Wintersday 2008

Wintersday 2008 is different from the other Wintersday events. It will feature new things, and for the first time in Guild Wars, it will also be celebrated in the Eye of the North!

Wintersday Finale
The Wintersday grand finale runs every 3 hours starting at 12:01 am Thursday, January 1, 2009 and ending 12:01 am Friday, January 2, 2009. Finales in Kamadan have a 15 minute delay like they did during Wintersday 2006 and 2007.

The Wintersday Finale is similar to Nine Rings at the Shing Jea Boardwalk but with Candy Cane Shards instead of Festival Tickets. Playing this game counts towards your Lucky and Unlucky title tracks. The center circle gives the most lucky points, whilst the outer circles contribute most to your unlucky title.

At the end of the finale, presents will be put in your inventory, taking up approximately 15 minutes, so be sure to stay logged on that character if you want to receive the presents.

Festival hats
On the final days, the rival gods Grenth and Dwayna called upon the people of the town for their support. The God with the most followers, rewarded the people of the town with a festival hat. Followers of Grenth stood upon the red rings, and the followers of Dwayna upon the green or blue rings. Unlike in previous events, characters will not receive duplicates of hats they already have.


 * The victory of Dwayna will give every player a Rudi Mask.
 * The victory of Grenth will give every player a Grentch Cap.

Decorated Towns

 * Lion's Arch
 * Droknar's Forge
 * Ascalon City
 * Kamadan
 * Eye of the North

New features

 * Speak to Lieutenant Thackeray in the Eye of the North to find out how you can help the Ebon Vanguard enjoy Wintersday through a new chain of quests!
 * Brand new 8v8 ATS-style Snowball Tournaments!
 * You can tame the new Jingle Bear in Gwen's garden if you complete all four of the Eye of the North Wintersday quests.

Returning features

 * Two well-known Wintersday quests are back to let you side with Grenth and his grentches or Dwayna and her snowmen before their final showdown. Unsure which deity to support? Try both quests to pick your favorite!
 * Quest chains from past years that involve certain beloved (and rare) holiday-themed animals.
 * Two repeatable quests set in the (previously) Secret Lair of the Snowmen. It's your choice: help save the snowmen, and all of Wintersday, or lead a group of grentches on a final "bah, humbug" of the season.
 * Venture into the Underworld for a series of repeatable snowball fights against the forces of Grenth or the forces of Dwayna. Take control of piles of presents to win victory for your side in this frosty fray.
 * More snowball mayhem in the form of PvP snowball fights! Random forces unite within an arena to fight for either Grenth or Dwayna. The first team to gather five presents for its patron deity wins the day.
 * Embrace the old adage "it is better to give than to receive" at the city event game in Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Kamadan, and Ascalon City. Deliver presents to the children before the grentches destroy Wintersday. You never know, the little urchins might reward you with something special for your generosity.

Quests

 * Lion's Arch
 * Old Nickoles quests
 * The Greatest Snowman Ever Made
 * A Very Grentchie Wintersday


 * Kamadan
 * Grandfather Kringle quests
 * Save the Reindeer
 * Find the Stolen Presents
 * Spreading the Wintersday Spirit
 * Elder Skruuj quests
 * White Mist
 * How the Grentches Stole Wintersday
 * The Gift of Giving

(Accessed at both Lions Arch and Kamadan)
 * Quests from the Rift Warden
 * In Grenth's Defense
 * You're a Mean One, Mr. Grenth
 * Straight to the Heart - Eye of the North required
 * The Strength of Snow - Eye of the North required


 * Eye of the North
 * Lieutenant Thackeray
 * The Three Wise Norn
 * Charr-broiled Plans
 * Wintersday Cheer
 * Casey Carpenter
 * Snowball Dominance

Wintersday NPCs

 * Kimberly - Lion's Arch
 * Candysmith Coldstone - Kamadan
 * Candysmith Kris - Lion's Arch
 * Candysmith Noel - Ascalon City
 * Wintersday Gift Giver
 * Winter Dwarf
 * Will Brockman - Eye of the North

Holiday rewards
In addition to the seasonally appropriate headwear that you can receive from Dwayna or Grenth at the end of the grand finale, you can also obtain these Wintersday Items during the 2008 festivities: