Songs of the Sea

June 13, 2023

Sun, salt, and ocean waves are the hallmarks of the Niküa, the island-dwelling sub-race of dwarves. The Niküa have the same thirst for riches as their mountain-dwelling cousins, but rather than mining underground for precious gems and metals, pearl-diving is their preferred method of acquiring wealth.

Due to the sweltering heat of the tropics, tattoos are much more common adornments among them than the heavy jewelry and finely wrought armor favored by the mountain dwarves. Niküan tattoos are also remarkable examples of fine art that gives the dwarves a unique way of displaying their achievements, history, and lineage on their bodies proudly for all to see.

For Niküa, the untamed wilds of Verra are her open seas. It is there, beyond the horizon, that riches are secreted within the briny mouths of bivalves, and valuable salvage lies hidden beneath the waves.

This curated set of accessories contains items that Niküan mariners will find indispensable to their occupations, livelihoods, and safety as they travel the high seas.

The Songs of the Sea cosmetic add-ons will be available in the Ashes of Creation shop from June 14, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific until July 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific. Don’t forget that Legion of the Rose addons will be removed on June 14, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific when the new cosmetics swap over.

Baitbeckon Torch

Accessory Cosmetic Skin *

No Niküan feast is complete without a spread of traditional delicacies reaped from the ocean's bounty. Whether it be greens from the undersea kelp forests, steamed shellfish, giant rock lobsters, or massive sixty pound filets of Amberjack, the beach itself is the place where the bounty of the sea is most commonly prepared. This is traditionally done using a sand oven, created by digging a large hole on the beach, lining it with heated rocks, and placing a layer of seaweed on top to create moisture and steam. Cleaned fileted fish, fresh vegetables, and seasonings are laid on top of the seaweed, and another layer of seaweed is placed on top. This traps in the steam and cooks the food.

Of course, the fish must be captured before it can be prepared. One extremely popular Niküan fishing technique involves a device called a Baitbeckon Torch. This hands-free contrivance is a lightweight framework of bamboo and coral, lashed together by reeds, and strapped to the back. A flexible rod extends from the top of the framework, angling up and over the head, suspending a dangling, flickering flame over the surface of the water. As the flickering light draws tiny sea creatures in from the shallows, Niküan fishers use nets to scoop them up until their wicker collection baskets are full.

Moapua'a

Pet Cosmetic Skin *

The feisty Moapua'a, the unofficial mascot of the Niküan people, is an absurd-looking yardbird with the body of an oversized barnyard fowl and the head of a newborn pig. Legend has it that these stubborn, wily, flightless creatures inspired an early relative of the Truffle Trotter to escape its captivity in an Aelan slaughterhouse, only to ride a raft of flotsam out to sea.

Historically, these ridiculous creatures lived on the tropical islands long before the first Niküa washed up on their shores. Unsurprisingly, they are quite fond of water, and can often be found frolicking in the surf, or floating about, sunning themselves on cast off spars of driftwood.

Moapua'a are often praised for their cleverness, though they are genuine troublemakers notorious for their mischievous demeanors. Despite this, they remain a popular pet among the island dwarves, whose mythical traditions hold that their appearance is a herald of good fortune.

Shoalskipper

Aquatic Mount Cosmetic Skin *

Shoalskippers aren't native to salt water, but they have adapted over the centuries to tolerate ocean shallows just as readily as brackish swamps or mangrove forests. Since they first migrated to the islands, the Niküa have evolved alongside these gentle creatures, utilizing their great strength to tow barges or rafts. They even mount and ride the largest specimens, which can travel great distances without tiring.

Their most mysterious behavior is only known from rare reports of the Shoalskipper’s song. Experienced mariners have long claimed that on rare occasions when the moon is high and the seas are calm, the Shaolskippers will raise their heads above the water and bray a low, mournful song that can echo across the waves for leagues.

Shell-Gem Diver

Costume Cosmetic Skin *

Niküan arts often feature a wealth of Shell-Gems – multihued pearls harvested from the depths.

Those employed to retrieve the precious treasures from the ocean floor train from childhood in order to develop the lung-capacity and pressure tolerance needed to brave the darkness and the hazards of the deepest waters. These celebrated divers often employ heavy, weighted belts or woven net bags to facilitate their long journey to the ocean floor in mere moments, thus maximizing their time navigating the silt of the seabed.

Voyager Speed Skiff

Naval Cosmetic Skin *

The Niküan speed skiff is widely assumed to be among the fastest conveyances upon the water. Time and again, annual contests have shown that while some ships are more stable and certainly more spacious, none ply the waves as efficiently, nor can they catch a breaking wave and surf as effortlessly as the Voyager Speed Skiffs.

These skiffs are often employed for short island hops, but they are also more than capable of taking lengthier journeys across the trackless sea. It is said that the renowned navigators of the Niküa have visited every Verran shore at the helm of these simple, yet swift watercraft.

Palm Refuge

Freehold Small House Building Cosmetic Skin *

When enterprising Niküan mariners go ashore, they can quickly assemble a sturdy shelter if they always set sail with a Palm Refuge aboard. The style of this portable hut has been refined since its invention, but in recent years the design employed by Niküa has become ubiquitous. Sturdy ribs brace walls of woven fabric, each distinguished by a bespoke ancestral pattern of weave that has been passed down by their ancestors through the generations. Expert weavers can identify subtle differences in a weave that can identify the sailor’s family lineage, the area their ancestors hailed from, or at the very least, which of their grandmothers taught them to weave.

Wayfarer Pre-order Package

Access to future Beta Two test phase
2 months of game time ($30 Value)
$25 in Embers (in-game marketplace credits, NO P2W!)
Baitbeckon Torch

Expeditionary Pre-order Package

Access to future Beta One test phase
Access to future Beta Two test phase
4 months of game time ($60 Value)
$50 in Embers (in-game marketplace credits, NO P2W!)
Baitbeckon Torch
Moapua'a

Voyager Pre-order Package

Access to future Alpha Two test phase
Access to future Beta One test phase
Access to future Beta Two test phase
6 months of game time ($90 Value)
$100 in Embers (in-game marketplace credits, NO P2W!)
Baitbeckon Torch
Moapua'a
Shoalskipper

Voyager Plus Pre-order Package

Access to future Alpha Two test phase
Access to future Beta One test phase
Access to future Beta Two test phase
9 months of game time ($135 value)
$125 in Embers (in-game marketplace credits, NO P2W!)
Baitbeckon Torch
Moapua'a
Shoalskipper
Shell-Gem Diver
Voyager Speed Skiff
Palm Refuge
Name Reservation

* All skin cosmetic items are cosmetic items only and do not grant the user any other benefit. The lore text is flavor text, and background of the creatures and items in the world of Verra. Costume cosmetic items do not include the weapons pictured.