Trion Worlds and the Rift development team have set up an aggressive and impressive schedule of updates to the game. Following last month’s v1.1 River of Souls event, players were left wondering what was coming next. MMORPG.com News Manager Suzie Ford had the opportunity to chat with Trion Design Producer Hal Hanlin and Lore Lead Morgan Lockhart about the forthcoming v1.2 Spoils of War patch. Our discussion centered primarily on the prelude event that is scheduled to run from May 4th through May 9th.

As the name implies, the Spoils of War is related to the River of Souls event. Telarans and the Ascended successfully overcame Alsbeth and her minions and now the rewards have arrived. The prelude offers players four new daily quests centered on the mysterious treasure-like items literally falling from the sky in some cases.

In the first instance, golden coins have been raining on Sanctum and Meridian but when city folk pick them up, they are corrupted by a strange taint. Because the Ascended are a bit more resistant to such corruption, the Mendicant Order and the College of Planar Studies are anxious to have these tainted coins collected and returned for further study. The collection of coins is a once daily quest that takes place only in the capital city of each faction.

If coins falling from the sky aren’t enough to give pause for thought, players will face an increase in Earth and Fire rifts that are exploding across Telara even in places they had not been previously seen. Interest will undoubtedly be piqued, however, by the fragments of ancient dragon eggshells being dropped by invaders and Rift monsters. Again, the College of Planar Studies and the Mendicant Order are both interested in having these dragon eggshells rounded up for further study. There are three daily requests sending the Ascended all over Telara in search of these rare but mysterious items.

When returning with either gold coins or ancient dragon eggshells, players will be rewarded in impressive ways as the “Spoils of War” name implies. On turning in the quest items, players will receive a container that may hold, for instance, a limited-time companion pet called the Gritty Kitty. No, this isn’t a dirty cat but is one that has been rescued from the Plane of Earth. Other rewards might include rare hard-to-find artifacts, crafting currency and even plaques of achievement.

Both Lockhart and Hanlin described the prelude event and directly tied it to the overarching story that Rift embodies. Quests are story driven. Invasions and rift activity are tied to the ongoing and evolving history of Telara. Hanlin compared Rift to live theater and said that the Trion team is nimble and can do things that other MMOs simply cannot do. If the prelude to the Spoils of War update is any indication, he may be right on the mark.

While they wouldn’t confirm or deny that the v1.2 update will arrive on May 10th, it’s probably safe to infer that this is the case. See you in Telara!