Update of the Avatar #163 – 2016.02.12: Happy Birthday Avatars Radio!, Making of Skrekk, Halls of Artifice, Valentine’s Day Events, and More!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

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

• Happy Birthday Avatars Radio!
• The Making of Skrekk
• The Halls of Artifice (A Work In Progress)
• Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party
• The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon
• Happy Valentine’s Day!
• 17 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
• Backer Shipping Addresses
• In-game Community Events
• Upcoming Events
• Recommended Projects to Back

---

Happy Birthday Avatars Radio!

We’d like to wish a heartfelt “Happy Birthday” to Avatars Radio! Founded by Amber Raine, Avatars Radio is the first, and oldest, Shroud of the Avatar radio station, dating all the way back to SotA Release #1!

Avatars Radio has an awesome lineup of amazing DJ’s broadcasting day and night for the SotA community! They started their birthday party festivities today at 3pm, but will be going all day and into the night, so head on over to Radio City and help celebrate their birthday! Here’s more from Amber’s Release 26 Events Forum Post:

Tune in All day to Avatars Radio as each DJ will have wonderful prizes to give away!
It may be our birthday but you the listeners and supporters, the wonderful Avatars of New Britannia, will be the ones receiving the presents!
Thank you for helping us reach 2 years! Without you we would have never made it this far.

Here is to many more in the future!

When: February 12th, 2016 – listen in all day, party with us all night

EVENTS

Avatars Radio Race Track – Built and run by the amazing Woftam et Team.

Avatars Radio Club – Best Dressed, Best in Red, Best in Pink, more fun TBA

Raffles Drawings – Buy your tickets in Radio City at the Avatars Radio Club.

Over 200$ in Add-On Gift Cards and Presents to be given away to you the community!

Avatars Radio Birthday Race Challenge

---

The Making of Skrekk

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard Matey]

Hey guys, I am posting my process earlier than usual so you can see this land build up over time. Currently I am working on Skrekk, the largest Kobold city in the known land. This section will be broken down into 3 scenes, entrance, caverns, and throne room.

Here you can see some shots of the entrance of this area.

My next focus is working on the main cavern of this land. Here you can see my reference board I built up.

Here is a rough layout of what I have in mind leading up to throne room.

Look forward to seeing more work in progress from Skrekk.

RrMatey
Level Designer

---

The Halls of Artifice (A Work In Progress)

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]

Having passed through the golden door of Artifice’s grand entrance, one immediately finds oneself standing in a beautiful atrium, greeted by warm shafts of light which fall from a large oculus set in the domed ceiling above a gurgling fountain. Those who may have entered at dusk or in the midst of night will suddenly realize that if these warm rays are sunlight, then you may have left your world behind entirely…

As your gaze sweeps across the chamber, you’ll notice over a dozen benches tucked against walls between pillars and potted plants, all empty. In fact, regardless of the number who may have entered with you, this chamber echoes with your footsteps alone. Ahead and to the side, beyond the sunken floor below the dome, are three separate vestibules with three smaller golden doors, much like the one you just passed through…

When you turn around, however, you see not the shining portal through which you just stepped,…but two great bronze-bound doors that, when tested, are locked and stuck fast against you. It sees you have choices to make, and the only way through is forward. Could the promised rewards lay beyond this new set of magical gateways?

As I begin building the inner Halls of Artifice, I seek to maintain the theme I began outside; a mix of Greco-Roman-inspired architecture, with just a hint of Gothic mixed in. Though we don’t have any truly Babylonian-style assets to work with, a mix of our dungeon and sewer sets re-skinned with more “desert-like” materials and colors will help blend them in with some of the generic ruined assets we have purchased and altered for our needs, and will hopefully help continue the whole “hanging gardens opulence” vibe I’m going for… That, of course, mixed with a strange sense of “all that glitters is not gold” and possibly “lonely, ethical desolation”… ^_^ Enjoy the progress! More to come soon, as more special chambers are developed…. I think you’ll find the emerging themes “interesting”, to say the least…

---

Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party

[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post]

It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting cordially invites everyone to an extra special scavenger hunt in celebration of valentine’s day on Sunday 14th between 4:00 – 5:00 PM NBT (CST).

The first player to decipher all the clues and complete the scavenger hunt will receive their choice of add on store valentines cloaks. Everyone who participates will receive a crafted harp and valentine’s poem in commemoration of the day of love and romance.

Zone point for the evening will be Jar Laxle​

In conjunction with Phoenix Republic we would like to invite everyone to an after event party hosted in Owl’s Head between 5:00 and 6:00 PM NBT (CST).

So don’t delay put on your best party outfit and dance the night away or, if you prefer, cozy up in the corner for a romantic evening.

Who will be your Valentine? Come to the party and find out!

(details…)

---

The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon

Breast Cancer Awareness Month isn’t until October, but community member Lace, founder of the Prism Guild, believes that breast cancer awareness is a year-round necessity.  As such, she is hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon on February 20th! From her Release 26 Events forum post:

Think you know your way around the overland map and towns without using /stuck or /zone? Put you body where your mouth is and join Prism (http://prism-sota.enjin.com/) and Diamond Fields for a jog around the world, with a dip in the water as well. While a triathlon would be nice, there are no motorized/mounted means of transportation, so we will have to settle for running and a water skill.

Contestants will start in Diamond Fields and be given a flyer which will name at a minimum 5 checkpoints they must visit, and collect a flyer from the race official stationed there (a hint to their actual location will be provided). Your route is up to you, avoiding bottlenecks for getting that flyer is up to you. (it takes time for trades).

Once you have obtained the required flyers form your checkpoints you will then need to travel to a final destination where you must fish up a set number of specific fish. All will be documented in your initial handout flyer for the event. First person to turn in all the flyers and correct number of fish will win.

Minimum prize guarantee of $20 Store Credit for first place; $10 for second; and $5 for third

Runners will receive pink coconut bras for breast cancer awareness

[Click here to signup for the race, or to volunteer as a checkpoint official]

---

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is this Sunday, February 14th! We have a variety of items to help with your celebrations, including the Valentine Card 5-Pack, Cupid Ensemble, Cupid Heart Cloak, and Valentine Hearts Cloak. Available for a limited time only in the Add-On Store!

---

17 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration

All items in the Stretch Goal Store will expire at 10:30 am CST, February 29, 2016. This includes such favorites as: Greenhouse, Black Foal, Baby Llama, Elven Home and Armor, Functional Sypglass, Longboat, Admiral’s Outfits, and more! So you better hurry over to the Stretch Goal Store and grab these rare items while they are still available!

[Stretch Goal Store…]

---

Backer Shipping Addresses

In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image:

For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.

---

In-game Community Events

Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:

Recurring Events

• RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest – January Janus Creation Contest features Cataclysm or Survival Themes!
  • Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
• The Unreliable Travel Guide
  • The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
• Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
  • Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers.  Check out their daily program of amazing DJs:  http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
• NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
  • Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
• Daily War Time PVP Event (Daily, 8pm CST – 9pm CST)
  • Invitation to all guilds, PK hunters, PVP’rs or players interested in PVP training to come to Chaos Crossroads (Located at the crossroads outside of Kingsport on the road to Owl’s Head). PVP Event rules: None! Use whatever spells you want, kill in mobs or solo, group with new allies and defend your territory, lure newbies into the town and wack them! (details)
• EVL Hat Master Weekly Grand Tour Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
  • Have you ever wanted that cool looking release hat you’ve seen around town? Well now is your chance! It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting < EVL> would like to announce a new weekly event aimed at anyone who wishes to grab the current release hat but needs a little help and direction to do so. (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
• “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
  • The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
• Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
  • Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
• Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
  • This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
• PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
  • Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
• Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
  • /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
• EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
  • Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
• Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
  • This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
• EVL Pip Squeak PvP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
  • Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle or Jade; details)
  • 
• Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
  • Otherwise known as “Spend Stryker’s Gold” – Stryker will open a bar tab at one of the local Novia taverns for an hour or so for drinks, stories, news, critique of the arts, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk or watch this thread for locations each week!
• Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
  • Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
• Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event
  • PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
• Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
  • Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
• Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
  • A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
• Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
  • This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
• EVL Capture the Flag (Fridays, 7:00pm CST)
  • It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting would like to invite everyone to our weekly capture the flag event. This is a two team PvP event where each team competes for control over three bases; the team who captures all three bases wins. (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle)
• Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
  • Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)

Friday, February 12

• All Day CST Avatars Radio 2nd Birthday Celebrations
  • Tune in All day to Avatars Radio as each DJ will have wonderful prizes to give away! Events include: Avatars Radio 2nd Birthday Race Challenge, Avatars Radio Club – Best Dressed, Best in Red, Best in Pink, Raffles Drawings, over 200$ in Add-On Gift Cards and Presents to be given away! (Radio City; details)

Saturday, February 13

• 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
  • Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
• 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
  • Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
• 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
  • High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
• 12:00pm CST Ye Olde Grande Tour Quest – The Bear Tavern
  • The Bear Tavern shall host this exciting romp where we will escort, without zoning, new and experienced players alike along the path of the R26 Grand Tour to redeem the Bowler Hat reward! Join us for this stroll whether you already have the hat, or not, as we impart a bit of lore, take in the lands of New Britannia in all their glory and share some travel tips along the way. Please meet Aimend and Balec deCani in-game on the world map outside Brittany to join the tour! (details)
• 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
  • A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
• 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
  • Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
• 8:00pm CST Serenite Auction
  • Join us in Serenite for a monthly Auction for all the best wares. Minimums are allowed but all bets will start at minimums if they exist. For the duration of pre-alpha there will be no fee to auction items in Serenite. (Auction Hall in Serenite, East of Grunvald)

Sunday, February 14

• 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
  • Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
• 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
  • Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
• 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
  • Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
• 3:00pm CST Gustball
  • The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
• 4:00pm CST Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party
  • It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting cordially invites everyone to an extra special scavenger hunt in celebration of valentine’s day on Sunday. The first player to decipher all the clues and complete the scavenger hunt will receive their choice of add on store valentines cloaks. Everyone who participates will receive a crafted harp and valentine’s poem in commemoration of the day of love and romance. In conjunction with Phoenix Republic we would like to invite everyone to an after event party hosted in Owl’s Head between 5.00 and 6.00PM NBT (CST) so don’t delay put on your best party outfit and dance the night away, or, if you prefer, cozy up in the corner and have a romantic evening. Who will be your valentine? Come to the party and find out! (Owls Head, /zone Jar Laxle)
  • 
• 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
  • Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
• 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
  • The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
• 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
  • Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions!  (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
• 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
  • Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword.  (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)

Be sure and check out the Release 26 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.

---

Upcoming Events

2016.02.12 – Norrbotten Media Week
2016.02.22 – Shooter Jennings Album Release Party
2016.02.25 – Release 27
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32

---

Recommended Projects to Back

Underworld: Ascendant

Far more than a dungeon crawl, Underworld Ascendant is a next-generation sequel to the legendary fantasy RPG’s Ultima Underworld & Ultima Underworld 2. It not only modernizes the series’ visuals and user interface to take full advantage of the today’s powerful PC’s, it innovates in bold new ways.