Elves at The Goblin Ball?

In the lush rain forests of Victoria, creatures gather to celebrate the uniting of their kin. The Elves of Australia have been gathering together in the past few years to pass down the secrets and traditions of Elven kind via such workshops as bow-making, leather-craft, Elven cuisine and even Quenya, the most ancient of Elvish languages! Humans and fae alike who are brave enough to join in the festivities are rewarded with a weekend away that they won't forget.

David Ibbetson of Elven Kin is the leader of the movement called Yomenie. With his enthusiasm he brings a whole experience to Australia not found in many places in the human realm. The Yomenie Camp runs once for each season of the year, allowing Elf enthusiasts the opportunity to live as Elven folk for a weekend and learn the ways of the Yomenie. Additionally, monthly workshops are held to pass down the knowledge and skills that any would-be Elf would need to survive life under the stars.

Darko the Ringmaster decided to ask David a few questions about Elven mythology, and ask him what brought him to bring this amazing idea to life.

So David, Yomenie is an interesting name. I haven't heard about it before in the Goblin Realm. Where does the name originate?
Funnily enough, "Yomenie" is an Elvish word meaning "a meeting", and denotes the combination of more than two. The Yomenii (plural) that we hold are based on an ancient Elven tradition of mutual good-will. Ancient Yomenii were crossroads between distant Elven villages where both friends and foes would meet, present their skillfully made wares, food and miru (alcoholic beverages) to each other as a sign of kinship, and as a way of diversifying the villages in the hopes of strengthening all Elven kind through the simple act of kindness.

So The Yomenie is a camping experience like no other. What does a typical Yomenie include?
A Yomenie typically lasts three days, the first of which is usually spent in academic pursuits such as Elvish grammar, vocabulary and writing. The second day (Aran Mereth) is a day of festivities, all of the workshops revolve around music, dance, song and other performance skills such as fire twirling or juggling. At night, we hold a large traditional banquet feast and are fortunate enough to enjoy entertainment from our network of dancers, musicians and circus artists. In addition, we host an Archery Tournament, and offer a large selection of other workshops and activities such as jewellery crafting, bow-making, arrow-making, leather craft, belly dancing, and we'll even regale you with classic tales of long-lost Elven heroes around the campfire.

If I was to attend a Yomenie as a humble Ringmaster, who wanted to learn the ways of the Elven Folk, what skills would I be able to walk away with?
Our most popular workshop is the Archer's Workshop. People can attend without any experience and go home having created their own full archer's kit including custom made Elven longbow, bowstring, quiver and arrows. All the skills are taught and then put into practice within the workshop. I think that this really encapsulate the group's purpose. We offer a wide range of workshops, and they all require individual hand-skills, but the resounding take-home benefit are knowledge and experience in the application of such.

If our guests were to join the Yomenie on the realm of the internet, what kind of creatures could they expect to meet, what are the Elves like online and where can we find you?
Luckily we're the only Elven Culture Workshop Group online that has an Elvish name, so to find us, one could either summon us through the wizard Google or keep up to date with all the chatter by clicking www.facebook.com/groups/yomenie
Online we're visited mostly with Elves and Firyar (humans), although we have a large variety of fae friends who join us regularly including people of Faerie, Orc, Vampire and Fawn persuasions.

And David, we hear you are attending the Goblin Ball as a united front. Last year Pintina was charged with Murder of the Fire God and we have heard rumour that Amak the Ice Elf is looking to call for her death as payment for destroying the Ice Kingdom.  What is your ultimatum for attending? Do you expect to cause a disturbance or are you there to gather together your own kind?
Lala, [Elvish for LOL] Maybe one first, then t'other...

Tickets are still available for The Goblin Ball. Make sure you book early to avoid disappointment and you too can play with the Elven folk!