Wintersday 2006

Wintersday 2006 was the 2006 version of the Wintersday festival, i.e. the annual competition of Dwayna (fighting for a mild winter and early spring) vs. Grenth (fighting for a long and cold winter).

Most of the events were restricted to the Prophecies and Nightfall campaigns, however players with only Guild Wars Factions could access the Dwayna Vs Grenth snowball arena, and the Candysmiths from the Great Temple of Balthazar on the Battle Isles.

Schedule
The event lasted for 13 days, over the holiday season of 2006-2007:


 * Wednesday, December 20, 2006 (4:25 pm PST): Start of the event


 * Saturday, December 23rd, 2006: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grenth and In Grenth's Defense were added.


 * Monday, January 1st, 2007: Finale
 * In Lion's Arch the finale started every 3 hours starting around 12:01 AM PST (08:01 AM GMT), later in higher districts
 * In Kamadan the finale started every 3 hours starting around 12:15 AM PST (08:15 AM GMT), later in higher districts


 * Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007: After the last finale Wintersday Gift Givers appeared in Ascalon City, Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Kamadan and Great Temple of Balthazar. The Snowball fight and Present Hunt were still available as were all quests, all collectors and all other NPCs except for the Wintersday Criers. Monsters stopped dropping Candy Cane Shards as loot, however they were still available from the other methods of acquisition.


 * Thursday, January 11th, 2007: Due to Grenth's victory over Dwayna this year, winter has been extended through Noon PST (20:00 GMT) on Thursday, January 11, 2007. Players can continue to compete in the Snowball Arena, join in the holiday quests and missions, and dodge Grentchies in Kamadan and Lion's Arch. Through participation in various activities, players will accumulate Candy Cane Shards which they may exchange for Peppermint Shields, Gingerbread Shields, and Candy Cane weapons of all kinds. And of course, players can also trade those shards with the Wintersday Gift Givers in Lion's Arch and Kamadan for valuable Wintersday Gifts that contain a variety of exciting items!
 * Quote from GuildWars official site
 * "Wintersday Event Extended! 5 January 2007
 * We are happy to announce that the Wintersday Event will be extended until 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, January 11th (7:59 a.m. GMT Friday, January 12th). You can use these days to enjoy more PvP battles in the Snowball Arena, to join the holiday quests and missions, and to redeem your collected Candy Cane Shards for Wintersday Gifts."

Locations
The following towns (except for the Great Temple of Balthazar) were re-decorated in a winter theme, serving as the stage for most of the Winterfest activities:

Quests
During the festivities, special quests were offered:
 * Two quests from Wintersday 2005:
 * The Greatest Snowman Ever Made (support Dwayna)
 * A Very Grentchie Wintersday (support Grenth)
 * Two "all new quest chains revolving around the two competing holiday gods". Featuring "polar bears, reindeer, and devious presents":
 * The quest Save the Reindeer can be acquired from Grandfather Kringle in Kamadan. The quests following this quest are Find the Stolen Presents and Spreading the Wintersday Spirit.
 * The quest White Mist can be acquired from Elder Skruuj in Kamadan. The quests following this quest are How The Grentches Stole Wintersday and The Gift of Giving.

See also: Category:Wintersday 2006 quests

Note: these quests are grouped in the Festival Event Quests section of the Quest Log.

Snowball Fights
Wintersday 2006 featured the PvP version of the snowball fights known from Wintersday 2005's event, as well as an all new PvE version:


 * PvP: "Random forces will unite within an arena to fight for either Grenth or Dwayna. The first team to gather five presents for its patron deity will win the day." For details, see: Dwayna Vs Grenth (Arena) and snow fighting skills. This started December 20.
 * PvE: "Venture into the Underworld for a series of repeatable snowball fights against either the forces of Grenth or the forces of Dwayna. Take control of piles of presents to ensure your side’s victory in this frosty fray." For details, see: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grenth and In Grenth's Defense. This started December 23. These were solo missions.

Present Hunt
This was the repeat of Wintersday 2005's present hunt. Periodically a present spawned. Players must spot the present, pick it up quickly and deliver it to one of the Young Children in town before any of the Grentches reach the present and destroy it. Grentches could also destroy presents held by players if they come within adjacent range.

In return, the child would hand the player a Candy Cane Shard or, if the present is handed to Scrappy Jhim in Lion's Arch, a Winter Gift which will unwrap into a random Wintersday item. Grentches moved faster than players, however Sugar Rush could be used to outrun them. When a present spawns the Grentches would run all the way to the spawn point before chasing someone who had picked it up. It appears that a new present spawned whenever a present is turned in or destroyed. In Lion's Arch, Grentches could be trapped on the left side of the lighthouse door if someone with a speed boost carried a present there and waited for the Grentches to arrive and destroy the present.

Festival finale
On January 1st, 2007 in Lion's Arch and Kamadan, the Avatars of Grenth and Dwayna appeared for their annual challenge. To vote for your god, find the rings that look like the setup from Nine Rings in town. Players could stand in blue (Kamadan) or green (Lion's Arch) rings for Dwayna or red rings for Grenth with a Candy Cane Shard as the wager. There were 3 rounds with 5 matches each. Once the match began, every few seconds, a ring would randomly be chosen from each side. Players standing in the the chosen ring were rewarded with a Wintersday Gift. The winning and adjacent rings were awarded 1-5 candy cane shards depending on which ring they stood in, and also had their winning shard count added towards the score of their side's god. These wagers did count towards the Lucky and Unlucky Titles. After the match ended, the god with the highest total was considered the winner, and all players in the district were given a festival hat.

See Nine Rings (Wintersday 2006) for further information.

Hat distribution
After the event, fireworks started (with different styles depending on who wins) and Wintersday Gifts dropped. Each gift was assigned to only one player, but the standard item assignment timer did apply, so it was eventually possible to take presents assigned to players who were AFK or who left the district. The gifts spawned near the player which they were assigned to. All players received the same amount of gifts. If Grenth won, Grentches would start killing players and a lethal ice bombardment would start, concentrated around the two sets of rings. The Avatar of Dwayna would resurrect any fallen players. These deaths did not count against the Survivor title.

Throughout the event, players were encouraged by other players to go to an even district for Dwayna to win, or an odd district for Grenth to win. This way everyone could get the hat of their choice.

Wintergreen Challenge
This event was hosted by the Xunlai guild. It revolves around the Wintergreen Tournament. Contestants won Wintergreen weapons for correctly predicting the outcome of tournament games and may claim their reward from a Xunlai Tournament Agent. Note: this NPC is now available (Gaile indicated the Wintergreen Weapons will be available on 11th January).

See also: Category:Wintergreen weapons

Snowball Throwers
The following NPCs threw non-damaging snowballs at players and NPCs in towns:
 * Kimberly in Lion's Arch
 * Guardsman Ash & Brooke in Ascalon City
 * Mac Snowhammer in Droknar's Forge.

Collectors
A number of collectors appeared in the above listed event towns, handing out special reward items in return for special collectible items. The selection differed, depending on whether the collector supported Dwayna or Grenth.

For a listing, see: Wintersday 2006 collectors.

Candysmiths
A number of candysmiths appeared in the above listed event towns, they offer candy and gingerbread weapons in exchange for Candy Cane Shards,

For a listing, see: Category:Candysmiths.

Wintersday Gift Givers
Wintersday Gift Givers were added to Ascalon City, Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Kamadan, and The Great Temple of Balthazar on January 2nd after the last finale. They offered 1 Wintersday Gift for 5 Candy Cane Shards.

Festival Hat Maker
New festival hat makers were introduced to Kamadan and Lion's Arch, and are permanently placed in these towns. They are able to "copy" festival hats among the characters of an account for 10 gold. This service is meant to reduce the amount of storage and inventory space occupied by festival hats.

Carolers
In both Lion's Arch and Kamadan, there were sets of carolers for Dwayna and Grenth. They rotated through dialog that sang alternate versions of commonly known Christmas carols.

Winter Dwarf
In Kamadan, there was a level 10 Dwarf, held by a Dwarf Guard. Talking to the Winter Dwarf would present three dialog options. The Winter Dwarf, pleading to the player (and Grenth) for merciful death, dies when a player selects the third response. His death was short-lived, as the guard quickly noticed and revived him, wondering how he died in the first place.

The Winter Dwarf became the source of one of the biggest hoaxes in Guild Wars, A rumour was spread that sitting next to the dwarf for ten minutes would make you recieve a wintersday hat. The sheer number who fell for this hoax was extraordinary.

Enchanted Snowman
In various cities there were Enchanted Snowman henchmen that can be added to your party. These snowmen were Elementalists specializing in Water Magic.

The Frog
The Frog was located in Lion's Arch and Kamadan, wearing a Yule Cap.

Items
The following are the available items from Wintersday 2006, with a brief description from the official Guild wars website:


 * Winter Gift - What surprise will you find inside? "Unwrap" it to find out.
 * Snowman Summoner - Need an instant snowman? This gift is for you.
 * Eggnog - The holiday season's staple drink.
 * Spiked Eggnog - A more potent glass of Eggnog for the hale and hearty. Please imbibe responsibly—don't drink and quest.
 * Wintergreen Candy Cane - The return of the adventurer's favorite candy treat. (Remove 15% Death Penalty in PvE only)
 * Rainbow Candy Cane - A different flavor of candy cane that should also make those long days of questing much more enjoyable. Give party 5% morale boost but the morale boost does not cause skills to recharge  (PvE only)
 * Yuletide Tonic - Drink this tonic if you want to be one of Dwayna's little helpers during the festivities.
 * Glob of Frozen Ectoplasm - You'll need this collectible item when you get low on Yuletide Tonic.
 * Candy Cane Shard - Collect these colorful fragments by questing and competing. The outcome of Wintersday hangs in the balance, and your contribution of Candy Cane Shards may make all the difference. Besides, you never know what somebody might trade for these once the festivities come to a close. Tip: Hold onto those shards until the Wintersday finale and use them for good (or mischievous) intent!
 * Fruitcake - A tasty holiday staple that is sure to put a little spring in your step. (causes Sugar Rush)
 * Special Rewards: In the tradition of the season, you'll receive special headgear during the Wintersday finale. And even better, you'll get a new means of storing it, as well.
 * Dwayna's Festival Hats are the Stylish Yule Cap (Lion's Arch) and the Freezie Crown (Kamadan).
 * Grenth's Festival Hats are the Great Horns of Grenth (Lion's Arch) and the Jester's Cap (Kamadan).
 * Festival hat makers are the new way of storing the special headgear, they are a permanent addition.
 * Candy weapons - not mentioned on the official website, all 6 of the 2005 Candy Cane weapons have returned, as have the Gingerbread Shield and Focus and the Peppermint Shield, furthermore, 3 new peppermint weapons have been added (daggers, spear, scythe).
 * Peppermint Candy Canes - During Wintersday 2006 they could be obtained from Winter Gifts and Wintersday Gifts
 * Wintersday Gifts - Obtained during the finale

See also: Category:Wintersday 2006 items

Wintersday Gaile
Wintersday Gaile and Breaded Man (Guild Wars Employees) showed up on January 1st for the 8:00 AM PST event in Kamadan. They participated in the event and scrambled for presents with the rest of the players. Both Wintersday Gaile and Breaded Man were not immortal as they both were found dead after the killing touch of Grentch and falling snow men (Avalanche) killing them. During this event, Wintersday Gaile also gave answers to some of the player's questions. She also confirmed the development of Campaign 4.

After present gathering Wintersday Gaile organized her famous "Conga Line" and ran everyone through Kamadan. Wintersday Gaile and Breaded Man also organized many screen shots in different variations from mass rank emotes coupled with cheering to dancing circled around the centre decorated tree.

At one point players witnessed Breaded Man gathering the un-reachable presents in Dwayna's grandstand area. Gaile made a post that they are planning to give those presents to accounts owned by players that live in an area struck by an earthquake, disrupting their internet access and preventing them from partaking in the event.

Wintersday Gaile and Breaded Man indicated they were gathering footage and images of the event for an up-coming video that will be posted on the Guild Wars web site.