Jack T. Lamplighter

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Attention! More information about the Streamer Rewards Program has been released for streamers of Shroud of the Avatar! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide... Avatar’s Update #410: Streamer Rewards Program Update! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Attention! More information about the Streamer Rewards Program has been released for streamers of Shroud of the Avatar! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Streamer Rewards Program Update! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 20202 3-Pack! R84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Holiday Themed! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Community Event: Orchestral Stones Rendition Released Community Event: Autumn Rising Brewery Dance Party Community Event: Rajazel Spotlight Community Event: Indestructible Hunting Club Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Updates to the Streamer Rewards Program! Several months ago, a program was proposed for the Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar. The ultimate goal being to showcase Shroud of the Avatar while giving SotA streamers a reward for their efforts. The program is currently in Phase I, with Phase II technology currently being discussed and worked internally. So, let’s talk Phase I! Phase I: Streamers who wish to be included in the Streamer Program must contact Laney via in-game mail or in a private message on the forums with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not, you’re on the list, and you don’t need to reapply. Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar. Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual. Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and a brand-new LIVESTREAMING title. Future incremental rewards will occur at 6-month intervals. (More information to come). Rules: To qualify for Streamer Rewards, each streamer must continue to meet the minimum requirements for 60 days after application. To accrue additional rewards, Streamers must stream SotA a minimum of 10 hours per month, tallied on the 1st day of each month, to remain in the program. Streamers must be actively playing the game during their streams. Being away from the keyboard (AFK) for short periods is acceptable. If Twitch indicates the streamer is playing SotA but they are streaming other content or a timeout/login screen, they risk being removed from the program. Items of Note: SotAbot: Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord. Graphics & Overlays: An optional “Streamers Kit” is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material. Watch the forums for more information, coming soon, regarding Titles, future rewards and for info on Phase II of the program. We love our Streamers, so get out to Twitch and follow them, watch them, and support them! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! The weekly Community Livestream is Friday, December 4th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “let it snow” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund! Moving in to the holiday season, now more than ever we need to support our friend Justin, every contribution helps! Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Guards, Villagers and Mounts, OH MY! Players of Shroud of the Avatar will enjoy these new additions to the Crown Shop: Black Reindeer Mount White Reindeer Mount Woodland Reindeer Mount Black Stag Mount Brown Stag Mount White Stag Mount Conversationalist, Shogun Guard Female 1 Conversationalist, Shogun Guard Male 1 Conversationalist, Shogun Villager Female 1 Conversationalist, Shogun Villager Male 1 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Female 1 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Female 2 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Female 3 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Female 4 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Male 1 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Male 2 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Male 3 Conversationalist, Wounded Guard Male 4 The fall, Thanksgiving, and winter store seasons are upon us, Avatars! Fall and Thanksgiving items will only be available until December 5th! All holiday items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! The holidays are here, Avatars! Get your hands on these assorted decoration items and more! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, December 10th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Black Stag Decoration Pet Shingle-Roof Stone Village Home White Rottweiler Decoration Pet Ornate Vile Mace Shogun 1-Story Village Home Viking Great Hall City Home Obsidian Village Home Aether Crossbow Row Boat December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 2020 3-Pack! If you’re getting your home prepared for a visit from Santa, then you’ll want to log in this month, and get your stockings to hang by the chimney with care! Simply log in during the month of December, and these holly jolly Yule Stockings will appear in your rewards window. Release 84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British and Holiday Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 84 are Lord British and holiday themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 84 to receive these login items: Lord British 2-Handed Axe 2020 Snow Globe White Goose Decoration Pet The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!   Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, and Justyn. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX The following bugs and quality of life improvements are being released to QA in the coming weeks, please keep checking QA, testing and giving feedback on these items: One hit to Zero Durability Root Issue Durability on Crafted Items Potion of Shadow Form Useable on Combat Bar Desolis: Corsten now correctly asks for a taming necklace for a Blanket Horse in exchange for a rideable Blanket Horse Player Owned Town light counts increased by 50% Shard of Night Pattern Daemon Trident Pattern Halberd of the Sun Pattern Xen Penetrator Pattern Ancient Essence Yield: Uncommon and Common yield 1. Rare yields 2. Legendary yields 4. Epic yields 8. Find Out Why Owl’s Nest Has No Ale quest updates Arabella Cloak deco types revised Meticulous Collection while Harvesting to yield XP Rewards in Loot Quiver of Jealousy masterwork and enchant updates Player Instruction Updates And much much more! If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Teachable Emote (/radiate) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020/2021 Release Schedule: Release 85 – Dec 17 Release 86 – Jan 28 Release 87 – Feb 25 Release 88 – Mar 25 Release 89 – Apr 29 Release 90 – May 27 Release 91 – Jun 24 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 4th at Noon CT to Friday the 11th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID WATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Caer Dracwych (@Bowen Bloodgood) Devil’s Lair (@Trinity) Rock Ridge, Mistrendur Middle Island (@Redhammer) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Verdantis Shardfall Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Verdantis Mines Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. No cross over events announced. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Each month, the anglers of New Britannia can enjoy a fantastic fishing competition in the Islands of Wonders! So many fantastic prizes await thee, Avatar! Crowns of the Obsidian! A troll horde containing valuable loot! Don’t miss out! When: The Month of Decemeber! Where: Islands of Wonders Please message Rook Strife on the forums or in-game if you have any questions / feedback. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Orchestral Stones Rendition Released The Graceful Bard has released a most wondrous rendition of “Stones” which was recently played for all the listeners and partygoers of New Britannia during a past dance party. This version was orchestrated by Erandoom with arrangement and vocals by Lauremir a.k.a. The Graceful Bard on Twitch. “Stones” is a song with a considerably long history throughout the Ultima series of games, and was originally written by David “Iolo” Watson and Kathleen “Gwenno” Jones. To learn more about the “Stones” musical score, be sure to read more at Ultima Wiki. Please be sure to visit this forum post for download information and to offer both Erandoom and Lauremir a big thank you for their hard work and dedication to the community! Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest A player-made interactive quest has been created by Net and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! This quest is a mix of treasure hunt and obstacle course, so put on your running shoes, grab your wits and head to the bulletin board in the Islands of Wonders! When: Ongoing! Where: Islands of Wonders For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Autumn Rising Brewery Dance Party The Autumn Rising Brewery Management invites all Novians to dance the night away in our spectacular ballroom! The one and only Dark Lord Celith Wraine will be spinning all his wonderful tunes for the event. When: December 19th, 7PM CT Where: Crossroads (Take fast travel sign to Adventure Club and enter the blue portal in the Stone Arch) For more info please contact Trezir Pyle or Chatull Aventari. For more information, check out the main forum post on the official forums. Thanks and hope to see you all there! Community Event: Rajazel Spotlight Reporters of TheAvatar.Express have once again spotlighted a Player-Owned Town! Let’s take some time to see what Rajazel has to offer! Rajazel, a Player-Owned Town governed by Lijuan Zhang and friends, is just around the corner from Soltown. Rajazel is a beautiful town set up as a museum, and a place to explore and fish. Be sure to check out the Christmas House! It was so bright and festive! Perfect for this time of year. But don’t take our word for it, read the full article to learn more about Rajazel, and be sure to visit the main forum thread on this topic and give Thradia a big “thank you” for spotlighting the town! Community Event: Indestructible Hunting Club The Indestructible Hunting Club needs YOU! Are you tired of racing for the best gear? Need more challenge in your Shroud of the Avatar life? Join the Indestructible Hunting Club! When: Saturday, December 5th, 7PM CT Where: Spindelskog All gear used must be indestructible – no damage to maximum durability. Come meet the challenge and hunt with your indestructible gear! For more information about the Indestructible Hunting Club, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy hunting, Avatars! Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: December 1st to December 31st For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Happy Holidays to the players of Shroud of the Avatar! To kick off this holiday season, we hope you enjoy the Homes for the Holiday Sale! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Homes for the Holiday Sale! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! R84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Holiday Themed! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Homes for the Holiday Sale! To kick off the 2020 holiday season, you’ll find the following blowout sale prices in the Crown Shop: 25% off Deed upgrades 25% off Home BASE prices 20% off Crown of the Obsidians Rapid fire sales started at noon Thursday and will run until Tuesday, December 1st. With the rapid fire sales, you might find that home you’ve had your eye on double discounted, yep I said it, double! So it’s time to get that home upgrade you’ve been thinking about, or stock up on those Crowns! Don’t let these incredible deals get away from you, keep your eyes on the Crown Shop. For more information about Player Housing, please visit the Players Guide. Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! The weekly Community Livestream is Friday, November 27th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins Please” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund! Moving in to the holiday season, now more than ever we need to support our friend Justin, every contribution helps! Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Lich, Bandit, Underdweller, Ebon Dawn, and Skeleton Conversationalists! Conversationalist, Lich Fighter Conversationalist, Lich Archer Conversationalist, Lich Mage Conversationalist, Human Underdweller Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Underdweller Male 1 Conversationalist, Bandit Male 1 Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Mage Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Fighter Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Archer Conversationalist, Skeleton Mage Conversationalist, Skeleton Fighter Conversationalist, Skeleton Archer The fall, Thanksgiving, and winter store seasons are upon us, Avatars! The following items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! The holidays are here, Avatars! Get your hands on these holiday decoration items and more! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, December 3rd at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Brown Pilgrim Bonnet White Raven Decoration Pet Ice Nightmare Mask Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Wood & Plaster 2-Story with Great Hall Village Home Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Anchor Decoration Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Only a few more days to get this November reward! Just when you thought you got all your raking done, more leaves have fallen from the trees! Simply log in during the month of November, and these amazing Autumn Leaf Pavers will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British and Holiday Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 84 are Lord British and holiday themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 84 to receive these login items: Lord British 2-Handed Axe 2020 Snow Globe White Goose Decoration Pet The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!  Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, and Justyn. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX The following bugs and quality of life improvements are being released to QA in the coming weeks, please keep checking QA, testing and giving feedback on these items: One hit to Zero Durability Root Issue Durability on Crafted Items Potion of Shadow Form Useable on Combat Bar Desolis: Corsten now correctly asks for a taming necklace for a Blanket Horse in exchange for a rideable Blanket Horse Player Owned Town light counts increased by 50% Shard of Night Pattern Daemon Trident Pattern Halberd of the Sun Pattern Xen Penetrator Pattern Ancient Essence Yield: Uncommon and Common yield 1. Rare yields 2. Legendary yields 4. Epic yields 8. Find Out Why Owl’s Nest Has No Ale quest updates Arabella Cloak deco types revised Meticulous Collection while Harvesting to yield XP Rewards in Loot Quiver of Jealousy masterwork and enchant updates Player Instruction Updates And much much more! If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Teachable Emote (/radiate) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020/2021 Release Schedule: Release 85 – Dec 17 Release 86 – Jan 28 Release 87 – Feb 25 Release 88 – Mar 25 Release 89 – Apr 29 Release 90 – May 27 Release 91 – Jun 24 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 27th at Noon CT to Friday the 4th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID WATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Island of Wonders, Novia Near PaxLair (@Sole) Dragomir Mori (@CatherineRose) Arlia (@Zeek Latreck) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Paladis Shardfall Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Oracle Colossus Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Each month, the anglers of New Britannia can enjoy a fantastic fishing competition in the Islands of Wonders! So many fantastic prizes await thee, Avatar! Crowns of the Obsidian! A troll horde containing valuable loot! Don’t miss out! When: The Month of November! Where: Islands of Wonders Please message Rook Strife on the forums or in-game if you have any questions / feedback. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest A player-made interactive quest has been created by Net and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! This quest is a mix of treasure hunt and obstacle course, so put on your running shoes, grab your wits and head to the bulletin board in the Islands of Wonders! When: Ongoing! Where: Islands of Wonders For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: November 1st to November 30th For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Greetings avatars, I just wanted to make sure people knew that at this time we have only one official trusted trader, Markee Dragon. We'll be evaluating expanding this in the future if others are interested. Thanks and wishing a happy Thanksgiving to our American players! Chris "Atos" Spears View the full article

(Insert music track # 44 – “Medieval Introduction” by Tristan Lohengrin) MAXIE Disclaimer: Any character’s resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This audio play is a work of fiction and does not reflect real world events. Any opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Avatars Radio or Portalarium. Due to mature subject matter, parental discretion is advised. Hope you enjoy the show! (Insert “Spacecraft Hatch Opening” sound effect) MAX (male robotic voice) Welcome, Serafina… SERAFINA Max, requesting access to historical records on the true elves in order to prepare for my mission… MAX Accessing “The History of New Britannia, Vol. 1” by the noted historian, Theodric, as requested… *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 1 – “Epic Adventure” by James Stratton-Crawley. Loop as needed until end of scene.) MAX PROLOGUE A long time ago, in a parallel universe…King Arodon and his daughter Lanthirthel are facing their doom… (Insert “Starship Rumble 1” sound effect by MiceHead) (Insert “Rocket Thrusters” sound effect) The time ship, Tanken-Ka, piloted by its artificial intelligence, Max, races toward a dying planet. It enters orbit and deploys its stellar converter which begins draining energy from the nearby star to provide power for the experimental rift amplifier attached to the ship’s nose. Meanwhile, down on the dying planet below, a small tribe of slim, highly attractive, fair skinned elves stands huddled together on the edge of a cliff as waves of destruction caused by the Armageddon spell cast by the Avatar destroys the land around them. The island of Skara Brae is visible a short distance away. (Insert “Earthquake” sound effect) PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL Father, the earthquakes have caused a large chasm to form! There is no way across to the dock on the other side! MAX King Arodon nods as he speaks into a glowing orb in his right hand. KING ARODON We are cut off from Skara Brae, Halkon! Go on without us! At least, we will die knowing that the other elven tribes and the humans will survive this planet’s destruction… MAX A glowing mystical dome suddenly surrounds Skara Brae. (Insert “Energy Shield” sound effect – by Eevan – first 20-30 seconds only) It slowly rises from the ocean and then soars off into space. (Insert “Sci-fi Rocket Launch 01” sound effect – by sandyrb) The waves of destruction are visible in the distance, rapidly closing in on the elves’ position! PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL Hold me, father! KING ARODON I love you, my darling Lanthirthel! At least, we will face death together… MAX Just then, a bright beam of light pierces the clouds and strikes the long dormant lunar rift behind them. (Insert “Energy Blast” sound effect by Kinoton) The lunar rift begins to glow aether blue as it powers up. (Insert “Portal Continuous Rumble” sound effect by zimbot) And then, Nystal TimeLord steps through. NYSTAL TIMELORD Hello, old friend! KING ARODON (surprised) Nystal?! NYSTAL TIMELORD Hurry! Salvation lies this way in another universe! KING ARODON (yelling) Everyone through the lunar rift! MAX The elves dash into the lunar rift. Nystal Timelord, eyes filled with sadness, takes one last glimpse of the dying world before he passes through. (Insert “Portal Continuous Rumble” sound effect by zimbot) Mere moments later, the rift and the entire cliff are wiped out of existence by the wave of destruction… (Insert “Earthquake” sound effect) *************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 2 – “Epic Entrance” by Amber Raine) The New Britannia Theatre Troupe Presents Elf Lore: The Fate of the True Elves Producer: Asclepius Writers: Gabriel Nightshadow with Amber Raine, Fionwyn Wyldemane, and Celith Wraine Script Editor: Fionwyn Wyldemane Director of Public Relations: Amber Raine Music Composers: James Stratton-Crawley and Amber Raine Sound Effects Supervisors: Asclepius and Gabriel Nightshadow Technical Consultant: Stile Teckel VOICE CAST Indi Martin as Princess Lanthirthel and Anya Lord Baldrith as Himself and Max Asclepius as Robert (Count Aberon), Nystal Timelord, and Lorin Dar Amber Raine as Herself, High Priestess Ariel Joy, and Meghan (Lady Vastra) Woftam as General Damian Trumbull Grumpy Old Gamer as Colonel Storn Melchior Brian Manown as King Arodon Addy as Maxie, Constance, and Secret Service Agent Bacon Fionwyn Wyldemane as Krizog, Secret Service Agent Love, and Elf Child # 3 Jarikith Rivinson as Himself Celith Wraine as Johnny “Ripper” Warlock and Elf Child # 2 Sol Stormlin as Obsidian Mage and Elf Child # 1 Jakdaw Foxlauden as Obsidian Archer, Obsidian Swordsman, and Town Crier Drew as Lord Shadowreign With Majoria as Serafina Gabriel Nightshadow as Himself and the Big Green Dragon And Alleine Dragonfyre as the Oracle *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 3 – “Emerald Forest” by Amber Raine) MAX PART I: SALVATION AND DAMNATION ACT I Five years later… KING ARODON We retreated here to the Great Forest where we built a thriving community. But now the time has come for us to leave this place… PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL But why, father? KING ARODON Your godfather, Nystal Timelord, visited me last night and told me that in three days a Great Cataclysm is coming that will lay waste to the land for several generations. He bade me to lead my people up into the mountains to a place of refuge which he has prepared for us! MAX However, not all the elves were so willing to blindly follow the path laid out for them by the enigmatic being known as Nystal Timelord… Arodon and Lanthirthel are joined by High Priestess Ariel Joy… (Insert music track # 4 – “Dissent” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE In her left hand, Ariel Joy holds a black leather-bound tome, engraved with only a spoon hosting an eight-pointed star in its bowl, on the cover. In her right hand, she wields the infamous Chaos Spoon, a 15” spoon which was forged from the strongest metals known to dwarven kind – mithril and shadow – by the great Dwarven blacksmith Watts. The stem of the spoon is adorned with runic letters which spell out “In chaos, there is fertility.” The Chaos Spoon was imbued with powerful necromantic and chaos magic by the Dread Grandmaster of Necromantic Arcane Arts, Kane. Many of her fellow elves fear the High Priestess because the spoon is said to have the power to invade and shatter minds, leaving the target confused, or sometimes in the case of weaker beings, dead. Even without its enchantments, the Chaos Spoon is a formidable weapon, as the unfortunate Dark Elf , Swap, learned when he called for a retreat during a battle. The High Priestess did not tolerate weakness in the face of the enemy. Swap paid the ultimate price for his failure by having the Chaos Spoon plunged into his forehead! HIGH PRIESTESS ARIEL JOY I regret to inform you, King Arodon, those of us who follow the path of Chaos will not be journeying with the rest of you to this place of refuge which has been prepared by Nystal Timelord. KING ARODON (surprised) Why so, High Priestess? Surely those who do not seek refuge will perish in the Great Cataclysm to come! HIGH PRIESTESS ARIEL JOY The Lord of Chaos whispered to me last night in my dreams and told me that our destiny lies…elsewhere. He gave me directions to another safe, but isolated place which has sufficient resources to sustain our small group in the dark days to come. Sadly, my Lord told me that I will not live long enough to see the day when the land has recovered from the devastation and we will be able to emerge from our place of hiding and build new churches to spread the gospel of Chaos throughout Novia. My Lord was kind enough to show me a vision of those who are to follow in my footsteps over the next 400 years… My daughter, Stormie, will reach her thirteenth birthday during our period of exile, and I will pass the book onto her. She will become the next High Priestess of Chaos and continue the work I have started… She will be followed by her daughter Elle Tarien, and then her descendants Amberlyn, Mycah Nicole, and Amber Raine. I was pleased to see that Mycah Nicole is destined to marry one of your descendants, King Arodon, and on that joyous day our people will finally be reunited! KING ARODON Well, I am very pleased to hear that! I wish you all good journey! MAX King Arodon performs the DARKSTARR SALUTE. High Priestess Ariel Joy responds by performing the DARKSTARR SALUTE as well. HIGH PRIESTESS ARIEL JOY Namarrie mellonamin, good journeys to you as well! May the shadows of night keep and protect you and may the star of Chaos always guide you! MAX High Priestess Ariel Joy retreats into the shadows. MAX Another group of elves which followed the path of Order also decided to strike out on their own that day. The trials and tribulations faced by both groups during this dark period is a tale for another day, but both groups did survive the Great Cataclysm, as evidenced by their prominent present-day leaders, the High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the leader of the Phoenix Republic, Kazyn Phoenixfyre. PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL How we will find this place of refuge, father? KING ARODON With this! MAX King Arodon pulls out a pink orb from his belt pouch. The orb begins to glow faintly. He points the orb in the direction of the mountain north of the village and it begins to glow slightly brighter… KING ARODON The orb will continue to grow brighter as we approach the Great Vault… Now return home and pack your most essential belongings and provisions! Bring only what you can easily carry. The path up the mountain is both narrow and rocky… We depart at sunrise! *************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 5 – “The Return” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAX ACT II The orb led the elves to a secret chamber which had been carved deep into Bear Cub Mountain. Cryogenic suspension chambers had been set up utilizing technology which Nystal Timelord had acquired in the distant future. The plan was for King Arodon and his people to sleep for 100 years and awaken in a world which had recovered from the effects of the Great Cataclysm. However, unknown to anyone including Nystal (who was journeying through time and space with his friend Gabriel Nightshadow), the system suffered a malfunction. As a result, the elves slept much longer than they were supposed to, awakening in a hostile world ruled by the evil Obsidians… 200 years ago… Obsidian General Trumbull, is in his base camp set up on the banks of a nearby river, conferring with his second-in-command, Colonel Melchior. His two most trusted soldiers, Bacon and Love, are standing to one side. GENERAL TRUMBULL Ah, Colonel Melchior! Have you procured the book which I requested? COLONEL MELCHIOR Yes, but with great difficulty. The hooded stranger’s tip proved to be accurate and we were able to track down Parsniferous Dar’s descendant, Zorbus Dar, to his hidden underground lair. The mage refused to sell us the book and we were forced to engage him in mortal combat. We were fortunate that his son, Pogun Dar, a powerful mage in his own right, was not there because Zorbus Dar proved to be quite a handful. We lost a dozen good men, including four of our best battle mages! I hope this was worth their lives… MAX Colonel Melchior hands General Trumbull an ancient, black leather-bound book with gilded pages. There is glowing red runic writing on the cover which translates to “Book of the Illuminati”. The General suddenly has a wild-eyed look as he caresses the book. GENERAL TRUMBULL (hissing) Yes…my precious, we are reunited at last! Now that I am the last surviving member of the Illuminati, no one will ever take you away from me ever again! MAX The General suddenly notices Colonel Melchior staring at him oddly and quickly composes himself. GENERAL TRUMBULL Colonel, I regret the loss of life, but this book may prove to be the key to our victory over the Obsidian Cabalists! COLONEL MELCHIOR Dark magic is not something to be trifled with, sir. Are you sure you will be able to control it? GENERAL TRUMBULL (chuckling) Rest assured, Colonel Melchior, controlling the eldritch energies which will be unleashed will not prove to be a problem… MAX Colonel Melchior notices that the strange, black serpent tattoo on the General’s inner, right wrist suddenly glows faintly for a moment and hisses! (Insert “Angry Snake Hiss” sound effect by csaszi) COLONEL MELCHIOR One last thing, sir. Your beautiful daughter, Iyara, should be arriving at the camp sometime early tomorrow morning. GENERAL TRUMBULL (whispering) That is wonderful news, Colonel! I have not seen her in a month. I’ve missed her SO much… MAX Colonel Melchior cringes imperceptibly when the General licks his lips in anticipation of seeing his lovely daughter again. A most unusual reaction indeed… GENERAL TRUMBULL (whispering) Tend to that other problem which we discussed earlier. I will be in my tent perusing this tome and do not wish to be disturbed! COLONEL MELCHIOR Yes, sir! (Footsteps fading right) (Footsteps fading left) COLONEL MELCHIOR Time to clean house, Bacon and Love…starting with that nosy reporter assigned to our unit! He has been publishing unflattering reports of the General’s most recent military exploits in the Britannian Gazette and we suspect that he was sent by the Cabalist Nefario to spy on us. Once he has an unfortunate “accident”, his junior reporter, Mr. Lyser, a loyal Homeguard member, will take over his position. He who controls the media can sway public opinion in his favor… OBSIDIAN SOLDIERS BACON AND LOVE Yes sir! ********************************************************************** (Insert music track # 6 – “Witch Wood” by James Stratton-Crawley.) MAX ACT III General Trumbull is in his tent reading the Book of the Illuminati and listening with delight to the nearby battle between the Obsidian elves and true elves. KRIZOG (shouting) KILL THESE FALSE ELVES, MY BROTHERS! (Insert “Swords Clashing”, “Arrows Flying”, “Large Fireball”, “Thrown Shuriken”, “Thunder Sound FX” and “ghostbreath” sound effects.) (Footsteps entering) MAX Krizog rushes into the General’s tent with two other Obsidian Elves. They are joined by Col. Melchior and two soldiers. Krizog gives his report while the others listen… KRIZOG We encountered a caravan of Outlanders in the nearby forest “claiming” to be elves, General. We managed to slaughter most of them except for the highest-ranking officers we now hold prisoner. A handful managed to escape though. Should I send out search parties to hunt them down? GENERAL TRUMBULL No…that will not be necessary, Krizog. Colonel Melchior will attend to that… You have done well, Krizog! I will inform your Obsidian masters of how all you and your brethren died gloriously in battle with these “false” elves… KRIZOG (confused) Krizog is confused… We suffered very few casualties, General. Our foes’ powerful magic was no match for our vastly superior numbers and deadly combat skills… (Insert music track # 7 – “Oracle of Blades” by James Stratton-Crawley) GENERAL TRUMBULL Do your duty, men! (Sword slash x 4) (Play dead sound x 2) KRIZOG (surprised) Why have you betrayed us?! We all serve the same master! MAX Both Krizog and General Trumbull draw their swords at the same time! (Sword drawing sound) GENERAL TRUMBULL (ranting) No, we do not, Krizog! One of the main goals of the Homeguard is to preserve our racial purity. You foul abominations disgust me! MAX General Trumbull suddenly throws some sort of white powder in Krizog’s face, temporarily blinding her and making it difficult to breathe! KRIZOG (furious and gasping for breath) *AD-LIB AN OBSIDIAN ELF CURSE PHRASE HERE* MAX Krizog swings her sword wildly, but General Trumbull easily dodges the attacks! KRIZOG (furious) You fight without honor! GENERAL TRUMBULL (sneering) I don’t give a damn about honor! Winning is all that matters! DIE! (SWORD SLASH ×2) KRIZOG (mocking) Ha! Tis but a scratch! (Play dead sound) GENERAL TRUMBULL (sneering) Colonel Mechior, have your men take the prisoners and bind them to the trees! Then clean up this mess! COLONEL MELCHIOR By your command, Great Leader! MAX General Trumbull steps outside his tent, a twisted look of disgust on his face when he sees one of the elves prostrate before him. It is King Arodon. KING ARODON Please spare my people, General! They were only defending themselves from your men’s surprise attack! I offer my life in exchange… (Insert “Slap” sound effect.) MAX The General backslaps King Arodon’s face with his left hand, his ornate gold ring leaving a deep imprint of the “all seeing eye” on King Arodon’s bruised and bloody cheek. GENERAL TRUMBULL (sneering) We don’t want your kind in our world! We’re closing our borders to ALL Outlanders! You shall indeed be the first of your people to die! KING ARODON (defiant) One day, you will pay for this horrible crime you have committed against my people! GENERAL TRUMBULL (sneering) I think not! (Insert “Decapitation Head Fall Off” sound effect.) (Insert “Fall” sound effect.) MAX As his headless body falls to the ground, Princess Lanthirthel jumps out from behind a huge boulder and draws her staff! PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL (screaming) FATHER! GENERAL TRUMBULL (surprised) Eh? A survivor! Kill her! (Running footsteps fading right) MAX King Arodon’s men, who futilely struggle against their bonds, gasp in horror when General Trumbull holds the bloody, severed head aloft for all to see! The General’s men salute him by extending their right arms from their necks into the air with straightened hands and shouting “Hail, General Trumbull!” The General uses the severed head to gesture toward the elves lashed to the trees… GENERAL TRUMBULL (yelling) Now, let us cleanse this area of the rest of this Outlander scum! Archers, ready your bows! Aim…fire! (Insert “Arrows Flying” sound effect.) MAX General Trumbull’s archers fire at dead King Arodon’s bound officers. When all the elves are confirmed dead, Colonel Melchior nods to his men. COLONEL MELCHIOR What should we do about these bodies, sir? GENERAL TRUMBULL (yelling) Let the river run red with the blood of their rotting corpses as a warning to other Outlanders and those who oppose us! Let this place be known as “Blood River”! Now is the time for us to rise up against the Obsidian Cabalists! We have the numbers. They will not be able to stop us! With the help of the Homeguard, I will take my rightful place on the throne and make us strong again! COLONEL MELCHIOR Of that I have no doubt, Great Leader! MAX As the General rants, he has a wild look in his eyes and his face has become flushed. In the midday sun, he appears to be bright orange! His adoring men…cheer. (Insert “US Soldier War Chant” sound effect by qubodup) *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 8 – “The Time Machine” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAX ACT IV Princess Lanthirthel runs as fast as she can away from the loud cheering for the human who murdered her father. There is an Obsidian swordsman and a mage in hot pursuit, with a second group comprised of Obsidian archers and mages trailing some distance behind them. Arrows and fireballs whiz past her, but she displays an uncanny ability to zigzag through the forest to avoid them. (Insert “Arrows Flying” and “Large Fireball” sound effects.) Soon, she finds herself cornered in a small clearing by the swordsman and the mage. There is bloodlust in their eyes as they stare at her. PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL (defiant) I may die today, but I’m not going down without a fight! MAX Princess Lanthrithel draws her staff. OBSIDIAN SWORDMAN (growling) DIE! (Insert sound of swords clashing) 22 MAX Fueled by anger and adrenalin, Princess Lanthirthel quickly lands two body blows and then finishes her foe off by crushing his skull in with an overhead strike from her staff! (Loop “Weapon Blow“ sound effect – 2X, immediately followed by “Smashing” sound effect) (Insert “Fall“ sound effect) OBSIDIAN MAGE (furious) I’ll make you pay for hurting my little brother, witch! MAX Suddenly, Nystal Timelord appears on the scene. Rapidly entering combat mode, he casts a lightning bolt at the Obsidian mage. (Insert sound of lightning) (Insert play dead sound) NYSTAL TIMELORD (commanding) Come with me if you want to live, child! (Insert “Teleport” sound effect.) ********************************************************************** (Insert music track # 9 – “Everlasting Life” by James Stratton-Crawley. Loop as needed until end of scene.) (Insert ‘Teleport” sound effect) (Insert “River Noise” sound effect) MAX ACT V Nystal Timelord and Princess Lanthirthel materialize on the banks of the river several miles south of their last position. PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL (sobbing) Where were you in our time of need, godfather? NYSTAL TIMELORD (somber) I had to travel to the distant past to attend to an urgent matter. After completing that task, I asked the time tunnel to send me back to this time so I could prevent THIS tragedy, but I arrived too late to help the others. I am SO sorry, my darling Lanthirthel… PRINCESS LANTHRITHEL (hopeful) But godfather, can’t you just go back in time and try again? NYSTAL TIMELORD (shaking head) I’m afraid not, my dear. According to my wrist chronoanalyzer, it appears that the “Massacre of the Elves at Blood River” has become a fixed point in time. Any attempt to prevent it from occurring will now have disastrous consequences! PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL (sobbing) Did any of my people survive the attack by these so-called Obsidian Elves? NYSTAL TIMELORD Hmm…the historical record indicates that about three dozen members of your tribe, mostly women and children, managed to escape the massacre… PRINCESS LANTHIRTHEL What will become of them…and me? NYSTAL TIMELORD They will do what they must in order to survive. Some will retreat into lives of seclusion, while others will mate with humans and other races that dwell in New Britannia. My good friend, Gabriel, and I will try and locate as many of them as we can and lead them to Wizards Rest, a place of safe refuge. As for you, my dear goddaughter, I will entrust your care to my former apprentice, who will begin teaching you the mystic arts. I think you will like him, for he is a good, kind-hearted fellow! MAX Princess Lanthirthel can’t help but notice that her godfather is grinning and has a twinkle in his eye despite the slaughter of her people. It gives her hope… NYSTAL TIMELORD (chuckling) Lord Baldrith will be most surprised to learn that he will have to leave the governance of Wizards Rest to Asclepius for a while… *************************************************************************************** MAXIE (sexy, slightly robotic voice) Despite the support of much of the military, General Trumbull’s rebellion was crushed by the Obsidian Cabalists and most of his followers were either slain in battle or executed. (Insert “Guillotine test 02” by Glaneur de sons) The General was found guilty of treason and ordered castrated (Insert “Knife Chop” sound effect by deleted_user_877451) and put on public display in the city square for a week before being drawn and quartered in the arena. (Insert “Crowd Boos and Heckles” sound effect.) The Obsidian Cabalists also ordered that the traitor’s name and his military exploits be struck from all known historical records. However, a small group of Trumbull’s most loyal officers who had evaded capture, led by Col. Melchior, staged a daring rescue on the day of his execution. (Insert “Medieval Combat Loop” sound effect by Yap Audio Production) Using a spell he had memorized from the Book of the Illuminati, General Trumbull and his followers were able to open a portal to a parallel world known as Earth. Upon his arrival in the year 2012, General Trumbull encountered his counterpart, who was a powerful industrialist. The General murdered him and took his place, utilizing his vast wealth to finance his political ambitions. In the original timeline, General Trumbull’s counterpart made a series of bad business decisions which forced Trumbull Industries into bankruptcy. After a night of drinking countless bottles of Trumbull Vodka, THAT Damian Trumbull blew his brains out with a .44 caliber, titanium gold Desert Eagle Mark XIX on the evening of November 8, 2016. By taking his counterpart’s place and winning the Presidential election instead on that day, General Trumbull altered the timeline. The ensuing time quake’s effects were detected by Nystal Timelord in New Britannia on Mount Krendor due to his temporal awareness. However, before he dealt with Trumbull, Nystal had another important matter to attend to… MAXIE PART II: LOVE ACT VI New Britannia Seven years later… (Insert “Eerie Forest” sound effect by Greg Swinford – first 20-30 seconds only) Inside a small wooden cottage in a moonlit clearing in the woods north of Libris… NYSTAL TIMELORD Well, I must be teleporting back to the cave on Mount Krendor! The snowstorm should be over by now and poor Theodric has probably woken up and wondered where I wandered off to! LANTHIRTHEL Please don’t wait so long to visit me next time, godfather! NYSTAL TIMELORD Don’t worry, dear! I shall return in about a month! MAXIE Nystal Timelord vanishes in a flash of light! (Insert “Teleport” sound effect.) (Insert music track # 10 – “By My Side (Vocal Version)” by George Micansky and Ken Hayes) LANTHIRTHEL Lord Baldrith, can we talk? BALDRITH Certainly, dear! What did you want to talk about? LANTHIRTHEL …about my feelings for you! BALDRITH (confused) Uh…what? LANTHIRTHEL I am in love with you, Lord Baldrith! I have been for quite some time… MAXIE A stunned Lord Baldrith pushes up his bifocals and smiles uneasily. BALDRITH Um…no, dear, what you are experiencing is not love! You are merely infatuated with me because you have not had any contact with males your own age. I am an old man, out of shape, and not very good looking! LANTHIRTHEL That’s not true! You are such a good, kind-hearted, and handsome man! Don’t you find me attractive? BALDRITH (nervous) Of course, you are stunningly beautiful, Lanthirthel, but… MAXIE Lanthirthel suddenly pulls Lord Baldrith into a tight embrace! MAXIE Lord Baldrith finds himself getting physically aroused as she gives him a VERY passionate kiss! After a few awkward moments, Lord Baldrith manages to free himself from Lanthirthel’s embrace. LANTHIRTHEL (insistent) I don’t care about your age! I know in my heart that we were meant to be together! LORD BALDRITH (excited) You don’t know how difficult it has been to hide my feelings for you all these years, Lanthirthel, out of fear that you would reject me! I love you too… But…this is SO wrong! Not only am I your master, but I’m old enough to be your father! Your godfather, Nystal, would kill me if we were to become…intimate! (Insert music track # 38 – “Velvet Sax (Solo)” by Bogart VGM) MAXIE Lord Baldrith notices the lovestruck look in Lanthirthel’s eyes. Lanthirthel suddenly disrobes! Lord Baldrith cannot help but become even more physically aroused as he stares lustfully at her curvaceous figure. LORD BALDRITH (stammering) No…I must resist the temptation… LANTHIRTHEL The time for talk is over! Come with me… MAXIE Lanthirthel puts her finger to Baldrith’s lips to shush him and then takes him by the hand and leads him to the ornate Baron’s bed… (soft footsteps exiting left) (Loop “Squeaky Bed Action” sound effect by Breviceps – 3X) *************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 11 – “Two Hearts” by Amber Raine) MAXIE ACT VII Four hours later… An energized Lord Baldrith is standing there with a goofy smile on his face as he gazes down at the beautiful, young female elf lying in his bed. LANTHIRTHEL (sighing) You were amazing last night… LORD BALDRITH (worried) Your godfather is going to kill me when he finds out what we’ve done! LANTHIRTHEL (hopeful) I don’t think so, my love! I think godfather wanted us to end up together… LORD BALDRITH (skeptical) I highly doubt it… MAXIE Lanthirthel gets up from the bed and hugs Lord Baldrith. They kiss. LORD BALDRITH (excited) Long have I repressed my feelings for you, Lanthirthel. Now I never want us to be apart! When Nystal returns in a month, I will ask him for permission to marry you! MAXIE Lord Baldrith and Lanthirthel put on their mage robes. LANTHIRTHEL (squealing in delight) Nothing would please me more than to spend the rest of my life with you! I promise to be a good wife and mother to our many children… LORD BALDRITH (stunned) Umm…many children? Darling, I think I may be a bit too old to keep up with so many little ones running about. Besides, who is to say that I am still capable of siring children? LANTHIRTHEL (coy) Last night was that time of the month. Maybe we will be lucky and have twins! MAXIE Lanthirthel smiles as she pats her tummy. LORD BALDRITH (shocked) Twins?! MAXIE Lord Baldrith faints. (Insert “Fall“ sound effect.) *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 12 – “Undying Love” by Stefan Grossman) MAXIE ACT VIII The present… Inside Lord Baldrith’s home in Wizards Rest… LORD BALDRITH …and that, my dear, Anya, is the story about how I met and fell in love with your mother and the night you were conceived! As it turns out, your mother was correct. When I asked Nystal Timelord for Lanthirthel’s hand in marriage one month later, he admitted that he had arranged for me to train her in the hope that we would fall in love with each other. The five years I was married to your mother were the happiest in my life. Oh, how I miss her so! MAXIE Anya glances over at the framed family portrait hanging on the far wall which depicts a beaming Lanthirthel sitting on an ornate cushioned chair, looking down at a laughing baby Anya cradled in her arms. Baby Anya seems entranced by the dancing bear cub shadow figure which a jovial Lord Baldrith has conjured above her head. LORD BALDRITH (proud) Your mother was a very talented artist! So much so that Nystal showed some of her work to Lord British’s Royal Artist in Residence, Stephen. He was so impressed by the quality of her work that he took her under his wing for a short time before he was transformed into the black wolf, Mori Tura, by the evil Duke Garen and fled into the woods. I still find it amazing that your mother did that watercolor painting completely from memory when you were three months old. Ah…here is another painting your mother did when you were six months old! MAXIE Lord Baldrith points to another framed watercolor painting which depicts Lanthirthel hiking through a lush forest in the summertime, closely followed by Lord Baldrith, who has baby Anya strapped to his front chest. The baby stares in awe at the colorful butterfly flying alongside her. LORD BALDRITH (wistful) Because of our deep love of nature, your mother and I often took long walks in the forest and along the seashore… ANYA (sighing) I wish I had more memories of mother. I was only two years old when she died. I remember her being a beautiful, kind, and caring person who always urged me to pursue my dreams! I really wish you had not sent me away to study magic with Uncle Asclepius in Rifts End for all these years… LORD BALDRITH It was for your own protection, dear… ANYA I understand, father, but I really missed you… LORD BALDRITH Well, now that your studies are complete, we can make up for the lost time! I had Gertrude prepare a room for you on the third floor… ANYA I am really looking forward to that, father! ANYA (sighing) I wish they had come up with a cure for that rare disease that killed mother much sooner… LORD BALDRITH (hesitant) Umm…yes…her death was so sudden! But thanks to the research done by Doctor Shroud, no one need ever die from that illness again… ANYA (sad) It would have been nice to have a twin brother or sister while I was growing up… like mother wanted. It was so lonely being an only child… (Insert music track # 13 – “Illusions” by James Stratton-Crawley) LORD BALDRITH (hesitant) Mother and I wanted to spare you the pain as a child, but now that you are an adult, I feel that you have a right to know. You DID have a twin brother who died in childbirth. ANYA (shocked) What?! I had a twin brother?! LORD BALDRITH Yes. I returned home from harvesting some very rare herbs for my potions in the nearby forest to find your mother had given birth prematurely! I found you cradled in your mother’s arms. Both of you were sound asleep. The midwife, Nevala, showed me the body of your stillborn brother. Mother and I named him “Valen” and buried him in the backyard in front of the giant oak tree. He was “the One Who Was”… (Lord Baldrith CRIES.) ANYA (grateful) Thank you for telling me, father… (Insert music track # 14 – “Gabriel Nightshadow’s Theme” by James Stratton-Crawley) TOWN CRIER (Heard from a distance) Ah, Gabriel, welcome back to Wizards Rest! ANYA (excited) Father, Uncle Gabriel has returned! I wonder if he was finally successful in locating the tall albino man, Count Aberon, based on that tip we received from one of Stile Teckel’s spies… LORD BALDRITH Why don’t you go ask him, dear? ANYA Aren’t you coming, father? LORD BALDRITH I will join you in a bit, dear! I need to check on the progress of an experiment I am conducting in my basement laboratory. ANYA Ok, father… LORD BALDRITH (sad) My darling, Lanthirthel, I feel so bad constantly lying to our daughter, Anya, about the tragic circumstances of your death, but it is for her own good… (Footsteps exiting left.) *************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 15 – “Beneath Riftgard” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE PART III: LOSS AND VENGEANCE ACT IX Twenty years ago… (Loop “Large Fireball” sound effect – 3X) In Count Aberon’s mountainside castle, an angry Lord Baldrith races past the charred remains of a dozen guards whom he has just incinerated and down the narrow staircase which leads to the Count’s secret dungeon. He finds the archway blocked by a mystical force field. (Insert “Magic Shield” sound effect) Inside, Lord Baldrith can see a Wheel of Pain, plus various whips, chains, paddles, red candles on a nearby table. On a mattress on the floor in front of the Wheel of Pain, he spots a barely conscious, battered form… LORD BALDRITH (relieved) Lanthirthel, at last I’ve found you! MAXIE Lanthirthel struggles to her feet. Lord Baldrith can see that she is covered in cuts, bruises, and red welts. Her red dress has been torn to shreds and her black lace underwear is fully exposed. She is wearing a glowing, red leather collar around her neck. LANTHIRTHEL (weakly, but happy) Oh, my beloved, I knew you would eventually find me… (sobbing) I am so ashamed that you must see me like this… LORD BALDRITH (angry) What did that animal do to you?! Argh…I can’t seem to penetrate this mystical force field with my spells! COUNT ABERON (mocking) Heh…heh…I so enjoyed having my way with your woman these past five days since my lovely sister, Lady Vastra, abducted her from your home in Wizards Rest and brought her to me! Now Lanthirthel knows what is like to be with a REAL man, not some washed up, old fool like you! MAXIE Count Aberon attaches a silver chain to Lanthrithel’s collar and yanks her forward until she is only a few feet from the force field. Count Aberon licks her right cheek. COUNT ABERON Mmm…so tasty! (Lanthirthel begins crying.) LORD BALDRITH (angry) Aberon, your beast! I am going to kill you! MAXIE Lord Baldrith shakes his fist at Count Aberon. COUNT ABERON (taunting) I think not, Lord Baldrith, because you cannot bring down that mystical barrier despite how powerful you’ve become! I enjoy seeing you suffer like this… Now it’s time for you to say goodbye to your wife! LORD BALDRITH (yelling) No! LANTHIRTHEL (weakly) I love you, my darling… (Insert “Neck Breaking” sound effect) MAXIE Count Aberon suddenly snaps Lanthirthel’s neck with a quick twist and lets her lifeless body fall to the ground! (Insert ‘Falling” sound effect) Upon impact, her white gold wedding ring slips from her finger, rolls across the floor, and comes to a stop at the force field by Lord Baldrith’s feet. LORD BALDRITH (screaming loudly) NO! COUNT ABERON (taunting) When your lovely daughter, Anya, comes of age, I will make her mine too! MAXIE Count Aberon licks his lips in anticipation. COUNT ABERON (taunting) I sense great anger within you, Lord Baldrith! Come, take your revenge! Show me how powerful you have become! MAXIE Count Aberon steps back towards the center of the room and utters an incantation. The mystical barrier suddenly vanishes and a furious Lord Baldrith immediately casts a powerful lightning bolt at Count Aberon, followed in quick succession by a large fireball, and then a searing ray! (Insert “Electric Shock Zap”, “Large Fireball”, and “Ray Gun” sound effects) MAXIE Unfortunately, none of the magic spells seem to have any effect on Count Aberon… COUNT ABERON (laughing) Is that the best that you’ve got, Lord Baldrith? I am most disappointed! You have gained a reputation for being one of the most powerful mages in all the land! It seems that my new master’s chief mage, Kriz, was successful in boosting my magic avoidance and resistance to unheard of levels! You will never be able to defeat me! Until next we meet… LORD BALDRITH (screaming loudly) ABERON! (Insert “Teleport” sound effect) NARRATOR Lord Baldrith falls to his knees. As he cradles Lanthirthel’s dead body, Lord Baldrith begins crying. LORD BALDRITH (sobbing) My beloved Lanthirthel, I have failed you! *************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 16 – “The Necromancer’s Bargain” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE ACT X The present… After Anya leaves, Lord Baldrith descends down a hatch into his five-story stone basement. Upon entering his lab on the fifth floor, Lord Baldrith goes over to the bookcase and pulls on a certain book entitled “The Avatar Chronicles, Volume I: Return of the Avatar”, causing the bookcase to swing open, revealing a secret room behind it. Lord Baldrith enters the darkly lit room, which is filled with ancient Obsidian texts and artifacts. In a corner of the room is a shrine which houses a large, ornate vase containing the ashes of his late wife, Lanthirthel. Lord Baldrith kneels before the shrine. MAXIE Suddenly, the white gold wedding ring dangling from the silver chain around Lord Baldrith’s neck begins to glow faintly and a ghostly image of Lanthirthel appears before him! LANTHIRTHEL (pleading) Do not do this, my love! As powerful as you have become, you still will not be able to control the mystical energies you are about to unleash! They will consume you and you will be lost to the dark side… LORD BALDRITH (determined) My darling, Lanthirthel, I know that you do not approve of what I am about to do, but this is the only way I will have enough power to stop that foul beast, Aberon, from coming for our beautiful daughter, Anya! LORD BALDRITH This ancient Obsidian tome which my old friend, Theodric, recently unearthed at Desolis contains the spell which I have been searching for the last twenty years! Through Obsidian magic was Aberon created, and through it so shall he be destroyed! (Insert “10-11-15_Depths of Hell” sound effect by Argitoth) MAXIE Lord Baldrith begins chanting the spell. Dark tendrils of energy rise up from the book and enter his ears, nose, and mouth. Lord Baldrith’s eyes turn black as he screams! LORD BALDRITH (screaming) I FEEL THE POWER COURSING THROUGH ME! (puzzled) Eh, what is this vision that appears before me? I recognize that crypt! (screaming) COUNT ABERON, YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE JUSTICE BY HIDING IN THE PAST! I AM COMING FOR YOU! MAXIE Lord Baldrith shakes his fist and teleports away. (Insert “Teleport” sound effect) Lanthirthel’s ghost shakes her head in despair and vanishes. *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 17 – “High Elves of the Arian Temple” by Amber Raine) MAXIE Nystal Timelord and his good friend, Gabriel Nightshadow, did manage to locate most of the Elven survivors and helped them successfully integrate into society. Many of them, as well as their descendants, would go on to become prominent members of society like the High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and Governor Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Port Phoenix. (Insert “Nature Ambiance” sound effect – Recorded by Nille) MAXIE The Isle of Chaos, Rifts End The Present… It is a warm, sunny spring day and a group of elf children are staring in awe as the half-elf, Jarikith Rivinson, demonstrates his archery prowess… (Insert “Arrows Flying” sound effect – Recorded by Mike Koenig) JARIKITH RIVINSON …and that concludes today’s archery demonstration! (Insert sound of applause) JARIKITH RIVINSON Thank you…thank you, dear children! ELF CHILD # 3 Wow…Jar, that was amazing! I can’t believe you managed to shoot that orange located between Governor Obsidian Tempest’s legs just below his groin MULTIPLE times while blindfolded, without harming him at all… JARIKITH RIVINSON (laughing) Missed it by that much… ELF CHILD # 1 (worried) Umm…Jar…are you sure that Obs is alright? He hasn’t regained consciousness yet… JARIKITH RIVINSON Aww…he’ll be fine! Just passed out from the shock… ELF CHILD # 2 How did you get him to agree to do this in the first place? JARIKITH RIVINSON Well…he lost a bet to me as to whether or not one of our fellow male guild members would be willing to wear a dress for a stage play… HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE …and that’s why he’s known as…the LEGENDARY BOWMANCER! ELF CHILD #1, #2, AND #3 (in unison) Ooh… Hi Amber! HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE Come along, children. Time to take a short walk to the Garden of Chaos for today’s sermon! ELF CHILD # 3 Amber, what is the topic of today’s sermon? HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE Perseverance… Despite the many obstacles our race has encountered – the destruction of our homeward and persecution on this world by both the Obsidian elves and evil humans like General Trumbull, we have persevered and thrived! ELF CHILD # 1 Amber, do most humans hate us because we are different? Is Rifts End – a place where elves and humans live in harmony – an anomaly or the norm? HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE I would say it is slowly becoming more of the norm. Mind you, there are far greater numbers of Obsidian elves than our kind running around these days, but we have avoided them for the most part to prevent further bloodshed…As far as humans go, most have learned to accept us…but a small minority still fear and hate us. The anti-Outlander Homeguard movement which General Trumbull founded long ago still lives on – in the form of the Atavists of Purity. They are led by a charismatic young man named Marius, who happens to be a direct descendant of the General, and have the financial backing of the wealthy nobles, Lady Vastra and Duke Garen. ELF CHILD # 2 That is very discouraging to hear… HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE Nonsense! Most humans are very nice…like our resident playwright, Gabriel! (Insert music track # 41 – “Teddy Bear” by ecfike) ELF CHILD # 3 Yes, he is a very nice man! Yesterday, he was giving me some constructive feedback on the story I plan on submitting to Sean Silverfoot for his next Campfire Stories event. Unfortunately, he fell asleep halfway through his critique after eating a slice of both the garlic cheese bread and the cheesy bacon and onion quiche I made for him… HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE (laughing) You should not have fed Bear Cub so much food! It will cause him to fall into a post meal food coma… ELF CHILD # 3 I will remember that for next time, Amber… ELF CHILD # 2 Bah…when I grow up, I don’t want to be a wimpy playwright! I want to become a mighty warrior like Jar! JARIKITH RIVINSON I am very pleased to hear that! Would you like to become my apprentice? ELF CHILD # 2 (squealing in delight) Oh yes! JARIKITH RIVINSON Excellent! We will begin your personal lessons tomorrow morning… ELF CHILD #2 Hooray! ELF CHILD # 1 When I grow up, I want to become a great healer and serve as an ambassador between elves and humans! HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE That is very admirable! Gabriel can train you in the healing arts while I can instruct you in the art of diplomacy! ELF CHILD # 1 (excited) Ooh…I would love that very much! (Insert sound of Jarikith moaning as Obsidian Tempest) JARIKITH RIVINSON Ah…it seems our good governor is finally regaining consciousness! All of you proceed to the Garden of Chaos first. I will join you shortly after I tend to Obs. As Lieutenant Governor of Rifts End, my work is never done… (Jarikith Rivinson SIGHS) HIGH PRIESTESS AMBER RAINE Very well! Come along now, children! I see that Dinsoo and Asclepius are already at the front gate to the Garden… JARIKITH RIVINSON See Obs, just like I told you…nothing to worry about! Not even a scratch on you! Hey, don’t blame me for the fact that you wet your pants! *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 18 – “Earthly Dominion” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE ACT XII Earth, Washington D.C. The White House The not too distant future… President Trumbull is standing in the Oval Office drinking a can of Trumbull High Energy Cola, looking out the window at the crowd of 2,500 Resistance protestors carrying signs and chanting outside the front gates of the White House. (Insert “Angry Mob Loop” by Benjamin Harvey Design) 500 members of the Homeland Unity Guard (HUG), composed of the most loyal members of High Priest Paine’s Church of the Orange God (COG) and Supreme Knight Commander Shackelford’s White Knights of Racial Purity (WKRP) (two of the three major groups which comprise the Homeguard) stand ready in their black clockwork armor. As the crowd suddenly surges forward, the HUG rushes forward to engage them, smashing their bodies with their heavy black steel shields and cracking their skulls with their Trumbull High Impact batons. (Loop “Shield Bash Impact” sound effect by Hybrid_V – 5x) The brutality of the HUG enrages the unarmed Resistance protestors and they begin to fight back with their bare fists. They begin to overwhelm the HUG with their sheer numbers. (Insert “Freaky Scene” sound effect) (Insert “Crowd Panic” sound effect by belthazarus) (Loop “Electric Shock Zap” sound effect – 5X) Suddenly, dozens of black Watcher drones swoop in from above and fire balls of concentrated electricity at the protestors. As the protestors fall to the ground and start convulsing violently, the HUG rush in to take them into custody. President Trumbull grins evilly as he turns to watches his favorite news anchor on the nearby large screen television. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (gloating) Fools! Don’t they realize by now that… Resistance is Futile! (Insert “News Intro” sound effect) MAXIE “This is Sam Hennessey from Coyote News reporting to you live from the Trumbull Southern Defense Wall on the fifth anniversary of its dedication. While the President, who was just re-elected to a third term in office following the repeal of the 22nd Amendment, is unable to attend due to a pressing national security matter, he has sent White House Press Secretary Harmony Hands to speak on his behalf. There is a large crowd of people gathered here to celebrate this happy occasion! (Insert “Large Crowd Applause” sound effect by Bansemer) Right now, they are listening to a concert performance by the popular Southern rock group, White Anthem. Ah…here’s the man in charge of protecting our southern border, Commandant Walter Geiss. A moment of your time, sir?” “It would be my pleasure, Sam!” “So, Commandant, how effective has the wall been in preventing illegal border crossings?” “Well, Sam, I am proud to say that this thirty-foot high, transparent steel wall has been quite successful in that regard! As you know, transparent steel was invented by the co-inventors of transparent aluminum, Dr. Nichols at Plexicorp, a Trumbull Industries company, and Professor Scott from the University of Edinburgh. The wall itself is just the last of the three lines of defense here. The first line of defense is the new Trumbull Industries Mark V Hunter Drones, which patrol the desert beyond the wall. The second line of defense are my highly trained snipers from the Freedom, Patriot, and Vanguard Militias! Oh…I should point out that the drones are manufactured right here in the U.S., providing thousands of displaced factory workers with much needed jobs!” The camera pans upward to show many grim-faced, black uniformed snipers perched atop the walkway on the wall, while dozens of menacing looking, black wing-shaped drones equipped with dual machine guns flanking a massive central flame thrower fly around the area. (Insert “Spooky Drone” sound effect) The television audience catches a fleeting glimpse of hundreds of burnt and bullet ridden bodies scattered across the desert beyond the wall, but the camera quickly pans away as the reporter quickly motions to the cameraman. “Sam, I am pleased to report that, as of this week, we were finally able to reduce illegal border crossings to ZERO, fulfilling the promise President Trumbull made to the American people when he was first elected to office!” “Commandant, on behalf of the American people, I would like to thank you and your men for all of your hard work in keeping America safe! Now, back to Lindsay in the studio…” President Trumbull has a wicked smile on his face as Communications Director, Mr. Melchior, enters the room. MELCHIOR Great Leader, Vice President Paine and the rest of the Illuminati have already gathered in the conference room down the hall and are awaiting your arrival. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL Thank you, Storn. I must admit that it is taking me far longer to gain control of this world than I anticipated without the vast mystical powers I once had at my disposal. Fortunately, the American people are very gullible and easily swayed by the anti-Resistance propaganda put out by you and your media team on Coyote News and online social networks such as Fazbuk. How goes the search for the headquarters of the Resistance? (Insert music track # 19 – “Nen” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE A hologram in the form of President Trumbull’s stunningly beautiful, late daughter, Iyara, suddenly appears before him. She is dressed in sexy, pink satin lingerie. She gives Trumbull a come hither look. President Trumbull becomes visibly aroused but is suddenly aware of the smirk on Mr. Melchior’s face. Trumbull shakes his head disapprovingly and the Oracle instantly changes her outfit to proper business attire. THE ORACLE (VERY SEXY VOICE) Father, I have finally traced the rebel scum’s main headquarters to a secret fallout shelter under Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. General Horst is currently assembling a strike force composed of loyal Homeguard members and he will launch his surprise attack on the facility at 9PM, Pacific Standard Time. My Watcher surveillance drones in the area confirm the identities of the four leaders of the Resistance – Senator Anna Caballero, Associate Supreme Court Justice Rebekkah Goldberg, Army Major General Richard Chang, and billionaire tech investor, Jordan Kitumbo, and place them on site, no doubt plotting a new strategy after their failed attempt to liberate the dissidents and illegal immigrants from the maximum security Arkaio internment facility in Arizona. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (surprised) Wait…did you say that one of the leaders of the Resistance is Senator Anna Caballero? Hmm…it seems I have severely underestimated that fine-looking piece of tail! I thought she would not pose a threat to me once I eliminated her mentor, Senator Barry Silverman. I should have asked Viktor to have his agent poison her as well with Polonium 210 before the vote on the health care bill… Please continue, my dear… THE ORACLE (VERY SEXY VOICE) General Boudreaux will be launching an attack on their secondary base under Yankee Stadium in New York City at the same time. At Attorney General Jethro Shackelford‘s direction, FBI Director Frank Craven’s nationwide task force has identified all remaining government employees who are suspected of being Resistance members or sympathizers and will be rounding them up tonight as well in a serious of prime time raids! After the Great Purge, the Resistance will finally be crushed once and for all! PRESIDENT TRUMBULL You have done well, my precious Oracle… THE ORACLE (VERY SEXY VOICE) I aim to please, father. Shall I prepare the VR chamber to run the Swindle University program today in extreme mode in one hour? PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (VERY EAGER) Oh yes, my dear…I should be done with my meeting by then! THE ORACLE (VERY SEXY VOICE) Your wish is my command, Big Daddy… I’ve been a VERY bad girl and need to be punished by my professor… MAXIE The Oracle winks at President Trumbull and then disappears in a shimmer of pink light! PRESIDENT TRUMBULL This is excellent news, Mr. Melchiort! We will dub the purge, “Operation: Freedom Shield”. Since the Supreme Court, under the new Chief Justice, Bart Kassidy, recently ruled that the four internment facilities located throughout the U.S. are perfectly legal under the new “Freedom and Security Balance (FSB) Act”, we will be justified in taking action against these “domestic terrorists”! The fall of the Resistance will be the headline story on the 11 o’clock news! The ratings will be HUGE! MAXIE President Trumbull rubs his hands with glee. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL Remind General Horst and General Boudreaux that there are to be NO survivors! Instruct them to plant evidence linking the Resistance to THAT Middle Eastern terrorist group. MELCHIOR Yes, sir! One last thing before your meeting. What would you like us to do about that meddlesome reporter, Lori Lockhart, who is about to publish that expose in the New York Examiner on the business loans you covertly received from Russian President Viktor Puchinsky’s two younger brothers, Ivan and Sergei, in exchange for certain favors? Should she have an unfortunate “accident” like that other reporter, Cord Hawkins, who had compromising pictures of you and your Press Secretary, Miss Hands, at the Trumbull Plaza Hotel? PRESIDENT TRUMBULL No, Miss Lockhart is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and was a good friend of the late reporter. They both worked together previously at the Truth News Network. Besides, this upcoming expose has already been highly promoted by her newspaper and other news media. Her sudden death would raise too many questions and I don’t want her ex-father-in-law, the former special counsel, prying into my activities again! I think it would be much better to discredit her. Have our Homeguard members in the CIA manufacture some intelligence linking her and her Arab boyfriend, Army Ranger Major Raj Abdul, to that same Middle Eastern terrorist group and have them send it anonymously to our friends at Leakers.com and Coyote News. Also, tell my personal lawyer, Martin Cabasso, to arrange a sizable wire transfer to her personal bank account from one of my shell companies in the Middle East to help sell that story. Oh…also tell him to also increase Sam Hennessey’s monthly payout by 20% to reward him for the fine job he has been doing lately pushing our propaganda to the masses. After General Horst and General Boudreaux wipe out the Resistance, Miss Lockhart will be branded a traitor and lose all credibility. That should make our little problem go away… MELCHIOR By your command, Great Leader! (Insert footsteps fading left) PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (gloating) That meddlesome Nystal TimeLord may have foiled my plans to conquer New Britannia, but there is no one to stop me here on this planet Earth! Look how easily I manipulated these humans into electing me president of this world’s most powerful nation by tapping into their fear and hatred! Now that my Homeguard has successfully infiltrated all levels of the government and the private sector, it is time to implement the next phase of my master plan for world domination… (President Trumbull LAUGHS maniacally) (Insert music track # 20 – “Usurper” by James Statton-Crawley) SERAFINA I wouldn’t count on that! As we speak, Resistance units are launching simultaneous attacks on the Southern Defense Wall, the Arkaio Internment Facility in Arizona, and the Oracle Command Center located beneath your heavily guarded estate in Palm Beach, Florida… PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (confused) Eh? Who said that? MAXIE Suddenly, as a Silent Movement spell wears off, a figure wearing black short assassin’s armor and a black mask materializes next to President Trumbull. Wordlessly, she slashes him with an elven dagger. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (gasping) Ack…I recognize that distinctive odor! It’s dark unicorn poison! SERAFINA (whispering) The name’s Seras Timelord! My father, Nystal, sends his regards! PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (yelling) Curse you and the rest of the Timelord clan! MAXIE President Trumbull shakes his fist at Serafina. The veins on President Trumbull’s skin quickly turn dark black. PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (gasping) Can’t breathe… (Insert” Gagging” sound effect) (Insert “PB Payback v2” sound effect by carmsie) MAXIE President Trumbull suddenly vomits blood! (Insert “Puke Vomit Ralph“ sound effect) MAXIE The Oracle reappears, now in a state of panic! (Insert “Helicopter Against Missile” sound effect) (Insert “All Teams Ready2” sound effect by Nidal8585) (Insert “Bunker Buster Missile” sound effect) THE ORACLE (panicking) Daddy, help me! Resistance forces have overrun the Command Center! (Insert “Mandatory Evacuation” sound effect) (Insert “GO GO GO” sound effect by Nidal8585) (Insert “Gun Battle” sound effect) PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (gasping) Iyara… (Insert “Shadowrun” sound effect by radian) THE ORACLE (wailing) I don’t want to go… MAXIE The Oracle emits a piercing scream as she fades into oblivion! MELCHIOR (worried) Mr. President, are you alright in there? We heard yelling and screaming… Hey…the door is locked from the inside! SERAFINA (whispering) Your time is at an end, Trumbull…Justice is served! PRESIDENT TRUMBULL (hissing) Frak you! (Insert ”Fall“ sound effect) (Insert “Wet Fart Squish“ sound effect) AGENT BACON Stand aside, Mr. Melchior! I’ve got this! Agent Love, cover me! AGENT LOVE You’ve got it, partner! MAXIE Agent Love draws her gun while the very short, but highly muscular, Agent Bacon charges at the door and knocks it off its hinges! (Insert “Wooden Door Smash Open” sound effect – by Eneasz) Apparently, eating bacon (instead of spinach) on a regular basis makes you SUPER strong… MELCHIOR (alarmed) Ugh…what is that foul stench?! Oh my god! The President has been murdered! Agents Bacon and Love, kill that masked assassin! SERAFINA I think not! (Insert “Invisibility Spell” sound effect by Lucas Duff) (Loop “40 Cal Gun Shot x3“ sound effect – 2X) SECRET SERVICE AGENT BACON Where did the assassin go?! He suddenly vanished into thin air! (Insert “Tick Tock” sound effect) SECRET SERVICE AGENT LOVE Hmm… Where is that ticking sound coming from? SECRET SERVICE AGENT LOVE What is this clutched in the President’s right hand? A grim looking, plush elf doll dressed in black? Oh frak…it’s a… (Insert “Explosion Ultra Bass” sound effect) (Insert fall sound x 2) (Insert “Fire Forest Inferno” sound effect by Dynamicell – first 20 – 30 seconds only) MAXIE A sole survivor stands amidst the flaming ruins of the White House… (Insert “Evil is a master of disguise” sound effect by carmsie) MAXIE Mr Melchior sighs ruefully as he surveys the carnage, reflecting on the wasted years he spent grooming Trumbull, and how he would now have to search for another puppet to further his agenda. A look of grim determination takes over as he is emboldened by his belief that although Nystal Timelord may have won this battle, as long as Falsehood, Hatred and Cowardice exist on ANY world, then SHADOWREIGN will endure! He laughs maniacally as he leaves the ruined building……….. (Insert music track # 21 – “Beyond the Clouds (Theme for Modern Broadcast)” by Matthew Pablo) MAXIE …and so it came to pass that President Trumbull’s long “Reign of Terror” finally came to an end. Associate Justice Rebekkah Goldberg became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court following the suicide of former Chief Justice, Bart Kassidy, when the FBI attempted to arrest him for treason. With everyone in the Presidential line of succession either deceased or awaiting trial for the charge of treason, Senator Anna Caballero won the popular vote by an overwhelming margin in the emergency election which was held (as the Electoral College had been abolished during Trumbull’s second term of office…) and was sworn in as the new President. Jordan Kitumbo was sworn in as Vice-President. Major General Richard Chang was appointed Secretary of Defense, and Major Raj Abdul became Secretary of State. President Caballero’s Democratic Socialist Party would crush the late President Trumbull’s Nationalist Party in that election, winning back majority control of both the Senate and House of Representatives. This allowed them to pursue their progressive agenda, which ushered in a new golden age of peace and prosperity for both the poor and middle classes. (Insert “Sunny Day” sound effect) A twelve-foot tall statue of the late Senator Barry Silverman was erected in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor the original founder of the Resistance. Former TNN reporter Lori Lockhart was able to secure financing to rebuild the headquarters of the new Truth News Network, which had been blown up by one of High Priest’s Paine’s disciples posing as the conservative superhero, True Patriot, during Awesome Mega Con on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia several years prior. The surviving employees of their discredited and now defunct competitor, Coyote News, found themselves out of work and blacklisted by the news industry for their role in spreading Trumbull’s propaganda during the war. …and what of our intrepid time traveler, Serafina? Although she did not realize it at the time, her time stabilizer was damaged by Secret Service Agents Bacon and Love’s gunfire and when she attempted to return to New Britannia… *************************************************************************************** MAXIE EPILOGUE (Insert “Backwards Souls” sound effect) (Insert “Time Travel Clip” sound effect) (Insert music track # 22 – “Liyan” by Elerya) (Insert “Coyote Call” sound effect) SERAFINA (confused) This isn’t the Time Tunnel located beneath Wizards Rest. What am I doing in the middle of the Wrymsands? Oh frak…my time stabilizer has been badly damaged! Hmm…it appears I am stuck 100 years in New Britannia’s past. MAXIE Her wrist chronometer beeps as the holographic planets line up and begin to flash bright red. A lush, green valley suddenly shimmers into existence directly in front of the Serafina! (Insert “Nature Ambiance” sound effect) SERAFINA Wow…so the story father told me when I was a child is true! The Lost Valley of the Dragon Lords really does exist! MAXIE Serafina looks through her illuminated binoculars at the looming mountain in the distance. (Insert music track # 23 – “Fantasy Armies” by Alexandr Zhelanov) SERAFINA There it is…on the side on the mountain facing me! The ruins of Castle Gennar…headquarters of the nine Dragon Lords who helped Lord British maintain peace throughout the land in the days of Old Britannia and even after his mysterious disappearance until that fateful day 100 years ago when nearly all of them were slain in that surprise attack by the Obsidian army! SERAFINA Hmm…according to legend, the “Eye of Darkness” is supposed to lie within the crypt of the first Dragon Lord, Grandmaster Christoper Nightshadow, deep beneath the castle. It is one of the five ancient artifacts scattered throughout New Britannia which, when combined, form the ultimate weapon which will allow my godfather, Gabriel Nightshadow, to destroy the evil, immortal god known as Shadowreign once and for all! But first, I will need to get through the many monsters, puzzles and death traps which line the labyrinth leading to the crypt… There…timer set. I have eight hours to complete this task and exit the valley or I will be trapped here until the next planetary alignment occurs in 50 years, according to the writings of Bowen Bloodgood. There…I’ve activated my time distress beacon. Hopefully, by then father and the others will find a way to retrieve me! Eh? I thought I heard something… (Insert “Flapping Wings 3” sound effect) MAXIE To Serafina’s surprise, a big green dragon lands in front of here and peers at her inquisitively! (Insert “Dragon Land” sound effect by Cyberkineticfilms) BIG GREEN DRAGON (leering) What have we here? A most voluptuous sight! Hey, why are you giving me that dirty look? Dragons have needs too… (Insert “Stomach Growling” sound effect) But I am still SO hungry! That last group of avatars was not very filling at all! Guess I will have to satisfy my carnal desires some other time… MAXIE The big, green dragon begins drooling… BIG GREEN DRAGON Mmm…I will savor every bite of your tender, roasted flesh! (Insert “European Dragon Roaring and Breath Fire” sound effect) MAXIE Serafina emerges from the inferno unscathed, protected by a chi energy field. The crow tattoo on her left arm glows brightly! BIG GREEN DRAGON (surprised) What?! This can’t be… SERAFINA (taunting) Is that the best you’ve got? My turn… MAXIE Serafina’s fists begin to glow brightly! (Insert music track # 24 – “Fire Within” by Jens Kiilstofte) (Insert “Spin Kick” sound effect.) (Insert “Kung Fu Punch” sound effect.) (Insert “Sweep Kick” sound effect.) (Insert “Boxing Punches” sound effect.) (Insert “Roundhouse Kick” sound effect.) (Insert “Left Hook” sound effect.) (Insert “Right Cross” sound effect.) BIG GREEN DRAGON (breathing heavily) I will not be defeated by…a mere woman! SERAFINA (furious) Mere woman?! Eat my fist, male chauvinist! MAXIE Serafina finishes the stunned dragon off with a devastating uppercut! (Insert “Uppercut” sound effect) (Insert “Dragon Roaring” sound effect) BIG GREEN DRAGON Uhh…Maybe I should go vegan like my cousin, Frank, after all… (Insert “Fall” sound effect) MAXIE At that moment, doubtless alerted by the sound of battle, an Obsidian swordsman, archer and mage appear. (Insert music track # 25 – Holding Out for a Hero (Instrumental Version) by Dean Pitchford and Jim Steinman) OBSIDIAN SWORDMAN (astonished) By the gods! She just killed that big green dragon single-handedly! I’ve never seen martial arts like that in New Britannia before! Our pugilism pales in comparison… SERAFINA (cryptic) That’s because I’m not from around here… OBSIDIAN MAGE An impressive feat, to be sure, but she must be here in search of the artifact as well. (shouting) KILL HER! OBSIDIAN ARCHER By your command! (Loop “Arrows Flying” sound effect – 3X) MAXIE Serafina easily dodges the first poison-tipped arrow. The second one bounces harmlessly off her rock-hard bicep, much to the archer’s astonishment! Serafina uses her lightning quick reflexes to grab the third arrow in mid-air and hurls it back at the archer. It penetrates his right eye and brain, killing him instantly! OBSIDIAN ARCHER Ack! (Insert “Fall” sound effect) OBSIDIAN SWORDSMAN (scared) No way! I’m out of here! (Insert fleeing footsteps sound) OBSIDIAN MAGE (angry) Coward! I will deal with him later… OBSIDIAN MAGE (sneering) We’ll see about that! Who are you, anyway? SERAFINA My friends call me Seras…Seras Timelord, but my foes know me by another name… Serafina! OBSIDIAN MAGE (frightened) Not Serafina…the “Living Weapon”?! MAXIE Serafina uses silent movement and then appears behind the Obsidian mage! SERAFINA Yup… MAXIE Serafina snaps the Obsidian mage’s neck before she has time to react! (Insert “Neck Breaking” sound effect.) (Insert “Fall” sound effect) SERAFINA (surprised) Well, that went a lot easier than I thought it would… (Serafina LAUGHS) MAXIE Serafina begins whistling merrily as she turns and leaves. She doesn’t realize that she is not alone, as the tall, albino man known as Count Aberon materializes shortly thereafter as his silent movement spell wears off! COUNT ABERON How nice of Serafina to eliminate some of the competition for me! Now all that remains are that husband and wife team of Oracle assassins, Taymar and Seela. Once Serafina leads me to the “Eye of Darkness”, I shall wrest it from her utilizing the greatly enhanced powers I recently received from Atos’ evil twin brother, the technomage, Kriz, so I can deliver the Eye to my master, Shadowreign. Then I shall feast on Serafina’s vibrant life force! (Laughs maniacally) (Insert “Invisibility Spell” sound effect by Lucas Duff) *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 26 – “The Riftwalker” by James Stratton-Crawley) ASCLEPIUS MUSIC CREDITS The following music tracks are used by permission of the composer. “James Stratton-Crawley – Collected Works – Volumes 1 -5” are available for purchase at Amazon.com “Epic Adventure” by James Stratton-Crawley “Epic Entrance” by Amber Raine “Emerald Forest” by Amber Raine “Dissent” by James Stratton-Crawley “The Return” by James Stratton-Crawley “Witch Wood” by James Stratton-Crawley “Oracle of Blades” by James Stratton-Crawley “The Time Machine” by James Stratton-Crawley “Everlasting Life” by James Stratton-Crawley “Two Hearts” by Amber Raine “Illusions” by James Stratton-Crawley “Gabriel Nightshadow’s Theme” by James Stratton-Crawley “Beneath Riftgard” by James Stratton-Crawley “The Necromancer’s Bargain” by James Stratton-Crawley “High Elves of the Arian Temple” by Amber Raine “Earthly Dominion” by James Stratton-Crawley “Nen” by James Stratton-Crawley “Usurper” by James Stratton-Crawley “The Riftwalker” by James Stratton-Crawley “Kailef’s on the Wind” by James Stratton-Crawley “Dragon Battle” by James Stratton-Crawley “The Voidshard Falls” by James Stratton-Crawley “Xerah Kills the God King” by James Stratton-Crawley “Found” by James Stratton-Crawley “Betrayal” by Amber Raine “Whispers” by Amber Raine Music Track by Amber Raine “Arunja Fights the Emperor” by James Stratton-Crawley Friends (Live at The Festival of the Silver Serpent V) by Steven Goldman, Dom John, and Edward Vitralis The following music tracks used in this production are licensed under either Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 or 4.0 Unported (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) “By My Side” by George Micansky and Ken Hayes “Undying Love” by Stefan Grossman “Beyond the Clouds (Theme for Modern Broadcast)” by Matthew Pablo “Liyan” by Elerya, from The Eleryan Tales – Vol. 1 “Fantasy Armies” by Alexandr Zhelanov “Fire Within” by Jens Kiilstofte “Holding Out for a Hero (Instrumental Version)” by Dean Pitchford and Jim Steinman “The Neverending Story” by Shooter Jennings featuring Brandi Carlile “Love Theme” by Peter Eastman “Velvet Sax (Solo) by Bogart VGM “Blithe” by Stefan Grossman “Teddy Bear” by ecfike “Heavy Metal Riffs – Monolith” by Tri-Tachyon – https://soundcloud.com/tri-tachyon/albums 43. “Romantic Intro” by Setuniman “Medieval Introduction” by Tristan Lohengrin -https://www.tristanlohengrin.com “Dragon Warrior (Loopable)” by: Marcus Dellicompagni – www.PoundSound.co.uk *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 27 – “Kailef’s on the Wind” by James Stratton-Crawley) MAXIE MID CREDITS SCENE Deep beneath the ruins of Castle Gennar, in the crypt of Christopher Nightshadow, the first Dragon Lord… Serafina is sent flying backward by the ferocious, white-furred man beast’s powerful blow and smashes into the stone wall hard! (Insert “Hitting Wall“ sound effect recorded by SpookyModem) SERAFINA (gasping for breath) Uh…I can’t feel my legs! I think my spine is broken! MAXIE The man beast lets out a mighty roar and begins walking towards Serafina… COUNT ABERON (growling) Foolish child! Despite all your years of martial arts training, you are no match for my power! Lord Shadowreign’s technomage, Kriz, has transformed me into an unstoppable killing machine! No one can penetrate my enhanced defenses! Now the time has come for me to feast on your life force… MAXIE The man beast straddles her prone form. An exhausted Serafina doesn’t have the strength left to deliver a punch. SERAFINA (shouting) Get your filthy paws off me! COUNT ABERON Umm…I find your feistiness to be rather…arousing! MAXIE Serafina digs her fingernails into the man beast’s face! COUNT ABERON (growling) Argh! You will pay for doing that! MAXIE The enraged man beast suddenly grabs both of her arms and snaps them in half like twigs! (Insert “Bone Crushing“ sound effect recorded by Mike Koenig) (Serafina SCREAMS out in pain!) MAXIE The man beast transforms into the tall, albino man, Count Aberon! His eyes suddenly turn blood red. COUNT ABERON (seductively) Look into my eyes… SERAFINA (hissing) Get out of my mind! You can’t mesmerize me like the rest of your victims! COUNT ABERON (frustrated) I have never encountered a woman with such willpower! But I will NOT be denied! MAXIE A frustrated Count Aberon pries open Serafina’s mouth with his bare hands. His eyes then turn jet black as a beam of darkness emanates from his mouth and enters hers. (Insert “Ghost Breath“ sound effect recorded by qubodup) SERAFINA (screaming) Noooo…..! MAXIE In a matter of minutes, Count Aberon drains all of Serafina’s lifeforce, leaving behind a withered husk. The deep scratches on his face quickly fade away as they heal. Count Aberon licks his lips. COUNT ABERON (pleased) Umm…she was SO delicious! (Insert music track # 28 – “Dragon Battle” by James Stratton-Crawley ) LORD BALDRITH (shocked) Oh no…Serafina! (furious) Murderer! (Insert “Electric Shock Zap“ sound effect) MAXIE Count Aberon is struck in the back by a ball of crackling, black energy which knocks him to the ground! Sparks fly as many of the implants within his body suddenly short circuit! COUNT ABERON (surprised) Argh! I have never felt such pain! How is this possible?! MAXIE Count Aberon rises to his feet and turns around to see a furious Lord Baldrith standing in the archway. He immediately notices that Lord Baldrith’s eyes have turned jet black. LORD BALDRITH (shouting) Through Obsidian magic you were created, and through it will you be destroyed! I have stripped you of your defenses, foul beast! Now…BURN! (Insert “Fireplace“ sound effect recorded by ezwa) MAXIE Lord Baldrith casts Ring of Fire around Count Aberon! COUNT ABERON (in pain) Argh! MAXIE Count Aberon transforms back into his man beast form. LORD BALDRITH (snarling) I have already taken care of your evil sister, Lady Vastra! MAXIE Lord Baldrith opens his satchel and rolls Lady Vastra’s severed head across the floor! It comes to a stop a few feet away from the Ring of Fire. Count Aberon can see the pained expression on her face. COUNT ABERON (screaming) Noooooo…!!! LORD BALDRITH (taunting) Your sister was defiant to the end! I broke her legs, yet she still tried to drag herself away. I slit her throat with my Blood Dagger and watched as she bled out on the floor. You failed to protect her like you promised to all those years ago… MAXIE Lord Baldrith’s words trigger a memory in the man beast’s brain…. *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 29 – “The Voidshard Falls” by James Stratton-Crawley ) MAXIE The Grunvald Shardfall 200 years ago… It is late afternoon as Robert and Meghan Dar walk down a long and winding path to the shardfall. MEGHAN It is such a warm and sunny day, big brother! I wonder why father wanted us to meet him in this dreary place… ROBERT I am not sure, little sister… Father barely speaks to me at all these days. All he does is brag about big brother Nestor’s accomplishments! His first zombie! His first skeleton warrior! A new record time for draining the life force from a prisoner using Death Ray! He doesn’t appreciate my writing like you and mother do… (Insert music track # 39 – “Blithe” by Stefan Grossman) ROBERT (very slow and romantic) No jewel that glitters, Or argent flame, Can e’er compare, With your fair name. Enticed I am now, Held in your sway, My secret longings, Grow day-by-day. No throne that dazzles, Or crown agleam, No mountain vista, Or sparkling stream, No star of heaven, No moonlit shore, No nothing e’er will I love more. MEGHAN Ah…you are such a gifted writer, big brother! Your love poetry really touches me right here… MAXIE A lovestruck Meghan points to her heaving bosom. Robert smiles as he takes her right hand and gently kisses it. Meghan lets out a soft moan as she feels goosebumps along her arm. As they reach the center of the shardfall where their father awaits them, Robert can’t help but notice that the ground is covered by green leaves, an odd sight for this time of the year. Suddenly, Robert and Meghan find themselves trapped in an invisible force field. The green leaves suddenly vanish, revealing a mystic circle surrounded by glowing red crystals on the ground! ROBERT (surprised) Father, what is the meaning of this? LORIN DAR (cackling with glee) You and your sister are about to serve the Obsidian Empire as weapons of war! With an army of man beasts at our command, we will finally be able to crush the growing Resistance movement and I will have proven myself worthy to lead the Council instead of my arch-rival, Nefario! MAXIE Lorin Dar’s eyes turn pitch black as he pulls out some reagents and utters an incantation. (Insert “Evil Incantation” sound effect by Incarnadine) Robert and Meghan scream out in pain as they begin changing… Their father pulls out a small glowing orb from his other pouch and begins speaking. LORIN DAR (cold and clinical) This is my first experiment with transformation magic on human subjects. The two test subjects, a teenage male and female, are rapidly expanding in size. Increased mass is accompanied by growth of body fur which matches the subjects’ hair color. The two subjects’ fingernails have transformed into razor sharp claws about six inches in length and their teeth have increased in size and sharpness as well. Subjects display enhanced strength and dexterity as they attempt to escape the mystical force field surrounding them. ROBERT AND MEGHAN (screaming) Father! Please stop this! The pain is excruciating! We are your children! LORIN DAR (snarling) You two have been such a disappointment! A weak and pathetic albino boy who wastes his days writing love poetry and a vain and scheming girl who uses her beauty to get men to shower her with expensive trinkets! No…your older brother, Nestor, is my only child now! He will carry on my bloodline and bring glory to the Obsidian Empire through the necromantic arts! MAXIE Lorin Dar’s curvaceous wife, Constance, comes walking down the path with a picnic basket full of freshly baked bacon and cheese filled pastries for her husband and children. She is humming a merry tune… CONSTANCE (humming) Bacon in the morning! Bacon in the evening! Hot, sizzling, bacon makes everything better! MAXIE Constance is shocked by what she sees. She drops her basket and runs towards her husband. CONSTANCE (screaming) Robert! Meghan! ROBERT AND MEGHAN (pleading) Mother, help us! CONSTANCE (furious) Lorin, how could you experiment on your very own children! Stop this madness at once! MAXIE Constance slaps her husband across the face! (Insert “Slap” sound effect recorded by SoundMaster13) Lorin Dar glares at his wife. LORIN DAR (furious) How dare you strike me, ungrateful witch! It’s your fault these two turned out to be such a disappointment! MAXIE Lorin Dar casts a powerful Gust spell in her direction. (Insert “Wind“ sound effect recorded by Mark DiAngelo) Robert and Meghan watch in horror as their mother is flung backward and smashes the back of her skull against a nearby floating stone shard. (Insert “Smashing” sound effect recorded by Yuri Santana) She slumps to the ground…dead. (Insert music track # 30 – “Xerah Kills the God King” by James Stratton-Crawley) ROBERT AND MEGHAN (screaming in horror) NOOOOOOOOOO……! MAXIE Robert’s white claws are suddenly surrounded by an eerie black glow. He begins slashing at the mystic barrier until it shatters! ROBERT (growling) You killed mother! Die…inhuman monster! MAXIE Robert lunges at his father, but Lorin Dar casts another Gust spell which knocks Robert back! (Insert “Wind“ sound effect recorded by Mark DiAngelo) LORIN DAR (angry) Feel my power! (Loop “Thunder SoundFX” sound effect recorded by Grant Evans – 3X) MAXIE The lightning bolts cause Robert to cry out in pain and fall to his knees. The smell of burnt flesh permeates the air. MEGHAN (shouting) Big brother! MAXIE Meghan leaps forward and tackles her father. Lorin Dar struggles to free himself, but Meghan’s increased body mass keeps him pinned to the ground. LORIN DAR (yelling) Damn you! Get off me! MEGHAN (growling) This is for all the nights you snuck into my room after mother and Robert fell asleep to satisfy your twisted, carnal desires! MAXIE Rather than extending her claws, Meghan chooses to pummel her father’s face! (Insert “Boxing Punches“ sound effect recorded by Mike Koenig ) MAXIE Within a matter of moments, Lorin Dar’s face is a bruised and bloody mess. LORIN DAR (groaning in pain, but still defiant) If you mother hadn’t allowed herself to become so fat and ugly, I wouldn’t have had to turn to you to fulfill my sexual needs! Your mother may have been an excellent cook, but she was terrible at everything else! MEGHAN (furious) How dare you speak about mother like that! You and your fellow Obsidian Cabalists are heartless! LORIN DAR (dismissive) Bah! We learned long ago that emotions such as love make you weak! Nothing must stand in the way of our pursuit of arcane knowledge! MEGHAN (furious) Die! MAXIE Prying her father’s mouth open with her claws, Meghan opens her own. A black beam of energy springs forth and begins draining her father’s life force and transferring it into her. Her eyes glow bright red as the process occurs. (Insert “Ghost Breath” sound effect recorded by qubodup) MAXIE A few minutes later, Lorin Dar breathes his last and dies. Meghan turns from the withered husk to her brother, who appears to have rapidly recovered from his injuries. Robert suddenly shapeshifts back into his original form. Meghan follows suit. ROBERT (apologetic) I am…so sorry, Meghan… Why didn’t you tell me? MEGHAN Father threatened to castrate you like he did his former apprentice, Resistance leader Amin Zul, and disown the both of us if I told anyone of his crime! I could never let him harm you… (Insert music track # 31- “Found” by James Stratton-Crawley) ROBERT (jealous) But I’ve seen the way you have been looking at the town’s hunky new blacksmith, Jarin Moroba lately… MEGHAN (reassuring) No need to be jealous, big brother! Others may come and go, but you will always be the love of my life, my sweet “Westley”… MAXIE Meghan lovingly strokes Robert’s right cheek. ROBERT I will always protect you from now on, my precious “Buttercup”… MAXIE Robert brushes Meghan’s disheveled hair away from her face. The two tenderly embrace and share a long, passionate kiss! They both become very aroused – like two animals in heat – and begin giving each other love bites on the neck! MEGHAN (breathing heavily) I want you SO bad… Make love to me! ROBERT (breathing heavily) I want you too…but we must fight these urges! Now is not the right time… MEGHAN (insistent) Yes, it is! MAXIE Meghan suddenly grabs Robert’s head with both her hands and shoves her tongue deep into his mouth. The two begin French kissing and then proceed to rip each other clothes off! Meghan has a devilish look in her eyes as she whispers in Robert’s ear. MEGHAN (whispering and humming) I think we’re alone now… There doesn’t seem to be anyone around… (Insert music track # 43 – “Romantic Intro” by Setuniman) MAXIE Robert grins as they tumble to the ground… Meghan straddles Robert’s prone form. ROBERT (pleading) Please be gentle! You know it’s my first time… MEGHAN (laughing) Very little chance of that, my dear “Westley”! You must learn how to please your precious “Buttercup”… ROBERT As you wish… MAXIE Robert and Meghan are unaware they are being observed as everything fades to black… *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 36 – “Love Theme” by Peter Eastman) MAXIE Early the next morning, an exhausted Robert cradles the sleeping Meghan in his newly muscular arms. He is amazed that he managed to last all night long, thanks to his enhanced endurance! He brushes the hair away from Meghan’s face. ROBERT (very romantic) In the quiet of the dawn, As the meadowlarks trill, I gaze at your form And feel my soul fill. We lie in our bower. Your warmth on my skin, I watch as you sleep And hear music begin. How gentle the sound, As dreaming you sigh, How lovely the notes, As each breath passes by. Rest in my arms love, To hold you is sweet, And when you awaken, The new day we’ll greet. MAXIE Robert loving strokes Meghan’s hair and then kisses her on the forehead. She sighs in her sleep. Several hours later… ROBERT It’s a good thing that father kept extra sets of clothes in that chest in his tent! We really could not afford to be seen in public in only our underwear… MEGHAN Indeed! What are we to do now, big brother? Both mother and father are dead and the Obsidian Order is sure to hunt us down… ROBERT We will have to start over again somewhere else. We will have to learn to stay in the shadows and hunt our prey at night for sustenance. During the day, we will have to blend into society. MEGHAN How long will we be able to retain our human forms? ROBERT I’m not sure yet, but I suspect no more than eight hours per day. Now we must choose new names for ourselves. Do you have a preference, my dear? MEGHAN Yes. I have selected the name Vastra, after the beautiful, man-eating spider woman from myth. What would you like to be called? ROBERT I have chosen the name Aberon. He was a famous poet from the time before the Great Cataclysm. MAXIE Meghan gives Robert an affectionate hug and a quick peck on the cheek. MEGHAN Cheer up, big brother! One day we will both be rich and powerful and find a way to cure ourselves of father’s curse. ROBERT I hope you are right. Now let us depart from this wretched place quickly before someone discovers us! MEGHAN Yes, my love! ROBERT (sighing) It’s going to be a long walk back… (laughing) (Insert music track # 32 – “The Neverending Story” by Shooter Jennings featuring Brandi Carlile) If only we had a luck dragon to carry us away! MEGHAN Umm…will those two do instead? MAXIE Meghan points to something behind Robert. Robert turns around. (Insert “Horse Neigh” sound effect) ROBERT (surprised) Crikey! What are two white unicorns doing in the middle of a shardfall? MEGHAN (cheerful) It must be a sign! MAXIE Meghan walks over to the two unicorns and bows to them. MEGHAN Hello there! ROBERT (worried) Be careful, Meghan! Despite their friendly demeanor, unicorns can be quite deadly… MEGHAN Would the two of you mind giving us a ride? MAXIE To Robert’s amazement, both unicorns nod in agreement! Meghan turns to Robert and gives him the thumbs up sign. After they mount the unicorns, Meghan suddenly looks at Robert with pleading eyes. MEGHAN Can we make a quick stop at the house to pick up our black kitty cat, Mr. Muggles? ROBERT As you wish… MAXIE Robert and Meghan ride off into the midday sun as a pair of voyeuristic earth elementals on a nearby hill wave goodbye to them! (Insert “Galloping Horse” sound effect) *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 33 – “Betrayal” by Amber Raine) LORD BALDRITH (taunting) Before she died, Vastra begged me to spare your inbred teenage son, who was conceived on the day you two were transformed. You were wise to hide his existence from me. I will track him down and put an end to your accursed bloodline once and for all! COUNT ABERON (yelling) No! MAXIE A furious Count Aberon roars and then leaps high into the air at Lord Baldrith with outstretched, glowing claws! LORD BALDRITH I don’t think so… (Insert “Wind“ sound effect recorded by Mark DiAngelo) MAXIE Lord Baldrith casts GUST, which sends Count Aberon flying backward into the Ring of Fire! Despite the excruciating pain, Count Aberon slowly rises to his feet. The intense flames have burned away the flesh from the left side of his face and body, revealing several of the metal implants grafted onto his reinforced skeleton! LORD BALDRITH (surprised) So THAT was how you were able to withstand my attacks after you killed my beloved Lanthirthel twenty years ago! Lord Shadowreign’s technomage, Kriz, transformed you into the perfect fusion of magic and technology – a cyborg built with Kobold parts and powered by Obsidian magic! I underestimated him. His skill is on par with that of his “good” twin brother, Atos. (angry) But none of that won’t help you now! MAXIE Lord Baldrith casts Root! Count Aberon attempts to break free by leaping upward, to no avail… (Insert “Earth Element Magic“ sound effect recorded by qubodup) COUNT ABERON (fearful) Why can’t I break free of this Root spell?! MAXIE Lord Shadowreign suddenly materializes in a cloud of thick black smoke next to the Ring of Fire! Only his glowing red eyes are visible under his black hooded cloak. COUNT ABERON (pleading) Master, help me! MAXIE Lord Shadowreign ignores Count Aberon’s pleas and turns towards Lord Baldrith. LORD SHADOWREIGN (insistent) Count Aberon has murdered thousands of innocent people in his lifetime, including your beloved Lanthirthel. Use your newfound power to avenge them, Lord Baldrith! COUNT ABERON (shocked) What?! No, master!!! LORD BALDRITH (hissing) Yes… (yelling) Die, foul beast! MAXIE Lord Baldrith begins casting supercharged bolts of black lightning at the immobilized Count Aberon! (Loop “Thunder Sound FX ” sound effect recorded by Grant Evans – 5X) COUNT ABERON (screaming in pain) Argh! It can’t end… like this! (Insert “Explosion Ultra Bass“ sound effect recorded by Mark DiAngelo) MAXIE Count Aberon’s body suddenly explodes! Bits of blood, gore, and metal going flying everywhere! Lord Baldrith has a wicked smile on his face… LORD BALDRITH (excited) That felt…SO… good! LORD SHADOWREIGN (gloating) Yes…forsaking the virtues has made you strong! Swear your loyalty to me and I will make you even more powerful by teaching you even more lost, forbidden Obsidian magic! MAXIE Lord Baldrith walks over to Lord Shadowreign and kneels before him. LORD BALDRITH Yes…my master… LORD SHADOWREIGN (gloating) You were Nystal Timelord’s finest pupil. Now his failure is complete and revenge is mine! Your former master has been my prisoner for the past year since my demonic servant, Bob, abducted him from his home in the Time Tunnel and soon so shall Lord British, Lord DarkStarr, and the Obsidian Cabalists! I have need of their combined magical power for the next phase of my plan to conquer New Britannia! MAXIE Lord Shadowreign removes his hood to reveal – not a red-eyed demonic being as Lord Baldrith suspected, but an incredibly handsome, blond haired, blue-eyed half-elf! A stunned Lord Baldrith suddenly regains his senses and gasps! The face staring back at him bears an uncanny resemblance to the love of his life… LORD BALDRITH (whispers) By the gods! You’re… (Lord Shadowreign lets out an EVIL laugh) MAXIE Everything suddenly fades to black… *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 34 – ”Whispers” by Amber Raine) MAXIE Gabriel Nightshadow’s second home in Rifts End. Midnight… (Insert “Forever” sound effect by carmsie) (Insert “I See You” sound effect) GABRIEL (screaming) Noooooo….!!! MAXIE A bare-chested Gabriel suddenly sits up in his bed, drenched in sweat! Anya, who is clad in sexy, red lace lingerie, also sits up and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. ANYA (worried) What’s the matter, my darling? Did you have a nightmare? GABRIEL (anxious) Hurry, get dressed, Anya! We must teleport back to Wizards Rest at once! ANYA (confused) I don’t understand…It is the middle of the night! Can’t this wait until morning? GABRIEL (insistent) No, it can’t! I just had one of my prophetic dreams – first one I have had in over six months! We must use the time tunnel to travel 100 years into the past and locate the ruins of Castle Gennar in the Wrymsands. If we don’t intervene, Serafina will die at the hands of Count Aberon and your father will forsake the virtues and become Lord Shadowreign’s disciple! ANYA (horrified) Oh no! GABRIEL It’s even worse than I feared! After all these years, I have finally learned Lord Shadowreign’s true identity! He is your brother…Valen! ANYA (shocked) My twin brother is alive?! How can this be? GABRIEL (worried) I don’t know… To make matters even worse, we’ve lost the element of surprise! Lord Shadowreign detected my presence in the dream realm. He knows we are coming for him… (Insert music track # 45 – “Dragon Warrior (Loopable)” by Marcus Dellicompagni – first 30 seconds only) MAXIE (dramatic) All will be revealed as the blood feud between the Nightshadow (nee Dane) and Dar families which began 400 years ago in “Hungry Eyes in the Darkness” reaches its epic conclusion in… THE AVATAR CHRONICLES: LEGACY OF THE DRAGON LORDS (Insert “Fire-breathing dragon” sound effect by CGEffex) *************************************************************************************** (Insert music track # 37 – “Arunja Fights the Emperor” by James Stratton-Crawley. Loop as needed.) ASCLEPIUS SOUND EFFECT CREDITS All sound effects used in this production are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) The following sound effects can be found at: http://soundbible.com “Rocket Thrusters” – Recorded by Dobroride “Earthquake” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Slap” – Recorded by SoundMaster 13 “Decapitation/Head Fall Off” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Arrows Flying” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Nature Ambiance” – Recorded by Nille “Spacecraft Hatch Opening” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Chamber Decompressing”- Recorded by Mike Koenig “Swords Clashing” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Large Fireball” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Thrown Shuriken” – – Recorded by Cody Mahan “Thunder Sound FX” – Recorded by Grant Evans “Smashing” – Recorded by Yuri Santana “River Noise” – Recorded by Caroline Ford “Neck Breaking” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Electric Shock Zap” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Ray Gun” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Spooky Drone” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Gagging” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Puke Vomit Ralph“ – Recorded by Mike Koenig “40 Cal Gun Shot x3” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Tick Tock” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Explosion Ultra Bass” – Recorded by Mark DiAngelo “European Dragon Roaring and Breath Fire” – Recorded by Daniel Simon “Flapping Wings 3” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Stomach Growling” – Recorded by XxBirdoxX “Bone Crushing” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Spin Kick” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Kung Fu Punch” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Sweep Kick” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Boxing Punches” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Roundhouse Kick” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Left Hook” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Right Cross” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Uppercut” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Dragon Roaring” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Horse Neigh” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Galloping Horse” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Wind” – Recorded by Mark DiAngelo “News Intro” – Recorded by Maximilien “Time Warp” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Time Travel” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Backwards Souls” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Crowd Boos and Heckles” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Sunny Day” – Recorded by Stephan “Freaky Scene” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Helicopter Against Missile” – Recorded by Chester Barrett “Bunker Buster Missile” – Recorded by Mike Koenig “Mandatory Evacuation” – Recorded by Brandon “Gun Battle” – Recorded by Ream Productions The following sound effects can be found at: http://opengameart.org “Fall” – Recorded by remaxim “Ghost Breath” – Recorded by qubodup “Magic Shield” – Recorded by spookymodem “Teleport” – Recorded by OgreBane “Weapon Blow” – Recorded by spookymodem “I See You” – Recorded by Vinrax The following sound effects can be found at: https://freesound.org “Sci-fi Rocket Launch 01” – by sandyrb “Wooden Door Smash Open” by Eneasz – A composite of three other FreeSound sounds: http://www.freesound.org/people/ttiimm54/sounds/94744/ http://www.freesound.org/people/RutgerMuller/sounds/103996/ and http://www.freesound.org/people/Srehpog/sounds/31623/ “Dragon Land” by Cyberkineticfilms “Crowd Panic” by belthazarus “Invisibility Spell” by Lucas Duff “Energy Shield” by Eevan “Squeaky Bed Action” by Breviceps “Large Crowd Applause” by Bansemer “Angry Snake Hiss Pass Long” by Csaszi “Eerie Forest” by Greg Swinford “Medieval Combat Loop” by Yap Audio Production “Evil Incantation” by Incarnadine “Fire Forest Inferno” by Dynamicell “Shield Bash Impact” by Hybrid_V “Knife Chop” by deleted_user_877451 “Shadowrun” by radian “Energy Blast” by Kinoton “Portal Continuous Rumble” by zimbot “US Soldier War Chant” by qubodup “All Teams Ready2” by Nidal8585 “GO GO GO” sound effect by Nidal8585 “Fire-breathing dragon” by CGEffex “Forever” by carmsie “Evil is a master of disguise” by carmsie “PB Payback v2” by carmsie “10-11-15_Depths of Hell” by Argitoth “Starship Rumble 1” by MiceHead “Angry Mob Loop” by Benjamin Harvey Design “Guillotine test 02” by Glaneur de sons *************************************************************************************** MAXIE END CREDITS SCENE A basement apartment somewhere in Canada The Present… It is dawn on a sunny spring morning as an alarm clock radio comes to life and the strains of Rick Astley’s hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” can be heard. Someone can be heard grumbling from under a pillow as a hand reaches out and knocks the radio off the end table and onto the floor. A disheveled eighteen-year old, blonde-haired, red-eyed, pale-skinned teenage boy clad in a black muscle shirt and tight black leather pants slowly gets up. He stares down at the alarm clock. JOHNNY (yawning) Oh darn…I overslept again! I have to be at the warehouse for the start of my shift in an hour! Just enough time for a quick shower and change of clothes before the bus arrives… MAXIE Johnny hears a faint humming sound and glances over at the opposite corner of the room where his enchanted, black Gibson Les Paul guitar, a present from his REAL parents, Count Aberon and Lady Vastra, on his recent birthday, is propped up against his chair. On the wall is a poster from “Ripper and the Slayers” first paid gig at the local hot spot, Stryker’s Bar. He walks over and picks up his guitar and starts strumming. The guitar begins to glow as Johnny starts singing the new song he composed last night for his new girlfriend, Harmony. (Insert music track # 35 by Amber Raine) JOHNNY (AD LIB SOME HEAVY METAL LOVE SONG LYRICS HERE, CELITH…) MAXIE Suddenly, a lunar rift appears directly in front of Johnny! JOHNNY (surprised) Hey…what’s happening?! Mom? Dad? MAXIE Johnny waits several minutes but no one emerges from the lunar rift. JOHNNY (worried) Something is wrong… Mom and Dad must be in trouble! MAXIE As if on cue, his enchanted gold ring, another birthday gift from his parents, suddenly begins glowing blood red! Johnny puts on his sunglasses and grabs his guitar. (Insert music track # 42 – “Heavy Metal Riffs – Monolith” by Tri-Tachyon) JOHNNY Looks like I am about to make my first trip to New Britannia! Hang on, mom and dad! Your son, Johnny “Ripper” Warlock, is on his way to save you! MAXIE Johnny steps through the lunar rift… (Insert “Portal Continuous Rumble” sound effect by zimbot) *************************************************************************** WALT Oh my god, is this audio finally over? I really need to pee… BEATRICE Walt, dear, how many times have I told you not to drink so much Neon Milk when we are tuning in? WALT Shut up, Beatrice! Just give me my cane! (Insert music track # 40 – “Friends (Live)” by Steven Goldman, Dom John, and Edward Vitralis) Echoes From the Caverns The post Elf Lore – the Fate of the True Elves, featuring the New Britannia Theater Troupe appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Cooks and butchers rejoice! The talented crafters of Shroud of the Avatar will notice some splendid changes to their butchering endeavors. Also, for those salvaging artifacts, expect some more Ancient Essences and Patterns to come your way! And for all those Avatars out there that have collected maps from the original map system, get those over to your crafting tables! For those wishing to participate in any... Avatar’s Update #408: Play Release 84 Now! Butchery Update! Artifact Salvage Improvements!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Cooks and butchers rejoice! The talented crafters of Shroud of the Avatar will notice some splendid changes to their butchering endeavors. Also, for those salvaging artifacts, expect some more Ancient Essences and Patterns to come your way! And for all those Avatars out there that have collected maps from the original map system, get those over to your crafting tables! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Butchery Update! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Artifact Salvage Improvements! Crafted Bone Pile Decorations! Crafted Framed Maps Incoming! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Release 84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British and Holiday Themed! World & UI Changes Crafting & Economy Changes Combat Balance & Changes Updated Player-Owned Towns Bug Fixes Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Defectors & Curses RP Storyline Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Community Event: Decoration Techniques by Wilfred Community Event: Friendsgiving 2020 Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Butchery Update! Butchers and cooks of New Britannia can now enjoy some very helpful Quality of Life (QOL) improvements to their craft! Here are some of the amazing updates which will improve the overall experience related to Butchering: Process animal recipes have all been added to the game and all old meat recipes have been removed. Process recipe icons now display the associated animal instead of the same meat icon previously used. These new recipes are known by default, but still feature skill level requirements. These changes will set up Butchery to take full advantage of crafting updates soon to arrive. Keep on the lookout for more crafting QOL improvements just on the horizon! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! The weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, November 20th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins Please” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Artifact Salvage Improvements! Players of Shroud of the Avatar can now take their artifacts to their associated crafting stations for salvage and receive a far better result! Not only will salvaged artifacts now yield Ancient Essences in an amount relative to their tier, but a small handful of artifacts now yield a pattern which can be applied to your equipment to alter its appearance! Artifacts will break down into essences in the following fashion: Common: 1 Uncommon: 1 Rare: 2 Legendary: 4 Epic: 8 As more and more Ancient Essences enter into the world as a result of these changes, players can expect additional uses for these items in upcoming crafting recipes. And for polearm, dagger and bow users, check out these new patterns available! When these artifacts are salvaged, they have a 100% chance to provide a pattern: Halberd of the Sun (Polearm) Shard of Night (Dagger) Xen Penetrator (Long Bow) It has been brought to our attention that the Halberd of the Sun looks too similar to another artifact. In the future, expect some slight modifications to it to give it an even more unique look which will vary more greatly from the Vile version of the model. Players can expect a large variety of artifact updates coming soon, to include additional patterns, new appearances for a variety of artifacts, and the ability to apply patterns TO artifacts. Stay tuned! Crafted Bone Pile Decorations!Ready your weapons! Slay your fellow community members! Loot their skulls, hands and jawbones! Craft with their body parts! Previously, players engaging in PvP or acquiring body parts from other players by other means, could apply these PvP trophies to various recipes such as the Skull Goblet, Bone Windchimes, and the Skull Candle. Now three additional recipes have been added which will provide more bone variations to scatter around your dungeons, homes, and basements! Recipes for the following items were added: Bone Pile 1 Bone Pile 2 Bone Pile 3 If you wish to send a shiver down the spines of your guests, be sure to stack them high! These bone piles can be stacked on top of each other, and their recipes are available from the decoration merchant in Xenos above the bank. To accompany these new bone pile craftable decorations, on January 1st, a Skull Pile will be added to the Crown Store! Happy bone collecting, Avatars! Crafted Framed Maps Incoming! Originally, Shroud of the Avatar featured a map system which was accessible by using map type inventory items obtained through loot and merchant transactions. Now, developers are hard at work converting these maps into player placeable decorations! Not only will all these maps have a decoration version, but each map will have its own crafting recipes which will drop in mysterious and deadly locations throughout the game. The first two of these new recipes should arrive in-game upon the first patch after Release, and others will be soon to follow in the weeks ahead. Soon to Arrive: Recipe: Framed Map of Ardoris (Fauns) Recipe: Framed Map of Kingsroad (Daemons) Arriving Later: Recipe: Framed Map of Braemar Recipe: Framed Map of Deep Ravenswood Recipe: Framed Map of Graff Gem Mines Entrance Recipe: Framed Map of Grunvald Shardfall Recipe: Framed Map of Kingsport Recipe: Framed Map of Mysterious Swamp Recipe: Framed Map of Northmarsh Recipe: Framed Map of North Ravenswood Recipe: Framed Map of North Valeway Recipe: Framed Map of Ruined Keep Recipe: Framed Map of Owl’s Head Recipe: Framed Map of Ravensmoor Recipe: Framed Map of Ruins of Ravensmoor Recipe: Framed Worn Map of Ruins of Ravensmoor Recipe: Framed Map of Solace Bridge Recipe: Framed Map of Soltown Recipe: Framed Map of Southmarsh Recipe: Framed Map of South Ravenswood Recipe: Framed Map of South Valeway Recipe: Framed Map of Veiled Swamp Recipe: Framed Map of Vertas Pass Recipe: Framed Map of West Ravenswood Recipe: Framed Map of Wynton’s Folly Recipe: Framed Map of Wyrmsands As these map recipes continue to patch into the game, adventurers will start noticing them in loot throughout all of New Britannia, each dropping from a particular creature or in a particular location. Some will be harder to find than others, but ultimately, players will have approximately 26 map recipes to find as they explore the world. Collect them all! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Human and Dragon Conversationalists! Menorah 2020 Conversationalist, Barbarian Archer Male 1 Conversationalist, Barbarian Shaman Male 1 Conversationalist, Barbarian Fighter Male 1 Conversationalist, Brittany Guard Male 1 Conversationalist, Brittany Guard Female 1 Conversationalist, Black Dragon Conversationalist, Blue Dragon Conversationalist, Green Dragon Conversationalist, Orange Dragon Conversationalist, Purple Dragon Conversationalist, Red Dragon Conversationalist, White Dragon Conversationalist, Yellow Dragon Conversationalist, Norgardian Guard Female 1 Conversationalist, Norgardian Guard Male 1 Conversationalist, Norgardian Villager Female 1 Conversationalist, Norgardian Villager Male 1 The Holidays are upon us, Avatars! Keep your eyes on the Crown Store and be sure these holiday items are under your Yule Tree! The following will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! The holidays are upon us, Avatars! Don’t let these holiday items, pass by. Get in on this one-week opportunity to get your hands on these must have items before the door on the Vault closes next week. The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, November 26th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Brown Pilgrim Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble Frozen Bagpipes Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Icicle Cloak Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Virtue Ice Shield Ice Elemental Statue November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Just when you thought you got all your raking done, more leaves have fallen from the trees! Simply log in during the month of November, and these amazing Autumn Leaf Pavers will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British and Holiday Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 84 are Lord British and holiday themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 84 to receive these login items: Lord British 2-Handed Axe 2020 Snow Globe White Goose Decoration Pet The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills World & Miscellaneous Changes These miscellaneous updates affecting the game world or aspects of the user interface (UI) patched in during R83, will go live with R84, or will go live shortly after R84: Player-Owned Town (POT) Light Limits: Light counts for POTs were all increased by 50%. The new limits are as follows: Holdfast: 45 Hamlet: 60 Village: 75 Crossroads Village: 90 Town: 120 City: 150 Metropolis: 200 Municipality: 240 Megalopolis: 300 Gigalopolis: 360 Teralopolis: 450 Owl’s Head: Morton’s quest to recover his ledger has been updated to include improved dialog and journal text, compass markers, and better quest-tracking logic. Players in the middle of the quest should be unaffected, but if they feel stuck they can talk with Morton to help get back on track. Crafting, Items & Economy Changes These changes to the player economy, in-game items, or crafting patched in during R83, will go live with R84, or will go live shortly after R84: Conversationalists: The character limits for all premium Conversationalists has been increased from 10K to 20K Snowballs: Snowballs can now be used as decorations Lord of the Isle (LOTI) Emote: LOTIs rejoice! The /radiate teachable emote has been delivered to all LOTI supporters! Seek out these esteemed community members to learn this dazzling emote! Foal & Tamed Horse Turn-Ins: A new quest to turn-in the original stretch goal foals and tamed horses for mounts was added to the game. The turn-in locations are as follows… Nob: The Stable Boy in Owl’s Head Bodan Koren: The Master Taming Trainer in Braemar Corsten: The Master Tactics Trainer in Desolis Falcon: Animal Trainer in Aerie Oakley: Stable Girl in Brittany Fields Swordsman Statue: A new recipe has been added so players can craft an Avatar-sized Swordsman Statue! Find this recipe in Aerie above the bank on the decorations merchant. New Artifacts: The following artifacts were added to The Breach adventure scene… Spurred Boots (Mount Artifact) Supple Gloves of Riding (Mount Artifact) Belt of the Dedicated (Tanking Artifact) Obsidian Band (Magic Resistance Artifact) Female Beggar Conversationalist: A new recipe has been added! Players can now craft a Female Beggar Conversationalist by taking the necessary ingredients to their Alchemy Tables! Find this elusive recipe on the decoration merchant above the Xenos bank! Decoration Improvements: 16 varieties of wall lights can now be placed on the sides of other deco such as castle walls and fences, if deco is enabled for those surfaces Wall Candles can now be placed on exterior walls 14 varieties of Wreaths can now be placed on other decoration items such as castle walls and fences, and as POT decoration 18 varieties of Garland can uniformly be placed on other deco such as castle walls and fencing, and as POT decoration 9 varieties of spider deco can now be placed on other deco surfaces such as the sides of castle walls and fences The Garden Shed can now accept other decorations on allowable surfaces 567 items adjusted so they can be placed as deco onto other items such as walls and fence vertical surfaces, exterior walls, and/or in Player-Owned Towns. Items include Mailboxes, Wall Shelves, Wall Mirrors, Wall Webs, Wall Clocks, Kitchen Racks, Paintings, Tapestries, Parchments, Banners, Holiday Lights, Mardi Gras Garland, Stone Relief Wall Hangings, Wall Steam Pipes, Wall Signs, and Hanging Signs. 80 varieties of fence pieces have been adjusted to allow for placement as indoor decoration to include basements and dungeons 249 varieties of trophies can now be placed on other items such as castle walls, fences, AND/OR in Player-Owned Towns 95 varieties of Block Letters and Runic Letters can now be placed on other deco such as castle walls, fences Combat Balance & Changes These changes to combat skills or concepts patched in during R83, will go live with R84, or will go live shortly after R84: XP Increases: XP for high level elementals, elemental bosses, and daemons was increased Mesmerize: Monster resistances to Mesmerize effects were improved Shadow Potions: These potions can now be placed onto the combat bar Updated Player Owned Towns These updates affected Player Owned Towns which patched in during R83, will go live with R84, or will go live shortly after R84: Arlia: Upgraded to Town B’azaar of the B’izarre: Changed name (from A’doe Trunalor), biome to island 01a, updated interconnections, and moved to shoreline Isle of Jala’s Song: Upgraded to Hamlet Knight’s Watch: Transfered ownership. Downgraded to Town Norstead: Updated interconnections Porcupine Creek: Added new Village, east of South Drachvald Spur Sentinel Stand: Upgraded to City Valor: Upgraded to City Bug Fixes Albeit many bug fixes patched in during R83, will go live with R84, or will go live shortly after R84. Here are some of the highlights! Fixes for error spam in The Breach scene Spelling fixes to a number of store items Fixes for player scale while on the horse to properly align the reins Horse eyes no longer appear frightened Obsidian stew can once again be eaten Play dead emote works again Fix for the odd animation issue after getting hit Mounts can now be locked in inventory and still be used Fixes to dragon skin rugs to allow decorations on them Minor tweaks to The Breach scene Bug polish to Rhun Ruins Fixed sink hole in Desert player owned town Template Fix for new foal runes/tooltips showing as “?Summon_Foal_Dun_StoreOnly?” etc. Fix for the massive durability damage issue No Trade Items will no longer take up bank slots when inside of a container Belt of the Dedicated fixed Drunk effects fixed Pumpkin Trophies now placeable as POT Decorations Arabella Cloak now placeable as wall decoration XP rewards for gathering meticulous collection has now been fixed Creature Pathing fixed in Upper Tears Estate Agent in Offline Mode fixed Baron Frigate windows fixed Ferig’s Battle Camp quest enhanced Ragged Leather Gloves coloring fixed Ankh of Sacrifice recipe name fixed Wooden Block Recipe name fixed Quiver of Jealousy, Common can now be Masterworked and Enchanted Necklace of Cautious Precision is now correctly called a necklace Typo corrected in the Dark Unicorn’s attack Character elbows are now visible while wearing Damask Lace Dress Sitting animation while playing a Harpsichord fixed Typo corrected in “Repair Spirit Wheels” journal entries Green Marble 16X16 2 Entrance player dungeon recipe fixed to use Green Dye Aerie Tavern & Fire Lotus Tavern rear stairs fixed “Find Out Why Owl’s Nest has No Ale” quest fixed Players will no longer go AFK while batch crafting Players will no longer go AFK while playing instruments Fixed the compass marker in Spindrift Passage for the Serpent’s Spine Mine exit The upper waterfall’s compass marker in Solace Bridge is now correctly labeled as “Upper Falls” Closed off a gap in the outer walls of the Forest Cave that was open to space outside the non-playable area Corsten in Desolis should now correctly ask for a taming necklace for a blanket horse in exchange for a rideable blanket horse Judith and Martin in Kingsport Sewers now always give proper responses when asked about “clatterers” Clockwork Dragon in The Breach no longer spawns inside the building Fixed incorrectly rotated Distillation Devices in Skrekk Crates fixed in Spectral Mines Northwood: Treehouse collision fixed in Northwood Overstacked barrels fixed in Skrekk API service has been restored Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, and Justyn. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX The following bugs and quality of life improvements are being released to QA in the coming weeks, please keep checking QA, testing and giving feedback on these items: One hit to Zero Durability Root Issue Durability on Crafted Items Potion of Shadow Form Useable on Combat Bar Desolis: Corsten now correctly asks for a taming necklace for a Blanket Horse in exchange for a rideable Blanket Horse Player Owned Town light counts increased by 50% Shard of Night Pattern Daemon Trident Pattern Halberd of the Sun Pattern Xen Penetrator Pattern Ancient Essence Yield: Uncommon and Common yield 1. Rare yields 2. Legendary yields 4. Epic yields 8. Find Out Why Owl’s Nest Has No Ale quest updates Arabella Cloak deco types revised Meticulous Collection while Harvesting to yield XP Rewards in Loot Quiver of Jealousy masterwork and enchant updates Player Instruction Updates And much much more! If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Your choice of a Castle Basement currently available in the store Your choice of a Castle Wall Set currently available in the store (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Teachable Emote (/radiate) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020/2021 Release Schedule: Release 85 – Dec 17 Release 86 – Jan 28 Release 87 – Feb 25 Release 88 – Mar 25 Release 89 – Apr 29 Release 90 – May 27 Release 91 – Jun 24 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 13th at Noon CT to Friday the 20th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID WATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Lained, Northwest Coast of Norgard (@Lained) Valor (@Galorn) Falling Waters Fortress (@Tazar) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Paladis Shardfall Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Oracle Colossus Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Lained: The Player Owned Town Lained is calling all anglers, large and small to participate in the week 28 Fetid Fishing Tournament. They will be holding a daily crossover from Friday noon CT to Friday noon CT with daily prizes, as well as a weeklong tournament in conjunction with the Catnip Event. Fish must be placed in the heraldry chest found on the town water lot next to the main docks. For more information, please see the main forum post for this topic on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Defectors & Curses RP Storyline Role-players of New Britannia, head on over to the forums and participate in an active role-playing storyline created by Arkah EMPstrike! “Arkah set his last trunk down on the floor in his house. That made 5 large trunks, 4 backpacks, 2 sacks, 3 barrels and 3 crates. “Phew” he wiped his forehead as he stepped outside his door to tie up his horse, Trots McHorsington. “Sorry about all the work buddy!” he apologized and fed McHorsington a carrot. “His name is awful!” said Xalia, who made herself very unhelpful in a armchair by the fireplace. “Well,” Arkah sccoffed, “it’s not Your name.” He said while tossing stuff out of a trunk placed on his bed. “You dont have to introduce him at parties. Besides, we’re so far out in the boonies that noone’s gonna care.” Ever since the gas incident in Caelestis Canton…” To continue on this adventure, head to the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party The Mad Splatter Tea Party takes place every 3rd or 4th Sunday of the month, which is a tea party in my back garden at Lily Byrd’s home in Jade Valley. There are drinks and eats, there is sometimes music, there are often party games with prizes, and sometimes attendees just sit and talk about life in Novia. Where: Jade Valley, Lily Byrd’s Cottage and tea garden on the south side of the Hall of Inquiry and Learning When: 3PM CT, November 22nd (Usually every 3rd or 4th Sunday of the month) Attire: This is a role playing event tea party so come as your Avatar. We play games, we eat cake and drink…various teas and drinks… There are goofy prizes for winning games if we play them. See you there, Lily Byrd. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Each month, the anglers of New Britannia can enjoy a fantastic fishing competition in the Islands of Wonders! So many fantastic prizes await thee, Avatar! Crowns of the Obsidian! A troll horde containing valuable loot! Don’t miss out! When: The Month of November! Where: Islands of Wonders Please message Rook Strife on the forums or in-game if you have any questions / feedback. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Decoration Techniques by Wilfred Art lovers and decoration masters! Come check out Wilfred’s most wondrous decoration guide! If you’d like to learn how to decorate like a master, you cannot miss out on this informative walkthrough. Wilfred’s techniques will reveal much in the way of enhancing your decoration efforts. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Friendsgiving 2020 Hi all! The Graceful Bard, A.K.A. Lauremir, will be throwing a “Friendsgiving” party at her Village Lot in Immortal City! There will be a turkey pet giveaway for the first batch of people to arrive, as well as raffles and live music on her Twitch channel! When: Friday, November 20th, 5PM CT Where: Immortal City, Lauremir Elenir’s Village Lot Head on over and spend some holiday time with your fellow community members! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 A player-made interactive quest has been created by Tristano Sforza, and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! Explore New Britannia, solve puzzles, gather resources, catch special fish, craft and use new powerful artifacts, kill mobs and more… but most importantly save new Britannia! This quest is enhanced by a LUA application, and is intended for medium to high level players. Please be sure to provide Tristano Sforza feedback about this interactive quest, and encourage him to make more! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: November 1st to November 30th For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no commitment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immediate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Hi there, Avatars! If anyone would like a sneak peek into what's coming your way for this considerably short Release, please check out the Google Doc at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19OPYtWgwO69_oCjbsyNU-RCpvGc_EobFUojYnNIjFdw/edit?usp=sharing Also, any edit suggestions are greatly appreciated! I'll work through the suggestions in the morning before the Release goes live and the update is published. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Governors, stewards, and Player-Owned Town (POT) residents in Shroud of the Avatar can now enjoy a much larger limit for POT light decorations. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the... Avatar’s Update #407: Player-Owned Town Light Limit Increase! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Governors, stewards, and Player-Owned Town (POT) residents in Shroud of the Avatar can now enjoy a much larger limit for POT light decorations. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Player-Owned Town Light Limit Increase! Latest News Q&A Friday the 13th Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Jackal Hunt Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Player-Owned Town Light Limit Increase! Governors! Stewards! Player-Owned Town (POT) residents! Take heed! POTs of Shroud of the Avatar will now be even MORE illuminated! Every POT has decoration limits based upon the town size, and every town size has just received an approximate 50% increase in decorative light limits. Old POT Decorative Light Limits: Holdfast: 30 Hamlet: 40 Village: 50 Crossroads Village: 60 Town: 80 City: 100 Metropolis: 130 Municipality: 160 Megalopolis: 200 Gigalopolis: 240 Teralopolis: 300 New POT Decorative Light Limits: Holdfast: 45 Hamlet: 60 Village: 75 Crossroads Village: 90 Town: 120 City: 150 Metropolis: 200 Municipality: 240 Megalopolis: 300 Gigalopolis: 360 Teralopolis: 450 Keep on the lookout for more amazing Quality of Life improvements coming your way! For more information about Player-Owned Towns, please visit the POT store entries, the Players Guide, or the Player-Owned Town (POT) FAQ on the forums. Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! The weekly Community Livestream is this lucky Friday, November 13th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins Please” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Lich, Bandit, Underdweller, Ebon Dawn, and Skeleton Conversationalists! Conversationalist, Lich Fighter Conversationalist, Lich Archer Conversationalist, Lich Mage Conversationalist, Human Underdweller Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Underdweller Male 1 Conversationalist, Bandit Male 1 Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Mage Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Fighter Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Archer Conversationalist, Skeleton Mage Conversationalist, Skeleton Fighter Conversationalist, Skeleton Archer The fall, Thanksgiving, and winter store seasons are upon us, Avatars! The following items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! It’s time to start thinking about the holidays, Avatars! Don’t miss out on this one-week opportunity to get your hands on these must have holiday items before the door on the Vault closes next week. The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, November 19th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet Dark Yule Outfit Yule Hat Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Ice Hot Tub Snowdragon November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Just when you thought you got all your raking done, more leaves have fallen from the trees! Simply log in during the month of November, and these amazing Autumn Leaf Pavers will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 83 are Lord British, autumn, and spooky themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 83 to receive these login items: Conversationalist, Pumpkinhead Minion Lord British 2-Handed Sword Autumn Leaf Piles The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, and Justyn. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX The following bugs and quality of life improvements are being released to QA in the coming weeks, please keep checking QA, testing and giving feedback on these items: One hit to Zero Durability Root Issue Durability on Crafted Items Potion of Shadow Form Useable on Combat Bar Desolis: Corsten now correctly asks for a taming necklace for a Blanket Horse in exchange for a rideable Blanket Horse Player Owned Town light counts increased by 50% Shard of Night Pattern Daemon Trident Pattern Halberd of the Sun Pattern Xen Penetrator Pattern Ancient Essence Yield: Uncommon and Common yield 1. Rare yields 2. Legendary yields 4. Epic yields 8. Find Out Why Owl’s Nest Has No Ale quest updates Arabella Cloak deco types revised Meticulous Collection while Harvesting to yield XP Rewards in Loot Quiver of Jealousy masterwork and enchant updates Player Instruction Updates And much much more! If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Teachable Emote (/radiate) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020/2021 Release Schedule: Release 84 – Nov 19 Release 85 – Dec 17 Release 86 – Jan 28 Release 87 – Feb 25 Release 88 – Mar 25 Release 89 – Apr 29 Release 90 – May 27 Release 91 – Jun 24 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 13th at Noon CT to Friday the 20th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID WATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Lained, Northwest Coast of Norgard (@Lained) Valor (@Galorn) Falling Waters Fortress (@Tazar) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Paladis Shardfall Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Oracle Colossus Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Lained: The Player Owned Town Lained is calling all anglers, large and small to participate in the week 28 Fetid Fishing Tournament. They will be holding a daily crossover from Friday noon CT to Friday noon CT with daily prizes, as well as a weeklong tournament in conjunction with the Catnip Event. Fish must be placed in the heraldry chest found on the town water lot next to the main docks. For more information, please see the main forum post for this topic on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Jackal Hunt Avatars! Recently, the members of LAMP spotted the elusive Jackal in Dysborg Ruins during this past week. Players engaged in combat in an attempt to bring this Jackal to justice! LAMP believes this villain might travel to other lands every week, so be on the lookout! Rumors indicate the location will vary each week with the PvP location for the Catnip Games Fishing Tourney, so be vigilant! Here’s how you participate… Bring Sorgin Txakal the skull of the Jackal and he’ll pay you a handsome sum. No questions asked. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Each month, the anglers of New Britannia can enjoy a fantastic fishing competition in the Islands of Wonders! So many fantastic prizes await thee, Avatar! Crowns of the Obsidian! A troll horde containing valuable loot! Don’t miss out! When: The Month of November! Where: Islands of Wonders Please message Rook Strife on the forums or in-game if you have any questions / feedback. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 A player-made interactive quest has been created by Tristano Sforza, and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! Explore New Britannia, solve puzzles, gather resources, catch special fish, craft and use new powerful artifacts, kill mobs and more… but most importantly save new Britannia! This quest is enhanced by a LUA application, and is intended for medium to high level players. Please be sure to provide Tristano Sforza feedback about this interactive quest, and encourage him to make more! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: November 1st to November 30th For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Recently, players of Shroud of the Avatar were introduced to the long awaited Mount System! Now players who are tamers or possess stretch-goal foals can turn-in their horses and foals for rideable versions of those animals! Also, the coming weeks will address bug fixes and quality of life improvements! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and... Avatar’s Update #406: Foal & Tamed Horse Exchange Details! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Recently, players of Shroud of the Avatar were introduced to the long awaited Mount System! Now players who are tamers or possess stretch-goal foals can turn-in their horses and foals for rideable versions of those animals! Also, the coming weeks will address bug fixes and quality of life improvements! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Foal & Tamed Horse Exchange Details! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: VulcanJedi’s Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Browncoat’s Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Ironhall Victory Ball Community Event: Jackal Hunt Community Event: Mounts of New Britannia Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Community Event: The Beast Weaver Community Event: Haunted Inn and Dungeon Adventure Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Foal & Tamed Horse Exchange Details! Shortly after Release 83, new foal and tamed horse turn-in NPCs have been added to the game! These turn-ins yield fully functional mounts that have the same capabilities as the Crown Store mounts! So if you’re a tamer or one of the lucky owners of an older foal, head on over to the following locations throughout New Britannia to exchange your items: Nob: The Stable Boy in Owl’s Head Bodan Koren: The Master Taming Trainer in Braemar Corsten: The Master Tactics Trainer in Desolis Falcon: Animal Trainer in Aerie Oakley: Stable Girl in Brittany Fields If any player owns one of the following non-domesticated versions of a foal, the turn-in locations listed above will yield the following items: Appaloosa Foal, Trade-in Yields: Appaloosa Foal (Domesticated), Appaloosa Horse Mount Black Foal, Trade-In Yields: Black Foal (Domesticated), Black Horse Mount Buckskin Foal, Trade-In Yields: Buckskin Foal (Domesticated), Buckskin Horse Mount Dun Foal, Trade-In Yields: Dun Foal (Domesticated), Dun Horse Mount Roan Foal, Trade-In Yields: Roan Foal (Domesticated), Roan Horse Mount White Foal, Trade-In Yields: White Foal (Domesticated), White Horse Mount For all the tamers out there, bring your tamed Bay, Blanket, and Palomino Horses to those NPCs and get these rideable mounts: Taming Necklace (Bay Horse), Trade-In Yields: Bay Horse Mount Taming Necklace (Blanket Horse), Trade-In Yields: Blanket Horse Mount Taming Necklace (Palomino Horse), Trade-In Yields: Palomino Horse Mount And don’t forget to get your riding skills, Avatars! You’ll need these to improve the functionality of your new four-legged friend: Horsemanship (+Mounted Speed, +Mounted Carry Capacity) Horse Gallop Speed (+Mounted Speed Sprint) Horse Carry Capacity Focus (-Mounted Speed, +Mounted Carry Capacity) Horse Speed Focus (+Mounted Speed, -Mounted Carry Capacity) So get in-game and check out these splendid new mounts! Explore New Britannia atop a majestic and mighty steed! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! The weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, November 6th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins Please” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Ebon Dawn, Skeleton, Elf, Entertainer, and Kobold Conversationalists! A new Breathe Leaves Emote has been added to the store. Clover Pavers have also been added to the store, as well as the fully completed Lord British Plate Armor Set! Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Mage Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Fighter Conversationalist, Ebon Dawn Archer Conversationalist, Skeleton Mage Conversationalist, Skeleton Fighter Conversationalist, Skeleton Archer Breathe Leaves Emote Lord British Plate Armor Set Clover Pavers Beer Glass 12-Pack Wineglass 12-Pack Drinking Glass Mega Pack Conversationalist, Elf Archer Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Archer Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Fighter Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Fighter Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Mage Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Mage Male 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 2 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 3 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 2 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 3 Conversationalist, Kobold Brawler Conversationalist, Kobold Ghost The fall, Thanksgiving, and winter store seasons are upon us, Avatars! The following items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, November 12th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Snow Emote White Reindeer White Turkey Reindeer Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Wand Traditional Yule Hat Ice Wings Snowflake Pattern Cloak Fountain of Frozen Waters November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Just when you thought you got all your raking done, more leaves have fallen from the trees! Simply log in during the month of November, and these amazing Autumn Leaf Pavers will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 83 are Lord British, autumn, and spooky themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 83 to receive these login items: Conversationalist, Pumpkinhead Minion Lord British 2-Handed Sword Autumn Leaf Piles The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, Justyn, and Tazar. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Emote (To be revealed later) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020/2021 Release Schedule: Release 84 – Nov 19 Release 85 – Dec 17 Release 86 – Jan 28 Release 87 – Feb 25 Release 88 – Mar 25 Release 89 – Apr 29 Release 90 – May 27 Release 91 – Jun 24 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 6th at Noon CT to Friday the 13th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest SALTWATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Crafters Town (@Elrond) Riptown Creek (@Mhtic) Rajazel, Novia Near Soltown (@simon1974) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in The Brave Coast Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Northwest Blackblade Mountains Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Rajazel: Join the folks over at Rajazel for a spinoff contest, Avatars! Lots of extra prizes and fun. For more information, please see the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: VulcanJedi’s Extra Life Charity Event Greetings Avatars! Some players may have heard VulcanJedi talk about Extra Life, a charity that supports the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in North America. VulcanJedi is including some amazing Shroud of the Avatar gear and decoration items as donation incentives for this years charity event! In an additional show of support, players can also give VulcanJedi’s Twitch Channel a visit and a follow. When: Saturday, November 7th, 20 Hours of Streaming! Where: http://extralife.vulcanjedi.com/ For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Browncoat’s Extra Life Charity Event We gamers have a chance to help sick kids on Saturday, November 7, by doing what we do best: playing games! Extra Life is a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All the money raised for Extra Life will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice. Browncoat Jayson is playing for the Dell Children’s Medical Center, located in Austin Texas (the home of our SotA developers). This year, Jayson will be streaming Shroud of the Avatar live for 24-hours over on his Twitch.tv channel. For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Ironhall Victory Ball Unto His Highness of Ironhall, King Thoryk Omara, warm greetings. On behalf of the court of the Kingdom of Ironhall, I write to you this day to invite your most honoured presence at our Grand Ball on Saturday, the 7th day of November. Our banquet is to be held in the Throneroom at The Ironhall Fortress. Any guests you wish to have accompany you are more than welcome to attend. The doors open at 6PM CT and the banquet will be served promptly at 7PM CT. For your entertainment, we will have wandering minstrels, jugglers and jongleurs to sing your praises. When: Saturday, November 7th, 6PM CT Where: Ironhall, Throneroom at Ironhall Fortress We hope that you will be able to grace our tables and we await with anticipation your response. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Jackal Hunt Avatars! Recently, the members of LAMP spotted the elusive Jackal in Dysborg Ruins during this past week. Players engaged in combat in an attempt to bring this Jackal to justice! LAMP believes this villain might travel to other lands every week, so be on the lookout! Rumors indicate the location will vary each week with the PvP location for the Catnip Games Fishing Tourney, so be vigilant! Here’s how you participate… Bring Sorgin Txakal the skull of the Jackal and he’ll pay you a handsome sum. No questions asked. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Mounts of New Britannia Riders of New Britannia, take notice! Streamer Torque_Live has created this most informative video for the German players of Shroud of the Avatar! If you’d like to learn more about the newly released Mount System in the game, look no further! Please take the time to enjoy and learn from Torque’s work, and please drop by his stream and give him a follow! For more information about this new video by Torque, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Give this sreamer extraordinaire a big thankyou for all of his hard work! Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest Each month, the anglers of New Britannia can enjoy a fantastic fishing competition in the Islands of Wonders! So many fantastic prizes await thee, Avatar! Crowns of the Obsidian! A troll horde containing valuable loot! Don’t miss out! When: The Month of November! Where: Islands of Wonders Please message Rook Strife on the forums or in-game if you have any questions / feedback. For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: The Beast Weaver Violet Ronso invites you to embark upon an amazing role-playing adventure! Frequently, Violet Ronso will be playing as Kael and writing a forum story about any progress that can be noted throughout the role-play events that ensue. The event could be clearing a zone, completing a questline, discovering treasures, or even unlocking spells! Also, a set of rules will be utilized as each event occurs to enhance the experience for all. For out more about The Beast Weaver, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 A player-made interactive quest has been created by Tristano Sforza, and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! Explore New Britannia, solve puzzles, gather resources, catch special fish, craft and use new powerful artifacts, kill mobs and more… but most importantly save new Britannia! This quest is enhanced by a LUA application, and is intended for medium to high level players. Please be sure to provide Tristano Sforza feedback about this interactive quest, and encourage him to make more! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Haunted Inn and Dungeon Adventure Join the Haunted Inn Adventure, Avatars! Falling Waters Fortress features a fantastically decorated haunted house with a player-made spooky adventure! Featuring Conversationalist/Inky generated quests and some “Fight or Flight Dungeon Monster Encounters”, you just may find your heart pounding in anticipation of what lurks around the next corner… Be sure to investigate every nook and cranny! When: Friday, October 30th to Sunday, November 8th Where: Falling Waters Fortress From the entrance to Falling Waters Fortress, take the Town Signpost to the Cemetery. This is the first year for this quest, using both the new Conversationalist System and the Player-Made Dungeons with monster spawns. Be sure to get out there and give this quest maker some love, Avatars! For more information about this player-made quest and haunted house, please see the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: November 1st to November 30th For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Release 83 brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a plethora of new features, content, and fixes! The new Mount System is available! A new adventure scene known as “The Breach” is ready to challenge battled-hardened adventurers! The changes to the Player-Owned Town Teleporters are now live! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring... Avatar’s Update #405: Play Release 83 Now! Mounts of New Britannia! New Adventure Scene: The Breach!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Release 83 brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a plethora of new features, content, and fixes! The new Mount System is available! A new adventure scene known as “The Breach” is ready to challenge battled-hardened adventurers! The changes to the Player-Owned Town Teleporters are now live! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Mounts of New Britannia Revealed! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! New Adventure Scene: The Breach! Player-Owned Town Teleporter Update! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund 20% Off Crowns! 20% Off Deed Upgrades! 2 Hour Flash Sales! New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items! New Vault Round! November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! World & UI Changes Crafting & Economy Changes Updated Player-Owned Towns Bug Fixes Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Bug Brigade & Testing Directives Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: VulcanJedi’s Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Browncoat’s Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Inky Script Training Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Community Event: Halloween in Immortal City Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Mounts of New Britannia Revealed! Rideable mounts have arrived in New Britannia! Now, players of Shroud of the Avatar will be able to zip across the lands of Novia, Hidden Vale, and Mistrendur atop 16 beautiful mounts, with many additional varieties coming in the near future! Of note, 6 of the Crown Store mounts will also be obtainable by players who already own particular foal decoration pets! Also, 3 of the new mounts will be obtainable through exchange of the tamed versions of those horses. Additionally, to add a bit of spice and fun to riding, 4 new mounted skills have been added to the Tactics Skill Tree! The first iteration of mounts added to the game are as follows, and should become available throughout the early part of R83: Appaloosa Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) Bay Horse Mount (Taming Necklace Exchange) Black Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) Black Unicorn Mount (Crowns) Blanket Horse Mount (Taming Necklace Exchange) Buckskin Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) Dun Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) Ghost Horse Mount (Crowns) Nightmare Mount (Crowns) Palomino Horse Mount (Taming Necklace Exchange) Roan Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) Shadow Horse Mount (Crowns) Skeleton Horse Mount (Crowns) White Horse Mount (Crowns, Foal Exchange) White Unicorn Mount (Crowns) Zombie Horse Mount (Crowns) Following through with the old webstore mount stretch goals, players with the following foal decoration pets will soon be able to trade-in these pets at a quest NPC to receive domesticated versions of the foal PLUS the corresponding Crown Store horse mount! Also, players will receive domesticated versions of the foals from all future Crown Store purchases. Whether a domesticated foal version is received via the foal quest trade-in or through a future store purchase, the domesticated versions of these foals cannot be traded-in at the quest NPC. More details are coming soon, but the current plans for the trade-ins at the quest NPC will yield the following: Appaloosa Foal, Trade-in Yields: Appaloosa Foal (Domesticated), Appaloosa Horse Mount Black Foal, Trade-In Yields: Black Foal (Domesticated), Black Horse Mount Buckskin Foal, Trade-In Yields: Buckskin Foal (Domesticated), Buckskin Horse Mount Dun Foal, Trade-In Yields: Dun Foal (Domesticated), Dun Horse Mount Roan Foal, Trade-In Yields: Roan Foal (Domesticated), Roan Horse Mount White Foal, Trade-In Yields: White Foal (Domesticated), White Horse Mount Three of the new mounts are specifically reserved for the tamers of New Britannia! Tamers will be able to exchange their tamed horse pets for a bridle, which is the inventory item that allows players to summon a mount. More details will soon be revealed, but current plans will allow players to trade-in the following Taming Necklaces: Taming Necklace (Bay Horse), Trade-In Yields: Bay Horse Mount Taming Necklace (Blanket Horse), Trade-In Yields: Blanket Horse Mount Taming Necklace (Palomino Horse), Trade-In Yields: Palomino Horse Mount To provide players some additional functionality as riders gallop across New Britannia, 4 additional skills have been added to the Tactics Skill Tree: Horsemanship (+Mounted Speed, +Mounted Carry Capacity) Horse Gallop Speed (+Mounted Sprint Speed) Horse Carry Capacity Focus (-Mounted Speed, +Mounted Carry Capacity) Horse Speed Focus (+Mounted Speed, -Mounted Carry Capacity These newly created mounts are just the beginning! Players can expect many more mount varieties to come their way in the future! Please stay tuned for more mount related news just on the horizon. Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, October 30th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “I love fall most of all” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! New Adventure Scene: The Breach! Another adventure scene is nearing release and will become available in early R83 to challenge players of Shroud of the Avatar! Chris “Atos” Spears has created a new style of boss encounter which can only be experienced in The Breach, a new adventure scene available to Episode 2 Access holders! This PvE scene is a modified version of Dysborg Ruins, a PvP scene located along the shores of the Naryad Channel. The Breach features improved performance over Dysborg Ruins, and the creature spawns have been expanded considerably. For players to best the creatures and wave event within The Breach, team-oriented tactics must also be employed! Players must face four guardian elemental mini-bosses which spawn in key locations. Each elemental has a five minute respawn timer. Two of these elementals are highly resistant to magic. The other two elementals are highly resistant to physical damage. All four elementals must be slain at nearly the same time, requiring considerable team coordination. A player must also be present at the wave battle spawn location to trigger the wave event when the four guardian elementals are defeated. The resulting wave battle will be highly difficult, and provide a significant challenge to even the most powerful of teams. The Breach is coming, Avatars! Will you accept this challenge and defeat the denizens of The Breach? May the Virtues guide thee… Player-Owned Town Teleporter Update! Governors and stewards of Player-Owned Towns (POT) can now enjoy extra functionality with their premium NPC Town teleporters. Currently, these 3 teleporters only take players to a single NPC Town. As of Release 83, they have received additional capabilities, and the names of these 3 teleporters have been adjusted to coincide with the changes to their functionality as follows: “Teleporter to Ardoris” name changed to “Shogun Teleporter” “Teleporter to Central Brittany” name changed to “Bell Tower Teleporter” “Teleporter to Owl’s Head” name changed to “Tower Archway Teleporter “ Not only can governors and stewards adjust which towns these 3 teleporters point to, but all NPC Towns, Player-Run Towns (PRT) and POTs are available as destinations. Of note, the prices for these 3 teleporters have been significantly reduced. Along these same lines, the recently added POT Interconnection Teleporters have also received name changes. In a similar fashion, all of these teleporters now allow for NPC Town, PRT, and POT destinations. Now that teleportation to NPC Towns is available through player-placed decoration items, POT service vouchers can no longer be utilized for new POT to NPC Town interconnections. The names of these teleporters have changed as follows: “Player-Owned Town Wagon” name changed to “Wagon Teleporter” “Player-Owned Town Hatch” name changed to “Hatch Teleporter” “Player-Owned Town Balloon” name changed to “Balloon Teleporter” “Player-Owned Town Boat” name changed to “Boat Teleporter” We hope this Quality of Life (QOL) improvement enhances the gameplay experience of town governors, stewards, and residents. So many more QOL improvements are just on the horizon, so stay tuned, Avatars! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. Crowns, Deed Upgrades & Two-Hour Flash Sales! Avatars! Sales for the Halloween season are upon us! Crowns are on sale for 20% off! Players will have the entire holiday weekend to enjoy the discount. Deed Upgrades are ALSO 20% off! To upgrade a deed, place the deed into your inventory, then right-click the deed to reveal upgrade options. But that’s not all! The Two-Hour Flash Sales event returns for another round and start today at 1PM CT! So watch your clocks, Avatars! A new batch of 9 sale items will rotate into the in-game Crown Store every 2 hours! All sales should start shortly! Players have until Wednesday, November 3rd at 1PM CST to take advantage of these great discounts, at which time all 3 sales events expire. Happy shopping, Avatars! New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Elf, Entertainer, and Kobold Conversationalists! A new Breathe Leaves Emote has been added to the store. Clover Pavers have also been added to the store, as well as the fully completed Lord British Plate Armor Set! Breathe Leaves Emote Lord British Plate Armor Set Clover Pavers Beer Glass 12-Pack Wineglass 12-Pack Drinking Glass Mega Pack Conversationalist, Elf Archer Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Archer Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Fighter Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Fighter Male 1 Conversationalist, Elf Mage Female 1 Conversationalist, Elf Mage Male 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 2 Conversationalist, Entertainer Female 3 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 1 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 2 Conversationalist, Entertainer Male 3 Conversationalist, Kobold Brawler Conversationalist, Kobold Ghost The fall, Thanksgiving, and winter store seasons are upon us, Avatars! The following items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items: 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack Autumn Fairy Crown Autumn Fairy Outfit Autumn Fairy Wings Autumn Leaf Mask Autumn Leaf Shield Autumn Leaf Trident Banded Turkey Decoration Pet Breathe Blue Fire Emote Breathe Emote 6-Pack Breathe Snow Emote Brown Pilgrim Bonnet Brown Pilgrim Hat Ceiling Yule Tree Dark Yule Outfit Fall Wreath 2017 Fall Wreath 2019 Fountain of Frozen Waters Frozen Bagpipes Giant Haunted Yule Tree Giant Scarecrow Giant Yule Tree 2015 Giant Yule Tree 2016 Giant Yule Tree 2017 Giant Yule Tree 2018 Haunted Snow Family Haunted Snowman Mask Haunted Yule Tree Holly Wreath with Candles Hat Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat Ice Elemental Statue Ice Hot Tub Ice Nightmare Mask Ice Wings Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Large Haunted Yule Tree Large Yule Tree 2016 Large Yule Tree 2017 Large Yule Tree 2018 Menorah 2014 Menorah 2015 Menorah 2016 Menorah 2017 Menorah 2018 Ornate Cornucopia 2014 Ornate Cornucopia 2015 Ornate Cornucopia 2016 Ornate Cornucopia 2017 Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015 Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016 Ornate Scarecrow 2016 Ornate Sled Ornate Sleigh Ornate Snow Family 2015 Ornate Snow Family 2016 Ornate Snow Family 2017 Ornate Snow Family 2018 Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Ornate Yule Music Box Ornate Yule Wreath 2015 Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack Reindeer Decoration Pet Scarecrow Mask Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack Snow Emote Snowdragon Snowflake Pattern Cloak Snowman Mask 2015 Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016 Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017 Speckled Turkey Decoration Pet Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree Tabletop Yule Tree 2014 Tabletop Yule Tree 2015 Tabletop Yule Tree 2016 Tabletop Yule Tree 2017 Tabletop Yule Tree 2018 Traditional Yule Hat Turkey Decoration Pet Virtue Ice Crown Virtue Ice Gown Outfit Virtue Ice Shield Virtue Ice Sword Virtue Ice Wand Virtue Icicle Cloak White Raven Decoration Pet White Reindeer Decoration Pet White Rottweiler Decoration Pet White Squirrel Decoration Pet White Turkey Decoration Pet Winter Lynx Decoration Pet Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack Yule Card 2017 5-Pack Yule Card 2018 5-Pack Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack Yule Hat Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack Yule Tree 2014 Yule Tree 2015 Yule Tree 2016 Yule Tree 2017 Yule Tree 2018 Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble New Vault Round! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, November 5th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto Combat Sigil Cloak Crafting Sigil Cloak Vintage Red Velvet with Nailheads Furniture Set Wood & Plaster 3-Story with Open Floor Plan Village Home Elven Elder Fighter Armor Obsidian Cloak Thorn Mace Aether Longbow November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers! Just when you thought you got all your raking done, more leaves have fallen from the trees! Simply log in during the month of November, and these amazing Autumn Leaf Pavers will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 83 are Lord British, autumn, and spooky themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 83 to receive these login items: Conversationalist, Pumpkinhead Minion Lord British 2-Handed Sword Autumn Leaf Piles The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills World & Miscellaneous Changes These miscellaneous updates affecting the game world or aspects of the user interface (UI) patched in during R82, will go live with R83, or will go live shortly after R83: Ardoris: Many more ladders were added to the Ardoris dock area. Tanglemire: Added “renown” feedback to the conversations for some NPCs, allowing a player to have a general sense of their status among the local populace. Forged Artwork Quest: Updated the responses for the Caravaggios Wolf and Stephanie Broadmeadow to be more clear that 5 paintings are required for turn-in. Also, Caravaggios Wolf now names the paintings in his “painting” response (Stephanie Broadmeadow already did this). Far Hinterlands: This scene has been changed from Tier 5 to Tier 5+. Soltown: Improvements were made to the Silver Necklace quest in Soltown. Samael as a Companion: Each of the 3 companion whistles for Samael now mention their respective scenes in their labels. Also, when acquiring a summoning whistle from Samael, the other ones are removed from the player’s inventory. Scene Mini-Maps: The following mini-maps were added… Alpine Road Encounter Blackblade Pass Braemar Brightbone Pass Celestis Ferig’s Battle Camp Fishing Expedition Graff Gem Mines Entrance Greymark Forest Greystone Hidden Vale Holtrot Kingsport Kingsroad Kingswood Kobold Battle Camp Kobold Expeditionary Camp Lamech’s Bazaar Mistrendur Moors of Northshore North Celestial Wetlands North Ravenswood North Valeway Northmarsh Northshire Northwest Blackblade Mountains Owl’s Nest Approach Owl’s Nest Mines Owl’s Wash Plains of Righ Inis Ravensend Restless Forest Righ Inis Ruins of Utheim Solace Forest South Ravenswood South Valeway Southmarsh Southmarsh Village Spectral Foothills Spectral Mountains Valemark West Perennial Trail West Ravenswood Westhollow Wynton’s Folly Wyrmsands Yew Explosive Chests: Trapped explosive chests have been added in several scenes and will continue to be added as scenes are created/updated. Kingsport Sewers: The task given by the prisoners to kill the lich is now a proper quest, including compass markers and experience reward. Ferig’s Battle Camp: Lord Ferig now has a small quest tasking the player to get him a special bottle of wine. Valhold Palace: The letters on a certain desk are now signed with the full names of their authors. Tanglemire: Created new “spirit wheel repair” quest for guards. Results in a smaller repeatable version. Braemar: Improvements to the “Ask about Kelly” quest, including fixing typos, improving journal entries, improving quest logic, and adding added compass markers. Ardoris, Central Brittany, Owl’s Head: Made Town Crier discoverable spawn locations in preparation for POT teleporter changes. Guestbooks: Added generic guestbooks to locations in Aerie, Ardoris, Tanglemire, Jaanaford, Resolute, and Central Brittany. Only one book will appear in each location, and that book is randomized among 6 possible books. Twitter: The Catnip Games Twitter feed now displays on the main website. Novia, Hidden Vale, Mistrendur: Butterflies in these scenes may now switch to fireflies at night, and back to butterflies in the day. Ardoris: Added discovery compass marker for Peladjar Inn. Lord British’s Castle: Players now get a journal entry when they first acquire a vault key. Also, the journal entry about the “flash” in the vault should auto-archive itself. North Quel Way: All human, satyr, and faun survivors now have dialogue for players who want to talk to them. Crafting, Items & Economy Changes These changes to the player economy, in-game items, or crafting patched in during R82, will go live with R83, or will go live shortly after R83: Crafting/Gathering Time Reductions: Many crafting/gathering times have been reduced allowing for future additions of higher tier items. Podiums: These decoration items can now be placed on top of other items such as blocks and tables. Conversationalists: Improved tooltips to explain functionality of Conversationalists. Daemon Tea Buffs: Daemon Tea now only takes 1 food channel. Scorched Dunkleosteus: This food item buff now has improved stats. Elixir Extension: Food has been added to the “Consumables” list so that the Elixir Extension skill will affect food durations. Pumpkin Contest Trophies: 4 trophy variations have been created for upcoming developer sponsored pumpkin growing contests. Tilapia: Added tilapia as a valid ingredient for Fish Stew and Fishy Nibblers. Candles: Various candles with identical names now have different names… Candle in Bulb Base Tabletop Candelabra Chamberstick Candle Stances: Stances now stack and receive charging bonuses. Updated Player Owned Towns These updates affected Player Owned Towns which patched in during R82, will go live with R83, or will go live shortly after R83: A’doe Trunalor: Upgraded to Gigalopolis. Arlia: Upgraded to Crossroads Village. Beran’s Reach: Upgraded to Gigalopolis. Bodega of Blood: Updated interconnections. Brittany Fort: Updated interconnections. Dogopolis: Added new Municipality to Novia, east of Ardoris. Ironhall: Changed owner. Upgraded to Crossroads Village. Lained: Added new Holdfast to Novia, west of Skrekk. Norstead: Updated interconnections. Rajazel: Upgraded to Crossroads Village. Salem: Upgraded to Crossroads Village, added interconnections. Valor: Updated interconnections. Wakoku: Upgraded to Village. Bug Fixes Albeit many bug fixes patched in during R82, will go live with R83, or will go live shortly after R83. Here are some of the highlights! The hanging torture cage once again properly hangs from the ceiling. Collision issues were fixed in Celestis. Fixed issue with agriculture preventing some players from farming. The hedge shack at Lord British’s Castle now opens when completing wave 20. Fixed the Marisha quest in Lord British’s Castle. Fixed collision issues in Lord British’s Castle. Players can no longer bypass certain encounters in Lord British’s Castle. Captain Marisha’s Encoded Safe quest now properly recognizes Encoded Cards when in a player’s inventory. Captain Marisha now properly accepts vault keys from players. Several trees which overlapped player houses in Central Brittany have been removed. Fixed a non-functional ladder in Kas Ruins. The Tavern of the South Wind in Ardoris now properly displays its name. Various creatures to include Cabalists are once again willing to slay you. Conversationalists can now be renamed. The Lich Fighter Spawner Statue can now only be placed in dungeons as intended. Fixed a spawn location issue with the POT Island template. Many connectivity issues resolved. Fixed an issue where speaking with Khasi in Ardoris would sometimes not advance a quest stage. Fixed issue with Lord British Plate Leggings where the Avatar’s legs would clip through in combat mode. All lot markers are now placed a consistent distance outside of their respective lots in Desolis. The ranged weapon trainer in Soltown will now stand in a tight area and not wander near the training targets. Expanded exit volumes in Necropolis Barrens to block blink attempts. The cypress tree icon now has a transparent background. A floating fern has been removed from Kas Ruins. Air Warding now correctly refers to Air Magic in the skill description. In Ardoris, turning in Stanley’s report to Captain Cugel *after* completing the path of love storyline will no longer prompt him to send you to talk to Siranto and Khasi. Updated the quest logic which displays compass markers to meet with Khasi and Siranto after delivering the letter from Stanley to Captain Cugel. Updated the “Meet with Charon” task in Spite to clear only after you advance the quest with Charon. Also, Yama is more clear about finding Charon and what to say to him. Corrected the labels for the exit to Midras Ruins from within the Necropolis. Harald Bachman the Baker in Brittany Wharfs now properly sells his goods. Removed a redundant/bad “fallback” hello response from Avitas in Etceter. Fixed a bug with the “looking glasses” in Highvale Outskirts. Now they all require the player to have first brought a Frostgeist skull to Esmeralda to use them. Crafting a Wall Torch no longer consumes a torch as fuel. Crafting a Trophy Pumpkin no longer consumers the pumpkin as fuel. The resources in Shandy Chapman’s scenario version of the Forest Road Encounter no longer have a fast-respawn time. Removed the Obsidian Crown merchant compass marker in Desolis (because there is no such merchant). Stuck spots has been removed from Lord British’s Castle, Tenebris Harbor, and Tanglemire. Fixed an issue where a spider was spawning outside the playable area in Blood River Forest. In Solace Bridge, the letter “From Hobart to Zorabeth” can no longer be collected when players already have it or have turned it in. Also, improved compass marker logic, and the turn-in logic with the turn-in NPC. Improved how Private Garridon or Solace Bridge Outskirts stays in his starting location. Improved the logic whereby players “memorize” Stanley’s name in Soltown. The castle gate guards of Ardoris no longer mention the gate is locked. Fixed typos in Bramble for the responses and doctrine of the cataclysm. Blocked a location where players could view the area outside the playspace in Crypt of the Avatar. Moved floating garlic node in Nightshade Pass to the ground. Leaderboards are once again functional. Fixed an issue where the Obsidian Trials Trader wasn’t properly offering emotes for sale. Fixed an issue with resizing of the chat window. Updated the quest data for Robert Villines in Blood River so that a compass marker will stop pointing to him after you start the Path of Truth storyline. Set the correct exit coordinates for all difficulty levels of Lamech’s Bazaar. When investigating the black arrow murders in Ardoris, the compass markers that point to Tanya now all have the correct messages. Fixed an issue in Soltown where Abigil’s special “barks” were happening according to the wrong flag state. Gabrielle Townsend in Aerie will now remember the player’s name when told. The Troll’s Bridge is now set as a teleport scroll destination. Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, Justyn, and Tazar. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Emote (To be revealed later) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020 Release Schedule: Release 83 – Oct 29 Release 84 – Nov 19 Release 85 – Dec 17 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 23rd at Noon CT to Friday the 30th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Duanor, Near Noreach (@Raven Swiftbow) Silverdale Market (@Xee) Britt Mart (@Tailz) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Kas Ruins Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in K’rawl Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Duanor: Starting at Noon CT on Friday, the Hamlet of Duanor will host its first fishing contest! In honor of this grand event, and despite our small size, Raven Swiftbow has introduced a spinoff contest with fantastic objectives and prizes! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: VulcanJedi’s Extra Life Charity Event Greetings Avatars! Some players may have heard VulcanJedi talk about Extra Life, a charity that supports the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in North America. VulcanJedi is including some amazing Shroud of the Avatar gear and decoration items as donation incentives for this years charity event! In an additional show of support, players can also give VulcanJedi’s Twitch Channel a visit and a follow. For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Browncoat’s Extra Life Charity Event We gamers have a chance to help sick kids on Saturday, November 7, by doing what we do best: playing games! Extra Life is a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All the money raised for Extra Life will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice. Browncoat Jayson is playing for the Dell Children’s Medical Center, located in Austin Texas (the home of our SotA developers). This year, Jayson will be streaming Shroud of the Avatar live for 24-hours over on his Twitch.tv channel. For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Inky Script Training Greetings, Avatars! Do you have a Conversationalist NPC but aren’t certain how to program their dialogue? If so, you are in luck! Jarvi Mystara will be giving Inky Script Lessons on her upcoming Twitch Stream! Please join us on Twitch for the training session! When : Thursday October 29th, 6PM CT Where : https://www.twitch.tv/ladyoftheharp For more information about this event, please visit the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Hope to see you all there! Community Event: Halloween in Immortal City Join Alleine Dragonfyre and the Virtue/Avatars Radio Team for Halloween in Immortal City! There’ll be amazing music, a livestreamer marathon, a Halloween ball as well as a costume contest! Where: Immortal City and Twitch.TV Livestreams: Saturday, October 31st, Noon to 4AM Ball & Costume Contest: Saturday, October 31st, 8PM to Midnight Don’t miss out! So many fantastic activities and streamers for some great Halloween fun! And remember… Don’t travel alone in Immortal City! For more information about this event, please contact Alleine Dragonfyre on the forums. Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 A player-made interactive quest has been created by Tristano Sforza, and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! Explore New Britannia, solve puzzles, gather resources, catch special fish, craft and use new powerful artifacts, kill mobs and more… but most importantly save new Britannia! This quest is enhanced by a LUA application, and is intended for medium to high level players. Please be sure to provide Tristano Sforza feedback about this interactive quest, and encourage him to make more! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Pull out your pumpkins, spiders, and skeletons, Avatars! Its that time of year again! Decorate your home or shop, take some screenshots, and have a chance to win some great prizes! There’s also some fantastic prizes available for those wishing to participate in a Trivia Contest! Entry Deadline: October 31st, 11:59PM CT For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You! If you’re looking for a great way to get involved in the Shroud of the Avatar community, then look no further! The fine folks at TheAvatar.Express are looking for some new reporters. Avatars wishing to help with the following are highly desired: Developer Stream Summaries Twitter Reposting In-Game Event Coverage Events Calendar Management New Features/Changes Tutorials Interviews Editorials Any other game stuff you want to cover! Also, the Avatar Express is going to be visiting POTs and writing one or two articles highlighting Shroud of the Avatar’s great community! If you are interested in having your town featured, please reply to this thread with your town’s name. You will be contacted to answer a few questions about the town and will be notified when the article is to be published! To sign up as a reporter, visit https://theavatar.express/be-a-reporter. If you have any questions, feel free to start a private conversation with that_shawn_guy on the forums or shawnbutts #4362 on Discord. For more information, please also visit the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: October 1st to October 31st For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Kailef of the Poets’ Circle is back in action, and he’s ready to assist Avatars through the process of custom music review for possible inclusion into the game. Every Player-Owned Town has a customizable soundtrack available to it, and adding one’s own music to that soundtrack most certainly adds a personal flair to one’s governing endeavors. If you’re interested in requesting the assistance of Kailef or simply learning more about this process, please visit the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Hi there, Avatars! For any players that would like a sneak peek into what's coming your way tomorrow, here's the DRAFT release notes that will publish around 1030AM tomorrow. Also, I was really working up to the moment on this one, so I'll have more time to review for typos etc. tomorrow, but if anyone wishes to point out some change suggestions, please do! Any help is greatly appreciated. It's gonna be a good one!... DRAFT: Release 83 Notes View the full article

The long awaited mount feature is now available in game. Below is an outline of how the feature is expected to work in it's current form. Additional behaviors will be added over time. I would like to give a special thanks to all of the players, and Bug Brigade members to spent significant time testing and providing detailed feedback on this new feature. We are looking forward to continuing to improve the testing process going forward, and the efforts on this feature helped us immensely!... Mounts now available on the Live game server (after R83 patches in) View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! This week’s update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a bit of information about Release 84, which will focus primarily on bug fixes rather than new features and content. We’d also like to extend an enormous thank you to all those participating in the Bug Brigade! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been... Avatar’s Update #404: Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! This week’s update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a bit of information about Release 84, which will focus primarily on bug fixes rather than new features and content. We’d also like to extend an enormous thank you to all those participating in the Bug Brigade! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Vault Round! Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask! R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Inky Script Training Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players Bug Brigade & Testing Directives! The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was recently relaunched. The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums. As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels! In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action! The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives. Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, Justyn, and Tazar. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team! Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows: Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter” Single Ant Cloak Lady Bug Backpack Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids” Ant Farm Insect Leg Table Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles” Bug Painting B Bug Sprayer Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths” Butterfly Chair Corpion Chair (Pictured Below) Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies” Hacked Oracle Flyer Giant Blue Butterfly Pet Butterfly Mask Dragonfly pet Fairy Wings Monarch Butterfly Pet Dragonfly Wings Hacked Oracle Crawler Blue Butterfly VFX Orange Fireflies VFX Orange Butterfly VFX If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums. Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream! Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, October 23rd at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other members of the development team for a community 1 hour livestream! To enter the prize drawings, type “I love fall most of all” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Vault Round! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, October 29th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Baby Black & Orange Spider Decoration Pet Fall Wreath 2017 Bloodraven Decoration Pet Ghost Cat Decoration Pet Wood & Plaster 2-Story Village Home Wood & Plaster 2-Story with Overhang Village Home Obsidian Sarcophagus Prisoner’s Mask Giant Scarecrow Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Kobold, Satyr and even a Faun Conversationalists! Conversationalist, Kobold Ghost 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Fighter 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Archer 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Mage 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Brawler 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Grenadier 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Gunner 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Fighter 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Archer 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Mage 1 Conversationalist, Faun 1 The fall and spooky store season is upon us, Avatars! From September 24th to November 6th, the following items will be available either in the Vault or as a recurring spooky/fall item: Baby Black & Orange Spider Pet Blood Spurting Headless Mask Bloodraven Pet Breathe Spiders Emote Day of the Dead Colorful Mask Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Top Hat Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Veil Day of the Dead Mask Day of the Dead Mask 6-Pack Day of the Dead Mask with Top Hat Day of the Dead Mask with Veil Dead Tree with Spider Webs 6-Pack Ghost Cat Decoration Pet Ghost Dog Decoration Pet Ghost Raven Decoration Pet Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Giant Lich Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Grim Reaper Mask Grim Reaper Mask 2016 Grim Reaper Statue Headless Horseman Grim Reaper Statue 2017 Headless Mask Jabbering Bertha Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2015 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2016 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2017 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2015 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2016 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2017 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2015 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2016 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2017 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2018 Juggle Jack O’ Lanterns Juggle Severed Arms Emote Juggle Severed Heads Juggle Skulls Emote Juggle Zombie Arms Emote Juggle Zombie Heads Large Headless Horseman Grim Reaper Statue 2017 Large Nightmare Statue Large Spooky Fountain Ornate Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Ornate Scythe Ornate Scythe 2017 Ornate Scythe 2017 Pattern Pack Ornate Scythe Pattern Pack Ornate Skull Candle Ornate Spider Legs Cloak Prisoner’s Mask Puke Blood Emote Rain Spiders Emote Rotten Armor Outfit Rotten Flesh Cloak Skull Cloak Spider Web Cloak Spooky Wax Cylinder Pack Tall Dead Hedge Fence Torn and Tattered Wedding Dress Outfit Torn and Tattered Wedding Tuxedo Outfit Undead Specimen Vats Set Witch’s Hat Woven Spider Web Cloak Zombie Cat Zombie Dog Zombie Mask Zombie One-Eyed Mask Zombie Raven Zombie Statue October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask! Do you have the strange urge to decapitate yourself and spew blood upon your friends and enemies? Well… now you can! October’s login reward is a Blood Spurting Headless Mask! Simply log in during the month of October, and this mask will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 82 are Lord British and spooky themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 82 to receive these login items: Ghost Conversationalist Skeleton Set 2 (5-Pack) Lord British Plate Greaves The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Emote (To be revealed later) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020 Release Schedule: Release 83 – Oct 29 Release 84 – Nov 19 Release 85 – Dec 17 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 23rd at Noon CT to Friday the 30th at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest FETID Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Duanor, Near Noreach (@Raven Swiftbow) Silverdale Market (@Xee) Britt Mart (@Tailz) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Kas Ruins Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in K’rawl Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Duanor: Starting at Noon CT on Friday, the Hamlet of Duanor will host its first fishing contest! In honor of this grand event, and despite our small size, Raven Swiftbow has introduced a spinoff contest with fantastic objectives and prizes! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event We gamers have a chance to help sick kids on Saturday, November 7, by doing what we do best: playing games! Extra Life is a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All the money raised for Extra Life will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice. Browncoat Jayson is playing for the Dell Children’s Medical Center, located in Austin Texas (the home of our SotA developers). This year, Jayson will be streaming Shroud of the Avatar live for 24-hours over on his Twitch.tv channel. For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Inky Script Training Greetings, Avatars! Do you have a Conversationalist NPC but aren’t certain how to program their dialogue? If so, you are in luck! Jarvi Mystara will be giving Inky Script Lessons on her upcoming Twitch Stream! Please join us on Twitch for the training session! When : Thursday October 29th, 6PM CT Where : https://www.twitch.tv/ladyoftheharp For more information about this event, please visit the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Hope to see you all there! Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall The rebirth of a city plays an important role in the forging a new landscape. Norgard, once abandoned, is awakening once more with the coming of Ironhall. The northern island has reclaimed it’s importance as a maritime trade center through its port. The distant murmuring of war drums from Skrekk and the bitter cold of the north have become far too common for the folks of Norgard, but it has given them much resilience. Resilience is also one of the many skills needed for the Knights of Ironhall, the protectors of the crown and the land. What does this mean for players of Shroud of the Avatar? A role-playing community event is afoot! When: Saturday, October 24th, 7PM CT Where: Ironhall Ironhall has called to you, Avatars! Will you answer the call and join the north during their time of need? For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan Hello and welcome to the partiers of New Britannia! A most wondrous Halloween party is just around the corner, brought to you by Twistar and friends, so be sure to mark your calendars! When: October 23rd, 8PM to 4AM CT Where: Port Titan, Hidden Vale, Twistar’s House Players may also tune-in on Twitch! The Beat of Novia on Avatars/Virtue Radio with Alleine Dragonfyre and crew will be live throughout the event! For more information, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Pull out your pumpkins, spiders, and skeletons, Avatars! Its that time of year again! Decorate your home or shop, take some screenshots, and have a chance to win some great prizes! There’s also some fantastic prizes available for those wishing to participate in a Trivia Contest! Entry Deadline: October 31st, 11:59PM CT For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You! If you’re looking for a great way to get involved in the Shroud of the Avatar community, then look no further! The fine folks at TheAvatar.Express are looking for some new reporters. Avatars wishing to help with the following are highly desired: Developer Stream Summaries Twitter Reposting In-Game Event Coverage Events Calendar Management New Features/Changes Tutorials Interviews Editorials Any other game stuff you want to cover! Also, the Avatar Express is going to be visiting POTs and writing one or two articles highlighting Shroud of the Avatar’s great community! If you are interested in having your town featured, please reply to this thread with your town’s name. You will be contacted to answer a few questions about the town and will be notified when the article is to be published! To sign up as a reporter, visit https://theavatar.express/be-a-reporter. If you have any questions, feel free to start a private conversation with that_shawn_guy on the forums or shawnbutts #4362 on Discord. For more information, please also visit the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: October 1st to October 31st For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Kailef of the Poets’ Circle is back in action, and he’s ready to assist Avatars through the process of custom music review for possible inclusion into the game. Every Player-Owned Town has a customizable soundtrack available to it, and adding one’s own music to that soundtrack most certainly adds a personal flair to one’s governing endeavors. If you’re interested in requesting the assistance of Kailef or simply learning more about this process, please visit the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! This week’s update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a very large number of additional mini-maps! New and old players alike will have a map to guide them in more adventure and town scenes! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the... Avatar’s Update #403: New Mini-Maps Available! Special Guest Friday Livestream!View the full article

Greetings Fellow Avatars! This week’s update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a very large number of additional mini-maps! New and old players alike will have a map to guide them in more adventure and town scenes! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar: News Announcements New Mini-Maps Available! Special Guest Friday Livestream! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund New Vault Round! Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask! R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed! The Bug Brigade Rides Again! Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Streaming Reward Program Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles Upcoming Events Calendar Community Updates Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event Community Event: Terrifying Tea Tales Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 Community Event: Novia Market Spotlight Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Project to Support: Shard RPG Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Project to Support: Jar Wars Project to Support: Dragonfight Project to Support: Crowfall Project to Support: Avatar Express Resources: Players Helping Players New Mini-Maps Available! Master cartographers Ravalox and List Rostov are hard at work exploring the world of New Britannia and annotating their travels through the creation of new mini-maps! Check out this amazing list of scenes that have received new mini-maps during R82: Alpine Road Approach to the Shuttered Eye Braemer Brightbone Pass Fishing Expedition Graff Gem Mines Entrance Greymark Forest Hills Encounter Human Battle Encampment Kingsport Kingsroad Kobold Battle Camp Kobold Expeditionary Camp Lamech’s Baazar Mistrendur Mistrendur Ulfheim Classic Moors of Northshore North Ravenswood North Valeway Northmarsh Owl’ Nest Mine Owl’s Nest Plains of Righ Inis PRT Template 1 (used in multiple scenes) PRT Template 2 (used in multiple scenes) South Ravenswood South Valeway Southeast Blackblade Mountains Southmarsh West Perennial Trail West Ravenswood Wynton’s Folly Wyrmsands These new maps were already announced and added before or on R82. For those that missed out: Celestis City of Yew East Perennial Trail East Veiled Swamp Eastreach Gap North Brightbone Woods Restless Woods South Brightbone Woods South Celestial Wetlands Spindelskog Tanglemire West Veiled Swamp Whiteguard Foothills In this first pass for many of these maps, the goal was to make them available as soon as possible, with plans for more touch-ups to occur at a later time. So even after a map becomes available, expect many of these to receive aesthetic improvements in a second pass. At some point, adventurers of New Britannia can expect to see mini-maps in every adventure and town scene. So get your exploration gear ready, Avatars! So many more mini-maps are coming your way! Special Guest Friday Livestream! Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, October 16th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and special guest Scott Jones for a community 1 hour livestream! Not only will Scott Jones share tales of his work with Shroud of the Avatar, he’ll be sharing news about one of his most amazing projects, Shard RPG! To enter the prize drawings, type “I love fall most of all” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT! Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund Through years of gameplay and attendance of live Shroud of the Avatar events, community members might have had the opportunity to meet developer Justin “oneandonly” Gilbert. Justin has been a most valued team member for many years, but is now experiencing an immense loss in his life and could really use our support. Tragically, Justin’s wife, Jenn Gilbert, has passed away. Please, for those that have met Jenn or Justin or simply have love in their hearts for the team, please reach out and offer your condolences. On Justin’s behalf, Chris Spears has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family in their great time of need: “No amount of money could ever replace the love, laughs, and comfort that Jenn Gilbert brought to her family. But we are hoping to help raise enough to help make life for her husband, Justin Gilbert, and her three children a little more bearable while they work out how to move forward without her in their lives. Jenn and Justin had been together over 20 years, having started dating in high school. Justin and Jenn’s mom, Judy, will now be trying to fill the hole her sudden passing has left in the lives of their three children, JJ, Jax, and Jayla…” (more at GoFundMe.com) Even if times are hard and a donation to the memorial fund is not possible, please visit the Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund page to learn more about Justin’s beautiful wife, Jenn. May she always be remembered, and may the memories of her always be cherished. Any contributions to the Gilbert family, no matter how small, are so greatly appreciated. New Vault Round! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, October 22nd at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc. Grim Reaper Mask 2016 Ornate Scythe 2017 Pattern Pack Ghost Dog Decoration Pet Grim Reaper Mask Jabbering Bertha Ornate Skull Candle Autumn Leaf Trident Torn and Tattered Wedding Dress Outfit Large Spooky Fountain Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items! Additional Inky NPCs have been added to the store with MANY more soon on the way! Players can now enjoy customizing the dialogue for a variety of Kobold, Satyr and even a Faun Conversationalists! Conversationalist, Kobold Ghost 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Fighter 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Archer 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Mage 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Brawler 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Grenadier 1 Conversationalist, Kobold Gunner 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Fighter 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Archer 1 Conversationalist, Satyr Mage 1 Conversationalist, Faun 1 The fall and spooky store season is upon us, Avatars! From September 24th to November 6th, the following items will be available either in the Vault or as a recurring spooky/fall item: Baby Black & Orange Spider Pet Blood Spurting Headless Mask Bloodraven Pet Breathe Spiders Emote Day of the Dead Colorful Mask Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Top Hat Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Veil Day of the Dead Mask Day of the Dead Mask 6-Pack Day of the Dead Mask with Top Hat Day of the Dead Mask with Veil Dead Tree with Spider Webs 6-Pack Ghost Cat Decoration Pet Ghost Dog Decoration Pet Ghost Raven Decoration Pet Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Giant Lich Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Grim Reaper Mask Grim Reaper Mask 2016 Grim Reaper Statue Headless Horseman Grim Reaper Statue 2017 Headless Mask Jabbering Bertha Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2015 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2016 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2017 Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2015 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2016 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2017 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2015 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2016 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2017 Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2018 Juggle Jack O’ Lanterns Juggle Severed Arms Emote Juggle Severed Heads Juggle Skulls Emote Juggle Zombie Arms Emote Juggle Zombie Heads Large Headless Horseman Grim Reaper Statue 2017 Large Nightmare Statue Large Spooky Fountain Ornate Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance Ornate Scythe Ornate Scythe 2017 Ornate Scythe 2017 Pattern Pack Ornate Scythe Pattern Pack Ornate Skull Candle Ornate Spider Legs Cloak Prisoner’s Mask Puke Blood Emote Rain Spiders Emote Rotten Armor Outfit Rotten Flesh Cloak Skull Cloak Spider Web Cloak Spooky Wax Cylinder Pack Tall Dead Hedge Fence Torn and Tattered Wedding Dress Outfit Torn and Tattered Wedding Tuxedo Outfit Undead Specimen Vats Set Witch’s Hat Woven Spider Web Cloak Zombie Cat Zombie Dog Zombie Mask Zombie One-Eyed Mask Zombie Raven Zombie Statue October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask! Do you have the strange urge to decapitate yourself and spew blood upon your friends and enemies? Well… now you can! October’s login reward is a Blood Spurting Headless Mask! Simply log in during the month of October, and this mask will become available in the Rewards Window. Release 82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed! Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 82 are Lord British and spooky themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 82 to receive these login items: Ghost Conversationalist Skeleton Set 2 (5-Pack) Lord British Plate Greaves The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following: 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month Monthly Login Reward Items (~ 3 per month) Exclusive Title every 3 months 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith 6 Months: Keeper of the Word 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including: Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills The Bug Brigade Rides Again! The Bug Brigade was established to assist the community and the development team to work together to improve the game. Since then the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the player-base, and for that reason the program has been revamped and is being relaunched. The program is now open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are back! They will be awarded on a progression basis monthly with only a minimal requirement to be filled to qualify. We are bringing the bug forums current and will make every effort to have triage and intake for each validated bug. To assist in doing this we have asked Alley Oop, Justyn, and Tazar to take on a moderator role within the bug and feedback forums. Please congratulate them the next time you see them in the game or on the forums! The Bug Brigade will be open to all. If you feel the game is your home, sign up and assist us in making it a better place to live! To sign up, read the post “Bug Brigade Rides Again!” in the main Bug/Feedback forums for both the Live or Player Test areas in the official forums. If you have trouble finding them, please ask a Hospitaller, or one of the Moderators via PM in the forums or in Discord. Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!! Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroudoftheAvatar/ Catnip Games Twitter: https://twitter.com/catnipgames Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShroudofAvatar Shroud of the Avatar Discord: https://discord.gg/GuBXakQ Are You a Livestreamer? Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar! Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold! Complete List of Rewards: Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land! Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above) NEW – Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition (This scene version will work like a large instanced property such as a basement and will feature decoration surfaces to further beautify the scene.) Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Teralopolis size just became available!) Choice of 1 House currently available in the store Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot) Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room (To be revealed later) 140,000 Crowns 1000 Bank Slots Pick 12 Prosperity Tools Lord of the Isle Crown (In-Game Wearable Item) Unique In-Game Emote (To be revealed later) Early Access to Episode 2 Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference) One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8 In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version) Tour of Lord British’s property Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC. NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD. NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner. Upcoming Events Calendar Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums: 2020 Release Schedule: Release 83 – Oct 29 Release 84 – Nov 19 Release 85 – Dec 17 Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney Greetings Anglers! The weekly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! These contests run for 1 week intervals, Friday Noon to Friday Noon CT. We’ll announce the winners every Friday during the livestream. Town Registration: Each week, the contest takes place in 3 Player Owned Towns, 1 Random PvP location and 1 Random Lava or NPC Town Location. Please register your Player Owned Town of choice in a reply to this thread, 1 entry per player, and these entries will be added into the town registry. The contest will cycle through the towns in the sequence they entered the town registry, then loop back again to the beginning. The town registry will be reset/wiped for new entries periodically to ensure only active/interested towns are within the registry. Fishing Prizes & Objectives: All prizes will be no-trade. Players may donate additional prizes in the name of their guilds or towns to sweeten the pot. This event timeframe is Friday the 16th at Noon CT to Friday the 23rd at Noon CT, and these are the prizes and goals for the indicated week: Largest SALTWATER Fish (Town): Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns. Governs can request loaner water conversion statues. Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy Jade Valley (@Mal Hari) Mysteria (@Irishize ) Stormsong Vale (@Phamyns) Largest Fish (PvP): Rules: Must be caught in Verdantis Shardfall Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy Largest Lava Fish: Rules: Must be caught in Etceter Crag Mines Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy Participation Prizes: Rules: Everyone who caught at least 1 trophy fish in this week’s locations Prizes: Small Silver Fishing Trophy Cross-Over Events: Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for participants and winners of the Fishing event, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the PvP and Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Please submit links to event threads which take place in the spotlighted towns, PvP zone or PvE zone. Current Crossovers: Jade Valley: The Jade Dragons would like to welcome all anglers of New Britannia to the inaugural Jade Valley Marlin Challenge. Coinciding with the Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney, this tournament offers an additional challenge with some fantastic prizes to go along with it! For more information about this spin-off fishing event, please see the main forum thread on the official forums. Mysteria: The folks over at Mysteria are having a spin-off contest for this week’s fishing festivities! Be sure to pop on by and participate! Lots of great prizes and chances to meet the town residents and visitors. For more information about this spin-off fishing event, please see the main forum thread on the official forums. How to Participate: To participate, players need merely catch trophy fish in the 5 locations indicated above. The locations will change every week at Noon CT on Friday, so be sure to pay attention to the announcements for new locations each week! Please do not send your fish to Elgarion via the in-game mail system. Through data logging, he’ll be able to determine the winners. SO please hold on to your fish, and feel free to use them in any fashion after the catch. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars! Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event We gamers have a chance to help sick kids on Saturday, November 7, by doing what we do best: playing games! Extra Life is a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All the money raised for Extra Life will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice. Browncoat Jayson is playing for the Dell Children’s Medical Center, located in Austin Texas (the home of our SotA developers). This year, Jayson will be streaming Shroud of the Avatar live for 24-hours over on his Twitch.tv channel. For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Terrifying Tea Tales Join the Jade Dragons and come on over to Jade Gardens on the middle island of the Mistrendur to find out why the freshwater in Jade Gardens turns fetid each October. Enter the fishing contest, hear the story, and have a dance with your favorite Avatars while enjoying the music from Stryker Sparhawk! When: October 18th, 3PM to 5PM CT Where: Jade Gardens For more information about this charity event or how you can become involved, be sure to check out the main forum post on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall The rebirth of a city plays an important role in the forging a new landscape. Norgard, once abandoned, is awakening once more with the coming of Ironhall. The northern island has reclaimed it’s importance as a maritime trade center through its port. The distant murmuring of war drums from Skrekk and the bitter cold of the north have become far too common for the folks of Norgard, but it has given them much resilience. Resilience is also one of the many skills needed for the Knights of Ironhall, the protectors of the crown and the land. What does this mean for players of Shroud of the Avatar? A role-playing community event is afoot! When: Saturday, October 24th, 7PM CT Where: Ironhall Ironhall has called to you, Avatars! Will you answer the call and join the north during their time of need? For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan Hello and welcome to the partiers of New Britannia! A most wondrous Halloween party is just around the corner, brought to you by Twistar and friends, so be sure to mark your calendars! When: October 23rd, 8PM to 4AM CT Where: Port Titan, Hidden Vale, Twistar’s House Players may also tune-in on Twitch! The Beat of Novia on Avatars/Virtue Radio with Alleine Dragonfyre and crew will be live throughout the event! For more information, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest Pull out your pumpkins, spiders, and skeletons, Avatars! Its that time of year again! Decorate your home or shop, take some screenshots, and have a chance to win some great prizes! There’s also some fantastic prizes available for those wishing to participate in a Trivia Contest! Entry Deadline: October 31st, 11:59PM CT For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1 A player-made interactive quest has been created by Tristano Sforza, and is available to players of Shroud of the Avatar! Explore New Britannia, solve puzzles, gather resources, catch special fish, craft and use new powerful artifacts, kill mobs and more… but most importantly save new Britannia! This quest is enhanced by a LUA application, and is intended for medium to high level players. Please be sure to provide Tristano Sforza feedback about this interactive quest, and encourage him to make more! For more information about this event, please see the main forum post on the official forums. Community Event: Novia Market Spotlight Reporters of TheAvatar.Express have once again spotlighted a Player-Owned Town! Let’s take some time to see what Novia Market is all about! Novia Market, a Player-Owned Town governed by Adam Crow and friends, is just around the corner from Brittany. Novia Market is a bustling trade center, and is a perfect location for shoppers and sellers. But don’t take our word for it, read the full article to learn more about Novia Market, and be sure to visit the main forum thread on this topic and give Thradia a big “thank you” for spotlighting the town! Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You! If you’re looking for a great way to get involved in the Shroud of the Avatar community, then look no further! The fine folks at TheAvatar.Express are looking for some new reporters. Avatars wishing to help with the following are highly desired: Developer Stream Summaries Twitter Reposting In-Game Event Coverage Events Calendar Management New Features/Changes Tutorials Interviews Editorials Any other game stuff you want to cover! Also, the Avatar Express is going to be visiting POTs and writing one or two articles highlighting Shroud of the Avatar’s great community! If you are interested in having your town featured, please reply to this thread with your town’s name. You will be contacted to answer a few questions about the town and will be notified when the article is to be published! To sign up as a reporter, visit https://theavatar.express/be-a-reporter. If you have any questions, feel free to start a private conversation with that_shawn_guy on the forums or shawnbutts #4362 on Discord. For more information, please also visit the main forum thread on this topic on the official forums. Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree Greetings Avatars! Starting this month, a new Shopping Spree contest will be running in Crafters Town! Lots of prizes are available, including Crowns of the Obsidian! Where: Crafters Town When: October 1st to October 31st For more information about contest guidelines and prizes, please see the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Happy sales hunting, shoppers! Community Event: Beran’s Reach Auction Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Beran’s Reach welcome you the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Beran’s Reach market being the perfect place to do so! When: Sundays, 2PM CT Where: Beran’s Reach For more information about the auction house event, see the main thread on this topic on the official forums. Happy bidding, Avatars! Community Event: The Poets’ Circle Returns Kailef of the Poets’ Circle is back in action, and he’s ready to assist Avatars through the process of custom music review for possible inclusion into the game. Every Player-Owned Town has a customizable soundtrack available to it, and adding one’s own music to that soundtrack most certainly adds a personal flair to one’s governing endeavors. If you’re interested in requesting the assistance of Kailef or simply learning more about this process, please visit the main forum thread on this topic in the official forums. Project to Support: Shard RPG Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad. Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals. Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Core Books Bundle! If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience this unique gaming system and setting, now’s your chance! This bundle includes two beautifully illustrated, full-color, hardcover books: the original Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts book! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character! Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah! So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG! Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla Shadow of Valhalla is a visceral physics-based VR combat game with dynamic RPG elements, set within an ancient realm of Viking lore and mystic powers! Early Access beta includes “endless horde mode” featuring a variety of enemies with progressive difficulty. Also, players can discover many magic spells to unlock! So much more is coming! Finn Staber with Chicken Waffle, will join the Shroud of the Avatar team on Twitch during their Friday the 28th livestream to showoff this new Early Access game! Also, here is a teaser video on YouTube:  The development team is working hard to create additional environments and new quests! Shadow of Valhalla is available on Steam as Early Access. Additional features coming to the game: More Enemies! More Environments! More Magic Spells! RPG Quests! Weapon Forging and Crafting! Much, much more! If you would like to learn more about Shadow of Valhalla, be sure to stop by the main webpage for the game as more news becomes available! Project to Support: Jar Wars While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Dragon Fight Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey: Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you Using a sword and a shield Fire! Nowhere to run! This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam! Project to Support: Crowfall Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion! Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power! Project to Support: Avatar Express [Forum post by Vladamir Begemot] I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site. If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening. You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like. Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game. It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts! So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us! Resources: Players Helping Players The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website. Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community. View the full article