Speaking With The Shadow Alchemist

After returning from their visit to the Rhymoss herd, Vespera strolled through Shadow Veil Pass, taking it slow so that Ripple could enjoy the sights and sounds of the Ancient Echoes Festival. The gleaming Nether Moon up
above was framed by the sharp spires of the mountains all around,
looking like another Festival decoration presiding over the whole
valley.

They paused when they reached the front door of the Shadow Alchemy shop, and Vespera decided to step inside. "Wait here, Ripple." Vespera patted the Quenaris on the shoulder. "I'm just going to have a quick word with Naveen." Ripple nudged Vespera's shoulder back gently with its nose, seeming content to sit tight for the moment.

"Just a moment," a voice called out as Vespera entered
the Alchemy shop. Behind the counter, a white-haired elven man was in
the process of pouring a glowing green elixir from one bottle to
another. He expertly finished transferring the potion and put a stopper
in the bottle before carefully setting it down. "That's that!" He
remarked, then looked up to see who had come to visit. "Oh -- welcome, Vespera!"

"Good to see you, Naveen!" Vespera replied with a smile. "I hope the Festival season has been treating you well so far."

"Ah, yes," Naveen said, grinning wide. "The Nether Moon has many mystical properties. I'm excited to experiment with the effect of Nether moonlight on my concoctions..."

"Interesting!" Vespera said. "Do you have time to tell me more about it? I'm researching the NetherDust, you see. I'm sure there has to be a way to collect it -- but every time I try, it just scatters everywhere."

"Oh?" Naveen leaned closer to Vespera over the counter, mind already filling with possibilities. "Yes, of course I have some time to spare for such a fascinating quandary! Let's see, let's see..."

The alchemist busied himself behind his workbench for a moment, gathering a handful of bottles and containers of different shapes and sizes. "Come around to this side, Vespera -- I'll show you some ideas. In alchemy, using the right kind of vessel to contain a substance is of the utmost importance!"

Vespera joined Naveen behind the counter to survey the arrangement of potions he had selected. She picked up a round glass bottle stoppered with a cork and tilted it to watch the sparkling golden potion inside slosh back and forth. A faint sparkling aura surrounded the bottle as she moved it.

"Yes, yes - you see," Naveen said, watching, "simple glass will do for many formulations. It will do in a pinch at least! But you can see how the seal is imperfect." He waved at the sparkles of energy and wisps of magical steam that surrounded many of the potions on display in his shop. "It's perfectly serviceable, perfectly safe -- but not the best solution for your NetherDust. I don't think so, no..."

Naveen gave Vespera a tour of the rest of the shop, explaining various alchemical distillation methods and potion storage techniques all the while. Vespera nodded along, interested -- but not totally sure if Naveen's potion-making expertise would end up being the key to the mystery of the NetherDust.

Then, a faint crimson sparkle in the very back of a nearby shelf caught her eye. "Wait, Naveen!" Vespera interrupted the alchemist's lecture. She reached deep into the shelf to pull out the tiny vial and held it between her thumb and forefinger to inspect it. "What's this one?"

"That? Oh!" Naveen raised his eyebrows. "What indeed? I'd nearly forgotten about that piece. In fact, I was never able to properly identify it. It's been in this shop for as long as I can remember."

Vespera peered closely at the vial. Inside was a thimbleful of luminous red dust, as crimson and bright as the Nether Moon outside.

"Naveen!" Vespera gasped. "This is NetherDust! It's not much...but it has to be!"

"Aha! I believe you're right!" Naveen agreed, taking the small vial carefully to get a closer look at it himself.

"Now this is fascinating..." the alchemist continued. "I wonder how this was collected? It must have been a very long time ago."

"If the NetherDust was collected once, it could be captured again," Vespera declared with a grin. "We just need to learn more about how!"

The Rare Rhymoss Roams Into Santae

Vespera's investigation of the NetherDust had taken her into the skies once again. Riding on Ripple's back, she was hoping to get a closer look at the Dust in the atmosphere and learn more about its interactions with the light of the Nether Moon. Together, the adventurer and her Quenaris friend flew high over Shadow Veil Pass. The wind from their passage traced a faint glowing trail as they stirred the airborne NetherDust in their wake.

Directly over Shadow Veil Pass, the Nether Moon was bright red and the NetherDust glowed clearly. Vespera urged Ripple to take a course away from the jagged mountains, and she closely observed the changes as they traveled. First the Nether Moon appeared to fade to pink, then a cool lavender. After they had left the Pass behind completely, the moonlight was shining a pure, bright blue-white again.

Vespera peered all around, looking at the clear night air surrounding the soaring duo. Surely NetherDust was still around them, somewhere -- but without the red Nether moonlight giving it its signature glow, it was impossible to see.

"I just don't know, Ripple," Vespera called to her companion over the noise of the wind. "Even so high up, it's hard to see much of anything useful about the NetherDust." Ripple replied with its melodious, chiming call, seeming to commiserate.

"At least it's a beautiful night for flying," Vespera remarked, patting Ripple's shoulder. This, the Quenaris could wholeheartedly agree with. Ripple performed a cheerful swooping maneuver, making Vespera whoop with excitement as they plummeted briefly downwards.

"Although, look!" Vespera continued, pointing eastward. "It's nearly dawn. Where have we ended up, anyway?"

The eastern horizon was glowing with faint golden dawn light, illuminating the land below. With a start, Vespera realized they had drawn close to some of the ground they had covered on the trek back from Halo Haven. Sweeping plains sprawled out below like a quilt with patches of grassy green, dusty gold, and earthy orange.

As the sun rose higher, Vespera noticed a few dark shapes beneath them. They looked familiar, and after a moment she placed them: just like before, they had come to the stomping ground of the rare Rhymoss!

"Go lower, Ripple!" Vespera urged the Quenaris. "Let's get a closer look this time!" Ripple bobbed its head in a nod and swooped even closer to the ground.

As they descended, Vespera gasped. Last time, she had spotted a handful of Rhymoss lumbering across the plains. But as she and Ripple flew over the herd, Vespera quickly realized that something was different.

This herd was bigger! Not a handful, but dozens of Rhymoss were clustered in small groups across the beautiful prairie: Sleeping, grazing, and traveling in bands. Most had craggy brown skin and mantles of bright green leaves, but some were blooming with flowers of bright, whimsical colors.

Vespera and Ripple came in for a landing near the middle of the herd. The Rhymoss watched placidly as the Quenaris settled down to earth, accepting the intruder into their midst without concern. With their sturdy stature and sharp horns, they certainly looked like creatures mighty enough to not have to worry about many dangers!

Vespera jumped down from Ripple's back and held out her hand to one Rhymoss, who dipped its head to sniff her palm and learn her scent. Another Rhymoss delicately touched noses with Ripple, who accepted the friendly gesture -- but not without keeping one eye carefully fixed on the Rhymoss' sharp branchlike nose horn.

"This is amazing!" Vespera exclaimed, sweeping her gaze around to admire the healthy Rhymoss herd. "Look at all of them," Vespera continued. "The last group we saw might have been a fluke. But after seeing this herd, I'm sure." she grinned. It was clear that, while they may still be rare, these behemoths' population was showing hopeful signs of recovery. "The Rhymoss has truly returned to Santae!"

Some commotion behind her got Vespera's attention. As she turned to look, she saw that the colorful Rhymoss herd was parting to make an open lane of prairie in front of Vespera and Ripple.

Then, a massive Rhymoss appeared! The huge creature walked down the opened path toward Vespera. It was larger than any of the others in the herd, and different in other ways, too. This Rhymoss was bursting with mystical energy, with a mantle of leaves and flowers that shimmered in every color of the rainbow.

Vespera stood very still as the behemoth approached. It stopped directly before her and lowered its head so that its bright eyes stared directly into Vespera's. She could feel the magic flowing from this creature in waves.

After a few long moments spent in silent communion with the beast, Vespera felt she understood the Rhymoss herd better than ever. Harnessing their ancient energy could help her share these amazing creatures with all the Adventurers across Santae!

Befriend A Rhymoss Of Your Own At The Cash Shop

After her time with the herd, Vespera has learned to harness the Rhymoss' magic to create Divine Rhymoss Figurines!

Use one of these enchanted statues to transform any of your existing pets into a majestic Rhymoss. These magnificent, once-rare creatures make powerful and steadfast companions for any adventurer. Use the magic of these figurines to allow friendship to bloom between you and your new Rhymoss as beautifully as the flowers in its mossy mane!

Visit the Cash Shop or Dust Shop to acquire the Divine Rhymoss Figurine of your choice today.

Playful Luffins At The Plushie Machine

Exciting new surprises are in store at the Plushie Machine in exchange for your Plushie Machine Tokens! When you play, you now just might win one of these adorable new Luffin plushies:

These sweet new stuffed friends perfectly capture the playful personality of the lovely Luffin. The plushies' adorable design and excellent craftsmanship make them toys your pets will be thrilled to play with.

Visit the Terrible Toymaker and complete her quests in exchange for Plushie Machine Tokens so you can try your luck at the Plushie Machine today!

TL;DR

★ A massive herd of Rhymoss -- once believed to be vanishingly rare or perhaps lost forever -- has returned to Santae!
★ Divine Rhymoss Figurines are now available at the Cash Shop
★ Luffin Plushies are now available as prizes from the Plushie Machine

Explore Your Wild Side With The Revamped Wildbound Set

Clad in fur and armed with claws, an avatar wearing Wildbound clothing is well-equipped to face the challenges of the wilderness. We're thrilled to announce that this rugged set has received brand-new art to fit the updated Wardrobe and HA system!

Thanks to updates to the Wardrobe, two separate right and left glove items were no longer needed. The single Wildbound Glove item, when equipped, will now give your character both a left and right glove. In order to keep the same number of items in the full Wildbound set, we have added a brand-new animated item to replace the redundant glove item!

Introducing the Wildbound Spirit Wisps!

Equipping this item will summon a trio of spectral flames to float at your HA's side. These fully animated bright blue lights flicker and dance with spiritual energy. Will your HA harness their power?

Find the Wildbound Spirit Wisps -- and the rest of the revamped Wildbound items -- within the Wildbound Trove!

New Looks For Glimmer, Vixon, And Milo

Thank you from the entire Santae team for your support and understanding as we continue the process of replacing character art around Santae. Our incredible artists have been hard at work, and we are extremely proud to reveal three new, final character portraits for familiar Santae characters!

Glimmer of Glimmer's Toys, Vixon from weapon quests at Flamefall Cascades, and Milo of Balloon Pop all have beautifully crafted and updated designs and art!

Look out for more exciting character art updates going forward as we continue the revision process!

Adorable Kickstarter Companions Brought To Life

A herd of adorable, magical new Minimals is soon to arrive in the world of Santae! This collection of creatures was brought to life by the creativity of our wonderful Kickstarter backers via the Design A Minimal tier.

Will you befriend the draconic Fleurix or Wycicle?

Perhaps the mischievous Lil-imp, the verdant Terra-Kiwi, or the celestial Stardrift will be the perfect companion for your pets!

The sweet Chocoaurum and Sprinklepond are excited to meet you, too!

Or maybe Perseus or Frostpup will become your loyal friends! 

We're excited to give you this first look at these new Minimals' completed artwork. Stay tuned for future announcements about where in the world of Santae these amazing new companions can be discovered!

TL;DR

★ The Wildbound item set and clothing set have been updated to fit the new Wardrobe system with new artwork!
★ The (now redundant) Wildbound Left Glove item has been replaced with a new piece of equipment: Wildbound Spirit Wisps.
★ Updated NPC Portraits' have been revealed for Glimmer, Vixon, and Milo
★ Art for 9 Design A Minimal tier Kickstarter Minimals has been revealed