Here are the patch notes for tomorrow morning's game update (servers due up around 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time):

*** Highlights ***

- If you give an item to your pet that it can't equip, the item will now be returned to you.
- Further lowered resist modifiers for all melee abilities from The Darkened Sea. They should land more reliably now.
- Increased the HP on mercenaries of level 101 and above by 10 percent.
- Arx Mentis Hero's Forge Ornaments now drop from raid chests in Arx mentis. Prices on most pieces from Researcher Orbiana have been reduced.
- Focus effects on early The Darkened Sea group items now cap at 103 instead of 100.
- Made an adjustment to the way that NPC character models created prior to the Omens of War expansion are loaded and displayed. This change coincides with a number of graphical updates and fixes to these models.
- The bag opening sound effects have had their volume reduced significantly.
- Sound effects for treading water, entering water, leaving water, and being underwater have been improved.

*** Items ***

- The Empowered Dragonscale Skystrider Saddle now correctly grants an additional mount slot.
- Focus effects on early The Darkened Sea group items now cap at 103 instead of 100.
- Bags of Silver and Gold Tokens are now available from Alerynril in Plane of Knowledge. On progression servers, Rain of Fear must be open to purchase these bags.
- Corrected several issues with The Darkened Sea cultural armor stats.
- August Bounder armor now has a required level of 101 and a recommended level of 105.
- Cultural charms now increase in power wearing August cultural armor.
- August Cultural armor pieces have had their Emblem slots replaced.
- Corrected an issue that prevented the Trophy of the Seafarer from granting its intended stats.
- Arx Mentis Hero's Forge Ornaments now drop from raid chests in Arx Mentis. Prices on most pieces from Researcher Orbiana have been reduced.


*** Tradeskills ***

- Blackwort is now flagged as a tradeskill item.
- Master's Preservation bonus now decays on spells over level 105.
- A text error in the book "Adventures in Woodworking" has been fixed.
- Boundless Reaching Symbols for jewelcraft are now properly scribed from the Boundless Jewelcraft Weapon Augments book.
- Additional clarifying text for the tradeskill "Test" trophy quests has been added.
- Mariner's Alacrity bonus now decays on spells over level 105.
- Energized Clay Goo Pot now improves the pottery trophy when crafted.
- The August Lorekeeper Sleeves recipe is now labeled as such instead of as "August Lorekeeper Robes."


*** Quests & Events ***

- Castle Relic - This Heroic Adventure is now more lenient about giving the key bit to players. Players outside the zone will now receive the key. Also, even if you do not have the key, if you are in the Heroic Adventure instance and have defeated Commander Degmar, the safe room will allow you entry. Note: As part of this change, this task will now lock when the Commander runs from players after their first engagement with him.
- Fixed a bug in Arx Mentis raids that could cause the chest to be removed when the event cleans up.
- They're Everywhere - Reduced the number of injured bixies you need to revive from 15 to 10.
- The Avalanche raid in Icefall Glacier can now be triggered by one person. On progression servers, Seeds of Destruction must be unlocked before it can be triggered solo.
- LDoN quest messages will no longer be sent to players after the Omens of War expansion is enabled on a server.


*** Spells ***

- Multiple Classes - Further lowered resist modifiers for all melee abilities from The Darkened Sea. They should land more reliably now.


*** NPC ***

- Made an adjustment to the way that NPC character models created prior to the Omens of War expansion are loaded and displayed. This change coincides with a number of graphical updates and fixes to these models.
- Reduced the agro and assist radii on most NPCs within Combine Dredge and the Combine Dredge Heroic Adventure. As part of this change, also marked the NPCs in the quarry as "indoor" so they will have further decreased agro and assist radii.
- Haunted Jack and Spooky Sally will no longer spawn in cities unless the Nights of the Dead event is active.
- Increased the HP on mercenaries of level 101 and above by 10 percent.


*** AA ***

- Wizard - Quick Damage will now work on Ethereal Fuse.
- Wizard - The description on Quick Damage now indicates the cast time bonus for ranks 4 and 5.
- Wizard - Ethereal Manipulation will now work on the latest ethereal spells: Ethereal Flash, Ethereal Rimeblast, and Ethereal Skyblaze.


*** Achievements ***

- Frostfell: Missing Gifts - Fixed the two incorrect references to Elba Straw. The achievement now references the appropriate NPCs: Cordys Leaflighter and Rellith Akkanar.
- Frostfell: Lost Toymakers - Changed the references of Dreadlands to the proper zone of The Great Divide.
- Frostfell: Gathering Jollies - Fixed the typo of "Knopwledge" to "Knowledge."
- New Years: Frostbeard - Fixed the issue with the tasks from M.C. Tinkerton not being flagged as completed, preventing this achievement from completing.
- Upon login, characters will receive achievement credit for the Frostfell tasks "Saving Santug" or "Searching for Clues" if these tasks were previously completed.
- Corrected an issue that prevented Halius Goldenthorn from selling the Statue of Silisia to players that had completed the achievement "Cavern Collectibles."


*** Miscellaneous ***

- NPC pathing in Bixie Warfront should be more reliable.
- The bag opening sound effects have had their volume reduced significantly.
- Sound effects for treading water, entering water, leaving water, and being underwater have been improved.
- If you give an item to your pet that it can't equip, the item will now be returned to you.
- Fixed a crash that could occur sometimes when going to character selection.
- Fixed an issue that was causing some sounds to ignore your sound volume settings in the Options window.


*** Previously Updated ***

- The Cost of Balance - When entering the instance, you will no longer appear under the world.
- All Rivers Lead to the Sea - You can no longer spawn multiple copies of Holmein by spam-hailing the Unseen, Unheard Helper.
- In Combine Dredge, moved Pria the Penitent and her placeholders down the ramp, away from Amlis the Torturer. This will make it safer for players trying to speak with Amlis. Additionally, NPCs on Pria's encounter will be less observant and not see as far.
- Kedge Counterblow - The rare NPC High Guard Vnayyanye or its placeholder, "a restive guard," will no longer spawn early in this Heroic Adventure.
- Argin-Hiz - Burn Out (Raid and Mission) - The Balance and Unbalance achievements are given out appropriately now.
- Changed the way success is granted in the Arx Mentis progression raids, hoping to prevent false wins.
- Fixed a bug in the final raid in Arx Mentis that would allow Firiona and Galeth to tank for the players. Now if no players engage, the event will reset if Calix can't find a player character to beat up.
- Entering Plane of Knowledge while on the last step of M.C. Tinkerton's tasks or with a reward from M.C. Tinkerton's tasks will update the achievement to complete that task.
- The NPCs related to M.C. Tinkerton's events will now spawn for the duration of the New Year's events.


- The EverQuest Team