FESTERON

Festeron, founded by Phineas T. Fester on the east coast of Antharia sometime before 781 GUE, refers to both an entire country of two islands as well as the capital township. The two islands making up the tiny country are Greater Festeron (also known as South Festeron) and North Festeron. Were it not for the two rivers that divided both islands from the mainland on their north and south sides as well as a third (Festeron River) that divided the islands from one another, Festeron would have been but a landbridge disecting the Western Sea (on the west) from Festeron Bay (on the east). The island was riddled with underground passageways; secret underground tunnels that criss-crossed the island.

Festeron Village, nestled among the trees, fills the northern tip of Greater Festeron island, while the remainder of the island is known as Festeron Township. Other features included Lookout Hill on at the northwestern corner of the island, and Festeron Point on the northeastern. Misty Island, heart of the platypus kingdom, could be seen from the western shore, always enshrouded in mist.

The island of North Festeron, joined to Greater Festeron by Festeron Bridge, was far more barren, with nothing around except for dirt and dead trees, and a single well-worn path (or perhaps a dry stream bed) that wound its way towards the island's interior, steadily climbing to the Ye Olde Magick Shoppe at the top.


FESTERON COMMUNITY
Festeron was seen by outsiders as so calm and so pleasant, almost as if it had come from an earlier, more trusting time. The fundamental principle of Festeron was: "We of Festeron are nothing if we are not civilized." Chastity is highly valued in Festeron, as are purity, civil obedience, and proper hygienic habits. These are things that must be understood for the one wishing to remain in Festeron. All the boys and girls were well-scrubbed and polite. If two of them reached an arcade or pinball machine as the same time, they would have an argument, each child insisting that the other one play the game first. Of course, it was a very polite argument. Even the police force provided prisoners with friendly tours of the village before putting them into a cell. Not many communities had an annual week-long "Have a Nice Day" festival either. Despite that there was a lot of niceness in Festeron, there was very little nobility.

• Greater Festeron
• Festeron Bay
• Festeron Bridge
• Festeron Harbor
• Festeron River
• Festeron Township / Festeron Village
• Broadway
• Festeron Boulevard
• Festeron Cemetary
• Festeron Free Public Library
• Festeron Palace, The
• Festeron Point
• Festeron Police Station
• Festeron Post Office
• First Church of Festeronian Science
• Lookout Hill
• Main Street
• Pleasure Wharf
• Post Office Hill
• River Road
• Western Avenue
• University of Festeron
• North Festeron
• Ye Olde Magick Shoppe

FESTERON GOVERNMENT
The local government of Festeron seeks to avoid many of the pitfalls legal systems fall prey to. For example, just one judge will never pass sentence in the fair country. For if that single judge had a bad day, or did not like the color of the accused hair, or the way his shoes were tied, would a fair sentence be expected? Thus in Festeron, three judges were used. In this way, personal prejudice is abolished. The judgment of three justices is three times as fair as that of one. Therefore there were no more uninformed juries. In Festeron, there was also no prosecutor to make everything look ten times as bad as what actually happened, and no defense attorney to make things look impossibly rosy.

The common Festeron courtroom procedure is divided into four steps:

1. The accusations are presented by the judges
2. The traditional three minutes are given for anyone to speak on behalf of the prisoners (biased testimonies are disallowed)
3. Once the basic case is presented, it is the proper time for name calling. Space had been made for it, so that those who have vented up anger are followed to feel better, and everything is much tidier.
4. Then is the time for the judges to issue their final summaries.

It should be noted that foreigners on trial are not permitted to testify; because of their closed-mindedness to the traditions of Festeron they could not possibly have a clear view of the matter.

The High Court of Festeron is terribly strict, in fact a single violation of gambling or the refusal to sing the national anthem find death to be a much too mild of a punishment (after an excruciatingly painful moment, or maybe two, the miscreant is forever beyond their grasp). These lawbreakers found themselves sentenced to far worse fate, the labor of a postal worker as long as the court saw fit. The Festeron Armed Services were on-hand only for matters of calamity (such as monster invasions).

The members of the court always went on vacation whenever Witchville took over.


FESTERON ANTHEM
At the sound of a spontaneous foghorn, everyone who could hear, would stop whatever they were doing, looked up at the nearest green and purple flag, and stood at attention with their hands over their hearts. Music blarred from island-wide loudspeakers (the same louderspeakers that emit the foghorn noise) and the entire population was required to sing the national anthem that ended with a fanfare. Refusal to sing was seen as a criminal offense.

The first lines of the anthem are:
    “Oh, Festeron, my Festeron,
    We won’t let you get messed around!”


SOME MINOR FESTERON EVENTS
The nation is also known for the Mad Arsonist of Festeron, who terrorized the region until his capture. Unconfirmed legends have also originated about a Yodeling Skunk-Monkey of Festeron.


WISHBRINGER & WITCHVILLE
By the Second Age of Magic, there was something special about the two islands that made up the republic of Festeron. There was something there, whether the location, climate, or some element in the soil, or perhaps a combination of all three—and that something made the place magic. And one of the main sources of the magic was the Wishbringer stone. This stone, discovered on the Misty Island before 1063 GUE, passed through several hands before coming into the possession of Y'Gael. This stone, greatly desired by The Evil One, would quickly be the foundations of Festeron's transformation into Witchville.

Noted before only for its exemplary postal service, Festeron found its way into the annals of history during the twelfth century when the nation found itself thrusted into the first instance of Witchville. This 1157 GUE Gladys' curse saw all of the familiar landmarks become twisted into sinister new forms, as well as the innocent citizens of Festeron being free to commit the secret dark desires of their hearts.

Because of this curse, which became a common occurrence throughout the remainder of the century, possibly until even the First Great Diffusion, the Festeron authorities issued  a 6:00 PM curfew, at which time the nation would become Witchville.

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SOURCE(S): Wishbringer, (game, sample transcript), Wishbringer (novel)