The Scribe/20070222

		February 22, 2007 Gamer Weekend! If you were dreading a dull weekend following the Canthan New Year celebration, fear not! This weekend, not one but three different events will vie for your attention. Surely, everyone can find something to do. In fact, many of you may find it difficult to choose between the activities. Personally, I plan to spare myself that decision and make time for all three. First, in the wake of a highly positive response, the Rollerbeetle Races will again open to the public. It seems people just can't get enough of those revolving creatures. And for those of you wondering about any customized paint jobs you added to your rollerbeetles, you will be pleased to know they are indeed permanent. If you missed this game during the Canthan New Year's festival, then check it out this weekend. Next, the Canthan Boardwalk is returning! My comrades at the Shing Jea Monastery worried that an uneventful weekend would be too much of a letdown after the surge of activity during the New Year celebration. Be sure to test your luck at the Rings of Fortune and your skill at the Dragon's Nest. Perhaps you will earn a few prizes! As if that was not enough, the Dragon Arena is also returning. This random-team challenge is always a crowd pleaser, so be sure to check it out. This is truly going to be a fun-filled weekend. Whether you wish to continue your winning streak in the Rollerbeetle Races, test your luck in the Shing Jea Boardwalk, or battle for Dragon Arena supremacy, this is one weekend you won't want to sleep through! Canthan New Year's Festival Comes to a Close The Year of the Pig arrived exactly as planned despite Nian attempts to cause disruption and mayhem. The Celestial Pig ascended back to the heavens with his appetite quenched, and his spirits high. Anyone who aided the chefs in preparing the feast should congratulate themselves. Without everyone's help, the chefs may very well have failed. Many fine dishes were prepared and through the hard work of the chefs and all of you ingredient suppliers, good luck flowed like wine. According to astrologers, this good fortune should endure for the entire year to come. I doubt increased celestial goodwill can completely eradicate misfortune in our world, but hopefully these wonderful feasts will influence everyone's luck for the better. The general public seemed to enjoy the event itself. Many proclaimed it their favorite event to date—even more than the beloved Halloween and Wintersday events from years past. This truly humbled my colleagues in the Shing Jea Monastery, who did not expect such positive, worldwide response to their celebration of the Canthan New Year. Such a reaction may encourage them to host an even bigger and better event next year! Thank you to all who joined us in the Shing Jea Monastery, and to those who celebrated in their local municipalities. I look forward to seeing you all at the next event! Random Acts of Kindness Even though the Canthan New Year festivities distracted me, I did record many kind acts, including a well organized giveaway event. Shing Jea Monastery was, of course, the focal point for much of the kindness I witnessed this week. Arttemis Fowl offered quest assistance in my hometown, while Gabriella Benicost supplied linguistic help to a newer citizen learning about the names and abbreviations of geographic locations. Nikas Twin dispensed free alcoholic beverages to attendees, which only made the celebration more joyous! Many festival-goers also gave out extra items. Perhaps many of them sought to free up storage space, but that does not detract from their generosity. Avatar of Alucard gave away an unidentified bo staff, which the recipient happily proclaimed would help in gathering lunar tokens. Shrouded Love had an extra rare focus item, and gave it to another adventurer, while Iron Preatorian offered a free major rune to any Mesmer in need. Cecil Unbound far exceeded the norm of kindness when he handed out a necrid horseman minipet free of charge! Satanic Slayer also astonished me with his surpassing generosity as he gave away quite a few miniature pigs. Embracer of Spears made a trivia game and rewarded knowledgeable folks. Such generosity is an example for us all. I also witnessed a coordinated gift-giving event in the Sunspear Great Hall. The Vanguard of Asylum [ASY] gathered countless items to give away, including many of significant value rewarded to those who correctly answered trivia questions. Kirin Zvhal and Init Forthemoney donated much of the bounty, while King Mercyful Fate, Publilius Pico, Funeral Rites, Survivor Aneelia, Busty Mounds, Kevin Spiritwind, and Strato Boom all participated in distribution. Many thanks to all the members of ASY for their grand event! Perhaps more guilds will follow in their footsteps...