The Tainted Brew
WHEN: August 2023 - December 2023
The Tainted Brew takes place nearly a decade after Nate the Prophet almost destroyed mankind with his mind-controlling mead. Nate was a boy from Vesper with an unhealthy obsession with bees and beekeeping.
Refresh your memory, or learn UOSA's rich history in an old event called Dark Secrets. This historic value of the original event will help you during The Tainted Brew.
What is Honeymead?
Honeymead is a special quest item that will drop on monsters or spawn in chests in the current storyline locations and events.
In December, you’ll be able to trade in Honeymead for special items. Any leftover Honeymead will be deleted (with fair notice), so please be sure to spend it before the deadline.
The rewards and deadlines will be announced a bit later in the event series.
How The Event/Storyline Works
The more people discover and share in Discord, the further the story will advance. In some steps, players will be rewarded for advancing the story with a special item they might uncover in their search for knowledge. Occasionally, NPCs will offer quests that will require you to take certain actions to earn a reward.
CHAPTERS
1. Raiders at Ocllo
2. Seized at Customs
3. The House of Bath
4. The Old Mead Warehouse of Nujel'm
5. Smuggler Activity
6. The Beekeeper’s Society of Vesper
7. Heftimus’s Passage
8. The Raider’s Mining Camp
9. The Invasion of Serpent’s Hold
10. Rumors from the Bulletin Board (Discord)
11. Raiders at the Orc Fort!
12. A Trip to the Palace
13. In Defense of Nujel'm
14. Isle of Fire
15. End the Raid
16. Orcish Mercenary
17. An Attack on Magincia
18. Rumors of a Lost Tavern in Hythloth
19. The Honey Meadery of Hythloth
20. The End of Nate and the Meadery
Raiders at Ocllo
(Ocllo Town Invasion Event)
An orcish army was spotted in the foothills south of Ocllo. This skirmish is taking place south of town in the wilderness.
Lord British has issued a call to arms to keep the orcish army from overrunning the town! After the forces of good cleared the island of evil, suspicious barrels of mead were found in the woods south of town.
Seized at Customs
(Vesper Beach Pirates & Orcs Invasion)
I have news to report from the officials at Vesper. The customs in Vesper intercepted multiple barrels of Mead at its ports.
It's been a long time since we heard tales of the mind-controlling Mead that shook the world of Britannia and made adventurers rethink how they viewed ordinary objects throughout the world.
The raiding party that attacked Ocllo is believed to be involved with the Mead smuggling attempts at ports around Britannia.
Shortly after attacking Ocllo, the raiders showed up on Vesper beach and at the city ports of Vesper. Luckily, Officer Rudy and his armed guards seized the barrels, just in time! Taxpayer gold coins hard at work!
The army of raiders traveled north of the beach and to the Buccaneer's Den Portal.
The House of Bath
The House of Bath has reopened in Buccaneer's Den, they are well known for being involved with smuggling and have hidden tunnels all over. A map has been reportedly found detailing a trip from Nujel’m to the city of Vesper and off to Buccaneer's Den!
The Old Mead Warehouse of Nujel'm
A large stash of Nate’s warehouse of mead remains locked up on the island of Nuje’lm, out of the hands of everyday criminals!
Smuggler Activity
(Buc’s Den & Skull Island)
The smuggling tunnels under Skull Island provide safe passage for criminal activity going to and from the lost lands. It's believed that the Mead was smuggled through the tunnels.
The Beekeeper’s Society of Vesper
Henry, the master beekeeper in Vesper has a quest for you. You must kill 15 orcish raid leaders and collect 50 jars of Honeymead.
Heftimus’s Passage
The tunnels under Skull Island have been unlocked and lead you down a dark, wet passage filled with thugs and dangers of all kinds.
In the center of the passage is an underground tavern and Inn for the criminals involved with this smuggling operation. The Crackin’ Skull is once again open for business!
The Inn has plenty of beds available, a tribute to those villains from the past, and an escape hatch out to Skull Island.
Finally, we have the northern side of the cave, a processing center for goods coming through the Smuggling Tunnel.
The Raider’s Mining Camp
The Smuggling Tunnels connect Skull Island to a mountain passage just north of Papua. Up the road, a raider camp was discovered outside the Fire Dungeon.
The Invasion of Serpent’s Hold
The orcish raiders traveled through the Fire Dungeon, into the Port at Serpent’s Hold. Supplies were stolen and ships were sunk. The city soon fell to the orcish raiders. The battle waged on for three days until the orcish raiders fled into the night.
The invasion was so bad, they even got into the city walls!
When the battle ended, ships filled with Honeymead were seen sailing off into the distance.
Where the Raiders will end up next is a total mystery. The delivery routes left behind at the mining camp may shed some light. You can be sure of two things, smugglers love tunnels and criminals are rotten.
Rumors from the Bulletin Board
Shared via Discord
Brave adventurers from across Britannia have been scouring the lands, looking for those pesky mead-smuggling orcs and what do you know! A room of mead barrels was found at the orc fort just south of Cove.
“While investigating the orc's suspicious activities of late, a brave bard stumbled upon a great store of mead. Just when he was about to take a small sip to ensure that it was the real stuff, an orcish barkeep jumped out of nowhere and started hurling punches and nasty words at the innocent investigator. He had no choice but to defend himself. No further clues were found at the scene, just a bunch of mead…” - Werther
“In the meantime a much less brave treasure hunter was out looking for new holes to dig. In Nujel'm he stumbled upon a strange shovel. When he tried to pick it up an orcish miner flew at him from nowhere. He tried to defend himself with his spells but they did nothing because of some strange magic laws in this Godforsaken town. Desperately he started summoning animals to fend off the assailant. After two horses, a great heart and a polar bear he finally stood victorious!” - Werther
Raiders at the Orc Fort!
The reports of raiders gathering at the Orc Fort south of Cove turn out to be true! The little village of Cove is in need of any protection they can get. They have, once again, turned to the brave citizens of Britannia to save their butts! Bart has a quest for anyone willing to protect Cove.
A Trip to the Palace
There have been reports of ships filled with orcs, pirates, and other criminal scum on their way to the island city of Nujel’m. It’s believed they are coming collect the barrels of Honeymead in their warehouse
The reports of another smuggling tunnel have been confirmed on the northern end of the island. Could the Honeymead Cult be using the tunnel to safely take the Honeymead off the island?
Head over to the Palace and look for Wayne, the Palace Armorer to see how you can help keep Lord Gatsby’s army maintain order.
In Defense of Nujel'm
Wayne at the Palace in Nujel'm has been collecting gear and resources to supply the defense forces of the city of Nujel'm. The orcish raiders have taken parts of the city, but the line is being held! Guards have not fled the city!
Wayne can be found in the basement under Lord Gatsby’s chambers.
Wayne has a quest for you, and you may repeat it multiple times but the quest won’t be available after the forces push back the orcish raiders.
Rumor has it, Lord Gatsby has a son, and his son is not fit for war. Pay Zoltan a visit to see how you can help him out in his dire situation.
Isle of Fire
The orcish raiders were quick to flee the island of Nujel'm, leaving behind a book and two maps. The book indicates that the Honeymead shipment has been split into two new routes.
The book shows us a growing divide between the raiders and the Cult.
Maps were discovered, carelessly lying around the battlefield as well. The maps tell us that one shipment is headed to the island of Magincia and the other shipment to the Isle of Fire.
The self-proclaimed, King of Yew, reported a shipwreck just north of the island of Magincia, with only one survivor aboard, a lonely orc sailor, who soon met his fate. We’ll never know what happened, but it looks like foul play caused this shipwreck.
There is evidence that the orcish raiders arrived on the Isle of Fire. They have established a dock and have set up a small camp north of Hythloth’s entrance, near the grand peak.
End the Raid
The orcish raiders have established camp at the high peak of the Isle of Fire just south of the Fire Temple!
Reports from the battlefield tell us of a growing feud between the orcs and the Honeymead Cult. It’s rumored that an Elder from the cult has emerged from the Meadery looking for outside assistance.
Orcish Mercenary
Garoot the Slayer wants you to join the orcish raiders for some well-deserved payback against the Honeymead Cult. You can find him at the high peak on the Isle of Fire. Beware of his bodyguards, they are not nearly as friendly as Garoot.
An Attack on Magincia
Magincia was attacked by the Honeymead Cult. They came looking for their missing kegs of aged Mead, the ones that were lost by the shipwrecked raiders several weeks ago.
The Office of Parliament at Maginicia has an unusually high level of activity among city officials. They are plotting their response to the Honeymead Cult’s recent actions.
If you’re brave enough to help the city of Magincia, give the Parliament office a visit.
Rumors of a Lost Tavern in Hythloth
The cult has retreated deeper into the dungeon of Hythloth. A blocked stairwell lays just beyond the balron’s lair with a series of runes.
These are not your average Britannia runes. The Lord’s alchemists are puzzled and unable to decipher the scripture. Seek out retired master beekeepers for clues on how to unlock the Honey Meadery.
Here are clues to find the 5 beekeepers.
1. The first beekeeper sacrificed everything to be a member of the Cult and it was only fitting that he retired in the town dedicated to Sacrifice.
2. The second beekeeper packed up his goods and set off on an adventure into the lost lands, to live off the land.
3. The third beekeeper was gated to a tiny island and never heard from again.
4. The fourth beekeeper sits at the shoreline of a lost bazaar
5. The fifth beekeeper sits high above the city of Britain, in the Lord’s tower.
The first player to decipher the clues will be able to unlock the Honey Meadery and will get 100 Honeymead.
The Honey Meadery of Hythloth
The clues to unlocking the Honey Meadery of Hythloth have been discovered and the meadery is open for business! This will be the final stage of the Tainted Brew event, with a boss encounter to be announced for later this month.
As a reminder, you can redeem your Honeymead for any of the prizes listed at the end of this post.
For anyone wondering, the five beekeepers locations were as followed:
1. The first beekeeper sacrificed everything to be a member of the Cult and it was only fitting that he retired in the town dedicated to Sacrifice.
Minoc
2. The second beekeeper packed up his goods and set off on an adventure into the lost lands, to live off the land.
Khaldun's Entrance, if we had the dungeon here.
3. The third beekeeper was gated to a tiny island and never heard from again.
An island north of Yew
4. The fourth beekeeper sits at the shoreline of a lost bazaar.
The former market tent of $$$ guild's Moonglow bazaar.
5. The fifth beekeeper sits high above the city of Britain, in the Lord’s tower.
The Bird's Nest Lookout on top of Lord Blackthorn's keep.
If you spoke to the Beekeepers and followed their clues, they would have led you to the second floor of the mage shop next to Vesper bank where multiple keg taps awaited the first person to arrive. Activating the taps unlocked the dungeon and spawned 100 Honeymead for the player doing it.
The End of Nate and the Meadery
The Honeymead Cult of Hythloth is no more. Fine citizens of Britannia came out in force to say, "ENOUGH OF THIS MADNESS!" and killed Nate and all of his remaining followers... Below are screenshots taken from the battlefield, courtesy of Grofus' video stream from the event.
Grofus and Blade Spirit ("Sally") were attendees and both streamed part of their experiences at the event. Check out their videos below!
Grofus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znju8Uh9iY
Blade Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/live/IFDNWq9qXT ... AAxd&t=156
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Honeymead Redemption
Exchange 25 Honeymead for a Non-decaying Honeymead to display in your home tavern.
Exchange 100 Honeymead for a keg of aged Mead.
Exchange 300 Honeymead for an entire barrel of aged Mead.
Exchange 600 Honeymead for and become an unofficial cult member by flagging their banner at your residence!
Exchange 900 Honeymead for your very own BEE HIVE (bees not included).
Exchange 1600 Honeymead and you'll be an honorary member of the Honeymead Cult.
Redemption ended January 15th, 2024.
The following items were claimed from Honeymead farmers
- 12 Honeymeads
- 8 Aged Honeymead Kegs
- 4 Aged Honeymead Barrels
- 8 Honeymead Cult Banners
- 1 Bee Hive
- 2 Cult Member Masks
