THE HERALD

It’s time for the Pumpkin moon to rise again! Haunted cities, candy and costumes, pumpkin patches in the Frontiers, and the return of the Mournful King instance await you!

Festivities begin today, October 24th and will conclude on Wednesday, November 6th.

Pumpkin Patch rewards

• Defeat the hallowed ghost, mummy, night bat, walking dead, or gooey slime at the pumpkin patches for a rare chance to get Trick or Treat or Keep-Chest potions!
  • These rewards drop without needing to be on any quest!
  • Trick or Treat potions can be used on your realm-mates to give them randomized costumes!
    • These potions will be usable in RvR for the three days surrounding and including Halloween!

Haunt or Be Haunted

• John Tobin in Cotswold, Foa Muldisson in Mularn, and Nera in Mag Mell have studies to conduct.
  • Be rewarded handsomely with gold, realm points, and the Wings of Haunting cosmetic effect! What lengths will you go to get your hands on a free pair of the wings!?
    • NOTE: This quest can be completed again this year but characters who already have the wings will not get another pair.
    • Quest completion requirements have been reduced
• Completed [Halloween] Haunt or Be Haunted quests that are not turned in by November 6th will be forcibly removed!

Event Shop

• Pumpkin Head pre-set patterns, spooky Consignment Merchant costumes, and the Wings of Haunting cosmetic spell effect are now for sale for mithril at your realm’s capital city’s Event Shop!
  • Visit the Event Shop soon because it disappears on November 6th!

A Ghostly Harvest quest

• The Ghostly Harvest Quest offers players level 45 and up a dangerous adventure in the frontiers. Speak with John Tobin on the Cotswold Bridge, Foa Muldisson outside the Jordheim North Gates, or Nera by the road in Mag Mell to begin the quest. (Note: Players who completed this quest last year will now be offered it again.)
• Treat sellers have been spotted selling sugary confections inside Meath, Erikstaad, and Caerwent.
• The consignment merchants would like to show you their Halloween spirit! Pick up the merchant and place it back down on your house porch and he will change into a Halloween outfit for you!
• Be aware adventurers! Ghosts haunt the streets of your capital cities as the pumpkin moon rises! Ghosts have also been spotted in Mag Mell, Aegirhamn, and Campacorentin Station.
• The horses you once rode have joined the spirit realm. (This affects stable and merchant horses only – not player controlled horses.)
• Something strange has happened to all of the puppies.
• The pumpkins have been carved into jack o’ lanterns!
• A trio of crazy old women have been spotted selling costume potions inside Camelot, Jordheim, and Tir na Nog.
  • The costume potions last 15 minutes each and come in a variety of flavors.
  • The costume potions work best if you remove your helm and armor.
  • You cannot digest another costume potion if you are transformed into any of the monster forms.
  • The costume potions’ magics are short-lived and the potions will be useless after the festivities end so don’t horde them.
  • Some of the costume potions allow you to take the form of the enemy, so don’t be scared if you see some in your capital city or housing zones, it’s just your realm mates playing dress up!
  • The costumes and potions only work while you are in the capital cities or housing zones. You cannot use them outside of these zones and if you leave the zone while in costume, you will lose the effect.
  • As always, the days before, during, and after Halloween these potions can be used in RvR (With exception to pixies and ghosts potions, which are not usable in the frontiers ever)
• NOTE: Players will need to logout and re-run the patcher in order to see the pumpkin moon, loot bags, and pumpkin patches

A Hallowed Lost Quest

• Level 50 players should visit the ghostly queen, Lenore, in each realm’s capital city to receive the quest ‘A Hallowed Lost’ so long as they haven’t already completed it.
  • Visit the pumpkin patches in the frontier to find the buttertoe candy pieces Lenore needs.
    • Only the pumpkin patches in Ellan Vannin, Pennine Mountains, Jamtland Mountains, and Breifine drop the five buttertoe candy pieces she needs.
      • You’ll want to get this year’s Ghostly Harvest quest to help guide you to the pumpkin patches!
      • Defeat the hallowed ghost, mummy, night bat, walking dead, or gooey slime at the pumpkin patches to get the candy pieces.
        • Buttertoe candy pieces no longer drop unless the player has the ‘A Hallowed Lost’ quest and hasn’t completed it yet.
      • Different patches have different candy pieces available.
  • Earn a new friend for your efforts!
  • Please note that this quest is only able to be completed once per character, including characters that completed it in previous years.

Mournful King Event

• The instance dungeon, the Castle of the Mournful King, awaits those willing to brave its powerful ruler’s fury!
  • Level 50 players should speak with Lenore to teleport to the instance.
  • This instance is meant to be extremely challenging and is therefore entirely optional and not required to complete the new quest.
  • Rewards include:
    • Re-skinned hallowed weapons and armor
    • Nevermore’s Broken Bone
    • Hallowed Potions
    • Otherworldly helms
    • Book of Recall
    • New! Greater Revealing Potion – Rare – (Stealth Lore, 3 charges)
    • New! Black Lion Potion – (Dreamsphere self morph, 3 charges)
    • New! Wolf Potion – (Maddening Scalars morph, 3 charges)
    • New! Sobekite Potion – (Atlantis Tablet morph, 3 charges)
    • Readded! Supreme Draught of Invigoration – (30 charges)

• The Castle of the Mournful King instance now uses the Loot Chest system:
  • The Mournful King and Nevermore monsters do not drop rewards directly other than the king’s remains.
  • The Mournful King spawns the Mournful King’s Loot Chest in the center of the Hallowed Ruins when defeated.
    • This chest will despawn after 20 seconds, so be sure to grab your loot quickly!
  • Characters can interact with the chest and receive 1 guaranteed reward per day but can still participate in the instance as many times as desired.
    • There is a greater than 50% chance to receive a re-skinned hallowed armor or weapon each day!

• Lenore can be found in the following locations within the capital cities:
  • Camelot: The Church of Albion
  • Jordheim: The Temple of the Aesir
  • Tir na Nog: Alainn Cuir’s courtyard

We’re taking the action to the Braemar battleground for this coming weekend!

Braemar event will run from Friday, October 18th until Monday, October 21st, 2024.
 

 

There will be a 100% RP bonus in Braemar for the duration of the event. NF Bonuses on Ywain will be disabled and re-enabled on Monday prior to Braemar ending.

Additionally, there will be a dynamic underpopulated bonus for the realms fielding the least amount of battle ready players.

Porters will be up at the realm’s relic towns and the border keeps mainland side: 

In Albion – Master Truji in Catterick Hamlet and Castle Sauvage
In Midgard – Stor Gothi Acheren in Godrborg and Svasud Faste
In Hibernia – Channeler Inarea in Crair Treflan and Druim Ligen

See you in the battleground!

Friends and Realm Mates,

23 years ago today, in the town of Fairfax in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA  – Dark Age of Camelot was introduced to the world by a collective of talented and like-minded people. At that time, DAoC was a bit of a rarity – MMOs hadn’t really made their mark on the gaming landscape, so I believe it’s fair to say that nobody could have predicted what the remarkable course and impact of this game would be.

If in 2001, someone were to have told the team at Mythic Entertainment that the three realms would still be at war in 2024, they might have been dubious but (and this I know for a fact) extremely proud. Broadsword is home to several members of the original Dark Age of Camelot development and launch team – and for me, even after 18 years, I still relish  their stories, share in their reminiscence, and revel at rare bits of arcane knowledge.

It’s a joy and a privilege to have the opportunity to continue to serve DAoC and its community of players, and as we approach the end of 2024 and head into the new year, we are excited to continue to bring you content that stays true to the heart of this game we love so much.

Faithfully yours,
Eldariian

Our 23rd anniversary begins with realm bonuses on both Ywain and Gaheris. Following on from those we’ll have Anniversary Gifts for all your level 50 toons, and Traveling Merchants will make a spooky return. We’ll also be starting two events later this month: one new event and, of course, the other our Halloween event! Look out for a new special Halloween MTX item coming soon!

Later in October we’ll have Patch 1.129 covering some class balance changes along with some world and game updates. Keep an eye out for those Pendragon notes coming soon! 

Bonuses

The following bonuses are now live:

On Ywain:

• 100% bonus to RPs gained from RvR kills
• 100% bonus to normal XP gain in all classic zones and dungeons

On Gaheris:

• 100% bonus to normal XP gain in all classic zones and dungeons
• 100% bonus to normal RP gain in the capital cities

In each Capital City:

• 40% Bonus to Crafting Speed
• 20% Bonus to Crafting Skill Gain

In all Housing Zones:

• 20% Bonus to Crafting Speed
• 10% Bonus to Crafting Skill Gain

Bonuses will last until Monday, November 4th, 2024.

Event Updates

• The Doppelganger Invasion event has now come to a close!
  • Note: Starlight Weapon Token turn in NPC will remain.
• Pennine Mountains, Jamtland Mountains, and Breifine doppelgangers have returned.
• Relic town Obelisk port to Hadrian’s Wall, Odin’s Gate, and Emain Macha have been removed.
• Caer Benowyc, Bledmeer Faste, and Dun Crauchon have returned to their normal state.
• Knoc Meayll is once again capturable.

 
Alerted to the danger, the kings of the realms have placed a bounty on Doppelgangers in order to dispel these forces, before it’s too late. 

• A daily group credit quest has returned requiring players to hunt down and cull the Doppelganger numbers for a reward of 10 Invader Seals.
  • Doppelgangers have a rare chance to drop additional Invader Seals regardless of the quest being active or not.
  • Each character can only benefit from a max of 300 seals.
  • Doppelganger spawn rates have been increased in Hadrian’s Wall, Odin’s Gate, Emain Macha, and Ellan Vannin.
  • New Doppelganger spawn locations have been added to Hadrian’s Wall, Odin’s Gate, Emain Macha, and Ellan Vannin.
  • Doppelgangers have been removed from the areas of Breifine, Pennine Mountains, and Jamtland Mountains for the duration of the event.
• Rewards can be claimed at the Doppelganger Traitor at the strength relic town or in capital cities, and are unlocked at the following thresholds:
  • 10 seals = 1x Elixir of Conquest
  • 25 seals = 1x Doppelganger Consignment Merchant
  • 75 seals = 1x 50% Realm Point Bonus potion (3 charges)
  • 125 seals = 1x Draught of Conquest
  • 175 seals = 1x 100% Realm Point Bonus potion (3 charges)
  • 225 seals = 1x Starlight Weapon Token
  • 300 seals = 1 50% Realm Point Bonus potion (30 charges)
• Doppelganger realm point reward has been doubled.
• Invader Seals earned from the previous Doppelganger Invasion event will not count towards this event.
• The Doppelganger Traitor NPC found in the capital cities (only this one!) is also offering a way to expedite the event at a significant discount to the normal price of the event’s mithril rewards!

Doppelganger Lords

While repairs continue on the merchant keeps, Doppelgangers have quietly situated themselves within the ruins. This is strange behavior, even for a Doppelganger. Adventurers must take care when entering these keeps, for few know what else lies within?!

 

A new quest has been added requiring players to defeat the Progenitor Doppelgangers at Caer Benowyc, Bledmeer Faste, Dun Crauchon, and on Ellan Vannin.

• This quest is repeatable, group credit within the Crossroads regions, and awards realm points. Does not auto renew.

Note: The quest’s objective is to kill the Doppelganger Lord in each of its 4 locations, and provides a separate reward. The quest is not necessary to spawn and kill the Doppelganger Lord, as killing Doppelgangers and realm enemies is the objective of the event, and you may spawn the Lords, and receive area rewards with or without the quest. 

• Killing players and Doppelgangers within an area will cause a Progenitor Doppelganger Lord to spawn on the keep roof, or, if on Ellan Vannin, the center of the island.
• Only one Doppelganger Lord may be up at a time.
• Once a Doppelganger Lord has been killed, players killed within that Crossroads region will be worth more realm points for 15 minutes.
• This Realm Point boost can be refreshed by killing a Doppelganger Lord in the same Crossroads region. Work swiftly for if the Doppelganger Lord meets with defeat too many times, it will abandon the ruined keep at which it is situated and take up a position in another realm or on the island of Ellan Vannin. 
• Killing a Doppelganger Lord awards area credit realm points. On Ellan Vannin, this area has a radius around the center that does not extend beyond the milegates. The area is quite large, but be aware that it does not reach the outskirts of the map.

Event Port Movement

The ability to port to a random location within Hadrian’s Wall, Odin’s Gate, or Emain Macha has been added to the relic town’s portal Obelisk.

A 50% realm point bonus has been activated in the regions of Hadrian’s Wall, Odin’s Gate, Emain Macha, and Ellan Vannin for the duration of the event.

Players should speak with the Doppelganger Traitor at relic towns or in their capital cities to start these quests.

• All event rewards and invader seals are no-trade, no-drop, and no-sell. They are destroyable however are required in order to turn in for rewards.
• Any leftover invader seals on a character will be removed at the end of the event and cannot be transferred to other characters.
• The Doppelganger Invasion event will come to an end on Thursday, October 10th, 2024.

As the mayhem and murder continues through Breifine, rewards for taking part in Phase 3 of the Crossroads Covenant – Lilith event are now live!

Players who have completed any one of the Phase 3 quests can now speak with Gwynn’s Merchant in their realm’s relic town to obtain the following quest:

• Albion: [Through the Shroud] Forging Starlight
• Midgard: [Through the Shroud] Working Starlight 
• Hibernia: [Through the Shroud] Weaving Starlight

Continue speaking with Gwynn’s Merchant to complete this quest and obtain a Starlight Weapon Token. This token will allow you to now purchase your desired weapon from Gwynn’s Merchant’s store.

Weapons are tradeable and you must have the token in your inventory (not vaults) in order to access the store.

Journey back to the past with Phase 3 of our Crossroads Covenant Liltih event as we revisit Old Frontiers: Breifine!

Players can obtain the below new quests from the representatives of their path at their realm’s relic town. All quests auto complete and auto renew. 

Once you have the quests, continue speaking with your path representative when you’re ‘ready’ to port into the Emain Macha staging area for your realm – you will now auto bind here. Use the Breifine Obelisk to port you and your group into Breifine!

Quest Details

Demonic Path:

[Through the Shroud] Desperation – Slay 50 enemies / 10 enemies solo – awards realm and bounty points
[Through the Shroud] Untwisting – Summon Lilith by killing other players and slay her – area credit (within range of Lilith) – awards realm and bounty points
[Through the Shroud] Points of Strength – Capture 3 keeps in Old Breifine. Obtain a cache of hearts from killing players around keeps, then /use the cache (not every kill gives a heart) – requires inventory slot – keep credit is area credit within the area of the keep – awards realm and bounty points

• Completing this quest also rewards you with a full stack of Starlight, which can then be /used to complete the [Through the Shroud] Forging Starlight quest

[Through the Shroud] Forging Starlight – Use a full stack of Starlight in Old Breifine. Starlight spawns around the keeps. Collect Starlight in stacks of 10 then /use the stack – requires inventory slot – awards realm and bounty points 

Vigilant Path:

[Through the Shroud] Crusade Through Time – Slay 50 enemies / 10 enemies solo – awards realm and bounty points
[Through the Shroud] Lilith’s Last – Summon Lilith by killing other players and slay her – area credit (within range of Lilith) – awards realm and bounty points
[Through the Shroud] Old Strongholds – Capture 3 keeps in Old Breifine. Obtain a cache of hearts from killing players around keeps, then /use the cache (not every kill gives a soul) – requires inventory slot – keep credit is area credit within the area of the keep – awards realm and bounty points

• Completing this quest also rewards you with a full stack of Starlight, which can then be /used to complete the [Through the Shroud] Ancient Weapons quest

[Through the Shroud] Ancient Weapons – Use a full stack of Starlight in Old Breifine. Starlight spawns around the keeps. Collect Starlight in stacks of 10 then /use the stack – requires inventory slot – awards realm and bounty points

Note: once you /use a stack of hearts, souls, or Starlight, it will use all of them in your inventory (all are vaultable)

Breifine Keeps

Dun Bolg, Dun Crimthain, Dun na nGed, and Dun Da Behnn will not act as regular keeps for this event. These 4 keeps have been taken over by the forces of the Demonic and Vigilant paths. Once a keep lord is killed, a new path lord spawns who is not attackable for 20 minutes. A broadcast message will announce when the keep lord is attackable around that keep. Quest step credit is awarded to anyone within the area of the keep.

These keeps are not claimable by any realm, doors work for all realms, and there are no guards.
 

Phase 3 Rewards

 

In order to qualify for Phase 3 rewards, players must complete any Phase 3 quest at least once. Rewards will be offered at the end of Phase 3.

Phase 3 ends August 13th, 2024.

Phase 2 Rewards

Players who completed Phase 2 can speak with Gwynn to collect their Mythirian reward.

On Thursday, August 1st, 2024, Phase 3 returns us to the past world of Old Frontiers – Breifine!

Players will avail of Old Frontiers Emain as their zone in and spawn points. Hibernia’s base will be Dun Crauchon, while Albion and Midgard will use the realm Portal Keeps in Emain. The entirety of the Breifine zone will be the focus for Phase 3 and RvR!

Phase 3 will conclude on Tuesday, August 13th, 2024. More details of Phase 3 will follow with the event notice on Thursday.