It’s been a while since we posted an update on the release of Sunfire and Moonshadow, and given our previous announcement in May on aiming to release the expansion in Q3 2023, it’s only fair that we share a project update.

In the last few months, the whole team has been hard at work to set up and fill the huge new region we picked for our upcoming DLC that slowly grew into an Expansion. It’s been a daunting task given the size of the Bronze Desert and our goal to keep the standards we set in the main game regarding engaging storytelling and activities. We wanted to pick a region that was not tied up by existing in-world historical events too much, so we can be more free of those constraints when designing new storylines but that freedom also meant that there were more things to expand upon and work out the finer details of – locations, NPCs, dynamics, and storylines. Overall, it has taken a lot longer to create all the content we set out to but we are finally getting there.

The Forest of Shadows is a vast expanse of tangled trees that extends across the western side of the Penumbral Plains, covering the feet of the abandoned mountain range that rises high and stands mighty over the benighted lands. Many theorize that this woodland and the Dead Forest were once united; a tale the proof of which is lost to the annals of time. Old stories circulate about the Forest of Shadows enduring the wrath of the Calamity and its fallout, only to succumb to the enigmatic arachnids that now plague its shadowy expanse. The creatures killed everything there and built their nest in the forest, covering it with their webs so thickly that not even light itself could penetrate them.

This week we’re excited to share one of the expansion’s most intriguing locales: the Fadhuldak Mountains. Part of the forlorn Brown Mountains spanning the western border of the Bronze Desert, the peaks, valleys, and ranges that make up these mountains are home to beastly denizens mostly, although allegedly there are some wayward people prowling these lands, too.

It’s not every week we have a chance to share something many might find out of place in the Riven Realms, but today is one such day. On that note, let’s cut right to the chase: we’re here to show you a beautiful jungle from one of our newest artists, and boy, we’re pretty stoked about it.

A beautiful place to go bird watching or have a nice picnic with your comes! Perhaps you could pick some berries, relax in the shade, or make friends with the wildlife. Or, it could be that beneath the veneer of colorful lushness lurks something darker, deep in the recesses of the thicket. As always, you shall have to find out for yourself; all in good time, naturally.

Wazirhai, an oasis deep in the Bronze Desert, has been neglected and overlooked for a long time – until the Ratharnak Alliance has boldly purchased its exploitation rights. Soon, a fortified encampment was set up so that the agents of the Trading House could easily access the oil reserves under the lakes only to find that no such pockets existed. Slightly disheartened, the Ratharnak decided to stay nevertheless and build up a different sort of operation in this land so far from their beloved Dragonlands.

This week we’re here to bring you another teaser from our upcoming Sunfire and Moonshadow expansion, and this time it is something all but unheard of in the Riven Realms – a settlement virtually saturated with sylvan hues and replete with lush and lively flora and fauna. Revered by many for its serene lakes and verdant life, the oasis of Shahsgabat is a place of wonder and beauty in the otherwise arid wasteland of the northwest.

With our expansion Sunfire and Moonshadow looming ever closer on the horizon, we decided to talk a bit about the most valuable treasure the expansion region has to offer: oil. Yes, indeed. Ever wondered where denizens of the Riven Realms get their precious oil? This week's teaser showcases one of the prime locations where they are found: throughout the Bronze Desert.

As we inch closer and closer to the release of our upcoming expansion, teaser season is now in full swing. This week we have one of our favorite locations from the Bronze Desert on display: Phlegetos Bridge. You will also notice that night has fallen, and that two of Xeryn’s moons are out in full force.

As for the location itself, it’s certainly a doozy: under the direct purview of the Legate, Phlegetos Bridge is a staging ground for the Chimera Legion, and it is famous for its local tavern – a seedy hovel located below the Bridge itself where legionnaires, mercenaries, merchants, and all manner of gamblers congregate.

This week’s post continues in the vein of teasers; we’re very excited to reveal just the right amount of information. Thus, we present to you a place you will be able to visit, one brimming with dread and decrepitude: the Dead Forest. Shrouded in perpetual darkness with a smattering of blackened, lifeless trees, the Dead Forest offers little save an eerie death to those unfortunate enough to discover its curse firsthand. That, however, does little to stop many an adventurer or vagrus from exploring its tenebrous glades – there is profit to be made here, and those in the service of the Empire or the Dragonlands are Tartaris-bent on pursuing it. As for what the place looks like? See it for yourself above.

This week's post is little more than a shameless teaser! Why? we hear you ask – well, we are slowly drawing closer and closer to the release of our upcoming expansion, and naturally, we’re eager to show off as much of its art as we can without giving too much away. So, without further ado, we present the bridge over River Umbra, now broken after having fallen into disrepair.