[Off Topic] Fae Yule 2016!

So, Fae Yule is back for another round! I am pretty excited for the holiday after seeing all the awesome new things introduced in the holiday livestream, but also because I really enjoy this holiday in particular. All the in game snow, the cheer, the fun quests, I dunno, I can't explain it but there's just something I really enjoy about Fae Yule in particular. This year, I was definitely more active in the Fae Yule activities. I spent so many hours doing the sledding quest so I could get Snowflakes, and also quite a few days were spent tracking down all the dozens of holiday artifacts so I could add them to my collection. I really like artifacts. Mostly because when you complete them, there's always the chance of getting a really interesting lore book to read that will tell you something new about an aspect of the story of Rift, but also because I'm a collector and there's just something innately satisfying about seeing the little green checkmark and the "complete" that shows up in the corner of your artifact window when you've completed all the artifacts for a given set. So I went around to various zones and collected as many of the holiday artifacts as I could and I even managed to complete one whole achievement for some. There are a lot of artifact sets listed in the Fae Yule achievement column actually, and I am quite proud that I was able to complete so many before the event ended. Anyway, on to the actual details!

Links to previous years of Fae Yule blog posts:
Fae Yule 2012 
Fae Yule 2013 
Fae Yule 2015

     Fae Yule 2016 Tips:

• You can earn currency on your alts, buy the item you want, and mail it to your "main" or the character you want the items/achievements on. All Fae Yule items except the holiday minks are BoA (Bind on Account) and can be mailed to a different character!
• Do not spend any of the Dark Icicles until the 3rd phase when you've gathered all of the Icicles you can. This allows you to plan out how best to spend your currency, since you only ever get 30 Icicles per character, unless your exceptionally lucky to gain 1 or 2 from Minion missions.
• If you are a Patron, or are willing to buy a Patron Pass, you can use the Currency Token item gained from Patron boxes to increase the amount of snowflakes you gain from quests.
• The easiest and fastest way to gain snowflakes is to do the Sledding repeatable quests, since you can do as many as you want every day, and you gain at the least 10 snowflakes per slide down the hill and at the most 25 (With Patron status token as well as going through each of the portals at the top of the last ramp!)
• There's a Fae Yule Store located in Iron Pine Peaks that has items for sale that IS NOT found on the Rift Store! Go check it out!
• When doing Stocking Stuffers Achiev, move between shards, even the pvp one, to gain an extra chance at finding an item! Have patience with this one, it will take a while.
• Don't try doing all of the achievements/events on the same day. You will get desperately frustrated and bored fast.
• If you plan on collecting the Fae Yule Artifacts, use Opie if you have him, Artifact Tracker if you have that Patron ability, or purchase something along those lines. It will save you so much time! Keep an eye out for the Artifact zone events, and ask guildies/friends to swap or give you duplicate artifacts so you can have a better chance of completing the sets.
• Log into as many alts as you need/want in order to do the Dark Icicles quest so you are able to purchase all the items you want from the store. 
• Try to do at least a few Fae Yule IA's each day to ensure better odds at gaining some of the items needed to finish the achievements.
• The PvP portion of Fae Yule is impossible to complete unless you have a character that can get into the end game brackets of warfronts, since low lvl pvp is dead and gone. Also, Whitefall was removed from Rift and only added back with the holiday event later in the Fae Yule event, so if you don't see it on the Warfront list, that's why.   

     Details on quests and event activities have already been mentioned in those links above, so I don't feel the need to go into that. There are a few new things, or additional things I'll add here that were removed/changed, or added to the Fae Yule holiday event in 2016. For one thing, I've got more of a handle on how the Minion cards work, and as such, I was able to start the Fae Yule minion quest chain and complete it! It took some time, and I had to buy the starter Minion with store credits in order to get the others, but I got a few rewards along the way to help with my efforts. Here's the list, in the order that I received them:   **The quest chain starts with the minion card "Grish" that you need to purchase from the s tore for 250 snowflakes and 3 Icicles, or 450 Credits**

1. Fae Yule Is Here! Grish Has Come To Bring The Hate
1. Spread some Fae Yule cheer to stop Grish
2. Duration: 1 minute
2. Locate Clues to Grish's Whereabouts
1. Duration: 4 hours
3. Prove Your Might and Gain the Help of Sundereth
1. Duration: 8 hours
2. Rewards Minion Card: Sundereth
4. Deliver Alcoholic Beverages to Atrophinus
1. Duration: 8 hours
2. Rewards Minion Card: Atrophinius the Festive
5. Show Everyone the Festive Festivities with Atrophinius the Festive
1. Duration: 8 hours
6. Xharlion Joining Grish? Convince him to join you instead!
1. Duration: 8 hours
2. Reward Minion Card: Xharlion
7. Seoras Must be Stopped!
1. Duration: 8 hours
2. Rewards Minion Card: Seoras
8. Gather Food and Set a Trap for Grish
9. We've Located a Village that Needs Cheering Up
10. Grish is Near, Hunt him Down!
11. Use Fire to melt the Ice Blocking the Way to Grish
1. Duration: 15 minutes
12. Gather Food for the Poor Villagers
1. Duration: 5 minutes
13. Subdue the Grendelkhan
1. Duration: 8 hours
2. Rewards Minion Card: Grendelkhan
14. Someone Get Atrophinius a drink
15. Return Stolen Gifts
1. Duration: 4 hours
2. Requires Adventurine or Credits to launch
16. Build up Siege Camps
1. Duration: 4 hours
2. Requires Adventurine or Credits to launch

     Another change this Fae Yule is the fact that last year's holiday currency carried over to this Fae Yule! So all the hard earned snowflakes and Icicles I had last year that I never had time to spend, or never found anything I wanted, added up this year, and combined with the currency I got this year. This helped quite a lot for buying all the companion pets I needed for the "For Whom The Jingle Bell Tolls" achievement. Even then, it took quite some farming to be able to buy all those pets!

     Since I took more of an active interest in this Fae Yule and participated in a lot of the achievements, I also have a list for a different achievement, named "Stocking Stuffers" This one took a while too, since it doesn't even really explain what it means. What you have to do is click on little dimension like items that will pop up over the Mathosian content. You need 50 of them in all, so you need to find 50 of these items, and they can be anywhere in the old world. The easiest places to find them of course, are in the 2 capital cities, Sanctum and Meridian. Another handy thing to note about this particular achievement, is that if you happen to find one of these items, you can shard hop to a different server and with luck, find the same item in the same place, and still get a point towards the achievement. It's definitely worth noting the places you found these items and come back to them every few hours to check to see if they have respawned yet. Here's a list of where I've found them, but I'm sure there's tons more, it's hard to predict where they will pop up, and they are sometimes in out of the way locations, hidden in discrete spots. Very tricksy Trion, very tricksy!
Stocking Stuffers Locations:

1. 7553, 3000-Candy Cane-Sanctum
2. 7585, 3032-Candy Cane-Sanctum
3. 6677, 7028- Candy Cane-Fortune's Shore (Shimmersand)
4. 6643, 7047-Gift Box-Fortune's Shore (Shimmersand)
5. 6629, 7032-Candy Cane-Fortune's Shore (Shimmersand)
6. 6188, 5179-Candy Cane-Fortune's Shore (Shimmersand)
7. 6123, 5217-Wreath-Fortune's Shore (Shimmersand)
8. 5974, 5157-Gift Box-Meridian
9. 4552, 1489-Candle-Chancel of Labors (Iron Pine Peaks)
10. 3727, 1737-Gift Box-Whitefall (IPP)
11. 3703, 1766-Candy Cane-Whitefall (IPP)
12. 3602, 3796-Grove Keeper's House (Scarwood Reach)

     Another change to this year's Fae Yule was one that annoyed me a lot. The achievement that rewards you the black Vaiyuu mount, "Nightmare before Fae Yule", had a few of the requirements removed, so now there's only 3 achievments you need to complete in order to get the mount. These 3 achievements are such a pain in the butt, it's not even funny. And the frustrating thing is, they all rely on luck of the draw to complete! It requires you have completed the Snowmancer achievement-collecting all 4 of the clickable snowmen you can set on the ground, the 25k Lights-collecting all the little glowing ball companion pets, and lastly, the Puppet Master achievmenet- collecting all the puppet pets. I've gotta say, I worked on the Fae Yule activities for a long time this holiday, logging in just about every day to try and complete just a little bit more, and I never once saw any of the puppets, lights, or snowmen that I needed to complete the achievement. I'm not sure if that was because they were super rare, or because of some lame glitch that prevented me from finishing it up. I was pretty depressed by it though.
      I put all that effort in specifically because I was hoping to get that black Vaiyuu, but no dice. Sad panda!

     While we're on the subject of frustrating Fae Yule activities, I'd like to point out another that really irritated me. The PvP one! Because pvp is like dead in Rift, it is literally impossible for me, as a low lvl character (lvl 40 at the time I started the Fae Yule) to complete the Santa Claws pvp Fae Yule achievements and get my little festive werewolfy pet! I was pretty sad, not going to lie! I even debated spending the Credits/money on getting a boost to lvl 60 JUST So I could participate in the pvp activities. Although it turns out, that didn't even matter because Trion, for silly reasons that did not help the pvp situation AT ALL, removed most of the warfronts, Whitefall included. Since Whitefall Steppes was the warfront needed to complete the pvp achievements, all of us Fae Yule achievers were screwed over. Finally, after a lot of forum talk and such like from players, we were able to get info saying that the warfront would be added in the ....was it second or last phase? of Fae Yule. This was rather frustrating.

     There were a few cool new additions to this year that sort of made up for it though. One of those was the Fae Yule Costume Bundle, which was a really neat long winter coat, a fur hoodie, and warm gloves and boots. It was the perfect set for when my character starts doing the Iron Pine Peaks story arch, since I can dye it an appropriate color and say it's her cold weather gear! There was also a really pretty mount that was like the Levitation mount, but it lifted you in the air with a spinning ring of brightly colored gifts. So cool! I want one so badly, but unfortunately, you have to spend real money to get one since they are in the lock boxes. And I have horrid luck with the lock boxes, so I guess I won't be getting one of those! :( There were also 2 new pets, "Tags"-a floating gift box, and "Chibs"-a little Greenscale looking dragon with large eyes and tiny wings. There was also another new set of wings added to the Rift store, which I NEEDED to have since I absolutely love wings. Like seriously, I love wings! I can't remember what they were called in game, but I call them turkey wings because that's what they look like. They dye really nicely, but sadly, it's a completely solid color, with no way to dye say the secondary or tertiary feathers a different color or shade. We also got a hat costume item that gave us beards, even the female characters. This was an item put in game because of one of the Trion peeps, who really wants her female dwarf to have a beard lol.

plane of air lore

Plane of Air

Air lizard

Air Rifts: winds from beyond

Like the onset of madness in a sane man, Telara may be scourged at any moment by evil from its very air. The sky could split above an open plain, or crack over the highest peaks. Crisp, serene air twists into a hateful storm, winds whipping and swirling with such fury they tear boulders from the earth, whirling them about like a mad juggler’s toys.

The fortunate who stumble into the radius of an Air Rift are crushed by these boulders. Others have their flesh scoured away by debris born on the razor winds, or are snatched up by the storm, cooked by the lightning, and rent limb from limb by the monsters flying through the shimmering rift.

Plane of Air: the merciless sky

The Plane of Air is made up almost entirely of its primary element: an endless, turbulent sky. Cloudscapes replace landscapes, roiling and writhing, crashing together like continents. Air elementals and djinali ride the lightning that arcs between thunderheads, while rocs cruise the twisting wind, feasting on winged serpents.

Chunks of the thunderbirds’ prey can fall eternally, or splatter upon the floating islands that spin through the sky. The Plane of Air’s few land-bound creatures make their homes here, isolated for eons until the winds push two islands together and the denizens fall to xenophobic warfare.

Of wise Won Odego, the first Paragon, the Bahmi tell this tale.

Won Odego had a pupil, his sister’s daughter, strong and swift. She fought with the unpredictable grace of a hurricane, and her mind likewise was fetterless and wild. So the master bade his student make tea every morning, at just the same moment, just the same brew, just the same heat in summer or snow.

“Why?” asked the pupil. But Won Odego only smiled.

The student made the tea right, but without care – for a mistress of the sword, how trivial a task to brew the same tea every morning?

Then one morning, Won Odego sat down to tea that scalded his lip. He crossed his swords behind his neck, catching his student’s blow, then spun and met her onslaught. For days, blades sang on blades. This white-eyed puppet had the pupil’s strength and skill, but none of her inventiveness. Eventually she lay still, Odego’s slash across her throat.

“She who revels in the storm must keep one toe on the ground,” said Won Odego, and the wind brushed the tears from his eyes.

Airtouched: riders on the storm

Like the pitiless sky, creatures from the Air Rifts are uncaring, arrogant, entirely heartless. They are the wind that twirls a falling man end over end like a shiny bauble, letting him crash against the rocks without ever raising him aloft.

Griffons, rocs, and harpies fly Telara’s skies, lifting cattle back to their mountain nests—and only cattle, if the cowherds are lucky. Brutish gargoyles crouch on the parapets of abandoned castles, while cockatrices nest in towers, the filthy scavengers ready to swarm the unwary with plague-ridden claws. Vespids—wasps the size of horses—venture from their barrow-hives, hunting for mortal bellies in which to lay their eggs. And yetis barrel down from the mountain peaks, shrieking like the wind, hungry as a yawning crevasse.

Dragon of Air: the Broodmother

When the dragons first arrived on Telara, Crucia united entire armies under a great hive mind that spread like the wind in one coordinated assault. Were it not for the brave deeds of Telara’s heroes, every mortal being would be thrall to the white dragon.

But the Ward cracked, and with it, Crucia’s prison. Still trapped, the Broodmother plots within her icy tomb, manipulating anyone anywhere she can, but happy to strike like a thunderbolt force when necessary. Her Storm Legion has allied with and betrayed all the other dragon cults at one time or another, for such is her way: through manipulation, coercion, or direct mind-control, she will bend every will in tune with her own, till all creation sings in perfect, matching monotone.

Cult of Crucia: the Storm Legion

Once, Crucia possessed a vast empire, unflinching armies, and the most sophisticated spy network in Telara’s history. Now, the Storm Queen can merely invade and overthrow the minds of mortals who lack the monumental will to resist her.

A lifelong friend suddenly changes expression and becomes a deadly assassin. Children turn against their parents, and kings are killed by their consorts, who the night before swore love eternal. Crucia cannot fully control everyone in her cult, but once touched, the thrall remains something of a blank slate, easy pickings for further control. Crucia has worn their minds smooth, as the wind scours the mountainside.

thontic lore

Thontic God of the Sea

On a ship at sea, a sailor plots his course, a merchant dreams of distant shores, and a scholar charts the stars. Each in their way prays to Thontic, God of the Sea, of trade, and of mystery. When the gods formed Telara from sourcestone at the dawn of days, it was Thontic who shaped the clouds, filled deep places with water, and sparked the thirst for knowledge in mortal minds.

The faceless Abyssal say that Thontic merely imitates Akylios’s genius, but this is a filthy lie. Akylios represents the profane darkness of the crushing deeps, where sanity flees even the design of nature and hideous secrets wait, hidden from the light. Thontic is the deity who guides travelers to safe harbor, who hides teeming life and fantastic revelations beneath the briny tide. While the Abyssal are misers of knowledge, hoarding secrets until their minds burst, Thontic’s priests are patrons of wisdom, answering life’s great questions and revealing their discoveries for the benefit of all.

Abbott of Thontic

In mysterious ways

Of all gods of the Vigil, Thontic is the most inscrutable. They say he moves across the land wearing the night as a cloak, his voice just barely softer than the lapping of the waves and the clinking of coins. His ways are not always kind—at his whim one merchant opens new cities for trade, while another is swallowed by the tide. Yet exploration is hollow without risk, and Clerics say those who die at sea have a place at Thontic's side.

The Guardians pray to Thontic when they embark on long journeys, solve crimes, or study the ways of magic and nature. And in Sanctum, most commerce takes place in Thontic Square, where every exchange pleases the god of the seas.

The Vigil's cunning

Thontic provides the Vigil with his wisdom, his craft, and a necessary ruthlessness that righteous Thedeor or gentle Mariel-Taun simply could not imagine. Like the trader who must outbid his competitors or the storm that rises without warning, Thontic knows that some events are unavoidable and had best be wisely managed. It is thanks to him that Rogues prowl the night to strike at hidden evils and Cabalists bring their forbidden rites to bear upon the Guardians’ enemies.

Without Thontic, the Guardians would truly be the guileless crusaders of Defiant propaganda. Guided by his canny insight, they are a subtler and more adaptable force than their enemies imagine. Like their god, their methods are a tightly-woven secret for the clever to unravel.

"From the fiery halls of Maelforge, we come. We come to fight, we come to break, we come to burn. Maelforge has given us the fire to fight you. Maelforge has given us the cunning to defeat you. Maelforge will return, and this world will be cinder."

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elemental planes lore

  Scholars have studied the planes that intersect with Telara for centuries. Most information gained on the Planes, as well as how to travel to them, was lost however, during the Age of Dragons. According to one Ethain Melankis, the Planar Realms were no always corrupt and full of evil beings bent on our destruction. They were visited quite freely and often. Many pathways existed through the elements, blessed by the god Thontic. One of the last few of these remaining pathways is the Planar Porticum, which is used now by both Guardian and Defiant factions to instantly travel from one point in Telara to another. The chaos that the Blood Storm wrought upon the world was mostly a time of survival and despair, and nothing was kept of Telara's history before that. After the Eth Empire was later established, many of the Ethian scientists and explorers sought out knowledge and experiments on the Planes in an effort to further their innovations in magitech and gain back the knowledge that had been lost. What is known so far is that there are 6 Planes (that we know of) that intersect and interact with Telara in a significant way. These Planes each represent one of the primal crucial elements to survival. They are Life, Death, Air, Water, Fire, Earth. The planes are powerful, unstable, and unpredictable regions that have only recently come back in contact with Telara, unfortunately brining with them all manner of corrupt and powerful beings bent on causing trouble in Telara.

     Some say that the Planes are other, parallel universes, running alongside our own, but in different dimensions. The only access to and from the Planes up until recently has been the Rifts, tears of reality from which sections of the planes are able to intrude upon Telara, allowing its enemies access to it on the material plane. No Telaran has entered a Rift and traveled to that plane. Or at least, done so and lived to return to tell the tale. The Bahmi are a race of hybrid-alien beings descended from the Shalastiri, who came from the Plane of Air during the Age of Dragons and seem to be the only race willing to interact with and ally with Telara against the other planar invaders.

     Each of the Planes is its own world. It's own ecosystem and inner workings that is completely different and alien to the others. Each is unique, beautiful and deadly in its own right. During the Age of Legends, before the Blood Storm, Rifts rent the sky in half, bringing chaos and death and exotic beings from many numerous places inside the planes. All of Telara was covered with the rifts and the strange beings who traveled through them. From what has so far been gathered on Telara's history, this didn't seem to have any adverse effect on Telara. The gods equally didn't seem concerned by the rifts at that time. Because all the planes intersected with Telara at once, it was an evenly matched shift in energy and the world was in relative balance and peace. The lands were more wild and chaotic and unpredictable of course, but the Elves were always there to sort any real trouble, as their Covenant dictated. It wasn't until the trouble of the Blood Storm came and corrupted the planes that the gods knew they had to isolate Telara. The corruption of the Planes was destroying Telara just as much as the dragons themselves. So they formed the Vigil and erected the Ward to prevent Telara from being consumed by the chaos and corruption of the planes.

     Another interesting fact is that each of the Blood Storm dragons corresponds to a unique plane. They are considered the ruler or overlord of their respective plane of existence, but what if they are not? What if they are nothing more than the vanguard of an arm so dreadful and so powerful that even the stars shiver in the sky and that is what the gods were truly trying to protect us from? As we Ascended grow ever more powerful and advanced in our abilities, it stands to reason that our enemies are aware of our potential threat and themselves grow deadlier.

     It is said that Telara is unique of all the worlds in existence, as it was formed at the exact center of a nexus(convergence) of the planes. Like the center of a spider web, with the planes forming the strands that spiral outward. This means that Telara gained bounty and wealth and unique beauty from the dimensions around it, and it formed a world so vastly different even in the same region. Each of the planes has left their mark on Telara from the Age of Legends, like a system of checks and balances, with each new plane leaving a new layer of wonder over a region. Now though, with the Ward broken and the Blood Storm loose again in the world, the sudden influx of rifts and corrupted planar energy just brings danger and chaos and madness to a Telara that was not prepared for planar intersection. When the Vigil gods came and shaped Telara into the perfect world for their designs, they watched over a young planet, walking on its surface and preventing the planes from causing too much instability. They also dispatched their sacred protectors, the Elves, to safeguard the wilds of Telara from the other newer races that sprang into being among the rifts. It was only after the Blood Storm was finally defeated all those years ago that the gods knew they had to take drastic measure to prevent disaster from overtaking their beloved world again. So they placed a barrier around Telara to protect it from the influence of the planes and prevent the Blood Storm-trapped in prisons in separate locations on Telara-from accessing their planar power base. It is theorized by the faithful followers of the gods that the Ward was so strong that it also prevented the Vigil from being able to communicate with the people of Telara as well, although why they don't contact Telara now after the Ward has broken remains a mystery

    It is unknown if the Elemental Planes are able to be traversed by native Telarans**, as no one as gone there. The air itself could be toxic and non-breathable. The creatures that come from the Planes are alien, exotic. They do not look "human" in any way. Many creatures sport tails, claws, hooves, horns, fins and gills. Every single creature has a single-minded determination to destroy and kill. Whether this is a result of the energy on that Plane or from the overwhelming power of the dragon god that governs that plane is unknown. Can each of the dragon gods reach out to their Plane, even from their prison? I've no idea. They must hold some sway or influence over the creatures of their chosen plane at least, to instill in them the single-minded desire to take over Telara. It's also interesting to note that the creatures from each Elemental Plane seem to hate creatures from other planes. They will attack and kill those from other planes just as easily as they attack and kill native Telarans.

**Planar Update August 2016**: As of the 3rd Rift expansion-Nightmare Tide- we can now travel to the Plane of Water, so travel between Telara and the planes is confirmed as possible. God Engines created by the people of Pelladane, were incredibly powerful magitech artifacts with grand designs on changing Telara's fate. One of these was the Infinity Gate, which allowed travel between the planes, and potentially, among the cosmos. Unfortunately, Crucia became aware of this powerful artifact and seized it for herself, although the keys were lost out of her reach. Eventually, after a massive battle for the Gate, the Ascended gained access to it and used the Infinity Gate to travel to the Plane of Water to deal with a deadly threat, where we learned that the planes are far more complex than we ever imagined, containing not just physical, planar threats, but threats to our minds and dreams.

**Update November 2016**: The 4th expansion, titled Starfall Prophecy, introduced us to the concept of vast technological constructs with unlimited potential for power who have sentience that rival our own and are capable of traversing through the planes as one takes a walk through different parks! This being, the Comet of Ahnket, is the new threat and basis of new expansion content introduced and gives us knowledge into a different kind of Ascended being hinted at in Nightmare Tide, the Tenebreans.



References: The information for this section on the Planes used to be available on the Rift website but with the modifications, you can't find such extensive pages on lore anymore. Which makes me really sad. Thank the gods I wrote most things down in my journal. I've used my interactions with NPC's and rifts in the game to expand on the lore, and am trying to keep it as up to date as possible, which is hard since Rift lore is often hard to find and keep straight. All info and all content belong to Trion! I had no hand in this, just keeping the lore in a nice, tidy place for anyone to read up on if they wish! The more I delve into Rift lore, the more complicated and confusing it gets lol! If you have further info or questions, feel free to leave a comment!

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[Off Topic] Starfall Prophecy Is Go!

     The prophecy has been fulfilled! The Comet hovers threateningly over Telara and the call for aid can be clearly heard throughout the land. Will you answer, Ascended?

     Woohoo, the long anticipated new expansion for Rift has finally gone live as of earlier today! Of course, I had to work today so I just now got a chance to log on and check things out! Lots of new happenings in this expac, including of course, all new content to explore, new mounts, titles, puzzles, dungeons, raids, gear, achievements, and a dozen other things I can't even think of, as well as a whole bunch of new features added!!!

The details on Starfall:

• New lvl cap: 70! You can now continue on your lvling experience and make your way to lvl 70 by completing quests in the new zones. In order to do so though, you need to pay for the expansion. This one isn't free, and costs you some real life $$, but that's nothing new or shocking to me since I've been playing and paying for Rift since launch, as well as my other favorite game, WoW, so having to pay for an expansion is old hat. I pre-ordered Starfall eons ago back in....August? No I think it was the end of July actually. It was before the flood in my town anyway. And every day when I log in, I get a Starfall Prophecy currency that I can spend to get stuffs. Now that the game has gone live, I'm going to buy my Opie (artifact squirrel mount) and the mystery box!
• Level 65 Character Pack: I got this in my Rift store mail when logging in after launch. I'm not sure if it's given out with all purchases of SP, or if it's something only the delux edition got, but it sure is handy! I will definitely be using it! It's BoA so I can mail it to any of my characters, which is a definite plus! I also got a lvl 60 boost with the last expansion, but that one was BoE so I gave it to my sister as a present since she is a slow lvler and I wanted her to experience Rift's end content too! :) It comes with:
• Instant Lvl 65 boost
• 3 Exceptional Crafting Boosts
• Boosted 65 consumables
• Boosted 65 equipment
• 4 Ascended Sachels
• Free Heroic Prophecy Pack: Trion is giving a free special bundle through the Rift store to all players who log in between Nov 16th and Nov 30th. Just click on the Rift in game store, and in the upper right corner there should be a little claim box where you can get your Pack. If you are a patron of Rift like me, doing this is automatic when logging in for the day anyway. Included in this pack is:
• 5 individual reward charges-From what I gather, these individual reward charges are what you need when doing dungeons to get yourself gear and things. They are changing it up this expac to kind of mirror WoW's system. Instead of the entire group getting 1 thing per boss, the RNG gods will give each individual character a 1-100 roll chance at loot, regardless if your fellow players got anything or not.
• Cosmic Earth Core bundle-Not sure what this is...
• Void Drake lock box-A box containing currency, artifacts, gear for your lvl, and a chance at the new Void Drake mount, which is kind of like the Etheral Drake, but dark colored and "Void" themed.
• Scatheran Lily-Not sure what this is lol...
• Large Artifact bundle-a whole bunch of artifacts!
• Planar Pellets-the food that Opie the squirrel requires to hunt artifacts
• New Zones of course: I listed these in the initial announcement post I made, a bit ago.
• New Features: Also listed in my previous announcement post, and will go into lots of detail with the lore and gameplay pages to come! :) Same with the zones. I'm excited to start the questing and story!
• New Void Drake Mount: Increases mount speed by 160% which is pretty nice, and looks really cool in game too! Of course the only downside is that they locked behind a random draw on the lockboxes and who even knows how many of the darn things you need to buy before you get a drake. Which sucks. I really wish they would just add a cash shop mount tab, where you can flat out purchase the mounts with $$ instead of spending money on a CHANCE to get one. :(
• Hotfixes, nerfs, the sort of thing you expect with expacs. Not as many as I was thinking though. I guess I'm just so used to WoW's expansion, where all the classes get flung up in the air and reset at the beginning.

     Some of the things I wish I could see in a Rift expansion would include a new race/calling. It would be super cool to add a new race into the game. I know it's a lot of hard work integrating a new playable race, but it would be so fun and exciting to have something new to play with! Maybe a race that broke off from the bad guys and decided to join Telara in the fight, or a mysterious, hidden away race that had been obscured by the mists of time and now rediscovered? Something like that would be so cool! As for callings, I also know that it takes a ton of effort to keep the callings balanced as it is, and they recently added the Primalist, but it would be neat to have a new fresh calling, maybe something shadowy and sinister, kind of like how the Shadow Priests are in WoW. Just a thought. With a new starting zone! That would be really nice. I'd also like more chronicles for those of us who play solo or at such odd times that it's impossible to be included in raids and guild activities. It really leaves me feeling frustrated and disappointed that I can't get into and experience the content and lore that the raids provide because I play mostly in the graveyard shift hours, between midnight and 5am mountain time, so it's hard to find people willing to raid or do dungeons at that time. I don't mind for lack of gear or things like that, but I would love to just experience any of the story or dialogue that goes on in the raids and high end dungeons!
     On the note of dungeons and raids, I'd like to see different difficulty stages like in WoW. I'm not sure if Rift has this already or not, but in WoW, you have LFG (for the noobs and casuals), Normal (for those gearing up and gaining raiding experience), Heroic (for those who are serious into raiding and a stepping stone toward better gear), and Mythic (the highest and most difficult version, where only the serious raiding occurs.) It would be nice if Rift had some challenge at the end game for raiders to keep their interest. It's hard to keep hardcore raiders' interest after the first few weeks of an expansion, I know, and I feel if we had stronger, more clear cut stages to a raid or dungeon, the serious players would appreciate it, and would hang around longer.
     And the PvP...don't even get me started on that. I'm not an expert at PvP nor do I ever intend to be, but it seems that PvP in Rift is dead in the water, which is kind of sad. Even WoW, which is mostly a PvE and RP game, has a good pvp system in place. It's not the best either of course, but it works. Maybe if Rift offered arenas and championship games like WoW did? They should jump on the Esports idea like other games, and offer prizes and things to the best guild on each server or something. Make challenges, arenas, special combat teams, that sort of thing. Draw people into it, make them want to do pvp! Something is needed desperately that's for sure! I feel like arenas would definitely help! Have a special window like WoW has, where you can sign up players to join your arena team, have it customizable with names, a standard and tabard, and than have a window for the team to sign up to battle against other teams from that shard, and other shards, depending on your teams overall rank and your own individual rank! I would even join in on that and I don't pvp!
     That's just my own thoughts being put down to paper.

     And now I'd like to say, enough with the gabbing, and get on with the playing! I'm off to immerse myself into the awesome world of Telara, and you should too!!! Enjoy Starfall Prophecy and let me know what you think!

     Dark out

nw

 

tuath'de coven lore

Starfall Prophecy: Tuath’de Coven

October 20, 2016

Dark and dangerous, filled with the most powerful witchery yet seen by any Ascended… that’s what you’ll find when you enter the Tuath’de Coven. We bring you this preview in two sections. First, the information critical to your mission, and then a longer tale of the Coven and Una. Read on according to your preference…

Ascended, it is your duty to stop the Ritual of Asklepian. This is indeed but one of the many threats carried by the Comet of Ankhet. Shoud Queen Una prevail, we will face the embodiment of the great Green Mother, cruel and harsh as nature itself can be, but under Queen Una’s control, devoid of any softness, mercy and nurture common to the true spirit of nature.
Our studies have revealed just a little of this Coven’s protectors, and at great cost to our ranks. Many of our finest have perished already, and the reports of the survivors are limited in scope. Heed them well, nonetheless. Knowledge is the edge you need as you enter the Coven.
The Tuath’de themselves are fierce adversaries. This you already know. Their allies are worse.
First among these, Hollowood, the gnarled remains of an ancient and powerful treant. The Coven has reanimated it through darkest magic, and has imbued it with an unnatural ability to withstand assaults. Surely there is some way to bypass its defenses, but our dearly departed allies have thus far failed.
Watch also for Mossclaw, a massive alpha bear, the strongest and most valorous of its kind. He is already doomed, a sacrifice to Una’s plans. He is guarded by the fungus-witch Marsi’etha, and she will work to keep him alive by means of her well-honed magics. That is to say, by any means possible. If you can, put him out of his misery.

We are also saddened to report that the Coven has captured Lanaria, Queen of all unicorns. That Una plans to sacrifice her is certain, and we must do all we can to save her from this terrible fate. If she falls, one of the greatest beauties of all Telara will be no more, for who among us possesses the skill to bring one of such innate, pure magic back?
We have also seized a few scrolls, a few scraps of parchment, a few dying utterances, all of which detail the aim of Una’s great plan. By all the gods, it is horrific: to bring a twisted version of the Green Mother to this very place. It is an affront to all creation, but it would appear that the mad Queen has the knowledge and will to do so.  Should she succeed, we expect the Simulacrum to have power equivalent to the great Dragons, and further, if summoned, she will be under the utter sway of the depraved Queen, Una. Who knows where the madness will stop then?
Let us hope that you can halt the ritual. The alternative does not bear consideration.
Go forth, Ascended. We send our prayers and hopes with you.


The Dwarf rises, a little stiffly, and looks up at the night sky. Battle wounds never fully heal, and they ache a little in the cool night air. She knows that you’re up against incredible odds, and it’s late; your own wounds will come soon enough. She motions toward you with her cracked drinking horn.
You’ll want to rest overnight, no doubt? Certainly; build your strength, you’ll need it.
Perhaps you’d like to hear a little more of the history of these twisted Elven-kind, the Tuath’de? Good. Pour mead and draw closer to the fire…
Long ago, the ancestors of Telaran elves were separated from their kin and evolved along a different line in the Plane of Life. They remained more primal, and more corrupt in their desire for power in their domain of Life. Without the influence of other sentient races, such as the Telaran Kelari and High Elves had, they became increasingly insular and xenophobic. Anything not of them was an enemy to be conquered or destroyed.
Over time, the Tuath’de became witches, in the true, deep, wild sense of those steeped in Life forces so redolent of terror and twisted in power that they ensure not life, but death, for all who opposed them. All in the Plane of Life lived in fear, far out of keeping with the beauty surrounding them.


The Tuath’de ruled the Plane of Life uncontested, until the dragon Greenscale appeared. A gigantic, ungainly, toad-like beast, at first engendering mockery and taunts among the Elven-kind. Soon, however, his immense power and unsatiable appetite struck fear into all hearts. As he began his conquest of the Plane, he found the most unlikely of allies amongst all those whom the Tuath’de had so cruelly oppressed.  Once they saw that he was not only immensely powerful, but also resistant to the previously unassailable magics of the Tuath’de, tribes and beasts flooded in to support the great green beast.
The battles that followed were brutal and vicious, but inexorably, Greenscale and his army pushed the Tuath’de back. The fateful day that Greenscale devoured King Dach brought an end to their reign. The Planar inhabitants settled down to a somewhat nervous, but happier life under the giant frog-lizard-dragon, who was largely content to leave them be, aside from his unfortunate habit of snacking on the occasional supplicant. They came to consider it a final tax of sorts, and accepted it in the general way of death and taxes coming hand in hand.
Opposition did not end there, however – it merely went undergound, with the Tuath’de. They were crushed but far from defeated. Loudest among the disposssed was Dach’s youngest daughter, Una. She was considered quite mad. Just mad enough, perhaps to seize the throne through the sacrifice of her siblings. Her grasp of witchcraft was unmatched, and she harnessed it to sink the skull of the great beast Xarth into the mire that bore his name. There, she created a refuge for her people, where they plotted and rebuilt their power, dreaming of the day they would emerge and retake the Plane.


For much of Telara’s history, the Tuath’de have thus lived in secret, within the mist-shrouded swamps and deep forests of the Plane of Life. The Court of Queen Una held sway over great swaths of the Scatherran Forest and the nearby swamps, and were curiously unmolested. Even the powerful lackeys of Greenscale could not penetrate the cunning, glamor and fear of the collected and growing power of the Court. And so they remained for some time, present but hidden, save for sudden forays to terrorize other beings and seize materials.
It is rumored that the mad Queen dreamt of the Ritual of Asklepian, an unspeakable work that would reanimate the great Green Mother, but under her will. With this Simulacrum, she could encircle an entirely new world with a forever tree, under Una’s sharp-clawed control. Such an act requires relics of ancient, sacred power, perhaps found only in the concentrated glens of the forest of Wyredode.
When the Comet of Ankhet tore through their plane, several things happened at once. Una’s favorite consort, Prince Fionn, was leading a raiding party in the western marches, against Blackthorn refugees. It is widely assumed that he was killed in the massive impact, but woe be to any fae who so much as whispers it in passing.
The Tuath’de suddenly found themselves ripped from their ancestral homelands, trapped on a celestial object with denizens of the Fire Plane, their sworn enemies. One imagines the screams of rage and frustration as they came to fully grasp their situation. Cut off from the other forests of Aevintyr, her conquest thwarted and her love taken from her, Una’s madness threw off its last ties to rationality. Her only comfort is embodied within her sole child and heir, Tristane, and the certainty that all of her sacrifices will soon come to fruition as she realized she had a nearby source of even greater power than the relics of Wyrderode… Ankhet.
The Tuath’de have only ever feared the dragon Greenscale. WIthout his ceaseless hunger to constrain them, they felt strangely liberated. The Tuath’de certainly had no need to hide on the Comet, and were easily the equals to their hated rivals from the Plane of Fire, with whom they shared this strange new land. They worked ceaselessly to increase their skill and magic, bleeding innumerable new thralls on their madstones, creating ever more powerful foci with which to grow their witchcraft.


Most Tuath’de, if you looked beneath the brittle, arrogant surface, were secretly intimidated by Ankhet, in awe of the inherent power of the Tenebrean force that had both freed and continued to held them. Una alone was undaunted by the being, and, whether driven by her madness or fate, soon resolved to seize the Tenebrean as a brilliant tool to achieve her own ends.  Hurtling through space and desperate to seize this new opportunity for freedom and their own dominion, the Tuath’de began to focus upon their Queen’s goal with a fanatical and manic devotion. Together, they seek to bend the will of Ankhet herself and bring about the return of the Green Mother.
The Queen, Una, restless and malevolent in power and intent, stalks about her domain, preparing the rituals to bind Ankhet. Everything must be perfect. Everything must be laid forth with care and executed in unmatched order, for the forces of great magic to be brought to bear. Una heard the news of Ascended arriving on the comet with both anger and contempt; she rages at the thought of lesser beings and the ruin they could bring to her plans.
“Leave not one standing. Butcher them with tooth and claw, with rending power and reeking desolation,” she ordered, and her followers rushed forth to obey. One tends to grow a little mad and fanatical when inspired by such a leader. Her very insanity had a way of seeping into the surrounding environs.

All of the Tuath’de forces have been summoned, and the beasts of the marsh itself are alert and rage-filled in response to her disturbed state. All are focused on protecting the Coven until the ritual is completed and Ankhet is hers. After that, Una mused in anticipated triumph, nothing else would matter and all would be laid forth beneath her sole command. Once she had the Simulacrum. Yes, the Great Green Mother, glorious in her growth, so close at hand now, ready to wreak revenge and tear life from the very corpses of the enemy. And everyone not a full-blooded Tuath’de was her enemy.
“Soon Fionn,” she breathed, “Soon, my love. Our domain is imminent. Our son’s birthright is assured.” She laughed and nodded coquettishly, as if sharing a private joke, but she was alone in the room, save for the corpses of a few foolhardy Ascended.
An ever-increasing number of flies provided a song of joy to complement her reverie.

[Off Topic]: BlizzCon 2016!

     So, this isn't a post about Rift, but about World of Warcraft. Or rather, Blizzard Entertainment! Because I just got back from BlizzCon the day before yesterday and I couldn't NOT write about my 4th wonderful time in Anaheim, California!! It was so much fun reuniting with all my friends from previous years as well as meeting bran new friends, taking all new fun pictures, and cosplaying in an all new costume! There were some disappointments to be sure, and some frustration, and I barely got any sleep last week, but I wasn't really expecting to anyway lol! It feels like the con goes by so darn fast that I barely even remember anything specific about it! I was actually pretty bummed that for the first few days I was under the weather from a severe bout of motion sickness that left me feeling dizzy and nauseous when I arrived. Note to self, please eat before getting on the plane when you know you have motion sickness problems! Jeez Dark, you'd think you'd learn from previous years!!!! I went to a fun cosplay breakfast and got to meet a lot of the cosplayers I've been following all year, and watched the costume contest! So many amazing and talented peeps every year! I missed opening ceremony because...uhh...I literally can't remember why. But I did watch it online, and I'm really super excited for the new heroes introduced in Heroes of the Storm, as well as the new Necromancer class in Diablo. Also looking forward to the really cool new class mounts and quests in WoW in the newest patch! The priest mount in particular looks awesome. Now I'll have to lvl up my priest, because I need to have that glowing white owl in my life! I'm not into Overwatch so I kinda skipped their new stuff, but I do know that the much anticipated Sombra was announced. Everyone's been dying for Sombra for a while now.

     I also went to Disneyland again for the 4th time in a row, on Sunday following the con. BlizzCon is only Friday and Saturday so I had Sunday free to do whatever I wanted and I flew out of LAX on Monday in the afternoon. But after doing Disney again, I realized that the hype and excitement of Disney wore off after the second go, and it's just not worth the cost. I paid 170$ US for the "park hopper" which allowed me to do both sides of the park, and honestly for how long the lines are, and how motion sickness prevents me from experiencing a lot of the things, it just wasn't worth the cost for me. So next year I shall pass on that, and maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to hit up Universal Studios instead. I'd really like to explore the Harry Potter section of it! I did get my traditional Disney pin though! Picked Zootopia this year since I really love that movie. Also met my Rift friend for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory since he lives in California and has no interest in Blizzard games. We had an amazing night of catching up on Rift and the past year, and we went to see Doctor Strange in theater at Disney. I also got to meet Christie Golden, who is the author of many Warcraft novels that I own! I didn't know ahead of time that she would be there, so unfortunately I didn't have a book for her to sign so I awkwardly bought a book by a different author and asked her to sign that instead lol. She is an amazing author and so incredibly sweet and friendly! She signed my book and even gave me a hug, even though I was in costume! And she was so sweet enough to allow a picture with her! I literally fangirled all over her, and she was so chill and amazing! One of my favorite authors right there, folks! Life goal complete! :) I am also kinda depressed over the fact that I missed out on the capsule critters from this year, the tiny 1$ items you can buy in the hopes of getting a special item. I like to collect the little characters, and have a set from the 2 previous years. By the time I was able to get up to the 3rd floor to get mine, they were all completely sold out, so I was kinda bummed by that. Also didn't get my pop figure of Tyrande, who is one of my favorite WoW and HotS characters and a character I've previously cosplayed as. I did get her as a pin though for my pin collection. I'm not a pin hoarder or an avid "I MUST HAVE THEM ALL" collector, but I do appreciate having all the pins I want, and I will definitely go out of my way to find the ones I'm interested in. This year I was mostly just interested in Tyrande, and a kind nerd was happy to take my cash in exchange for her! I'm still hoping that I can come across someone with Tyrande at some point either online or at next BlizzCon and I can buy her because I really want her in my collection of figures.

    I got plenty of "epic loot" from this con! Lots of free things as well as purchased things. I do collect posters as well and proudly display them on my wall so I was happy to find some posters I liked at the con! One thing I learned that I have already fixed by buying one online is that I really need a portable phone charger while at the con. Like seriously bad! My phone died many, many times throughout my visit and it was so frustrating to be in the middle of responding to a text or message and have my phone die. Especially when I wasn't near an outlet so I could plug it in. As soon as I got back home, I purchased a portable charger for next year. I think it's because the wifi around the convention center is so heavily used by other congoers, even the hotels and areas, that my phone uses up so much battery power just trying to connect and maintain a strong connection with the wifi signal. And each time I left that area and entered another wifi area that had I had saved on my phone, it would take time to connect and verify and log into that other wifi, which was just using up so much battery life. I was very frustrated by that because the only thing I brought to take pictures with was my phone and since it was dead most of the time, I barely got any pictures of either myself or others! Such a let down, that was! Next year I plan on purchasing an actual official Canon camera so I can take some nice quality pictures of things!

     Also I was sad that I didn't have enough room to bring my laptop with me and since Rift did a presale on Starfall Prophecy, they were giving out daily fragments of Starfall. You need to log in each individual day to claim your Starfall fragment up until the date that the expac is released, and I lost about 5 of the fragments because I couldn't log into Rift during the time I was at the con. I'm pretty sad about that, but I know from previous experience that Trion will just tell me tough luck on it lol. I'm trying so hard to make sure I can get all the things I want to get from the promotional vendor that sells things for fragments! Right now I have 70 fragments so not enough to get Opie (the tiny squirrel mount) on 2 characters, which kinda sucks, but I'm hoping I can gather enough to buy one of each item! We shall see. They haven't released any date or timeline info on Starfall yet except for the fact that it's only recently went into beta, so here's hoping it's sometime in December instead!

    Well that's my conclusion of my trip to BlizzCon 2016 and I'm already looking forward to and planning a costume for BlizzCon 2017! I love the con mostly for the experience of my friends, being surrounded completely by nerds who "get me" and can have the coolest, most fun conversation with a complete stranger and have them understand what I'm talking about when I say "it's so frustrating healing a raid when the dps won't listen and the tank is squishy, and then you don't even get the loot that you want." Most of my friends here at home just give me a confused look and think I'm weird and need to get out of my video game. I love the gaming community in general, I love cosplayers, and I love going to conventions, specifically BlizzCon! Now if Trion (Rift) ever did their own convention, even if it was just a tiny one, I would definitely sign myself up for that too! I see how they say they are visible at other cons and expos like PAX and it makes me wish so badly I could go, but since I live all the way over in Canada, it's just way too expensive and long of a trip just to see Trion. We can wish though, right? :)

       Dark out.

temple of ananke lore

Starfall Prophecy Preview: Temple of Ananke

September 16, 2016

When the beast descended from the heavens, the dragon, that ancient and glorious serpent, Maelforge, granted it his power, and his seat, and great authority.
And the Alaviax worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and thus they worshiped the beast also, saying,
“When the star that falls upon Telara, who is able to make war with the newborn beast?”
Revelations of Ananke 56:13

When Mount Pyre was sundered, and the Tartaric fissure released the imprisoned, this revelation of the Oracle of Aia was first heard. The pit fiend Ananke may have been cast by the gods into the Plane of Fire, but she retained all her ability to scry the vast tapestry of fate. Her revelations have allowed the Alaviax devils to seize control of the plane from the powerful Wantons of Maelforge, and now their apocalyptic prophecies indicate that the great beast is fated to return, in soul if not in body. Is this the Starfall Prophecy that spells doom for Telara?
Tasuil the dragon will accompany you as you wind your way through mountain passes of the condemned lands, to the gates of Ananke’s Temple. It is a massive burning edifice, providing all who approach ample warning of the elemental challenges within. You have been charged with stopping the devil prophet from releasing the power of Maelforge and empowering this Beast of the Apocalypse. But beware, to encounter such powerful evil, and leave with your own soul intact will truly defy fate itself.
A Simple Problem
Guarding the entrance is Gristlespit, a hulking, horned monstrosity. Not the cleverest of creatures, Gristlespit has been chained to the first gate in the path to Ananke’s temple, both to guard the access and to punish him for his gluttonous love of the rotted wine of mortal blood. Proceed with caution! Only a fool would mistake his failing for weakness. Gristlespit is a powerful and vicious combatant who grows stronger with his drunken rage. Yet, it is that very rage that a clever Ascended could use against him.
Taking Refuge
Killthraxus the imp is a student of the revelations of Ananke, a fiery preacher of the Apocalyptic vision of the end of days. And it is certain that the passages he quotes from his high pulpit do soon come to pass. Brimstone rains downs and fiery corruption pours forth from the mouths of long dead seers. The congregation of the condemned land of Ashenfell immediately set upon any apostates that dare journey so far into this flaming temple. Perhaps you are strong enough to resist the plagues and misfortunes that Killthraxus calls forth from his unholy book, but if so, he will descend from his pulpit and deal with such mortal unbelievers as you in person.
Her Right Hand
If you survive the rabid sermon of the imp Killthraxus, you will soon find yourself before the dreaded Lord Draveneaux, named The Scalebreaker. He leads the Alaviax of Ashenfell, once under the vicious rule of Maelforge. While they had to respect the serpent’s power, hate and fire, they will not allow themselves to be ruled by dragons again. Lord Draveneaux will see to that.
You have entered his sanctum of pain and torture, where he breaks the will of any dragon that is foolish enough to fall into his trap. Perhaps your scaled companion should have been less hasty to join you. Perhaps this fiery land has made him overconfident in his own power. If Lord Draveneaux and his dragon thralls have their way, Tasuil will become the latest addition to the loyal flight of dragons under the sway of the Alaviax devils.
The Soul of a Dragon
When the Ascended defeated the great fire dragon Maelforge in the heart of Mount Carcera, they had no idea that his soul would return to its home plane. Condemned for his sins against the cosmos, the dragon’s burning soul has already caused a rebellion in flame. Now it has been collected and prepared, ready to be bestowed upon the Beast that will lead the Apocalypse. Once released, the soul takes form as the essence of burning flame, Maelfernus, a being fated to corrupt all souls that dare face it with the searing essence of the Plane of Fire itself. Are you capable of halting the eruption of the Wanton souls, unbound by flesh, empowered by fate, or will the revelation of Ananke come to pass?
The Final Countdown
The pit fiend Ananke is one of the most powerful devils of Ashenfell. Cast into the Plane of Fire for her defiance of the gods, she bears a deep hatred of mortals such as you, and has long manipulated fate to ensure that the prophecy of Telara’s apocalyptic doom shall come to pass, even if she must take a direct hand in its destruction.
If you are powerful enough to avert the end of times, to best all these devils and dragons of the condemned lands of the Plane of Fire, then you will have broken the prophecy, and destroyed the revelations of Ananke. However, this is not the end for you. The Oracle will never allow a mortal apostate to leave her temple after committing so great an insult.
It is said that only mortal heroes such as yourselves have the power to defy fate. If this is true, then you are our only hope against this prophecy that dooms us all!
We lay our lives at your feet, Ascended, and await your victory, or our doom.

ashenfell lore

Ashenfell: an environ of scorched rock and flame, with lakes and rivers of lava flowing hotly through forests of magma spouts. It is your fate to challenge it.

The most dedicated of Ascended will find themselves directed to this fiery region by the Messenger Ambriel, Chalice Bearer of Thontic, the God of Knowledge and Magic. Charged with preventing an unimaginable fate from befalling Telara, this is the task of a lifetime, fraught with challenge.
You must stop Duke Arcarax, Lord of the Lake, Master of Torments, Guardian of the Gate, Master of Ashenfell, and Bearer of the Final Signet of the Apocalypse. He has forged an unholy alliance with Ahnket herself to bring about the Starfall Prophecy, to break fate and destroy all creation!
Visitors to Ashenfell will immediately notice the ember glow of the lava river, Pyregethon, which issues from Mount Pyre, the impenetrable prison of many enslaved Dragons. The searing heat of the Pyregethon’s flow is a mortal danger to all, hot enough to harm even the fiery denizens of this realm. Were a Telaran to venture into its burning embrace, they would be consumed down to their very soul. Travelers who carefully follow its banks will eventually reach the Lake of Fire where souls that are condemned to the the Plane of Fire are tossed, eventually emerging forth to be shaped by the Alaviax Devils into their twisted creations.

Wandering through the Teeth of the Alaviax and the Black Forest, adventurers will find that there are very few intelligent inhabitants to be found. Filled with menacing rock formations, fiery cacti, and towering lava tubes, few living beings call this area a permanent home, other than a herd of flaming Nightmares and a scurry of Fiery Squirrels. Duke Arcarax’s roaming death squads occasionally patrol these bleak landscapes, searching for any who might have accrued his ire. Everything irks the Duke, so their job is simple.
Diligent searchers may locate the Wreckage of Hamatu in these environs. This ancient Eth colony clearly suffered some terrible mishap in the past. Among the debris is a strange console that features a singular button upon it. Scattered reports indicate that it appears to be attached to an ancient vault. Kobolds from nearby Camp Veist are inexorably drawn to the console, and will press the button repeatedly and mildlessly, either in obsession or ritual. What foul scheme has distracted the kobolds from the search for redemption in this infernal realm?

Eventually, you may reach the Gates of Flame, which mark the border of Duke Arcarax’s domain. These ancient walls were carved soon after the devils were cast here by the Vigil, and have been embellished with profane engravings over millennia. The gates themselves are among the most heavily guarded spots in all of Ashenfell; attempting to sneak through would be suicide. In fact, there is no safe way to traverse them.
Beyond the gates, very little that is friendly to the Ascended can be found. From the Arena of Souls, where prisoners are forced to reenact historical battles for the amusement of the Alaviax, to the giant Pain Organ, where you might wish to complete Danye’s Inferno, to the various shrines of the Princes of Flame, every location is more dangerous than the last.
The most malevolent of locales, the Oracle, where Ananke the Pit Fiend resides, holds special appeal to scholars who visit. Intense study of the knowledge contained within can give an assiduous Ascended insight into many of the recent calamities that have befallen Telara.

Even in this harsh land, there is one place where Ascended may safely turn for rest and succor: Thedeor’s Spear. During the Castigation of the Choir, Thedeor, God of War and Sword of the Vigil, cast his spear into the Plane of Fire itself, creating a celestial respite for those visiting this area. It remains the only place in the entire region where green grass can grow, under the gentle, soothing light that pours from the wound the great spear made in the fabric of existence. Souls of the redeemed gather here, and will help worthy Ascended navigate the politics of the Viceroys of Flame. It would be wise to heed their wisdom.
Every road throughout Ashenfell eventually leads to the Fortress of the Apocalypse. This is the seat of Duke Arcarax’s power, and it is here that he builds his forces in preparation for the breaking of the 23rd signet of the apocalypse. The Duke resides in the center of the palace, seated upon a great throne deeply stained with rust from the life-blood of his opponents. Surrounded by courtiers, advisers, and emissaries of the Tower, he will prove a mighty foe for any who oppose him – and oppose him you must!
Prepare yourself Ascended. Duke Arcarax is mighty beyond belief, and his legions are many, but he must be stopped if Telara, and all of creation, are to survive!

xarth mire lore

Ancestral home of the Tuath’de, and therefore all Telaran elves, the Xarth Mire was inhabited in primeval times, long before the war between the Gods and the Akvan.

During the great battles between Akvan and the Gods, the fell beast Xarth suffered a grievous wound and was driven to ground. Broken and helpless, Xarth’s power was slowly bled by the increasingly bold Tuath’de, who employed dark magics to drain the creature, strengthening their own arcane potential, albeit at terrible cost. This corrupting influence has inexorably transformed the most ancient race of elves from their original role as beneficent keepers of the land to something far more sinister.
The region itself is now known as Xarth Mire. Its stagnant pools of murky water lay in wait, draped between fell hills formed from the bodies of countless sacrificial victims of the Tuath’de. The verdant plants of the Mire have themselves absorbed some of Xarth’s taint, and must be approached with caution, lest an unwary adventurer becomes trapped in their tendrils.
Dauntless visitors to Xarth Mire might be advised to stop first at the Shadow Market. This trading post for the Tuath’de is located on hallowed ground, something that even the corrupt Tuath’de respect. This decrepit slave market is not a place one might want to spend much time in, but valuable information can be gleaned by those seeking to venture deeper into the marsh’s depths.
On the very border of Xarth Mire is Alicorn Isle, so named for the groteque foundation of severed unicorn horns that the island was built upon. Unicorns, and the purity that they represent, have long been the focus for Tuath’de’s special hatred and frequently become victims of their ritual sacrifices.
Explore the isle if you will, then venture over the cascading falls nearby to find deep caverns that extend well beyond the reach of light, and deep into the mountains nearby. Perhaps forgotten treasures can be found within, or perhaps an ignoble end to your adventure. Fate reveals little.
The Tuath’de are not the only residents of Xarth Mire. The fetid swamp is also home to a great number of Boglings, especially at their capital Bailghol. The Boglings of the Mire, trapped from birth in this corrupted land, have assumed a fatalistic attitude, hoping for death as a release from their suffering. An empathetic individual with inspiring words might be able to revitalize these drudges from their torpor, but who knows what the result might be.
The true center of the Mire is Xarth’s Skull. This massive shell of bone has been built into a fortress for the Tuath’de, and from there, Queen Una rules. Decorated with grisly tokens of their victims, this fortress is the center of the corrupted elven domain and is be dangerous to siege if the Tuath’de gather in sufficient number.
Be warned: even the most innocuous details in this capital are more dangerous than they initially appear. The rose gardens, for example, are not a haven for peace but instead the home of carnivorous vegetation capable of snapping an unwary adventurer in two!
Prepare yourself Ascended, Xarth Mire awaits! Will you survive challenge, or will your bones join those already in the innumerable piles within the marsh?

New!

fortress sieges lore

Epic siege battles are something we’ve all longed for in RIFT. Storming a castle, breaking down its walls, and breaching the gates to face the dread foes inside – with Starfall Prophecy this dream becomes a reality! Solo, group and ten-man raid content awaits!

Throughout the lands of the fateful Comet, evil lords maintain sway over strong fortresses. Long unchallenged, perhaps they tremble just slightly, knowing they must soon face hordes of valorous and driven Ascended, but they are even now preparing to defend their domains. Perhaps they chuckle instead, relishing the thought of fresh meat at the gates.
The first fortress available with Starfall Prophecy is Xarth’s Skull, the seat of Queen Una. Built inside the massive remains of an Akvan struck down in a long-ago war with the gods, the Tuath’de have expended great effort over millennia to build a perfect defense against any who might assail them. Rings of curtain walls and mighty gates surround the inner courtyard and protect the leaders of the Tuath’de.
Ascended who wish to advance their reputations as heroic fighters (and perhaps line their pockets) will be well employed in keeping the Tuath’de in check – it seems that almost as soon as they fall, more arrive from regions unknown to replace them.
A sole warrior may wish to face challenges around the exterior walls of the fortress, picking off less protected foes, a vital task to support those further in.
Further feats of valor are within the grasp of a group of Ascended, as they penetrate deeper into the concentric rings of fortifications, facing lieutenants with their squadrons.
With enough skilled veterans on hand, it may even be possible to wrest control of powerful siege weaponry to blast down the inner gates themselves!
Listen for the call to battle that will sound at times of direst need. This signals a far more intense and challenging fight!
When this challenge begins, we must prevent the forces of Xarth’s Skull from deploying fresh troops across the Planar Anchors, the sub-fortresses scattered throughout the Mire. These strategic locations provide the Tuath’de valuable information and access to resources, enabling them to strengthen the defenders at the main fortress. Prevent our foes from holding these vital defenses; this is key for our long term victory over their aggressions.
In these times of pitched battle, should we be successful in defeating all of the inner defenses, we will finally be able to enter the portal and meet the greater danger of the spider Hexathal – or at least what appears to be a strange melding of spider, metal and treant – It will most assuredly be a fight to the death, but whether ours or hers only the fates know. Ware her Hexalotls as well, for they will quickly overwhelm your raid party if not dispatched rapidly.
Whether for glory, justice or riches, we welcome you to join our ranks as we challenge the dark lords of the Tuath’de.
This represents only the first of such challenges that await us all in Starfall Prophecy.
Draw your weapons and hurl your battle cries!

planar fragments lore

Do you fill multiple roles in group content? Are you tired of carrying around all that extra gear that clutters up your inventory? Are you frustrated with needing twice as many item drops of everyone else? Well look no further, because RIFT has the answer for you! Starfall Prophecy will take your gear from ordinary to extraordinary… with Planar Fragments!

Collect Planar Fragments throughout your adventures in The Celestial Lands, through questing, PVP, dungeons, Planar Assaults, crafting, and Planar Fortress Sieges. With these fragments, you’ll be able to customize your stats for the role that you wish to play. For example, if you want to bolster your tanking ability, seek out fragments that have Dodge, Block, Guard, and Endurance as their primary attributes. If you want focus on damage or healing, collect fragments with Attack Power/Spell Power, Crit Chance, Crit Power, and the main stat of your calling (such as Wisdom for Clerics).
With Planar Fragments being the only source of tertiary stats, RIFT reduces the burden of obtaining multiple sets of gear and hoarding pieces of gear that might be required at some point in the future if you need to swap roles. Now you can do everything with just ONE set of gear and a few sets of Planar Fragments!
Over the past few updates, we’ve been working hard to reduce/remove the need for different sets of gear based on your role. For instance, in Mind of Madness, we removed the chance for gear to drop as tank specific, and instead provided side-grade paths for all DPS drops to change into tank gear. This certainly helped with dealing with the challenge of players who Tank and DPS in obtaining their desired role gear, but it still wasn’t the complete solution that we were looking for. Planar Fragments are a much bigger step in that direction, and we think you’ll like them!
Whether a Planar Fragment is desirable for your character or not depends on the sum of its parts:
The first is the primary attribute. This is the stat that you will focus on when judging if you want to equip a fragment and invest in it for the long term. For instance, if you’re going for a more PVP focused build, you’d probably value Endurance and base HP forat survivability higher than you would offensive stats such as Attack Power or Crit Rate – those may be preferred by someone aiming for PVE group content.
A fragment can also carry up to four secondary attributes. These can never be the same as the primary attribute, nor can they be the same as each other. Therefore, an Aggressive Fire Planar Fragment with Attack Power as the primary attribute cannot have Attack Power among its secondary attributes. Depending upon the rarity of the fragment, these secondary attributes will either be hidden or revealed. For now, rarity levels start at Common and go up to Relic. For each rarity starting with Uncommon, a secondary attribute is revealed on the fragment. As such, a Rare quality fragment will have two of the possible four revealed, three for Epic quality, and so on.
Once you have some good Fragments to work with, they can be improved through Infusion. By default, Fragments drop at Infusion level 0 and can increase to level 15. Each time an infusion level is completed, the primary attribute is increased, with a extra large increase at level 15! The secondary attributes also have a chance to improve and be revealed as the Infusion level is increased.
The final aspect affecting a fragment is planar affinity. The combination of the affinity and the primary attribute denote how much the fragment gains between infusion levels as well as what the maximum attribute value will be at level 15. For instance, Fire is an offensive-oriented affinity, so stats like Attack Power and Spell Power will more potent on a Fire fragment than on one with a planar affinity of Earth, which is more defensive oriented. However, Guard would be very potent for Earth.
This combination of aspects creates a compelling reward system that will help even the most die-hard of Rift players invest further in their character and advancement. Additionally, fragments are account bound by default, so your main character can find fragments for your alt characters and help gear them up, something that we’ve heard you asking for quite frequently of late.
We are excited about the introduction of Planar Fragments to Telara and can’t wait to see the imaginative ways you’ll put them to use

[Off Topic] Twas the Night before Legion Launch and All Through the House...

...Not a soul was prepared, not even the mouse!

     So, anyway. Tomorrow I'm heading over to the game store to pick up my Collector's Edition of Legion expansion for WoW! Super excited, but also kind of depressed and frustrated because there were a few things I'd really like to get done before it launches but alas, time waits for no one. One of the main things that I will be losing with the expansion is the ability to finish my legendary ring quest, which admittedly I had about a year to complete so it's my own darn fault that I didn't finish it in time, but it felt like time just flew by, what with cosplay, BlizzCon, writing my fanfiction story, playing WoW and Rift, working, Edmonton Expo, sleep! I can't believe it's August already! The year literally flew by on  the wings of the Vigil. But I'm not going to lie, I am anticipating this expansion sooooooo much! I usually hesitate to point out negative or bad things about expansions/games that I play because I'm usually just grateful that these people have created this magical, suspended world that I'm able to play in and forget my own reality, but I really detested Warlords of Draenor. Like, a lot. There was so many things about it that frustrated, annoyed, or just plain bugged me. The biggest and most obvious being the garrisons. Because I've been spoiled by Rift's idea of player housing, I guess I was expecting too much when WoW first introduced garrisons, because I was picturing player housing, or something similar to dimensions. Boy was I ever wrong! I hated being forced to live in my garrison pretty much the entire expansion and then from there go out and explore the world. I felt so isolated and alone, because each character got their own garrison and it was phased content, so I hardly ever saw another soul during my leveling experience except for the brief visits to the quest hub city for my respective faction. And it didn't sit well with me that such famous and amazing and awe-inspiring historical figures like Thrall, Khadgar, Jaina, Varian Wrynn, Yrel, The Prophet Velen, and Vol'jin were catering to my needs like my servants. I felt like it should be the other way around. Yes, I am a hero and adventurer, and helped slay such evils like Deathwing and the Old Gods, but the key word h ere being "HELPED". I couldn't have gotten vey far without their aid and guidance, and suddenly they were bowing before my superior knowledge and everyone was saluting me and calling me Commander and I felt like I hadn't done much to deserve that, lore wise. So it felt very jarring in that sense.
     From what I saw of things at last BlizzCon, there will be a similar system in place to garrisons, called Class Hall, but it will work differently. For one thing, each class will have one, and all of us who play that class will able to go there. So yay, I can see people! And not just any people, but people who have the same passion and love for that class as me! For example, my Druid can go to the Druid Class Hall in Val'shara and see other druids of all lvls all running around doing their thing! There is a mission map, just like the garrisons, but it runs a bit differently, and thankfully doesn't feel as much of a requirement as in WoD. Of course, you can gain a few handy quests by doing it, and you need to access your map in the class hall to figure out where you're going to quest next. Another cool feature they introduced with Legion is that no matter what zone you choose to lvl in, and you can literally choose any zone you want, there's no restriction, the lvl of the zone will match your lvl! Even if your lvl 110 and your finishing up questing in a zone you did at 102, all the mobs and everything will match you at 110. So cool! Another thing I really love about Legion is all the amazing cinematics and the improved graphics for everything!!!!! I love cinematics so much and I wish Rift did more, I really do. And even though there were quite a few cinematics that legit moved me to real life tears, they were still so beautifully done and masterfully crafted that you were left feeling in awe. And at 110, tons of other things open up for you, like World Quests, world bosses, mythic and heroic dungeons, and rep grinding, as well as finishing up the zones you never got a chance to do as you lvled!

     So far from what I've seen in beta, I will never be bored with Legion, which is a definite plus in my book! Well done Blizzard, well done. You definitely 5 stars out of 5 from this gamer! And now, I suppose I should be off to bed, because I want to be well rested for the excitement that begins tomorrow at midnight! #soexcited #Legion

    Dark out.

gedlo badlands lore

Starfall Prophecy: Gedlo Badlands

August 18, 2016

Not much good comes out of the Gedlo Badlands. Of course “bad” is a judgment call. A Telaran would find a certain beauty to the sharp ridges of rock and shifting beds of fine gravel, particularly at dawn or dusk when their brown and black tones are enriched with gold and red. But to the devils that now rule the Plane of Fire, this desert expanse is fit only for goblins.

The land is almost barren, and harsh. No soft and nourishing forests, no comforting leafy shade. You’ll be glad to hear that there are no rivers of lava, raging wildfires or burning atmosphere either. If the liquid pools of the caustic oasis were water instead of clear, flammable oil, it might actually be habitable for someone other than an Ascended or the cruel denizens of the Plane of Fire.
While mortals would find the badlands arid and hot, the goblins of the Gedlo Conclave consider it an exile in the freezing wastes, denied their rightful place among the burning fields of condemned souls that they covet. Only the kobolds of Saint Taranis deigned to travel to this desert wasteland, and then only for the yearly pilgrimage to wage holy war.
The goblins have been in the badlands since time immemorial and are hard at work, single-mindedly simmering with rage and thoughts of revenge against all who wronged them. The devils of Ashenfell, the mortals of Telara, and most especially the noble kobolds of Saint Taranis. The Ascended must discover what the Goblin horde is up to; rumors of a stolen prophecy of Ananke, and the plans to destroy Saint Taranis are about to hatch, now that the kobolds are trapped on the comet with them.
The goblins are centered an area known as Gedlonia, and some say they have closely guarded drake hatching grounds nearby. The most bloodthirsty among them rove about the land in war bands and attack the kobolds whenever they can; revenge for the many years of defeat at the hands of the dog-like warriors.
The Kobolds of Saint Taranis, on the other hand, are a noble, if similarly warlike faction, devoted to earning honor and redemption that the souls of their ancestors failed to find in the mortal realm. Taranis, a kobold that ascended to sainthood, has shown them the way. Each year they make pilgrimage to these badlands as a test of their prowess and courage. If they can stand against the horde of goblins with artistry, courage and nobility, then they too may just find redemption. Each year they made this pilgrimage to defeat the Gedlo Conclave and each year they returned home victorious. It was their unwelcome fate that Ahnket tore their battlefield from the Plane of Fire while their temporary holy city was erected in the badlands. Now the prospect of victory and redemption grows fainter as the goblins lay siege, and faith is shaken in the various camps of artists.
The leader of Saint Taranis is the kobold monk Veist, who has struggled to hold the various camps together and inspire them to face the horde of goblins in what might be an unwinnable battle. He knows that noble warriors respect action more than mere words, so he has embarked on a quest to find a champion or two among the strange lands from distant planes that have been taken by the Comet of Ahnket. It is this quest that brings him in contact with the Ascended of Telara and the Champion of the Vigil, Cyril Kalmar, who has too long been temple bound.
Together, these mighty warriors will help the Ascended in learning more about the Gedlo goblins, the monstrous denizens of the badlands and the Devil Lords of Ashenfell who plan to unleash a fiery apocalypse upon the world of Telara. Best prepare yourself well first, in knowledge and armament. The Gedlo Badlands is a crucible for the heroic spirit, and is part of RIFT: Starfall Prophecy, coming this fall!

freemarch lore

Freemarch

The rolling fields of Freemarch

Travelling back through time, the Defiant arrive in Freemarch and see lush, rolling fields falling away to white sand beaches and the sparkling sea, so different from the hollow shell of a future they hail from. And then they turn and see a Death Rift, pulsing with sinister purpose, and learn what they are fighting for.

Once, Freemarch was the breadbasket of the Eth Empire, called the Emerald March for its fruitful fields. When the Empire fell, a warlord named Jakub crushed the March-folk, ruling from his hilltop fortress of Iron Keep. A simple peasant named Eliam roused the people to cast down Jakub and was elected the first of the March Wardens. Even as part of the Mathosian Empire, the March Wardens were allowed free reign over what came to be called Freemarch, and the land prospered.

Evil abroad

But nothing can prosper in the time of rifts. Death Rifts bloom to spite the fertile plains of Freemarch, and Water Rifts send out their quivering horrors to make the people fear the water. Almost immediately new Defiant see the walls of Port Scion, overgrown with death taint like mold on bread, necrotic ooze seeping from the city’s sluices to poison the sea. Port Scion has been sealed since it fell to the Deathtouched, but Freemarch lives in fear lest the gates swing open, releasing the massed undead within.

In the shadow of one fallen city, another emerges into the light as the Defiant excavate ancient Arkeen, where the Eth sought to master the strands of life itself. Whether the ancient ruin is boon or bane to the Defiant is yet to be seen. Not far from the dig site, the Defiant fend off a Guardian incursion near the broken bridge to Port Scion, hoping to keep the gods’ puppets from invading Freemarch and destroying their work.

The coasts are no safer than the hills, as slimy monsters spill through Water Rifts, their influence sometimes insidious but always horrific. In the fishing village at Lakeside Outpost, the people wear pained smiles and seem to breathe only as an afterthought, following passersby with cold, glassy eyes. Deep Ones scuttle along the beach nearby, the clacking of their claws eerie in the moonlight.

A rot in the heart of defiance

Freemarch is the heart of the Defiant faction. Their wondrous city of Meridian stands by the coast, its back to the mountains, sending out waves of Defiant to keep Freemarch free. Yet every day new rifts open, new monsters emerge, and the laughter of cultists grows ever more confident and shrill. Undead claw their way from their graves to feast on the living and raze farmsteads, turning the heartland black.

This evil traces back to Iron Keep on its hill, a monument to the tyranny of Jakub the Warlord. Jakub lay buried within its nigh-impregnable walls, but the Endless Court drew him forth from the grave, using his cruelty and aggression to form a spearhead into Freemarch. This time, the current March Warden’s forces may be too weak to stop him. Someone must charge into Iron Keep and end Jakub once and for all, lest he rule Freemarch again as the puppet of Regulos.

Jakub the Warlord, heard from atop Iron Keep after the coming of the rifts

“Oh Freemarch, I have missed you! Your fertile hills, your yielding soil. I know we parted on ill terms, but I have returned, and we can start anew. I do not blame you for turning on me, for you were poisoned against me by the lies of weak and petty men. Yes, I will punish you for your disobedience, but there is no spite in it! I do this for your own good!

Though I am stern, though I seem cruel, always remember that I love you. I have made powerful friends, and I serve unstoppable masters. Do not resist me, my land and people. If you do, it will go poorly for you. Always remember, Freemarch, that you are mine. It pains me to have to remind you.”