On Saturday, March 21 our community was treated to a unique event that was quite different from what the Realms is used to. Due to the physical distancing needed to prevent possible transmission of the COVID-19 disease, this event was not held in the material world as we are used to; it was held fully online through a Discord server in a new take on the Realms' rich history of “e-questing”. While this was not a legal event (by the current Realms rules) it was well-attended and a very enjoyable experience.
The event was held from 12pm-4pm and had scheduled classes and seminars throughout the day. The schedule was as follows:
12:00pm: Event start, text and voice channels open to everyone to explore
1:00pm: Storytelling for Yosei
1:30pm: Flower Game vs others
2:00pm: Storytelling with Trade Guild
2:30pm: Shiho vs others
3:15pm: Storytelling with Wujen
Outside of these scheduled offerings, there were various activities one could peruse at will in several separate locations:
Downtown Job Board - A location where a virtual scavenger hunt was prepared. People could post photos of their creations and experiences with Teng Hua culture.
The Jade Teapot - A tea house where attendees could learn how to perform tea ceremonies, and had the opportunity to chat with locals over a hot drink.
The Gardens - Many Yosei could be befriended here, and visitors could speak with the Yosei Professor.
The Temple of Seven - A temple where one could sit in the tranquil darkness and meditate to hear the voices of the seven elements and learn how to begin trials in order to form a bond with the elements.
An Herbalists Needs - The local flower shop which hosted the Spring Flower Festival’s flower arrangement workshop.
The Market Square - Activities here focused on trade and plans for the Spring Flower Festival.
Akemi’s Library - A place to share stories and study things involving the Wujen.
Takara’s Tavern - The local tavern where folks could enjoy freeform games of Shiho and where a tournament was held.
The Golden Crane - The Golden Crane Dojo is a place where students study in order to become Samurai.
The Wishing Well - A place where magic, faith, and poetry come together in order to communicate information or to offer prayers.
While it was possible for one person to experience much of this festival, I did not see everything and there are many people who will have stories to tell from their varied perspectives.
The day began with the Emperor himself greeting his guests with his daughter, Princess Kuko. He welcomed everyone to the Flower Festival and described all the activities being held throughout the day.
I decided to check out the Job Board and found the scavenger hunt to be quite enjoyable, though some of the activities were very time consuming. Many creative contributions were documented. I would recommend checking out the Discord channel if you have the time (or some other repository, if the staff ends up compiling the photos into a gallery).
The scavenger hunt objectives were as follows:
‐ Take a Selfie in your garb
‐ Make something out of origami
‐ Make a Zentangle on a 6" x6" piece of paper
‐ Take a picture of you having a Tea Ceremony
‐ Make a Bonsai tree out of anything you have handy
‐ Show us a picture of a magical creature from your lands
‐ Make a Teng Huanese dragon out of a flour playdough
‐ Make a Teng Huanese style meal and show us
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I regrettably did not participate in the discussion on Yosei as I spent most of the first hour working on the scavenger hunt.I spent the second hour communing with the seven elements.
While my trials are personal I do want to share a bit of information for those who wish to walk the path of the Ryokusha (the ones who are beginning the trials of the seven elements and have not yet achieved the title of Kiero-rei). To begin, one must be of a sound mind and must meditate in order to hear the elements' voices. This can be done at The Temple of Seven or other elementally-attuned locations.
The current sect of elements are the Choro-tachi which means "Eldest group." There are seven elements, each represented by a spirit with their own personality. They and their respective domains are as follows:
Mizu - Water: Leadership, coordination.
Chikyuu - Earth: Nurturing and caring for others
Kooki- Wind: Truth seeking, Knowledge, Observation
Kesaia - Fire: Passion, Conviction, Fervor
Muko - Void: Opportunity, Creativity
Kinzoku - Metal: Craftsmanship, Hard work
Mokusai - Wood: Community, Growth
Mizu, as far as I can tell, is the leader of this sect and will likely be the one you speak with. For those who wish to start trials, know that they are meant to help you understand who you are as a person and suggest steps to take in order to develop certain aspects of yourself. Each element will give you a trial befitting of its nature and personality. If you wish to start the trials, feel free to reach out to me and I will assist to the best of my ability.
After I communed with the spirits, I ventured to An Herbalists Needs and witnessed the tail end of the flower game, which looked like a neat strategy game of creating flower arrangements. Afterward, I went to the tea house where I brewed and enjoyed a delicious raspberry tea while I hung the Banner of Wind behind me.
To close out my day in Teng Hua, I listened to stories of the Regalia from the Wujen.
For this seminar we were graced by the presence of the Emperor himself, though Taki Hzu spoke for most of the class. We learned that Regalia were seven items to be gathered in order to participate in the tournament to be Emperor of Teng Hua. These items were the ones collected by Lysis and may not be the same ones gathered by the previous Emperor (Akita Kai). While there are 8 listed, only 7 are the real Regalia. It seems no one knows which one is the fake.
These items are as follows:
Bushido: A katana that is so razor sharp that if one were to draw it, they could cleave through anything in a single slice.
Kedemono: The unbreakable Nodachi, said to be forged by a material never to be found ever again. When the tournament was over all of the items were to be given out to the various clans but this was the item Lysis chose to keep for himself.
The Warbanner: The banner worn by the first Samurai, legend has it whoever wears this banner can empower a whole army to stave off many wounds. In order to enter the tournament for the position of Emperor, Lysis had this item in order to prove his claim upon the throne.
Remei: A Bow/Daikyuu, when an arrow is shot from this bow it rumbles like thunder. It can be used to stun groups of enemies.
Tomo no Kuku: The coin of wealth. Believed to possibly be the false item of Regalia.
Kura to Tatsu: Armor forged of elder dragon scales, its powers are unknown but is believed to be unbreakable as a boulder hit the wearer, and though they died the armor was unscathed.
Himitsu: A tanto which is longer than a normal tanto, no information on its powers. (Himitsu means "secret" so this is very appropriate.)
Motomeru: A Wakizashi that when meditated with, gives the wielder insight on whatever they are seeking.
After the tales of Regalia a robed figure entered the library claiming to be Shino-Kagei. He claimed that the current Emperor, Lysis, had betrayed Akita Kai, who was the former Emperor. In order to exact his revenge he took it out on Lysis’ daughter, Kuko. Princess Kuko immediately fell ill and Shino-Kagei left. With the bad news of Princess Kuko, the joy of the festival left as well. Many of us adventurers spent the rest of the day writing poetry to the Wishing Well in an attempt to bring back Kuko’s good health.
Overall, the event was a big success and was very enjoyable. The staff did a great job giving players flexible and varied ways to explore their plot throughout the day. While this event might have been even better if done physically it was a great experience and the gold standard of what I think e-questing should be.