In Sanctum there is area north of the practice dummy area where you will find all the PVP related NPCs. These NPCs include faction vendors, daily quest givers, PVP Rank Gear vendors and PVP soul vendors. Currently there are four faction vendors present, two are currently attached to the two Warfronts currently in the game (The Black Garden and The Codex) and the other two use two unknown factions. Below you will find a list of all the gear on each vendor and the stats. Until documented, we will assume Defiant gear has mirrored stats.

Keep reading after the break for the spreadsheet.

It should come to no surprise that after last weekend’s Beta 4 event that the focus of this article, or bulk of all articles on Rift, would be about PVP and the Warfronts. Now if you have not been paying attention at all, Warfronts are instance maps where Guardians and Defiants fight over objectives just like Warhammer’s Scenarios and World of Warcraft’s Battlegrounds. For this Beta 4 event two Warfronts were open, The Codex and the Black Garden

In each of the capitol cities of Sanctum and Meridian you’ll find vendors that offer full sets of equipment for some type of currency called “Plaque(s) of Achievement”. We speculate that these plaques act much like badges do in World of Warcraft. How fast or how many plaques you get per Expert Dungeon run is unknown at this time, but it’s pretty safe to assume you get at least one. With ten Expert Dungeons expected at launch that means you can get ten per day assuming you can clear all of them. You require 46 for a full set, which is five long days of dungeon grinding. Time will tell how this equipment compares to dropped loot from bosses and whether or not it competes or acts as filler.

Images of all the gear, with stats, after the break.

NOTE: Gear was pulled from a Guardian character. Names may differ via faction. All gear is subject to change during Beta.

Today, Arithion of Riftpodcast.com posted a recorded interview she had with Berender Fish, Adam Heteny, and Billy Shaughnessy of the Instance and Raid team. The interview detailed what we as players should expect from instances and more importantly, what to expect for the end game and how progression works. We already know that we should expect dungeons and their expert versions, and we have also been told that raids do exist, but what we don’t know is how they work together. What we’ve learned is that there is a steady character progression, i.e. gearing up, that all characters will go through.

Earth Rifts: Avalanche from Beyond

The ground shakes. Dust swirls and rocks rain as a monstrous spike of stone stabs down through a tear in the sky. Carbuncles and stalagmites bubble up like boils as hulking monstrosities emerge from this new Earth Rift.

Explorers may be tempted by an Earth Rift, for every new spire bursts with precious minerals and gems clearer than water. These riches are but a trap to lure the greedy into the arms of waiting horrors. With each treasure hunter so doomed, Laethys smiles…

Sanctum
A Gift From the Gods

Welcome, Guardian, to Sanctum. I am Cyril Kalmar. I see by your haste in reaching the Holy Seat that you are eager for new orders, another chance to strike at Telara’s enemies. But first, let me show you the city. Yes, personally. I am no king to sit a throne and detach myself from my fellow Guardians.

From this chamber, I command our efforts to retake Telara from the dragons, the rifts, and the Defiant. On my left stands Lady Shyla of the High Elves, Pentarch of the Vigil. At my right hand is Borrin Gammult, leader of the Dwarves and the master architect of Sanctum itself.

Shortly after the sundering of the Ward, when the first Guardians returned, Borrin received a vision of a divine city emerging from the sea. He came to the coast of Silverwood, and an island rose before his eyes, solid stone with high, sheer sides. As the Vigil gave us the site for a city, they have given us a chance to restore Telara. Always remember, the gods give the gift of opportunity; the triumph must be our own.

Air Rifts: Winds from Beyond

Like the onset of madness in a sane man, Telara may be scourged at any moment by evil from its very air. The sky could split above an open plain, or crack over the highest peaks. Crisp, serene air twists into a hateful storm, winds whipping and swirling with such fury they tear boulders from the earth, whirling them about like a mad juggler’s toys.

The fortunate who stumble into the radius of an Air Rift are crushed by these boulders. Others have their flesh scoured away by debris born on the razor winds, or are snatched up by the storm, cooked by the lightning, and rent limb from limb by the monsters flying through the shimmering rift.

Name: Russell Cahalan
Alias: Handle
Position: Lead Animator

What was your first MMOG? What was your favorite?

World of Warcraft was the first MMO that I played obsessively. That was probably my favorite MMO besides Rift!

How did you get involved with making games?

I started working at Electronic Arts in 2000. I worked on a variety of James Bond games that they developed.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve done so far in the creation of Rift: Planes of Telara?

People seem to really like the human female dual wielding stance with the weapon held in reverse, but my favorite stuff has been the emotes that I did recently. /rude

Here’s our next installment of Get to Know a Dev. This week we got a chance to get to know Hal Hanlin, a Design Producer for Trion.

Name: Hal Hanlin
Alias: maRaider
Position: Design Producer

What was your first MMOG? What was your favorite?

My first MMOG that I played more than a couple of days was City of Heroes. Getting to craft a character to that degree of detail was lots of fun and the VFX were shiny! In terms of sheer anguish when I could not play, my favorite MMO (Present project excluded) was Nightcaster. It was a turn-based MMOG similar to Risk but with magic and gigantic creatures in addition to armies. I blew all of my phone cards during one vacation calling my office mate from the middle of the Mojave Desert to coach him on which moves to make for me.

Name: Peter Ju
Alias: pju
Position: Lead Engineer

What was your first MMOG? What was your favorite?

First – Everquest.
First Serious – Anarchy Online
Favorite – Vanilla Wow

How did you get involved with making games?

I was interning at AT&T Labs doing DSP stuff and one of the people who worked there knew the VP of RND at SquareUSA. A call, email, resume and interview later and I was off to Hawaii to work on videogames.