A lot of events and holidays in World of Warcraft have changed in the last fifteen years. In Classic WoW, the Faire is a humble little collection of covered wagons either nestled in the forest next to Goldshire or resting in the cool shadow of Thunder Bluff. In retail WoW, the Faire is a full-on amusement park, complete with its own island and mysterious forest.
When you take into account how long the fair has been around, it’s not surprising that there are some fan theories about its exotic origins and shadowy intent. What’s really behind all of this mindless fun and those flashy games anyway? Here are 10 crazy fan theories that try to answer that question.
10 The Vouchers
It’s weird how the Darkmoon Faire does publicity, especially if you’re playing Classic WoW. Two lone barkers show up and just hang around in a public space in two major cities, Ironforge and Orgrimmar. There’s not much to tell you that they’re there. A lot of players can miss them if they’re busy questing in the wilds or tied up in a big dungeon. It doesn’t seem like a smart way to do a marketing campaign, so what are these barkers really doing? It almost seems like a flimsy cover story for something else.
9 The Island
The quaint little circle of wagons from Classic WoW has grown into a vast collection of roller coasters, games of chance, food stalls, and a variety of other creative forms of entertainment in retail WoW. If you’re suspicious about the origins and intent of the Faire, however, this seems insidious. Could any other faction in the game do this without some suspicion of a thirst for more power? It’s just an island now, but how long until its a whole zone? And who would rule this new empire?
8 The Boss
In Classic WoW, Silas Darkmoon was a mystery. As the Darkmoon Faire grows in influence, wealth, and size, Silas has made more public appearances in other properties, like comic books, as well as in the game itself.
The stories about him are sordid, to say the least, and involve murder, deception, false accusations, and revenge. He’s backed up by a veritable army of self-described freaks, too. Isn’t anyone worried about this elusive gnome with a mysterious and sordid past running the equivalent of a small country?
7 The Tickets and Tokens
Most of the time, players in World of Warcraft fight for valuable items that drop in dungeons, raids, or other dangerous areas. The Darkmoon Faire seduces normally sane players into collecting bunches of tickets that aren’t even items at all. The intent is to collect them through games of chance, handing in piles of seemingly worthless junk that came from a Mulgore scrap bin, and exchange them for a prize. However, the scheme doesn’t end there. Your “prize” will often contain, you guessed it, another ticket! It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. Does anyone else smell a pyramid scheme?
6 The Forest
Not Elwynn Forest, which any RPer can tell you gets pretty creepy anyway. In Classic WoW, Darkmoon Faire didn’t have its own forest, and you have to wonder what the deal is with that dark, spooky collection of gnarled trees and bent rocks that passes for a forest now.
It’s the complete opposite of all the bright colors and happiness going on just a few meters away. What’s out there, just a short walk away from the sparkly Ferris wheel? Some players claim to hear disembodied voices whispering to them among the brambles—and we all know what that means.
5 The Eye
Can this really be a coincidence? This could be the most pervasive fan theory of all, not only because the denizens of Azeroth are obsessed with the Old Gods in general, but there are eyes literally everywhere in the Darkmoon Faire.
It’s the actual logo of the whole thing, hanging from flagpoles, festooned over the main entrance, and even on the tabard. Who’s watching us? Wouldn’t it be the Old Gods, who are famous for their creepy eyes? One of the most notorious Old Gods is C’Thun, and he’s just one big eye! No, we won’t “ignore the eyes that blink and stare!”
4 The Lowbie Items
The Argent Dawn demands that you and at least a few friends risk blowing your repair budget for precious Scourgestones. You will kill so many Timbermaw Furbolgs for feathers and beads that it’s amazed the race isn’t totally extinct. And what does this faction demand? A motley collection of white and grey items that drop in level one area. Really? You just finished killing Ragnaros and someone thinks they can get you to go through the rubbish bins in Bloodhoof Village? Well, that someone is right, but what kind of mind control trick is this?
3 The Blue Cards
Get thee to an Auction House… unless you’re prepared to do a whole lot of grinding if you want to see what one of these looks like. It’s possible you’ve been fortunate and picked one up already—or maybe you’re not so fortunate.
How did these Darkmoon Cards get out here? Seriously, how did the people who collect junk like rabbit’s feet from the Tauren starting area even make these? Then they left them randomly throughout Azeroth, after someone picks them up they seem to take on some strange obsessive behavior. Coincidence?
2 The Carnies
The Carnies represent all eight races in the two major factions that make up Azeroth along with a few others. Ogres, goblins, and even a quillboar are part of this cheerful band, or at least it seems like one big happy family.
We don’t know much about the origins of the Faire or about its mysterious founder, so who are these people? Considering the Faire’s shady past, are they bound to the Faire because they owe Silas for something, or because they’re afraid of him? They never talk about their past, either. Do they have something to hide?
1 The Four Corners of Azeroth
The official motto of the Darkmoon Faire touts, “From the four corners of Azeroth, and beyond!” If you’re playing WoW in one of the later expansions, this contains some interesting foreshadowing. Could they have known about Panderia or other continents that were hidden during the Sundering? Could they have known about Outland? How would they have access to this knowledge? Are they devs in disguise? Inquiring fans want to know!
NEXT: 10 Best Recipes In Classic WoW
