So there I am, casually slapping around giants in Sinking Sands, when the world goes black.  I come to in a sumptuous room decorated in Maj'Dul style.  A pretty Dark Elf is leaning over me.  "GOTCHA!" said Kiara.

"Holy Tunare, give a girl some warning next time.  Hey, this place is nice!" 

"Take a look around while I get ready for the birthday party," Kiara said, wandering into the bedroom.

The Community Lounge is a private zone on all servers used by Guides, GM, Devs, and Community Managers with a wicked sense of humor.  It's here that the Everquest II 4th Birthday Parties were (and are to be) held on all servers.  It's a fun place! 

The luxurious indoor swimming pool is called the wishing pool and has fishing node (quite contested when the zone is busy) which gives fun, no-zone goodies.  There are lots of clickables around the room which produced a couple of house items and some fireworks.  A lamp spawns a djinn story teller, and in the back of the main room are musicians and dancing halfling girls.

Off in the bedroom, Kiara was in conference with the Keeper of Secrets.  As I jumped on the beds I discovered pillows which, when activated, start a pillow fight around you. Kiara passed me some party favors and started inviting guests.

I looked at my goodies as people started popping in from all over Norrath.  Woot, swag!  This stuff is usually only available from guides.

Kiara shouted "Welcome!  Thanks for coming and happy birthday!  Make yourselves comfortable.  There's booze on the bar, pie you can throw, pillows to fight with, and cake that turns you into funny things!"  I heard the cries of "FREE BOOZE!" and hit the wall to avoid the stampede.

Cautiously peering around the doorframe I saw two sexy bartenders with drinks for purchase, but the adventurous (and broke) could avail themselves of various bottles carelessly left out.  Fortunately there was a hangover cure available, or I wouldn't have any pictures!  We entertained ourselves having contests with Solusek's Surprise, which makes you belch flame, and seeing how the effect works on the various shapes the cake inflicts on us.  I do not recomend it as an octopus.

People keep mistaking me for Kiara, which used to happen on the forums a lot because my main on Nektulos is Kiana, and because she's lifted herself high in the air above the crowd in the bedroom to hand out party favors.  Or maybe to avoid getting trampled!

The party is rockin'!  Fireworks are everywhere (I ended up with three different kinds) and partiers in various monster forms raise their mugs simutaneously to drink to EverQuest II.  Guides are assaulted by multiple synchronized pillow attacks.  Cries of "Don't ninja the fishing node" ring out.  Seeking a quiet corner for a moment, I spy a lamp and give it a rub.  A djinn masseur manefests.

...

Man, can Kiara throw a party or what?!?