Masterlist at this time.

OVERVIEW.

With the resurgence of Aether during the Yestereve Harvest, the mystery entity behind the invasion of Kinohtala Isle has breached Arcanus with unnatural precision.

Now, it seems that the targets are the Echoes themselves.

Those who have adopted an ALTER FORM via Alter Totem may find themselves caught in the midst of this threat. It is up to their cunning and guile to find methods of escape.

Altered Echoes will be chased through the Aether Reserve, constantly avoiding the scorpion-like drones called OPTIC SNARES in hot pursuit of them.

Echoes may work together to escape the danger, or they may find themselves cornered and captured, taken to a CARGO SHIP.

Escaping the cargo ship may prove just as much of a challenge as avoiding capture in the first place.

Where this threat has come from and who is behind it continues to remain unknown.

Introducing: HALF MOON Event.

A HALF MOON EVENT is a brand new way to enjoy the seasonal festivals. Half-Moon Events will largely involve Aevum's Vices.

These abbreviated events focus on enhancing an already established aspect of the festival, for new and returning muses and members.

Participation is optional! No additional emblem rewards are offered for Half Moon event participation.

You may choose to only participate in the Half Moon Event for festival requirements and earn the standard 300 Emblems. All other thread length requirements apply.

ALTER - MAYHEM will be available from Oct. 15th - Oct. 31st.

Threads may be continued after the festival, but must be started within these dates to qualify for participation.

OPTIC SNARES

Optic Snares are a medium-large scale robot that loosely resembles the body of a scorpion. Internal propellers allow it to fly, allowing it an enhanced agility through urban and rural areas. Four metal arms protrude from its core. They are able to retract and extend as needed while the Optic Snare navigates and pursues its target.

The Optic Snare's true threat is its stinger and optic-sensor. The Optic Snare merely needs to scan a potential target once to allow for it to trace an Echo's Aether Signal. This allows the Optic Snare to track Echoes whether they are shifted into an Alter Form or not.

Once a target has been cornered and caught, the Optic Snare's chief priority is to pursue and utilize its stinger (a long, retractable needle at the tip of its tail) to inject its target with a neurotoxin. Once shot with the neurotoxin, the target will become paralyzed, and its mind will enter a trance-like state.

The effect lasts five minutes before beginning to wear off.

CARGO SHIP

The Optic Snares will transport their specimen to large, larvae-shaped, hovering vessel. The ship has been docked at the farthest end of Silverbrook Hollow. While the ship is landed, it is secured into the cliff-side by long metal beams burrowed into the earth.

One entrance ramp leads into the mouth of the ship, which the Optic Snares will use to deposit their captured specimen before returning to catch more. The ship is itself large enough for humanoids to comfortably walk around in, resembling the interior of a cargo plane.

All devices are sleek and modern, bordering on advanced, and made of steel, white microfibre materials, and illuminated by harsh, blue-tinted florescent lights. The ship boasts three main areas.

Storage Room

Optic Snares are constantly flying in and out of the storage room, uploading data and transporting captured Alters. It is filled with Optic Snare docking stations (that double as repair stations) indented into walls. Large crates, cages, and boxes of spare parts are filtered into the storage room through shifting wall panels and conveyor belts, where emptied crate, loose parts, or broken devices are deposited for storage, reorganization, or demolition.

Cell Block

Beyond the Storage Room is the Cell Block, where captured Alters are contained behind small squares in the wall. The cell blocks come in various sizes for different size animals, but none are large enough for any animal (or humanoid) to reside within comfortably. Anything caged would be able to see outside of their cell block through a force-field doorway, which is opened by an Optic Snare inserting a three-pronged claw into a slot beside each individual cell block. Prolonged exposure or physical contact with the force-field is highly discouraged. Exposure to the force-field will produce an unrecommended stinging sensation. Contact with the force-field will produce an strong electrified shock! On the ceiling is a camera the size of a forearm from optic to mount. It is always shifting, locking onto any movement that it detects. Close inspection of the camera will reveal a blind spot as it rotates its view along the room, typically directly underneath its mount or in any far corners. It will focus on anything it perceives as moving, including anything already within a cell.

Laboratory

The last room is a laboratory. Inside is a special, multi-limbed device hanging from the ceiling. Along the side of its chassis is the acronym G.S.D.O.S. (Genetic Sampling Device and Operating System) prepped with sample collecting tools. Alters transported to the laboratory are strapped to an examination table, where they pumped with neurotoxin, are scanned and DNA is collected. All DNA samples are stored in a controlled environment at the back of the laboratory. To escape, one would need to break out of the restraints and escape the room before it begins to fill with a gas form of the neurotoxin. G.S.D.O.S. has limited reach beyond the examination table, but it will activate alarms for Optic Snares to enter if specimens not dealt with.

ESCAPE THE SHIP

While challenging, escaping the machines and the cargo ship is not impossible.

Fleeing out of range of the Aether Reserve will cause the Optic Snares to give up pursuit (although it will be immediately alerted to an Echo's location on any return trip).

If an Echo is transported to the Cargo Ship, the Optic Snares will archive the Echo's data and signature, allowing for a swift escape if the Echo remains undetected.

FAQ:

DOES MY MUSE HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE OPTIC SNARES IF IN AN ALTER FORM?

No they do not! It is possible to engage with Alter Forms within the parameters of the city proper. The Optic Snares are limited to the Aether Reserve.

WHAT IF MY MUSE ALREADY HAS AN ALTER TOTEM?

Optic Snares can detect Echoes who have access to an Alter Form, regardless of whether the Alter is newly gained or previously owned.

WHAT IF MY MUSE HAS AN ALTER FORM, BUT IS NOT SHIFTED INTO IT?

If an Echo is not in their Alter Form, Optic Snares can detect and track the Echo's presence, albeit at a slower and less reliable rate. If found, the Optic Snare will be unable to capture the Echo for transport.

The Optic Snare will attempt to force the Echo into shifting into their Alter Form in order to take the Echo captive. They may do this by corralling Echoes towards the Alter Totems to trigger the transformation.

Echoes who can shift outside of the totem's influence may still be detected and captured, although not as easily as those shifted via the Alter Totems.

WOULD MY MUSE RECOGNIZE THE TECHNOLOGY?

If your muse participated in the Journey to Kinohtala Campaign, they would be able to detect similarities between the technology there and what has appeared here.

However, there were no Optic Snares in Kinohtala.

HOW ARE THE OPTIC SNARES DEFEATED?

While impressive machines, the Optic Snares have two primary weaknesses.

First, once they pick up speed they find it difficult to slow down. As an agile animal, you may be able to outrun the drones, or trick them into an air crash.

Second, the Optic Snare's primary weak point is their optic, which also acts as its sensor. When damaged, the Optic Snare's protocol will be to return to the Cargo Ship for repairs. If damaged or is fully destroyed, the Optic Snare no longer be able to function.

I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT IT’S NOT ON HERE.

Please let us know by asking your question in the Aevum Isles Masterlist’s Ask Box! 

Questions sent elsewhere (such as the Aevum Isles FAQ discord channel) will not be accepted, and instead Staff will ask to transfer your question to the Masterlist at this time.