January Newsletter from Iron Realms Entertainment

A new year brings change, and this one was no exception with the appointment of Jeremy Saunders as the new President of Iron Realms Entertainment! He has worked with Matt Mihaly, IRE's founder and CEO, for the past several years on the various Iron Realms. Many of you may remember him first as a player on Achaea, then as the god Sartan before developing Imperian as Avasyu.

Credit Bonus
Don't forget, the 25% Credit Bonus ends in one week on January 21st. It you want to take advantage of the bonus, be sure to get your credits right away.

Lusternia
In Lusternia, the Ninjakari Guild officially opened in the City of Magnagora! This is the third guild based on the monk archetype, with a special martial arts specialization based on the whip-chain weapon. Also, the Ninjakari Guild is the first guild to receive the skill choice of Stealth, enabling a monk to sneak onto rooftops, assume identities of others, and other skills useful to spymasters. In further news, the Soulless God known as Great Muud almost broke free, causing a sickness to infect mortals and gods alike. Though he was defeated by the mortal populace, the Nine Seals imprisoning the Soulless Gods were weakened. Thus, Ascension Event 2008 has begun, wherein one mortal shall rise to be a True Ascendant. Be sure you are around from now through February to participate in and witness this historic event!

Aetolia
The Celesmas season continued throughout the month of December with an incredibly popular credit sale that brought smiles to the faces of all the little girls and boys. Hunting parties across Sapience found a new goal in life as the capacity for achievement was expanded beyond the fabled 100th level, allowing a nearly unlimited tier of advancement. Several Gods long in their dormancy have recently begun making their way back into the lives of Aetolia mortals, and their influence has brought great changes to the landscape, both political and geographical.

Imperian
A busy month in Imperian, chiefly the return of Ironbead, distributing random gifts to many lucky people! Unfortunately, rogue imps stole many of his presents. Ironbead generously allowed those who snatched them back to keep the various items inside! Also of note was the discovery of the garden of Uilaeri, the demenses of lonely Kohdon named Astanjii, a dedicated lover of nature, who welcomed those that discovered her with tea and a number of ancient traditions. For the more creative, a great contest writing and art contest is underway, dedicated to the subject of family, with the winners to be awarded much sought-after bloodlines.

Achaea
Achaea's twice-yearly City vs City Capture-the-Flag was held in December, and the city-state of Ashtan emerged triumphant, wresting the Effigy of Victory from the winner of the last CTF, Cyrene. Explorers discovered yet another island in the oceans far southwest of Sapience: the island of Tuar, inhabited by a tribe of lamarians and the bizarre, cave-dwelling Nelbennir race. Many code updates were implemented, including extensive adjustments of our damage-dealing formulas at both extreme ends to mitigate the effects of stacked bonuses.

As we begin the new year, Achaeans can soon expect comprehensive updates to our PK rules system, further classlead updates, the addition of the Seafaring skill, and a dynamic tutorial system for newbies following the Trial of Rebirth. Thank you for joining us for yet another exciting year in Achaea!

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