Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
News Announcements
- Play Release 60 Now!
- Beach Party & Fishing Contest Livestream Today!
- Release 60 Livestream Nov 30 (Cornucopia)
- Winter 2018 Items Appear
- Winter Recurring Items Return!
- Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
- Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
- 50% Item Fridays & 20% Crown Weekends Holiday Sales
- Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
- Viking & Kobold Expirations
- Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
- Sandbox Roleplay Livestream (YouTube)
- Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
- Weekend Flash Sale: Harvest
- Upcoming Events Calendar
Community Updates
- Community Event: Release 60 Dance Party
- Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 60
- Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
- Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance
- Project to Support: Underworld Ascendant
- Project to Support: Dragons & Dragonkin – The Coloring Book!
- Project to Support: Moustache of the Avatar
- Resources: Players Helping Players
Play Release 60 Now!
Release 60 successfully launched yesterday, November , with thousands of backers downloading, patching, and logging in to check out the changes! There’s lots of new content to explore, including:
- Fishing Phase 2: New Fishing Expedition Scene
- Fishing Holes in Alpine POT Templates
- Rotating POT Fishing Bonus
- Fishing while Sitting
- More Fish Recipes
- Increased Salvage Rates for Grandmasters
- Bludgeon Balance
- More Player Made Items in Loot
- Ornate Viking Longbow
- Select Crown Items Anywhere
- More Player Dungeon Rooms
- 2018 Winter Holiday Items (rares)
- More Bug Fixes
- R57 Livestream Items: Dungeon Theme
- R58 Livestream Items: Dragon Theme
- R60 QA Testing Incentive Winners
- …and much more!
Check out the Release 60 Instructions update for detailed information about all the new content.
We need all your help with testing the new patches, putting more stress on our multiplayer servers, and testing the new game content, so please join us in playing this Release!
If you have not downloaded the game yet, go to www.shroudoftheavatar.com and click the “Play Now” button. The game is also available on Steam.
Release 60 Player Instructions
Here are what some players are saying about the release so far:
Sean Silverfoot: Awesome work for such a short release period good job folks! Love the continued Fishing Phase 2 stuff.
cravenx: What a great job ! Very exited about the bludgeon balance. Thanks!
yinki2: lots of contents for such a short time, thanks
Kara Brae: I am really impressed at how a lot of user suggestions have been made real in R60. Just a few days ago we had a request in the forum about a “Disable Item Comparison Option” and wham! here it is!
Black Tortoise: Thanks so much for this release. I’m really excited to check it out this weekend!
Beach Party & Fishing Contest Livestream Today!
Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday November 16 at 4 PM CDT on Twitch!
This week we are going to have a beach party and fishing contest in the new Fishing Expedition scene! To participate in the contest start fishing at 4 PM and the best trophy fish caught by 4:45 PM will win a prize! While the fishing contestants vie against each other, a party will be happening on the beach. So don your best beach wear and lounge on the sand, or shimmy to the tunes on Avatars Radio!
Fishing Contest Prizes:
- Runners Up (2): Fishing Sign
- 3rd Prize: Ornate Water Platform
- 2nd Prize: Watermill Village House (digital)
- 1st Prize: Player Owned Town Village Water Lot Property Deed (digital)
This is the first Friday to earn the Release 60 Cornucopia stretch goals by making a purchase or by participating in the Rewards program! By popular demand we have resurrected a set of stretch goals we missed from previous releases (and added a few new roleplay ones) to make a Cornucopia of Dragons, Dungeons and Roleplay in honor of the harvest season! As a reminder we will be having massive sales (up to 50% off!) from noon to midnight on Friday to help us hit those stretch goals.
- $10K: Dragon Mask Set (multiple color variants) with smoke VFX
- $25K: Aether Axe, Aether 1H Spear, Aether 2H Bludgeon
- $35K: Construction Decorations (Crane, Pulley, etc)
- $50K: Torture Set: Torture Chair, Torture Table, Rack
- $65K: Traveller Wagon
- $75K: Dragon Sword & Dragon Polearm
- $85K: Unique Dungeon Encounter Room with Fishing Spot
- $95K: Celestial Themed Wizard Robes
As usual we will be giving out prizes at 4:15 and 4:45! To be eligible all you need to do is either make any purchase in the store or log into the game and type “Horn of Plenty” in the chat window (no purchase necessary).
Watch on Twitch this Friday at 4 PM CDT!
Release 60 Livestream Nov 30 (Cornucopia)
The Release 60 Livestream is set for Friday November 30! All Avatars from around the world are welcome to join us in the livestream activities. We will be doing deep dives, answering questions, having sales, handing out prizes, and tracking towards stretch goals. By popular demand we have resurrected a set of stretch goals we missed from previous releases (and added a few new roleplay ones) to make a Cornucopia of Dragons, Dungeons and Roleplay in honor of the harvest season!
LIVESTREAM SCHEDULE (Central Time Zone)
Monthly livestreams are on Twitch and include answers to your gameplay questions, world building tours, prize giveaways, sales on items, and more! Here is the schedule:
- 3PM: Introductions
- 3:30PM: Deep Dive 1: Story
- 4:00PM: Deep Dive 2: Combat
- 4:30PM: Deep Dive 3: Player Made Dungeons
- 5PM: Ending Announcements
STRETCH GOALS (Cornucopia of Dragons, Dungeons, and Roleplay!)
As a special bonus, we are offering funding rewards to any player that makes a minimum purchase of $5 during a twelve hour window during the day of the livestream, on November 2 from 12:00 PM to 11:59 PM CDT (Nov 2 17:00 to Nov 3 5 05:00 UTC). By popular demand we have resurrected a set of stretch goals we missed from previous releases (and added a few new roleplay ones) to make a Cornucopia of Dragons, Dungeons and Roleplay in honor of the harvest season!
All purchases during the twelve hour window will count towards the stretch goals, not just the four hours of the livestream! Also participation in the Rewards Program counts towards our stretch goal totals!
Please note that we have extended availability of the stretch goals to every Friday of the release for 12 hours per the new Stretch Goal Tracking Changes.
- $10K: Dragon Mask Set (multiple color variants) with smoke VFX
- $25K: Aether Axe, Aether 1H Spear, Aether 2H Bludgeon
- $35K: Construction Decorations (Crane, Pulley, etc)
- $50K: Torture Set: Torture Chair, Torture Table, Rack
- $65K: Traveller Wagon
- $75K: Dragon Sword & Dragon Polearm
- $85K: Unique Dungeon Encounter Room with Fishing Spot
- $95K: Celestial Themed Wizard Robes
*Please keep in mind that stretch goal rewards take time to develop and will most likely not be available until Release 61 at the earliest. We will keep you updated!
12 HOURS OF SALES:
We will be having twelve hours of sales around the livestream from 12:00 PM to 11:59 PM CDT (Oct 4 17:00 to Oct 5 05:00 UTC)! Items in the following categories will be on sale at approx. 50% off. As noted above, all purchases during this time will count towards the stretch goals!
- Make a Difference
- Home Decorations
- Outdoor Decorations
- Lot Deeds
- POT Upgrades
- Homes
- Basements
- Pets
- Music
- Emotes and Fireworks
- Dyes
- Patterns
WIN THESE GREAT PRIZES!
We will be giving prizes away on an hourly basis with many being given away multiple times. Enter for a chance to win a prize by either logging into the game and typing “Horn of Plenty” into chat OR by purchasing any item from our store during the livestream!
- Dragon Mask (digital)
- Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
- 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Set
- 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask
- Ornate Scythe
- Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row House (digital)
- Barn Two-Story Village Home
- Row Lot Property Deed (digital)
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
We will be answering questions throughout the livestream, so submit them in the comments section of the original post or on Discord chat during the event.
Please do NOT post questions containing:
- More than 3 questions in total (post all three in a single reply)
- Bugs or other problems best posted in the bug forums
- “When is this coming” or anything related to schedule (for those answers please refer to our quarterly updates or our post release plans)
- Questions with more than a couple of sentences. Please keep them brief! We will likely understand the context of your interest, so just ask the question and we’ll be able to respond.
- For bug reports and extra idea suggestions, please use the forums for this purpose.
A Final Thought: We see a LOT of repeat questions. Please consider reviewing one of the other missed question posts, previous monthly livestreams, livestream transcripts, and/or reading our Post Episode 1 plan post before posting a question. Your question might have already been answered.
Watch @ShroudofAvatar updates throughout the day of the livestream. See you on Twitch!
With winter almost upon us the Winter 2018 items have appeared! These winter holiday items are only available until February 1, 2019 and then they are gone forever so get them while they are ice cold! This year we added functionality to the Menorahs where they now light the correct number of candles per day during Hanukkah (note this is retroactive for all Menorahs).
- 2018 Menorah
- 2018 Snowman Mask with Moustache
- 2018 Snow Family
- 2018 Small Ornate Wall Garlands 12-Pack
- 2018 Ornate Wall Garlands 12-Pack
- 2018 Ornate Mantle Garlands 12-Pack
- 2018 Ornate Garlands Mega Pack
- 2018 Yule Gift Box Set
- 2018 Yule Stocking Set
- 2018 Ornate Yule Wreath Set
- 2018 4-Story Yule Tree
- 2018 Large Yule Tree
- 2018 Yule Tree
- 2018 Tabletop Yule Tree
- 2018 Yule Card 5-Pack
- 2018 Yule Gift Set
- 2018 Winter Rares Mega Set
- 2018 Winter Ultra Set
Winter Recurring Items Return!
Winter is coming and with it winter recurring items have returned for a limited time, including the Ice Nightmare mask and Ornate Sleigh! Get these rare items while they are cold because they will go away again until next winter on February 1, 2019.
- Ice Nightmare Mask (digital)
- Ice Building Blocks 110-Pack (digital)
- Ornate Sled (digital)
- Ornate Sleigh (digital)
- Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack (digital)
- Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack (digital)
- White Raven (digital)
- White Squirrel (digital)
- Breathe Snow Emote (digital)
- Breathe Blue Fire Emote (digital)
- Breathe Emote 6-Pack (digital)
- Replenishing Fountain Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Pinwheel Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Aerial Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Elysium Candle Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing White Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Aerial White Chrysanthemum Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Aerial Palm Blue Fish Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
- Winter Recurring Mega Set
Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
As part of our continuing improvements to Quality of Life in Shroud of the Avatar we are going to remove the extra step required when receiving purchased items inside the game. You will no longer have to click on a “Redeem Rewards” button. Instead we will automatically send the items to your rewards interface when you next login to the game. If you are currently logged in then they will appear as soon as the purchase transaction completes. We are also going to provide an onscreen notice for when rewards are delivered to your Rewards Interface. This improvement will go live with Release 61 on December 13, 2018.
Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
As many of you know we are expiring all of our bundles before the end of the year. Viking and Kobold bundles expire on November 30. Elven, Obsidian, and Shogun bundles expire on December 21. In Release 59 we will be adding the contents of the bundles to crown vendors as single purchases, however they will not have any upgrade functionality. Based on numerous requests from those of you who have been saving up your crowns we are going to offer an alternative path for upgrading bundles using crowns. For a limited time (offer ends December 21, 2018) you can purchase a service voucher to use crowns to upgrade your bundle!
If you wish to upgrade your bundle with crowns please email us at support@portalarium.com BEFORE purchasing the voucher. In the request please list the name of the bundle you wish to upgrade, and the bundle you wish to upgrade it to (e.g., Elven 2-Story Row Tax Free Bundle to Elven Village Tax Free Bundle). We will then determine how many crowns you need for the upgrade and notify you of that amount so you can decide before proceeding. Only then will you purchase the voucher and we will then remove the crowns from your inventory.
Please note that we will be using the non-sale exchange rates that are currently on the store for this transaction.
50% Item Fridays & 20% Crown Weekends Holiday Sales
To celebrate our first holiday season since launching we are putting most items* in the store on sale for 50% off, our deepest discounts ever, every Friday noon to midnight, until December 21, 2018!
Additionally we are having our first sale on Gold Crowns of the Obsidians ever! Some packages are discounted as much as 20% every weekend through December 21, 2018!
*Note that this sale does not include the already discounted and expiring Bundles and associated items.
Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
To celebrate our first holiday season since launching the Elven, Obsidian and Shogun Bundles are expiring at 11:59 PM CT on December 21, 2018! As a limited time bonus we have added Episode 2 access to these bundles! We will also be expiring several of the items that are included in those bundles including pets, weapons, decorations and homes. We are also discounting these items, some as much as 30%! For City level bundles this means a $1000 discount!
NOTE: This is a final expiration. Upgrades will not be allowed after these bundles expire.
- Elven Bundles
- Ornate Elven Longsword
- Ornate Elven Longbow
- Dark Elven Kinsman Buckler (digital)
- Jabbering Bertha (digital)
- Dark Elven Kinsman Buckler Pattern Pack
- Ornate Elven Longsword Pattern Pack
- Ornate Elven Longbow Pattern Pack
- Large Elven Tent
- Elven Wardrobe
- Ornate Elven Wardrobe
- Black Stag
- Golden Dragonfly Pet
- Monarch Butterfly Pet
- Elven Four-Story Row Home
- Elven Keep Village Home
- Elven Peaked-Roof Village Home (digital)
- Elven Tree Town Home
- Elven Four-Story City Home
- Obsidian Bundles
- Ornate Vile Mace
- Ornate Vile Mace Pattern Pack
- Ornate Obsidian Sarcophagus
- Obsidian Sarcophagus
- Obsidian Four-Story Row Home
- Obsidian Village Home
- Obsidian Tower Village Home (digital)
- Obsidian Tower Town Home (digital)
- Obsidian Keep City Home
- Shogun Bundles
- Shogun Four-Story Row Home
- Shogun 1-Story Village Home (digital)
- Shogun 3-Story Keep Village Home (digital)
- Shogun Four-Story Town Home
- Shogun Five-Story City Home
- Ornate Katana
- Ornate Katana Pattern Pack
- Ornate Tansu Chest
- Tansu Chest
- Pallas’s Cat
- Shiba Inu Dog
- Mandarin Duck
Viking & Kobold Expirations
To celebrate our first holiday season since launching the Viking and Kobold Bundles are expiring at 11:59 PM CT on November 30! As a limited time bonus we have added Episode 2 access to these bundles! We will also be expiring several of the items that are included in those bundles including pets, weapons, decorations and homes. We are also discounting these items, some as much as 30% For City level bundles this means a $1000 discount!
NOTE: This is a final expiration. Upgrades will not be allowed after these bundles expire.
- Viking Bundles
- Ornate Viking Short Sword (digital)
- Ornate Viking Short Sword Pattern Pack (digital)
- Viking Brynhildr Shield
- Viking Tyr Shield
- Viking Guor Shield
- Ornate Norgard Axe
- Viking Brynhildr Shield Pattern Pack
- Viking Tyr Shield Pattern Pack
- Viking Guor Shield Pattern Pack
- Ornate Norgard Axe Pattern Pack
- Viking Chest
- Ornate Viking Chest
- Winter Rottweiler Pet
- Winter Lynx Pet
- Bloodraven Pet
- Viking 4-Story Row House (digital)
- Viking Wearable Bundle (digital)
- Viking 1-Story Village Home (digital)
- Viking 2-Story Stronghold Village Home (digital)
- Viking 3-Story Stronghold Town Home (digital)
- Viking Great Hall City Home (digital)
- Viking Helm Pattern Pack (digital)
- Kobold Bundles
- Ornate Kobold Metal Storage Chest
- Kobold Metal Storage Chest
- Kobold Four-Story Row Home
- Kobold Dwelling Village Home (digital)
- Kobold 3-Story with Right Alcove Row House (digital)
- Kobold 3-Story with Left Alcove Row House (digital)
- Kobold 2-Story with Rooftop Deck Village Home (digital)
- Kobold 4-Story Great Hall City Home (digital)
Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
For those of you who missed the opportunity to purchase the Collector’s Boxed Edition of Shroud of the Avatar during the Kickstarter (expired on January 4, 2016) can now purchase the retail Boxed Edition from Amazon. Additionally for a limited time we are also offering a signed version of the retail Boxed Edition (see above) for purchase directly from our website! To celebrate the holidays these two versions are on sale for $40 off their regular price until December 21, 2018 ($49 on Amazon, $99 for signed)!
These editions include:
- Game Box signed by Lord British* (signed edition only)
- Game Manual
- DVD in case
- Runic Translation Card
- Ankh Trinket
- Cloth Map
- Our Epic Origins
Digital Items:
- Digital Download of Shroud of the Avatar, Episode 1 (Full Game Access)
- 30 Bank Slots to store your gear
- 1 Gold Crown
- Pick 1 Obsidian Potion
- Digital Download of Shroud of the Avatar, Episode 2 (Full Game Access when released)
- Exclusive Title: Visionary
- Exclusive Emote (exact emote to be created at a future date)
- NEW: Unique Item (to be created at a a future date)
Sandbox Roleplay Livestream (YouTube)
Last week’s Sandbox Roleplay livestream was hilarious! The opening of Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski’s Mexican restaurant, “Dos Gardenias” was attended by many players, including Lord British himself. Things did not go smoothly however and there were kitchen fires, food poisoning, accusations of child labor abuses, and more! All of it showing the power of the roleplaying tools in Shroud of the Avatar.
In case you missed it you can now view it on YouTube:
Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Gold Crowns, AND receive rare stretch-goal items from our monthly livestreams! This program automatically enrolls you in the monthly livestreams (counts as the $5 minimum purchase) along with other perks.
For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
- 9 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians every month
- Automatic Participation in the Monthly Livestream Stretchgoals (counts as the $5 minimum purchase)
- 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
- 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
Weekend Flash Sale: Harvest
This is the time of year when the crops are harvested from the fields. In the United States we celebrate this time with a holiday called Thanksgiving. To celebrate the harvest time all agriculture, crafting, and related items are on sale this weekend including anything with a scythe!
- 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Set
- 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask
- 2018 Jack O’ Lantern Mask
- Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
- Ornate Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
- Ornate Scythe
- Ornate Scythe Pattern Pack
- Mandarin Duck
- Wood Duck (digital)
- Crafting Sigil Fur Collared Cloak (digital)
- Heraldry Beer Cask Eternal Pattern
- Heraldry Wine Cask Eternal Pattern
- Heraldry Spirits Cask Eternal Pattern
- Crafting Sigil Set (digital)
- Ornate Watering Can (digital)
- Expert Crafting Stations (Pick 1)
- Expert Crafting Stations (Pick 5)
- Expert Crafting Stations (Pick 10)
- Round Elven Greenhouse (digital)
- Rusted Iron Small Greenhouse (digital)
- Ornate Viking Planting Beds Set (digital)
- Ornate Viking Planting Pots Set (digital)
- Ornate Elven Planting Beds Set (digital)
- Ornate Elven Planting Pots Set (digital)
- Giant Grim Reaper Statue (digital)
- Ornate Giant Grim Reaper Statue (digital)
- Agriculture Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Butcher Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Field Dressing Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Fishing Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Forestry Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Gathering Sign 9-Pack (digital)
- Ornate Three-Story Viking Crafting Pavilion (digital)
- Ornate Three-Story Shogun Crafting Pavilion (digital)
- Storefront Greenhouse Four-Story Row Home
- Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row House (digital)
- Barn Two-Story Village Home
Upcoming Events Calendar
Nov 16, 2018 – Beach Party & Fishing Contest Livestream
Nov 19, 2018 – Release 60 Dance Party
Nov 30, 2018 – Release 60 Livestream
Dec 13, 2018 – Release 61
Dec 17, 2018 – Release 61 Dance Party
Dec 21, 2018 – Release 61 Livestream
Jan 31, 2019 – Release 62
Feb 1, 2019 – Release 62 Livestream
Feb 28, 2019 – Release 63
Mar 8 – 17, 2019 – SXSW
Mar 18 – 22, 2019 – GDC
Mar 28, 2019 – Release 64
Apr 25, 2019 – Release 65
May 30, 2019 – Release 66
June 27, 2019 – Release 67
July 25, 2019 – Release 68
Aug 29, 2019 – Release 69
Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out this month’s Release Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
Community Event: Release 60 Dance Party
[Forum post by Alleine Dragonfyre]
*Royal Warrant*
Release 60 Dance party with DJ @DarkStarr on Avatars Radio
We are in White Hart on Abundis this coming Monday, November 19th 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 60
By Appointment to
His Majesty Lord British
Welcome Quest Makers
You are invited to join the Welcome Quest in Release 60.
It will be held on Sunday, December 9, 2018 starting at 12pm (noon) central time/New Britannian time and lasting an hour. It is in your in-game Events book.
Greagoir Pendragon will be active 30 minutes before the event and during the event. So you can teleport to Greagoir Pendragon if you wish.
We are traveling to the town of Ordinis Mortis , south east along the river from Central Brittany.
Are you with us?
Purpose:
The Welcome Quest is a quest for all people to see many towns and establishments. It is created as a way for people to visit many player-ran locations. It involves each town and establishment to give the quest person some information and then instructions to go to the next location (a town or establishment) to do something. The path may be sequential from place to place or in parallel to multiple places at the same time. The goal is for towns and establishments to showcase their places, educate the people, and work with other player-ran towns/establishments.
We are proud to be the first player-ran quest in SotA! We do it for all of you.
More information is located at
http://sotawiki.net/sota/Community:Quests/Welcome_Quest#Welcome_Quests_in_Releases
Welcome Torch changes – testing and answers due to burnout
With Release 38, all torches changed physically. The durability started to decrease when the torch is held onto. This change also affected the Welcome Torch you receive from the Welcome Quest.
With Release 41 you now can repair your own Welcome Torches with a carpentry repair kit and a carpentry table.
Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
Come to Jade Valley near the Elysium Mines. It’s a Player owned town. When you land on the bridge check your map, find the Jade Valley Graveyard marked, and go there. The quest is in the graveyard. You will find the first 2 books on a pedestal at the entrances. There is a prize for finishing: It is a copy of the story, a candle, a chair, a rug, and a bowl of dragon stew.
Brought to you by the Jade Valley community; May your ancestor’s wisdom not be forgot.
Chapter one of the Stone Dragons
Part one of two.
Zyrina and Phlebus turned back to stare at their two trailing companions as they finally meandered out the near side of the old wooden covered bridge and Zyrina called out, “Meet us at the old graveyard in the Jade Dragons tool shed and workshop on the top floor, Laggards!! We will have drinks waiting.” She then turned back and sprinted to catch up with Phlebus. His quick stride, still as familiar as his lanky frame, was faster than she normally travelled, and it was easy to fall behind in this peaceful valley. The desire to slow down, breathe deeply, and just be in the woods was strong. Not strong enough to slow the pace of a focused and determined Phlebus though. He was single minded about this rumor they had heard and was determined to talk with the graveyard caretaker before dark and be at the River Runner Inn beside the river in Jade Valley tucked into his bed with a lovely hot rum toddy to comfort him before the chill of the night was upon the land. The rumor was disturbing to say the least. More and more fetid carcasses of various sized animals were said to be found in the valley all of them bearing the scarring and the afterglow of dark magic.
Zyrina had been teasing him that he was full of “book learnin’ but not real learnin’”. It annoyed him that she might be right, but he wasn’t going to show any soft bits to his oldest friend. He knew she would not stop till he proved to her that he had indeed been studying with mages at the castle libraries, that it was useful knowledge, and he hadn’t spent the entire 7 years drinking with his friends in Central Britanny. Though she had taken to the twins right away, and conversation flowed as if they’d been speaking for years, she was still wary of the friends Phlebus had arrived with from the big city. The two oldest friends had been in contact by mail but had not been in each other’s company for the entire seven years that Phlebus had been studying with the old mages. There were some awkward silences as they got familiar with each other’s routines and movements while exploring Jade Valley, but their old familiarity was finding its well-worn path and they were more and more comfortable as the afternoon wore on.
Zyrina had taken the last 7 years to travel around the entirety of New Britannia learning how to survive on her own and how to protect those she cared about. That concise energetic woman full of grand ideas possessed an eagle eye. Her aim with her bow was not to be discounted and Phlebus always felt a little safer when she walked with him through the woods. Like tonight, the woods seemed peaceful, the river flowed lazily around the bend and the air was sweet here, with a hint of chill, but there were lurkings that Phlebus could sense under the veneer of safety. Something moist and dark was hidden here in this valley and it was harming animals and birds of all sizes. His arm hair stood fully at attention. Phlebus shook his head to clear his mind. His training had taught him to respect the knowledge of his body. His body could sense something his mind couldn’t. First, they would talk with the caretaker at the Jade Dragons Tool Shed and Workshop property and see what knowledge Ivan could add to what Phlebus suspected was happening to disturb the valley. The companions had passed wagons with body parts and some with whole animals who were on their way to the village’s burn pile with the remains and they spied other people working on clearing up the various bodies to get ready for the wagons. It was obvious why Jade Valley wanted this mystery solved. And obvious why they thought it was something more than normal pranks that never ever include death or decay.
Earlier at the Hall of Inquiry and Learning near the stone bridge the librarian had taught them to use the local map for this valley (Mal Hari has done a bang-up job of keeping the map up to date and most public locations are marked (press M on keyboard)). Just when the group was getting directions to the Jade Dragons guild hall which faces the large stone dragon in the local market square, Rinaldi sauntered into the building and overheard their conversation. He introduced himself as one of the officers of the guild attending the meeting and he willingly guided the four to the company of Mal Hari and other officers of the Jade Empire Calan Caitin, Elnoth, Froji, Joe, Maganda Hari, Merrik Dragon, One Zero, and Paston Bane, up on the top floor of the guild hall. Each gave what knowledge they had acquired to the companions. Phlebus had been corresponding with the local Governor, Mal Hari, by mail. He had been concerned about this new twist in his otherwise peaceful valley home. Mal was certain that there was more to it than the local youth out playing pranks on the farmers in the valley. He wanted answers. Each little bit Phlebus learned added to his theory that this indeed was not the pranks of children.
The putrid odor of decaying, mutilated carcass was not something Phlebus wanted to breathe. Ever again. His libraries had not prepared him for the olfactory feast of the countryside let alone the brutality of burned decayed flesh rotting in spoiled fields. Mal originally asked Phlebus’s teacher for help and Trida had thrust Phlebus back into the world outside the city and away from his scrolls. He was ready, but he was made awkward by the suddenness of his reentry into the world outside the libraries and pubs he had become accustomed to frequenting. At least Trida had given Phlebus a pep talk before sending him into the world and then waved goodbye to him and because of those kindnesses and more, Phlebus wanted to solve this mystery for Mal Hari. He hurried his pace for the last bit toward the Stone Dragon Graveyard because he wanted to be done with this interview and back to his lodgings before the late night was upon them.
Continued in Chapter One. Part Two. At the Graveyard in Jade Valley until 25 November 2018
Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance
Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance plus 125 Point Dungeon – AND earn free SotA in-game items daily!
Whether you move a little or a lot, Meretz users rack up valuable Meretz Points (MPs).
The more MPs you have, the more stuff you can buy!
We’re talking potions, emotes, sweepstakes, giveaways, and tons more!
With Meretz, we launch a new sweepstakes every month.
This month, we’re giving away a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance plus 125 Point Dungeon – valued at $100!
You can also enter to win a Relics By Rild $50 Gift Card and other cool prizes.
AND, use your MPs every day for in-game items like potions and emotes.
Good luck!
What are you waiting for? Download Meretz TODAY!
Project to Support: Underworld Ascendant
Looking for different dungeons to explore?
Our friends at OtherSide Entertainment just launched Underworld Ascendant on Steam! The team includes people who created games like Thief, System Shock and the Underworld series. It’s a first-person dungeon Action-RPG where there’s no one right way to play. Mix and match a variety of different skills to sneak, fight or use magic to survive this large and highly-interactive dungeon full of traps, monsters and challenges. Play now to receive bonus items and a 15% discount: Purchase on Steam!
And as a reminder our worlds are tied together with similar world origins and portals between! You can even purchase cross promotional items but you must be quick as they are expiring soon!
- Dark Elven Kinsman Buckler (digital)
- Jabbering Bertha (digital)
- Dark Elven Kinsman Buckler Pattern Pack
Project to Support: Dragons & Dragonkin – The Coloring Book!
“The artist’s second coloring book – this time celebrating all manner of Dragons & Dragonkin with all new original pieces!”
Indi Martin of Tortoise & Hare Creations who illustrated our Shroud of the Avatar comic books and successfully created an awesome Adult Coloring Book is running her second Kickstarter right now!
Welcome to Dragons & Dragonkin, the Kickstarter campaign for my second coloring book!
In October 2016, I finally Kickstarted my first coloring book. I love doing lineart and inks, and had fielded several requests to pursue one, but I wanted to wait until I found a theme I could really sink my teeth into – I love themes! That theme was Dangerous Women, and 84 wonderful backers helped bring it to life. The original goal was a 24-illustration coloring book, but stretch goals helped bring it up to 40! Since its publishing, it’s become one of my best-sellers at conventions.
I knew I wanted to tackle another coloring book, but again, I wanted to wait until I felt drawn to a theme that could sustain at least 40 pieces. As fantasy illustration has become a larger chunk of my work over the last few years, I knew it would be down that path – and once it hit me, it seemed so obvious. I always joke that none of my dragons look more than tangentially related – they’re my favorite creature on which to practice new shading techniques, new shapes, scales, feathers, anything really. For Inktober this year, I wanted to do some of that experimentation, but also drill down a bit and see if there was a recognizably-“Indi” dragon type in there somewhere too. It also struck me as the perfect theme for my next coloring book – Dragons & Dragonkin!
Project to Support: Moustache of the Avatar
Every year we form a Movember team called Moustache of the Avatar to raise funds for Movember. To date we have raised over $3300 through fundraising for Movember. We have also created dedicated items for our Movember Make a Difference store including a Moustache Helm, Shield, and Cloak. Last year we even created Darkstarr and Lord British Follicular Reliquaries with Darkstarr and Lord British versions of the Movember items. Those items and other Movember tagged items have raised over $7,000 for Movember to date!
With Release 60 we added the 2018 Snow Family and 2018 Snowman Mask which this year feature moustaches in honor of Movember! You can participate by contributing to our Moustache of the Avatar team, joining the team to help us raise funds, or by purchasing any of our Movember make a difference items:
- Titan of Courage Statue (digital)
- Titan of Truth Statue (digital)
- Tabletop Titan of Courage Statue (digital)
- Tabletop Titan of Truth Statue (digital)
- Ornate Meerschaum Titan of Courage Pipe (digital)
- Ornate Meerschaum Titan of Truth Pipe (digital)
- Moustache Cloak – Movember Charity (digital)
- Moustache Helm – Movember Charity (digital)
- Moustache Helm Pattern Pack – Movember Charity (digital)
- Moustache Shield – Movember Charity (digital)
- Moustache Shield Pattern Pack – Movember Charity (digital)
- 2018 Snowman Mask with Moustache
- 2018 Snow Family
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.