As previously noted, today was to be the big decision day for Rustic Dragon as to whether the second Lords of the Hearth event — HoBLotH II as it seems to be formally known — would go ahead. And true to his word, he has made his decision: HoBLotH II will be held in Austin, Texas, on the 15th and 16th of November of this year.

You’ll have to click on through to the Hearth of Britannia website to get all the details, of which there are many. Here’s the basic gist of it: HoBLotH II is a limited-attendance event, with just 50 (now 49, actually) guest spots available. It is not a free event, either; there is a $200/person entry fee. It is not a passive event; there will be a quest line to play out over its duration, which must be undertaken by all guests. It is also — this seems especially important — not a Shroud of the Avatar event, nor is it affiliated with Portalarium in any way. It is, argues Rustic, an Ultima event first and foremost:

Please do not contact Portalarium concerning the HoBLotH. The HoBLotH is (and always been) a Hearth of Britannia event. The Hearth of Britannia is not officially endorsed by or affiliated with Portalarium. While Portalarium has kindly added the HoBLotH to their calendar of events, this is to boost awareness of the event and remind the SotA Dukes and Lords of the Manor who are visiting Austin for the Portalarium Dukes/LotM’s event about the HoBLotH. Dukes and LotM’s may only attend the HoBLotH if they have a confirmed RSVP. Dukes and LotM’s are NOT de-facto confirmed to attend the HoBLotH. However, they are certainly invited to continue reading and go through the RSVP process.

This is an Ultima Event
This is an event by an Ultima fan for Ultima fans about Ultima. The activities will be based heavily on Ultima lore, the clues will involve Britannian runes, and will be most appreciated by true Ultima fans. While you’re certainly not expected to know every little thing about Ultima, you really need to be an Ultima fan to have the most fun at this event.

That being said, if you know absolutely nothing about Ultima but are still very excited about everything else presented here and want to learn, we can discuss it further in the RSVP process. Ultima knowledge is preferred, but not a solid prerequisite, only excitement about Ultima is.

Also, while some ex-Origin folks and current Portalarium employees will be attending, this is not a SotA-Dev Meet-n-Greet. Ex-Origin/Port staff who attend will be attending the HoBLotH in a participatory role. SotA-talk time is not scheduled or to be expected. (That being said, there will be scheduled down time/open socializing of course. If Port devs are still present during these times, feel free to talk about anything you want!)

If you don’t care about Ultima or were planning on spending all day drinking beer and talking SotA with the Port staff, this isn’t the event for you.

And here’s the basic outline of how HoBLotH II will play out:

Thou wilt arrive in Austin by conventional means in normal attire as early as necessary. However, precisely at 10:00 a.m. (subject to change) Saturday morning, thou wilt step through the red moongate into Britannia where thou will be set upon a grand quest by Lord British himself. To aid thee in thy quest, thou wilt receive a weapon, cloth map, a runic translation in case thy memory is foggy, and a bag of coins. Completion of this quest is not guaranteed, but the rewards will be worth thine efforts.

As the day continues, thou wilt be free to explore the hamlet of Cove in pursuit of thy quest. Thou wilt be given opportunity to engage in martial training to enhance thy chances of survival, earn extra coin via sub quests, spend thine hard earned coin on better weapons, food, and other trinkets, be drafted into a war between old rivals, break bread with thy companions at a feast, meet actual Britannian inhabitants, spend the rest of the night engaged in open revelry, and spend the night inside the dwellings of Cove or under the stars as thou doth prefer.

The following day, thou wilt spend the morning breaking thy fast in open camaraderie with thine friends and be given the opportunity to tie up any quest loose ends before being rewarded for thine efforts and released to pass back through the red moongate to Earth, though it may never be the same again after leaving Britannia.

Thus far, both Richard Garriott and Starr Long have been confirmed as guests, and it’s likely that more guests will be added to the roster in the near future. To reserve your spot at HoBLotH II, hit up the event’s official page and scroll down (way down!) until you find a button labeled Start the RSVP Process.