The Moondrop Masquerade
& Mysterious Letter Trail
Spring has come! Finally, the weather is beginning to warm while the lingering frost melts away. The winds are lively with the smell of nature waking from its slumber, carrying pollen and shepherding clouds across the islands. Leaves begin to unfurl from their branches while flowers burst open from their buds. The sweet songs of birds fill the air even during bouts of rain.
Of course, this also means the Yabi have begun to show themselves again!
The Yabi (yah-bee) are mysterious and fickle creatures that gather at gardens lovingly cultivated over a period of 12 lunar cycles. During the Spring, these creatures manifest in the night to dance among the leaves and buds. The kind gaze of the moon filters into the dew of the garden and under the gentle paw of the Yabi, this dew becomes Moondrops.
Otherwise quite shy by nature, the Yabi are hard to spot and often flee when found. The bolder ones will stand their ground towards individuals but will scuttle away when met with too many strangers. However, some Vixenkin have discovered that Yabi seem to quite enjoy puzzles and, during the annual Moondrop Masquerade, will sometimes surprise some with a set of letters...
Every year Moondrops - a unique kind of dew that only appears during a special lunar phase in Spring - begin to be cultivated by the Yabi. In order to avoid stepping on or disturbing the process of creation, it is customary for Kin to gather in groups and spend time together! Be it a house party or at the Masquerade.
The Moondrop Masquerade is a special event celebrating the creation of Moondrops. The Masquerade was created as a way to honor the cultivation and creation of the Moondrop while also indulging in a party. Being held in the temple of Naaxuvolus (nah-shoo-voe-luhs), it has become a pretty popular event. Those who don't gather here often host small home parties instead with close friends.
Regardless of where one celebrates, it is considered tradition to craft a Yabi mask in a show of appreciation towards the small creatures. These masks are carved out from white wood and are decorated with all manner of nature - ranging widely from moss to branches to flowers - and painted with face to resemble a Yabi.
(NPCs Ouroboros, Janus, and Lore with their Yabi masks.)
Upon approaching the temple of Naaxuvolus, you will notice a few things. First, the temple is nearly pure white with minimal decorations including stained glass windows and handprints along the walls added from various different kin. You will notice the front has a few trees filled with fruits and other things that are harvestable, and behind some of the trees on the right side you will see a path towards the back.
Following the path you will make your way to the Temple garden. It is a fenced in area with a small greenhouse and toolshed off in the right corner. The fence has several small door-shaped holes for helpful creatures to venture in and out, and the fence seems to be (mostly) decoration at this point. The garden is large and has several areas for different types of fruits and veggies. There is an in-progress irrigation system being created with help from the nearby river, but judging by the several watering cans you assume most of the watering is done by hand. You decide to make your way back to the front and head inside.
Once inside, you will notice the temple is still as stark white inside, with the exception of decorations for the masquerade and the windows. The long benches that once sat in the center are all moved, allowing a large area of the temple to be used for dancing or other things. The altar has been moved to the side as well allowing the stage it sat upon to be used by a band of fellow kin for live music. A table or two sits to the side of the event, filled with snacks and drinks of all kinds. The windows on the roof which are normally shut tight are open to allow moonlight to shine in and bounce off the many stained glass windows creating beautiful colors around the temple walls and floors.
Prompt
Draw or write your Vixenkin celebrating the arrival of Spring by participating in the festivities - whether that be making their Yabi mask, arranging a small house party, or visiting the temple - or in-character following the mysterious letter trail and solving the puzzle. If you do not have a Vixenkin, you may use an NPC.
All entries must feature at least one Vixenkin (whether your own or an NPC) following the prompt above. Art entries must be at minimum a flat-colored halfbody. Writing entries must be a minimum of 350 words. SFW only, no NSFW is allowed.
Prompt completion will reward you with:
- 350 tri
- 2 Moon Dews
- +175 tri per extra character drawn or additional 175 words
Submit here
Puzzle
- The overall puzzle is made up of three individual puzzles; all three must be completed and in order.
- All three puzzles will require the knowledge of Crozier language. If you're not sure where to start in translation, try checking out places in the Toyhouse world, such as the Potion Shop!
- While we encourage users to solve the puzzles individually, you are free to work on it privately with friends or a small group. Please keep all puzzle-solving outside of public spaces, as to allow others their own chance first.
- Please do not share puzzle spoilers or answers publicly! Doing so in the Discord will have your message deleted.
- Don't forget your answers! You will need the answers to all three puzzles at the end to claim your reward.