Published by: The Santae Team
Vespera's Orb Search Continues
After a harrowing night of camping -- and a strange encounter with shadowy Minimals -- Vespera and River were ready to stop by somewhere more civilized to rest, resupply, and continue the hunt for the orbs. Taking flight again, they left the spooky forest far behind. They soared far across Santae, finally alighting in the sun-drenched sands of Mirage Haven to resupply.
"It's a pleasure to see you, Vespera!" Melina greeted the adventurer warmly as Vespera approached the Mirage Grove Vegetables stand. "What brings you all the way out here?"
Vespera answered as she perused the stand, picking out some fresh vegetables to pack up as provisions for the rest of her journey. "The usual," she said with a smile. "River and I are working with a Scholar in Halo Haven to track down some ancient artifacts. There's always something new to discover out there!"
The two women continued chatting amiably as Vespera finished picking out her purchases. Eventually, Vespera passed over a pouch of sanPoints in exchange for a substantial stack of supplies.
"Wait, Vespera!" Melina called out as Vespera was finishing up packing her purchases away. The shopkeeper rooted around in a basket of carrots and parsnips for a moment before withdrawing something round and golden.
Melina slipped the object into Vespera's hand with a wink. "Here, a little extra for you -- since you're such a good customer."
Vespera looked down at her hand in astonishment. The object was sparkling with unmistakable magic -- it was a Quenaris Orb!
"Melina -- where did you find this? It's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for!" Vespera asked.
"I thought it might be, when you got to talking about ancient artifacts," Melina replied. "It just turned up in the Grove one day, and I figured I'd know when the time was right to pass it along to somebody else. I've heard rumors that a lot of shopkeepers are finding strange things like that in their shops recently!"
"Thank you so much," Vespera said, carefully stowing the Orb away.
"With this, we've finally discovered nearly all of the Quenaris Orbs. I should go show Orion -- together, we can make a plan to find the last one!"
The newest Quenaris Orb can be discovered while making purchases at any NPC shop!
Orion's Discoveries
Vespera went to find Orion in the library as soon as she returned to Halo Haven.
"Welcome back," Scholar Orion greeted her. "I've been busy while you've been gone. And it looks like you have been, too," he remarked, eyes locking on to the golden Quenaris Orb Vespera pulled from her pack.
"Yes," Vespera replied. "This is the eleventh one. Only one more to go, and then we'll finally be able to see what Ascendants Shrine is for!"
"About that..." Scholar Orion shuffled some papers around on his desk, carefully arranging two worn sheets of parchment next to each other. "I believe I've found yet another clue. Look at this illustration -- these two fragments fit together perfectly!"
Vespera leaned over to look.
"Those look like the Quenaris Orbs!" Vespera gasped, pointing at the left-hand side. "And that..." she peered at the right side. "That's the legendary Quenaris itself, isn't it?"
"Yes," Orion replied with a nod. "I believe so. And the most interesting piece is in the center," he indicated the central illustration with a sweep of his hand. "Where the Orbs and the Quenaris meet, there is an island!"
"What could that mean?" Vespera wondered aloud. "The sky islands of Halo Haven have all been thoroughly explored, and certainly no Quenaris has been found here in living memory."
"Hard to say," Scholar Orion replied. "But I'm confident that, when we discover the final Orb, all will become clear."
Vespera nodded. She could feel a sense of burgeoning excitement in the air. They were so close!
Orion smiled, seeing that Vespera was already eager to get moving again. She truly couldn't stay in one place for long! "I can see you're ready to return to exploring," Scholar Orion said, "but wait a little longer if you can. I have one more thing to show you, and I think you'd find it useful to take with you and share."
New Backgrounds Bring You To Sunny Skies And Foggy Forests
Two beautiful new backgrounds are now available to help you customize your HA exactly the way you like! Take to the skies and soar among sparkling clouds, or creep through the luminous mist of an ancient forest -- the choice is yours.
Is one of these backgrounds the perfect complement for your HA's newest outfit? Get your hands on the Shining Clouds and Essence of the Forest at Seeker of Knowledge and Shadow Alchemy today!
Book Art Refreshment
The Book Emporium shelves just got brighter! Eight beloved books across Santae have had their cover art refreshed, bringing vibrant new visuals to these timeless tales.
QoL Update
NPC purchase pop-up box's have received an update, they are now less intrusive on the purchase/fail responses.
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