Release 86

RELEASE 86, January 28, 2021
Release 85 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, January 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (16:30 UTC).

To herald in 2021, the first release of the new year brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a robust offering of wonderful new content items, decorations, and other game updates. A new adventure scene has been been added, an extensive revamp of how gear patterns function is now live, a new decoration type that buffs players with magical attunement is now available, dragon eggs now drop as loot which can be crafted into Baby Dragon Conversationalists, and Public Cache Chests have received additional variations!

We want to express a huge amount of gratitude to the players who tested the items listed below on our QA server. They found many bugs and also provided editorial feedback on this post so that it is easy to read and actually matches what is in the game. Keep the input coming, and again — thank you!

Before offering feedback and/or reporting a bug, we kindly ask that you read this whole message and the linked Player Guide and Known Issues to get up to date on the current game state. To keep up to date, please check out the Patch Notes.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and effort can be focused on new unanswered questions and addressing critical issues that impact each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

Remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is also working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check the schedule for player-run events in the Community Events Forums. You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

Here is a list of what you can expect to see in RELEASE 86, January 28, 2021.


 * New Adventure Scene: The Well of Aldur!
 * [[Image:SS_Web_4update_Alur_12162020_A.jpg|1028px]]

New Britannians! A mystical and mysterious adventure scene is now live and available to players of Shroud of the Avatar. “The Well of Aldur” is a scene for Episode 2 Access holders which features a variety of activities to challenge even the most stalwart of Avatars! World builders List Rostov and Sannio both worked hard on this wondrously ethereal adventure scene, which is now available! Sannio has shared a small teaser for what to expect:
 * “High above the mountain peaks of Mistrendur floats the crumbling remains of a civilization whose origins are lost to time. Only the greatest adventurers will decipher the secrets, survive the threats, and discover the true nature of the Well of Aldur.”
 * Players can expect a variety of challenges, including crystal-powered sky-movers, jumping puzzles, and wave battles. One of the wave battles includes new mechanics and new unique loot for the scene. And beware, engaging in combat upon one of the platforms within the scene could draw out Suutak, Master of Tempests! May the Virtues guide thee on your adventures within… The Well of Aldur!
 * [[Image:scene_well_of_aldur_3.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:SS_Web_4update_Alur_12162020_J.jpg|1028px]]


 * Upcoming Gear Patterns Flexibility!
 * [[Image:sota-viking-guard-armor-pattern.jpg|1028px]]
 * Gear Patterns in Shroud of the Avatar, up to this point, have been considerably restrictive in how players could apply them to gear. For instance, a 1-Handed Longsword Pattern would only apply to other 1-Handed Longswords, or a cloth helm pattern would only apply to a cloth helm. The list goes on, but this list will get considerably less complicated going forward! As of Release 86, gear patterns are now much less restrictive!
 * Category Restrictions Simplified: Below is a list of categories which will remain. Any item within that category will accept a pattern from another item within the same category.


 * Bludgeon 1-Handed
 * Bludgeon 2-Handed
 * Blades 1-Handed
 * Blades 2-Handed
 * Polearm 1-Handed
 * Polearm 2-Handed
 * Bows
 * Crossbows
 * Shields
 * Head Slot
 * Back Slot
 * Chest Slot
 * Gloves Slot
 * Legs Slot
 * Feet Slot
 * Artifacts: Most of these elusive treasures scattered through out the realms will now accept all patterns available within the same gear slot. For instance, an artifact chest piece will accept ANY pattern for a chest piece.
 * Also, with many visuals for off-hand items already available, and 3 more off-hand artifacts having just been introduced for R86 with the new Shrines of Attunement, expect some off-hand item patterns on the horizon as well! We hope players enjoy this extra flexibility with gear patterns. We will be introducing many more patterns in the future, so expect additional options for character customization shortly.


 * Shrines of Attunement!
 * [[Image:item_minidevotionals.jpg|1028px]]
 * Avatars! With the unveiling of The Well of Aldur, an entirely new statue type has been discovered throughout New Britannia–Shrines of Attunement! These powerful and crafted statues utilize 9 related off-hand artifacts to craft (3 of which have been introduced with this release), which provide 3-day attunement buffs for any character which steps into their aura. These buffs are on their own separate buff channel, and 2 buffs can be simultaneously utilized. Significant loot improvements have resulted, and more use has been made for a variety of underutilized crafting components or loot drop locations. The 9 required off-hand artifacts to craft these shrines have either been created as new, received visual effect enhancements, increased loot drop chances, and/or received significant stat bonus adjustments. Here’s a breakdown of the artifact updates:
 * Ankh of Wala (Sun Magic, Atenism): This odd little artifact appears as a golden ankh. Why the powers of Atenism were infused into a golden symbol for life magic? That is a story for another time. Users of the Ankh of Wala can expect some improved visuals. This item’s attunement power has been significantly reduced yet still provides more attunement than many of its off-hand brethren. Also, the reagent consumption penalties have been removed, and fizzle reduction has been added. Drop rates for this artifact have been increased, and players have the best chances to receive one by defeating a phoenix (which also drop talons more frequently now).


 * Heart of Vrul (Chaos Magic): The Heart of Vrul is an intriguing artifact that drops from Daemons and can be used on its own or crafted into the Warlock’s Chain. Now, players can use the Heart of Vrul to craft the Shrine of Chaos, and it has received visual touch-ups utilizing Chaos Magic visual effects.


 * Gaia’s Heart (Earth Magic, Gaiaism): This artifact, glowing green with the powers of earth magic, now drops more frequently, received a bug fix (common attunement was equal to uncommon attunement, now scales), and no longer provides a negative attunement penalty to Air Magic. This item has not received an appearance update.


 * Aether Orb (Moon Magic, Lunaism): The Aether Orb has been an extremely rare artifact, most readily obtainable during the seasonal coming of the comet when the aether creatures reenter our realm. The magical buffs on this item tie it in directly with Moon and Water magic, but slight adjustments have been made to increase the amount of moon magic attunement provided, and the featured water magic attunement has been slightly decreased to provide more significance to the Frozen Tear of Titans. Drop rates for the Aether Orb have been increased, especially amongst the applicable aether creatures, and rumor has spread that Shadow creatures now have a chance to drop common versions of this artifact. This item has received visual enhancements, and also a bug fix has ensured the epic versions scale for attack speed. The epic version now features 15% Attack Speed, instead of 12.5%, which was already featured on the legendary version.


 * Anapa’s Favor – NEW! (Death Magic, Necromancy): This new off-hand artifact has stunning visuals and drops from a large variety of lich casters or bosses. Anapa’s Favor provides death magic attunement, intelligence, and fizzle reduction. Upgrade recipes are discoverable, but can also be found in Grey Supply Bundles.


 * Vexlyn’s Spark – NEW! (Fire Magic, Sorcery): This new ominous looking Fire Magic artifact has been added to Lord British’s Castle and Xvara (Fire Boss) loot tables. Fire elementals throughout the lands also have small chances to drop this artifact. Vexlyn’s Spark provides fire magic attunement, intelligence, and fizzle reduction. Upgrade recipes are discoverable, but can also be found in Grey Supply Bundles.


 * Frozen Tear of Titans (Water Magic, Tempestry): This artifact has received improved visuals, and the negative fire magic attunement penalty has been removed. The artifact now also features ice and water elemental power bonuses to make the summoned creatures in that school more appealing. Expect to find this artifact more frequently, and even common versions have a chance to drop amongst water and ice elementals throughout the lands.


 * Ankh of Sacrifice (Life Magic, Thaumaturgy): The Ankh of Sacrifice has received visual improvements, and the reagent consumption penalties have been removed. Also, a fizzle reduction bonus has been added. The amount of life magic attunement has been reduced, but is still far greater than many of it’s off-hand artifact brethren featuring attunement bonuses. Drop rates for this artifact have been increased, especially in regards to common versions, and elven mages now have a chance to drop Ankhs of Sacrifice.


 * Suutak’s Bluster – NEW! (Air Magic, Theurgy): This spectacular orb of air magic has been discovered in The Well of Aldur, the new adventure scene introduced this release! The Well of Aldur features the greatest chances to receive common, uncommon, and rare versions of this artifact. Air elementals throughout the lands have also received small chances to drop common versions of this artifact. Suutak’s Bluster provides air magic attunement, intelligence, and fizzle reduction. Upgrade recipes are discoverable, but can also be found in Grey Supply Bundles.


 * Each shrine can be crafted at a blacksmithing station, and the recipes drop at locations indicated in the list below. Each recipe features common components between them (such as Ancient Essences, Bronze Ingots, and the rare version of the related artifacts), but underutilized ingredients have also been added to each recipe. These recipes are considered to be highly difficult, so expect some significant effort involved to obtain all the elusive components required to craft them. These shrines can be placed as property or Player-Owned Town decoration, the buffs last for 3 days each, and 2 different shrine buffs can be utilized simultaneously. Here are more details about the 9 Shrines of Attunement:
 * Shrine of Atenism (+15 Sun Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires a Phoenix Talon and Atenism Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from the phoenix.
 * Shrine of Chaos (+15 Chaos Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires Ground Daemon Hoof and Obsidian Chips. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from Daemons.
 * Shrine of Gaiaism (+15 Earth Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires Pure Elemental Sand and Gaiaism Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from earth, sand, and lava elementals.
 * Shrine of Lunaism (+15 Moon Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires Shadow Essences and Lunaism Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from Shadow Creatures.
 * Shrine of Necromancy (+15 Death Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires a Dragon Skull and Necromancy Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from Lich bosses.
 * Shrine of Sorcery (+15 Fire Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires a Red Dragon Egg and Sorcery Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops in Lord British’s Castle.
 * Shrine of Tempestry (+15 Water Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires an uncommon Ring of Water and Tempestry Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe drops from water elementals in The Well of Aldur.
 * Shrine of Thaumaturgy (+15 Life Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires an uncommon Ring of Life and Thaumaturgy Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe can be found in destructible crates.
 * Shrine of Theurgy (+15 Air Magic Attunement): The crafting recipe for this shrine also requires an uncommon Ring of Air and Theurgy Gems. The non-teachable shrine recipe can be found in The Well of Aldur.
 * As more artifacts roll out into the world of New Britannia, crafters amongst the ranks of Avatars might have some concerns about lessening the significance of crafted items. Rest assured, plans to allow more artifacts to be broken down into components (such as Torq’Dawl’s Basher and Slicer) are still very much in planning, and underutilized gathered/looted components will continue to be featured in upcoming recipes to add to their value.
 * We hope you enjoy the new Shrines of Attunement! Keep an eye out for a plethora of new crafting recipes in the future, providing love to all aspects of loot, gear slot/type, and gatherers. Also, masters of Combat and Strategy skills won’t be left out! Similar concepts for buffing skills in these trees through use of shrine type decorations will make their way into the game in the future.


 * Weather Control Devices Incoming!
 * [[Image:item_moontower.jpg|1028px]]
 * Work is well underway to provide governors and stewards a means to alter the weather and even biome of their Player-Owned Town (POT). The new tech is finished, and the related decoration items are being created which utilize this feature. The existing Moontower decoration will be the first to receive this tech, a change which will patch in shortly after release, with many more weather altering decoration items to follow. Many of these devices will be premium store items, but players can definitely expect some weather varieties to be altered from looted and/or crafted items.


 * Dragon Eggs & Baby Dragon Conversationalists!
 * [[Image:item_dragon_eggs_player_deco.jpg|1028px]]


 * New loot items have been added to all the loot tables for chromatic dragons — dragon eggs! These rare drops from each dragon work nicely as decorations, but can also be taken to your alchemy table to hatch the egg. Upon success, these rare eggs are converted into Baby Dragon Conversationalists! These conversationalists can be scaled in size from 0.5 to 1.3 to help players depict a larger age range between their hatchlings.
 * Conversationalist, Black Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Blue Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Green Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Orange Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Purple Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Red Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, White Baby Dragon
 * Conversationalist, Yellow Baby Dragon
 * For more information on how to “craft” these conversationalists, players must first seek Kaiser, the NPC located near the entrance of Ulfheim. Kaiser can provide a book of knowledge which describes nuances for each recipe and provides hints to where players can obtain each recipe.
 * [[Image:item_dragon_baby_white_inky.jpg|1028px]]
 * As we continue to expand the free offerings of conversationalists in the game, we hope players continue to enjoy the ever growing variety afforded to the conversation system. So many more conversationalists will be added in the future, so get your stories ready, Avatars!


 * Public Cache Chest Varieties!
 * [[Image:item_dead_body_villager_male_1_2.jpg|1028px]]
 * Many players of Shroud of the Avatar utilize in-game decorations in their towns and properties to tell a story or to enhance their in-game events. Public Cache Chests have always been a fantastic resource for sharing inventory items with other players, but unfortunately have been limited to two very large chests, which does not suit all needs for public cache containers. Besides simple storage, here’s a list of some of the common uses for these chests we’ve witnessed in years past:
 * Sharing Gear & Resources
 * Player-Created Treasure Hunting Events
 * Player-Created Quest Rewards
 * Contest Entry Collections & Prize Distribution


 * Although there are likely many other creative uses for public cache containers, we hope to expand the appeal of these items by offering a much larger variety in sizes and appearances. Here are some of the future updates for public access containers, some of which arrived today with Release 86:
 * Immersive Varieties: 3 varieties of corpse/coffin containers are now available as of Release 86 to aid players with storytelling in our wondrous yet dangerous world of New Britannia! The dead villager versions are looted from many creatures which could easily swallow a villager whole, and the coffin variety is crafted.
 * Crafted Varieties: The above mentioned coffin is the first crafted public cache container, with many more to follow in the releases ahead! A new “wildflower” quest that results in the player getting a coffin recipe has been added to Spindelskog.
 * Smaller Varieties: There will be a variety of small public cache containers which will certainly take less shelf space, but these smaller varieties will also add a significant improvement to player-created treasure hunting ventures. Those large original cache chests are simply too easy to spot from a distance for treasure hunting and player quests!
 * Fancy Premium Varieties: Most definitely we’ll have more varieties of these items on the Crown Store, which will feature larger storage space as well as ornate or special qualities.
 * As we continue to expand our offerings for how players share gear and resources with other players, we hope to improve the overall guild, player quest, and inventory sharing experiences throughout the community.


 * New Store Additions: Arrow Groupings, Water Lilies, Arm Chairs & More!
 * [[Image:item_arrow_bundle.jpg|1028px]]
 * New this week, decorate your homes with battle damage! The new arrow groupings decorations are perfect to display evidence of a recent battle for your player events and stories. (Regular arrows can also be placed as decoration.) Blossoming Water Lily Clusters really add some appeal to your water property, and keep an eye out for a non-blossoming version dropping as loot! For those wanting chandeliers of smaller varieties, 4 more types of chandeliers have been added to the store! Also, a set of two Ornate White & Gold Heart-Backed Armchairs have arrived just in time for Valentines day, and they feature two dye layers. Last but not least, are you in need of a Sacrificial Altar? Well one has just been added to the store for those wanting a darker touch to their home and dungeon décor.
 * Arrow Groupings 12-Pack
 * Blossoming Water Lily Cluster 12-Pack
 * Small Great Hall Fancy Crystal Chandelier
 * Small Long Chain Great Hall Fancy Crystal Chandelier
 * Small Fancy Crystal Chandelier
 * Small Long Chain Fancy Crystal Chandelier
 * Ornate White & Gold Heart-Backed Armchair 2-Pack (Dyeable)
 * Sacrificial Altar
 * [[Image:item_lily_pad_clusters.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_small_great_hall_fancy_crystal_chandelier.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_small_long_chain_great_hall_fancy_crystal_chandelier.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_ornate_white_gold_armchair_2_pack.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_sacrificial_altar.jpg|1028px]]
 * Last week, a very large dragon skull decoration with iron reinforcement was added to the store. This piece is significantly larger than the recently-added dragon skull into the loot system, and is a must-have centerpiece to anyone’s dragon bone collection.
 * [[Image:item_large_reinforced_dragon_skull.jpg|1028px]]
 * Also, the winter store season is here, Avatars! All holiday items will be available either in the Vault or as recurring seasonal items:
 * 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack
 * Breathe Blue Fire Emote
 * Breathe Emote 6-Pack
 * Breathe Snow Emote
 * Ceiling Yule Tree
 * Dark Yule Outfit
 * Fountain of Frozen Waters
 * Frozen Bagpipes
 * Giant Haunted Yule Tree
 * Giant Yule Tree 2015
 * Giant Yule Tree 2016
 * Giant Yule Tree 2017
 * Giant Yule Tree 2018
 * Haunted Snow Family
 * Haunted Snowman Mask
 * Haunted Yule Tree
 * Holly Wreath with Candles Hat
 * Holly Wreath with Sparklers Hat
 * Ice Elemental Statue
 * Ice Hot Tub
 * Ice Nightmare Mask
 * Ice Wings
 * Icy Ancient Stone Cathedral
 * Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto
 * Large Haunted Yule Tree
 * Large Yule Tree 2016
 * Large Yule Tree 2017
 * Large Yule Tree 2018
 * Menorah 2014
 * Menorah 2015
 * Menorah 2016
 * Menorah 2017
 * Menorah 2018
 * Ornate Mantle Garland 2017 12-Pack
 * Ornate Mantle Garland 2018 12-Pack
 * Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2014
 * Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2015
 * Ornate Replenishing Snowball Box 2016
 * Ornate Sled
 * Ornate Sleigh
 * Ornate Snow Family 2015
 * Ornate Snow Family 2016
 * Ornate Snow Family 2017
 * Ornate Snow Family 2018
 * Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack
 * Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack
 * Ornate Yule Music Box
 * Ornate Yule Wreath 2015
 * Ornate Yule Wreath 2016 3-Pack
 * Ornate Yule Wreath 2017 3-Pack
 * Ornate Yule Wreath 2018 3-Pack
 * Reindeer Decoration Pet
 * Scarecrow Mask
 * Small Ornate Wall Garland 2017 12-Pack
 * Small Ornate Wall Garland 2018 12-Pack
 * Snow Emote
 * Snowdragon
 * Snowflake Pattern Cloak
 * Snowman Mask 2015
 * Snowman Mask with Hat & Moustache 2018
 * Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2016
 * Snowman Mask with Stovepipe Hat 2017
 * Tabletop Elf Statue with Yule Hat
 * Tabletop Haunted Yule Tree
 * Tabletop Yule Tree 2014
 * Tabletop Yule Tree 2015
 * Tabletop Yule Tree 2016
 * Tabletop Yule Tree 2017
 * Tabletop Yule Tree 2018
 * Traditional Yule Hat
 * Virtue Ice Crown
 * Virtue Ice Gown Outfit
 * Virtue Ice Shield
 * Virtue Ice Sword
 * Virtue Ice Wand
 * Virtue Icicle Cloak
 * White Raven Decoration Pet
 * White Reindeer Decoration Pet
 * White Rottweiler Decoration Pet
 * White Squirrel Decoration Pet
 * White Turkey Decoration Pet
 * Winter Lynx Decoration Pet
 * Winter Pattern Glass Chandelier 3-Pack
 * Winter Pattern Glass Floor Lamp 3-Pack
 * Yule Card 2017 5-Pack
 * Yule Card 2018 5-Pack
 * Yule Gift Box 2016 3-Pack
 * Yule Gift Box 2017 3-Pack
 * Yule Gift Box 2018 3-Pack
 * Yule Hat
 * Yule Stockings 2016 3-Pack
 * Yule Stockings 2017 3-Pack
 * Yule Stockings 2018 3-Pack
 * Yule Tree 2014
 * Yule Tree 2015
 * Yule Tree 2016
 * Yule Tree 2017
 * Yule Tree 2018
 * Yule Velvet Bodice Ensemble


 * February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
 * [[Image:item_fancy_vase_multi_colored_roses.jpg|1028px]]
 * Don’t miss out! Log in during the month of February, and you’ll receive a beautiful vase of roses! The Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses is the perfect accent piece for your home’s décor.


 * Release 86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentine’s Day & New Year Theme!
 * [[Image:item_perennial_coast_dragon_mask.jpg|1028px]]
 * Avatars! Rewards Program login items for Release 86 are Valentine’s Day and New Year themed! Reward Program members must login during Release 86 to receive these login items:
 * Perennial Coast Dragon Mask
 * Ornate Red Floral Heart-Backed Armchair 2-Pack (Dyeable)
 * Heraldry Heart Shield (Dyeable)
 * [[Image:item_Ornate_Red_Floral_Heart_Backed_Armchair2_pack.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_heraldry_heart_shield_no_dye.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_heraldry_heart_shield.jpg|1028px]]


 * 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 (~ 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
 * Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
 * Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including:
 * 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


 * New Vault Round!
 * [[Image:emote_flambeaux_spin.jpg|1028px]]
 * Laissez les bons temps rouler, Avatars! Don’t let the vault door close on these items for another year before you have decorated for Mardi Gras! The current round of Vault items are available until Thursday, January 28th at 1PM CT. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for one week, and then the next, etc.
 * Flambeaux
 * Battle Banner
 * Tower Village Home
 * Ornate Flamberge Pattern Pack
 * Kobold 4-Story Great Hall City Home
 * Kobold Fighter Mask
 * Aether Aeronaut Helmet
 * Mardi Gras Fountain
 * Mardi Gras Garland 12-Pack
 * [[Image:item_mardi_gras_garland.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:item_mardi_gras_fountain.jpg|1028px]]


 * World & Miscellaneous Changes
 * [[Image:SS_4Elg_Ep2SS_B.jpg|1028px]]
 * These miscellaneous updates affecting the game world or aspects of the user interface (UI) patched in during R85, will go live with R86, or will go live shortly after R86:
 * Double-Click to Target: An option to toggle targeting between single and double-click has been added to the interface options menu.
 * Disable Weather on Low Performance: An option to disable weather during times of low performance has been added to the video options menu.
 * AFK Detection: Players will no longer be disconnected for inactivity unless their character is earning or spending experience points.
 * Performance Improvements:
 * UI improvements were implemented to help with combat related frame rate issues.
 * Many POT related decoration issues were adjusted to increase performance.
 * Dynamic performance monitoring has been improved to automatically and temporarily adjust graphics settings if frame-rate has lowered for a significant duration.
 * Sequanna Colossus: Enhanced the “container” built into the Shrine of Love so that it opens while looting it. Added a wave battle that starts when approaching the shrine, which includes 3 treasure chests that sequentially “unlock” as the waves progress.
 * Seasonal Monsters: Created scrolls for each seasonal monster that tells its legend which players will will discover throughout their adventures.
 * Malice: Added new “Enter Malice” compass marker and adjusted logic in Yama’s conversation to accommodate it.
 * Crafting Tutorials in Soltown, Aerie, and Resolute: Improved logic of quest progression, added and updated compass markers, and improved quest text for all three tutorials.
 * Harvest: After completing the quest from the children to stay in the house on the hill, characters will be awarded a new “Witch Hunter” title. Characters who have already completed this quest can talk to almost any child in Harvest to get this title.
 * Bogman: This rare creature has received fog VFX improvements.
 * Highvale Outskirts: Improved quest logic, responses, journals, and compass markers for several early quests regarding Captain Burnes and Leftenant Simone.
 * Etceter: Removed the off-duty schedule from Captain Steel, who now stays on the docks. Reduced the time and shrunk the area for Lady Ransom’s off-duty time when she goes upstairs at the inn.
 * Blood River Massacre: Updated the tutorial text that appears when approaching the village elder’s home.
 * Necropolis Barrens: Updated the responses from Kardan Marbane and Samael after completing the Path of Love storyline.
 * Aerie: Updated Kyle Behrand’s responses.
 * Tanglemire: Arnkatla now “waves her hands” to indicate she has a quest for you.
 * Tanglemire: Added wildflower quest which includes a recipe for a coffin decoration as part of the reward.
 * Novia: Added limits on the boat from Etceter to Xenos for when the “Truth storyline” advances.
 * Etceter: Removed schedule from Harbormaster.
 * Aerie: Improved compass markers for the Lord Macsen quest.
 * Highvale Outskirts: Improved compass markers and quest logic for quest to find Nach’s book.
 * Blood River Massacre: Improved the quest logic related to leaving the scene.


 * Crafting, Items & Economy Changes
 * [[Image:concept-SotA_sigils_Crafting_02.jpg|1028px]]
 * These changes to the player economy, in-game items, or crafting patched in during R85, will go live with R86, or will go live shortly after R86:


 * Scroll Decorations: 4 functional scroll decorations have been added to the game. Players will now have a larger variety of ways to document their stories and player quests. 3 of these scrolls are crafted by players, with the Blank Ornate Unrolled Scroll 5-Pack becoming available on the Crown Store on February 12th. To locate the recipes for the craftable scrolls, start smashing crates! The Blank Scroll, Blank Unrolled Scroll, and Blank Scroll with Ribbon recipes all have a chance to drop for those choosing to be a little destructive.
 * Water Well Dungeon Entrance: Players can now craft another style of dungeon entrance, the Water Well! Looking inside, players will see a hatch partially submerged in the water. To find the pattern for this well, utilize water wells throughout the game. Apply the pattern to the crafted Tomb Dungeon Entrance, and presto! Water well! Also, when the pattern is placed as a decoration, it features a unique “message in a bottle” appearance.
 * Cannons & Cannonballs: These items can now be placed upon castle walls, blocks, and other decorations with horizontal decoration surfaces.
 * Aortic Thrombus: The Aortic Thrombus has been renamed to Entrails.
 * Zinc, Tungsten, Tin, & Nickel: These rare items now have “ore” in their names to assist players with inventory filtering.
 * New Stackable Items: These items can now be stacked within a player’s inventory.
 * Flax Flowerbed (Renamed from Flowerbed A)
 * Confection Stand
 * Confection Platter
 * Fish Throne
 * Ornate Fish Throne
 * Pipe Organ
 * Flesh Flayer
 * 4-Story Flesh Flayer
 * Large Flesh Flayer
 * Ornate Water Platform
 * Pirate Banner
 * Free Standing Pirate Banner
 * Viking Bathtub
 * Shogun Bathtub
 * Elven Bathtub
 * Obsidian Bathtub
 * Marble Bathtub
 * Kobold Bathtub
 * Belt of Speed Recipes: These recipes were renamed to properly align with the Savage Sash of Swiftness artifact
 * Bank Upgrade Store Entry: This entry was rewritten to better indicate 100 slots are being purchased, not 10.
 * Dungeon Room Conversions: Dungeon rooms that are converted from Spawn to No Spawn versions no longer require 500 Crowns of the Obsidian. They instead require 1 Ancient Essence.
 * Gem Fragments, Uncut Gems, & Cut Gems: These items now all have (Refined Gemstone) or (Unrefined Gemstone) at the tail end of their item name to assist players with inventory filtering.
 * Wyvern Heads: The drop rates for these items on T10 Wyverns (existing ones) have doubled. T14 and T15 Wyverns will be coming to the game which will have even better drop rates, albeit they will still be very rare collectibles.
 * Wyvern Haunches: The drop rates for these items on T10 Wyverns has more than tripled, now at 75%. T14 and T15 Wyverns will have even better drop rates, where players will almost always receive at least 1 haunch, with a good chance to receive a second haunch (more so with the T15 version).
 * Ashen Heartwood: These items will now drop 50% more often from Reapers. Flesh Flayers and Red Thorn Flowers, which exist mostly in PvP scenes, will also have equal chances to drop Ashen Heartwood. This change will help players obtain this item which has recently been added to more recipes.
 * Dread Artifacts, Shroud of the Avatar: These items have received improved tooltips.
 * Practice Dummies: These items no longer take up an NPC slot on property.
 * Potions of Disco Fever: These items can now be utilized anywhere.
 * Small Stone Ruins: This decoration now allows other decorations to be placed on some surfaces.
 * Bell Tower: The vertical flat surfaces within the Bell Tower can now be decorated.
 * Elven Guard Tower: The vertical flat surfaces within the Elven Guard Tower can now be decorated.
 * Ornate Clock Tower: The vertical flat surfaces within the Ornate Clock Tower can now be decorated.
 * Ornate Gazebo: Decorations can now be placed on the ceiling and on top of the railings.
 * Small Fancy Pavilion: Decorations can now be placed on the ceiling.
 * Large Fancy Pavilion: Decorations can now be placed on most vertical and horizontal surfaces.
 * Party Blow Horn Emote: /partyblowhorn can now be performed while sitting.
 * NPC Merchants: These merchants which sell many crafting items will now allow for much larger quantities to be purchased with each transaction.
 * 2 Year Whiskey: NPC merchants will offer 30% less gold to purchase this item from players.
 * Enchantment Skills: These skills will now apply significantly more production EXP per use.
 * Flowerbed A: The name of this flowerbed has be changed to Flax Flowerbed.


 * Combat Balance & Changes
 * [[Image:screenshot-SS_Grannus_01.jpg|1028px]]
 * These changes to combat skills or concepts patched in during R85, will go live with R86, or will go live shortly after R86:
 * Bows & Crossbows: These items now only count as a 1-handed item in regards to fizzle.
 * Control Point Undead: Control point versions of undead were significantly increased in power to make them more challenging than their non-control point counterparts.
 * Bolster Balance: This skill now includes a Critical Hit Damage Reduction feature which reduces the damage multiplier for incoming critical hits.
 * Deflect: This skill now includes a power boost for block.
 * Evasion: This skill now includes a Critical Hit Defense feature which reduces the chance for incoming critical hits.
 * Summoned Pets: Summoned pets of all varieties have received a significant power boost, which will be especially noticed by players specialized in the related school of magic.
 * Aimed Shot: Aimed shot only applies max damage to stationary targets.
 * Summon Will-O-Wisp: This summoned pet can now apply 3 stacks of its buff to the player, which also now includes a +0.1 melee critical damage modifier to each stack.
 * Death Magic: Death mages will now enjoy being far more effective against the undead! Undead are much less resistant to death magic.
 * Stealth: Fall damage no longer breaks stealth unless damage exceeds 5 points of health.
 * Douse: This skill now receives a stacking bonus that increases the duration.
 * Ignite Weapon: This skill now receives a stacking bonus that increases the duration.
 * Consumables: Many consumables now feature cooldowns if placed as a dynamic glyph into a deck.


 * Updated Player Owned Towns
 * [[Image:R86_Map_of_Novia_POT.jpg|1028px]]
 * These updates affected Player Owned Towns which patched in during R85, will go live with R86, or will go live shortly after R86:
 * Britt Mart: Changed owner.
 * Duanor: Upgraded to Crossroads Village.
 * Fet City: Added new POT to Novia near Jaanaford.
 * Knightmare Falls: Updated interconnections.
 * Llanvier: Moved to Novia near Yew.
 * Obsidius: Upgraded to Crossroads Village.
 * PaxLair: Upgraded to Teralopolis.
 * Riptown Creek: Upgraded to Crossroads Village and set to PvP.
 * Salem: Upgraded to Town. Updated Spite interconnection.
 * Sionann: Upgraded to City. Changed to Swamp Island 01. Moved to near the Tower of the Shuttered Eye.
 * Stormsong Vale: Changed owner.
 * Traveller’s Rest: Upgraded to Town.
 * [[Image:R80_Map_of_HiddenVale_POT.jpg|1028px]]
 * [[Image:R80_Map_of_Mistrendur_POT.jpg|1028px]]


 * Bug Fixes
 * [[Image:concept-Oracle-Watchers.jpg|1028px]]
 * Albeit many bug fixes patched in during R85, will go live with R86, or will go live shortly after R86. Here are some of the highlights!
 * A little bit of helium has been released from the white and gray goose decoration pets. They still have enough helium left to be light and fluffy, but they no longer have floating issues.
 * Logic has been improved to help prevent player resurrection issues when 2 players attempt to resurrect the same target. This problem was :*difficult to duplicate, so please report continued issues in this regard.
 * Giant ore nodes in various scenes have been fixed.
 * Marlin in Aerie now always has a response when you give him the “Drumplemouth” keyword.
 * Cristiano of Sanctus Spine should now properly teleport players across the scene when they request it.
 * Issues with Immolation have been resolved. This spell no longer loses its attunement portion of the buff.
 * The snow weather effect has been improved and should appear less often when indoors.
 * Updated nameplate heights for air and water elementals to be above the heads of the NPCs.
 * Collision was added between the ice pieces in the floating ice cluster decoration so players can no longer fall between the pieces and get stuck.
 * Fixed several issues in Solace Bridge Outskirts in regards to a floating dirt pile on the ground, quest compass marker improvements, quest text improvements, and added crates and barrels on ramp up to bivouac.
 * Replaced a cage door in the Halls of Artifice that was missing.
 * Players should now learn Visna’s name when she shares it in South Boundless Forest.
 * Adjusted weight for the Shield of the Wicked King artifact from 25 to 1.
 * Fixed an issue in Kiln that caused the “Ask About Bonesteel in Kiln” compass markers to disappear prematurely.
 * The “Find Kiakis in Vertas” compass marker should no longer appear prematurely.
 * Thomas Strongbeard of Owl’s Head will have a proper acknowledgement when players tell him their names.
 * Fixed issues in Tanglemire with the path grid in the vicinity of some dirt piles.
 * Reworked spike door trap to function properly as a door.
 * Albert Lock and Franseza Moisan in Aerie no longer run downstairs when the bank door is open
 * The Yule Elf Outfit pattern now applies to gear appropriately.
 * 8 store descriptions were corrected to no longer indicate they can be placed upon a Village Lot or larger since empty row lots are now available.
 * Rebaked navmesh in Oracle Colossus with a tighter grid to help NPCs trying to move on steep slopes.
 * Removed a waypoint node in Oracle Colossus that Imps had trouble reaching. Also, increased the arrival radii for all other Imp waypoint nodes to help with access.
 * The store entry for the Sigil Complete Set was corrected to no longer display a wall of text that transferred in from its original webstore entry.
 * Improved how the “Confirm Final Step” task in Highvale Outskirts archives itself and stops displaying as a compass marker.
 * The “Find Kiakis in Vertas” compass marker should no longer appear prematurely.


 * Updates to the Streamer Rewards Program!
 * [[Image:StreamerCamera.jpg|1028px]]
 * Several months ago, a program was proposed for the Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar. The ultimate goal being to showcase Shroud of the Avatar while giving SotA streamers a reward for their efforts. The program is currently in Phase I, with Phase II technology currently being discussed and worked internally. So, let’s talk Phase I!
 * Phase I:
 * Streamers who wish to be included in the Streamer Program must contact Laney via in-game mail or in a private message on the forums 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 a brand-new LIVESTREAMING title. Future incremental rewards will occur at 6-month intervals. (More information to come).
 * Rules:
 * To qualify for Streamer 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.
 * 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.
 * Items of Note:
 * SotAbot: Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord.
 * Graphics & Overlays: An optional “Streamers Kit” is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material.
 * Watch the forums for more information, coming soon, regarding Titles, future rewards and for info on Phase II of the program. We love our Streamers, so get out to Twitch and follow them, watch them, and support them!


 * Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
 * [[Image:SotA_Insect-Painting-C.jpg|1028px]]
 * 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 recently relaunched.
 * The Brigade has been up and running for two months now, and the volunteers are getting into 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 cleanup the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
 * As was recently announced on a Twitter post by Chris “Atos” Spears, the upcoming development time for Release 84 will be primarily 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! Already, much improvement has been noticed by the development team, and we’re so very excited to see the program successfully back in action!
 * The development team would also like to thank all of those who took time out to participate in the QA Testing Directive for the upcoming Mount System. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs were identified and fixed prior to the system 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.
 * Also, the Bug Brigade would like to welcome its newest Bug Moderator, Echondas! Please congratulate him the next time you see him in-game or on the forums. This new member expands the Bug Moderator team to: Alley Oop, Echondas, and Justyn. Thank you Moderators! Your efforts are highly valued by the development team!
 * Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing, and the bug rewards are back! And they 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
 * 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 Blue Butterfly Pet
 * Butterfly Mask
 * Dragonfly pet
 * Fairy Wings
 * Monarch Butterfly Pet
 * Dragonfly Wings
 * Hacked Oracle Crawler
 * Blue Butterfly VFX
 * Orange Fireflies VFX
 * Orange Butterfly VFX
 * If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, signup and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravolox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
 * [[Image:SotA_Corpion-Chair_empty.jpg|1028px]]


 * Upcoming Release Dates
 * [[Image:DanceParty.jpg|1028px]]
 * 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 2021 Release Schedule is as follows:
 * Release 86 – Jan 28
 * Release 87 – Feb 25
 * Release 88 – Mar 25
 * Release 89 – Apr 29
 * Release 90 – May 27
 * Release 91 – Jun 24

Additional Information

 * Release 86 Instructions
 * Release 86 Known Issues
 * Quick Reference Card