Update 23 Story Preview (w/ Vol Concept Art!)

[toapat]

We look forward to you seeing more of Vol and the Epic Orchard of the Macabre. We'll be previewing this new content in the coming weeks on Lamannia, and would love to read your feedback about it on the Lamannia forums. Thanks!
- PurpleFooz

Please have all her drops be knit loot tokens we trade in. She has been doing that for what? 3000 years?

[Oxarhamar]

And PLEASE, let each kill be a kill! I have always hated the northeast side of The Orchard because of the alive is a slayer, undead isn't bug (or wai).

Yeah I'm pretty posative that is WAI.

The living creature is killed and returns undead. Still it's only one creature even though you must kill it twice.


On an alternate note...

Can we have Epic Wererats?

[streep101]

And PLEASE, let each kill be a kill! I have always hated the northeast side of The Orchard because of the alive is a slayer, undead isn't bug (or wai).

I think that's WAI, but it is an annoying mechanic. Each of those infernal/flame guys has two aspects. You're only getting credit for one because it's the same guy. Just be glad you get the credit for only doing half the job. :-) The question I have is, why does the infernal version manifest itself on the Prime Material Plane when you kill them in the orchard?

It's not as bad as killing a Goristro or Purple Worm that takes 100 swats, instead of a dretch or salamander that takes 1-3 swats. All 1 kill.

[Livmo]

Of course, kill the non-undead.

[Sebastrd]

Time to reuse mistress and Necromancer mechanics from MoTU already?

It had better not be. Those were some of the worst, most annoying, cheapest mechanics in the game.

[Ebondevil]

We look forward to you seeing more of Vol and the Epic Orchard of the Macabre.

Shame this is content I will probably never see since I have still not managed to flag for the Abbot raid after multiple lives of running the quests and hitting up the Rares in the Explorer.

[Grosbeak07]

Shame this is content I will probably never see since I have still not managed to flag for the Abbot raid after multiple lives of running the quests and hitting up the Rares in the Explorer.

It won't be the same as the heroic version and will likely have separate flagging mechanisms.

[XodousRoC]

Shame this is content I will probably never see since I have still not managed to flag for the Abbot raid after multiple lives of running the quests and hitting up the Rares in the Explorer.

It won't be the same as the heroic version and will likely have separate flagging mechanisms.

They could do us a solid and change the heroic mechanic to make Abbott more accessible. This would, perhaps, increase interest/awareness for the heroic side. It has to be the most unique and fun raid I've run. There is always the risk of failure, but the rewards are still very good at-level for TR lives. I honestly think the sigil should be more of a turn-in for unique items (a la taps/shields/tomes), and the flagging mechanic should be simply completing the flags.

[UurlockYgmeov]

Greetings! We're hard at work getting Update 23 ready, and wanted to take a minute to give you a sneak peek at a bit of the story line you'll encounter when entering the Epic Orchard of the Macabre...

As you may know, we're bringing a new story to the Orchard that touches on the events you've experienced in the Heroic version of this area, but also expands that story to include a famous resident of Eberron: Lady Vol! Here is a bit of concept art put together as we began work on Update 23, to give you some idea of who you'll be dealing with in the new raid:

Years after the Black Abbot’s defeat, the Emerald Claw have returned to the Orchard of the Macabre. They arrived with large number of cultists and priests of the Blood of Vol. Many of the Black Abbot’s minions are also returning to the Orchard, and this time, they seem to be working together with the Emerald Claw. Though the Silver Flame are alarmed by these events, their attention is divided by an outbreak of lycanthropy in the area.

At the Temple of Vol, the High Priest taunts to the players that all is going according to Vol’s plan, and that they were merely pawns when they defeated the Abbot before...


We look forward to you seeing more of Vol and the Epic Orchard of the Macabre. We'll be previewing this new content in the coming weeks on Lamannia, and would love to read your feedback about it on the Lamannia forums. Thanks!
- PurpleFooz

Do this as good / better than U22 and players will drop DDO for Dummies and come play again!

[Thrudh]

It had better not be. Those were some of the worst, most annoying, cheapest mechanics in the game.

No, those were awesome, because you had to use your brain....

[Thumbed_Servant]

Vol looks...eeeevil...and while looking still-vital she also does look...dead/lich-like too. I like.

So far it seems the artist is shying away from making Vol a big busted caricature like Lolth. Now, could you ask them to tone down the bustier so it doesn't look like something from an 80's Madonna concert (again, like Lolth's bustier..so BAD!). I'm reminded of Princes Leia's Metal bikini in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with this preview concept art.

[californiapiper]

Still :-( we do not have a return of The Black Abbot, we didn't get his phylactery so he can come back, hoping we will see him again soon, hands down my favorite boss in the game, and even in epic levels he's no ones b*tch

Greetings! We're hard at work getting Update 23 ready, and wanted to take a minute to give you a sneak peek at a bit of the story line you'll encounter when entering the Epic Orchard of the Macabre...

As you may know, we're bringing a new story to the Orchard that touches on the events you've experienced in the Heroic version of this area, but also expands that story to include a famous resident of Eberron: Lady Vol! Here is a bit of concept art put together as we began work on Update 23, to give you some idea of who you'll be dealing with in the new raid:

Years after the Black Abbot’s defeat, the Emerald Claw have returned to the Orchard of the Macabre. They arrived with large number of cultists and priests of the Blood of Vol. Many of the Black Abbot’s minions are also returning to the Orchard, and this time, they seem to be working together with the Emerald Claw. Though the Silver Flame are alarmed by these events, their attention is divided by an outbreak of lycanthropy in the area.

At the Temple of Vol, the High Priest taunts to the players that all is going according to Vol’s plan, and that they were merely pawns when they defeated the Abbot before...


We look forward to you seeing more of Vol and the Epic Orchard of the Macabre. We'll be previewing this new content in the coming weeks on Lamannia, and would love to read your feedback about it on the Lamannia forums. Thanks!
- PurpleFooz

[Dagolar]

One question - That dragonmark in the pic, she doesn't get to use it, right? I thought that once you had died, your dragonmark becomes a neat tattoo.

Given that the ENTIRE BASIS of Lady Vol's motivations [per the book source] is that she is the last person with the Dragonmark of Death and everything she does is to try and regain control of the Dragonmark and bring it back into the world as an active Dragonmark..

Going to go on a limb and say, no, she [still] can't use it. ;P

[RedOrm]

They could do us a solid and change the heroic mechanic to make Abbott more accessible. This would, perhaps, increase interest/awareness for the heroic side. It has to be the most unique and fun raid I've run. There is always the risk of failure, but the rewards are still very good at-level for TR lives. I honestly think the sigil should be more of a turn-in for unique items (a la taps/shields/tomes), and the flagging mechanic should be simply completing the flags.

It would certainly increase at least *my* interest. After 5 lives I still haven't managed to flag...

Greetz,
Red Orm

[poltt48]

Given that the ENTIRE BASIS of Lady Vol's motivations [per the book source] is that she is the last person with the Dragonmark of Death and everything she does is to try and regain control of the Dragonmark and bring it back into the world as an active Dragonmark..

Going to go on a limb and say, no, she [still] can't use it. ;P

No undead cannot use dragonmarks. That and she has the most powerful dragon mark ever. There 4 levels of dragons marks most powerful being Siberys mark witch cannot get in ddo. Vols siberys dragonmark mixed with her dragon blood to make the most powerful dragonmark ever even though she never got to use it.

[Oxarhamar]

Given that the ENTIRE BASIS of Lady Vol's motivations [per the book source] is that she is the last person with the Dragonmark of Death and everything she does is to try and regain control of the Dragonmark and bring it back into the world as an active Dragonmark..

Going to go on a limb and say, no, she [still] can't use it. ;P

I wonder if the ENTIRE BASIS of Lady Vol's motivations [per the book source] is that she is the last person with the Dragonmark of Death and everything she does is to try and regain control of the Dragonmark and bring it back into the world as an active Dragonmark..

Is it possible that she has found a way?

I already suggested a mortal conduit but, I guess we will know soon enough.

[Infiltraitor]

Dear Santa,

I want...
Greater Vampirism Augment
10, 20, 30% Healing Amp Augment
Superior and Epic Nimbleness Augment
Reduce Arcane Spell Failure 30% Augment

Sincerely,
Reignbeau

[Angelic-council]

Nice, I like it developers

Epic undeads.. it's so exciding. But, I hope implosion gets fixed this time in U23... since, divines, you know :/

[Angelic-council]

Dear Santa,

I want...
Greater Vampirism Augment
10, 20, 30% Healing Amp Augment
Superior and Epic Nimbleness Augment
Reduce Arcane Spell Failure 30% Augment

Sincerely,
Reignbeau

30% failure reduction.. and 30% healing amp is too much for an augment...

[cdbd3rd]

...

She looks better in person.


...meaning my signed copy is currently 'boarded' safely between two copies of the Gen Con program book, waiting for me to get off my lazy bum and get a frame for it.