Brightvale: Come and Learn

     1. Tour Brightvale Castle

     While I open my throne room hoping to receive new words of wisdom, I do also choose certain days to open the rest of the castle. I commissioned it, after all, and it remains my pride and joy; sharing this with others is only natural. Every window and spire has a history that the castle tour guides—not to be confused with the royal guards—are happy to tell. Because it is my residence and the guards take their due precautions, tour reservations must be made six months in advance and depend on Court approval. It can be somewhat of a wait, and reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis, but the castle tour is free, even to non-Brightvale citizens. Besides the guided history tour, visitors can:

     *Peruse one of the castle’s libraries. Yes, plural! Be aware, books must remain inside the castle; they are not gifts, but my own collections I share for the day.

     *Talk to those in the castle. Because of its vast tomes of knowledge, the castle draws renowned scholars worldwide, and any scholar worth their salt wastes no opportunity to discuss their work. My staff is friendly, too, and I certainly hope I am approachable!

     *Walk through the gardens. Garden staff are immensely prideful in what they tend, but the topiary in the shape of Brightvale fruit is, in my opinion, the most magnificent sight of them all.

     2. Take to the water

     The cultural power of Brightvale is established, less so its natural beauty. And how strange, that! The weather is pleasant year-round thanks to the warm currents flowing around the peninsula. One can swim, rent a boat, simply lounge idly... There is much to do in Brightvale’s waters.

     I must emphasize that Brightvale’s coast lacks the soft sands of Mystery Island. Time itself has rounded our rocky coast to smooth pebbles and sea glass—some of our finest stained glass windows are made from it! Any attire a visitor brings will not weigh down their rucksack, but one must bring appropriate footwear if they choose to go to the coast.

     3. Hike

     A healthy mind is fostered by a healthy body. There are several trails traversing Brightvale’s hills and meadows, used occasionally for commerce, mostly for leisure. Being a peaceful country, it is the royal guards who maintain the trails from overgrowth. Visitors should not be alarmed if they find a royal guard at a trail.

     There will be a sign at the beginning of each trail detailing its altitude, length, and difficulty. For beginners or those only wanting to take in Brightvale’s vistas, I recommend the trail beginning at the Wheel of Knowledge, as it has relatively flat land, cuts through lush forest, and loops around the castle. For the intermediate hiker, consider the trail by the Screlon farms near the Meridell border; it is slightly more elevated and cooler, as it loops by a river. For the experienced hiker, take on the trail ten miles north of the castle. It is strenuous, as it goes through the hilliest parts of the kingdom, but the due reward is in it providing Brightvale’s best views.

     Brightvale wildlife tends to steer clear of the trails, but if a curious Symol or the like approaches, leave it be! Visitors should not feed any wildlife, either, no matter how much their eyes gleam! The trails are safe if one deigns to respect nature.

     4. Pick fruit

     Meridell offers fruit-picking, but on select days, various Brightvale farms offer the same. From Cackleberries to Tangellas, countless types of fruit are waiting to be plucked from their branches and vines. Not an insignificant number of visitors who have done so and later come to my throne room have told me that the fruits taste sweeter when they were the ones to have picked them. *Fruit picking fees and permitted weights differ by farm. On average, I would expect about three hundred Neopoints for a bushel’s worth of fruit.

     5. Watch a stained glass craftsman at work

     Stained glass is an art form that comes with danger, and so no respectable craftsman allows untrained visitors to make their own windows. However, on certain days of the month, by my royal decree, craftsmen open their workshops to the viewing public to prove how they have earned that name. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be provided by the craftsman. Afterward, in a humble auction, the windows are open to bids. The winner takes it home.

     6. Hear poetry

     The learning Brightvale encourages bears its own inedible fruit! Each year, poets in the kingdom gather to recite their best works, as do venerated poets from outside Brightvale, invited by myself. Although it is free to attend, I recommend bringing one thousand Neopoints at the minimum, should the local vendors selling Brightvale food and wares prove too enticing—and, of course, if a poet’s work moves one so that merely hearing it once will not suffice, poetry books by the poets in attendance are sold.

          Brightvale Day may come once per year, but the kingdom itself remains, welcoming all interested in the cultural arts, battle arts, physical arts, nature, food, magic, games, and knowledge. Presently, the mysterious Grey plagues us, but it has not deterred my people from their lives. Seeing smiling faces, particularly ones from outside the kingdom, lightens our hearts. But it is not pity I seek to elicit in visitors—I merely hope to convey my pride in Brightvale, in the past, in our strange now, and the stranger future.

     Come to Brightvale and learn what still makes us great!