Easter Eggs & Real World References (Spoilers!)

Discussion in 'Player Created Resources' started by Rinaldi, Sep 5, 2016.

  1. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Don't know either reference. Looks like we were all waiting for you to enlighten us! :p
     
    Time Lord likes this.
  2. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

    Messages:
    15,678
    Likes Received:
    24,293
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
     
    Time Lord and Fionwyn Wyldemane like this.
  3. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
  4. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I was watching Stargate SG-1, the "100 Days" episode and I swear it looked like the meteor shower we had in SOTA:




    EDIT: Especially at :42 and 1:02/1:03
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2019
    Time Lord, Jaesun and Rentier like this.
  5. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Easter eggs: Garriott's serpent necklace, a skull, and a star shaped island
    Zone: on the overworld map (Episode 2 areas)

    Helen Walker Garriott (Garriott's mother) taught Richard multiple forms of art, including silversmithing (See tributes to Helen Walker Garriott in-game). During one art session with his mother, Richard (11 years old at the time) created the silver snake pendant which he still wears around his neck (see pic below). That Serpent would become a recurring motif in the Ultima series.
    [​IMG]

    The top-left part of the map below contains the episode 2 lands.
    [​IMG]

    The Serpent Islands
    The picture below shows a picture of Garriott's serpent necklace next to the serpent islands on the map. This island may also be a reference to Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle (although the map of the island in Ultima 7 was not shaped like a serpent).
    [​IMG]

    Star Shaped Islands
    The star shaped island in SOTA (shown below) may be a reference to multiple things:
    [​IMG]

    • The star shaped islands may be a reference to the star shaped land of Ultima 8.
      [​IMG]

    • The star island may be a reference to Darkstarr, whose symbol is shown below (see the post below from @Cora Cuz'avich)[​IMG]

    • @Alley Oop pointed out that the star islands may also be a reference to a compass rose.
      [​IMG]
    Skull Islands
    The SOTA map also has islands that form a skull (shown below). Possibly a reference to the Skull of Mondain from the Ultima series?
    [​IMG]

    As more is revealed about episode 2, the details of these references may become more clear.
    .

    Also, see Easter Eggs on the Epsiode 1 overworld map.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2020
  6. Cora Cuz'avich

    Cora Cuz'avich Avatar

    Messages:
    4,648
    Likes Received:
    7,614
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Location:
    Veritas Sanctuary
    I thought the star-island was a chaos star, and was going to be Chris' new PvP paradise. (I can't say which telethon/stream I heard that in, probably the one where the new map was revealed. I might be completely wrong, too.)
     
  7. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Real World Reference: to the developer Robert Thompson (aka @Undone in the forums)
    Zone: Northwood

    On the developer webpage for SOTA, it states "Robert 'Undone' Thompson has a PHD in Computational Astrophysics but has chosen to make videogames instead! We call him 'Dr. Bobby' sometimes."

    In Northwood, there is a house called Britannia Manor that has a telescope and observatory in it.


    Britannia Manor & Doctor Bob are at the red arrow
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Inside Britannia Manor, there is an NPC Astronomer. If you ask about his name, he states "My name is Robert...but, well, I've done a lot of studying at university and everyone calls me 'Doctor Bob.'"

    Also, Doctor Bob is part of Owen's quest (Owen is a reference to Richard's father).


    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    .

    See more Easter Eggs in Northwood, including references to Richard Garriott's Castleton & to Dale ("Elad").
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2019
    Time Lord, Jaesun, Undone and 2 others like this.
  8. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    • Golden Jeweled Gauntlet Reward
    Looks like the gauntlet that big, bad dude (Thanos) from MCU was wearing:


    [​IMG]


    Big, bad dude Thanos. Notice the color order is different:

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

    Messages:
    15,678
    Likes Received:
    24,293
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    No it's not! *wink wink*
     
  10. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Hey I just noticed they are both being worn on the left hand :p But you are correct sir, it bears no resemblance at all to that "other" gauntlet. Has to be a coincidence *winks back*
     
  11. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Easter Egg: reference to the movie Captain Ron.
    Zone: Fishing Expedition


    Captain Ron is a 1992 American comedy film starring Kurt Russell as Captain Ron, a somewhat inept sailor.

    In SOTA, the fishing merchant in the Fishing Expedition is named "Captain Ron". His dialogue does not contain any references to the movie.


    [​IMG]

    @Vas Corp Por (a developer) confirmed the reference in this excerpt of his live stream on 7/2/19.
    [direct link to stream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/447405348?t=01h18m05s]
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019
  12. Fionwyn Wyldemane

    Fionwyn Wyldemane Avatar

    Messages:
    1,841
    Likes Received:
    6,079
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    This has likely already been covered, but the "Potion of Disco Fever" reminds of the following scene from "Ready Player One", complete with the "Saturday Night Fever" BeeGees tune :)



    @ the :40 mark
     
  13. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Easter Egg & Real World Reference to @Minerva and her Stone Soup
    Zone: Aerie

    @Minerva is a long-time member of SOTA community, who inspired the creation of an in-game NPC named Minerva and the Stone Soup mini-quest.

    The genesis of this Easter Egg occurred at HoBLotH 3 in June 2016 (a five day retreat with live-action role-playing in the mythos of Ultima and Shroud of the Avatar, including feasting, questing, mock combat, singing, dancing, and music).


    Stone Soup Folk Tale
    Stone Soup is folk tale about hungry travelers who have a cooking pot but no food. The travelers arrive at a village, but the villagers initially refuse to share their food. The travelers fill their pot with water and stones at a nearby stream, and then place the pot over a fire. The curious villagers ask what the travelers are making. The travelers say they are cooking delicious "stone soup", but the soup will taste even better if some additional ingredients are added. The travelers offer to share the soup with everybody if the villagers supply the additional ingredients. The villagers, who are eager to taste a soup they have never had, provide additional ingredients, such as carrots and seasoning. When the soup is cooked, the stones are removed from the pot, and everyone savors the tasty soup. The moral of the story highlights the value of sharing (even though the travelers tricked the villagers into sharing their food).

    Stone Soup At HoBLotH 3
    At HoBLotH 3, Minerva created and directed an activity called "Stone Soup" which was inspired by the folk tale described above. For the activity, attendees gathered around a pot of water that was boiling over a fire. As with the classic tale, each member of the community contributed an ingredient to the soup. Then, the soup was enjoyed by all.

    Notice that Lord British is holding a book called "Stone Soup" !!!

    Thank you @Minerva and @Lazarus Long for the pics!

    In the foreground, from left to right: @Minerva, @Lord British, @Roper Docholiday.
    In the background at far left: @Winfield chugging some mead!

    [​IMG]
    .
    Minerva getting ready to serve the Stone Soup
    [​IMG]
    .
    Lord British's daughter, Kinga, wants more stone soup or else!
    [​IMG]
    .
    Everyone enjoying the stone soup
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    The webpage shown above is from Rustic Dragon's website Hearth of Britannia.


    Minerva and her "Stone Soup" activity were re-created in-game!
    The NPC Minerva is located in Aerie.

    Here is a picture of Minerva with her cooking pot and a fire pit (just like at HoBLotH 3):
    [​IMG]
    Here is a picture of the "real life" Minerva with the NPC Minerva!
    [​IMG]

    The NPC Minerva is at the red arrow on the map below (which is location 36.9, 26.4, 22.5).
    [​IMG]
    .
    Talk to Minerva and she will tell you about stone soup. She will also ask you if you have the additional ingredients that make the soup taste better: potato, carrot, onion, and mutton. [Note: you can buy mutton meat from the butcher in the nearby town square].

    [​IMG]

    Minerva will give you some of Iolo's Catgut Goulash for each vegetable that you give her (potato, carrot, or onion). When you give her the mutton meat, she gives you a book called "Stone Soup". "Stone Soup" is a rare book because it can only be obtained once per avatar and can only be obtained from Minerva.

    This book tells a version of the Stone Soup Folk Tale!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2019
  14. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    In-game Memorial to Owen Garriott

    Dr. Owen Garriott, beloved father of Richard "Lord British" Garriott, passed away in April 2019.
    This post was created to honor Owen and to help ensure that players recognize the special significance of Owen when they encounter him in-game.

    Owen in Real Life

    Owen Garriott was born in Enid, Oklahoma. As a child, Owen developed a fascination for astronomy and electronics (and these interests ultimately inspired his career path). Owen's fascination for astronomy arose from his 3rd grade teacher. Owen explained, "...one of the things that she had in her class was an orrery, which is...a little device that has a whole planetary system in it...You turn a little crank...and they all rotate. I think, gee whiz, so that's really what the solar system looks like. Fascinating..."

    Owen's fascination with electronics arose in high school, when he accompanied his father to radio and Morse code classes. Owen become a licensed amateur radio operator at the age of 15. Owen said "...working with my father...to become a ham [radio operator], I'm sure helped direct me into the area of engineering..."

    Owen attended the University of Oklahoma on a scholarship from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and then served as an electronics officer in the U.S. Navy for 3 years. Then, Owen obtained a master’s and a doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in California. Thereafter, he was appointed associate professor at Stanford University where he taught, conducted research, and authored scientific publications in the fields of electronics, electromagnetic theory, and ionospheric physics.

    While on the Stanford faculty, Owen realized "...it finally became clear that NASA might actually take a person with a research background...So that's almost the first time I really ever thought...of actually participating personally in the flight program...So I...applied for the program..."

    In June 1965, NASA selected Dr. Owen Garriott as one of the first scientist-astronauts. Over the next year, he completed Air Force flight training and received a qualification to pilot jet aircraft.

    Owen's first space mission was on Skylab 3 in 1973. Owen and his crewmates set a new world record for duration in space, spending approximately 60 days in orbit (more than double the previous record). In addition, Owen completed multiple spacewalks, logging more than 13 hours outside Skylab.

    Owen's second space mission was on the Space Shuttle Columbia. During this mission, Owen became the first amateur radio operator to broadcast from space (he used his amateur station call, W5LFL).

    After leaving NASA in June, 1986, he consulted for various aerospace companies and served as a member of several NASA and National Research Council Committees. He also became an adjunct Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Alabama, where he taught and conducted research in extreme environments. His research in extreme environments led him to embark on deep sea dives to hydrothermal vents and trips to Antarctica.

    In 1992, Owen and his first wife, Helen Garriott, co-founded Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse in Enid Oklahoma. Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse is a world-class children's museum with hands-on art and science exhibits that are dedicated to enriching and inspiring children of all ages. If you would like to help support Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse, please see the end of this post for ways you can donate.

    Owen received many awards, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and induction into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame. He co-wrote the book “Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story” in 2008.

    Owen passed away in April 2019 at the age of 88.

    Additional Information about Dr. Owen Garriott


    Owen In-Game

    In Brittany Graveyard, a ghost named Owen resides inside a point of interest called Owen's Mausoleum (location 39.9, 34.4, -51.6) .
    .
    The red arrow shows the location of Owen's Mausoleum.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Inside the Mausoleum, you meet a ghost named Owen who was a student, sailor, scientist, professor, explorer, and aethernaut (SOTA's version of an astronaut). He says he studied electrical engineering, and operated the first amateur radio station from the aether (i.e. space). He also says he made his own communication equipment, and sends you on a quest to obtain the recipe for a communication device (in this case, a dual wax cylinder phonograph). Owen recommends that you speak to a "young scientist" astronomer named Dr. Bob (who is also a reference to a real person).

    [​IMG]

    Owen responds to some words that are not on the list of keywords in the chat box.
    If you type "Lord British", Owen responds:

    [​IMG]
    .
    If you type Helen, Owen responds:

    [​IMG]
    Helen was Owen's first wife, and Richard's mother.
    Helen also has a memorial in-game.
    .
    .
    In Owen's Mausoleum, you will find a telescope (mounted in the front of the stone on which the coffin sits) and a picture showing a celestial event (behind the coffin). Both of these items are apropos symbols for an astronaut, explorer, and sailor.

    [​IMG]
    .
    Support Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse
    You can help support Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse by the following methods:
    1. Donate directly at Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse website.
    2. Purchase in-game replica's of Helen Garriott's art (Skylab Dish or Exodus Cover Art Concept) and a portion of the proceeds will go to Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse.
    Farewell To Owen
    Owen 's amazing achievements, countless adventures, and spirit of exploration are an inspiration to us all. His sense of adventure was passed on to Richard, and in a way, Richard shared that sense of adventure with us, by creating virtual worlds in which everyone can engage in exploration and heroic adventures.
    With respect and appreciation, Rest in Peace Owen.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2019
  15. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Real World References to Various developers

    In Brittany Graveyard, there is a tomb with a book on a pedestal. The book, titled "All of Us Thus Far", contains a list all of the developers that have worked on SOTA. It also contains a Novian proverb: "Independently, we can achieve a great deal. Together, we can achieve a great deal more." You can take the book, and use it as decoration. Thanks to @Alley Oop who found this Easter Egg.

    The tomb is located at the red arrow.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    .

    The Ring of Jones (which gives a cooking proficiency buff) is named after developer Scottie Jones, who was a pastry chef before he got into making games.
    This reference was revealed in a developer live-stream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/467661037?t=00h27m07s

    Thimble of Evelyn (which gives a tailoring masterwork buff) is named after the mother of developer Chris Spears (her middle name is Evelyn). Chris's mother likes to sew!
    This reference was revealed in several developer live-streams. This was the latest reveal: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/562945029?t=01h01m30s

    "Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering" was named after alumnus developer Bill Kirkman (also know as "Chillblain" in almost every game/forum he’s ever been a part of). Bill Kirkman previously worked as a designer and world builder on SOTA. He helped create a dungeon called "Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering" (see red arrow in picture below), which was located in the cemetery of Braemar on the HiddenVale. After Bill left Portalarium, the dungeon was updated with new mechanics and "Chillblain's" was dropped from the title. The zone is now called "Compendium of Pain and Suffering", and it is still located in the Braemar cemetery.

    [​IMG]

    Here is a video showing the original "Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering" (the original name can be seen when the player moves his mouse over the entrance) and after he enters the zone.


    There are two ponds in Brittany Fields that show up as points of interest on the compass: Well's pond and Schmitz pond. These are references to the alumni developers Kevin Wells and Matt Schmitz.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2023
  16. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Real World References & Community Tributes
    Zones: Central Brittany & Brittany Graveyard

    Players who had a Patron pledge tier or higher were able chose a name that was placed inside an in-game book called The Domesday Book of Contributors.
    This book can be found in Central Brittany, inside the library of Brittany Castle. The book is on a coffee table near a metal fireplace. This book can be taken and used as decoration.

    The book is inside Brittany Castle (red arrow on map) at location 214.1, 96.2, 90.1 in the city of Central Brittany.
    [​IMG]

    The book is in the library (several floors up in the Castle), and is sitting on a coffee table near a metal fireplace.
    [​IMG]

    Shown below: the first page of the book, followed by the page with my name on it! Unfortunately, the names are not in alphabetical order, so if you are looking for your name, you have to search page by page.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Note: Founders* who pledged at a Developer level or higher, have their name listed in the Backers section of the SOTA credits webpage. Although this list is not present in-game, it is still a tribute to the community. On that same webpage, you can also see those who contributed crowd-sourced items to the game (such as maps & music), winners of the Royal Warrant and Order of New Britannia Empire, developers, and other honorable mentions.

    * Those who pledged by 5/20/2013 or who were gifted a founder pledge by 4/7/2014.

    Players with an Ancestor pledge tier or higher were able chose a name that was placed on a tombstone in Brittany Graveyard. Not all of the tombstones have names associated with them. If you hover your mouse over some of the tombstones in the central part of the graveyard, you will see the names. Some players chose to use their avatar name or their real world name, while others chose to use the name of someone they wished to honor. In the picture below, I kneel at the tombstone that I dedicated to a fallen friend.

    [​IMG]

    Players who are members of the Ultima Dragons (also known as the Ultima Dragons Internet Chapter) were honored by placing their names inside an in-game book called The Domesday Book of Dragons.

    As stated on their website, Ultima Dragons is "...a social club on the Internet whose members share a common interest: the Ultima series of games...The club has more than 9,000 members throughout the world...The Ultima Dragons were originally created on February 27, 1992 on Prodigy. They were disbanded in early 1994, but were reestablished on the Internet later that year as the Ultima Dragons Internet Chapter..."

    Members choose a name, and then "dragon" is appended to the end of their chosen name. So, in the book, you will always see "Dragon" as part of the names that are listed.


    In Central Brittany, go into Castle Brittany, and climb several flights of stairs to reach the library. In the library, you need to find a secret room. The Domesday Book of Dragons is located inside the secret room. This book can be taken and used as decoration.

    If you talk to Spoony (who is in the throne room of Brittany Castle), he gives you a hint about the music that must be played in the library:
    [​IMG]
    If you go up to the library, the sheet music for "The Baron of Eastmarch" is on the table. Pick it up and put it in your inventory. Then, play "The Baron of Eastmarch" on the piano (or any instrument that you have in your inventory). Next to the piano, a secret wall opens, which allows you to access the secret room.

    [​IMG]

    Inside the secret room, there is a chest. Inside the chest you will find several items, including The Domesday Book of Dragons. [Note: if you have not already obtained the Page of Spirituality, it will also appear in the chest].
    [​IMG]

    Here is the the first page of the book. Notice that all the names end with the word "Dragon". This is a very long book because there are so many Ultima Dragons.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2021
  17. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    In-game Memorial to Brad McQuaid
    In Brittany Graveyard

    Brad McQuaid, a giant in the field of MMO development, passed away at the age of 51 in November 2019.

    He was perhaps best known as a lead programmer, lead designer, and producer of the EverQuest. EverQuest, an MMORPG released in March 1999, became hugely successful (within a few months of release, EverQuest surpassed Ultima Online in number of subscriptions).

    Chris Spears (@Chris, developer of SOTA) stated in his live stream that he played EverQuest and that Brad McQuaid had a huge influence on his life.

    SOTA players expressed their condolences in this forum thread.

    Rest in Peace Brad...

    The memorial is located in Brittany Graveyard at the green arrow shown below (location 76.8, 31.2, -96.0).
    [​IMG]

    The memorial is a grave stone with a flaming sword on top of it. When you hover your mouse over the gravestone, the description reads "Aradune: For the Brightest Flame Burns the Least Long". Aradune was Brad's nickname (his full nickname was Aradune Mithara). He used "Aradune" for his twitter handle, his EverQuest forum name, and his Pantheon forum name. In EverQuest, he also created and controlled a non-player character named Aradune Mithara (the character wore green colored armor).
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2019
  18. Rinaldi

    Rinaldi Bug Hunter

    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    3,792
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Real world reference to the Blue Acara fish

    The Blue Acara is a freshwater fish that is commonly sold in aquarium and pet stores.
    There is a variant called the Electric Blue Acara (shown below) that is typically a silvery light-blue.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Acara's armor in SOTA derives its name and its silvery light-blue color from the Blue Acara Fish (@Chris, a developer, mentioned this reference on a livestream). Here is a picture of Mac with the Acara's armor set equipped.
    [​IMG] Pic credit: Mac

    Chris decided to get a large fish tank for his in-home office and was expecting its delivery during the March 6, 2020 live stream.

    The Acara armor set consists of 6 pieces (each piece is an artifact):
    1. Acara's plate Helm of Defiance
    2. Acara's plate Chest of Defiance
    3. Acara's plate Leggings of Defiance
    4. Acara's plate Gauntlets of Defiance
    5. Acara's plate Boots of Defiance
    6. Acara's Shield of Defiance
    The buffs improve as you equip more pieces of Acara's armor (see this post for details). At the time of this post, Acara's armor drops as loot only at control points, and a different piece of the armor drops at each control point.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020
    Time Lord, Grimace2, Rentier and 2 others like this.
  19. Numa

    Numa Avatar

    Messages:
    2,891
    Likes Received:
    5,620
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Breaker's Landing
    This thread should be stickied.

    @Elgarion
     
  20. Sentinel2

    Sentinel2 Avatar

    Messages:
    1,109
    Likes Received:
    1,811
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Or even added to the Main Sota page?

    :D

    thinking we need to make these kind of guides easier for new players to find. And the forums may not be the best way.

    I'm thinking when I started playing ESO a few months ago. The main page has a number of guides which REALLY helped me get started as a new player.
     
    Time Lord, Rinaldi and Numa like this.