Mist, Meddlers, and the Weight of Old Relics
Dated: 21 January 2026
Greetings, Dear Listeners,
Sharpen your wits and mind your pockets—the realm has been busy while you weren’t looking. Old faces have wandered back in, strange things have been seen skittering across the map, and the mists themselves seem to have missed a memo about staying put.
As always, the Quill has been peeking behind curtains, eavesdropping near campfires, and jotting things down that were probably meant to stay unrecorded.
Onward, then, to the latest happenings, half-truths, and entirely preventable surprises.
In the Resident Community
Dorcish surfaced once more on the 14th of January, briefly reminding the realm that some names never truly fade. Almost immediately, a DEV quipped that he had returned to his “old job,” of “permabanning 65 Dorcish accounts per day.”
Will Dorcish return again? Almost certainly.
Will he remain? History suggests otherwise.
Some figures pass through Illyriad like comets—bright, disruptive, and gone before anyone can quite decide what they meant.
World Map Watch
Sharp-eyed scouts reported fast-moving melders streaking across the world map this month, coming from the Heart of Corruption, herself. This set tongues wagging and eyebrows raising. GM Stormcrow has since confirmed these sightings were tied to internal testing.
Will these unusually swift forces return to the live map at a later date?
Unconfirmed.
But Illyriad has never been a realm where tests vanish without leaving fingerprints.
The Misted Lands Stir
On 1/18/26, at the rise of the new moon, the mists finally lifted. Lands long hidden revealed 14 jagged peaks, now occupied by stationed troops staking claims in silence and steel.
Questers have moved swiftly—coordination efforts are already underway across both the forum and Discord, mapping who stands where and watching for what may come next.
- Forum discussion: https://forum.illyriad.co.uk/audrey-november-2025_topic11241_page7.html
- Discord coordination: https://discord.gg/Uxt2NfAZ
The mist may be gone, but the tension it concealed has only begun to surface.
Audrey Quest Update – Heart of Corruption
I can now confirm that the DEVS are actively updating the four pieces of racial gear tied to the Heart of Corruption (HoC) quest.
Why now? Because questers are closing in on completion.
Rather than wait, the DEVS have opted to fast-track revisions to the weapons and armor granted upon completion. Final edits are currently underway, with the explicit goal of ensuring that all four items are:
- Roughly equal in difficulty to produce
- Comparable in usefulness, buffs, and long-term impact
These finalized changes will be announced in the forums before the quest concludes, giving players a clear view of what awaits at the end of this long road.
A Bit of History (and Why Balance Matters)
For context: the HoC quest predates Elite divisions, having appeared around June 13, 2011. Elites themselves were merely a suggestion as early as June 28, 2010, and weren’t formally announced until a Steam news update on September 23, 2012.
This timing explains curiosities like the Elven Spirit Bow’s +120% racial bonus. It was designed before elites existed, when no one was calculating how such buffs might compound in an elite-heavy meta.
It is speculation, but a reasonable one:
Elves and dwarves were historically less-played races, which may explain why their gear appeared stronger—or easier to craft—in Illyriad’s earlier days.
Fast-forward to now, and with years of power creep and gold inflation, the DEVS have acknowledged the obvious: balance must be revisited.
Old relics, once niche, now shape wars.
Closing Thoughts
Between resurfacing names, shifting mists, silent tests, and long-awaited rebalancing, the realm feels restless—like a board mid-game, just before a decisive move.
Watch the peaks.
Read the patch notes carefully.
And remember: in Illyriad, even ancient quests can still rewrite the future.
Until next time; mind what you say. Someone is always writing it down,
— The IllyQuill 🪶
The Quilly 