Rift Column: Infernal Dawn

Hallo halloo glorious people. This week I’ll be talking a bit about Infernal Dawn, patch 1.8 of RIFT.
The 1.8 update brings quite a few additions to the game, and I'll be starting with two new skills to play around with, Fishing and Survival.
You know how it is. You’ve just closed down your fifth Rift of the day, battling insane gibbering sea creatures from the cold, icy depths of the black ocean, and you want to kick back a bit. To relax. To recuperate. Maybe watch the sun setting over a calm lake, the gentle, orange-limned ripples lapping the shore as you cast your line. And if this is what you've been thinking, (and let's face it, who hasn't?), then the Fishing skill is just for you.
All you need to get started is a pole, and you can get one of these from any Fishing Trainer you find hanging around in the cities and camps. I was a bit doubtful at first, but to be honest with you, it's actually quite relaxing. Once you get to the shore and cast your line, there is something of the Zen about it. You can even learn how to craft Lures, enabling you to catch bigger and better fish which you can then sell for profit. The Fishing dude even has some little quests for you. For instance, catch seven of a certain type of fish and he will give you a nicely engraved tackle box so you can keep your lures and hooks separate from your spider fangs and goblin heads. Which is nice.
And just in case you think it really is a pointless enterprise, might I just ask you to cast your eyes over my collection of salvage, gleaned from 10 minutes of fishing. One boot, one rusted bicycle frame, (not really), an old treasure box that had 30 gold pieces inside, (really), and two parts of a torn treasure map, (really). I'm assuming that once I find all the pieces I will be able to follow the map to some kingly treasure and then retire from a life of adventuring and buy a castle to live in.
It might also be worth your while to level up your fishing skill, and learn how to make your own rods, because these are apparently a lot better than the common rods sold by the vendors.
Another new skill to play around with is Survival. This is pretty cool, actually, as it plays into the while role-playing aspect of the game. Once you’ve finished battling the hordes of Dragon Cults, saving Telara again, you might need a bit of a rest. Who wouldn't? Now, instead of traveling all the way back to your capital city, you can just create a camp site and sit around the fire to recuperate. You can even cook one of the fish you caught and turn in for the night with a full stomach. I suppose you will have to learn how to make tents and bedrolls etc first, but I'll certainly be following up on this one.
Next up in 1.8 is a brand new 20 player Raid where you can fight not one, but two dragon gods of the Blood Storm, Laethys and Maelforge.
As the Age of Dragons wound down, Maelfroge was sent to the naughty corner deep under Mount Carvera, over on Ember Isle. For the first few decades, Maelforge raged against his shackles, but eventually he became bored by all that and fell into a fitful sleep, waiting for the right moment to jump up and go “BOO!”
That moment is now. As the rifts started opening across Telara, Maelforge woke up, sensing an opportunity. He sent his thoughts out to Laethys, and his sister responded. (Laethys was originally reduced to slag by her enemies, but she has now managed to form a new body made form jewels and treasure.) She ordered her dragon cult to soften the stone around Maelforge’s prison, and had them smuggle her dormant form beneath the volcano. Now it’s not simply the prison of Maelforge, but the home of Laethys as well. And if the two of them complete their naughty, nefarious plans, Telara will… you guessed it. Fall.
So it’s up to the Ascended to sneak underground and take on the dragons’ lieutenants and lackeys in an attempt to bring down two of the most dangerous Dragon Gods. This won’t be easy. The two dragon cults, the Golden Maw and the Wanton, have split up the territory beneath Mount Carvera between them. You’re going to have to take on the toughest members of each cult, from the Ember Conclave, who plans the cult’s campaigns, to the Pirate Queen Rusila Dreadblade, who is hanging around on her lava ship Dread Fortune waiting for a favorable lava tide to set sail.
Once you've completed the Raid, you might want to check out another cool new feature. And that's the leaderboard. Here you can see how you see how you match up in comparison to others in various different categories. I really should play RIFT a bit more socially, but I pretty much try and complete quest on my own or in public groups. However, if I did play with friends, this would be a cool addition where I would, no doubt, make everyone feel bad because Caedryn is always at the top of all rankings everywhere.
You can even start up weekly competitions, challenging your mates to see how many rifts you can each close down. And if you are particularly good, you can use the leaderboard  to boast your greatness across the whole of Telara, because if you crack the Top 50 everyone checking out the board will see your name up there. I doubt your moment of greatness will last long, though. There are tens of thousands of others out there waiting to take your place. Good luck.