The Minikin rarely hear new stories. For as long as they have known, they have been cut off from the apparently vast world beyond Lockheart Manor. The Minikin do, however, have access to Elara’s library and impressive collection of books. It’s a daunting place, with shelves towering to the skies and complex texts that require a team Minikin just to carry, let alone interpret. Fortunately, Sir Archibald the IIII rises to the occasion. 

A (self-proclaimed) renowned scholar among the colonies, Sir Archibald prides himself on his intellect, which he claims rivals even the greatest big folk of the age. Seeing his fellow Minikin wallow in boredom, Sir Archibald took it upon himself to bring them new stories. And so, each year with the help of his trusty assistant, Timothy, Archibald chooses a single book from Elara’s shelves and interprets the story within. 

Whether Archibald’s interpretations of the big folks’ books are accurate is hard to say. But that hardly matters with how much fun his stories bring! The tradition started small. A simple reading session under the light of Elara’s desk lamps. Over time, word spread throughout the colonies, and the Minikin grew to appreciate these stories more and more. Eventually, the tradition blossomed into the Storybook Soirée, a grand celebration where the entire colony gathers to dress up, feast, and bring Archibald’s new story to life. And as long as there are books left on Elara’s shelves, the Minikin will never run out of tales to tell!

You're Invited...

To hear this year's story: Cosmic soup!

With a sigh, Timothy follows Sir Archibald the IIII into the library. It is time for them to retrieve this year’s book for the Storybook Soirée. Or rather, it is time for Timothy to retrieve it, because Archibald has never lifted a finger when it comes to manual labor. The two of them make their way up Elara’s desk and stand on the very edge. Timothy fidgets with his tail while Archibald surveys the mountainous bookshelves before them.

Finally, Archibald makes his decision. “That one,” he says, pointing at a thick blue book wedged snugly between two other volumes. “It calls to me.” Timothy groans.

Twenty minutes later, Timothy has successfully scaled the shelf and squeezed himself behind the row of books. He leans his weight against the spine of the blue book and begins to push with all his might. Little by little, it tilts forward… then finally, it falls. The book lands on the floor with a heavy thud, sending a huge plume of dust into Archibald’s face. He sputters a little, waving a paw dramatically to clear the air. To his credit, he somehow manages to maintain a look of scholarly sophistication through it all. Archibald steps forward and brushes off the cover with his tail. He reads the title aloud, slowly: The Early Formulation of the Cosmos.

Timothy descends from the shelves, still red in the face. “Cos-moss,” he repeats, wiping a dusty paw on his stomach. “What does that mean?”

Archibald flips the book open to a random page. It contains a diagram of a swirling, circular cloud with white dots scattered all over. He clumsily wipes his glasses and stays silent for a long minute, studying the page.

“Aaaaah. I’ve figured it out. It’s a pot! Or rather, space is in a giant pot."

Timothy furrows his brows in confusion. “Space? You mean, the empty stuff around the Earth?” 

“Empty?” Archibald scoffs and gestures vaguely towards the diagram. “Look at that swirl, Timothy! Look all of those squiggly lines! It looks just like soup, does it not? ‘Cosmos’ is simply the name of the soup! Vegetable soup, pumpkin soup, cosmic soup…space is filled with soup!”

Timothy ventures a step closer to the book. He squints at the words, not quite sure what to make of them or Archibald’s interpretation. “But Sir, if space is a soup, who is the cook? And how did he make all of… this?” Timothy throws his arms up at nothing in particular, hoping the message gets across.

Archibald waits for him to finish with a knowledgeable expression. He puts an arm around Timothy’s shoulder and points to a faded illustration on the opposite page. It shows a portrait of a woman in a high-collared dress. Her dark hair is tied into a bun, and she is holding a telescope. “See right here, the Lady of the Stars. Her name is…” Archibald peers at the tiny cursive beneath the picture. “Williamina the Flaming!”

“Fleming. That says Fleming.”

“Nonsense!” Archibald retorts, adjusting his glasses in annoyance. “This is the Lady of the Stars we are talking about! She who mastered the fire of a thousand suns to cook the great Cosmic Soup!” Archibald releases Timothy and begins to pace around the book. “Imagine it, Timothy! Our universe, stirred into being by the Flaming One. You- we all have her to thank for the ground we stand on!”

With a flourish, Archibald marches off, and Timothy watches his retreating back. “Cosmic soup,” he mumbles, closing the book with a thud. “Well… I suppose it’s better than no story at all.”

Event Structure

The Storybook Soiree will run for a total of 2 months, with different activities happening in each month.

Prompts

Event Prompts reward you with Farthings, Raffle Tickets (see above), and a small chance of dropping Event Items! Prompts marked by * are exclusive to this year's Soirée themes, while unmarked prompts will return for future years' Storybook Soirées.

What to wear?

There’s no time to waste. The Soirée is fast approaching, and you have to make sure your outfit this year is absolutely spectacular.

View Details

Very cosmic cooking*

First, you must gather soup ingredients that feel “cosmic.” Anything that’s purple, sparkly, or reminds you of space.

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2026 Storybook Soiree Limited Items

All items except Rock (Archibald the IIII) are exclusive to this year's event! They can be purchased from Occasional Oddities, KoFi, or very rarely dropped from Event Prompts! These items will remain available for the entire duration of the event, after which they will semi-permanently retire.

Cosmic Soup

Grants the Cosmic Wings, Cosmic Ears, or Cosmic Tail trait.

Cosmic Cosmetics

Obtained from Cosmetic Wardrobe: Cosmic. 

Child of the Cosmos

A character Title Patent!

Soupster

A little pot of mystery soup.

ROck (Cosmic)

Obtained from Rock Decoration Kit: Cosmic.

Rock (Archibald the IIII)

Obtained from Rock Decoration Kit: Sir Archibald the III.

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