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

[bloodysnarky]

[Cue a somewhat shocked face.]

But of course! You know what a lockpick is, surely?

[He shrugged his shoulders and gave a wry smile.]

You need a tool to sneak in and break into enemy territory, or find any stolen valuables they have locked up. Or captured Pokemon in need of escape! Surely you know this?

[Stolen valuables that can be restolen for himself but shhhhh.]

[nastyboy]

Oh. Oh. You meant using a lockpick as in - I see.

[What was he thinking? Don't worry about it. Don't ask about it. Please don't ask about it. He would prefer no one ever ask about it.]

I am afraid that, while I do have some things which could help with that, I did not see fit to bring them with me to this sort of thing. They would be difficult for me to handle with these gauntlets, and, besides, I am no expert with them.

[He's not really... been practicing with them like he ought. Shame on him, really.]

However, I do have access to things which may help down a wretched criminal with some force.

[bloodysnarky]

But that’s why you have ME now, darling.

[Was that…? Was that bashfulness he detected? Well, well. Astarion might just be getting to like this stranger in many ways today.

The mysterious man was also kind of silly? Yes. Yes and yes.]

Hm, let me handle that stuff then. I’ll be sure to get a hold of something I can use. You just worry about these other weapons to show me. All the more easier to get started.

[nastyboy]

I will leave it in your hands, then.

[Dimitri is fairly sure he couldn't speak much on that area of expertise at all, so... This is all he can do. Not that it's unusual. Every good allied force is made up of a variety of specialists, isn't it?]

[Even if this particular allied force is just two people, so far.]

[Still, Dimitri does as promised, and escorts Astarion outside, and to the landing area which was provided for the various flying types - whether those whose services were bought or those who belong to the attendees. In Dimitri's case, he falls into the latter category, and goes over to a pair of enormous birds - one a proud Pidgeot who watches their approach sharply, and a Fearow whose long neck has them looking over everything else.]

[Dimitri is rather relaxed as he approaches the Fearow in particular, looking over some of the bags on his saddle.]

You said you were adept with smaller weapons such as knives, did you not?

[bloodysnarky]

[This was the mother load of an evening alright. Astarion was already back adventuring but this is what felt familiar.

Honestly, it made him feel nostalgic. That journey brought him freedom and redemption, and now he can do whatever he wanted in this land far away from it all.

Even his own way of delivering justice, just like how he did at home. You burn one vampire master’s house after ridding the land of brain tadpole, you get to be a damn hero.]

I did, yes. Are you about to surprise me again?

[nastyboy]

I am unsure of how well a surprise this will be, but.. Perhaps these will suit you well.

[Digging around in the bags, Dimitri pulls out a pair of simple and rather blunt wooden daggers. They of course can't be anything like the real thing, but they do well for jabbing, in his experience, and are weighted enough to give someone a headache.]

[Ask him how he knows.]

[Or just accept them as he holds them out to Astarion.]

Please let me know how these suit you. They will certainly not last the whole night, but I imagine they will prove useful.

[bloodysnarky]

[Astarion looked at them, dejected. Those surely won't last the night. Maybe not for the next few hours. Astarion gave a look of someone who was given a pop quiz instead when he was promised a trip to the theme park. He took a look at them again before, begrudgingly, taking them.]

Certainly...not the best I have ever seen.

These suck actually. But if it's the best you can do, I've worked with worse. Which was my bare hands. Beggars, choosers.

[nastyboy]

[A sigh echoes in the helmet.]

I know, and I must apologize. But whatever is behind the powers of this world insists on no true violence, and so I can only make these sorts of things, so that I might practice and stay in form.

[And beating up someone with a stick is, like. still beating someone up. So, you know.]

Although there are far worse things than mere death or harm.

[bloodysnarky]

[A listless look appeared on Astarion's face.]

Funny, not many understand that so whole heartedly.

[Though he had changed since he met Tav, it was still an old habit to be embittered by naive fools who think so little of death and what even lies after it. His undeath has been doing well NOW, but so often death would've been his mercy. An escape, grace.

Maybe a far less consequence heavy night of mayhem would do him some good, genuinely. He can live out his hedonistic freedom and manage to actually be of some use.

As fast as his listless look appeared, it went away to reveal a smile.]

Fine then, if this place insists on the bare minimum, then I'll push to those limits. Let's crack a few numbskulls.

[nastyboy]

[Truly, that sort of look... It is one that Dimitri knows well. For surely he has worn similar, seen occasionally warped in the reflection of still ponds, or frozen ice which has claimed some surface or another. It is a miserable look to wear, truly.]

[Good, then, that his new companion can still manage a smile when all is said and done.]

Indeed. Although I hope you not mind company.

[As he starts to walk, to escort them back towards the town proper, Dimitri takes yet another pokeball from his belt. What slips out has shape.... briefly. Two-legged, and pale, and fox-like. A hisuian Zoroark, for those who are familiar with it.]

[But then there's a rasping kind of laugh, and it disappears into mist.]

[Dimitri sighs and just keeps walking.]

Mononoke is his name. I had him with me, to ensure that he would not cause trouble in my home on a holiday such as this.

[bloodysnarky]

[Astarion was thrilled. Positively. As Dimitri sighed, Astarion grinned.]

I like him. The perfect attitude for a night like this, I think.

[As they walked, Astarion started to idly do a few tosses of his wooden daggers. To show off? Maybe. Most certainly. A party trick, if you will.]

What's a little vigilante justice without just a taste of chaos? We are working over the law, after all.

[nastyboy]

[Somehow, it's not a surprise that Astarion likes Mononoke. Dimitri rather thinks he understands, truth be told. After all, despite the fact that Mononoke has done many things like steal his wallet and identity in order to go gambling, or that he is ultimately very angry and bitter about so much, well...]

[Dimitri understands.]

[He's also rather impressed as Astarion handles those daggers, nodding along to his words for all that his gaze stays focused on the movement. It's a sort of agility that Dimitri doesn't think himself capable of, and is thus deserving of admiration.]

Indeed. And I believe that his abilities will come into use here, so long as we can convince him of it. For now, would you prefer a higher vantage point, so that we can better spot those wretched cur who would ruin a night of delight?

[bloodysnarky]

Finally, some language I can understand.

[He had to keep himself from accidentally revealing too much about his past. As much as he was enjoying this night with a stranger, he had to remember where he was. The fewer people at this moment that knew his troubled past turning into many talents of his, the better. But he was excited.]

I tend to keep to the shadows and that does fine, but you know our foes more than me. Obviously. You lead the way.

[nastyboy]

Then... I have not been to Lavender often, but I think I should know a good vantage point. In all cities, scum always resort to the same tried and true methods.

That shall be their downfall, tonight.

[And that means venturing off a little more in the direction of the many side streets and little nooks and crannies which may be off to the side of the main streets...]

[One which has a strangely familiar gauntlet gesturing to them to come forward, and Dimitri is not wholly surprised when he goes to investigate and find a mirror image of himself.]

...I suppose this makes things easier, Mononoke. [He turns to Astarion.] Would you like a lift up to that ladder hanging up a bit more? I could boost you rather easily.

[bloodysnarky]

Oh, would you, darling?

[He could certainly do it himself but the idea of someone being so kind to let him up with his burly arms...Astarion couldn't say no to this.]

[nastyboy]

[It occurs to Dimitri distantly that this gentleman tends to use pet names a great deal. Huh.]

[He then proceeds to think absolutely no more about it whatsoever.]

[Instead, with great care and mindful of his armor, Dimitri lowers himself to one knee, and offers his arms out so that his companion might get into his arms comfortably at his own pace, as he prefers.]

[bloodysnarky]

[...He just did it. Astarion should've been easily able to do it and probably would've said so. He was spry enough to do it. But Dimitri was gentlemanly enough to do it for him. All he had to do was ask and that was absolutely glorious. Astarion did his best to hide a sly smile as he was climbing this man to use him as support.]

So helpful, thank you.

[So kind, so delightful.]

We better hurry then, who knows what these villains are plotting.

[nastyboy]

Indeed. They will use every second of nightfall for their deviousness.

[Don't ask how that wisp of smoke slips up along the ladder effortlessly onto the rooftop, once again taking a mimicry of Dimitri's costumed form. The actual Dimitri follows shortly after, the emergency ladder creaking just a little bit from the weight of all his armor.]

[Once he's ascended, he stalks over to the rooftop's edge, looking all over the festivities. He toys with a particular pokeball at his belt.]

I trust you know how to spot such cur.