Play Release 96 Now! Castle Atos! The Ancient Undead! Dread Artifact Update! Non-Destructive Evictions!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 96 (R96), players will experience a large variety of changes to the game. First off, players can now explore a new social hub scene called Castle Atos! This scene will be the focal point for providing many social in-game events, content, and rewards in the future, and already we’ve populated this new scene with many activities and items to keep players entertained. The reward blessing present there even scales in power with the number of players in scene!

The Ancient Undead attack! This ancient race of creatures are appearing throughout New Britannia. Will you be able to defeat them?

Dread Artifacts can now be patterned, and evictions will move move evicted items to the Property Manager window instead of a player’s bank. SO many changes, so what are you waiting for? Get in there and play 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

Community Updates


Release 96 Patch Notes!

Below is a list of game changes and new content that are live as of Release 96 (R96). This release is a short release due to the holiday season, but we still managed to provide a considerable amount of new items and changes to keep everyone entertained. Additional content, improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R97 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 96! Happy holidays!

World, Quests, and Miscellaneous Changes:

  • A new danger has arisen in some remote locations. A previously-unknown ancient undead humanoid, from before any recorded history, has emerged to threaten all of humanity. Ancient Undead now have chances to appear in Despair, Opalis Ruins, Mysterious Swamp, Forest Road Encounter, Plains Encounter, Plains Road Encounter, and Swamp Road Encounter. These new arrivals to New Britannia will soon provide unique loot items in R97, but these horrific and powerful beings are currently in-game now. Go test your mettle!
  • Castle Atos is a new social hub scene and is now available to players. Head on over and explore this new town, and hang out with your friends! With launch of this scene, we worked hard to populate it with as many new items as we could in the short release cycle, but more are coming! Castle Atos will appear on the overworld map (along the road between Soltown and Solace Bridge Outskirts) in the first patch after release. Look for new additions in upcoming months!
    • Here are some of the features available at Castle Atos now:
      • Unique Blessing: Adds a health, focus, and melee critical hit damage reduction bonus to your character, and the power level of the buff is directly proportional to the player count in the scene. Get your friends over there and get a stronger buff!
      • Special vendor items! Initially only new Wax Cylinders have been added to the innkeeper, but each merchant features a unique merchant item table for future additions, so be on the lookout! Here are the Wax Cylinders available at Castle Atos:
        • Sunrise in Jaanaford
        • The Streets of Aerie
        • The Harbors of New Britannia
        • Love Returns to Ardoris
        • Along the Fallion River I
        • Along the Fallion River II
        • Within the Mists of Brookside
        • The Solace River
        • Castle Atos
        • Lament of the Titans
        • The Markets of New Britannia
      • New Quests!
      • Theater stage for in-game plays and concerts!
      • Feast hall for parties!
      • Giant aquarium with swimming dolphins!
      • Public Cache Chest!
      • Storehouse Containers!
    • These are some of the features that will be added to Castle Atos in the near future:
      • Unique fishing loot!
      • More unique vendor items & crafting recipes!
      • Unique storehouse container turn-in items!
  • New music has been added to a variety of scenes.
  • A new Wax Cylinder is available from the innkeeper at Fire Lotus Tavern in Owl’s Head.
  • A new streamer bundle has been created. Keep an eye out for news about how to obtain this bundle to provide to your viewers!
  • Halls of Artifice: Added safety teleporters for avatars who get caught in the void between teleporters.
  • Jotungrund: Added POT-specific music to the entry camp and barbarian camp in the crevasse.
  • Kobold Expeditionary Camp: In the “Save Sir Patrick” scenario, moved incidental kobolds away from the wave battle fighting ring.
  • Lord British’s Castle: Added props to secret room. Do you know where the secret room is?
  • Mysterious Swamp: Added a chance for an ancient undead enemy to appear in the lich areas.
  • Necropolis Barrens: Moved a love letter to the ground that was unreachable due to being in a tree.
  • Necropolis Barrens: Removed a love letter within Envy Angel’s house onto the nearby floor.
  • North Drachvald Spur: Fixed an issue where a climbable rope on the “jumping puzzle” tower wasn’t functioning.
  • Northwood: Added responses for “help” and “health” to Daemyn the guard.
  • Northwood: The “bye” button for Saha Rohandas now works properly.
  • Opalis Ruins: Added random chance for ancient undead to appear in the “lich boss” fight.
  • Random Encounters: Added possibility of ancient undead appearing in undead scenarios for Forest Road, Plains, Plains Road, and Swamp Road Encounters.
  • Resolute: Added hints that the avatar needs to talk to the gate guard to get the gate opened by way of signs next to the gate and a “fail” message on the gate switch. Also, once the guard opens the gate for the avatar at least once, the avatar can use the outer switch on their own, at will.
  • Seasonal Monsters: Pumpkin Head has gone dormant again while Krampus has awakened.
  • Shaminian Hills: Expanded the timespan which the time-locked sarcophagus lid can be opened, from 15.00-16.00 (2.5 minutes) to 13.25 to 17.25 (8.125 minutes).
  • Soltown Catacombs: The skull orator is more emotive while standing in his location. Also, he’ll do his best to ensure his nearby lantern stays lit.
  • Soltown: Abigail will now have a compass marker for avatar’s who saved Charlotte. Also, after helping Stanley and saying “help,” he’ll sometimes point those same avatars to Abigail to ask her about Charlotte.
  • South Drachvald Spur: Moved an ankh to ensure it was above ground.
  • South Quel Woods: Changed tier from 3 to 3+. Changed logging office area to a mansion. Changed logging camp to an infested, abandoned farm. Lighting all 4 prop scarecrows in the farm’s fields within 30 seconds will initiate a short wave battle that ends with the Scarecrow seasonal monster. Added some higher tier enemies in farm area. Added some mandrake and higher tier iron ore in farm area.
  • South Quel Woods: In the Scarecrow fight, there can be up to 3 fire elementals during the “spider waves,” and there are now a few seconds between each wave. Also, added some hay piles into the farm field.
  • The Outlaws’ Run: Added an additional safety method to clear the “Mention Miloslava to Milosh” task.
  • The Outlaws’ Run: When telling Miloslava about Milosh, she now clearly asks if you’ve talked to her about the colored stones.
  • Ulfheim: All tiered resource nodes within the barbarian community have been changed from tier 5 to tier 8.
  • Ulfheim: Removed orphaned ore nodes to stop build errors.
  • Understorm Gold Mine: Fixed a typo in the “Search for Evidence in Understorm Mine” journal entry.
  • Valhold: To gain access to Valhold Palace to talk to Grannus, players must have the amulet AND finished the “save Sir Patrick” quest.
  • Jotungrund: Updated the signal tower compass markers to help them appear when you have the signal tower quest.
  • Several mount visuals have been improved/fixed.
  • Greenhouse store entries now include information in the description explaining they only function as decorations if placed as a POT decoration.
  • The Yew Tree decoration is now called Epic Yew Tree, and it has received the same price reduction as the other epic trees received last release.

Crafting, Decoration, & Inventory Item Changes:

  • Dread Artifact Update:
    • The Bonesteel Crown, Heart of Sorrows, and the Scepter of Dread can now be placed as decorations, but remain no-trade items.
    • The three cabalists of the related anti-virtues (Dolus, Temna, and Nefario) now each drop a no-trade Obsidian Forge recipe (all 3 recipes become available as drops in the first patch after release) for creating no-trade patterns for the related dread artifact, but these recipes only drop if the looter has completed the related storyline to obtain the particular artifact. Once the no-trade pattern is applied to an item, that player can either utilize the item themselves with the Dread Artifact visuals, or they can trade/sell such items to other players at will. The final patterned items are fully tradeable.
    • The Phoenix now drops a 1-3 Delicate Feathers of the Phoenix, one of which is required as a quill in these recipes, but this delicate feather can only be utilized one time before it dissipates into dust. These feathers will be utilized in future recipes as well, so keep on the lookout for new crafting opportunities on the horizon!
    • The pattern for the Heart of Sorrows is our first VFX pattern introduces a new concept for the neck slot. Soon, more neck slot patterns will be added to the store and via in-game loot drops to allow for further character customization, such as glowing eyes!
    • Each Dread Artifact now features a small amount of Adventure Level scaling in their stat bonuses.
  • The Gem Studded Roll of Leather, Gold Studded Roll of Leather, Silver Studded Roll of Leather, Bronze Studded Strip of Leather, Copper Studded Strip of Leather, and Iron Studded Strip of Leather have been reduced in power significantly.
  • Brave spelunkers will now be able to decorate their Player-Made Dungeon spider rooms! In addition, a pristine version of the room is now available which does not feature the webs and rubble. “With spawns” versions of these rooms are also available and drop from the spiders within Hilt Fortress!
  • The Ornate Triple Connection Stone Dungeon Foyer now features additional decoration surfaces to include the ceiling.
  • Basement Hatches can now be placed on other decorations that accept child objects such as walls and blocks, accept other decorations on top of them, and they can also be placed on all ground/floor type surfaces on a property which accept decoration items.
  • The Teleporter to Compendium of Pain and Suffering decoration item can now be placed on other decorations which accept child decorations such as walls and blocks.
  • The Tropical Flower Hairpieces (dyeable and non-dyeable versions) can now both be salvaged for eternal patterns which can be applied to head slot items.
  • An issue has been fixed which prevented salvage of the Ornate Circlet. The Ornate Circlet’s pattern now indicates that it is an Eternal Pattern instead of a regular Pattern.
  • Interactive items placed around the book player-made dungeon entrance should now function correctly.
  • The new lava pools no longer conflict with fishing water type conversion statues.
  • Removed a floating black square from various Player-Made Dungeon rooms.
  • Dungeon Entrance Tapestry and Dungeon Entrance rug have been renamed to Tapestry of the Ruins of Ravensmoor and Rug of the Ruins of Ravensmoor so players to not mistake these items with Player-Made Dungeon entrance abilities.
  • The holiday Menorahs have been updated to function this year.
  • 2 new community cloaks have been added for Extra Life charity events.
  • The “Bass (Deco)” now properly rotates on an additional axis.

Combat & Skill Changes:

  • Gear scaling tech has been created and applied to two PvP scenes: Obsidian Trials and Ardoris Arena. These two locations feature gear scaling of 0.
  • A new system which allows tuning of PVP vs PVE damage has been implemented. Currently, this new tech has been applied to ranged Auto-Attack, Aimed Shot, and Blinding Shot. Damage to all 3 of these sources has been reduced by 10% vs. PvP targets.
  • Summoned pet spells from the magic schools now level more quickly.
  • Additional logging has been created for PvP-related combat as we prepare for upcoming PvP balance work.
  • PVP flagging bonus experience has been increased from 10 to 25%
  • Player dungeons and basements will no longer grant XP bonuses for PVP players.
  • Lightning Storm now features SFX, a unique skill icon, and VFX improvements.
  • Lightning storm has been restored to the original, faster cast time.
  • Stun durations present on Lightning Storm are now increase with skill level instead of decrease.
  • Cone of Cold has received improved visuals.
  • Dig In features no longer causes flickering in the buff bar.
  • The globe from the Light spell now hovers properly over your character after dismounting.

Player Economy, Rewards, & Loot Changes:

  • Many new Wax Cylinders are dropping as rare loot in adventure scenes throughout New Britannia. Will you find them all?
    • Dolus Approaches I
    • Dolus Approaches II
    • The Laboring Fauns
    • Avara’s Curse
    • The Dragon Clan
    • The Ice Plains of Jotungrund
    • The Bear Clan
    • Into the Epitaph
    • Tartarus
    • The Hallowed Plains
    • Rhun Ruins
    • Dysborg Ruins
    • The Faun’s Sorrow
    • The Solania Catacombs
    • Desolis I
    • Desolis II
    • Frozen Tears of a Lost Tribe
    • Kas Ruins
    • Norgard Fens
    • Longfall Road
    • Libris Ruins
    • Desolate Hills
    • The Boar Clan
    • Spectral Peaks
    • Ulfheim
    • Halls of Despair
    • The Sands of Grunvald
    • Solania
    • Yew
  • The scarecrow boss now occasionally drops pieces of canvas fabric instead of the recipe for canvas fabric.

User Interface, Lua, & Performance Changes:

  • Non-destructive evictions! When a player’s property is evicted by governors, stewards, tax defaults, or even lot activity expirations, the property will now be placed in the owner’s Property Manager (Magic Movers) window.
  • The Player-Made Dungeon interface for selecting dungeon pieces in decoration mode has been improved.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the inventory list to flicker when it contained a teleporter item that pointed to a scene that no longer existed.
  • Added 5 new Lua functions:
    • ShroudCurrentDeck()
    • ShroudDeckList()
    • ShroudGetDeckCardList([deckName])
    • ShroudEmoteList()
    • ShroudPlayEmote(emoteName)
  • Conversationalist scripts will now properly return integer values.
  • Compass markers now display by priority. Quest markers are in front, destination markers are in the middle, and all other markers appear in the back.
  • Guild member names now sort properly in the guild window.
  • The Companion Level stat on gear now properly applies to summoned pets.
  • MANY more functions have been added to your Lua toolbox! Go check out the updated API document!
  • There are also script examples in the Lua section of the forum!

Player-Owned Town Changes:

  • Dragon Hold: Added new holdfast in Novia along the mountains northwest of Soltown.
  • Fidra: Added new Holdfast to Hidden Vale near Port Titan.
  • Litwarf Hird: Added new Holdfast to Mistrendur near the center of the middle island.
  • M’hul Island: Upgraded to Village.



Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!

The weekly Community Livestream is Friday, November 19th 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 “pumpkin spice and everything nice” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.

Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream, and we’ll even be periodically posting answers to some unanswered questions in the forums each month. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT!

Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the  channel on follow for notifications so you can join us 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 all our social media venues:

Crown Store: Statues, Xenossian Helmets, Wax Cylinders & More!

Many new store items are coming your way in the month ahead! Keep an eye out each week as the following items become available in the in-game Crown Store. Available today on November 18th, a Large Wood-Burning Stove Cooking Station! This station features expert cooking station bonuses and features gorgeous visuals for any kitchen decoration theme. For decorators wishing to show their holiday spirit, the 2021 Menorah, Gift Boxes, and Stockings are here!

Players wishing to decorate their towns and properties with statues — MANY new statue varieties are now available on the Crown Store to include various pedestals upon which other decorations can be placed:

  • Large Wood-Burning Stove Cooking Station
  • Menorah 2021
  • Yule Gift Box 2021 3-Pack
  • Yule Stockings 2021 3-Pack
  • Angel Woman Statue
  • Communing Woman Statue
  • Cubic Stone Pedestal 3-Pack
  • Demon Statue
  • Fine Horse Statue
  • Gargoyle Statue
  • Gryphon Statue
  • Guardian Angel Statue
  • Guardian Statue
  • Lion Statue
  • Monk Statue
  • Nun Statue
  • Pegasus Statue
  • Robed Guard Statue
  • Winged Demon Statue
  • Winged Gargoyle Statue
  • Winged Lion Statue
  • Giant Angel Woman Statue
  • Giant Communing Woman Statue
  • Giant Demon Statue
  • Giant Fine Horse Statue
  • Giant Gargoyle Statue
  • Giant Gryphon Statue
  • Giant Guardian Angel Statue
  • Giant Guardian Statue
  • Giant Lion Statue
  • Giant Monk Statue
  • Giant Nun Statue
  • Giant Pegasus Statue
  • Giant Robed Guard Statue
  • Giant Winged Demon Statue
  • Giant Winged Gargoyle Statue
  • Giant Winged Lion Statue
  • Tabletop Angel Woman Statue
  • Tabletop Communing Woman Statue
  • Tabletop Demon Statue
  • Tabletop Fine Horse Statue
  • Tabletop Gargoyle Statue
  • Tabletop Gryphon Statue
  • Tabletop Guardian Angel Statue
  • Tabletop Guardian Statue
  • Tabletop Lion Statue
  • Tabletop Monk Statue
  • Tabletop Nun Statue
  • Tabletop Pegasus Statue
  • Tabletop Robed Guard Statue
  • Tabletop Winged Demon Statue
  • Tabletop Winged Gargoyle Statue
  • Tabletop Winged Lion Statue
  • Low Rectangular Stone Pedestal
  • Low Rectangular Stone Pedestal with Scrollwork
  • Low Round Stone Pedestal 3-Pack
  • Low Square Stone Pedestal 3-Pack
  • Stone Marker 3-Pack

Becoming available on November 26th, two new Ancient Xenossian Helmets! Both the side-plumed and the tall-plumed versions feature dual dye layers so players can customize them with the wide variety of dyes available.

Also becoming available is a new Wooden Dunk Tank! Every festival needs a dunk tank, just as every person sometimes needs a good dunking. The dunk tank requires a player, an operator, and a willing “victim.” While the victim stands on the trap doors above the water, the operator presses the secret button on the back wall of the tank. Each press changes which switch will trigger the trap doors. When all is ready, the player throws one of the four switches and finds out if they’re luckier than the victim! For those wishing to see a working example of the dunk tank, there’s one in the village of Castle Atos.

  • Ancient Xenossian Side-Plumed Plate Helm
  • Ancient Xenossian Tall-Plumed Plate Helm
  • Wooden Dunk Tank

Becoming available on December 3rd, more Wax Cylinders for your listening pleasure! Play these sensational songs right from a Phonograph device or even place into your Player-Owned Town’s soundtrack!

  • Wax Cylinder – An Ambush Awaits
  • Wax Cylinder – Flight of the Raven
  • Wax Cylinder – Harvest Day
  • Wax Cylinder – Hiding in the Shadows
  • Wax Cylinder – Homecoming
  • Wax Cylinder – Mindless Wandering
  • Wax Cylinder – Mystic Echoes
  • Wax Cylinder – Sleep Beckons
  • Wax Cylinder – The Hero Returns
  • Wax Cylinder – The Messenger
  • Wax Cylinder – The Playful Unicorn
  • Wax Cylinder – The Stalking Cutpurse
  • Wax Cylinder – Victory March

Becoming available on December 10th, an Epic Snowy White Pine Tree! The largest of this snowy line of trees, you’ll need a very large property lot or a Player-Owned Town to place this magnificent decoration:

  • Epic Snowy White Pine Tree

Also, the Winter Seasonal and Fall Seasonal items are still available! Here’s a listing of all of these seasonal items. Some will feature only for 1 week in the Vault, but others will remain in the store throughout the holiday season, so don’t miss out! Winter items will be available until February 8th, and Fall items will be available until December 12th:

  • 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack
  • Banded Turkey Decoration Pet
  • Blank Yule Card 2017 5-Pack
  • Blank Yule Card 2018 5-Pack
  • Blank Yule Card 2020 A 5-Pack
  • Blank Yule Card 2020 B 5-Pack
  • Breathe Blue Fire Emote
  • Breathe Emote 6-Pack
  • Breathe Snow Emote
  • Candy Cane Wand
  • Ceiling Yule Tree
  • Dark Yule Outfit
  • Fall Wreath 2017
  • Fall Wreath 2019
  • Fountain of Frozen Waters
  • Frost Pipe
  • Frozen Bagpipes
  • Giant Haunted Yule Tree
  • Giant Yule Tree 2015
  • Giant Yule Tree 2016
  • Giant Yule Tree 2017
  • Giant Yule Tree 2018
  • Haunted Sleigh
  • 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
  • Juggle Snowballs Emote
  • Krampus Mask
  • Krampus Statue
  • Kwanzaa Table Decorations
  • 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
  • Menorah 2020
  • Menorah 2021
  • 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 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
  • Red-Nosed Reindeer Mount
  • Reindeer Decoration Pet
  • Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack
  • Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack
  • Snow Emote
  • Snow Globe 2020
  • 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
  • Turkey Statue
  • 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
  • Winter Pattern Glass Table Lamp 3-Pack
  • Yule Elf Outfit
  • Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack
  • Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack
  • Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack
  • Yule Gift Box 2020 3-Pack
  • Yule Gift Box 2021 3-Pack
  • Yule Hat
  • Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack
  • Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack
  • Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack
  • Yule Stockings 2020 3-Pack
  • Yule Stockings 2021 3-Pack
  • Yule Tree 2014
  • Yule Tree 2015
  • Yule Tree 2016
  • Yule Tree 2017
  • Yule Tree 2018
  • Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble


Don’t forget! Hometown is an amazing resource for players. At Hometown, which is located just east of Soltown, players can examine available houses, Player-Owned Town templates, and even new Crown Store items. Why not be certain you like it before you make a purchase? So head on over to Hometown and check things out! If you have questions about what’s on display in Hometown, please visit this forum thread and post a question.

To see a full listing of all the items which rotate through the Vault, we have prepared a forum post showing all items which could appear throughout the year!

December Login Reward: Snow Goggles!

Log in during the month of December, and you’ll receive Snow Goggles! This head slot item can be salvaged for an eternal pattern so players can apply this visual to any head slot item which accepts patterns.

Release 96 Subscriber Login Rewards: Wood-Burning Stove, Snowy Pine Trees, & Labrys Axe!

Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 96 are a must have — don’t miss out! This month’s collection adds another item to the Ancient Xenossian set and more! The Ancient Xenossian Two-Handed Labrys Axe has a dye layer on the handle, the Small Wood-Burning Stove Cooking Station features the bonuses of an expert cooking station, and the Snowy White Pine 6-Pack is a wondrous way to make your towns and homes look more winter themed! Subscribers to the Reward Program must login during Release 96 to receive these special login items:

  • Ancient Xenossian Two-handed Labrys Axe
  • Small Wood-Burning Stove Cooking Station
  • Snowy White Pine Tree 6-Pack

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 (about 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
    • 21 Months: Keeper of the Bond
    • 24 Months: Keeper of the Promise
    • 27 Months: Keeper of the Covenant
  • Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
  • Pick any three of these 7 Obsidian Potions every month:
    • 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
    • Potion of Stamina: Decreases focus use from sprinting
  • While subscribed to the rewards program, players also receive these special bonuses:
    • Obsidian Potions are significantly more powerful!
    • 24 Additional Deck Slots!

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.

Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be 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:

  1. Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter”
  2. Single Ant Cloak
  3. Lady Bug Backpack
  4. Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids”
  5. Ant Farm
  6. Insect Leg Table
  7. Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles”
  8. Bug Painting B
  9. Bug Sprayer
  10. Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths”
  11. Butterfly Chair
  12. Corpion Chair (Pictured Below)
  13. Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies”
  14. Hacked Oracle Flyer
  15. Giant Blue Butterfly Pet
  16. Butterfly Mask
  17. Dragonfly pet
  18. Fairy Wings
  19. Monarch Butterfly Pet
  20. Dragonfly Wings
  21. Hacked Oracle Crawler
  22. Blue Butterfly VFX
  23. Orange Fireflies VFX
  24. 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.

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!

Upcoming Release Dates

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. The upcoming 2021 Release Schedule is as follows:

  • Release 96 – Nov 18 (Polish)
  • Release 97 – Dec 16 (Content)
  • Release 98 – Jan 27 (Polish)
  • Release 99 – Feb 24 (Content)
  • Release 100 – Mar 31 (Polish)
  • Release 101 – Apr 28 (Content)

Community Updates & Resources

Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums:

Catnip Games Contests:

  • Catnip Games Monthly Fishing Tourney: Greetings Anglers! The monthly Catnip Games Fishing Tourney is live! Join in on the fun! SO many prizes available for the anglers of New Britannia!
  • Catnip Games Monthly Screenshot/Video Contest: Avatars! For those of you skilled with the camera or screenshot key binding, a monthly screenshot and video contest is underway which features a large number of valuable prizes. The focus will be for players to submit creative or informative screenshots and videos of content introduced to the game during the latest 3 monthly releases.
  • Catnip Games Monthly Treasure Hunting Contest: Want to go hunting for rare items? Want to see if you can beat other players in this quest for treasure? Well join in on the monthly treasure hunting contest, Avatars!

Special Announcements:

  • Player Meet-Up in NYC: Ravalox will be traveling to the east coast and is inviting players and friends to join him at Dave & Busters in NYC on Saturday, November 20th at 4PM ET. If you’re able to attend, get over there and meet some of the SotA community!
  • Goodbye Norah East: “I am sorry to inform that Norah East passed away from her battle with cancer. Best archer, best crafter, best friend. We will miss you Norah…”
  • A Final Farewell to a Beloved Player: Posted by Trezir Pyle, “It is always sad to hear about people passing. Its even harder when that person is a valued member of our community, as well as a good friend to each one of us. For the past month, Twistar has been fighting Covid. On Saturday, Oct. 2nd his fight ended. May he finally be at peace and rejoined with family and friends who have passed before him. On Monday Alphaine, Death Herself created a memorial service to honor Twistar. The service was perfect. For those who could not make it, here is the memorial video created by Alphaine.​”

One-Time Events:

  • Mysteria Fishing Contest: Join us for some magic in Mysteria with a spin off contest for this month’s Catnip Fishing Tournament. Our contest begins on Thursday, November 18th at Midnight CT.

Recurring Events:

  • Dragon Hold Fishing Invitational: Located above the Whiteguard Foothills, Dragon Hold hosts a monthly fishing contest with prizes allocated per trophy type as well as largest overall fish. Rules and prize details can be found on the notices at the fishing shop easily reached by teleporter. Happy fishing and good luck to all!
  • Trash to Treasure Dropped Items Turn-In: Some unscrupulous fella has been flooding the loot in New Britannia with junk: Feast items such as Brewing Ingredients, Turkeys, and more! It’s time to clean this trash up that’s plaguing the loot tables, so a bounty has been placed on all gear crafted by Coswald Dirthmire that you find in loot. Turn in what you find every contest period! R95’s contest period lasts until November 23rd!
  • Ironhall Tournament & PvP Training: The Player-Owned Town of Ironhall holds weekly player training events every Saturday at 1PM CT. Events are held in the village of Virtus Mons in Ironhall and can be reached easily via use of the fast travel signs.
  • M’Hul Island Monthly Fishing Contest: Join Asmodi M’hul and friends at M’hul Island for their monthly fishing tournament that lasts from Release Day to Release Day! Prizes are available!
  • Lightbringer Isle Fishing Contest: Why not earn some extra prizes each month and participate in Lightbringer Isle’s monthly fishing tourney? Lots of fantastic prizes — don’t miss out!
  • Combat & Crafting Sunday School: Head on over to Immortal City every Sunday from 7PM to 9PM CT to learn the tricks of the trade in combat and crafting!
  • 500 Crown Leisurely Fishing: Sonja Solar and friends are running a continuous fishing contest in Brittany Fort “Now and Forever for All Eternity” which has wonderful prizes and objectives. You can now win 500 Crowns for record fishies caught in Brittany Fort by anybody at any time in history for display in Sonja Solar’s fishy aquarium museum. Be sure to watch the video indicated in the “Brittany Fort” link provided in the first post to see the full explanation of the contest rules.
  • RHEC Traveling Pop Up Fishing Contest: Keep an eye out in universe chat, trade chat, and the forums! Asmodi M’hul will routinely announces at least one pop up fishing contest every week for those anglers out there anxious for extra prizes and fun!
  • PvP Fishing with RHEC: The RHEC anglers of New Britannia will be hosting PvP fishing contests in The Brave Coast! There are 3 tourneys which will take place on July 23rd and July 24th from 7PM to 9PM CT, and July 25th from 5PM to 7PM CT. Hope to see you there!
  • Lightbringer Isle Auction: Ladies and gentlemen! The Citizens of Lightbringer Isle welcome you to the weekly auctions! The auctions are about bringing together people from all corners of the community, with the Lightbringer Isle’s market being the perfect place to do so! Join us every Sunday at 11AM CT!

New Player-Created Resources:

  • Crafting Q&A with Coswald Dirthmire: Recently, streamer extraordinaire Coswald Dirthmire hosted a crafting Q&A session in the town of Haven Ridge. As the 3rd installment of Haven Ridge’s Q&A series, it turned out to be a highly informative event. Please watch the video and see what you missed!
  • 24 Hour CotO Store Sale Thread: Wanna be able to see what’s on sale while not in-game? Tirrag has been taking the time to post a screenshot of the daily sale items to help players find elusive sale items. Check it out!
  • Artifact Survey Tool by Tirrag: Please head on over to this forum thread and check out Tirrag’s new Artifact Survey Tool! What better way to get involved than by contributing to the data which helps players find their most sought after treasures?

New Fan Fiction:

Community Calendars:

  • Avatars-Virtue Radio Calendar: Just when are all those talented DJ’s and streamers broadcasting? Don’t just guess, check out there very helpful calendar! Never again will you wonder when’s the best time to tune in!
  • NBNN Calendar: This calendar provides a great schedule for NBNN and WRFB programing as well as many other community events. If you’re a fan of the Laz & Jack show or even if you’re hoping to catch them in action for the first time, this is the calendar for you!
  • SotA Event Calendar: Event participants, take heed! Thoryk Omara has done a wondrous job creating a community event calendar which is available to all players of Shroud of the Avatar. Please make an effort to support this new calendar. The more resources players have at their disposable for event notifications, the better!

Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!

  • One-Time Community Events Forum: Sometimes events happen only a single time, so you’ll not want to miss out on these events as they occur. Check out the forums routinely to spot these!
  • Recurring Community Events Forum: Some events occur on weekly or monthly schedules which are a great way to routinely meet up with friends and to make new ones. Be sure to check this forum frequently for new events or time changes to existing ones.
  • Game Master (GM) Potion Request Procedures: Shroud of the Avatar has an amazing in-game consumable for player event holders — the Potion of Temporary GM Powers! Players wishing to enhance their in-game community event by having GM Powers at their disposal need to simply follow the procedures outlined in this forum thread.
  • Player Event Trophies and Special Item Requests: Would you like to request a special trophy or renamed item for a player event you’ve created? Head on over to this thread to see what’s available and to obtain more information about request procedures.
  • Player Radio Station Forum: If you want to check out the latest and greatest from our in-game radio stations, go to the radio stations forum! If you’re a DJ, be sure to advertise your time slot and venue in this forum.
  • Player Livestreams & Videos Forum: If you’re searching for a Shroud Streamer to watch, head on over to the streamer forum! If you are a live streamer for Shroud of the Avatar, be sure to advertise your Shroud stream by posting in this forum.
  • Town Directory Forum: Want to find a town to live in or get your town listed in the directory, head over to the forums and check it out!
  • Guild Directory Forum: Looking for a guild or want to get yours posted in the guild directory? Head on over to the forums and check it out!
  • Fire Lotus Tavern: This wondrous role-playing and story writing forum is the spot to be if you love fan fiction and role-play.
  • Community Resources:  Looking for links to community and official resources for Shroud of the Avatar? Well look no further. On this page you’ll find links to a plethora of helpful resources created by the dev team or the community.

SO many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!

Project to Support: Ghostbusters: The Gates of Gozer

Immersive theatre. 3D binaural sound. Real ghostbusting. Get your tickets now!

We are excited to share, Starr “Darkstarr” Long’s (Executive Producer at The Acceleration Agency) latest project: Secret Cinema’s “Ghostbusters: The Gates of Gozer.” Travel back to the ‘80s and experience never-before-seen storylines based on the original film in this live virtual adventure. Get ready for the jaw-dropping detail of any Secret Cinema event, brought to you online and to a whole other level! Team up with the Ghostbusters to investigate paranormal activity, explore the infamous 550 Central Park West and uncover spine-chilling secrets from other dimensions. The world needs saving and you’re the one for the job!

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: 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

SotA_NewPlayerWelcome_Forum

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.