A new type of trade has gripped Auroria: behind closed doors and shuttered windows, under the rustle of portentous winds, heroes and oracles swap stories about new lands, new weapons, and the shape of things to come. They speak of Dread Prophecies – a massive update on the near horizon – and its escalating wars in forbidden zones!

The release of Dread Prophecies (Update 1.7 Part 1) will open the way to Golden Ruins and Mistmerrow, expanding the borders of Auroria and granting access to the bay between Sungold Fields and Diamond Shores. The battle against Anthalon, Lord of Undeath, rages in PvE-focused Golden Ruins, while Mistmerrow’s undying PvP campaign is home to new inter-faction conflict and incredible rewards.

Read on for a first look at the new zones and stay tuned for upcoming spotlights previewing all that lies ahead. In the run-up to launch, we’ll be streaming even more details live each Friday on Twitch!

Golden Ruins

Golden Ruins lies west of Diamond Shores through a narrow mountain pass. It is a vital staging point for the Crimson Watch and will give you access to their full quest line, including the adventures that teach you how to build Obsidian Weapons.

The zone’s western reach includes a medium-sized housing area encircling the Crimson Watch camp. This district can support any type of house or farm and is larger than the Diamond Shores residential area (but smaller than housing areas in the other Aurorian zones).

Golden Ruins holds new daily quests and high-level creatures that can supplement the Ayanad Library as a high-end leveling path, and its denizens drop coveted components used to craft Obsidian Armor and the second line of Obsidian Weapons.

Mistmerrow

Mistmerrow, located to the north of Sungold Fields, is an ancient battleground where the Firran hero Tahyang stood strong against the infernal armies of Anthalon. Here, as in Halcyona, conflict and bloodshed rule the day, cycling the zone through periods of war and peace.

When a new war begins, World Gates appear in all central city hubs, a call to arms is announced to the entire server, and participating players gather at a Crimson Watch hub located in the center of the zone. A force-field appears around the safe area, NPCs spawn to provide quests, and players are automatically added to a raid with members from their faction: the Nuia Alliance, the Haranya Alliance, or Outlaws.

When the contest starts, six blood spires spawn around the battlefield and the force field dissipates. Players rush toward the spires and attempt to capture them by disabling surrounding towers. Once the towers have been destroyed, the central spire becomes attackable, and after it falls, a special essence appears in its place. You can capture it through interaction, but you must be quick! Opponents can also capture it, even if they didn’t participate in the spire’s destruction.

As you capture a location, a large arrowhead falls from the sky to notify others of the impending shift, and – after a short time – a faction-aligned spire appears in place of the arrowhead. This new spire scores points for your team, but it can be taken over by opposing forces and must be defended by the conquering force!

Points are generated based on how many spires are captured or re-captured during the allotted time for the battle. A spire’s location increases in value based on how many times it’s been captured, and a spire that has been captured multiple times has weakened defenses, making it a highly viable target. At the end of the conflict, all alliance members turn in their quests at the Crimson Watch hub and receive Warrior Medals based on their performance:

Winning Alliance (Most points scored): 8 Warrior Medals

Second Place Alliance: 4 Warrior Medals

Third Place Alliance: 2 Warrior Medals

These are the same medals granted by the Golden Plains Battle in Halcyona, and they can now be earned and used by Pirates. You can spend these medals at the Proven Warrior Workbench to create or upgrade a Proven Warrior Necklace or any of ten new musical instruments, all special rewards on top of the Honor, coin, and drops you can also expect to accrue!

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