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Secrets of Ayanad Spotlight: Diamond Shores
Diamond Shores, the resting place of the legendary Ayanad Library, is no stranger to suffering and war. During the fall of Auroria, a magical catastrophe saturated the area with deadly energy, killing many of its inhabitants and turning large swaths of the region into the brilliant glass for which it is named.
Since its discovery, three distinct groups have controlled the region: the priests of Nui’s Shield, who are investigating the mysterious spirits that roam its eastern shores; the Ayanad Disciples, arcane scholars who are dedicated to uncovering the secrets of the Ayanad Library; and the soldiers of the Crimson Watch, elite fighters tasked with protecting the Aurorian frontier from Anthalon and his Crimson Army.
Now, the best warriors from Erenor are being sent by their respective kingdoms to join the Watch in all-out war against Anthalon’s undead hordes. Together – in the Secrets of Ayanad game update – you will join their cause, travel to new lands, craft powerful Obsidian Weapons, and help reclaim the Ayanad Library once and for all.
Land of Sea and Glass
Diamond Shores is a new mid-sized zone located in west-central Auroria. Its southern coastline provides access to the Aurorian Gulf and Arcadian Sea. The zone is a unique landscape and is slightly smaller in size than the other six Aurorian territories. A large portion of the region has been swallowed by the sea.
The western steppes of Diamond Shores are a perfect spot for travelers to establish a new place of residence. Land here is some of the most valuable in the north because no local lord rules over it. This means the tax rates for player houses in Diamond Shores are influenced only by the amount of plots a player owns.
Getting There
When Diamond Shores becomes available for exploration, players can reach the zone by Sea or by travelling through a Red World Gate located in main cities.
Travelers arrive on an island in the center of the zone that serves as a base camp for both Easterners and Westerners. It contains some comforts of the south that have not yet been encountered in Auroria including Seed, Sapling, and Livestock Vendors along with crafting facilities. Daily quests have been added to aid adventurers in their journey to reach level 55.
The southern part of the central island has a prominent fish hook where players can exchange their spoils of the sea for gold or wall decorations, and the Ayanad Library – though still shrouded in mystery – serves as a focal point of the entire zone.
Contested Shores
With the introduction of Diamond Shores, many denizens of Auroria will be transformed. Creatures in Sungold Fields, Exeloch and several other zones will undergo a level increase to level 51-53 and will also share some item drops with creatures from Diamond Shores. The intent of this design is to supply players with additional content to support their leveling efforts. These creatures will also begin to drop Obsidian Weapon components and that will be covered in a forthcoming spotlight.
The North American and European versions of Diamond Shores will be launched as a contested Aurorian area. This means PvP combat will be enabled throughout the zone. The goal of this change is to ensure that Diamond Shores falls in line with the other Aurorian zones and that open-world PvP is encouraged and supported. It’s our intent to keep the area immediately surrounding the Library’s zone-in point a safe zone to ensure players can enter the zone normally and can form groups without PvP similarly to how the other dungeons work. Another main reason we enabled PvP is to ensure that Diamond Shores doesn’t become the best, universal turn-in for fish – it’s important that players continue to travel to Freedich Island and the southern turn-in spots to spread fishing activities out across the Arcadian Sea.
Merv “Khrolan” Lee Kwai
ArcheAge Producer
ArcheAge Producer
ArcheAge NA Game Update: 2/6/15 at 8:00 AM PST (GMT-8)
