Who: Nathaniel, Voe and party guests! Seating arrangements!
When: seven o'clock
Where: Nathaniel and Voe's forest cottage
What: the dinner party.

Nathaniel checked that the chicken was cooking nicely in the oven and estimated that it was going to be ready in about ten minutes, which would give the guests plenty of time to arrive for the meal. A combination of excitement and nervousness rushed through his veins, but he managed to keep it contained under a mask of a cool face. He set the table with good china and the fine silver utensils Voe had let him borrow, as well as proper and ornate wine glasses. How on earth did she manage to bring all of this with her? Some questions were better left unanswered.

He walked back to the living room where Dione sat on one of the sofas - he'd picked her up at her house and escourted her back to the forest cottage, making idle conversation along the way. "May I get you anything to drink while we're waiting?" he asked. "Wine, maybe?" He had no idea if she drank alcohol, so perhaps he should offer an alternative. "There's also water or tea." Not so many options, but it was better than nothing. Idly, Nathaniel ran a hand through his newly shortened hair. Voe had helped him cut his hair and he'd trimmed his beard for the occasion, so he didn't look half bad... if he were to pay attention to appearances as such.

At first when Nathaniel told Voe about the dinner party, she was skeptical. He hardly seemed like the type to host such a gathering and might not have the ability to do so. He was her ally, though, so he had to prove otherwise to her. All doubts vanished from her mind when he told her that he invited Janus. Another opportunity to see him again made anything worth it and she decided to help him as much as possible. This meant providing glasses and utensils and even helping him cook (namely, telling him when the food bubbled and was about to burn).

And then there was this strange woman that Nathaniel brought home as their first guest. She had haunting silver eyes - because she was blind, Volcano told her - and reminded Voe of a moth she'd seen fluttering about in the bomb shelter in which she grew up. That would be her name, she decided, and let Nathaniel keep the woman company while she hovered between the kitchen and making sure that everything was truly elegant and perfect. She smoothed the skirt of her dress, checked her hair in the mirror and made sure that her posture was perfectly straight. Now all they had to do was wait for people to arrive.

Who: Everyone!
Where: Just outside of Helicharis at the Festival Grounds
When: 6 PM till ??
What: Autumnal Equinox Festival - It's the first day of Autumn!

ooc: To join in on the festivities, simply comment to the main post. Your entry can be a narrative or open to others. If you are replying to someone else reply to their comment and not to the main post. All activities are open for participation, it is up to your discretion what your character will do.

The past week had been nothing but preparations for the coming equinox that would herald the new season. It was a happy time for the forest creatures as they were the ones that spent hours on end setting up the grounds for the joyous celebration. Wooden lamp posts lit with orange flames bordered the area as well as throughout the entire festival grounds. Each attendee was greeted with a flower garland for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one.

Fairies had decided to attend this festival as well because of the bright colors that had attracted their attention. There were bonfires all throughout the festival as well and they added warmth to the cool night air. The fiery glow that came from each pyre added a comforting feel to the entire atmosphere, and there were many fauns and fae dancing around each one in a happy manner. They were singing songs and laughing joyously as they pulled passers-by into their happy circle.

Musical fauns played their instruments as they marched through the festival. Fae and fairies flew around the traveling group, singing and humming to the music that resonated in the air. A large stage was set up for those who wished to perform in front of a large crowd be it with singing or acting or any other sort of talent they possessed. There were shows held as well, particularly by those who possessed magic and wished to entertain the crowd for an hour or tow.

Food and drink tables were set up nearby to feed the many attendees with whatever they could think to eat. And wine, they couldn't forget about the wine! There were scantily clad fae handing out the intoxicating liquid to everyone with a free hand. The wine this year was extremely potent and anyone with a weak constitution would no doubt get inebriated with just one cup.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

Contests were set up again as they were just a month earlier. Archery contests and wrestling matches, potato sack and three-legged races. There were various game booths set up as well, such as knife throwing and ring tossing. There was even an area set up for pie eating contests and a Dwarven ale contest where participants could try to out-drink a dwarf.

Fireworks exploded periodically throughout the night and the gleeful sounds of the festival echoed all around. Elysium was a joyful place tonight as citizens celebrated the equinox beneath the near-full moon.

Who: Everyone!
When: 6:30 PM
Where: The Beach, by The Tiki Hut
What: Zane and Amada's Wedding Reception!

OOC: Everyone is welcome to join the party! Start a new sub-thread to interact with others, or keep an eye out for open sub-threads for you to join! Or if you don't feel like interacting, type up a narrative for your character.

The sun's rays shining out from below the horizon signaled the start of the wedding reception to celebrate Zane and Amada's happy nuptials. The area around Loki's Tiki Hut was set up with festive tiki torches that illuminated the entire area all the way down to the rim of the lake. Each lamp was entwined in green vines and white flowers, and the sand here was also 'planted' with green grass to add to the tropical theme. The tables were decorated with floating candle and flower centerpieces and around each centerpiece were several glass blown wedding favors in the shape of sail boats. Each table also had small boxes of clamshell shaped chocolate for everyone to enjoy.

Soft music lingered in the air and though the night sky was filled with stars some of the fae-folk had enticed lightning bugs to come out and provide romantic lighting above the tables and dance floor. Dinner for the guests was set up buffet style with a variety of foods provided by the restaurant in town. Drinks — alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike — were provided by Loki and his Tiki Hut served as the bar. The ever enchanting Faye Capricia had agreed to the last minute request of providing live singing entertainment for the reception. The dance floor was nothing but the soft sand beneath their feet and, as much as it may have dismayed the bride, even the lake monsters joined in on the festivities as they sang their song and splashed around in the water.

All in all it was a beautiful reception with a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy, and it was the perfect way to spend the evening in the company of friends or with a special someone.

Who: Zach, plus close friends and family [Narrative]
Where: Silmé Lagoon
When: Begins 3 PM-ish, lasts to sundown.
What: Zach's 19th birthday.

After Nico and Zach left the ancient elven ruins, they journeyed northeast towards Silmé Lagoon. There at the lagoon was a small get-together for Zach's nineteenth birthday that included just family and close friends. Both of his parents were there along with his sister, his grandma, Adrienne and her family, plus a few others. Food had been cooked while Zach and Nico were away, and it was set out for everyone when they arrived on time. Picnic dishes that didn't need cooking had been put together and brought out for the day's event as well.

Alicia revealed that she had blabbed some names of new friends to their mother, but Lucinda decided against inviting too many people. She said she knew that Zach didn't like big crowds, and it was best to give him his space for the day and only have a small group of people. They all had something to eat and sat around talking, passing out a few presents for Zach.

The first two came from his mother, a burgundy sweater and a safe-keeping box. From his dad, Zach received a leather-bound journal. From his sister, Alicia, a handmade gray scarf. Finally, from his grandmother, there was a crafted teapot made with the mokume gane style and a rose gold ring with the same style. All of them were really nice gifts that Zach liked, although he dreaded the thought of having to carry all of them home, especially the big box from his mother and the teapot from his grandmother.

They all remained long enough to go for a swim, which meant only the younger crowd went swimming in the lagoon's pools as the older crowd watched on from a distance and chatted with each other. There weren't any big decorations, no banners exclaiming it was his birthday, but everyone said 'happy birthday' to him and spending the day with everyone close to him meant more than a big party.

It wasn't until the sun began to set when they gathered up all of their belongings and traveled back to Helicharis. Considering they hadn't brought camping supplies with them, they weren't going to be staying out for the night. All in all, it was the perfect way for Zach to spend his nineteenth birthday.

Who: Emily, Echo, and OPEN to party guests!
Where: by the Plancks' forest cottage
When: sundown
What: Surprise birthday party! I'll have Emily arrive after a few comments from other people.

Echo awoke earlier than usual Saturday morning, not surprisingly because she had much to do before the party in the evening. She dressed quickly and hoped that her mom hadn't started making breakfast yet. On her birthday, she wasn't allowed - ever since she was four, Echo insisted on making Emily breakfast in bed. Her meals improved over the years, thankfully. She reached the kitchen and found it empty, which was good. She set to work cooking pancakes, her mom's favorite breakfast in the entire world, and almost three-quarters of an hour later, she was finished.

Placing the plate of pancakes and a glass of juice on a tray, Echo carried it to Emily's room and opened the door. The movement stirred her mother, who sat up in bed. "Happy birthday to you," Echo started to sing as she neared the bed. "...happy birthday, dear Mom, happy birthday to you!" She grinned and gave Emily the tray, squeezing her shoulders in a hug.

( ''Oh Echo, thank you,'' said Emily... )

Making the excuse to leave was easier than Echo had expected, as was getting Emily to agree to come back to the cottage at sundown. She hurried back and went to her room to retrieve the party decorations. The baker soon arrived with the cake, so Echo set up a couple of tables for it to rest and brought out the rest of the refreshments. She draped streamers over various tree branches and positioned the tiki torches so that there was enough light. The sun neared the horizon now, and Echo changed just before the musicians arrived. She adored her yellow dress that Kazuki made her yesterday (and she immediately invited her to the party). Revealing, cute and definitely mature.

Excellent. Now all she had to do was hope that the guests came to the forest cottage before her mom returned. Time to get the party started!

Who: Everyone! [Open for All]
When: Evening, beginning around 6 PM
Where: Festival grounds NE of Helicharis
What: The Autumnal Festival!

** To join in on this post, simply comment to the main post. If you are replying to someone else or joining them, reply to their comment and not to the main post.


The happy sounds of the autumnal festival were ringing throughout all of Elysium even before the sun sank beneath the horizon. The hard work the fauns had put into the celebration was evident by the elaborate decoration and set-up of the grounds. Wooden lamp posts lit with colored flames littered the festival while garlands of flowers wrapped themselves around each post, adding to the earthy beauty of the entire scene. Each attendee was greeted with their choice of a garland of flowers for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one (or more, for some).

Upon entering the grounds enchanted colored leaves fall from the sky and then back up again very slowly from the flora littered ground to create a more autumn-like atmosphere. The curious insects known as fairies were also in attendance due to all of the lights, the bright and happy colors attracting their attention while their prismatic bodies blinked in and out of sight like lightning bugs and little dust fell from their minuscule wings. The bonfires too added warmth to the cool night air and brought comfort to everyone who had come out to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the continuation of life.

What festival would be complete without fun and games, though?

The fauns, along with the centaurs, had set up an archery range at the eastern end of the grounds, along with areas for knife throwing and a ring for wrestling with a minotaur. "Care to try your luck?" read the signs posted in that area for all who ventured that way. The northern end of the grounds, near the saltwater lake, was also bustling with activity with the ale drinking and Lembas bread eating contests. The rowdiness of the crowds, however, did not take away from the good-natured atmosphere of the food and drink area nearby where many people were seated upon soft grasses of the earth.

The contests did not interrupt the music and the dancing either, both of which were only a few feet away. The musical fauns, with their pipes and flutes and drums, played with fervor and enticed the attendees to dance and sing joyously. Their music permeated throughout the entire festival and many, especially children, were invited to play along with flutes and drums that were handed out as they arrived. Music was a central theme to many of the faun’s festive activities throughout the year, the autumn festival being no exception, as was the dancing and the feasting upon delicious foods and decadent drinks laid out across the grounds.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

As fairies danced their way through the crowds to spread the joy of the festival, fireworks explode into the night sky. The magical light show added to the overall joyous atmosphere of the first festival in the safe haven of Elysium.