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EverQuest players love the Legends of Norrath: Oathbreaker cards that change the look of their weapons into weird and unique styles -- like the ornament at the right that takes any one-handed slashing weapon, and turns it into the fiery blade carried by creatures in Riftseeker's Sanctum. But the players have not loved so much the fact that the ornament takes up a valuable augmentation slot, which often means the weapon must be drastically reduced in power, just to look cool.

Since that's a trade-off few people really want to make, they've added ornamentations into the game. Ornamentations are single-use containers that take the weapon and permanently change the look of the weapon, but do not grant the weapon any of the stats or procs of the ornament. However, all the augmentation slots remain usable. Magus Alaria in the Guild Lobby will, starting Wednesday, July 9th, sell players a mutation device, for a small fee, that will turn an ornament into an ornamentation. We have a feeling she is going to be pretty busy that week.

EverQuest and EverQuest II are getting the lion's share of the attention in SOE's Living Legacy promotion. But they are reserving something special for their massively collectible card game, Legends of Norrath. Win the Living Legacy Photo Contest, and not only will you get your picture painted, in character by artist Kieran Yanner for use on a Legends of Norrath card, but you'll be flown to the SOE Fan Faire this August. If you're an EverQuest player, your image will be made into a statue and placed into the guild halls of every guild in Norrath. If you are an EverQuest II player, your card will be made into a painting that can be hung in a place of honor in your apartment. All you need to do is to send them a picture that shows your passion for EverQuest. Find the complete rules on the Legends of Norrath web site. And good luck!

What's this gab we're hearing about Legends of Norrath, it isn't all about the loot cards? Heresy! We're still buying up those virtual packs in hopes to score a rare loot card. Nevertheless, over on IGN's EQ2 Vault we came across this interview with Chuck Kallenbach, Game Designer on Legends of Norrath. Much is discussed gameplay wise about the insight behind the new Monk class, one that doesn't use weapons. One other topic covered includes the conundrum on scaling the game's complexity with new gameplay mechanics with the importance to not veer away from the game's intuitiveness and accessibility.

The Oathbreaker set is the latest expansion introduced last week from Sony Online Entertainment. It brings 250 new cards, fresh gameplay mechanics, a new challenging raid scenario, and the following classes: Monk, Coercer, Templar and Beastlord. Many classes from EverQuest and EverQuest II are now represented in the game. If you are interested learning how to play Legends of Norrath but don't want to dump a bunch of cash you can download the client and play through the tutorials and it won't cost a you a dime.

Last week we brought you an exclusive spoiler of the loot cards for the newest Legends of Norrath expansion, Oathbreaker. As of today, Sony Online Entertainment has released the Oathbreaker set, letting those great mounts and fobs loose in the world of Norrath. The expansion comes with a number of great additions beyond just the loot cards, of course. Oathbreaker players will get to try out ten new single-player scenarios, the new Chel'drak raid, and brand new gameplay mechanics like the 'Charge' keyword. Avatars can now be made with the Froglok race, as can the pale-skinned Erudite spellcasting race.

One of the tricks LoN players have been using since the game launched involves examining the strategies implied by the starter decks. Oathbreaker features four, and they all incorporate the newest cards and mechanics in a neat little package - well worth checking out. The full announcement for the release is below the cut, there's a brand-new tourney going on this weekend to celebrate the expansion's launch, and you can also check out our galleries of loot cards and card art below.

The Oathbreaker set will be added to the growing Legends of Norrath library this weekend, and the EQ2Players website has announced that a special tournament will take place to celebrate the release. The format is sealed-deck, and participants will receive an Oathbreaker starter deck and three booster packs with which to create their arsenal for the tournament.

Shelling out the 20 Entry Pass fee will not only get you all those Oathbreaker packs -- you'll also receive this fiery fellow, the Phoenix Firesurger, which is an exclusive promotional card. Then, depending on how you place in the tournament, you'll get even more booster packs. This digital-dueling extravaganza will commence at 5PM PDT on the 20th of June -- get the full details at the LoN Events Calendar. Also, be sure to see our coverage of all the loot cards that this new set will open up this weekend.

	EverQuest II GU46 -- The Void Invasion In EverQuest II's Game Update 46, you will be tasked with uncovering the mystery of the Void Storms, and freeing the native creatures of Norrath from their baleful influence. Your dedication will not go unrewarded; full sets of appearance armor (and one set of ... non-appearance armor) are yours for your hard work.
	Exclusive images of the new Legends of Norrath: Oathbreaker loot cards Today we have for you a great big spoiler. Every pack of cards has a chance to drop one of the rare loot cards into your account. We've got every single one of those cards from the Oathbreaker set laid out for you in a gallery below.
	Exclusive interview with AoC Senior Dialog Writer Aaron Dembski-Bowden The credit for a bewilderingly vast amount of this material goes to Aaron Dembski-Bowden, a young British writer already known for his work in the tabletop roleplaying field. We tracked him down and managed to secure an interview.
	Are female characters really penalized in Age of Conan? The bombshell comes on page 7, where the reviewer states outright that '... Age of Conan's weapon swing time depends on the duration of the visual swing animation, and female characters swing their weapons about 25% slower than males - so every female melee character does 25% less damage over time!'
	MMOGology: There's no place like Azeroth It seems like World of Warcraft operates as many gamers' home base. They might leave for a while to try out a new MMOG when they inevitably burn out on WoW; but most eventually gravitate back. The return might be in anticipation of an expansion, it might be that the gamer misses his guildies, or maybe it's the old, comfortable game mechanics.

A week from today the next set of cards for Sony Online Entertainment's Legends of Norrath TCG will be released. Digital packs of cards will be noisily slotted into virtual racks, to be pawed over by players ... metaphorically. Aside from the obvious addition of some 250 new cards, the Oathbreaker set adds a number of new gameplay mechanics - new raids, the new "charge" keyword, and the Monk, Coercer, Templar and Beastlord classes.

Today we have for you a great big spoiler. Every pack of cards has a chance to drop one of the rare loot cards into your account. We've got every single one of those cards from the Oathbreaker set laid out for you in a gallery below. From the Drogan Distraction goblin illusion to the mysterious "Tarn's Ring of Ambition", the images and what they do is all laid out below.

If Oathbreaker is of interest to you, stick around to check out our interview with the developers behind the Legends of Norrath game.

The next set of Legends of Norrath cards is slated to release just next week. Oathbreaker will be the final set in the 'first block' or 'year one' of the SOE-Denver production. To get some information on Oathbreaker, new raids, and future plans, we sat down to talk with Kyle Heuer, Associate Producer for the game, and Tom Lischke, Producer at the Sony Online Entertainment studio in Denver.

Join us as we talk about raid play, tournaments, some exciting plans for integrating Legends of Norrath with EverQuest and EverQuest 2, and a few hopeful words about the future of loot mounts for EQ2 players. Also make sure to head over to our exclusive gallery of Oathbreaker loot cards!

Sony Online Entertainment sent over word that art selections from their online trading card game Legends of Norrath have been selected to appear in a unique publication. The EXPOSÉ series of art books is well-known for highlighting some of the best commercial and digital art created in the past year. EXPOSÉ 6 is heading to store shelves soon, and some of the work SOE artists have done on the TCG passed muster in front of a panel of professional artists.

Pieces selected for the book include the gnarly looking Gnoll Shaman (above), as well as a depiction of EverQuest lore giant Mayong Mistmoore.Check out the gallery of included art pieces below, or read below the cut for the full press release.

As per usual the entry fee is 10 event passes, and tournament play is limited to U.S. residents. Each participant will receive three Legends of Norrath booster packs, a Vahlai Ka'izal, Hateful Schemer promotional card and his or her choice of either an EverQuest Familiar of Severilous or EverQuest II Flaming Skull loot card. The top 25 finishers in each event also win extra booster packs.

If you are interested in LoN but don't want to dump a bunch of cash you can download the client and learn to play for free.

Sony Online Entertainment sent over word that the fourth set of Legends of Norrath cards are in development, and are slated to be released on the 19th of June. Oathbreaker will complete the ongoing storyline begun by Oathbound, continued by Forsworn, and brought into focus by Inquisitor. The new set is going to be the last released into the gameworld before the $100,000 World Championship event in August. Oathbreaker will include another 250 cards, four new starter sets, and (of course) brand-new loot cards.

Other features include new free-to-play features, new scenarios for single-player gaming, the Monk, Coercer, Templar and Beastlord classes, and even a new raid encounter. Chel'drak the dragon turtle sounds like a fitting followup to Chardok, the current raid event in-game. We'll have more details on Oathbreaker as they become available. In the meantime, you can check out our gallery of Oathbreaker's art or read on below the cut for the official press release.

At the ION '08 conference keynote, John Smedley hinted at another entry in SOE's long-running EverQuest franchise. Since EverQuest's 1999 release, the venerable fantasy game has been seen in such places as game consoles (EQ Online Adventures for the PS2), PDAs (The Pocket EverQuest trilogy for the Pocket PC), Real Time Strategy (Lords of EverQuest for the PC), online collectible card games (Legends of Norrath) and even versions for cell phones (EverQuest: Hero's Call). What could possibly be next for EverQuest?

EverQuest on the PC has already split itself between the original game and its sequel, EverQuest II. Releasing a sequel to a still-viable game was a gutsy move, but it fragmented the player base substantially, to the point where neither game, by itself, can challenge newer games such as Lord of the Rings Online. It's this blogger's opinion that SOE won't make that mistake again -- any EverQuest 3 would not be for the PC. It's not a huge leap of faith to assume that the next version of EQ would run on the PlayStation 3. SOE recently shifted from Sony Pictures to Sony Computer Entertainment America, makers of the PS3 and publishers of its first-party software. Beyond that, when Smedley mentioned to the Seattle Times that the PS3 would be a strong platform for MMOs, he certainly very likely had this game (and others we don't know about) in mind.

SOE has made some mistakes with EverQuest through the years, but has also had some huge successes and innovations. If you were an EQ3 designer, and all you had in front of you was a PS3 and a blank whiteboard, what features would you include to knock the socks off the players? Customizable quests and raids? A Steampunk theme? Faster, twitch-based gameplay? The ability to make your own cities? How would you make EQ a worthy competitor to today's great crop of MMOs?

The full details for the Legends of Norrath May Championship Qualifier have been spilled at EQ2Players. While there are regular tournaments for LoN all the time, these championship qualifiers are the ones you really want to win -- tasty cash prizes, and of course a place in the championship at Gen Con Indy, are up for grabs for those that can prove their skill.

The event will begin at 10:00AM PDT on Saturday the 17th, and spans both days of the weekend. This tournament doesn't have an entry fee, but you must be a U.S. resident to be eligible. The eventual winners of the championship at Gen Con will be showered with riches, so if you fancy your chances, it would be worth getting involved on Saturday and Sunday. More information on the prizes and tournament structure can be found after the break.

The yearly gaming convention Gen Con is a fantasy world unto itself. A 'home away from home' for tabletop RPG players, board gamers, and miniatures fanatics, the Indianapolis-based event attracts thousands of nerdfolk from across the country. It's also a mecca for card gamers, and has traditionally been one of the crowning moments in the yearly tour circuits. The World of Warcraft TCG has its National Championship slated for that weekend, and Magic the Gathering traditionally offers huge winnings to Gen Con attendees.

Sony Online Enterainment continues its serious support for the Legends of Norrath online TCG by announcing a $100,000 prize purse for the winners of their own Gen Con event. Championship qualifiers have been held regularly for the last few months, and there are still three chances to make it into the big show. Even if you don't make it in via the online events, players at the show will still be able to qualify by participating in duels on the Thursday and Friday of convention week. The top individual prize to the first place winner is $25,000. Attendees will also get the chance to play against the new Ralkor Bloodmoon raid deck. Groups that win against their evil opponent are promised 'phat lewt'. Make sure to give him one for us if you make it out there.