Don’t be confused by the numbers. Patch 1.2 is still scheduled for a May 10th release, along with some delicious new content to nosh on, but anybody who logged into RIFT today was greeted with an early “pre-patch” numbered 1.12. Included are a handful of new Earth and Fire rift events found in areas that would not normally be subject to those sorts of elemental invasions, as well as a set of four new daily quests in the main cities that can be completed to obtain rare items.
Most rewards can be earned in-game through more difficult or time-consuming means, but you also have a slim chance of winning a limited edition vanity pet. No word in the patch notes as to what exactly that pet is, but it could be related to the mystery beginning to unravel in 1.12:
Strange things—stranger than usual, that is—are emerging from the rifts of Fire and Earth. Fragments of ancient golden dragon eggs lie scattered wherever the Flame- or Earthtouched set foot. Even stranger, coins have been raining into both Sanctum and Meridian, inspiring unusual greed in the locals. Neither Guardian nor Defiant scholars can solve this mystery without studying these shells and coins, so the Ascended must collect as many specimens as possible.
You will be able to participate in the event from today until the release of Patch 1.2. That’s technically less than a week, so if you want a shot at the loot, you better start cracking!