Easter Eggs & Real World References (Spoilers!)

Real world references to the Razer computer product company:

1) Min Liang Tan, an NPC in Ardoris, is a reference to a real person named Min-Liang Tan, co-founder and CEO of Razer computer products (See Lum's post about this reference).
2) The Razer logo can be seen on banners in several zones, including
---Ardoris - outside of Min's office building (see pic #1 below) and in several places inside Min's office building.
---The approach to the Tower of the Shuttered Eye (see pic#2 below)
---Tower of the Shuttered Eye
3) The design of the Razer logo is based on Richard Garriot’s serpent necklace! So, in a way, the Razer logo in game is also a reference to Richard Garriot and the Ultima series (where the serpent symbol was a recurring motif). The Razor logo is composed of 3 snakes with their tails intertwined.

Spoiler: Compare Pics of Richard's Serpent Necklace with the Razer Logo

Spoiler: Razer Logo is Based on Garriott's Serpent Necklace

In Update of the Avatar#116 on 3/13/2015, Portalarium stated "One of the founders of Razer, Min-Liang Tan, proudly described to Richard that the Razer logo is based on Richard’s serpent necklace, so there is a deep connection between us and the Razer clan."
Here is a picture of the text from the link above:

Pic #1


Pic #2

 

Not exactly an Easter Egg as it is part of story/lore, but I really enjoyed the elf loremaster in Vertas who questions the player about pre-Cataclysm history.. ie Ultima trivia! It's a great nod to the idea that New Britannia may not even be a different world. That was truly enjoyable. I hope it will be extended in the future.

 

Real world reference to Stanley Clarke
In Soltown

Inside the Soltown Inn, there is a bard named Stan Clarke, which is a reference to American jazz musician and composer Stanley Clarke. The real Stan Clark sang vocals and played the bass, piano, and organ. The bard in SOTA sings (like the real Clarke) and plays the lute (analogous to the bass played by the real Clarke). There is a piano nearby (analogous to the piano and organ played by the real Clarke). You can learn the "sing" emote from him!

Here is Lum's post about this reference (Lum was a developer in the past).


And here is Stan Clarke in Soltown.

 

In the tavern near the docks in Ardoris, there is a bard named Farrokh Bulsara, which is the birth name of Freddie Mercury from the music group Queen - previously reported here.
But, I wanted to add this additional info:

Spoiler: Hidden Conversation

If you type "queen" or "Freddie Mercury" while in conversation with him, he will say "Shh! That's just a persona." (see red arrow in pic below)
Note that "queen" and "Freddie Mercury" are not listed as key-words in the conversation window.

Spoiler: How did this reference get in-game?

Players with a Developer pledge tier or higher were able to name an NPC and create its persona. An early backer requested that Farrokh Bulsara be placed in-game. Lum The Mad (a developer alumnus) confirmed this in his post below.

 

Ensorcio in Ardoris is most likely a reference to the mage banished to the Sleeping Bull Inn in U7.2 Serpent Isle. Will post screenshot soon as I hit Ardoris.

 

The forthcoming Blood Bay is a nod to not only Buccaneer's Den in Old Britannia, but also to the Twin Brothers of Strength, East and West Montor, from even earlier in Sosarian history.

 

Real world reference to King Kong
In K'rul

In K'rul, there is a huge and powerful clockwork money named "K'kongg". This is a likely reference to "King Kong"

 

Real world reference to Chad Kroeger (lead singer of the Canadian band Nickelback).
In Soltown

In Soltown, Chad is a beggar. When you ask Chad about his job, he says "I was a bard..."
Based several of @Lum the Mad's posts (post #1, post #2) , Chad (the beggar in Soltown) is a reference to Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.

If you do not give Chad any gold, his response is:



This may be a reference to the song "Hero", a song by Chad Kroeger from the 2002 film Spider-Man.

 

In Lum's graveyard next to the entrance to Braemar there is a gravestone that says "Massively" in runic. Not sure what it is a reference to, but seems like a reference.

 

Possibly the MMO news site that died before being born again.

 

Why are scorpions in SOTA called corpions?
Reference to slurred speech by a somewhat tipsy Starr Long (aka @DarkStarr; one of the developers)

On August 7, 2015, during the post-mortem discussion for release 20, the developers were consuming shots of alcohol for every pledge upgrade that occurred during the live stream. After many pledge upgrades, DarkStarr got a bit tipsy. He was answering a question about taming, but in his tipsy stupor, he slurred his speech and it sounded like he said "corpion" rather than "scorpion". From that point forward, all the scorpions in SOTA were called corpions!

Here are the video clips where it happened:

1. The word corpion is uttered for the first time (time 0:59:45 to 1:00:20)
2. Teasing DarkStarr about his corpion slip up (time 1:05:00 to 1:05:40)
3. More corpion hi-jinx (time 1:30:00 to 1:30:20 )

Here is the complete post-mortem video:

 

I'm thinking that it may be referring to this website?

 

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?p=47929
"
We at Portalarium were saddened to learn of the upcoming demise of Massively (and their parent Joystiq). As someone who has been in the MMO business about as long as that business has existed I find myself particularly affected by this news. Massively has been one of the very few dedicated news sites for our genre and I have always been impressed and pleased with their coverage. I want to thank them for their many years of journalistic service and I want to wish everyone there the best of luck in their future endeavors. As a tribute to their fine work we are adding a tombstone in the game with Massively inscribed in runic.

Starr Long
aka Darkstarr
Executive Producer


"

 

Isn't there a sword in the stone somewhere?

 

Easter Egg - The Sword in the Stone
Reference to: Excalibur

The sword in the stone is a reference to King Arthur and a sword called Excalibur.
One version of the legend states that Excalibur was stuck in a stone (by Merlin), and whoever was able to pull Excalibur from the stone would be the true (divinely appointed) king of England and successor to King Uther Pendragon. Arthur was the one who pulled the sword from the stone; therefore, he became King of England.

The sword in the stone is in West Ravenswood (see below).



The video above states that the sword is in South Ravenswood, but changes to the overworld map have occurred since this video was made.
The sword in the stone can now be found in West Ravenswood, but the video still shows the correct technique to find it. Basically, you go to location -68.782, 18.629, 95.696, and then jump up onto the rock ledge. When you get onto the rock ledge, walk north a few steps and you will find the sword at location -75.904, 27.257, 106.309 [this location does not show up as a point of interest on the compass].

Note: if you equip a Ring of the Frogkin, Ring of the Cuttlekin, or other buff to jump strength, it makes getting to the sword much easier.

This Easter Egg was created by Finn Staber (a designer who is no longer working for Portalarium). The Easter Egg has been present since Release 4, but was formally announced on 11/21/2014 in Update of the Avatar #100 at the time of release 12.

Other references to Excalibur

Zone: Central Brittany (inside Brittany Castle) - talk to Spoony and keep asking him about words of wisdom, and eventually he will say:

​

This refers to another legend about Excalibur in which the Lady of the Lake gives Excalibur to King Arthur.

 

Twins Foothills adventure scene is probably named after the Majere twins Raistlin and Cameron who are the main protagonists in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Legends trilogy.

The name of Solace forest, Solace bridge, and Solace river is probably a reference to the town of Solace, which is described in the opening chapter of book one of the Dragonlance Chronicles.

Ref: Tracy Hickman is the Lead Story Designer in SOTA.

 

Real world reference to the coconuts used in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail

In the movie, King Arthur did not have a horse, so he pretended to ride a horse. He skipped along using a galloping gate while the servant that accompanied him clapped together coconut shells to simulate the sound of a galloping horse. Here is an excerpt from the movie regarding the coconuts and a video showing the scene:

King Arthur: ....this is my trusty servant Patsy. We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights who will join me in my court at Camelot. I must speak with your lord and master.
Guard: What? Ridden on a horse?
King Arthur: Yes!
Guard: You're using coconuts!
King Arthur: What?
Guard: You've got two empty halves of coconut and you're bangin' 'em together.



Why coconuts in-game instead of real mounts (such as horses)?

The original concept for the in-game coconuts was touted as an April fools joke in April 2014, but it was actually not a joke at all, and the coconuts were added to the game. As stated in an update post from April 2014, "One of the features we all wished we had enough time and budget for was the addition of mounts in Episode 1, but it just isn’t in the cards. However, we have raised enough funds to give all backers the next best thing: coconuts that sound like horses when banged together! You even get to pantomime trotting around like a horse while you bang them!"

Spoiler: Where to find the coconuts

In Owl's Head, talk to Nob the Stable Boy near the crafting pavilion, and type in "horse" into the conversation box. Note: Nob the Stable Boy is also the source of an Ultima Easter Egg.

Pictures from the update post:

​

Video of the coconuts in Shroud of the Avatar (release 5, in 2014):

​

 

Easter Eggs and Real world references to the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog (and many other associated elements) from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail

First, you must talk to Timothy the Enchanter to obtain the quest to slay the Killer Rabbit. Then, you must go to a certain cave to slay the rabbit. Then, return to Timothy to complete your quest.

Timothy the Enchanter
In the movie, "Tim the Enchanter" tells King Arthur about the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, and says "For the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel, that no man yet has fought with it and lived! Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair! So! Brave knights! If you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth..."



In-game, Timothy the Enchanter gives you the quest to kill the Death Bunny, and warns, "For this cave is guarded by a creature so foul...so cruel... that no one had fought it and lived! Bones of fifty full men lie STREWN all about its lair! So, Brave Avatars! If you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all!" (remarkably similar to the warning in the movie!)

Spoiler: Where to Find Timothy in-game

Timothy is in Ardoris.

Timothy states "Are you a mighty enough adventurer to rescue the King? Oh, wait. No. That was something else". In this reference, Timothy seems to confuse the in-movie killing of the rabbit to protect King Arthur with the in-game quest to kill the rabbit (Timothy must have seen the movie).

​

Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration & the Book of Mighty Weapons

When you receive the quest to slay the Killer Rabbit, Timothy gives you two items that also refer to the movie:

1. A hand grenade-like device called the Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration (in the movie, the weapon is called the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch"). This orb can be placed as decoration. The name and design for the Sacred Orb was suggested by @Jack Knyfe in this post and this post.
   
2. An instruction manual called the "Book of Mighty Weapons" which provides instructions on how to use the Sacred Orb (in the movie, the instruction manual was called the "Book of Armaments"). The content of the in-game "Book of Mighty Weapons" has many similarities to the in-movie "Book of Armaments". Here are a few similarities:

• In-game: "remove the Assembly of Preparation"
  In-movie: "take out the Holy pin"
  
  
• In-game: "then shall you count to three"
  In-movie: "then shalt thou count to three"
  
  
• In-game: "Once the number three is arrived at, you shall lob the Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration towards your enemies"
  In-movie: "Once the number three...be reached, then lobbeth thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe"

​

The Death Bunny
In the movie, King Arthur and his men are on a quest to find the Holy Grail when they encounter the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, a small white rabbit that appears harmless. But the rabbit is actually a vicious, powerful beast that kills or injures several of King Arthur's men. King Arthur panics, shouting "Run away!" They retreat, but then return to kill the vicious rabbit with The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.



In Shroud of the Avater, the killer rabbit is called the Dark Archlapin of Death and Destruction (archlapin essentially means boss rabbit: arch = boss; lapin = rabbit). The Dark Archlapin of Death and Destruction, which is also referred to in-game as the Death Bunny, is only present in-game around Easter time (so, in a way, it is a true Easter egg!). The rabbit is white, blood stained, powerful, vicious, and inside a cave (like the rabbit in the movie). The rabbit speaks a language that is part of another Easter Egg.

Spoiler: What does the Rabbit Look Like & How Powerful is it?

Spoiler: Where to Find the Killer Rabbit

The killer Rabbit is in Spectral mines. Spectral mines is nested within Spectral Foothills.
In the picture below, you enter the mines on the lower left. Follow the red arrow to the Killer Rabbit.

​

Killing the Death Bunny
When you initially enter the appropriate area of the cave, several waves of Lepus Zombies (290 hit points) and Decaying Lepus Zombies (61 hit points) will attack you. The Lepus Zombies are wearing a mask with a rabbit face and rabbit ears (a Lepus Mask; Lepus is the latin word for rabbit). The Lepus Zombies speak a language that is part of another Easter Egg.

Spoiler: What do the Lepus Zombies Look Like?

When you have killed enough of the Lepus Zombies, the Killer Rabbit appears.
Like in the movie, you can use the hand grenade-like device to help kill the bunny (although you can kill the bunny without using it).​

Spoiler: Death Bunny Loot

If you can kill the rabbit, you can receive:

1. A rabbit carcass
2. Some rabbit meat
3. Confection Eggs (a unique food that gives +5 intelligence and focus & can be placed as deco)
4. Confection Bunnies (a unique food that gives +5 intelligence and focus & can be placed as deco)
5. Sometimes you will get a bundle that contains one of 6 possible pieces of art that depict rabbits killing humans (there are 3 paintings and 3 tapestries). These paintings are based on actual artwork from the medieval times. These pictures can be placed as decoration.
6. The Death Bunny Head, which you can mount and place on your wall.
7. Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration (can be used as weapon or placed as deco)
   ..........
   
8. 
   
   
9. ..........

..........​

There is another minor Easter Egg in the cave!

Spoiler: The Book

If you look on the floor of the cave were the rabbit spawns, you will see a bunch of bones and a book. Hover your mouse over the book and you will see the title "The Fearful Rabbit". This book is present in the cave all year (not just at Easter time), and the title provides a hint as to where you can find the Killer Rabbit. Also, this is one of the books required to complete the Virtue Student quest in Ardoris.

Completing the Quest

Spoiler: Your Reward for Completing the Quest

When you return to Timothy to complete the quest, he gives you experience points and the Arch Lapin Mask.

Initial Idea for the Quest, Contributions, and Recognition
Apparently, the initial motivation for including a Killer Rabbit in-game arose from this thread (which was started by @scruffycavetroll).

• Recognition may have been given in-game to @scruffycavetroll, whose avatar on the forums is a picture of Lord Joffrey from Game of Thrones. In the Book of Mighty Weapons it says "And Lord Joffrey DID raise the Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration high above his head..."
• Recognition also seems to be given @Mata, who posted a link to an Ultima Online quest that included a killer rabbit. In the Book of Mighty Weapons, it says "And Lady Mata did speak to Lord Joffrey..."
• Recognition was given to @Jack Knyfe by using the name and design that he suggested for the Sacred Oracle Orb of Obliteration.

 

The sword in the stone is still there.

 

Real world Reference to the "Carlton Dance" from the T.V. sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

The Carlton Dance is a funky boogie performed by the character Carlton Banks in multiple episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

​

During previous fundraisers, the developers often drank alcohol for a given level of donations reached. However, during the Release 28 Postmortem on April 5 2016 (when some additional fundraising was planned), Starr Long (aka @DarkStarr; one of the developers) could not drink, so he elected to dance when certain fundraising goals where achieved. During the live-stream, community members requested that he do the Carlton Dance, so he did:

Darkstarr doing the Carlton dance!

Shortly thereafter, @WrathPhoenix (Kazyn Phoenixfyre in-game) started a tribute in the forums to Darkstarr's dancing prowess, which included a post by @Womby with the video below.

​

Then, the "Starrlton" emote appeared in-game. The Starrlton name is a combination of Darkstarr and Carlton, and the dance is Darkstarr's version of the Carlton.

​

Darkstarr can teach you The Starrlton, but the dance is re-teachable, so you can also learn the dance from any other Avatar who has already has learned it.

Seek out this emote...and get your groove on!