The winter holiday season is upon us, and many will remember the disruption to the trade routes during The Shattered Obelisk. It is with regret we have to inform the populace that once again trade between the cities is under threat. The Town Crier carries this warning:
Bewildering Encounters on Trade Routes, Guards Move to Quell Fear
The Town Cryer brings you this special report. Trade Ministers across the realm are advising those running trade order to take extra precautions as a new threat has emerged. Trade runners are reporting strange encounters with impish type creatures possessing a nasty thirst for blood and two menacing cleavers. According to one Royal Guard official the origins of these creatures are unknown to the guard, but they assure the proper steps are being taken to deal with the problem. The Guard advises those who encounter icy creatures outside their normal habitats should take that as a warning these new threats are abound. The League of Rangers is also cautioning adventurers these icy creatures are known to attract a previously unknown species of Drake that can be most deadly. Upon further research the Town Cryer has learned these creatures are the minions of a beast called Krampus. The Town Cryer has reached out to several BRitannians who claim to have knowledge of the beast’s origins, however the accounts are varied and murky at best. Dr. Cat of the Cat’s Lair in Britain claims Krampus and its minions are the result of a goat long forgotten in the sewers. Janna the Druid of Yew recounted the story of a wild satyr who attacked a band of marauders who desecrated a birch grove. Even more bizarre is the tale from Finn of Vesper who claims to have shared a drink of brandy with Krampus who then went on to punish a merchant who was terrible to the poor of Vesper. Whatever the history of this creature one thing is clear – this festival season will not soon be forgotten. In other news, the Royal Britannian Astronomer’s Society has made no comment on peculiar celestial observations and assures the public there is no threat to the realm.
Icy creatures of increasing ferocity are harassing travellers undertaking trade quests for the cities. The observed escalation appears to be as follows:
- frost spiders and frost ooze
- snow elementals and Ice Elementals
- frost trolls and ice serpents
- white wyrms and ice fiends
- a new danger, Krampus Minions
Finally the master of these minions will appear. Krampus himself, along with guardians who must be defeated before this individual can be tackled. Perhaps he is being attracted by the merchants’ decision to ship their wares in gift boxes? A previously unknown creature, a frost drake, has also been observed in proximity to this fiendish creature.
The trade ministers are monitoring the situation and will alert travellers when Krampus appears and where he might be found. Merchants will suspend their transactions, accepting deliveries, but giving no new orders until the roads have been made safe again
Accredited traders, with at least 3 trade runs between Krampus’s appearance will receive a reward for defeating him, those with less journeys will have a reduced chance of receiving such. Moongate shortcuts are frowned upon and do not contribute to the summoning of Krampus.
Krampus Rewards
- Whip – new weapon available across the following weapon skills with the associated special moves.
- Bladed Whip
- Swordsmanship
- Bleed & Whirlwind
- Spiked Whip
- Fencing
- Armor Pierce & Whirlwind
- Barbed Whip
- Mace Fighting
- Concussion & Whirlwind
- Weapon Speed: 3.25
- Damage: 13-17
- Range: 1
- One Handed
- Repairable via Tinkering
- Can be imbued and reforged
- Can be equipped by all races
- Can be dyed with a leather dye tub
- Bladed Whip
- Added for 2019, Recipe for each of the 3 types of whips: Bladed, Barbed, and Spiked
- Crafted via Tinkering -> Miscellaneous
- Requires 5 Metal & 10 Leather
- Can be exceptional
- Skill Required: 100.0
- New Clothing & Jewelry Recipes craftable via Tailoring or Tinkering
- Krampus Minion Hat
- Krampus Minion Talons [Gargoyle Only]
cannot be dyed - Krampus Minion Boots [takes color from cloth used]
- Krampus Minion Earrings [Gargoyle Only]
Can be dyed with material appropriate dye tubs
- Krampus Minion Hat
- Added for 2021, Recipe crafted via Blacksmithing
- Shield Orb
- Shield Orb
- Added for 2022, Recipe crafted via Tinkering -> Miscellaneous
- Candied Staff
- Requires 12 Ingots & 10 Boards
- Can be exceptional
- Skill Required: 75.0
- Added for 2023 Holiday Pillows
- Can be dyed by all types of cloth dye tubs, special dyes and pigments such as Tokuno dyes and natural dyes
- Can be turned with a decorating tool
- Added for 2023 a Lamp
- Reward Titles
- The Nice
- The Naughty
- The Punisher
- Krampus’ Coin Purse
There is a chance the coin purse can contain one of the following trinkets,- Dirty Snowballs
- Krampus’ Punishin’ List with [Your Character’s Name] Circled
- A card of Semidar – including the new Krampus card
- Gold or Silver branches dependent on a player’s Karma
- Added to the Coin Purse 2019
- Naughty Elf’s Gloves
- Rude Ranger’s Tunic
- Broken Wristwatch
- Krampus Stars
- Undocumented items reported as being found in Krampus’ Coin Purse are pieces of Moonstone Jewelry; Moonstone necklace, earrings, ring and beads. The moonstone beads change color depending on which facet they are in.