20th Anniversary Event

20th Anniversary Global Event Arc

The Shattered Obelisk was scheduled to begin on August 16th, 2017 at approximately 11:00am ET. Due to a shard crash issue with Publish 98, the start was delayed to August 17th, 2017.

On 8/17/2017, just after 3 PM EST, the new flaming trade quest ambushes were deactivated due to a bug. They were turned back on on 8/18/2017 after server maintenance for all shards except Oceania. Oceania will be turned back on after server maintenance on 8/19/2017.

Non-Storyline Changes

The Town Cryer

The Town Cryer has been resurrected to publish new fiction for the first time since 2000. Issues are now released using a in-game item that looks like a newspaper, rather than being posted out-of-game to uo.com.

UO Store

Three new Haochi's Pigments have been spotted in the UO Store: (8/16/2017)

• Celtic Lime
• Minocian Fire
• Yewish Pine

Storyline

Part I – The Not-So-Ordinary World (started August 16th, 2017)

"It is just another day in Britannia, or is it? In an effort to stimulate trade and bolster city treasuries his Royal Highness has announced a reduction in tariffs, giving a large bonus to all city trade deliveries. With an increase in trade traffic, royal trade carts are finding themselves ambushed on Britannia’s roads. Who are these unknown attackers and what is their intent? Are they merely highway men looking to score some easy coin or are there more sinister forces at work…"

Official fiction

2017-08-10: The Shattered Obelisk: The Oracle and the Bard

2017-08-16: The Shattered Obelisk: Enlightenment

2017-08-21: The Shattered Obelisk: Hickory Dickory Dock

The Town Cryer

2017-08-17: Feeling Pressure, Crown Announces Tariff Reduction to Spur Trade

Trade Quests

A proclamation from King Blackthorn has encouraged citizens to fill trade quests. However, trade quests are currently being ambushed.

'Curious' Items

New 'curious' items come as rare drops from doing trade quests:

Item	Skill required	Description
A Daemonic Amulet	Magery	The amulet bears a large pentagram hanging from a series of interlocking beads. Small bits of daemon flesh grind between the links as you manipulate them.
A Mysterious Rolled Map	Cartography	The map shows the location of several locations throughout Britannia, but none seem to stand out as noteworthy.
An Oddly Modified Gorget	Blacksmithing	The gorget appears to have been modified to fit the neck of a large creature. There are chafe marks scarring the interior showing signs of struggle against it by the wearer. Large rings stud the circumference of the gorget.
A Soul Trapped Within A Phylactery	Necromancy	A tool used by those wishing to entrap the souls of the undead and command them to do their bidding.
Boline	Swordsmanship	The crescent blade is crude but you surmise is formidable for performing intricate engraving work. The tip is stained with the shavings of wax and soft metal.
Dried Incense	Alchemy	The strong smell of sage and deadwood emanates from the bundle.
Folded Stole	Tailoring	Often used during official ceremonies and ritual this long flowing vestment is worn draped over the neck and is embroidered with pentagrams at either end.
Goblet	Tinkering	The goblet is relatively unassuming. The interior of the pewter cup is stained a deep ruby. An etching of a pentagram decorates the base.
Pentagram Adorned Wand	Arms Lore	The wand is pretty standard among other wands you may have seen. The twin shaft is made of cedar and is crested with an intricate pentagram made of etched rock, inlaid with blueish crystals.
Ritual Tome	Spirit Speak	The large tome is adorned with a pentagram, not uncommon to many arcane items found throughout Britannia. There appear to be pages upon pages of ritualistic instructions and incantations, none of which are in a familiar language.
Scourge	Provocation	Not unlike tools used to provoke a response from an intended victim, this whip is studded with beads of hard rock. The leather is stained deep red from repeated self use.

Unusually-hued items

Some unusually hued normal items have also been spotted as loot on brigand ambushers:

Bear Mask (hue 2683)

Cloak (hue 1150)

Cloak (hue 2406)

Cloth Ninja Hood (hue 2406)

Gnarled Staff (hue 1345)

Hatchet (hue 1345)

Hooded Robe (hue 1345)

Kamishimo (hue 1745)

Kilt (hue 1208)

Kilt (hue 1227)

Kilt (hue 1616)

Kilt (hue 1802)

Kilt (hue 1883)

Leather Gloves (hue 1345)

Leather Mempo (hue 1345)

Leather Ninja Hood (hue 1748)

Leather Sleeves (hue 1345)

Plain Dress (hue 2404)

Ringmail Tunic (hue 1510)

Robe (hue 1345)

Robe (hue 2306)

Shirt (hue 1201)

Shirt (hue 1224)

Shirt (hue 1324)

Shirt (hue 1416)

Shirt (hue 1427)

Shirt (hue 1512)

Shirt (hue 1520)

Shirt (hue 1536)

Shirt (hue 1540)

Shirt (hue 1547)

Shirt (hue 1637)

Shirt (hue 1650)

Shirt (hue 1708)

Shirt (hue 1714)

Shirt (hue 1723)

Shirt (hue 1729)

Shirt (hue 1731)

Shirt (hue 1746)

Shirt (hue 1747)

Shirt (hue 1809)

Shirt (hue 1824)

Shirt (hue 1884)

Short Pants (hue 1202)

Short Pants (hue 1310)

Short Pants (hue 1314)

Short Pants (hue 1525)

Short Pants (hue 1634)

Short Pants (hue 1710)

Short Pants (hue 1886)

Skirt (hue 1405)

Skirt (hue 1431)

Skirt (hue 1635)

Skullcap (hue 2406)

Other colors of clothing have been found, but this listing excludes any dyable colors.

Part II – Exotic Treasures

This part started on August 23, 2017.

The treasuries of Britannia’s cities overflow with coin as brave citizens take to protecting the commerce of the realm, hoping to recover otherwise useless trinkets of unknown highwaymen. Clues from those trinkets have raised more questions then they have answered. As the questions continue to mount, exotic treasures are found buried deep in the otherwise quiet Britannian countryside…to what end are these treasures important and what role do they play – only time will tell…

Official fiction

2017-08-23: The Shattered Obelisk: Talking Through Wisps

The Town Cryer

2017-08-23: Classifieds: Yearning for Adventure? HUGE Treasure Map Sale!

New Treasure Maps

To start this week's content, the Town Cryer's advertisement sends you to Needful Things in Jhelom, northeast of the central teleporters. There you meet an NPC named Al the Treasure Hunter:

Al the Treasure Hunter: Greetings Traveler! Is it fine provisions you seek? Then look no further!

Player: I saw your ad, can I buy some maps?

Al the Treasure Hunter: You and everyone else! Ever since running that ad we haven't been able to keep anything in stock, treasure maps especially! Look friend, don't take this the wrong way but you wouldn't want to get involved in treasure hunting. Dangerous business you know.

Player: I think I can handle it. I've got coin!

Al the Treasure Hunter: The coin is nay the problem! I merely do not have any more maps to sell!

Player: Perhaps I could find them for myself?

Al the Treasure Hunter: I suppose there is no harm in telling you...you will probably end up getting yourself eaten by something and my associates and I will scavenge that fancy gear of yours *chuckles*

Player: *eyes narrow* The location?

Al the Treasure Hunter: *nervous laugh* Fine, fine! Us Treasure Hunters get together every so often, and recently we have been coming across some strange stuff buried out there. Normally we find pirate treasure or the hidden stash of some highway bandits, but recently...I dunno. Instead of rusty chests there have been these...objects. I really dunno how to describe them. Kinda like a statue with weird carvings...and the flashes and thunder, really bizarre. Treasure's all there though, same creatures still protecting them, just now we been finding these statue things from maps recovered from Hythloth, Deceit, and Destard. Good luck getting your hands on one though!

Player: *nods* I'll have a look, farewell!

Al the Treasure Hunter: Well met, *mumbles* can't wait to come across your corpse in...I mean good luck with everything and thanks for stopping in!

The new treasure maps can be recovered from corpses while hunting in Hythloth, Deceit, and Destard. They can be traded between characters, and must be decoded by a character with Cartography skill. When decoded and opened, these maps will have an additional tag, "Recovered in Dungeon (dungeon name)", with the description "The map appears unlike other treasure maps common to this area. The map is much newer and includes detailed notations related to the treasure hoarde's proximity to major trade routes."

At the location given by the treasure map, you will find "A Mysterious Obelisk".

The top of the obelisk must be destroyed before the treasure can be unlocked. To unlock, use either Lockpicking or the spell Unlock on the top of the obelisk, not the base (the "Obelisk Tip" part).

New items found in the treasure obelisks

Scrolls

• Grand Peace
• Intervention
• Summon Perihelion

Reagents

• Black Candle
• Executioner's Cap
• Obsidian
• Pumice (note, this is identical to the old rare Pumice)

References

<references>