Lunar Festival

The Lunar Festival is World of Warcraft's celebration of the Lunar New Year, held for about two weeks around late January or February. It was added in patch 1.9 at the start of 2006. In Classic, players honored the spirits of about fifty Elders scattered across Azeroth, from city squares to the depths of Blackrock Depths, traveled to Moonglade for a druid festival of fireworks, and gathered a raid to put down the ancient wolf Omen once again.

Background

The druids of Moonglade hold the festival to remember an old victory. During the War of the Ancients, the demigod Omen, a great wolf blessed by Elune, fought beside the defenders of Kalimdor until the Burning Legion's fel magic poisoned his mind. Long after the war he woke mad and raged across the land, until a band of heroes gathered in Nighthaven and drove him into Lake Elune'ara with the light of the moon. He still sleeps beneath the lake, and every new year he stirs.

The festival is also a time to honor ancestors. Across the world, the spirits of Elders return and stand in pillars of moonlight, ready to share a little of their wisdom with anyone who seeks them out.

Getting to Moonglade

In each capital, a [[forever:npc:15891]] (Horde) or [[forever:npc:15892]] (Alliance) gave [[forever:quest:8873]] or [[forever:quest:8870]], which led to a [[forever:npc:15895]] standing by a pillar of light. The harbinger's quest [[forever:quest:8867]] taught players to fire rockets from the nearby launchers and gave a [[forever:item:21711]]. With the invitation in their bags, players could step into the light in any capital and be carried to Nighthaven, where [[forever:quest:8883]] introduced the hosts, the night elf siblings [[forever:npc:15864]] and [[forever:npc:15909]].

Moonglade itself was strung with lanterns, and a [[forever:npc:15898]] sold rockets such as [[forever:item:21557]], [[forever:item:21571]] and the [[forever:item:21747]].

The Elders

The heart of the festival is a tour. About fifty Elders stood across Azeroth, each with a short quest of their own name, like [[forever:quest:8866]] for [[forever:npc:15871]] in Ironforge or [[forever:quest:8673]] for [[forever:npc:15575]] in Mulgore. Speaking with an Elder was the whole quest, and each paid one [[forever:item:21100]].

Most Elders stood in the open world, in towns, at crossroads and on mountaintops, including some in the heart of the other faction's territory. Six waited at the end of dungeons, which made them some of the most sought-after:

• [[forever:npc:15549]] in Blackrock Depths
• [[forever:npc:15560]] in Blackrock Spire
• [[forever:npc:15556]] in Maraudon
• [[forever:npc:15578]] in Zul'Farrak
• [[forever:npc:15593]] in the Sunken Temple
• [[forever:npc:15607]] in Stratholme

Coins of Ancestry and rewards

Coins of Ancestry never expired, so they could be saved from year to year, and both siblings in Nighthaven traded them for rewards through repeatable quests:

Every coin quest also handed out a [[forever:item:21640]], so the skies over Moonglade were rarely quiet.

Omen

The festival's real challenge was [[forever:npc:15467]]. On the shore of Lake Elune'ara, players fired rocket clusters from the launchers, which drew [[forever:npc:15466]] out of the water. Keep the fireworks going and kill the minions, and eventually Omen himself rose from the lake: a boss-strength demon wolf with a cleave and a damaging rain of stars, a fight for a raid of level 60 players.

When Omen fell, a beam of moonlight shone down on his body. Standing in it completed [[forever:quest:8868]], given by Valadar Starsong, which rewarded [[forever:item:21540]], a lantern that conjures glowing [[forever:item:21536]].

Later history

• In patch 3.0, the festival gained achievements, among them visiting every Elder of a continent, and new Elders were added in Northrend.
• The Lunar Festival has returned every year since, with more Elders added in later expansions.
• World of Warcraft Classic runs it in its patch 1.12 form.

Sources

• Lunar Festival, Warcraft Wiki
• Omen, Warcraft Wiki
• Coin of Ancestry, Warcraft Wiki
• All the in-game holidays that are part of WoW Classic, Blizzard Watch