Empatheias Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
simpathis) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
empatheias_ooc2018-07-20 06:12 pm
simpathis) wrote in empatheias_ooc2018-07-20 06:12 pm
Light of Helisium 2018: Details
As the end of the month of Tessa draws near, Helisium is once again upon us! Everyone in Verens is encouraged to take the day to enjoy the festivities, so leave work and your other responsibilities behind and come have some fun in the sun! If sunshine and festival food aren’t your thing, perhaps the evening masquerade and refreshments will be more your style. We hope you enjoy this year’s festival, and be sure to stay hydrated!
» WHAT IS HELISIUM?
Whereas Selenium is a solemn occasion where we honor the memory of the departed, Helisium is quite the opposite, being a joyful and lively celebration that takes place during the Eurus season each year. In addition to being this world’s summer festival, its traditions also include the celebration of new marriages. Elios got a bit of a head start on that with this year’s Flower Festival, many natives may be seen celebrating their nuptials during the festivities.
» EVENT DETAILS
- On the Beach: Surf, sand and games abound. Take a swim, or enjoy a game of volleyball or badminton with friends— you might even make a few new ones. Thanks to Briarlan engineers, there will also be a snow and ice machine that will provide a nice cool getaway for anyone looking to beat the heat, as well as a waterslide made of ice.
- Water-Skiing & Hang-Gliding: Thanks to Briarlan, a hoverbike that’s able to move across the water is now available, which means water-skiing is now a reality in Verens! Two-person hang-gliders that will also be available for use, and will take flight when exposed to focused joy. Be safe and have fun!
- Emotional Mafia: Paintball with an emotional twist! Players will choose their ammunition based on which Arehtei they like best, and only by focusing on that Arehtei's emotions can they activate the colors when they fire. Alignment does not matter here! If you get hit by a yellow paintball, congrats, you're on Team Thras now. The team who has gathered the most players at the end of the day wins! Participants are encouraged to comment here to let us know which team they ended up on by the end!
- Plays: The four-year anniversary of the arrival of the first Otherworlders is fast-approaching, and this occasion is being commemorated by actors from each city putting on performances at the base of the Memory Tree. These plays will be reenactments of major events from throughout the last four years, and performers will be dragging people from the audience up on stage to participate, as well!
- Food: Several local eateries will be doing their part to help keep everyone fed throughout the day, and there are summer treats almost everywhere you turn. Your basic festival fare will be available, and Briarlan’s snow machines make keeping ice cream and other frozen treats on hand a breeze. Just be wary of the local seagulls, since Sosyne’s moodiness seems to have rubbed off on them.
- Costumes and Masks: Don’t have an outfit for the occasion yet? No problem! Several shops within the city have been selling costumes, formal wear and masks with Helisium in mind for weeks now, and they’re not about to stop now. Masks will be available to those who want to join in on the fun at the last minute— with the added bonus of their being infused with various emotional effects!
- In the Administrative District: The Shaarnath starweavers have been hard at work, and if you visit the Administrative District at any point during the evening festivities, you’ll have the chance to fly to the moon and play among the stars. The music and dancing part of the masquerade will be in the district’s main plaza, and it’s sure to be out of this world.
- In the Central Park: Refreshments, of course, are a necessity, and the park will be home to an all-night tea party! Vivid, whimsical decor and spectacular effects make this the place to be if you’re in need of food or drink, and the tea itself has been steeped with optimism and hope, putting everyone who drinks it in particularly high spirits.
- In the Docks District: The decor and illusory images here are oceanic in nature, complete with sunken ships and myriad “treasures” that have been provided by the set designers and prop masters of Theasthai. Last year’s joy wine has been used to power an all-new bubble machine, and running through enough of those bubbles will allow you to float for a time! Actors dressed as pirates will be handing out treasure maps, sending people on a scavenger hunt that will make use of the elaborate sets that have taken over the district.
- At the Memory Tree: The area surrounding the Memory Tree will have been transformed into a fairytale forest for the night, and the tree’s petals will be sharing happy memories with those who visit, reminding people of the good times they’ve had here in Verens. Brightly-lit gazebos will be present, as well, and those who want to hold true to Helisium’s marriage festival roots will find that there are officiants waiting to help them out.
-----------------------------
And that’s it! Please feel free to comment here if you have any questions. This post will also serve as a general plotting post for Helisium.