Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Release 128 goes live July 25th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 128 (R128), we offer reading, writing, and renegades.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
Community Updates
Disharmony in Cantabrigia
Port Harmony’s Minister of the Hearth has made a concerted effort to lead the city as a cohesive whole but there are always a few people who are not in tune.
The Minister of Coins is missing and presumed dead. There are camps of renegades in the hills above town, likely from the larger group holed up in the Outlaws’ Run, making the edges of the town unsafe for citizen and visitor alike. There’s been sabotage to the city’s cistern. Attacks on the merchant caravans attempting to establish trade with Grusk and Vikland are increasing. All this has been tied to rumors of a leader called the Mallard. This seems like too much effort just for petty criminals; is there some greater goal than a bit of coin behind it all?
Despite requests, Peregrine, said to be the “one true Avatar,” has made no moves to address this growing dissonance. Will you talk to Minister Webb about the renegades and find out what must be done? When you know, will you do it?
Subscription and Website Updates
Tassilo has completed the tech for the multi-tier subscription model we have been talking about for so long. Tassilo and I are in the process of completing final tests as well as refining the wording and graphics. We expect to have this live sometime this month.
The optional subscription will now come in three tiers. All of the tiers will continue to have the normal bonuses and benefits: three (generally) monthly login rewards, three Obsidian Potions, a new title every quarter, a twelve-pack of dyes every six months, and additional deck slots as well as the below:
Billing cycle begins on the day you start your initial subscription. Subscription cycles last for a period of one calendar month. Your subscription will automatically renew every month and your payment method will be charged at the standard price for your chosen subscription. You may cancel your plan at any time from your account page. Your status as subscribed will remain throughout the paid period. Subscription status and payment history are available on your account page in the subscriptions tab. Initial rewards will be available for redemption once payment has cleared. Subsequent rewards will be available once recurring payment has cleared.
To upgrade, downgrade, and/or update your payment method for an existing subscription, you must cancel the existing subscription and then initiate a new one. All of your earned rewards and title level will be preserved if you cancel and sign back up later. The billing cycle will not change from your initial subscription billing date when you re-initiate a subscription within one month of a cancellation (that is, while you’re still in the subscription period).
We are also updating the website. Since the main landing page is static and old information, we have changed it so anyone going to shroudoftheavatar.com while not logged in will now go to the “All Updates” page instead of the old initial landing page with the promo video on it. The old page will find a home somewhere on our site in some form.
We are also making changes to re-home the Community TOS, Streaming Program, Art Submission, and many other policies on the main website instead of using dev-posted forum threads. There will still be links in the forum to find the appropriate webpages.
The policy updates and other website changes will be ongoing. We will post an announcement in the forums as each change is made.
– Ravalox
Release 128 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 128 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R128 is a content month. Content, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R129 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 128!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
World and Quest Changes:
Player-Owned Town Changes:
Latest News and Q&A in the Second July Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, July 26th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “gust into August” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on Facebook at Shroud of the Avatar and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
From July 25th through August 2nd, Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.
Release 128 Subscriber Login Rewards
Sit and study the intricate lights and never mind what’s sneaking in through them to your treasure. The Rewards Program login items for Release 128 are four Dark Wood Benches and two Dark Wood Stools (that complete a set with June’s Long Dark Wood Table), a Chest of Copper, and a Glowing Magic Sigil Set (Choose One)!
Each magic school set contains two sigils of each of the three sizes. Individual pictures of each set can be found below.
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 128 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
August Login Reward
Each account that logs in during the month of August will receive a one-time gift of a Sigil Rug (Choose One), so even your larger pets can lay on what you’re trying to read.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
…and for August 1st:
…and for August 9th:
The Lord British store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of Lord British items:
The seasonal fireworks store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of seasonal fireworks items:
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any player in good standing who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
Other Items of Note:
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
Community Calendars:
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Ma Vie en Rogue
Sorceress Dragon of the team behind the Ultima Dragons’ 25th Anniversary Bash is creating a new, narrative-driven Roguelike RPG, Ma Vie en Rogue! The game will feature fun, engaging gameplay, many varied worlds, unlimited character customization, dozens of unique NPCs, pets, and monsters, sweet pixel art, and so much more. Richard Garriott has already offered his official endorsement, so watch for the Lord British character and Ultima-inspired Easter eggs! The physical versions come in a collector’s tin lunchbox and showcase cover art by Ultima artist Denis Loubet, a cloth map, metal ankh amulet, printed booklet, and more. MVR’s Kickstarter ends at midnight at the end of July so check it out now!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
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.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Continue reading...
Release 128 goes live July 25th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 128 (R128), we offer reading, writing, and renegades.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
- Disharmony in Cantabrigia
- Subscription and Website Updates
- Release 128 Patch Notes
- Latest News and Q&A in the Second July Livestream
- Sales and Bonus Events
- Release 128 Subscriber Login Rewards
- August Login Rewards
- Crown Store Updates
- Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
- Streaming Program
- Upcoming Release Dates
Community Updates
- Community Events & Resources
- Project to Support: Ma Vie en Rogue
- Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
- Project to Support: Avatar Relics
- Project to Support: Shard RPG
- Project to Support: Embers Adrift
- Resources: Players Helping Players
Disharmony in Cantabrigia
Port Harmony’s Minister of the Hearth has made a concerted effort to lead the city as a cohesive whole but there are always a few people who are not in tune.
The Minister of Coins is missing and presumed dead. There are camps of renegades in the hills above town, likely from the larger group holed up in the Outlaws’ Run, making the edges of the town unsafe for citizen and visitor alike. There’s been sabotage to the city’s cistern. Attacks on the merchant caravans attempting to establish trade with Grusk and Vikland are increasing. All this has been tied to rumors of a leader called the Mallard. This seems like too much effort just for petty criminals; is there some greater goal than a bit of coin behind it all?
Despite requests, Peregrine, said to be the “one true Avatar,” has made no moves to address this growing dissonance. Will you talk to Minister Webb about the renegades and find out what must be done? When you know, will you do it?
Subscription and Website Updates
Tassilo has completed the tech for the multi-tier subscription model we have been talking about for so long. Tassilo and I are in the process of completing final tests as well as refining the wording and graphics. We expect to have this live sometime this month.
The optional subscription will now come in three tiers. All of the tiers will continue to have the normal bonuses and benefits: three (generally) monthly login rewards, three Obsidian Potions, a new title every quarter, a twelve-pack of dyes every six months, and additional deck slots as well as the below:
| Tier 1 | $9 (plus tax) | 900 COTOs monthly |
| Tier 2 | $18 (plus tax) | 2000 COTOs monthly |
| Tier 3 | $27 (plus tax) | 3500 COTOs monthly |
Billing cycle begins on the day you start your initial subscription. Subscription cycles last for a period of one calendar month. Your subscription will automatically renew every month and your payment method will be charged at the standard price for your chosen subscription. You may cancel your plan at any time from your account page. Your status as subscribed will remain throughout the paid period. Subscription status and payment history are available on your account page in the subscriptions tab. Initial rewards will be available for redemption once payment has cleared. Subsequent rewards will be available once recurring payment has cleared.
To upgrade, downgrade, and/or update your payment method for an existing subscription, you must cancel the existing subscription and then initiate a new one. All of your earned rewards and title level will be preserved if you cancel and sign back up later. The billing cycle will not change from your initial subscription billing date when you re-initiate a subscription within one month of a cancellation (that is, while you’re still in the subscription period).
We are also updating the website. Since the main landing page is static and old information, we have changed it so anyone going to shroudoftheavatar.com while not logged in will now go to the “All Updates” page instead of the old initial landing page with the promo video on it. The old page will find a home somewhere on our site in some form.
We are also making changes to re-home the Community TOS, Streaming Program, Art Submission, and many other policies on the main website instead of using dev-posted forum threads. There will still be links in the forum to find the appropriate webpages.
The policy updates and other website changes will be ongoing. We will post an announcement in the forums as each change is made.
– Ravalox
Release 128 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 128 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R128 is a content month. Content, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R129 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 128!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
- Recipes for a rustic bookshelf and a plain kitchen wall rack can be found on deco merchants in the Longfall region. SOTA-72164, SOTA-72163
- Made and hooked up a new pattern and a corrected icon for the Cutlasses of the Swashbuckler. SOTA-72159
- Added eleven book patterns to book merchants everywhere. SOTA-72167
- Bestiary Book Pattern
- Brothers Grimm Book Pattern
- Essays Book Pattern
- Fable Book Pattern
- Fairy Tales Book Pattern
- Flora Book Pattern
- La Fontaine Book Pattern
- Mushrooms Book Pattern
- Novel Book Pattern
- Poetry Book Pattern
- Prophet Book Pattern
- Corrected the names of the Brothers Grimm, Estgard, and Graff Island book patterns.
- Blank books patterned before being written in will now actually be blank. SOTA-71694
- Increased the available scaling on the Large Wooden Awning and Large Snow-Covered Wooden Awning so they can fit on row lots. SOTA-72026
- Set all five flowerbeds to be scaleable. SOTA-71984
- Moved a stray rose flower arrangement recipe to florists with all the rest of the arrangements and bouquets. SOTA-72208
- Fixed two panels on the Ornate Wooden Throne with Velvet Panels that missed dye setup. SOTA-70431
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
- Moved the Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto out of the vault and into the main store.
- Corrected the spelling of Fionwyn in the store entry for the Painting of the Novian Film Stars.
World and Quest Changes:
- Hidden Vale and Mistrendur: Fixed fireworks schedule. Added them to Grusk and Lord British’s Castle.
- Mistrendur: Flattened terrain at several POTS to fix buried and z-fighting foundations.
- Plains Encounter: Moved several floating garlic nodes to the ground. SOTA-72103
- Player-Run Towns: All PRTs now have a Crafting Supplies Merchant who stands near the butchery and cooking stations. If the PRT didn’t have a butchery or cooking station at its crafting pavilion, it does now. SOTA-72154
- The Brave Coast, Estercove, and Port Mirren: Corrected the sign text for the banking stalls. SOTA-72170
- Ardoris, Harvest, Kingsport, and Xenos: Lowered the nameplates of the wood scrap storehouse containers. SOTA-72161
- Vaults: Fixed shiny rubble in the various ruins’ vaults.
- Aerie: Fixed issues with several responses from Zach Corey the fisherman. SOTA-72199
- Aerie: Fixed the internal reference for the town crier, enabling compass discovery. SOTA-72171
- Brittany Alleys: Speedy Nick now sells fishing supplies. Sir Robert Flury is now a Decorative Fish Merchant. Updated their responses to better match their updated professions. SOTA-72177
- Brittany Fields: Updated a building (and others of that same style) so that rain no longer comes through the roof. SOTA-72147
- Brittany Wharfs: Replaced the shop the adventuring trainer works from with a home. Added functionality to the doors of a certain warehouse. Moved a sunken wagon to ground level. SOTA-72198, SOTA-72203, SOTA-72202
- Castle Atos: Converted the stone building near the entrance to a book shop with a printing press and a Book Merchant. SOTA-72193
- Castle Atos: Replaced a partially-blocked window with a plain wall. SOTA-72178
- Castle Atos: Fixed some baskets and pots set too low, some barrels without collision, and a very shiny stone wall for the grill chef’s firepit.
- The Clink: The chest in the warden’s office once again uses the proper key. SOTA-72156
- Estercove: Corrected location of the Town Crier’s compass marker. SOTA-72155
- Grusk: Fixed a collision issue with palisade stairs that was blocking smooth progress up the stairs. SOTA-72068
- Grusk: Fixed a typo in one of the journal entries for Kortreek’s experiments.
- Lord British’s Castle – Enabled taking water from the two hedge maze fountains. SOTA-72185
- Northwood: Fixed a crossbow in Britannia Manor that was tilted into the wall. SOTA-72165
- Port Harmony: Fixed typo in one of Winifred’s “fancy jar” responses. SOTA-72179
- Psilocybin Lair: The Boletusporis Regem has been moved to a location that should allow it to attack consistently and has had some loot added to it which will keep its corpse from disappearing as soon as it’s killed. SOTA-72141
- Tanglemire: Fixed an error when trying to recall to this scene. Also, the town crier now explains that he does not have the ability to bind someone to Tanglemire. SOTA-72194
- Valhold: Fixed an error when trying to recall to this scene.
Player-Owned Town Changes:
- James’s Isle of Hope: Added new island Village east of Brittany in Novia.
- Saxon’s Landing: Added new Crossroads Village north of Solace Bridge Outskirts in Novia.
- Arx Draconis Lowlands: Upgraded to Metropolis.
- Umbra: Upgraded to Crossroads Village.
- Valor: Upgraded to Metropolis.
Latest News and Q&A in the Second July Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, July 26th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “gust into August” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on Facebook at Shroud of the Avatar and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
From July 25th through August 2nd, Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.
Release 128 Subscriber Login Rewards
Sit and study the intricate lights and never mind what’s sneaking in through them to your treasure. The Rewards Program login items for Release 128 are four Dark Wood Benches and two Dark Wood Stools (that complete a set with June’s Long Dark Wood Table), a Chest of Copper, and a Glowing Magic Sigil Set (Choose One)!
Each magic school set contains two sigils of each of the three sizes. Individual pictures of each set can be found below.
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 128 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month- Monthly Login Reward Items (about 3 per month)
- Exclusive Title every 3 months
- 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith
- 6 Months: Keeper of the Word
- 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow
- 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame
- 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath
- 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge
- 21 Months: Keeper of the Bond
- 24 Months: Keeper of the Promise
- 27 Months: Keeper of the Covenant
- 30 Months: Keeper of Countless Devotions
- 33 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Three Corpions
- 36 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Six Serpents
- 39 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Nine Tulips
- 42 Months: Keeper of Forty-Two Roses
- 45 Months: Keeper of Forty-Five Lilies
- 48 Months: Keeper of Forty-Eight Daisies
- 51 Months: Keeper of Fifty-One Staves
- 54 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Four Daggers
- 57 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Seven Arrows
- 60 Months: Keeper of Sixty Swords
- 63 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Three Coins
- 66 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Six Gems
- 69 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Nine Jewels
- 72 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Two Goblets
- 75 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Five Rings
- 78 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Eight Amulets
- Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
- Pick any three of these 7 Obsidian Potions every month:
- Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity
- Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance
- Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills
- Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills
- Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage
- Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills
- Potion of Stamina: Decreases focus use from sprinting
- While subscribed to the rewards program, players also receive these special bonuses:
- Obsidian Potions are significantly more powerful!
- 24 Additional Deck Slots!
August Login Reward
Each account that logs in during the month of August will receive a one-time gift of a Sigil Rug (Choose One), so even your larger pets can lay on what you’re trying to read.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
- Lord British Banner
…and for August 1st:
- Sigil Rug Set
- Combat Sigil Rug
- Crafting Sigil Rug
- Magic Sigil Rug
…and for August 9th:
- Glowing Sun Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Earth Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Life Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Water Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Moon Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Air Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Death Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Fire Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Chaos Magic Sigil Pack
- Glowing Magic Sigil Mega-Pack
- Dark Wood Bench Two-Pack
- Dark Wood Stool Two-Pack
- Chest of Copper
The Lord British store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of Lord British items:
- 2014 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2016 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2017 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2018 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2019 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2020 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2021 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2022 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2023 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2024 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- Lord British Basement Entrance Eternal Pattern
- Lord British Cloak
- Lord British Fur Collared Cloak
- Lord British Moondial
- Lord British Pavers
- Lord British Round Table
- Lord British Salute Emote
- Lord British Shield
- Lord British Shield Pattern Pack
The seasonal fireworks store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of seasonal fireworks items:
- Replenishing Aerial Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Aerial Palm Blue Fish Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Aerial White Chrysanthemum Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Sparklers Box
- Replenishing Elysium Candle Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
- Replenishing Fountain Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Oracle Eye Sparkler Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Pinwheel Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Red Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Sparklers Box
- Replenishing Sparkler Fireworks Box Mega Set
- Replenishing White Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Sparklers Box
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
- Firedancer Outfit
- Fire Dance Emote
- Fire Dance Cross Emote
- Flame Scimitar
- Flame Shield
- Flame Stained Glass Table Lamp 3-Pack
- Flaming Bagpipes
- Hula Emote
- Island Spear
- Island Flower Crown
- Island Dress
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
- Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter”
- Single Ant Cloak
- Lady Bug Backpack
- Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids”
- Ant Farm
- Insect Leg Table
- Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles”
- Bug Painting B
- Bug Sprayer and /bugspray Emote
- Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths”
- Butterfly Chair
- Corpion Chair (Pictured Below)
- Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies”
- Hacked Oracle Flyer
- Giant Butterfly Pet (Blue)
- Butterfly Mask
- Dragonfly pet
- Fairy Wings
- Monarch Butterfly Pet
- Dragonfly Wings
- Hacked Oracle Crawler
- Blue Butterfly VFX
- Orange Fireflies VFX
- Orange Butterfly VFX
- Autumn Fairy Wings
- Green Fireflies VFX
- Landing Flies 3-pack
- Blue Fireflies
- Mounted Ladybug Specimen
- Mounted Rhinoceros Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Firebug Specimen
- Mounted Diving Bug Specimen
- Mounted Asian Ladybug Specimen
- Swallowtail Butterfly Pet
- Mounted Potato Beetle
- Silver Bug Sprayer
- Mounted Maybug Specimen
- Mounted Stag Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Hissing Cockroach Specimen
- Yellow Ladybug Backpack
- Baby Black Widow Spider Decoration Pet
- Red Fireflies
- Baby Green & Yellow Spider Pet
- Purple Fireflies
- Black Butterfly Mask
- Bug Painting D
- Mounted Minotaur Beetle
- Gold Bug Sprayer
- Baby Black & Orange Spider Pet
- Orange Butterfly Chair
- Common Bug VFX (Choose One)
- White Butterfly Mask
- Golden Dragonfly Pet
- Bug Painting E
- Common Bug Pets (Choose One)
- Purple Butterfly Chair
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any player in good standing who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
- To qualify for Streaming Rewards, each streamer must continue to meet the minimum requirements for 60 days after application.
- To accrue additional rewards, Streamers must stream SotA a minimum of 10 hours per month, tallied on the 1st day of each month, to remain in the program.
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
- Streaming Bundles are intended to be given away to stream viewers, not consumed by the streamer.
- Streamers are not allowed to put paywalls in place for the Streaming Bundles. (For example, giving away Streaming Bundles once the stream reaches a certain number of bits, subscriptions, or donations).
Other Items of Note:
- Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord.
- An optional fan graphics kit is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material.
- Streamers must be actively playing the game during their streams. Being away from the keyboard (AFK) for short periods is acceptable. If Twitch indicates the streamer is playing SotA but they are streaming other content or a timeout/login screen, they risk being removed from the program.
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
- This Release 128 – July 25 (Content)
- Release 129 – August 29 (Quality of Life)
- Release 130 – September 26 (Quality of Life)
- Release 131 – October 30 (Content)
- Release 132 – November 28 (Quality of Life)
- Release 133 – December 26 (Quality of Life)
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
- Lightbringer Isle Auction: This newly-resumed auction will be held by Hemnu Lightbringer the Sunday after each Release at 2000 EST / 1900 CST / 0100 BST / 2400 UTC.
- The Nebula Time Trials are intended as a fun competition amongst players, but also a way for players to compare builds, playstyles, learn from one another and just generally have fun together. Each trial will consist of a challenge along the lines of “kill this mob” or “complete this quest” and while prizes will be awarded based on completion time, everyone who enters will receive something. Check this main post for links to the individual trials as they occur.
- Monthly Release Fishing Contests: This is a rotating, multi-location contest sponsored and organised by Rajazel, The Town Museum and its Governor Diablotine.
- Trash to Treasure Dropped Items Turn-In: Introducing Trash to Treasure 2.0! Some unscrupulous fella has been flooding all of New Britannia with junk: Headdresses, Wings, Backpacks, assorted miscellany of every sort. It’s time to clean this trash up and so a bounty has been placed on all gear crafted by Coswald Dirthmire that is turned in each contest period!
- Mad Splatter Tea Party: One Sunday of each quarter, Lily Byrd hosts a tea party in her back garden at her home in Jade Valley. There are drinks and eats, there is sometimes music, there are often party games with prizes, and sometimes they just sit and talk about life in Novia. All are welcome to join but this is a role playing event tea party: please come as your avatar!
Community Calendars:
- Avatars Radio Calendar: Just when are all those talented DJ’s and streamers broadcasting? Don’t just guess, check out there very helpful calendar! Never again will you wonder when’s the best time to tune in!
- NBNN Calendar: This calendar provides a great schedule for NBNN and WRFB programing as well as many other community events. If you’re a fan of the Laz & Jack show or even if you’re hoping to catch them in action for the first time, this is the calendar for you!
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
- One-Time Community Events Forum: Sometimes events happen only a single time, so you’ll not want to miss out on these events as they occur. Check out the forums routinely to spot these!
- Recurring Community Events Forum: Some events occur on weekly or monthly schedules which are a great way to routinely meet up with friends and to make new ones. Be sure to check this forum frequently for new events or time changes to existing ones.
- Player Event Trophies and Special Item Requests: Would you like to request a special trophy or renamed item for a player event you’ve created? Head on over to this thread to see what’s available and to obtain more information about request procedures.
- Player Radio Station Forum: If you want to check out the latest and greatest from our in-game radio stations, go to the radio stations forum! If you’re a DJ, be sure to advertise your time slot and venue in this forum.
- Player Livestreams & Videos Forum: If you’re searching for a Shroud Streamer to watch, head on over to the streamer forum! If you are a live streamer for Shroud of the Avatar, be sure to advertise your Shroud stream by posting in this forum.
- Town Directory Forum: Want to find a town to live in or get your town listed in the directory, head over to the forums and check it out!
- Guild Directory Forum: Looking for a guild or want to get yours posted in the guild directory? Head on over to the forums and check it out!
- Fire Lotus Tavern: This wondrous role-playing and story writing forum is the spot to be if you love fan fiction and role-play.
- Community Resources: Looking for links to community and official resources for Shroud of the Avatar? Well look no further. On this page you’ll find links to a plethora of helpful resources created by the dev team or the community.
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Ma Vie en Rogue
Sorceress Dragon of the team behind the Ultima Dragons’ 25th Anniversary Bash is creating a new, narrative-driven Roguelike RPG, Ma Vie en Rogue! The game will feature fun, engaging gameplay, many varied worlds, unlimited character customization, dozens of unique NPCs, pets, and monsters, sweet pixel art, and so much more. Richard Garriott has already offered his official endorsement, so watch for the Lord British character and Ultima-inspired Easter eggs! The physical versions come in a collector’s tin lunchbox and showcase cover art by Ultima artist Denis Loubet, a cloth map, metal ankh amulet, printed booklet, and more. MVR’s Kickstarter ends at midnight at the end of July so check it out now!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
- Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals.
- Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts books! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character!
- Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah!
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
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.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
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