Avatar’s Update #307: Black Friday Sale + Final Week for Viking & Kobold Bundles!

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

News Announcements

Community Updates

Black Friday Sale!

The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is traditionally a day of rest from eating too much and of course HUGE sales! To honor those traditions we are going to extend our Friday 50% items sale through Cyber Monday (November 26). We are also going to extend the stretch goal tracker for that time as well so all purchases from Friday through Monday will count towards the Release 60 Cornucopia stretch goals! In addition the Amazon Boxed Version is on sale for $19 (a $70 discount from full price)!

ACHIEVED $10K: Dragon Mask Set (multiple color variants) with smoke VFX
ACHIEVED $25K: Aether Axe, Aether 1H Spear, Aether 2H Bludgeon
ACHIEVED $35K: Construction Decorations (Crane, Pulley, etc)
ACHIEVED $50K: Torture Set: Torture Chair, Torture Table, Rack
ACHIEVED $65K: Traveller Wagon
$75K: Dragon Sword & Dragon Polearm
$85K: Unique Dungeon Encounter Room with Fishing Spot
$95K: Celestial Themed Wizard Robes

Viking & Kobold Expirations (1 week left!)

This is the last week to purchase the Viking and Kobold Bundles and select items! 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.

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.

ACHIEVED $10K: Dragon Mask Set (multiple color variants) with smoke VFX
ACHIEVED $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!

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!

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!

Winter 2018 Items Appear

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).

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.

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.

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.

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:

Physical Goods:

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)

Beach Party & Fishing Contest Livestream (YouTube)

Last week’s beach party and fishing contest in the new Fishing Expedition scene was INCREDIBLE! We had over 250 people participate and our winner, Mia Sway, managed to catch the rarest fish in the game, the Large Tiger Shark!

Fishing Contest Winners:

Runners Up (2): Fishing Sign
- Terrestria Aquatica: 3.1 Sailfish
- Rambo: 2.9 Swordfish
TIE: 3rd Prize: Ornate Water Platform
- Gwenllian: 3.2 Marlin
- Gaelis Trajan: 3.2 Marlin
2nd Prize: Watermill Village House (digital)
- Kron Caledon: 3.6 Small Tiger Shark
1st Prize: Player Owned Town Village Water Lot Property Deed (digital)
- Mia Sway: 5.5 Large Tiger Shark

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

Upcoming Events Calendar

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: Titanforge’s Monster Catch Fishing Tournament!

[Forum post by Titania Xylia]

Noon (CST) November 18, 2018 to Noon (CST) November 25, 2018

Up to 1275 COTOs could be given away, in addition to a raffle and special town prizes!

The more unique contestants the larger the prizes! No entry fee! Just send Titania Xylia your trophy fish! (details below)

This 7-day, worldwide contest hopes to promote fishing in Shroud of the Avatar and fully explore the possibilities of the fishing system. The goal is to get as many people as possible to catch a trophy fish and reward anglers for the largest catches in-game overall and the largest trophy type of fish.

Each contestant is automatically entered to win a raffle for a PoT Taxed Village Deed. Just send one trophy fish to be entered to win.

The total Gold Crowns of the Obsidian awarded is based on the number of unique contestants:

Raffle

Any trophy fish enters you to win a PoT Taxed Village Deed! You only need one. Get your friends to log in and catch a trophy fish to increase the size of the prizes!

The top 3 largest fish will receive a special prize of Gold Crowns!

The fisherman that catches the largest fish caught of each of these types will win 5-20 coto’s, depending on the number of contestants:

Amberjack Mackerel
Black Trout
Bluefin Tuna
Brook Trout
Gar
Goliath Catfish
King Salmon
Mahi Mahi
Marlin
Oscar Sunfish
Pacu
Peacock Bass
Pike
Sailfish
Spotted Bass
Sharptooth Catfish
Sturgeon
Swordfish
Tarpon
Tiger Shark

Town special prizes
In addition there are special prizes awarded by two governors: Shawn and Titania Xylia. Fish the towns below and the following awards could be yours!

Ties
It’s possible that more than one person will catch exactly the same fish and size during the contest. The winners will get to vote on either a raffle drawing for the total prize or to split the prize with the other winners.

Winning Multiple Prizes
It is possible for one angler to win more than one prize with one catch!
However, for the top 3 overall prizes:

An angler is only eligible to win one of those prizes.
Ties will be decided as described above.

Valid Catches and Submitting Entries
Contestants must send any fish they want in the contest to Titania Xylia via in-game mail or dropped in the chest placed in TItanforge at the dock. Screenshots will not be eligible as entry. You may request your submission back at anytime during the contest unless it is currently on the leaderboard.

The in-game date on your trophy entry must translate to within the contest’s start and stop time The in-game date, location, angler, fish type and fish length on the fish itself will be used to award the prizes.
I would like for the winning fish to be on display in Titanforge for one week after the contest ends, but this is at the angler’s discretion.

The current leaderboard will be available on shroudoftheavatar.net and a display will be running during the event showing off the fish currently in the lead at Titanforge.

Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 60

[Forum post by Duke Gréagóir]

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

[Forum post by Lily Byrd]

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!

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:

Project to Support: Lore Finder

Discover forbidden lore which warps your body and reality itself. The more you know, the worse it gets.

Become K.C. Morgan, paranormal investigator, and search a New England mansion for your missing father. Battle the forces of corruption infesting the mansion armed only with your wits and an old .38 revolver, and gather scrolls of forbidden lore. But the more you discover, the more warped and twisted the world – and you – become.

Uncover the story of Lore Finder, a 2D metroidvania and a modern queer reimagining of the cosmic horror genre. Coming to a PC near you on Steam.

Try the demo right now in your browser, or download the PC Windows version. Support the Kickstarter from Enniko who helped develop the musical instrument system for Shroud of the Avatar!

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.

Avatar’s Update #307: Black Friday Sale + Final Week for Viking & Kobold Bundles!

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