That first cold, sharp bite of fall has blown in on the wind. The earth shifts below with more force than mere seasons bring. 

As Atalav adapts to the forces of nature, ancient chasms and rifts split open, revealing secrets and spirits once buried deep below the landscape. Exposed wells of Lifesource cause new, uncertain changes that bloom as others wilt and decay into rot. Corruption looms ahead.

Thank you all for your patience as we finish what's needed to set off this event. There have been quite a few life events amongst staff that slowed down our usual timeline, and those needed to be taken care of before we were able to focus on the usual festivities. We are down to the finishing touches and almost ready to go; we should be in full swing nearer to the end of this week. 

Key Elements

Returning Features

There are a few large changes to Corruption this year, but they are mostly additions, not subtractions. Most of the core elements are unchanged. The bases available remain the same, you may still order semi-MYO corrupted Faunids or have an existing Faunid corrupted, and users will still gather and trade items to "build" their Corrupts. The Corruption Event Guide [HERE] has not been updated just yet, but the 'how this event' works' sections will be pretty much intact.

A few key updates are:

• Corruption will no longer require elements of desaturation that were once universal. Corruption runs deeper than color. For some, intensity defines the changes within. 
• Corrupted Minodae will not be available this year as we are focused on developing lore and decorruption. We want to have a Minodae guide published before we add them to this event! 
• Our lore developments for Corruption will expand on the spiritual journey faced by Faunids who corrupt, how magic affects the individual, how choice and control factor into corruption, and how societal beliefs are adapting towards corrupted Faunids. 

Decorruption

Decorruption is officially being added as an available option for Corruption. You will be able to initiate a process of taking a Corrupt Faunid and decorrupting them into their own character category on the site. The process is not as simple as ‘returning’ a Faunid to a state once untouched by Corruption. Decorrupts *will* be able to participate in Fawning. More information on the process will be revealed at the start of the event, with an in-depth guide of how this process works. 

new item shop

Last year, we introduced Roach's donation shop for the Corruption Event, featuring a beloved Corrupt Faunid owned by JulieJewel24! He ended up sticking around all the time. Turns out, trinket trades are an excellent way to draw in more friends to... steal... from. If you're lucky, you might find a few Corruption items here once the event starts! 

This year, a new shop and event item set will be available. Instead of the manual prompt submission process for receiving Corruption items, a one-per-user chest item will be available in the shop to instantly receive your free set of items. This shop is not live yet, but here is our lovely shopkeeper: 

Story Updates

As life on Atalav changes, so does our knowledge of Corruption. The aftermath of the meteor's impact has had a profound effect on Corruption as we know it, and has revealed many ties between Lifesource and Corruption that were once hidden in the dark. For the first time, Corrupted Faunids of many kinds have been emboldened to share their stories. We may hear from some of them as the season progresses. 

Calls for Fenris are answered, yes, but not in ways that anyone could expect. Corruption lies as deep as the soul, and a soul, just as the physical body, can be warped, shattered, and twisted into new uncertain shapes under the right amount of pressure. 

The answers come in the form of a creature who proudly heralds herself with her name, Fractal, and a title: 

Herne's Defiance. 

Mysterious, ancient, and powerful, hers is a soul cut into a uniquely defining shape by the same strange geometry found within all things. While her silver tongue is strangely forthcoming, very little is known about how she came to be. She claims to seek aid in uncovering the source of her creation, but can she be trusted?
We can only wait and see. 

Thank you to pebb for our event and donation shop banner, L0sw for our new shopkeeper banner, and Necrologia for Fractal's illustration!