All Saints' Wake (2013)

Gridania

Ul'dah

Limsa Lominsa

All Saints' Wake is the Halloween themed seasonal event that occurs in October. It is the 2nd event to take place in A Realm Reborn.

Lore

A Troubled Past and Peculiar Present

Daniffen. Randolfe. Llafymae. These names may or may not ring a bell. If ever you have had occasion to visit the Adventurers’ Guild, however, I daresay you already know the personages to whom they belong. Aye, I speak of the saints of old who grace guildleves—the individuals revered as paragons of virtue and raised high by the Twelve themselves. Their legacy remains with us to this day, most visibly in the form of splendid stained crystals upon said guildleves. And then there is the ancient custom called All Saints’Wake.

Legend tells that, at the same time each year, the Twelve honor the saints by inviting them to the celestial realm for a feast of deific proportions. While this show of favor from the gods is no less than the saints deserve, in ascending to the heavens, they leave the mortal realm bereft of their divine protection. During this time, it is said that creatures of darkness come out from hiding to wreak havoc upon mortalkind, and with such gusto as if to make up for the rest of the year when their devilry is kept in check. Fearing for their safety, folk took to returning home before sunset and barricading themselves indoors with kith and kin until dawn arrived to banish the night.

Adventurers, however, could not be swayed by the threat of otherworldly terrors on the night of All Saints' Wake. Ever wont to seek out danger, these brave souls stood fast against all who would threaten Eorzea's people, and word of their deeds on this frightful night would embolden the townsfolk as years went by. In time, the people's trepidations were laid to rest, and they learned to celebrate the Saints' ascension to the heavens, rather than fear their absence. The streets came to be lined with ceremonial warding lanterns, and children would parade about in fanciful costumes, enjoying an evening of tricks and treats. This newfound reverence for All Saints' Wake flourished into an annual tradition celebrated throughout Eorzea.

That is, until the Calamity and the dawn of the Seventh Umbral Era. Though spirits remain low, All Saints' Wake is a time for celebration, and so it is that a traveling circus troupe has made its way to the city-states, to envigor the seasonal revelry. Where there is no denying that the merriment of these performers is sorely needed, I cannot help but wonder if there's more to their tricks than simple sleight of hand. Dressed in costumes of alarming authenticity, they appeared overnight as if by magic, with nary a mention of whence they came. As far as we have been able to ascertain, the thespians bear no us ill will. Yet never forget, dear reader, that All Saints' Wake is a time for tricks and treats—lest you fall victim to the former in pursuit of the latter.

Oliver Goodfellow