Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- R31 Postmortem Recap
- Lord British and Darkstarr Blood Reliquaries
- News about the Blood Reliquaries
- The Re-Making of Spite
- Pipe Smoking
- 15% Bonus and 19 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
- The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
- Upcoming Events
- The SotA Dating Game (Community Event)
- Owl’s Sky Arena PvP Tournaments (Community Event)
- The Order’s Auction Hall (Community Event)
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- ONBE Shipments and Backer Shipping Addresses
- Recommended Projects to Back
Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 31 Postmortem
Berek certainly had his hands full with his second Hangout of the Avatar this week. We had warned everyone that things might get bloody, but no one was prepared for what happened. While we did do the usual answering of questions and handing out of prizes, we also created art with the blood of Darkstarr and Lord British live on camera! Lord British seemed to handle the blood-letting much better than Darkstarr however…
Lord British and Darkstarr Reliquaries
When Richard “Lord British” Garriott asked artist Steve Brudniak to create reliquaries for the blood of Lord British and Darkstarr, Steve did not blink an eye. Making pieces with stories like these are just the kind of unique visions that Mr. Brudniak is known for and why Lord British has several pieces in his own collection. You can see some of Steve’s other work on his website.
These Reliquaries are beautiful and unique pieces of art made of bakelite, copper, nails, glass, and mirrored glass that can be hung on your wall. They contain the “Blood of Lord British” and the “Blood of Darkstarr” which was collected and recorded in this video There are only 6 of each these rare jewels, so do not hesitate to make this your own.
Your purchase includes not only the Reliquary itself, but a large assortment of digital items. These items include access to the game, Viking or Kobold themed items, a Tax Free POT Castle Lot Deed and unique blood themed items like a /bloodrain emote!
As a limited time bonus we are also including a Studio Visit to the Portalarium offices (travel costs not included)!
The first two of twelve are currently available on our Make A Difference Store. We are still researching the charity that a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to.
LORD BRITISH BLOOD RELIQUARY:
- Physical Items:
- Lord British Blood Reliquary:
- 1 of 6 pieces of art by Steve Brudniak.
- Dimensions: 4.75″ x 9″ x 1″
- Contains a sample of the “Blood of Lord British”.
- Materials: Bakelite, Copper, Mirrored Glass, Nails, Glass, “Blood of Lord British”.
- Studio Visit:
- Come see our offices in Austin, Texas.
- Travel costs not included.
- Dates to be coordinated and approved by Portalarium.
- Lord British Blood Reliquary:
- Digital Items:
- Early Access to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Episode 1
- Blood Themed Items:
- Blood Fountain*
- Blood Reliquary Home Decoration*
- Option to have your Player Owned Town Water turn Blood Red*
- Blood Elemental Pet*
- /bloodrain emote**
- Blood Red Lord British Cloak*
- Viking Tax Free POT Castle Bundle:
- Tax Free Player Owned Town Castle Lot Deed**
- Viking Great Hall City home**
- 2-Story City Stone Basement
- 35 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians
- Pick 12 Prosperity Tools
- Viking Horned Helmet
- Viking Fur Collared Cloak
- Round Targe Shield**
- Ornate Meerschaum Wolf Pipe**
- Pick 12 Obsidian Potions
- Ornate Viking Chest**
- Aether Vibration Amplifier Console
- 3 Pack Potted Blue Spruce Trees
- Ornate Skull Candle
- Ornate Metal Phonograph
- 4 Viking Wooden Fence Kits
- Small Longboat Decoration
- 6 pack Blue Spruce Trees
- Ornate Wooden Streetlamp 6 Pack
- Ornate Wooden Four Poster Canopy Bed
- Vintage Cordovan 5 Drawer Curved Dresser
- Ornate Wooden Hot Tub
- Stone Bear Statue
- Pet: Winter Rottweiler**
- Access to Dev+ Section of Forums
- Commision Free Player Vendor
- /meditate emote**
- 500 Bank Slots
- Pick 4 Expert Crafting Stations
- Tax Free Player Owned Town Castle Lot Deed**
DARKSTARR BLOOD RELIQUARY:
- Physical Items:
- Darkstarr Blood Reliquary:
- 1 of 6 pieces of art by Steve Brudniak.
- Dimensions: 4.75″ x 9″ x 1″
- Contains a sample of the “Blood of Darkstarr”.
- Materials: Bakelite, Copper, Mirrored Glass, Glass, Nails, “Blood of Darkstarr”.
- Studio Visit:
- Come see our offices in Austin, Texas.
- Travel costs not included.
- Dates to be coordinated and approved by Portalarium.
- Darkstarr Blood Reliquary:
- Digital Items:
- Early Access to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Episode 1
- Blood Themed Items:
- Blood Fountain*
- Blood Reliquary Home Decoration*
- Option to have your Player Owned Town Water turn Blood Red*
- Blood Elemental Pet*
- /bloodrain emote**
- Blood Red Darkstarr Cape*
- Kobold Tax Free POT Castle Bundle
- Tax Free Player Owned Town Castle Lot Deed**
- Kobold 4-Story Great Hall City Home
- 2-Story Basement City Sized Basement
- 35 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians
- Pick 12 Prosperity Tools
- Kobold Mask
- Kobold Fighter Mask
- Kobold Archer Mask
- Kobold Mage Mask
- Ornate Metal Pipe**
- Pick 12 Obsidian Potions
- Kobold Ornate Steam Radiator
- Aether Vibration Amplifier Console
- Kobold Red Velvet Nailheads Bench
- Kobold Tiled Square Dining Table
- Ornate Iron Wall Light 3-Pack
- Ornate Rusted Iron Fence
- Kobold Wind Power Generator
- Kobold Spiked Streetlamp 6-Pack
- Stone Kobold Statue
- Radiant Energy Coil
- Kobold Ornate Four Poster Twin Bed
- Capacitor
- Kobold Corkscrew Wind Power Generator
- Pet: Blackened Metal Clockwork Dog*
- Access to Dev+ section of Forums
- Player Vendor
- 500 Bank Slots
- Pick 4 Expert Crafting Stations
* These items will be available in an upcoming Release
** These items will be available in Release 32, July 28, 2016
All other digital items included in this bundle are immediately available in-game
News about the Blood Reliquaries
Something as unusual as the making of these Blood Reliquaries has garnered a lot of attention from News sites, including arstechnica, GameSpot, and Digital Trends. Here’s what they are saying:
GameSpot: Game Developer Selling His Own Blood on eBay
“Famous game developer Richard Garriott, who created the iconic Ultima series and also went to space, is now selling his own blood on eBay.”
Digital Trends: ‘Ultima’ creator Richard Garriott spills – and sells – his blood to promote upcoming game
“In recent years, it’s become increasingly common for collector’s edition video games to contain outlandish physical bonuses, like the working Pip-Boy that was bundled with certain copies of Fallout 4. Now, there’s a project that seeks to take this idea one step further, by offering customers the literal lifeblood of the game’s director.”
MMORPG.com: Shroud of the Avatar News – Selling Lord British’s Blood to Raise Funds is a Thing….
“It appears that Richard “Lord British” Garriott is selling vials of his blood on eBay for about $5,000. Buyers not only get the privilege of owning a piece of Lord British, but also get a slew of in-game items for his current project Shroud of the Avatar as well as a studio tour that does not include travel and lodging expenses. As fundraising ideas go….it’s unique.”
MCV: The Market for Computers & Video Games: Richard Garriott is selling some of his blood on eBay because… erm?
“When Richard ‘Lord British’ Garriott asked artist Steve Brudniak to create reliquaries for the blood of Lord British and Darkstarr, Steve did not blink an eye.” He doesn’t blink? Hmm, perhaps the blood will be of some scientific interest, then. The blurb continues: “Making pieces with stories like these are just the kind of unique visions that Mr Brudniak is known for and why Lord British has several pieces in his own collection.” Sweet. Apparently Angelina Jolie used to wear the blood of former husband Billy Bob Thornton in a vial around her neck. Why should you care? You shouldn’t, but we’re not awash with blood commodity facts and that’s the best we’ve got on this Friday afternoon.
arstechnica: Finally, you can buy Richard Garriott’s blood
“With so many important news stories fighting for our attention these days, it can be hard to get people to care about a simple gaming crowdfunding effort. But sometimes a crowdfunding publicity stunt breaks through the noise and turns into something you have to gawk at. Richard Garriott selling vials of his blood for thousands of dollars is one of those stunts.”
Rock, Paper, Shotgun!:You Can Buy Richard Garriott’s Blood For $5000
“The item description says that, “The Lord British Blood Reliquary is a beautiful and unique piece of art made of bakelite, copper, nails, glass, and mirrored glass that can be hung on your wall.” I think I would worry that hanging this up would give Richard Garriott the ability to apparate into my house whenever he felt like it. I’d come downstairs at night and he’d be in my kitchen, fridge door open, drinking milk direct from the carton.”
MMOs.com: Lord British Selling His Blood For Shroud of the Avatar
“At least no one can say Garriott hasn’t spilled blood over making his game.”
Eurogamer.net: Richard Garriott selling vials of his blood on eBay: Can we make black pudding out of it?
“As PR stunts go – and crowdfunding ideas – it is novel.”
Kotaku.uk: Richard Garriott is Literally Selling His Blood on Ebay
“Now for £3,800 you don’t just get a developer’s blood. You also get a tonne of in-game items. But, honestly, let’s face it, if you’re buying this it’s because you want to own another human’s blood. I’m not judging you, but don’t shy away from your blood ownership needs.”
The Escapist: You Can Now Buy the Blood of Richard Garriott on Ebay
“We’ve seen some pretty odd video game tie-ins over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a developer willing to actually give away his blood before. But that’s just what Richard Garriott, the creator of games like Ultima, Tabula Rasa, and the upcoming Shroud of the Avatar, is doing. Well, he’s selling it, not giving it away.”
ONRPG: Do You Want Lord British’s Blood?
“The Ultima games are some of my favorites of all time as far as Roleplaying games go. But the man is batty like a cave in Pokémon. Brilliant game developer, I love the worlds he creates, but I think the man is slightly unhinged.”
Existential Gamer: Richard Garriott is Selling His Actual, Literal Blood
“Richard Garriott is a game design legend, best known for creating Ultima. He’s also the sort of guy who’s just casually adopted the name ‘Lord British’ and paid $30 million to go to space just for fun. So, really, should we be that surprised that he’s now selling his blood on the internet?”
Massively OP: Richard Garriott and Starr Long Are Literally Selling Their Blood For Shroud of the Avatar
“Remember last year back when Richard Garriott sold his rat tail to raise money for Shroud of the Avatar? Yeah, good times. Now the Portalarium boss is selling something even wackier: his own blood.”
The Re-Making of Spite
Spite started as another cloned scene using one of our PRT / POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka PAXlair). It is getting a complete rebuild from scratch this release and will go live with Release 32. Note that scenes that we unclone after the Final Wipe will NOT get this level of rework, and building placements and lot placements in those towns will remain unchanged; only cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage will be made.
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hello guys, SorcerousSteve here to give you an update on my current work in progress!
We have started the process of going back into cloned scenes and uncloning them, and the first one on my list is the town of Spite. Since we get to work on this town before Final Wipe, we get to completely rework the scene and we can move player lots all over the place.
Note that this will NOT happen in towns we unclone after Final Wipe. Those lots will stay in their positions as claimed. Only NPC buildings/areas and the overall surrounding scenery will change in those post Wipe uncloned scenes.
The town of Spite as some of you may know is located at the edge of Stormwater Lake, across from Malice beneath the shadow of the rugged peaks, The Sirens.
I’ve acquired inspiration for the town from looking at European towns built on seaside cliffs and the rugged coasts of the American Northwest.
Stay tuned for more progress on Spite!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer
Pipe Smoking
We are excited to announce the addition of pipe smoking to the game starting in Release 32. If you have a pipe equipped in your right hand and you use the /smoke emote, you will animate smoking and blow smoke into the air. We chose to put the pipe in your right hand to leave room for your drink in your left hand (of course!). There will be three pipes craftable in the game: Clay, Wood, and Metal. There will also be a variety of more ornate and fanciful versions that can be obtained from the Add On Store. The full list of pipes for R32 includes:
- Clay
- Wood
- Metal
- Ornate Metal
- Ornate Wood
- Wooden Skull
- Metal Dragon
- Wolf Meerschaum
- Titan of Truth Meerschaum (coming soon)
- Titan of Love Meerschaum (coming soon)
- Titan of Courage Meerschaum (coming soon)
Scott “Scottie” Jones elaborated on the process and showed off pictures in a Dev+ Forum Post:
Recently I’ve edged away from scene building in favor of creating a few new assets to go along with some new emotes and behaviors folks can enjoy with their characters! What you see here is a collection of pipes for those who wish to enjoy one with their friends, along with a pint of ale or two (or three,…or four)… Of course, as with most emotes, you can do this almost anywhere!
You’ll find in the row along the top of the image below the three basic type of pipes that you can craft within the game; the standard metal, wooden, and clay pipes. All pipes can be equipped in your right hand and must be equipped in order to use the /smoke emotes. We chose the right hand because that means you can hold a pipe while simultaneously holding a beverage mug in your left hand, thus reveling in both vices at once!
The five pipes along the row at the bottom are the elaborate fanciful metal dragon pipe, the fancy metal pipe, the elaborate fanciful wooden skull pipe, the fancy wooden (calabash) pipe, and the elaborate fanciful meerschaum wolf pipe… All of these five will be available for purchase for those that REALLY want to show off… Plus,…I’m in the middle of working on three more that are patterned after the busts of the titans of Truth, Love, and Courage in the same meerschaum style!
Enjoy! – Scott “Scottie” Jones
15% Summer Bonus and 19 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
As we march toward the Final Wipe and Lot Selection milestone, we are having a Summer 2016 Expiration Event split into Two Parts!
Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
- At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27, 2016, we are expiring the homes and basements from the Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2 pledges. We are also expiring new Player Owned Towns (upgrades of existing POTs will continue to be available). All other rewards (including tax free property deeds) that are currently available in the remaining pledges will continue to be available. The final wipe of all game data will also occur at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27th. To commemorate this momentous milestone, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 1, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Wipe at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).
Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2
- At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on August 22, 2016, we are expiring ALL remaining pledges, including: Adventurer, Founder, Royal Artisan, Explorer, Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2. To commemorate the final expiration of all remaining pledges, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 2, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Pledge Expirations at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).
Get Your 15% Summer Bonus!
If you were thinking of purchasing (or upgrading) a pledge or Player Owned Town before they expire then now’s a great time to do it! For all new purchases (including pledges, pledge upgrades, add-on items, player owned towns, player owned town upgrades, Make a Difference items, and service vouchers) between 12:00 am CDT June 24, 2016 and Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) August 22, 2016, we’ll add an additional 15% bonus to your Store Credit!
The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
The Sword of Midras, by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott, is a revised and expanded version of the Blade of the Avatar novel (originally included in pledge rewards through May 31, 2015). The expanded The Sword of Midras includes four additional chapters not seen in the pledge reward version of Blade of the Avatar, extending and elaborating on key elements of the story.
The release date is June 21, 2016 by Tor Books. The Hardcover, Kindle, and Nook, versions by Tor Books are available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Release date for the unabridged audiobook version is July 12, 2016 with pre-orders available now at Audible.com. Here is sample of the audiobook on SoundCloud:
[NOTE: The original Blade of the Avatar novel has already been delivered as an electronic PDF to all pledges prior to May 31, 2015 (when it expired). For those who qualify for this reward, you can find the link to the PDF on your SotA website account page Special Rewards tab for download. The physical and signed versions of the novel that are rewards at the Patron and Citizen level up through May 31, 2015 will be a paperback print version of the original Blade of the Avatar novel that has been delivered as an electronic PDF. This physical reward will be delivered to backers at the same time that all physical rewards are delivered, which we currently expect will be toward the end of this year
Some backers have asked if they will receive The Sword of Midras, or the 4 additional chapters that were written for it, as part of their Blade of the Avatar novel pledge reward. Unfortunately, Portalarium is contractually not at liberty to distribute The Sword of Midras, or the additional chapters, in print or electronic form, as part of our original pledge rewards. This was a requirement In order to procure a mass market book publishing agreement with a major book publisher. We felt the mass market distribution of The Sword of Midras was critically important to help increase the worldwide exposure of Shroud of the Avatar. If The Sword of Midras is successful, it will help introduce many readers to our game, and potentially bring them in as new players, which is a long-term benefit for the game and the community.]
Upcoming Events
2016.07.27 – Summer Telethon Part 1 + Pledge Homes / POT Expirations (Final Wipe at Midnight)
2016.07.28 – Release 32: Lot Selections
2016.08.22 – Summer Telethon Part 2 + Final Pledge Expirations Episode 1 (Pledge Expirations at Midnight)
2016.08.25 – Release 33
2016.08.26 – Syndcon 2016
2016.09.02 – DragonCon 2016
2016.09.21 – Austin Games Conference
2016.09.29 – Release 34
Community Activities
Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out the Release 31 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
The SotA Dating Game (Community Event)
Avatars! Join The Phoenix Republic and Every Virtue Is Lasting <EVL> as we host:
The SotA Dating Game!
Yes, you read correct we are bringing back the classic 1960s game show that everyone loved! Watch as the bachelorette and bachelor question three contestants to find their best match. All contestants are hidden from view, at the end of the questioning period, the bachelorette and bachelor will choose one lucky contestant to go out with on a date paid for by the show.
Come join in for excitement, laughs, and a good time hosted by the goddess of love herself, Clan of the Wolf‘s own: Justyn! This edition of the Sota Dating Game will take place in Phoenix Fields located on Elysium Isle on July 10th promptly at 4 pm NBT (aka. 4 PM Central-Server-Time).
Owl’s Sky Arena PvP Tournaments (Community Event)
Owl would like to invite everyone openly, be you a hunter/gatherer, skeleton slayer, honorable duelist or motivated by death in itself, to join the weekly Sky Arena Tournament held in Owl Sky City, conveniently located right next to Owl’s Head.
The first tournament was held Tuesday July 5th and will be repeated every Monday at 8PM CST. 150k in prizes to be awarded to the top 3 contestants. 75k, 50k, and 25k purses awarded respectively.
The Order’s Auction Hall (Community Event)
A monthly auction will be held by Order of Vengeance. Location and time to be determined post no-wipe phase. We welcome and encourage feedback from our loyal patrons and merchants. Order of Vengeance is proud to be a Royal Warrant Holder of his Majesty, Lord British.
Community Resources – Players Helping Players
The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Resource of the Week
Wake Up New Britannia
- Wake Up New Britannia is Novia’s FIRST morning show and brings you news, interviews, games, prizes, and MORE every Saturday Morning. Check out their website to catch up on interviews with community members and see some of their songs, contests, and videos. Each week we run a mixture of regular segments for the community which are both entertaining and informative as well as speciality spots such as our Lord British’s Birthday Game!
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing.
Status of ONBE Shipments
The Order of the New Britannia Empire (ONBE) awards are now shipping to our amazing community recipients! There are still several recipients that have not updated mailing address information on their accounts. If you are expecting an ONBE, please do this now! We are also sending out e-mails to ensure we have the correct address. Please check that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account to receive these e-mails!
Visit SotA Wiki for a current list of those who have received or are expecting ONBEs.
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.
A reminder to please be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!
Recommended Projects to Back
From the creators of Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera comes The Bard’s Tale IV. Thirty years ago, The Bard’s Tale put Brian Fargo and Interplay on the map and launched a storied career crafting some of the most beloved cRPGs in gaming history.
Today, we return to Skara Brae for the long-awaited dungeon-crawling sequel to the Bard’s Tale trilogy — the games that helped define the genre. The Bards Talke IV it is a single-player, party-based cRPG with dynamic phase-based combat, challenging puzzles and riddles, and a game set to beautiful Gaelic music, where the Bard’s songs and melodies affect gameplay.
Xounts Kickstarter: Shroud of the Avatar Special!
We’re excited to announce that Xounts is offering a free Shroud of the Avatar style when you support their unique speaker system Kickstarter campaign.
The Xounts system is fantastic at delivering great sound, looks really cool wherever it’s placed, and supports custom themes… including a really SWEET Shroud of the Avatar theme. We even have a SotA styled Xounts in our office!
nice
yes, very nice
The new pipes are GREAT! I wish we could hold these types of non-combat items in any hand. So a mug in my right and the my pipe in the left!
These are currently designed so you can hold a pipe in one hand and a mug in the other.
Yes I understand, I just wish we could hold things like a mug in either hand. I am thinking its an animation thing.
Winter Rottweiler looks great. The “blood” theme has me wondering when we’ll see Bloodhounds.
Looks like the blood thing made the news, smart play rg.
Blood reliquary for 6k? How much would it cost for Lum to staple a used tissue to piece of plywood?
Please consider making the charity donation to something like the Red Cross. Not only would it go toward a great cause, one that saves countless lives, but it would also be thematically appropriate. I’m sure that as a community, we could even sponsor a blood drive to celebrate when all the reliquaries are sold.
http://www.redcross.org/donations/ways-to-donate
Red Cross would be a good idea… As would be a Leukemia research charity…
Great idea!
Buy Lord British Blood!, I love the crazy s*** you guys come up with lol!
Why isn’t Darkstarr’s blood black??? Darkstarr’s blood should be black! Then maybe I would be interested…
I would love a vial of Lord British’ tears
woot love the pipes and /smoke emote, also very excited for Spite! (im like, basically the only resident at the moment lol)
Hello, I donated and received my game download code several months back in 2015. I’ve not had a computer yet that had the appropriate speed until now today. Am I too late to get home placement and all the gifts that hav been awarded us?