Update of the Avatar #164 – 2016.02.19: Countach World Premier, Making of Malice & Skrekk, R27 QA, RizeUp Seattle Childrens Charity Drive, Elven Greenhouse, and More!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

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

• The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 2
• Shooter Jennings’ In-Game Worldwide Premier of New Album “Countach”
• The Making of Skrekk – Part 2
• Release 27 QA Build Available for Dev+ Backers
• Public Cache Chests Now POTable
• RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
• Final VIP Roundtable, Studio Tour, LotM Visit & Dinner
• Story in Scene
• Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango!
• Release 26 All Player Towns Gathering
• The Gauntlet [EVL]
• Round Elven Greenhouse
• 10 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
• Backer Shipping Addresses
• In-game Community Events
• This Week In the News
• Upcoming Events
• Recommended Projects to Back

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The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 2

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]

Hey guys, SorcerousSteve chiming in with an update on Malice, now focusing on the interior Dungeon and its surrounding chambers, including the Well of Sorrows!

Malice is populated by the vengeful dead, an army being raised to sweep down over the lands of the living and avenge Anapa and the injustices done to him and the dead of the Drachvald.

It is here in the Well of Sorrows where Sequana sits on a platform held wrapped there by magical chains.

Initial layout and brainstorming, the start of an iterative process. For all you Lord British fans, those rough drafts on the right were drawn by Lord British himself to provide me with some guidance.

Halls of crypts and chambers filled with hundreds of bodies have come to known as The Warrens, it is here where the dead congregate in enormous droves
waiting in their hope for release.

The Warrens have been largely inspired by the Paris Catacombs.

An underground river has created this vast chasm once the site of rituals for the undead.

Stay tuned for more on this work in progress: Malice.

See ya next time!

Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer

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You are invited to the Ultimate Album Premier of the Decade!

SHOOTER JENNINGS, with Marilyn Manson, Brandi Carlile, Steve Young, and Lord British, in his newest album, Countach!

Groups from around New Britannia are joining forces to bring you the party you will never forget!

Join us in-game for events: quests, parties, and a world premier first time listen of the entire album

Party goers will assemble at 7 pm CT (GMT -06:00) at the Bear Tavern in the player town of Beran’s Reach on the western coast of Spindrift Bay (or /zone Balec deCani).

Attendees have the chance to win prizes, including:
Pink Vinyl physical copies of Countach
In-Game Wax Cylinders of Shooter Jennings Tracks!

The event will be broadcast live on Avatars Radio (http://avatarsradio.info/)
With live video streaming by RizeUp Gaming (http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming)

Thanks To:

Shooter Jennings – For the opportunity to bring you this party!
Amber Raine – For co-sponsoring and broadcasting the event on Avatars Radio
Gabriel Nightshadow, Elgarion De Kahli, Asclepius & NBTT – For the performances and quests
Minerva, Aimend, Athanil et Team – For decorating the multiple event locations
Kazyn Phoenixfyre, Eclipse Maiden, RizeUp Gaming – for live video streaming on Twitch.tv
Duke Violation & OoV – For coordinating event security
The Bear Tavern – For hosting the kickoff party
Wake Up New Britannia – The Pre-show on Avatars Radio!
Speck – For nurturing the idea to fruition!
(…and many, many others)

IF you only plan to attend one party in Shroud of the Avatar this month,
THIS is the party you do not want to miss!

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In Shooter’s Own Words…

When news recently got out that outlaw country musician Shooter Jennings, son of the country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, planned to hold the World Premier of his new album, Countach, inside of the fantasy role-playing game Shroud of the Avatar, one news outlet dubbed it “…arguably the weirdest gaming event of all time.”

When asked why he chose such a unique venue to unveil his latest album, this is what he had to say:

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized I’m a man of familiar comforts. I often find true happiness in the delights of my childhood. But, I find myself trying to give back to the things that gave me such happiness as a kid. When I was 7 years old, my dad bought the family an Apple IIe. Just the sheer possibilities blew my mind and the computer quickly became my favorite tool. The greatest tool.

It was with this computer that my imagination was captured and taken to great heights. Early computer games were, and still remain my favorites. The games Sierra made, Broderbund, all these early titles held a very special place in my heart. But it was with the Ultima series that I found a different kind of kinship. I would have to say, I tinkered a bit on the first few games, but when Ultima V and VI came along I was ready for their epic challenges. Lord British was my J.R.R Tolkien, giving me my first broad magical adventure where morality and intellect really played a major role.

As I got older I played every single Ultima game that was released, even poisoning the bread in Ultima IX. Then Ultima Online took me and my friends to another world, allowing us to live a real alternate life. What a brilliant development!

By this time Kurt Cobain was minutes from death and my 386 sat on a small table in my bedroom. I was running a BBS and connecting to very early forms of the internet. Nine Inch Nails’ the Downward Spiral had captured my ears, changing my perceptions of music forever.

It was with these computers that I began to make music. I understood computers, but up until my discovery of Trent Reznor, I had not found a link between music and computers that resonated with me. After this point I began recording my own songs at home, learning and crafting, crafting and learning. It was a cathartic experience that eventually led me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in rock and roll full time.

I spent a lot of time drinking, and going out. Trying to out-Bukowski Bukowski, I guess. I kinda put my years of computing at bay, performing with my band on the Sunset Strip, and trying to make up for all the lost nerd years with the ladies. But I kept a copy of Ultima IX on my machine in my first LA bedroom. Every once in a while, my friend John Shahan and I would revisit Britannia and beat the game again. It was like a warm blanket I brought from my childhood home. When being an adult got to be too much, I could always go poison Lord British’s loaf of bread and get a laugh.

All of this leads to a certain point. I remember looking online and reading about Shroud of the Avatar and getting very excited. It had been a long time since I’d heard the name Lord British, and it was like John Lennon all of a sudden coming out with a new Plastic Ono Band album. I immediately found the Kickstarter and made my pledge. I could not wait to play this game. I had played some of the other MMOs, and while fun, they never captured the sense of adventure that the Ultima series did, online or offline. I was so excited to see this come out that I just could not wait.

After jumping in SOTA, in a very early release, I got very excited for the potential. It felt like UO, but also felt like a wide open adventure unlike anything I’d ever seen. Over the months, I would check in release-to-release as the game started to take major shape. I was inspired by the fact that they allowed players to be a part of the game as it was built. It felt like I was a part of something really special.

Fast forward about a year, and I found Richard Garriott on twitter. I reached out to him, mainly because I was a fan. I thought SOTA was amazing and I think I initially offered to help with score. It has always been a dream of mine to score a game, and I never got that opportunity (well, until I eventually got to put some music in SOTA!). Lord British himself wrote me back and I was just floored. I would keep in touch here and there by retweeting or talking about Ultima games. It was easy, they meant that much to me.

Fast forward again and I’m half way through the recording of my new album ‘Countach’. I was recording the song ‘Chase’. The song, originally from the Midnight Express film, was also used as a theme song for my favorite radio program, Coast to Coast AM. As a kid, I would listen to Art Bell explore the unknown every night with this song as the backdrop. I knew this had to be on the album but I wanted to make it more than just an instrumental. That’s when the idea hit me to ask Richard Garriott to do a voice-over. Here I was doing this record, a tribute to Giorgio Moroder, a man who basically took electronic tools that most people didn’t even understand yet and made wild, lush adventures for people to forget their troubles to. Sounded just like Lord British, so I felt if I just could get Richard talking about his life, exploring, creating worlds, it would make absolute sense. And it did. I was floored when he did it. It was a dream come true.

After we got done with the record, I got to meet Richard Garriott and Starr Long in Los Angeles, and found myself among folks that I really felt I could have a deep conversation with. Again, going back to feeding back into my childhood, I realize that we are all the most responsible for what we have learned from life, and for giving it back to the rest of the world. Much as Richard and Starr have done the same by creating the worlds they have, they gave it back to me. And then through my love of their art, I am trying to give back to them, and give to future generations of the lore of (new) Brittania and the innovations of its creator’s.

Having created a system where you can not only listen to streaming radio inside the game, but also having the ability to collect wax cylinders with audio stored on them which you can play on in-game phonographs, it seemed like a no-brainer to be able to share music inside Shroud of the Avatar. So I suggested we do a listening party in the game. If there was one album where this concept fit, it was this one! Hell, I think I even hid some Ultima 7 music on the record somewhere. And Lord British himself is on the record. So we set it up and the unbelievable community in Shroud immediately jumped up and have prepared an incredible quest-driven party. The quests are being executed by the New Britannia Theater Troop, who are an in-game, live group of actors. Some of the great building constructors and creators are crafting custom locations and clothing for the event. Avatars Radio is going to stream the album in-game. And both Starr and Richard (Darkstarr and Lord British) have given it their blessing and are going to attend.

Now, going back to that 14 year old kid on the 386 in his room. Lonely and looking for adventure. Imagine what he would say right now? Probably something along the lines of “f**k yeah future Shooter, way to f**king go!”

– Shooter Jennings

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The Making of Skrekk – Part 2

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard Matey]

Hey Everyone. Thanks for the feedback! We are working real hard on this section of the world and bringing in more Kobold influence into the game. Here are a couple of early shots of entering the town.

RrMatey
Level Designer

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Release 27 QA Build Available for Dev+ Backers

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Starr Long]

Hello, the Dev+ QA build is out, version 325.

If you have not played on QA before, you can find instructions here: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/early-dev-release-21-testing.35715/

Please post bugs here: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?categories/early-access-qa-server-bug-reports-release-27.501/

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Public Cache Chests Now POTable

Based on community requests, Public Cache Chests, great for player created quests where you may want to leave quest clues or loot for questors to discover, can now be placed as decorations in Player Owned Towns. Public cache chests are available in-game, with an Ornate Public Cache Chest available in the Add-On Store. Placement limits for cache chests in Player Owned Towns are:

• Holdfast: 1 chest
• Hamlet: 2 chests
• Village: 3 chests
• Crossroads Village: 4 chests
• Town: 5 chests
• City: 6 chests
• Metropolis: 7 chests

 

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RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive

RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive starts at 9pm PST, February 21 and finishes at 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.

About Seattle Children’s…

HOPE.  CARE.   CURE.

These three simple words capture what we are here to do. That’s because at Seattle Children’s, compassionate care, breakthrough research and generous donors come together every day for children who need us.

We are united by a compelling mission: to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease.

Together, we deliver superior patient care, advance new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research and serve as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest region of any children’s hospital in the country. In 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Seattle Children’s No. 1 on the West Coast – and No. 6 in the country overall – placing us among the nation’s top children’s hospitals.

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Final VIP Roundtable, Portalarium Studio Tour, LotM Visit & Dinner

We have scheduled our final Lord of the Manor Dinner, VIP Roundtable and Portalarium Studio Tour. Emails with the following information are being sent to the qualifying Dukes and LotMs:

Lord British’s Britannia Manor Tour and Dinner

A night of merriment awaits you and a guest at Britannia Manor, New York. Lord and Lady British request your presence the eve of Friday, April 15th, 2016 for a Royal Feast. As this is an official seating with thy esteemed Lord and Lady British and the honorable Lord DarkStarr, period dress is requested for this festive event.

Event Schedule:

• Arrive at Britannia Manor, NY by 6:00 pm EST
• Embark on a 2 hour Royal Tour of the Manor led by Lord British and Lord DarkStarr. Thy Lady British hopes that the fates allow her to attend as well.
• First course served promptly at 8:00 pm EST
• Revelry till midnight!

Following thy meal, wine will flow freely as we discuss your Lord of the Manor backstories and your thoughts on Shroud of the Avatar’s development to date. And with enough spirits, who knows what else might be revealed!

Please RSVP by March 18^th, 2016 so that we may prepare for your visit.  I am humbled by your generous support of Shroud of the Avatar and look forward to sharing an evening of fellowship with you.

~ Lord British

VIP Roundtable Design Discussion w/ Lord British & Portalarium Studio Tour

Thy humble Lords and Ladies of Portalarium would like to extend the following invitation to all of our Dukes, Duchesses, Lords, and Ladies of the Manor:

Please join us in Austin, Texas on Friday May 13th, 2016 for a grand day with the developers of “Shroud of the Avatar”. We will begin at 11AM on May 13th with your arrival at the Portalarium studios for a tour, and end the day with a series of roundtable design meetings with Richard Garriott and other members of the Development team. We are always trying to find ways to help you make the most of your visit to the studio, and we think that the Roundtable Discussions with Richard are the perfect way to have your voice heard, as it helps you have the chance to influence Shroud of the Avatars direction and development!

Please RSVP for the Friday Roundtable event no later than April 22, 2016 so that we may have an accurate count of guests and have an adequate supply of lunches available for our Friday meeting.

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Story in Scene

“Story in Scene” is a type of literary quest; a creative mashup of player-created quests and stories. Community members Womby and Vyrin recently posted in the Release 26 Events Forum about their Story in Scene creations:

Story in Scene: The Prison

Far, far away on a forgotten island in Spindrift Bay lies an abandoned Obsidian prison.

Within that prison are six cells, and within each cell is a note left by the former occupant. Can you make sense of what they wrote? Explore the prison and the adjoining guardhouse and discover information that will reveal the stories behind each prisoner.

To begin your adventure make your way to the Isle of Ghosts, then follow the trail of lamp posts across the bridge. There you will find the prison (on the left) and the adjacent guardhouse.

Story in Scene: The Palace Gardener

I have used my keep lot in Ardoris as a stage for a story, “The Palace Gardener”.

Mother Damai has appealed to you, Avatar, to help unravel the mystery surrounding one of Ardoris’ most beloved residents, the Palace Gardener. Strange happenings at his home have led people to believe it cursed, and these rumors are further undermining the peace of an already tense city. Will you help set things right?

You interact with the story by finding the scenes recorded in books or letters, scattered around the keep. The best way to experience it is to find each scene in sequence from 1 through 18. The first starts at the entrance outside the portcullis as shown in the picture.

You can find the Keep by going left immediately as you enter Ardoris.

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Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango!

[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post by Sandillox Ent]

Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango Sat Feb 20th 8pm-10pm NBT

/zone to Sand, Majoria, or Apollox Evanheart

5 Rounds of BINGO. Each round with a chance to win a $5.00 add-on store credit.
Final Round will have Grand Prize of $10.00

Bingo is brought to you by Sandillox Entertainment Guild House located in the beautiful Town of Wizards Rest. Please check out the Website for more information.

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Release 26 All Player Towns Gathering

[From a Release 26 Events Forum post by Winfield]

The All Player Towns Gathering is a time for many Player Owned and Run Towns to meet to talk about town development, diplomacy, and ideas. All towns and people are invited to attend. This is your chance to meet other town leaders, citizens, and adventurers. We will have some plenary topics followed by workshop sessions.

The event starts at 1pm CST, Sunday, February 21, and is being held in Hometown (located SE of Soltown in Novia). Players are invited to come an hour early to meet people, bring books about your towns, hang out, and more.

[http://www.sotamap.com/?map_id=38]

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The Gauntlet [EVL]

[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post by Kendric Darrow]

The GAUNTLET is a new style of event that is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner of a $25 store credit!

The EVL Gladiators will do their very best to slow you down using a variety of magic spells along the course. Join us in Novia on February 21st at 4pm NBT (CST) in the Underworld PVP town (same location as the Pip Squeak PVP). Zone point for the Gauntlet is Sheamus McGuinness. Registration & Practice is open from 4:00 to 4:30 so make sure to get there on time so you can check out the course and get signed up! Complete Rules will be handed out upon registration and everyone is encouraged to come along and root for their favorite Runner or their favorite Gladiator!

Sheamus McGuinness provided this preview of the course, and recommends you come early to practice a bit:

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Round Elven Greenhouse

This small greenhouse is the perfect out-building to grow your Royal Elderberries and other assorted flora found in New Britannia. Growing plants in this greenhouse will speed up their growth rate. Available now in the Add-On Store.

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10 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!

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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.

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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 (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
  • 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)

Saturday, February 20

• 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)
• 12:30pm CST The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon
  • 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 and Diamond Fields for a jog around the world, with a dip in the water as well. Prizes! (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 FFA/Brackets PVP Tournament
  • Meet in Vengeance and we’ll plan a location for a FFA or Brackets tournament (Vengeance)
• 8:00pm CST BINGO Bango!
  • Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango. 5 Rounds of BINGO. Each round with a chance to win a $5.00 add-on store credit. Final Round will have Grand Prize of $10.00. (Wizards Rest, /zone Sand, Majoria, or Apollox Evanheart; details)

Sunday, February 21

• 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)
• 12:00pm CST Pre-All Towns Gathering R26 (in Hometown)
  • Come an hour before the All Player Towns Gathering meeting to meet people, bring books about your towns, hang out, and more. (Hometown, /zone Winfield; details)
• 1:00pm CST All Towns Gathering R26 (in Hometown)
  • The All Player Towns Gathering is a time for many Player Owned and Run Towns to meet to talk about town development, diplomacy, and ideas. All towns and people are invited to attend. This is your chance to meet other town leaders, citizens, and adventurers. We will have some plenary topics followed by workshop sessions. (Hometown, /zone Winfield; details)
• 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 EVL The GAUNTLET
  • The GAUNTLET is a new style of event that is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner of a $25 store credit! The EVL Gladiators will do their very best to slow you down using a variety of magic spells along the course. (The Underworld, /zone Sheamus McGuinness; details)
• 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)
• 11:00pm CST RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
  • RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive starts at 9pm PST, February 21 and finishing at 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.

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

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This Week In the News

February 15 – Polygon: Shooter Jennings to premiere new album inside a video game

February 15 – GameSpot: Country Music Star to Debut New Album in Ultima Creator’s New Fantasy Video Game

February 16 – Eurogamer: Country music’s Shooter Jennings will premiere new album inside Shroud of the Avatar

February 18 – MassivelyOP: Outlaw Country Musician to Debut Album in Shroud of the Avatar

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Upcoming Events

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
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.05.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32

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Recommended Projects to Back

Crowfall

In this Throne War Simulator, characters are persistent but the campaign worlds are not, thanks to voxel technology which enables fully-destructible settings. A seamless blend of an MMO with a large-scale strategy game, players are immortal champions, traveling between realms to fight in an eternal War of the Gods.