The holiday season has officially arrived on Dungeons & Dragons Online servers. Called "Festival of the Twelfth Moon", specially designed coins will drop giving players chances to received all sorts of cool holiday-related gifts. Check out the word on the subject below:

Twas the night before Festivult, and all through Xen'drik
The Coin Lords were working, and they had to be quick!
The chests had been loaded with tokens with care
For Festivult adventurers soon to be there!

The Quickfoot Thieves nestled all snug in their homes
While Vision of Destruction groups hoped for their tomes
Then the Jester in robes with his large goodie sack
Climbed up on a puzzle and shouted "I'm back!"

Then a little old vendor got in on the act
Who held in his backpack a fleet of contracts
With a clink of some coin, to my party they came
And the vendor shouted and called them by name!

"Now Tower! now, Flower! now Chalice and Zeran!
On, Castle! On, Mekwi! on, on Barrage and Zefyn!
To the dungeon with you! Heed your contract's call!
Assist your employer with spell, sword, and all!"

Kobolds sprang back from their wands of magic missile
And away flensers flew, as they cast a dismissal
But the Jester exclaimed as we played on that night
"Happy Festivult to all, and to Hirelings: good fight!"

The time has come for the third annual Festival of the Twelfth Moons!

The Festival of the Twelfth Moon is a holiday commissioned by the Coin Lords of Stormreach. Since ancient times, the folk of Eberron have observed Long Shadows during these chill weeks -- a grim season when the power of the Shadow, god of the Dark Six, is at its strongest. Dire magic gathers in dusky corners, and evil stalks the night in a thousand guises. The Coin Lords have determined that the terror of Long Shadows must end! To this end, they devised the festival as a celebration to drive evil out of the city. Instead of cowering from the Shadow, citizens are encouraged to exchange gifts with their adventuring partners and loved ones. And by slaying the monsters who threaten the city's well-being, they may collect Festival Coins to demonstrate their dauntless spirit in the face of Long Shadows and the Dark Six!

If you are bold enough to collect any Festival Coins, look for the Jester of Festivult, a disguised "friend of the Coin Lords." Nobody knows the true name of this fellow, but he can easily be identified by his colorful garb and dwarven stature. He will exchange Festival Coins for gifts from House Ghallanda and House Cannith, crafted especially for the season. These treasures can be found nowhere else, so do not miss your chance to acquire them! The planes are vast and mysterious, and we can never predict how their alignment will impact the magically embued gifts of Festivult. This year, the planes of Risia and Shavarath are in particularly strong alignment. So if you've some left-over goodies from Festivult's past, beware friends - your treats may not bring the same affects as before!

Additionally, we're pleased to announce that Hirelings will be home for the holidays for the December preview today, December 10th (or as we say in Eberron: the 10th day of Vult)! Hireling Vendors will appear throughout the city, where you may purchase a contract to enlist the aid of your very own Hireling to adventure with! Be sure to read our updated guide to the Hirelings!

How To Participate in Festivult

During the holiday season every treasure chest has a chance of dropping Festival Coins in addition to the usual treasure! There are three types of coins: copper, silver, and gold. If you collect enough festival coins, bring them to the Festival Jester, a surly looking dwarf NPC, and he will give you a random gift from his festival bag of holding!

Three Copper Festival Coins gives you a chance to get:

* A Lamannia, the Twilight Forest Jelly Cake
* A Syrania, the Azure Sky Jelly Cake
* A Thelanis, the Faerie Court Jelly Cake
* A Velah, the Red Dragon Gingerbread Cookie
* A Queen Lailat, the Marilith Gingerbread Cookie
* A Warforged Titan Gingerbread Cookie
* An Arraetrikos, the Pitfiend Gingerbread Cookie
* A Cupcake
* A Lump of Coal

Two Silver Festival Coins gives you a chance to get:

* A Daanvi, the perfect Order Jelly cake
* A Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams Jelly Cake
* A Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead Jelly Cake
* A Kythri, the Churning Chaos Jelly Cake
* A Shavarath, the Battleground Jelly Cake
* A Xoriat, the Realm of Madness Jelly Cake
* A Mabar, the Endless Night Jelly Cake
* A Beholder Gingerbread Cookie
* A Candy Cane Wand
* A Storm Reaver Gingerbread Cookie
* A Black Abbot Gingerbread Cookie
* A Suulomades, Horned Devil Gingerbread Cookie
* A Sun Flask

One Gold Festival Coin gives you the chance to get:

* An Irian, the Eternal Day Jelly Cake
* A Fernia, the Sea of Fire Jelly Cake
* A Risia, the Plane of Ice Jelly Cake
* A Xyzzy, Hound of Xoriat Gingerbread Cookie
* There is also very small chance that the Festival Jester will give you an exceptional gift when you give him one Gold Festival Coin, but what those might be you'll just have to wait and see. Each gift does something special and we think you will love what our artificers and cooks have crafted for you this Festival Season!

Now, you may be wondering where the Jester can be found in Stormreach? With all the changes to the Harbor, Marketplace, and so forth, the Jester decided he needed a better view of the city. This year you can find the Jester perched high above his surroundings. Can you climb the Jester's Jumping Puzzles to reach him and exchange your coins for goodies? The Jester and his jumping puzzles can be found in the following locations:

* The Harbor at the Leaky Dingy
* The Marketplace in the ruins of the Bazaar Tent
* The House Jorasco near the front gate
* The House Phiarlan in the outdoor Livewood Theater
* The House Deneith at the spire
* The House Kundarak near the mailbox
* The Jester isn't heartless though, and for those who don't have the skill to best his jumping challenge, the Harbor and Marketplace both offer easier means of getting up to him.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for special items appearing in random places throughout the world. You never know when you might come across something fun! To give you a hint: use the backspace key to search because these items won't appear in the middle of the street.

From the Coin Lords, the dragonmarked Houses and all of Stormreach, we wish you a Happy Festivult and a profitable new year!

Whaddya wanna bet that the lump of coal is the most prevalent gift given? *g*