So why do the inhabitants of Telara celebrate Fae Yule and take time out of their busy schedule of slaughter and soul-absorbing to decorate the town and scarf down bucketfuls of eggnog? What do they sing about when gathered around a crackling fire? What kind of present is appropriate for the fellow who already has the gift of immortality?
It's time to sit on Trion's lap and ask for your greatest wish in game while jolly St. Hartsman tells you all about the lore and in-game goodies behind RIFT's festivities. Ho-ho-hit that jump and let's get started!
The Lore of Fae Yule
Since time immemorial, Telara has been plagued each year by the terrors of Winter Dark. As the days grow shorter, an evil spreads across the land, causing menacing shadows to appear, crops to fail and citizens to disappear suddenly. Shy elven hero Illuminaria the Yule Mother fought against the Winter Dark, lighting magic candles to push the shadows away and rescue people trapped within.
In order to lift spirits and combat the fears caused by Winter Dark, the citizens of Telara began giving each other gifts and magical candles during this time, which eventually evolved into a festival of giving and thankfulness known as Yule.
For more than 1500 years, the Fae have been prevented from taking part in Yule by the actions of Greenscale the Primeval, the dragon god from the Plane of Life. Fortunately, heroic actions by the Ascended have recently ended Greenscale's reign, freeing the Fae to act of their own accord. For the first time in history, the Fae – faeries, boglings and satyrs – have the freedom to once again take part in the Yule celebrations in their own... unique ways.
Now, Grandfather Frost and the assembled host of boglings have decided to take Yule celebrations to the next level, covering towns across Telara with festive lights and packages of a distinctly Fae nature. Their decorating antics have even spread to the giants of the forests themselves, with Treants being covered with decorations by daring Fae.
At the same time, Crucia, cold dragon goddess of the air, has developed a serious dislike of Yule, and has begun manipulating actions behind the scenes to ruin the holiday. Crucia is controlling the primitive mind of one of these Treants, Yulelogon, who now stomps through the forests of Telara, enraged and mindlessly killing any creature he comes across, forcing the heroes of Telara to take up arms against him.
Battlemaster Atrophinius the satyr, is also finding himself without Yule cheer. Attacks by Yulelogon and countless other Fae sent through Air Rifts by Crucia have halted the flow of mead throughout the land, leaving the satyr much more dry than he'd prefer to be. Blaming the holidays instead of Cruxia, Atrophinius has begun tearing down the Yule decorations and generally ruining Telaran good will.
How will Yule end? Will the good little Guardians and Defiants of Telara receive holiday gifts or will they be left with little more than coal and Treant leaves?
The heroes of the land must light candles, give Fae Wassail to a certain satyr and conquer invasions to save Yule from Cruxia's plans.
Unique Fae Yule Event Items
These are intended to be available year after year so that even if people do not save enough Unique Snowflakes (the currency of the winter events) they can continue accruing them and working toward a desired reward next year.
From the various vendors:
- Fae Yule Reveler's Shoulders (Costume item)
- Fae Yule Reveler's Helmet (Costume item)
- Fae Yule Reveler's Boots (Costume item)
- Fae Yule Reveler's Gloves (Costume item)
- Fae Yule Reveler's Tunic (Costume item)
- Fae Yule Reveler's Leggings (Costume item)
- Tawny Fae Yule Vaiyuu (Mount)
- Rudy (Reindeer-costumed corgi companion)
- Fae Yule Festive Cap (Costume item)
- Gargantuan Candy Cane (Costume weapon)
- Candy Cane (Costume weapon)
- Touch of the Storm (VFX-item)
- Particle charge (VFX-item)
- Lesser Coruscating Windstone (Lesser Planar Essence)
- Coruscating Windstone (Lesser Planar Essence)
- Greater Coruscating Windstone (Lesser Planar Essence)
- Exalted Coruscating Windstone (Lesser Planar Essence)
- Various potions and consumables with festive effects.
There is a more decorated version of the Vaiyuu mount available as a drop, which has a bell harness on it.
Additionally, there are snowman-items you can get from drops that create one of four snowmen.
