Treasures of Tokuno

Treasures of Tokuno is a recurring UO event series — four event runs across 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2020 — in which minor artifacts drop from monsters slain in the Tokuno Islands (with a single exception, the Crane). Players collect minor artifacts and turn them in to Ihara Soko, the Imperial Minister of Trade, in the Rockuon Cultural Center of Zento — exchanging 10 minor artifacts for a single major artifact. The events are framed as a Britannian aid mission to recover the Empress's lost treasures from the depths of storm-tossed seas, with each iteration introducing distinctive artifact, pigment, and dye rewards.

For artifact collectors, the Treasures of Tokuno series is one of UO's most beloved event franchises — the four iterations between them define the Tokuno-era artifact market.

Lore — the four events

Treasures of Tokuno I (2005)

Politics internal to the Tokuno Empire led the familial Hanzagiri clan to loot the capitol city of Zento. A great fleet of ships was loaded with stolen Imperial artifacts in an attempt to unseat the Empress and her retinue. The Hanzagiri fleet was lost at sea during a phenomenal storm. Britannian adventurers were called to recover the fleet's washed-up cargo by hunting the Tokuno monsters that had claimed the artifacts.

For more on the Hanzagiri clan, see BNN: Daizen's Despair.

Treasures of Tokuno II (2006)

Imperial concern over the Despise Invasion events led the Empress to issue a Decree — alerting Britannia to the discovery of more shipwrecked artifacts:

The Imperial Treasury shall be restored. The treasures of the Empire, lost on sunken ships after a raid upon Zento, are critical to the wealth and thus the defense of the Isles. The Imperial Minister of Trade shall continue rewarding those who seek these treasures with various artifacts and gifts of appreciation. Let it be also known that the Empire has confirmed reports that yet more treasure from the sunken ships has since washed up on the shores of our islands. The monsters of our land appear to be attracted once more to that which rightfully belongs to the Empress, and all are urged to assist in a renewed recovery effort.

The duration of the second event was much shorter than the first.

Treasures of Tokuno III (2009)

From the depths of storm-tossed seas shrouded in an unending mist rises an event of epic proportions: the Treasures of Tokuno return! Seek out the lost wealth of the Empire across verdant field, icy wasteland, and within the darkest recesses of dungeons most foul! This rare event yields the most extraordinary of rewards for those who dare step forward to heed the call.

It is hereby declared by royal decree that the people of Britannia shall assist the Empire of Tokuno with the incursion of hostile beasts that once again have begun roaming their lands, stealing their wealth and spreading destruction. The Treasures of Tokuno must be redeemed from these foul monsters by any means, be it blade or spell! Speak with Ihara Soko, the Imperial Minister of Trade in Zento, should you recover any lost artifacts of the Empire. — By the hand of your Sovereign and Lord, Casca

The decree's authorship under "Casca" places ToT III at the height of King Casca's reign — the timing is significant; it predates Casca's exposure as a Shadowlord conspirator.

ToT III introduced: - Leurocian's Mempo of Fortune (a new major artifact) - New colored Pigments — additional dye varieties - Reduced uses on all Pigments (including the original Lesser) to one charge per Pigment - Removed previously available colored dyes (Metal and Neon) - Bug: small samples of Blackrock would sometimes drop in a character's pack instead of an artifact (similar to how Miners are randomly awarded Blackrock in place of special Gems).

Treasures of Tokuno IV (2020)

The fourth event returned the same items as the third Treasures of Tokuno event, minus some replaced dyes. The fourth event ran in the COVID-era; long-time collectors saw it as a callback to ToT III's pigment economy.

Timeline

Mechanics

Drop rules

• Any monster slain in the Tokuno Islands drops minor artifacts during the event.
• Cranes are excluded — they are pacifist NPCs, no artifact drop.
• Drop chance scales with monster difficulty; high-tier creatures (Yamandon, Greater Dragons in the Tokuno isles) have higher minor artifact drop rates than low-tier (Kappa, low-end ratmen).

Redemption — Ihara Soko

Ihara Soko, the Imperial Minister of Trade, is located in the Rockuon Cultural Center of Zento. Trade rules:

Used-item redemption

You can use the minor artifacts (wear them, equip them, deploy them) and still redeem them, with one exception:

• Chest of Heirlooms — cannot be redeemed if unlocked. Once you unlock it (using the inside contents), the chest is no longer redeemable.

Most other minor artifacts are tradeable in any state.

Major artifact list (canonical Tokuno set)

The major artifact roster — exchangeable from 10 minor artifacts each — includes (varies slightly by event iteration):

• Black Lotus Hood
• Demon Forks (paired weapons)
• Daimyo's Helm
• Dragon Nunchaku
• Hanzo's Bow
• Hat of the Magi
• Kasa of the Raj-In
• Leurocian's Mempo of Fortune (ToT III addition)
• Pilfered Dancer Fans
• Stormgrip
• Swords of Prosperity (paired weapons; Mage Weapon -0)
• The Destroyer
• Tome of Lost Knowledge

Major artifacts are lockable (cannot be insured but can be locked in your house) and represent some of the most powerful AoS-era equipment.

Player market dynamics

Some participants in Treasures of Tokuno I voiced objections to its reprise (II), as it reduced the market value of their stockpile of event items. The first event ran for 83 days while the second for only 21 days (or possibly 33 days on some servers) — a deliberate scarcity gesture by the developers. ToT III then ran for a longer period and is generally regarded as the "definitive" Treasures of Tokuno event.

ToT events are still considered mid-rare in modern UO economy — major artifacts trade for tens of millions of gold, with the rarest variants (specific colorings, perfect rolls) reaching hundreds of millions.

See also

• Tokuno_Islands — the location of the events
• Zento — Ihara Soko's location, the Rockuon Cultural Center
• Casca — the sovereign who issued ToT III's decree
• Despise — the dungeon whose invasion preceded ToT II
• Cleanup_Britannia — accepts duplicate ToT artifacts for points
• Mage_Weapon — Swords of Prosperity (ToT major) carries Mage Weapon -0
• Travesty · Citadel — Tokuno Peerless content adjacent to ToT
• Hanzagiri_Clan — the founding clan of ToT I lore
• Pigments — color reward category