It’s Halloween in Tyria, and [[Mad King Thorn]] is back to spread his own malevolent brand of lunatic fun. The maniacal monarch has come to play, and he’s got a cornucopia of mini-games, jokes, and riddles to delight and dismay his fellow revelers. You can play along if you’ve got the nerve and the know-how, but before you accept his challenges you need to understand the stakes. If you beat the Mad King at his own games, you’ll earn fabulous prizes and special mementos to mark the occasion; if you lose, you get killed.

Fortunately, Mad King Thorn’s idea of fun includes letting the vanquished come back for more, so you’re always encouraged to return from the grave and give it another try. You don’t even have to contend with the Mad King’s tricks to get a treat—there are plenty of other ways to earn prizes, like participating in special events throughout the weekend, or simply exploring in the eerie glow of the King’s flickering firelight smile.

The ghoul-apalooza begins on October 24th and runs until 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on November 2nd, in both the Tyrian port of [[Lion's Arch]] and the Elonian port of [[Kamadan]]. Mad King Thorn will appear in both places multiple times, always preceded by his undead horsemen and accompanied by his entourage of nightmarish cohorts. Participate in any of his appearances and you’ll earn a special piece of holiday event headgear.

If you miss this annual celebration of dark delights and wild chicanery, you’ll never get the chance to take home the kinds of rewards that only a Mad King can offer. You’ll also miss out on enough thrills and chills to last a lifetime (no matter how long that lifetime turns out to be).

After all, a little scary fun never killed anybody�hough in this case it probably will�

As much as he likes to be the center of attention, the Mad King isn't the only exciting part of the festivities.