Star-Chasing Xyrens Soar Down From Above

Skylar and Jasper examined the Xyren Altar closely, looking for signs of what other purpose it might serve. The surface of the pedestal shimmered faintly with the residue of the Auroralight Shimmer Dust Skylar had recently crafted.

"I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to discover here," Skylar shook their head, aimlessly tracing their finger through the sparkling dust on the pedestal to create a swirling pattern.

"I feel the same way," Jasper replied. He reached out to lay one hand on the structure of the Altar itself, feeling the sharpness of one of the carved claws.

The moment he touched it, an aurora-like glow flared to life! Jasper and Skylar leaped backwards in surprise.

As they watched, the light around the Altar flickered and shifted. Jasper squinted, peering closer. He could see mirage-like shapes within the aurora glow: Ghostly crystals and flowers, fish and mushrooms.

"Do you see that?" Jasper could hardly believe his eyes.

"Yes!" Skylar gasped. "I think I recognize this stuff..." they took out a notebook from their pack and flipped through their expedition notes. "That's it! The images it's showing are all materials that can be Gathered from the Celestial Pools below."

"Do you have samples of any of them?' Jasper asked.

"I do," Skylar replied. "Hop and I did plenty of Gathering while we climbed the Celestial Peaks." Digging deeper into their pack, Skylar withdrew an assortment of materials gathered from the Celestial Pools.

Jasper took the offerings and carefully arranged them on the surface of the pedestal in front of the Xyren Altar.

The aurora-like glow grew brighter and brighter, then flashed with an intensity that made Jasper and Skylar cover their eyes. When they looked again, the collected items had vanished -- and in their place, a beautiful gemstone was siting on the pedestal!

"Amazing," Jasper muttered under his breath. He picked up the Star Opal and turned it over in his hand, watching the silvery star-bright colors within shift and change. "It looks just like a star!" Jasper held the Star Opal out so he could admire it against the dark backdrop of the night sky.

"Huh?" Something high in the night sky caught his attention -- distant movement. All at once, a shooting star flashed to life and began to trace a golden path across the skies. Jasper reached into his own adventuring gear and pulled out a Stargazing Telescope to get a closer look.

Through the telescope, Jasper could see the brilliant shining comet tracing a trail of light across the night sky -- in addition to several smaller shapes chasing it! A flock of flying creatures were soaring at incredible speed, racing against the shooting star.

It was a flock of Xyren! Like the Luffin, these rare creatures were essentially the stuff of legend.  But, looking down at the Star Opal in his hand, Jasper suddenly felt like he understood how to bring the Xyrens down from the skies and back to join Adventurers in the world of Santae. This special gemstone was the key!

Jasper stood before the Altar and held the Star Opal high. A beam of magical energy burst from the Altar and illuminated the gem in his hand, making it shine just as bright as the shooting star overhead. In response, one of the small dark shapes in the sky broke off from the flock and plunged into a breathlessly fast dive.

The Xyren plummeted from the heavens toward the Altar, swooping up with strong wings at the last second to come in for a graceful landing.

Jasper locked eyes with the Xyren, standing tall in the face of its fearsome golden gaze. He could tell the creature's attention had been drawn by the sparkling Star Opal in his hands -- perhaps this item was also they key to forging a bond with this magnificent wild Xyren.

Jasper held the Star Opal out toward the Xyren. The sparkling light within the stone began to glow brighter and brighter -- and then the Star Opal dissolved into light! The stream of magical energy darted toward the Xyren and swirled around it in a brilliant dance.

As the swirl of energy settled, coating the Xyren's feathers in starlike sparkles, the magic begin to take hold. Jasper and the Xyren looked deeply into one another eyes, feeling a connection of understanding and trust take shape between them.

As he recalled the Xyren's breathtaking flying skills, the perfect name came to Jasper's mind. 

"It's nice to meet you, Comet," Jasper smiled at his new companion, who flicked its ears and dipped its head in response. Jasper laid his palm gently on Comet's forehead, and the Xyren affectionately nuzzled back. They had formed a lifelong bond!

The Altar Quest And Bonding With A Xyren 

Jasper and Skylar have discovered how to befriend the magnificent Xyren Pet, a whimsical creature that chases after the comets that soar in the skies of Santae! Once considered to be the stuff of legend, it is now known that Xyrens only appear in the skies over the Celestial Peaks under the light of the Winter aurora.

In order to bond with a Xyren of your own, the processes is twofold:

The first step is the Altar Quest. When activated, the Xyren Altar will request that an Adventurer ventures forth to collect 15 items that can be found in Gathering and Fishing from the Celestial Pools. The specific assortment of items that you will need is random each time you undertake the Altar Quest.

When you deliver the necessary items and complete the Quest, the Altar will reward you with a rare, sparking stone: a Star Opal!

This dazzling item is part of what is needed to summon a Xyren out of the skies, as their sharp eyes catch the mesmerizing glitter of the precious stone. To summon a random Xyren to bond with, use a Stargazing Telescope to look up into the starry skies to spot a Xyren and beckon one down. The same Three random Xyren will appear to all users each Nighttime Hour (when the nighttime banner is on - during even hours). You will be able to choose which Xyren you want to bond with, which will consume the Stargazing Telescope . The Xyren you have selected will wait for you to have a Star Opal before it will come home with you in the form of an Adoption or Figurine.

Once you have summoned a Xyren, offer the Star Opal to form a bond with it! Once the bond is formed, you may either Adopt the Xyren or imbue its magic into a Divine Figurine to take home. You can bond with a Xyren once each nightfall, however may only complete one Altar Quest per day, so use your Star Opal wisely!

[*When we release the Dynamic Weather Feature, the Xyren Bonding availability will change to only appear when Aurora weather events occur. We will inform everyone again through these newsposts, when this change happens.]

Collect Three New Hidden Avatars

To celebrate the discovery of the Xyren Altar's secrets and the arrival of Xyrens in Santae, three new hidden avatars are now waiting to be uncovered!

Explore the Celestial Peaktop to unlock these two new avatars for yourself. You can see your whole collection on your Avatars page!

Pet Slot Boom!

With the introduction of our new feathered friends, the Xyren's, the maximum available pet slots for users to unlock has increased by 15 more slots. Bringing the total from 135 Pet Slots to 150 Pet Slots!

What Names and Pets will you adopt with all that extra space?

This will be the final increase in pet slots, more information will be made available when the Sanctuary feature is released.

TL;DR

★ Skylar and Jasper discovered the secrets of the Xyren Altar, and Jasper bonded with a new pet: Comet the Xyren!
★ The Xyren can now be obtained through the Xyren Altar Location in Celestial Peaktop.
★ Three new hidden avatars are now available.
★ The number of Pet Slots available to unlock has been increased from 135 to 150.
★ The Winterlight Festival is Over
★ The Winterlight Token Random Event and Winterlight Token drops from Quests have stopped, and will return next Winterlight.
★ Auroralight Crystals are no longer widespread.