>Backstory

I found myself awhile ago thinking about the Raffle and Ball that the Troupe held last Winter, and how in the world I might top that this time around. It seems that it went so well, folks really wanted us to do another but I really didn't want to just repeat what we did before so I decided to take it up a notch. A big notch. Most folks who read these forums know that I've been looking for bigger and bolder events for the Troupe to tackle, and I think we've come up with something that will both push our limits and provide something for all players to enjoy. So, without any further babble...

>The Carnival

The Tavern Troupe Performing Order is proud to announce our Chris' Mass Carnival! Coming to a special Zoluren pier this month!

This is shaping up to be one of the biggest events the Troupe has ever taken on and we've done our very best to have all the stops pulled out to allow for one of the greatest celebrations we can muster. We've been given permission from the Estate Holder team to hold this on the fantastic Amusement Pier in Crossings, an area which is normally Premium only but will be opened for all players for the duration of the event. Anyone who has been there before knows that the pier is totally loaded with both games and shops, on top of that, we'll also be doing several activities through the course of the carnival which will have some very special prizes.

In addition to all the awesome stuff already on the pier, we'll be bringing a bunch of street performers to entertain you as you explore. Also, if you have trouble finding your way around, we'll have some aides wandering around to provide information about games/activities.

Go ahead and check out the calendar for some more information that I've not put in this post, also, keep your eyes open for some other posts about this event as the date draws closer. There is a small schedule posted, as well as a link to the raffle list/rules.

Finally, if you are interested in helping the Troupe during the Carnival, we are hiring both performers and aides. Contact Kasto to inquire about employment opportunities.

---

You must be wearing the dried fishskin in order to eat it.

UPDATE:

Our list of raffle items has grown by quite a bit. Everyone should be sure to check it out.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GIxq-NwXHYOdz9IJoUlxFJ8hE0exrXOZBKvKCUaCqpE/edit?usp=sharing

You'll notice quite a lot of quest prizes, treasure prizes and other top-shelf loot! It reads more like an auction list than a raffle list, but I assure you we're giving these items away to winners. So, here's your chance to get an awesome item worth thousands of platinums for the price of a ticket or two.

Rules and purchase information is provided by following the link as well. Good luck everyone!

---

You must be wearing the dried fishskin in order to eat it.

Reaching the conclusion of four days worth of games and activities leaves me with a lot to talk about. LOL. Please, bear with me as I get through everything that I think needs to be said about this amazing event.

The goal for us was simple, do the biggest thing we've ever done and do it well. We really wanted to do this as much on our own as we could, but obviously, there were many aspects of the carnival that couldn't have been done without the help of our awesome Orders GM, GameMaster Jhustis. Her commitment to providing the Troupe (and all the Orders) with support behind the scenes has been exemplary. Likewise, she's always got a trick up her sleeve or a little special touch that I find always improves the quality of the events that I'm hosting. If you noticed anything new on the pier during the Carnival it was probably her work. So, to put it bluntly, this would not have been what it was without her and I'm extremely grateful.

We tapped every single member of the Tavern Troupe for involvement in the Carnival. From the top of the pyramid with Kasto, Kelela and Anjinson; the Troupe officers. Members of the council Shenney, Mordimer, Rajara, Navesi, Bellicia and even Caraamon put some work in the forge to make a prize for the raffle. And nearly every single member made an appearance to help out or join in the fun. Among them, Gaelendarius, Ruea, Lydena, Staddin, Vianae and Khearkrash put in the most work.

Also, for the first time, we used one of our events as a testing ground for a few new recruits. Gwyndellia and Azurinna did outstanding in their work during the Carnival, they were given temporary status with the Troupe but we will be extending full membership to them both. It's very rewarding to take a risk and have it work out so well! If nothing else was gained, at least getting these two new awesome Troupe members was well worth it all. Look forward to seeing them more in the future.

Now, the Troupe didn't do all the work, there were two major crowd-pleasers at the Amusement Pier that were not members of the Troupe. Those were Traim Ruin and Drexella Giraud, who provided their talents for any participant willing. Drexella traveled the area a few times offering her skills as a War Painter to give folks some fierce and festive decorations. Using her mighty Barbarian yell to attract folks to whever she was. While Traim confessed that he had done the most readings he'd ever done in a single session when he came to the Carnival and gave folks their fortunes. Both of them put in many hours at the Carnival and I think their participation really took things up another notch. My hat is off to them. Thanks you two!

One of the most amazing things about doing events that have a raffle is that, as the days tick by, more and more folks come forward with offers to help in some way. The list started out as mostly my own personal items, with quite a number of map finds thrown in and a leftover or two that were given to me after the last raffle we did. As the list started going around, I had all kinds of friends and friends of friends coming to me with things to include. It's this type of behavior which really brings back the sense of community in this game, it's really nice to see everyone helping out to make things better for all involved. I took in a bunch of donations from House Giraud, Cappiam, Resentment, Elriic, Dreamheart, Razzer and the list goes on and on. :)

Just FYI for anyone interested, the total earned from the raffle was just a little over 17,000 platinums. Which I think is totally fair for the items offered; the point is for people to have fun, not to make oodles of coin. I know I could have made more on the tables or at auctions but, again, money was not the goal. Quite a lot of what we made from the raffle was from people buying surprise tickets for others, so don't be too shocked if we track you down and say you won even if you don't remember entering. LOL.

*RAFFLE STUFF*: Please check http://tinyurl.com/TroupeRaffle to see what you may have won! Contact Kasto to pick up the item. You can email me at hexedbythenet@gmail.com or contact me on AIM at hexedbythenet

Now, about those games...

Everyone was amazing! You all did so well at every single game we threw at you, it was really awesome to see. I tried to pick some really good items for prizes, there were some special custom-made prizes thrown in with all the other fun festival stuff I gave out, and I really hope you all enjoyed them. Likewise, there were a lot of prizes I wrapped with the elf in Fang Cove, these were mixed in with standard packages from the Estate Holder shop and given out freely to visitors to the carnival. Many of these items were from festivals or picked up on quests, so probably not the most awesome thing, but I hope you enjoyed those as well. Many of the games we offered during the carnival are Troupe favorites, so look for them to happen many more times in the future.

And how about those performances...

Several Troupe stepped up and really put themselves out there in the hopes that you would be entertained by it. We had a full-scale play, puppet shows, songs galore and rotating musicians playing music for our dancers at the ball. And dancers! We had a plethora of dancers all around. Why? Because it's a carnival and that's something you just need to have! :P Speaking of the ball, was that fun or what? The Inn on the pier is really amazing, I hope you all got a chance to sneak into the alcove for some nice drinks. I mean, flaming whiskey, what's not to love about that?

So...

Once again, thank you very much everyone! Hope you had lots of fun and I look forward to seeing you all at Tavern Troupe events in 2014!

Merry Chris's Mass,

~ Kasto and the Tavern Troupe Performing Order

P.S. I can honestly say that I did not get much of a chance to look around and Kasto was far too busy to follow many of the conversations being held, so please let me know how you think the Carnival went and what you thought some of the finer (or lower) points were. Any input is appreciated, as it will help me to make things better for future events.

---

You must be wearing the dried fishskin in order to eat it.

I unfortunately didn't have an opportunity to visit the amusement pier for the Criss' Mass festivities, however, I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation for all those involved. Events like these, where the players take the initiative to provide an outlet for us all to enjoy more subtle facets of the game are very much appreciated. They also, at least in my case, give reminder the game is so much more than simply a mechanical number grind, but rather a community.

- Anuind Lyndon

---

When naming your holy weapon consider the following: Everyone has a Holy Avenger or a Divine Vengeance. Why not go with something your foes will never accept the shame of being smote by, "The Fuzzy Kitten".