Rift 1.12 Prelude to “Spoils of War”

This one completely caught me off guard.  I was not expecting anything to happen really until the 1.2 patch next Tuesday (May 10th).  However it looks like tonight we will all have fun stuff to play through, as there is a prelude event to the big patch.

MMORPG.com seems to have gotten an exclusive preview of this prelude event.  In a recent article they talk to Design Producer Hal Hanlin and Lore Lead Morgan Lockhart about the impending changes coming from the 1.2 patch.  Based on the article it appears that this prelude event will run from May 4th through May 9th.  It looks like we will be getting limited time Daily Quest and the ability to earn a unique limited time cosmetic pet.

Synopsis of the Event from MMORPG.com

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.

1.12 Patch Notes

Official Thread Here

SPOILS OF WAR – PRELUDE

* The Planes of Earth and Fire are suddenly showing an increase in activity, expanding their reach into zones previously left to other planar forces. Their Rifts and Invasions grow more numerous – but why?
* Look for new daily quests to appear in the cities of Sanctum and Meridian. Investigate the recent appearance of shells belonging to ancient golden dragon eggs, and mysterious coins showing up in Guardian and Defiant economies alike.
* Special reward packs for completing these new quests offer chances for uncommonly seen artifacts, rare and useful crafting materials, platinum and more. Reward packs also have a chance at containing a limited-time companion pet!

GENERAL

* Warfront-related guild quests now only progress on their proper maps.
* Multiple other quests requiring wins in Warfronts were fixed as well.
* Abandoning any variant of the Tools of Destruction quest will no longer remove Shadetouched Scepters, Blades, or Executors from your inventory. Additionally, Shadetouched Caches are no longer unique, so more than one can be held in your inventory at a time.
* Fixed a problem where some characters were not getting locked to the River of Souls raid properly.
* Shimmersand: Permanent Slumber: Fixed an issue that would sometimes prevent this quest from resetting correctly.
* Auto-AFK detection is now a bit less aggressive, so you won’t get flagged AFK just for stepping away briefly.