Published by: The Santae Team
The Journey To Shadow Veil Pass
It was a beautiful day for flying. River let out a joyful trill as she fluttered up into the sky over Halo Haven. Ripple, with Vespera riding on its back, was right behind. Vespera let out a whoop as the Quenaris shot into the air. Riding the legendary dragon was exciting!
They were on their way. Vespera patted Ripple's neck to get its attention, and then pointed toward home. "We're going back to Shadow Veil Pass," she called. "Do you know where that is? Follow River if you get lost."
Ripple tossed its head and twirled into an elegant turn that almost made Vespera lose her grip, changing its heading. "Woah!" Vespera laughed. "I'll need to get used to that."
Ripple wasn't flying in exactly the direction Vespera would have expected, but it was still generally the right way. After a little while, she realized that the Quenaris was riding currents of air high in the sky to direct its flight! The winds flowed like a river, propelling the trio along at an exhilarating pace.
Ripple rose and fell to catch the best prevailing winds, navigating the sky based on ancient instinct. At one point, its path took it low over a dry, sprawling plain outside of Sanctuary.
"Those plants look kind of strange," Vespera remarked as they swooped over a cluster of what looked like mossy boulders or logs. The clusters of leaves were speckled with unfamiliar white flowers.
Ripple dropped a little lower to get a better look. "Wait!" Vespera gasped. "Those aren't plants -- are they Rhymoss?!"
From this closer vantage point it was clear that the mysterious plants Vespera had spotted were growing on the backs of sturdy-looking creatures. Their strong shoulders were draped in greenery, and they had long faces tipped with sharp-looking branchlike nose horns.
Vespera had never seen creatures like this in the flesh before, but Rose had once shown her an illustration. The placid grazers were exceptionally rare, and nobody had seen one in nature for a long time. If they were truly returning to roam the plains of Santae in great numbers, this was an amazing discovery! Vespera will return as these would make great additions to her wares of magic and mystery!
Vespera had a smile on her face for the rest of the flight back to Shadow Veil Pass, buoyed by the sight of the rare Rhymoss. And her mood only continued to improve as the mountains slowly came into sight -- it would be good to get home!
River and Ripple angled upwards into the darkening sky to soar over the sharp mountains concealing Shadow Veil Pass. Vespera peered down over the Quenaris' shoulder, watching the ground beneath take on an eerie red glow as they traveled into the domain of the crimson Nether Moon.
Her valley home seemed so small from up here! The houses within Shadow Veil Pass looked like toy models, and it was almost impossible to make out the tiny shapes of festival-goers walking the streets from so high up. It was clear to see that the path through the center of town was the busiest portion. As Vespera and her companions descended toward the main path through the Pass in a shallow dive, they soared directly over the less-populated outskirts.
For a moment, Vespera thought she saw something moving near a long-abandoned tower in the furthest reaches of Shadow Veil Pass -- but they swept over it in an instant, too fast for a closer look. She looked behind her to try and spot it again, but whatever she thought she saw was gone. The tower stood as quiet as always, silhouetted against the round red moon rising over the horizon.
River led the way down to a space cleared for landing just in front of Vespera's Shop, and Ripple followed right behind. Vespera swung her leg over and dropped lightly down from Ripple's back, stretching gratefully after the long flight.
"We're home!" She said with a smile. Ripple examined the storefront closely, then stretched its neck up as high as it could reach, looking around in every direction.
Vespera smiled fondly at Ripple. "There's a lot to see, and I'm sure you're eager to explore. Let's go into town!"
Vespera and her companions strolled through the heart of Shadow Veil Pass. Ripple nosed at a round, orange festival lantern, making it sway back and forth and sending a shower of NetherDust scattering everywhere.
Vespera extended her hand, trying to catch one of the reddish sparkles -- but it faded away before she could get a grip on it. The air was sparkling with clouds of the mysterious Dust, but there was still no way to gather it or study it.
Now that she was back in the Pass, Vespera was determined: She would discover the secrets of the NetherDust before the festival was done!
New Fruits And Vegetables Fresh From The Farm
Another delicious crop is ready for harvest at William's Orchard Stand and Mirage Grove Vegetables!
From sweet starfruit and tart cranberries to hearty potatoes and healthy artichokes, there's sure to be something in season to suit every palette. Visit today to get a taste of these brand-new farm-fresh treats for yourself!
Art Refresh Continues: Revamped Books & Drinks
We are pleased to present the latest round of newly refreshed original artwork for items around Santae. Most recent, the hardworking Artist team has breathed new life into 3 Books and 6 Amazing Drinks!
The art revamp project is still ongoing, and we look forward to sharing even more beautiful new artwork as soon as it is ready.
Update on Drink Contest Winners!
Thank you all very much for your feedback after our announcement yesterday of the Drink Contest Winners! We understand that there was a lot of frustration over the fact that our Second Place winner's entry was not an actual drink when the rules and Staff stated otherwise. This was something that members of the Front End Team flagged but inadvertently fell through the cracks. We apologize for the confusion and disappointment that this caused. Seeing as this was an error on our part, we have decided to award additional prizes as follows:
First Place: Daisy
+ 
+ 
+ 
Second Place: Oki and Clefairiel
+ or + 
Third Place: Mimiru
+ 
+
Special Category Winners:
Most Creative: Oki and Clefairiel
+
Most Accurate: Daisy and Pidgey
+
Most Delicious: Daisy and impbunni
+
This solution seeks to recognize the beautiful works of art that community members have submitted without penalizing the previously announced winners for the Santae Team's oversight. Going forward, we will be implementing the following rules for any newly announced contests:
★ Contestants will be limited to one entry per person
★ First, Second and Third Place Overall Winners will be determined entirely separately from the various Ribbon Winners (6 unique winners).
★ We will do a better job of screening entries in the future to ensure that all entries being voted upon comply with our contest rules.
Thank you all again for your gracious feedback and providing us with the opportunity to make things right! We hope the community continues to have fun with these contests and create amazing works of art for everyone to enjoy.
TL;DR
