Halloween 2023

[indigo_league]

The last few hours before dusk sees you all arriving at a large, stately home just outside of Lavender Town.

Unlike previous years, where Halloween had you visiting dilapidated castles, this manor home is in perfect condition. Age hasn't crumbled the walls or worn away the dark roof, but rather it sits on the manor like a heavy, proud crown, a testament to the many long years it has stood here while everything around it changed but it stayed forever the same. Candlelight flickers in its many windows, while it casts a dark shadow against the slowly setting sun. The gravel crunches under your feet as you make it up the long drive and a cold wind chills you to your very bones, even through the layers of whatever costume you've chosen to wear.

Then the manor's large double doors fling up. Two long shadows stretch down across the driveway towards you, light spilling around two silhouettes standing in the opened door, beckoning, inviting. Soy doffs his hat, while Riegfried bows deep, his hare ears nearly brushing the ground.

"Welcome to our Halloween Feast."




Inside the Manor

Not all of the Manor is available for you to explore. In fact, it's really just the ground floor that has been decorated and made available for your use. And even then, what rooms are available to you depends on the time of evening.

Contest portion

Early in the evening, several large rooms on the left of the Manor are open to your character.

The largest of these rooms has a stage and chairs set up, clearly where the contest will be held. Soy can be found in this room, in case you need to discuss some things with him ahead of your performance like lighting cues or other things you might need.

In addition to this, a dressing and prop room have also been made available. Need some last-minute adjustments on your costume? Desperate to find one final prop to really make your performance shine? Why not peruse the items Riegfried and Soy have brought with them for you to use? This is also a good place to have a chat with some others -- perhaps you like to scope out the competition before the performances start, or you are a newbie looking for some advice. Either way, this is the best place to find it!


Haunted Ball

Once the contest has concluded, and night has well and truly fallen, characters will be able to enter the large room on the right of the Manor.

The Ball Room has been decked out in enough black lace and dark velvet to make any classical vampire quite jealous. The ceiling has been decorated with spider silk that sways ever so slightly, casting flicking shadows on the walls in the candlelight. And while there are some seats and benches along the edges of the room, most of it is left free for people to dance and mingle. On a small podium in the corner of the room, a band of ghouls and zombies (costumes, we hope!) plays the kind of spooky tunes that are still, somehow, upbeat enough to dance to.

As folks dance and make merry and the evening carries on, one might note a spectral shape gliding around the dance floor, observing, before finally nudging its ghostly nose against a hand here and there and suddenly the ballroom floor is a lot more crowded.

More details about this part of the event can be found here

Outside the Manor


If you run out of interesting things to do inside (or you need some fresh air), why not visit the sprawling yard behind the Manor? It too has been decorated for the occasion -- carved pumpkins sit everywhere, candles burning merrily inside and on top of them. As night falls, a trained flock of zubat swoop low over the garden, adding that extra hint of spookiness to the air. Don't worry, they've been trained not to get caught in anyone's hair!

Food

The garden is clearly where Riegfried and Soy have put the less formal Halloween Activities, starting with a fair few food stalls. There is a stand where you can get drinks, offering things like tea and coffee, hot chocolate for the kids (or the young at heart) and mulled cider for the adults. No one shall go parched tonight!

Food is also available in various flavours, from various sorts of candy (cotton and otherwise) to more hearty snacks. No need to worry if your character isn't into all of this sweet stuff! There is piping hot soup and other common festival foods available as well for those seeking a break from all the sugar.

One stand in particular draws attention though, not for the food on offer --though those Candied Apples do look mighty tasty!-- but rather for the unusual pokemon that sits both proudly on the booth itself as well as the sign above the stand. Rumour has it that if you feed one of these Syrupy Apples to your Applin, you might just see something amazing!


Maze

A large corn maze has been grown towards the back of the sprawling yard. Riegfried and Soy have made sure to make it a little more exciting than your average maze though.

A small warp pad will transport you to the middle of the maze, from where you'll have to find your way out, guided only by lantern light (please remember to pick one of the lanterns before warping in!). And as if that isn't spooky enough, the maze has been stocked full of Pokemon ready to give you a little fright. Try not to run towards that dead end now!

The pokemon in the maze are available for capture. In fact, Riegfried and Soy encourage you to make a new friend or two in their haunted maze.

Available Pokemon: Zubat, Gastly, Murkrow, Misdreavus, Shuppet, Duskull, Drifloon, Yamask, Galarian Yamask, Litwick, Phantump, Pumpkaboo, Sinistea, Impidimp, Greavard, Gimmighoul

Bonfire

Set a bit away from the food stalls, and very safely away from the maze, is a large bonfire. October nights, after all, can get quite cold, and it will be nice to warm yourself up next to the fire. And maybe put all manner of things on a stick and roast them above the fire.

At the bonfire, you'll also find Riegfried. You've only ever seen him in his role as a contest or prom host, but today he's here to show you he's got one more hidden talent. Yes, by the light of the bonfire, Riegfried will be telling ghost stories. Why not sit for a spell, drink some hot choco and listen to the frightening tale of man door hand hook car door.

(Of course, Riegfried cannot be there the whole night. He still has contest duties to attend to too, so whenever he is absent, why not try your hand at telling a spooky story yourself? Tell people what goes bump in the night back in your home world)

Contest submissions | Shiny draw | Witches' judgement | Greavard event info

Comments

Witches' Judgment

[indigo_league]

All throughout the party, you may find yourself accosted by a trio of witches -- a Mimikyuu, a Leavanny and a Bannette¹. From underneath the wide brims of their hats, their eyes peer at your costumes intensely, their head nestled close together as they exchange whispers.

Do you dare to subject yourself and your costume to their judgment? Impress them and you might find yourself rewarded. However, it's not only rewards they are handing out...

¹ If asked, Riegfried and Soy will react with some confusion and do not seem to be responsible for this trio of Pokemon. However, they will mention there are some stories of a trio of ghosts that inhabit this manor, who once belonged to the old lady of the house. Strange.


---

If you'd like to get your costume judged, post it here, and we'll let you know if you'll receive a trick or a treat.

[prayreturn]

Minfilia, at first, was not going to go in too complex an outfit. But then her Mimikyu insisted and you cannot resist those puppy-dog eyes...

Thus, she is presenting herself for being judged in a quite elegant outfit. Well, at least the dress is elegant, in blacks and silvers. Two eye-like marks on the belt show the true intention of the outfit, though...

It's themed to her shiny Mimikyu - thus, under her dress is a black skirt, that seems to fade into the ground, which cannot be seen past. And a ribbon that looks like a Pikachu tail, tied around her waist. She has also used makeup on her shoulders and neck to look like patchwork, like a Mimikyu having constructed it and sewn it in their own fashion.

[mywayistheway]

Someone has actually shown up without her armor. Bo-Katan is channeling her sister tonight and actually came in a dress!

It is inspired by the legendary ghost type, Lunala! Along with the dress she’s also wearing a pair of small matching Lunala wings and a crescent shaped headdress that also resembles the top of Lunala’s head.

[phoenixwiz]

While it may seem weird for a guy who had some trauma over losing dead parents on Halloween to be attending Halloween parties the second time around, Harry has decided to go a little more adventurous.

For tonight he is dressed as the rope wielding, treasure searching, witty fedora wearing archeologist himself, Tennessee Smith! There is a tan/khaki safari shirt and pants paired with a dark brown leather jacket, a tan military belt, a pair of brown lace up boots, a brown leather belt with holsters for a prop gun and a prop rope, a vintage medic crossbody bag, and of course, the fabled fedora itself.

Not sure if they fall under the type who likes action adventure, but Harry is going to hope for the best.

[senorita_perfecta]

Isabela has gotten all out for this season for her first Halloween party and her outfit is surely going to put a spell on YOU! (Mandatory Hocus Pocus references are here, folks! It’s Halloween guys.)

Her very witchy outfit (that may or may not remind people of witch Carrie Bradshaw) is consisted of a mauvey purple embroidered bodice with magenta spider web inspired sleeves, a skirt made of purple and coral layers and red lace, sheer black stockings, black ankle boots, and a purple hooded cloak. For accessories, Isa wears gold hoop earrings, gold necklace with a small pendant, and gold bangles. Her hair meanwhile has purple, red and orange pollen dye streaks to compliment the outfit.

She is also carrying a fake broom and has a leather medieval belt bag worn around her waist.

[bloodysnarky]

Astarion was definitely going to go all out. A Hallow's Eve ball? With the fancy adornments of such a wealthy duo? Sign him up. Finally he could enjoy the high class society, so he was all the eager to please. His dearest Yula the Litten and, newcomer, Phantasm the Shuppet were attached to him like glue. Both of them wore gothic style feathered hats and bows, all to go along with his costume. Dark, ghastly, refined. Because Astarion obviously wasn't a REAL vampire, oh no. That was why he was all into baring his teeth with his red eyes. His hair was curled up just a tad more, and some eyeliner rimmed his eyes to make the crimson color pop.

[rolltoavoidpossession]

Ryou turns up in a costume based on his longtime tabletop character, the White Wizard. (Nerd.)

The costume consists of a white robe and hat with gold colour trim painted on with fabric paint, complete with simple boots and a paper mache staff!

[outofsynth]

If nothing else then Min's headpiece should give a good resemblance to Rodeo, the Alolan Marowak who is accompanying him for much of tonight. He has a light up club to go along with it.

His shirt bears the markings you'd expect to see, with a grey belly and bone patterns along the back. He's finished it off with plain black pants, and some black and white sneakers. The top half of the costume makes the point well enough, right? Or at least he'd better hope these witches think so...

[songstressedout]

Yuzu had originally planned to dress as Fairy Cheer Girl, an Xyz Monster from back home... but seeing as how it's Halloween, she decided to take a spookier spin on that idea.

As a result, tonight, Yuzu is Dark Fairy Cheer Girl. Let it never be said that Yuzu half-asses her costumes, because she's complete with the wings, wand, hair accessories, and everything. The red parts don't glow, though, she couldn't quite pull that off.

[nightyorb]

Riz will come check out these witches because he wants to figure out if they are just ghosts or ghosts.

For the most part, he's wearing his regular clothes -- slacks, a button-down shirt, a tie and a sweater vest over those -- but on top of that, he's wearing a long white doctor's coat (complete with stethoscope), and his normal hat has the addition of a head mirror to it.

He also has a clipboard with bills on it.

Yes. He's for profit health care. Please be absolutely terrified of him.

[schachmeister]

Armin absolutely desires judgment! He's come dressed as a very classical dracula vampire, complete with long cape, ruffled shirt and fakey-fake vampire fangs. He's also slicked back his hair for the occasion. He'll even strike a scary pose if requested.

(How scary said pose will actually be when done by such a good, round boy is very debatable)

[livlaughlove]

So Livio is kind of basic. He could have just gone as a cowboy, but that feels cheap, so he let his partner Teddiursa pick something out for him in Goldenrod... A simple Ursaring kigurumi. Orrr... not so simple.

See, even with the Big And Tall sizes... it's pretty small on him. The body fits okay, if a little snug, but the arms and legs have ripped at the seams and the legs are only long enough to end up more like shorts on him. He isn't exactly proud of how this turned out, but he's trying not to take it too seriously. Besides, how can he say no to Osita's angry sweet little face?

[shiro2hero]

"What do you guys think?"

Shiro is... well. He kind of grabbed something at the last minute. Still, he spreads out his hands and does a little twirl in the cheap knight costume. At least he knows it's not great. He's even laughing a little as he does it.

[viscora]

Laszlo figures that they might as well enter the contest. It's all in good fun, and both Torkos the Goomy and Alma the Applin are almost vibrating in excitement. Laszlo is dressed as an evil queen, their sand colored hair in an updo with a plastic crown on their head. It's a pretty straightforward costume that consists of a black velvet cloak over a dress that probably came from a thrift store somewhere.

Yes, they're posing dramatically with their Applin. And yes, they've probably got some Snow White vibes going on.

[gobetween]

One of the scariest things Gobo knows about is, of course, the hairy monster that lives outside the entrance to Fraggle Rock. And what's one of the closest Pokemon he could find that resembles that? Why Rockruff, of course! Okay Growlithe might've also qualified, but he'd gone with resources on hand.

Which had been buying, with some help, a full body costume from someone selling them. His vision's a little off but he's careful enough, it's fine! It's fine. And when he notices the witches watching him, he decides to dance a little for them, of course adding on a bark or two. Scary monster sounds, gotta do it right?

except on the right account this time

[candyapplechild]

Eri's costume is simple... and actually halloween-themed. She has her holidays down! Gone are the days when she would've come here dressed as a tiny santa claus. Instead, behold...

Baby Witch Eri in all her adorable glory.

[shiningkindness]

Honestly, Fluttershy doesn't really like scary anything that much. So she's decided to dress up as something cute instead. And what could be cuter than a Pokemon?

Specifically, she's dressed as a shiny Hattrem: She's wearing a pink tutu dress and hat, and has pulled her hair back into pigtails to complete the look.

[neverbreaks]

This year, Luisa had been having trouble deciding whether to dress as a warrior or a princess. So in the end, she decides to dress as both.

[soupguy]

Boober didn't exactly intend to have his costume judged. It was kind of just bound to happen with him spending time with Riz at this party, and Riz being so doggedly determined to investigate these three pokemon.

As for Boober's costume, well... He's some kind of swamp witch, herbal healer... something... He intended to dress as something properly scary this year, now that he understands Halloween more. So the idea had been to be a truly creepy witch. It was just that all of those looks left him too unnerved. And then he'd have this scary costume in his closet going forward and-- No. This was for the best.

[pennyloafer]

Louie approaches the witches in his low-effort, store-bought Sprigatito kigurumi not because he's confident in his costume. No, Louie's confidence lies in his ability to sweet-talk, and he is going to do his best to schmooze the judges in hopes he'll get something cool - and free - out of it.

[paladinlost]

In a grand display of creativity, Cecil is dressed... as a bedsheet ghost.

Not as a plain old bedsheet ghost, mind you. Somehow, through the magic of a determined gaggle of Pokémon and very strong glue, his "costume" has been enhanced by a variety of adornments, such as pumpkin-shaped glitter, beads, fake feathers, bits and pieces of colorful lace, real feathers, a chewed up rubber Ducklett (?), dodgy cardboard shapes, and the end stubs of three different pencils (??). There is a non-negligible chance half of it will drop on the ground before the party is over.

Oh, and the eye holes are both too small and lopsided. Look, the kids tried their best!

Rip the red pen I used for this sketch u_u

[seacub]

While it's highly likely that a good amount of the effort was to impress his boyfriend, it's pretty clear Emporio has put the extra work in this Halloween.

While it would be easy to simply dress up as an oversized fire croc and call it a day, Emporio decided that dressing up as Skeledirge needes more flareflair.

So Emporio's costume, to that end, looks like it belongs on the stage! Fitting the look of the roguish but charming bandit, the microphone Skeledirge is so known for rests at his side as a sword- though he'll show it off if prompted. The costume itself bears plenty of red with ivory 'armor' plates, including the skull cap and mask, and to really bring it home Emporio even put some streaks of red and orange in his hair for fire!

(Just don't ask him to say anything in SpanishPaldean, he only knows cuss words.)

....some other worlders might find this look familiar in any case...

[singlespacedad]

Mando isn't even wearing a costume, he just showed up in his armour. He's accompanied by a Mimikyu and a Spheal who are wearing costumes designed to look like tiny Mandalorians--the Spheal is wearing a full-body balaclava, it's adorable. Is this enough to convince the witches he's dressing as a knight with his two noble Pokesquires?

[epitaffio]

Doppio is pretty nervous when he finds himself under the judgemental eye of the trio. It's his costume they're judging, right? Because frankly, he didn't put that much effort into it.

His costume consists of a simple black cape - with a dark, lacy trim, granted - and a pointy wizard's hat of a decent size. That's it. Though he did try to match the rest of his outfit to the theme - he's wearing an orange sweater, you see, and his pants are leaning towards the purpler end of indigo tonight.

Diavolo Some people, not naming names, would argue he looks cute, all the same. Don't his natural charms go a long way?!

Re: Witches' Judgment

[chickenchoicejudy]

Similarly to Min-Gi, Ryan is also dressed up as one of his pokemon - his Froslass Boo. His costume is a little more stylized, with a short kimono and a mask tilted to the side of his head as though he's been running around a festival. He went elaborate with the face make-up, and had a lot of fun essentially bedazzling himself. Under the tilted mask he has a headband with little horns.

It's ultimately a very androgynous costume on him, which he seems to be enjoying. It's a costume meant to go along with their costume performance though, and Boo seems to enjoy it - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?