Hallow's End: Tricks and Treats in the World of Warcraft

"When the decorations of Hallow's End light up Azeroth's cities, you know there's mischief afoot!"

The last two weeks of October mean it's time for another Hallow's End celebration throughout the lands of Azeroth. There are masks and costumes galore, and plenty of treats (and tricks) to be had. If you're feeling noble, you can help a sick orphan celebrate with a little trick-or-treating. If you're feeling bold, you can battle the Headless Horseman. And if you're feeling gluttonous, you can simply chow down on Hallow's End candy until you make yourself sick. Hallow's End kicks off on October 18 each year, and runs through October 31.

The Origins of Hallow's End

Hallow's End actually began as a human festival to celebrate the end of harvest. However, the undead group known as the Forsaken co-opted the holiday to celebrate the day that they broke free of the Lich King's control and regained their own free will. The undead's celebration of Hallow's End has given rise to the Forsaken's Wickerman Festival; each night, the undead revelers set a large wicker idol ablaze and smear the ashes on their faces as a symbol of their continuous struggle against those who would oppress them.

Celebrating Hallow's End

For most of the denizens of Azeroth, however, Hallow's End is about candy, costumes, and good-natured mischief.

Trick-or-Treating

Once per hour, adventurers can trick-or-treat by speaking to innkeepers. If you're lucky, you'll get a Treat Bag, which may yield such treasures as:

• Candy.
• A Flimsy Mask of any race and either gender.
• A Hallowed Wand for disguising others in your party as Assassins, Bats, Ghosts, Gnomes, Lepers, Pirates, Skeletons, and Wisps.
• A Hallowed Helm that makes your head resemble a Jack o' Lantern when worn.
• A Sinister Squashling pet.

If the innkeeper decides to trick you instead, you may find yourself transformed into a frog, cat, ghost, skeleton, ninja, or pirate for 30 seconds.

Shade of the Headless Horseman

Periodically, during Hallow's End, the Shade of the Headless Horseman will attack the towns of Azure Watch, Brill, Falconwing Square, Goldshire, Kharanos, and Razor Hill. Appearing high above the town, he will blast the buildings with flame, setting fire to them. Adventurers in the area can help put out the fire by grabbing buckets of water and throwing them on the flames. If the fire is extinguished, then the Shade of the Headless Horseman will land in the center of town and start attacking. Once defeated, he will leave behind a pumpkin on the ground that every adventurer can smash for loot.

Hallow's End Quests

There are a number of quests that are only available to adventurers during Hallow's End. Some of the more interesting quests include:

The Headless Horseman

Apparently, simply defeating the Shade of the Headless Horseman isn't enough. The Orphan Matron asks you to "end the insane lament of the Horseman" once and for all. The first step to this arduous process is locating his shrine, which lies in the Forlorn Cloister of the Scarlet Monastery. Once you do so, you'll be able to...

Call the Headless Horseman

The Headless Horseman's pumpkin shrine contains a number of Dreary Candles. If you take one to the graveyard wing of the Scarlet Monastery and use it on the pile of loosely turned soil, you will summon the Headless Horseman, now sporting a snazzy pumpkin head. Once you defeat him, you'll be rewarded with some nice epic-level loot and 20 Tricky Treats.

Stinking Up Southshore (Horde)

If you're a Horde adventurer, you can celebrate Hallow's End by sneaking into Alliance territory and tossing three stink bombs into the heart of the town of Southshore. Doing so will net you a Hallow's End Pumpkin Treat.

Rotten Eggs (Horde)

Darkcaller Yanka wants to play yet another prank on those poor folks in Southshore. This time, she wants you to fight your way into the Southshore Inn and use some Rotten Eggs on the main brew keg. Doing so will yield experience and a reputation boost with the Horde, while leading to...

Ruined Kegs (Horde)

Having ruined the beer in Southshore Inn, you must make your way back to Darkcaller Yanka and report your success. Completing this quest will give you experience and reputation with the Horde, along with 15 Hallow's End Pumpkin Treats.

The Power of Pine (Alliance)

Apparently the folks in Southshore are reactive, rather than proactive. Horde adventurers keep throwing stink bombs in the town, and Sergeant Hartman wants you to use the Stink Bomb Cleaner to remove some of the mess. Doing so will net you some experience and a Hallow's End Pumpkin Treat.

Crashing the Wickerman Festival (Alliance)

Sergeant Hartman wants you to make your way up to Tirisfal Glades and scout out the Wickerman Festival. The location is heavily guarded, so just getting close enough to complete the quest without getting killed is difficult. However, if you manage to pull it off and return to Sergeant Hartman, you'll be rewarded with experience, gold, and a Hallow's End Pumpkin Treat.

Hallow's End Achievements

The following achievements are accessible to adventurers during Hallow's End.

• Trick or Treat!: Go to an inn and get a Handful of Candy from one of the candy buckets.
• Out with It: Keep eating Tricky Treats until you make yourself sick.
• That Sparkling Smile: Obtain a Tooth Pick and use it during Hallow's End.
• Bring Me the Head of... Oh Wait: Defeat the Headless Horseman.
• The Savior of Hallow's End: Help save a town from burning when the Shade of the Headless Horseman attacks.
• The Mask Task: Obtain a Flimsy Mask during Hallow's End.
• A Mask for All Occasions: Collect all 20 unique Flimsy Masks.
• Rotten Hallow: For Alliance, complete The Power of Pine and Crashing the Wickerman Festival quests. For Horde, complete the Stinking Up Southshore and Rotten Eggs/Ruined Kegs quests.
• G.N.E.R.D. Rage: Earn 50 honorable kills while you have a G.N.E.R.D. candy buff active.
• Check Your Head: Lob Weighted Jack o' Lanterns at adventurers from each of the ten races to give them pumpkin heads.
• The Masquerade: Get transformed by each of the Hallowed Wands.
• Sinister Calling: Obtain a Hallowed Helm and a Sinister Squashling.
• Tricks and Treats of Eastern Kingdoms: Visit the inns of the Eastern Kingdoms and get a Handful of Candy from the buckets there.
• Tricks and Treats of Kalimdor: Visit the inns of Kalimdor and get a Handful of Candy from the buckets there.
• Tricks and Treats of Outland: Visit the inns of Outland and get a Handful of Candy from the buckets there.
• Tricks and Treats of Azeroth: Complete the Tricks and Treats of Eastern Kingdoms, Tricks and Treats of Kalimdor, and Tricks and Treats of Outland achievements during Hallow's End.