This week’s issue is accompanied by a PDF version created by the lovely Cheer! Pick it up here to check it out!
This Week at The Overseer HQ: Issue 12
By Lydia
After The Masquerade, our writers, editors, artists, and graphic designers have returned after non-stop chatter, dancing, tasty snacks, and showing off their most glamorous costumes. All of them had stated that they had enjoyable excursions, many of them having been to multiple black-tie events in the past that had proven to be rather lackluster in comparison. They also noted that the decor and preparation were admirable, and would like to extend a thank-you to everyone who contributed to them!
The Incident Count rose significantly because of their attendance, rising from a mere 28 to a total of 136. Aside from the previously failed kidnappings, the staff was seen celebrating both their evasion skills as well as enjoying the biggest social event of the month, diving headfirst into starting a dance-off with all of the other guests at The Masquerade. This was conducted through a challenge in which stamina was the key, rather than skill, and the last person standing on the dance floor was declared the victor. Despite their best efforts, absolutely no one from the staff won the competition, as the last staff member standing was knocked down with a metal pipe to the kneecaps. The victor of the whole competition was none other than Berry of the Decked Out Crew, completely through fair play. He had nothing to do with the sabotage of the other contestants. Multiple staff members were also seen falling down the frozen stream into the Void in the Purpur Pavilion, their evident yelps as they had fallen proving to be quite amusing to the other partygoers.
An article written by Nes also covers the many costumes presented at The Masquerade, noting favorites of The Overseer staff as well as the detailed craftsmanship of these outfits, as almost every single one of them was designed entirely by each individual participant. The staff has collectively dropped their jaws at the sight of the artistic abilities of all who have sent their Citizens down the Red Carpet. We are thrilled at the way all of the participants have seized the chance to show off their innovative creativity regarding their Citizens’ personalities and how they are presented through each piece!
A collection of stray cats, more of which have been added over the past week, have been living at the office since Tuesday, June 22nd. Luckily, none of our staff members are allergic to cats, and the majority of our staff members have taken a very quick shine to them. Several staff members were seen quickly rearranging their offices to suit the comforts of these creatures. Some of them have gone on an extended shopping spree for the most high-quality cat food, multi-tier cat towers, the latest cat toys, cat beds, blankets, and many treats. Aside from the great affection being given to these cats, Lydia had threatened to shave any cat that walked into her office, which successfully kept almost every cat at bay from that particular room, but three cats are now hairless and terrified. Some of our visitors asked if these stray cats were up for adoption, and the staff had very reluctantly given away six of these cats. One of these cats has taken to sleeping upon the largest printer in the office, much to the chagrin of the other cats, who have begun an ongoing battle for the warmest sleeping place in the building.
The Overseer staff is pleased to announce that the Citizen Census has been completed for the first week of July, and hopes that all Citizens so far have enjoyed their time on the Server, whether they are newcomers or have been here since the very beginning! The staff would note that this was well worth it. We do not call ourselves The Overseer without good reason, and while we do not consider ourselves Watchers, none can escape our ubiquitous gaze.
Despite the overall jovial week, a few of our staff members had attended a game show on July 1st in which the rules were incredibly loose. This would not be of important notice until they had all decided that to show the opposing team what for, they should raise the stakes and put the entire newspaper on the line in a bet, with the victor of that night’s game show taking on full ownership of the paper for the next week and a half. The opposing team had placed their large apartment suite on the line for their side of the bet, to show that they were just as serious about this competition. After many rounds of trivia questions, guessing games, and obstacle courses, The Overseer staff members lost the final competition of the game show. As the credits rolled, the entire audience, as well as the opposing team, joined in the vicious mockery of The Overseer team. Those staff members of our newspaper were seen collapsing on the ground in shame, cartoonishly shouting, “Woe are we!”
Now onto other news under the cut!
Hermitcitizen Census
Written by Nes and Lydia
Data compiled by Lydia
With help from Corundumcat and Morph
Meme by Coffee
Over the past month, we here at The Overseer have scoured the Citizen Information threads in order to compile a mostly complete Hermitcitizen Census. As of the posting of this article, we were able to collect data on 671 citizens. Some of this information was submitted via our Google Form, and others were sought out by Lydia. For the sake of this article, we are not taking into account whether or not an individual is being paid for their job, because the answer is most likely no, and we do not feel like asking 600+ people this.
Raw data for this article can be found here for those interested. Otherwise, enjoy our condensed version.
Hermitcraft has a 10% unemployment rate, 8% of those being unemployed while 2% have an unclear employment status. Additionally, 2 citizens were exempt from this count due to lack of information. Scarland appears to be the most popular employment location with 68 citizens, approximately 10% of the population. 45 citizens are shop owners, although most of these shops were not given specific names in the citizen census. Customer Service is by far the most popular form of work, with this trait occurring in approximately 121 employed citizens’ jobs. Odd Jobs took second place with 106 citizens, and Scientific Research took third place with 74 citizens.
281 citizens submitted their age to the census, leaving 388 citizens unaccounted for, or 58% of citizens. The youngest citizen is 9 months old while the oldest is 1572 years old, among those that provided specific numbers. There are citizens who are several thousands of years old, however, they did not specify exact numbers. The median age is 20 and the most common age is 19, with 38 citizens submitting that age, or 13% of those who submitted an age.
The most common species on the server is the Avian, with 77, or 11% of the server self-identifying as one or more variations of the hybrid. Several species only have a single inhabitant on the server and therefore we are unable to name the least popular species. Approximately 100 citizens present themselves as human, whether they really are human or prefer to be under the radar regarding their species. 86 citizens were noted to have a specific real-world basis of an animal or creature for their species by their participant, with most of these creatures being various species of birds.
Scar is the most popular Hermit in terms of Citizen Associations, with approximately 124 citizens identifying as Scar Affiliates. Grian has the second most Citizens identifying as affiliates to him with 80 citizens, and Pearl has the third most citizens identifying as affiliates to her with 77. Pearl is also the most popular Hermit of the Soup Group, due to both citizens living in or near her bases and citizens who work jobs related to her or her bases.
83, or approximately 12% of citizens do not have a base or consider themselves nomadic. This number significantly outweighs those who do have a base. Among those that do have a base, Scarland is the most popular Hermit-related base location, with 52 citizens living there. Gem has the second most popular Hermit-related base location count, with 34 citizens living in or near her bases. Doc has the third most popular Hermit-related base location count, with 33 citizens living in or near his bases. 28 citizens are Dual citizens of both Hermitcraft and another server, with several being citizens of Empires. One citizen noted only living in Tumble Town but not the Hermitcraft server.
Additional fun facts: the tallest citizen is 13’5” while the shortest is just two inches tall. Four citizens admitted to crimes on the census, ranging from being a tomato thief to a cult leader. Someone listed their occupation as ‘Grian’s 1 Braincell,’ their species was a Waffle. Finally, the most popular first letter for a name is S with 67 total citizens, or 10% of citizens submitted. U was the least popular first letter, with 3 names or just under 0.5% of citizens having a name that begins with U.
The Overseer would like to acknowledge that all data listed above is prone to human error and numbers may be slightly off. We do not believe any major errors were made, however, we encourage you to peer review our stats to ensure they are accurate.
Affiliate Summaries
By Roo :)
Bdoubleo: It’s been announced that Bdubs most certainly has the best sleep schedule in ever, but we as The Overseer staff must beg to differ as we are, in fact, spectacular at getting to bed on time. We don’t talk of the incidents of the past week.
Docm77: He's got butterfly wings now, which makes us wonder if he's gone through metamorphosis recently. At any rate, we've been told he looks like a watermelon, which is a perfectly true fact.
Ethoslab: I think we should be glad that, in Season 8, Tango went to blow up the moon and not Etho, although if our sources are correct (and they always are), he would've been quite close had he not been given free range of the shopping district.
Grian: I don’t know what the world would be without Grian noises. Quiet, I suppose.
ImpulseSV: If anyone sees their little guy around, please alert them, as they miss him very much (but wish him a very lovely break).
JoeHills: (Impatiently) Joe Hills.
Pearlescentmoon: I think that there have been requests for The Overseer to get cats in its office. Lots of cats.
Welsknight: He has been squished and Shakespeareified? It has been a busy week for him. Maybe he could cuddle up with a new office cat to relax.
Zombiecleo: All Cleo affiliates are boarding a big ol’ school bus and driving around to museums and wherever else. The former teacher in Cleo would be proud.
Weekly Weather Report
By Lydia
Temperatures are written in Celsius Format.
Thursday: Temperatures are expected to cool with a high of 18 degrees and a low of 13 degrees. Drowned mobs may appear sporadically near large bodies of water, so be careful if you plan on swimming today.
Friday: Temperatures are expected to rise with a high of 28 degrees and a low of 19 degrees. Showers may come in the early morning but will clear out before 12:00. Fire whirls will be visible throughout the entire afternoon.
Saturday: Temperatures are expected to stay warm with a high of 27 degrees and a low of 21 degrees. A colorful, cloudy haze will fall upon the server in shades of teal, orange, and purple, and will last for approximately three hours. This haze will have no ill effects, but may make those who stand in it feel mildly rejuvenated.
Sunday: Temperatures are expected to be mild with a high of 25 degrees and a low of 18 degrees. Hot Guy sightings are expected, and archery classes will be held around 1:00. It is likely that Hot Guy will remain in the area throughout the afternoon to sign autographs and promote his new book.
Monday: Temperatures are expected to rise significantly, with a high of 34 degrees and a low of 28 degrees. Both fire whirls and dust devils will be visible, so make sure you have a way to cover your face. If you look hard enough into a fire whirl, you may see the face of an unfamiliar but unnerving foe.
Tuesday: Temperatures are expected to stay very hot, with a high of 36 degrees and a low of 30 degrees. There is no rain expected, and skies will be clear throughout the entire day and the evening. A meteor shower is expected around 9:00, visible to everyone, so step outside for stargazing!
Wednesday: Temperatures are expected to fall back to a mild range, with a high of 26 degrees and a low of 20 degrees. Light rain is expected throughout the entire day. No storms are expected, but are not impossible.
Masquerade Fashion
By Nes
Art Compiled by Lydia, drawn by all participants
Last week the server took part in their first ever event, The Masquerade. With 53 participants, the event was a huge success that brought in citizens from all over, all of them in unique and stylish outfits. This article will cover some of the most stunning looks from the evening.
Roo was the first to arrive in a stunning blue ensemble that seemed to shimmer gold as the avian hybrid moved. His gown was a rather simple shape and blue in colour with star-like specks throughout, though the accents adorning his wings made up for that fact by being the real eye grabber with various golden decorations. The mask paired with his outfit covered his entire face, with one side being a simple blue with gold specks and the other had golden wire wrapping to resemble a bird. The look seemed to match the Astral Library, where the event took place, and was an amazing start to the evening and a tough look to top.
The next outfit to catch our eye was put together by City, entering the venue rather early in the evening with a black iridescent gown that swayed as she walked. The dress itself was rather simple, a standard ball gown with just a little more poofiness than one would expect and fell just past her ankle. She wore silver accessories that complemented the look, and her mask covered about half her face and seemed to be inspired by orcas. Truly a unique ensemble that caught other participants' gazes.
Nerd made a valiant attempt to enter the masquerade unnoticed, but we here at The Overseer are determined to bring to you everyone's ensemble and were able to jot down what she wore. Our first suit of the evening, Nerd’s two piece had a purple almost blue in colour jacket with golden trimming, a silvery shirt underneath, and black dress pants. She wore her usual boots to the event, and black gloves with the same gold trimming as her jacket. Her hair was braided, and she opted for wearing her usual all white mask that covers her entire face, and decorated her wings with a sheer fabric that shimmered in the light. With such a gorgeous look, we’re sad we didn’t get to see it more, but we’re sure those who did catch a peek would agree that it was a highlight of the evening.
Arriving not long after, Winter was also a treat to see. She wore a pale lilac gown that glowed as though enchanted, with simple heals and a mask. Although a very standard look compared to the others, it truly brought out Winters beauty as it matched her hair and complimented her eyes. Additionally, it was a wonderful contrast to everyone else at the masquerade making her stand out.
Arriving as a trio, KP, Erina, and Flayre were certainly a sight to behold. KP appeared in a gorgeous green floor length gown with a silver cat mask that covered the upper half of their face, which complemented one another shockingly well. Erina arrived perched on KPs shoulder in a sparkly blue dress with a golden mask that covered the left half of her face. Her hair was done up in space buns with star clips, but the true show stopped were the blue and green feathery boa decorating her shoulders and brought the entire ensemble together. Additionally, she appears to have redone her cane just for the occasion. With a fresh coat of teal and a million sequin stickers, the entire look was truly awe inspiring. As for Flayre, the blaze hybrid followed behind her two friends in a beautiful purple suit with a sparkly undershirt and matching gloves. Her mask resembled that of HotGuy, both in shape and colour with contrasting cyan and orange that fit the suit well. Her blaze rods seemed to form a crown above her head. Overall, the three were quite a trio, each with such a unique look that no one but them could have pulled off.
Budgie arrived in a floor length gown that contrasted everyone else, with its emerald green colour. The top of the dress resembled a corset, and was decorated with various floral laces and gems that really drew your attention. The lace and gems could be found on the gown portion of the dress, and the sleeves were sheer and bell shaped on the avian's arms. To compliment such a stunning dress, the mask was simple in design with a matching colour to the gown, decorated with only floral designs. It’s a look that stood out from everyone else, and gave ample room to show off the avian's three sets of wings without it being too much.
Taking the cake for the most creative look of the evening is Mercury, with a black button down jacket and blue accents one may think the look was standard. Though the true charm and creativity comes from the bottoms, which was a poofy skirt that seemed to mimic skulk and shined blue and green as he walked. The front of the skirt was altered to show off the simple black slacks underneath, and the entire ensemble seemed to glow. We can’t imagine a more creative look that perfectly shows off ones personality!
Cara arrived in a simple black dress accompanied by a split top with one pink and one green sleeve that almost reached the floor. She had on a white mask with lace attached to it hanging down to her stomach. Although simple, the ensemble had so much personality and seemed almost hand crafted, giving it an immaculate vibe, and it complements Cara’s green hair so well!
Fleur's outfit is a personal favourite of mine and had me fangirling the moment I saw it. She entered with a sleeveless black dress with a v-shaped neckline. The dress has small white stars that give off a faint glow, and is tailored in such a way to show off the shiny black boots accompanying the dress. Her mask was truly a showstopper, in the traditional masquerade style, one eye is modelled after the sun while the rest of the mask resembles the night sky. Such a classy look that not only matched the Astral Library, but also the one wearing it.
Opting for a more subtle look, Hopper arrived in his usual clothing but with an additional bow-tie. His prosthetics’ had been decorated in glitter and they had a beautiful fox shaped mask on which covers their entire face. Simple yet effective, the look was truly one of a kind.
Patchwork’s look was also more subtle, switching out his usual vest for a dark purple embroidered version with a swallowed tail back. Their moth wings, which are typically green, were purple as well to match the look. His mask resembled a black cat, with golden designs and some purple and blue accents to really draw your attention. His cane was made of warped wood and had some stunning gold accents to tie it in with the rest of the look. Although not as showy as some others, the outfit truly complemented Patchwork and had a certain charm to it.
The last person to arrive was Anura, wearing a plain black dress that reached just below her knees. The only shape given was a small bit of poof, and very few details accompanied the look. Her mask appeared to be made of plastic and was a simple black. While the most subtle look of the evening, we here at The Overseer do appreciate the effort put in and can say for certain that it complimented the hybrid's wings!
That’s all for the fashion we saw at The Masqurade last week. Additional looks have been provided by Lydia who has compiled several artist renditions into one collage! Original artists for each piece can be found by going to the server, event submissions, the red carpet, and looking for the matching piece there. Unfortunately there are too many for us to properly credit in this article!
Astrology Corner
By Corundumcat
Have you been feeling without guidance? Do you look at your birthday, look up your star sign, and wonder, “What medieval piece of food am I from The Abbey Medieval Festival Banquet 2023?” “Am I gonna be dropped on the ground?” Don’t worry, here at The Overseer, we can help you.*
Aries: Braised beef in red wine with herbs. This meal was a favourite among the guests, some even asked for more. However if you are vegetarian, vegetable and barley stew in an open pie was served.
Taurus: Pastries of duck & root vegetables. This was one of the earlier meals so it got eaten up quickly. The vegetarian option was pastries of root vegetables.
Gemini: Maids of Honour – tart of curd & almonds. Sorry to those who are nuts intolerant.
Cancer: Platter of cheeses, fruit paste, dried fruits, nuts. Apologies to the lactose intolerant AGAIN. Vegetarians had the same meal.
Leo: Mushrooms stuffed with cheeses, spinach & leek. This smelled pretty epic.
Virgo: Tarts of pears & apples with spice & honey. These were smaller than I expected, however it makes sense because it was a 10 course meal.
Libra: Lamb shank roasted in camelyn sauce (cinnamon & ginger). It was the hardest meal to serve, because the meat was willing to drop. The vegetarian option was tart of eggs, cheese and spinach.
Scorpio: Salad of greens & herbs with orange vinaigrette. This ended up being a snack for people in between courses.
Sagittarius: Fruitcake with fondant on top. This was the final course.
Capricorn: Roasted root vegetables with honey & spice.
Aquarius: Leg of chicken roasted in fruit wine and spices. The vegetarian option was Cabbage with apple & spices
Pisces: Glazed carrots & peas
All star signs: Revel in the night that was once there.
AN: I hope that you enjoy your meal, and if you want you should make it yourself. I know these haven’t been your normal Horoscopes but after all the server is not normal. On a more serious note I will still be sort of here next week.
*Ignore how blatantly specific these are. Nothing bad will happen to you.
From the Sidelines
By StarryFelix
Horses and Chickens… ChickenHorse?
Hello, and welcome back to 'From the Sidelines!’
Today, we will mainly be talking about how to properly handle animals. Seeing the (alarmingly) growing incidents regarding horses, the ever loving struggle of strangling wardens and a very actual issue with how to deal with chickens... eyeing Poultry Man because he should know better, it is the time to address the elephant in the room.
While keeping pets and holding pets has a couple of different reasons, most of which are justified and understandable, there currently is an apparent server-wide need to address that. You do not try to crash and fail the server by spamming it with chickens. (This may even cause the need for a respawn.) Doing this will also affect your neighbours.
"I really don't like being your and Grian's neighbour right now," is very much a sentence that has already been muttered, and understandably so, seeing the chaos that this mistreatment and forceful re-allocation of chickens may cause. (I, as a writer, would also like to state that it is still uncertain whether we actually know who Poultry Man is and whether his constant affiliation to the person that is Grian is not actually factual.)
The larger problem at hand is the fact that a significant amount of horses have been lost to rogue arrows. In past seasons, this has never seen as high rates as it has now, and it is important to remind people that you do not use arrows on horses or anywhere near horses, for that matter. Sometimes, it seems to be surprising that there has not been a law for this yet. The loose 'vigilante' causing the main issue may not even listen to these laws in the first place, however, doing our best to avoid the death of horses server wide, vouching for better treatment of some of the creatures wandering it is a rather active topic. It is very much encouraged to talk to anyone who holds any type of weapon close to a horse specifically when a moss-covered figure is nearby to avoid further retaliation and to stop the rise of the chance of cursing by 378%.
The main point in this story being: please watch out for loose arrows, take care of one another and please look out for one another (and the horses, I am afraid the chickens are already an unavoidable problem).
Lost and Found
By Lydia
All of the following items have been brought to The Overseer staff’s office for safekeeping until they are claimed. If you recognize one of these items as yours, please visit us to receive your items, or contact us at [email protected]. Thank you!
*Not a real email address.
Item 1: A “snack bouquet”
This “snack bouquet” is made with several candy bars as well as an origami heart with a bow inside, held together with what appears to be colored wax paper and tissue paper in maroon, orange, and white. If this item is yours, please pick it up before our staff members eat it. You do not have very long, so visit us as soon as you are able!
Item 2: Several posters depicting various Citizens for Artfight
Several posters were found of various Citizens, many with notes attached to them regarding their specific skin markings, fur patterns, creature-specific features, and accessories. The Citizens depicted include the following: KP, Byro, Clementine, Ender, TV, Flayrian, Scythe, Khalid, Raidne, Lemon, Arcade, Kare, Gene, Kaze, Hyo, Phantom Irene & Cirrus, Juneau, Ozzy, Nerd, Budgie, and Jay. If these posters are yours, we wish you the best of luck in Artfight this year, and hope that you receive many attacks!
[Citizens drawn by Kier, TV, Lemon, Arcade, Kare, Kit, Gene, Kaze, Juneau, Nerdi, Elodie, Hyo, Moonixi, Grim, Okami, Juneau, Lydia, Seven (Mateo), and Tony. ArtFight links are posted in a thread within the Art Studio chat!]
Item 3: A jukebox disc containing a Masquerade Playlist
These songs include waltz songs from a collection compiled by Martin Vargic and are as follows: Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade Waltz, Under the Sky of Paris, Johann Strauss II’s Voices of Spring, Tales From the Vienna Woods, and The Fledermaus Waltz, Eugen Doga’s Gramophone Waltz and My Sweet and Tender Beast, Dmitry Shostakovich’s The Second Waltz, and Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers and The Swan Lake Waltz, Iosif Ivanovici’s Waves of the Danube, and Juventino Rosas’ Over the Waves Waltz.
[This playlist can be found here: https://youtu.be/WnWQ56zEuko Note: Songs are not listed in the same order as the Playlist.]
Item 4: A pair of black lace gloves
These black lace gloves were found near the East Gate, intricately detailed with depictions of flowers and vines. Upon trying them on, our staff members noted feeling as if they could float in mid air, though they were unsuccessful upon trying to do so. If these gloves are yours, please tell us if you have enchanted them!
Item 5: Photographs depicting gifts given during the Masquerade
These photographs depict various gifts that were given to different Citizens, including but not limited to two color-changing pens and a pendant of a Sniffer for Mateo’s birthday, a promise ring given from Pen to Raven, a cane given from Eloise to Z, and a small red dragon illusion-turned-familiar created by and for Terra. All of these photographs were taken with a Polaroid SX-70 camera and left in one of the bookshelves of the Astral Library.
Item 6: A horn that plays a chant of the Joe Hills affiliates
This horn may or may not be cursed. When blown, it plays a chant used by the Joe Hills affiliates and makes the staff question the origins of Joe Hills himself, though they know they will likely never find the answer. If this horn is yours, you surely must be one of his many associates!
Item 7: A music disc of eerie lofi
This music disc has a surprisingly long playtime, lasting approximately seven hours, and plays entirely lofi-sounding music, all of which is noted to sound slightly eerie. The staff has been playing it in the background, much to the joy of the stray cats that are still wandering around the office.
Item 8: A screaming sword
This sword screams with a volume level proportional to how fast it is being swung, and seems to be used to set off Sculker Shrieker pranks. If the sword is swung very quickly, it can reach approximately 95 decibels. Our staff members are having a great time with it, and are running amok setting off Sculker Shriekers with reckless abandon! If this sword is yours, your fellow Citizens would greatly appreciate it if you would pick it up to help them return to some form of quiet!
ADVERTISEMENTS
By Jamie
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Things are going back to where it all started during this week’s Garden Club meeting! Stop by Spawn this Friday to show off your best or rarest plants! Now that v20 is here we expect quite the collection of specimens to get shown off.
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Do you have trouble getting your mob farms to work? Need an extra hand with your redstone? The SUS is more than willing to help you get it up and running, no worries! Your farm will be overflowing with monsters, guaranteed!
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Fun and Games
This week's word search, crossword, and brain teasers are brought to you by Lydia!
Hello, lovely readers! The Overseer staff would like to make sure everyone knows that next week's issue will be very heavily themed on kidnapping. We do love surprises, but want to make sure everyone knows ahead of time. Hope you enjoyed this week's issue, and stay safe, everyone!
This week’s news is once again accompanied by a PDF version of your latest news brought to us once again by the lovely Cheer! Pick it up right here for your viewing pleasure!
The Masquerade!
By Lydia
[Content Warning: Mask Imagery]
[Photographer: Erik Oqvist]
All Hermit Citizens were cordially invited to attend the first formal social event of the year, The Masquerade, hosted by The Garden Club. Depending on the location of each participant, this black-tie event began on either the 23rd or 24th of June, with the chosen venue being The Astral Library in The Nether. The event is still currently taking place and will do so for the remainder of the week, until the 29th or 30th of June, depending on each participant’s time zone. The attendance at The Masquerade rose quickly, with each guest arriving for a night of misdirection, intrigue, celebration, and revelry. Each Citizen seized the chance to show off the incredibly detailed designs of new costumes that many had never debuted before, with each design created by the hands of our exuberant participants.
The Astral Library is a Nether Hub built by Tango Tek, known often for his unsurpassed technical skill. Here, he demonstrates his abilities not only as a diligent engineer but an aesthetically well-versed builder, though he may not speak of it often. With a great number of floors and bookshelves lining the walls and a clear tone of fantasy-centered academic whimsy, The Nether Hub is an ideal choice for an event with a long history of high-society traditions. Sections of The Astral Library used for The Masquerade were divided into the North Gate, the East Gate, the South Gate, the West Gate, the Giant Warped Fungi, and the Purpur Pavillion. The North Gate served as a dimmed area for those sensitive to light, adorned with two misaligned stairs. The East Gate, marked by red stained glass, held a photography booth with amethyst buds to provide an ideal backdrop for Citizens to have their picture taken. The South Gate, marked with lime-stained glass, held the majority of food, as well as a bubbling lava pool for those who needed to stay warm. The West Gate, marked by yellow stained glass, held balconies, open floors, and jukeboxes for those who wished to share their dance moves. The center of the Astral Library held a twisted Giant Warped Fungi and two small pools. Finally, the Purpur Pavillion released its frozen stream to provide an excellent scenic view of the empty void.
The event featured high-end catering provided by many of the Citizen Shop owners who have perfected their culinary skills long before this grand task, one of them being Azelea, the owner of The Lush Cave. These included but weren’t limited to brownies, scones, flan, cupcakes, finger sandwiches, cheese boards, veggie platters, coffee, tea, fruit juices, and water. The event planning team constructed the pools around The Astral Library to accommodate Citizens who are aquatic dwellers, with specifications made for both saltwater and freshwater. Another potential candidate for The Masquerade was either Cub’s Museum or Cleo’s Museum, but neither was chosen due to the heavy preference by most participants for The Astral Library and for the accommodation hosting a party with more attendees than the museums are capable of holding.
While our modern Masquerade centers upon the current trends of fashion, music, and dance, it is known to everyone that Masquerades have a long and storied history. Masquerades are believed to have begun sometime during the Middle Ages as part of a set of Pagan practices, with this one specifically called “Carnival,” involving abbots and bishops cross-dressing and performing a mock Mass accompanied by dancing. The word “carnival” is derived from “carne,” meaning “meat,” denoting the celebration of pleasures related to the subject, both literally and metaphorically. After the ban on Carnival took place during the Protestant Reformation, a new form of Masquerades came to light in the Feast of Fools, a phenomenon that took place during several days leading up to Ash Wednesday, as it implied that for the next several weeks, those who were members of the Catholic religion would avoid any pleasures related to the “Carne” itself.
Masquerades from the Parisian Carnival are often the most sought-after versions in terms of imagery often seen in popular culture today, with references to Parisian theaters, dance halls, masked balls, and operas. Along with the Parisian Masquerades came the introduction of the lithographic process. The cost of printing more newspapers sank significantly due to the rotary press allowing the newspaper companies to print more papers with advertisements of this new invention. Masquerades also took place during the Revolution of 1848 in France, after having been banned during the French Revolution during the previous century, having been present during these various eras and further solidifying the traits of rejecting social hierarchies for its duration and dressing in striking clothing.
With the Hermit Citizen version of the Masquerade having been planned since April 24th, many participants had been creating their Citizen’s costumes and masquerade masks and sharing them in the artistic areas of the Servers before the event took place. These costumes, designed with innovative artistic visions, included many variations upon the classic masquerade masks made in the style of the Venetian Carnival masks, as well as an abundant collection of self-designed gowns, suits, and combinations of both. Participants sent their Citizens strutting down the famed Red Carpet during The Masquerade to demonstrate their handiwork. For those Citizens who are still searching for a hand-made Masquerade costume, two of the Citizen Shops, Raidne’s Tailor Shop and Spider & Co. Clothing Store, are more than ready to assist any patrons of fashion design. An article written by Nes further covers the many outfits worn by your fellow Hermit Citizens.
Our Head of Staff, Roo, debuted their costume first on the Red Carpet, kicking off the event for the rest of the Hermit Citizen Hub. Z, Jax and Ash, Alistair, Phantom Irene, Cirrus, City, Golden, Winter, Nerd, KP, Erina, and Flayre followed. The rest of the attending Hermit Citizens also gracefully debuted the craftsmanship of their respective Server Participants, eagerly searching for their companions of the past few months. The Masquerade provided the perfect opportunity for new Citizens to acclimate themselves to the Server Community, and for older Citizens to meet new friends.
Some who had met for the first time had not always been far from each other and took on the chance to familiarize themselves with former unknown neighbors as well as fellow members of their species. Z and KP had previously both lived in Chromia, but had not met until the event had begun. KP had recognized Z’s artistic talent and penchant for baking sweets. Emi and Cirrus, who had both visited The Birdhouse but had not crossed paths until The Masquerade, waltzed together in the first two-person dance of the event. Faces that had been hidden from the view of the Server for an extended period also made appearances at the soiree in their most sophisticated manners. Terra decided to create an illusion and use her magic to bring a familiar into being, earning her a small red dragon companion named Ares as her newfound pet. During the party, Caspian also provided on-the-move catering, offering drinks and sandwiches to the partygoers. We are certain all of the attendees appreciate your help, Caspian!
Some of the guests came intending to stir up the other attendees, such as Victor the Spider, who seized the opportunity to lightly scare two other guests, Z and Terra, shortly after arriving. He did, however, attempt to make nice afterwards with the group and with other guests, including Amethy and Twist. A mysterious Hummingbird Avian also attended and attempted to seduce Raven, much to the chagrin of her partner, Pen. On a humorous note, both the Hummingbird and Raven were created by the same Hermit Citizen Hub participant, allowing her to show off her mischievous side.
A night of revelry had simply become a temporary stage for The Sculkers and the continuation of their attempts to work through the troubles with The Watchers. While Ender welcomed Avid by bringing him to The Masquerade, Avid’s apprehensiveness was not unwarranted as many of the Sculkers are still reluctant to forgive him after he had caused an immense catastrophe, including mutilation and psychological trauma to the Sculkers over the past month before The Masquerade, and his attempt at redemption in their eyes. Whether he will be able to make amends in the future remains to be unseen, but he and Ender remain stalwart in their efforts to do so.
The more secluded corner of the Purpur Pavilion was used for tarot readings, with Cara demonstrating for a small group, inadvertently providing some much-needed emotional support for Pen. Speaking of sentimentality, Pen took a great step in their relationship with Raven, offering a promise ring to her to declare their undying devotion. The Purpur Pavilion also proved to be an excellent getaway spot for the romantic duos of the party, initially beginning as a place for anyone seeking a bit of privacy to becoming the perfect place to express their deepest affection for their romantic partners away from potentially prying eyes.
The Masquerade has become an elaborate backdrop for many to show off the current developments of their Hermit Citizens, and to capture in this moment their states of mind in the middle of many, many character arcs. The Overseer staff has greatly enjoyed being privy to such an enthralling first social gathering for the entire community. The staff hopes that all of our fellow Hermit Citizens have a wonderful time throughout the rest of the week, and wishes the best of luck to everyone in creating future events!
Now onto other news under the cut!
Weekly Weather Report
By Nes
Temperature will be presented in Celsius format, sorry Americans!
Thursday - Light rain is expected to last throughout the day with a high of 21. Wind should be moderate, and the night sky should be prime for stargazing with a lovely look at the moon which is in a waxing phase! Be sure to bring a rain jacket if you’re doing work outside.
Friday - The rain continues into early morning before clearing up into cloudy skies in the afternoon, with a high of 18. Tonight, the sky will be obstructed by clouds, making it difficult to see stars and the moon. There should be no issues with outdoor activity today!
Saturday - Beginning the day with a bit of dew and fog that will clear up by noon and let way to clear skies, there is a dry atmosphere with a high of 20. The sky will remain clear into the evening and the stars are expected to be quite bright. Due to the rather dry weather, it’s suggested you hydrate!
Sunday - Clear skies continue into Sunday and will last all day with a high of 28. Winds will return, giving a moderate breeze and there is a chance of summer showers in the afternoon as clouds move in to cover the sky. The night sky will be cloudy. It is a decent day to do work outside, just be careful of those showers!
Monday - Cloudy skies with high winds and a high of 16 are expected to last throughout the day, and the chances of the sun or moon peaking through the thick clouds is low. Not ideal building conditions, make sure to strap down anything lightweight to be safe!
Tuesday - Cloudy skies and high winds continue with a high of 18, it is likely this will develop into a category 2 hurricane by the evening. The Overseer advises you not to go outside, strap down any valuables, bring animals inside, ensure you have enough food and water in case power goes out, and stay safe!
Wednesday - Light rains will carry over to Wednesday before clearing up in the mid morning and revealing clear skies with a high of 21. The moon is expected to be visible in the evening and rather large. Not a terrible day to clean up any mess the hurricane made.
Throwback #2 Electric Boogaloo
By Ilea
Welcome back to the little trivia corner once again. I am once again Il and I am here to talk about the amazing trivia in the world of Hermits and Crafting. This time a story I have is about ecological horror, plans gone wrong and just the general story of the Goopy Geyser.
On the server, there is an amazing area called the Donut. It can be seen from spawn, firstly, and was meant to be Mumbo’s base, then a shopping district, but now, it is the Empires Christmas area. However, when it was meant to be the shopping district, the specific place where all the shops were meant to be was a huge cave. We all know and love Joe Hills, and this story revolves around him just wanting to make a bubble elevator.
The cave was a lush cave, which meant that tropical fish would spawn in it, and that the bubble elevator made for the convenience of Hermits started spitting out massive amounts of tropical fish. Naturally, Joe made an attraction out of it and for some time, the nature in the donut was healing.
Sadly, it was taken from us with the update, but if you ever wish to experience the true nature noises, I could not recommend this video more.
Goopy Geyser, you will be missed and hopefully remembered by the random coordinate fishes that are found in weird places on the server to this day.
Astrology Corner
By Corundumcat
Have you been feeling without guidance? Do you look at your birthday and look up your star sign and wonder, “Have I eaten enough cake this week?” “Will I be cake-assigned this week?” Don’t worry, here at The Overseer, we can help you.*
Aries: a cake made up of cheese ( sorry to folk who are lactose intolerant)
Taurus: lemon drizzle cake
Gemini: ice cream cake
Cancer: blackforest cake
Leo: lane cake
Virgo: chocolate crepe cake
Libra: cinnamon mocha cake
Scorpio: cherry blossom and strawberry mousse
Sagittarius: chocolate orange cake
Capricorn: Overseer cake
Aquarius: matcha cake
Pisces: brownie cake
All star signs: Don’t worry, eat cake.
*Ignore how blatantly specific these are. Nothing bad will happen to you.
Lost and Found
By Lydia
All of the following items have been brought to The Overseer staff’s office for safekeeping until they are claimed. If you recognize one of these items as yours, please visit us to receive your items, or contact us at [email protected]. Thank you!
*Not a real email address.
Item 1: Several Stray Cats
These cats include two Tabby cats, one Maine Coon, three Norwegian Forest cats, and one Turkish Angora. All of these cats are being well-cared for by our staff members who have an affinity for these creatures, which is the majority of those working here at The Overseer. If any of these cats are yours, please be careful when attempting to pry them out of the hands of our staff members. While the cats may not bite, the staff members may do so, as they have grown very attached to them.
Item 2: A dark magenta and gold Battle Hammer
This battle hammer is almost as tall as the average Player and features an ornate design on its head plated in gold. The handle, in a dark magenta color, is meticulously painted, and the bottom of the handle is also plated in gold. The craftsmanship of this hammer appears forged from many years of carefully practiced skills, and we commend the creator for such excellently executed work!
[This Minecraft Battle Hammer was created by Berry, who posted a photograph of it in the Media channel.]
Item 3: Posters advertising Sheriff Jimmy Solidarity-themed Popsicles
Posters created and distributed by Azure were given to many Citizens looking for a tasty treat on Thursday morning, although some of these posters were found scattered around both Grian’s Base and Decked Out, but were not hung up. If you would like to pick up a poster, please visit The Overseer Headquarters and follow the directions to find yourself the perfect remedy on a hot summer day!
Item 4: Several photographs of The Astral Library during preparations for The Masquerade
These photographs depict several areas of The Astral Library with decor set for The Masquerade, including pictures of the Giant Warped Fungi, several stories of library floors, the Purpur Pavillion, a set of open balconies, jukeboxes, a photography booth, and an open waterfall pouring down into the Void below it. No Citizens were depicted in these photographs.
Item 5: A pair of red high-heeled shoes and makeup
A pair of very bright candy apple red stilettos in size 9 in women’s shoes were found in The Astral Library near the photography booth between the East Gate and the South Gate. A makeup set including dark red lipstick, smoky eye shadow, and liquid eyeliner was also found next to these shoes without anything to hold them. If these items are yours, we hope you had a glamorous night at The Masquerade, and commend your taste in both fashion and makeup.
Item 6: A men’s dress shoe partially covered with sculk
A men’s brown leather dress shoe in a size 14 was found in the Purpur Pavilion. No one wanted to touch it without using a claw grabber as it appeared that the sculk could have been still active, shifting in various directions. The Overseer staff has kept it in a glass case and has been watching the Sculk slowly spread to overtake the entire shoe. Those in its vicinity have noted that they feel an overwhelming desire to try it on, but none have attempted to do so for fear of the sculk spreading further, and no one wants to make contact with it. If this shoe is yours, we will pay you several diamonds to take it away from us!
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Treat yourself today with two full stacks of Enchantea’s special tea for only one diamond! Buy one get one free for a limited time only! Located across the water from the Shopping District in a Birch tea cup!
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Looking for more tasty treats? Maybe a quick snack before your next big adventure? Well head on down to the Lush Cave bakery in the Shopping district to find a lovely shop with even lovlier treats!
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Please remember to fill out the Citizen Census form as it closes on the 28th! Don’t forget to fill out one form per citizen!
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Fun and Games
This week's fun and games are brought to you by Lydia and Azure!
Word Search and Crossword by Lydia
Brain Teasers by Azure
And that's all for this week's news folks! Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week.
Hello again fellow hermitcitizens! Thank you so much for reading yesterdays news, and today we are bringing you a pdf version of The Overseer Issue 1 and Issue 2, combined together into an actual newspaper, complete with great graphics! This PDF version was created by the lovely Cheer on our team, so give your thanks to her for making this for us to enjoy!
