Singularity 6 has released a brand new chapter of Palia. The Royal Highlands Expansion is the latest expansion for the cozy MMO. This brand new expansion invites Palians to explore a new sun-kissed landscape where the lore of Palia’s Ancient Humans runs deep, with a new Home Line, Rococo-inspired decor, a new Villager named Eshelon, and the long-awaited addition of Mounts.
Throughout this year and the end of 2025, Palia’s expansions and patches have greatly increased the amount of content there is to jump into, as well as routinely rolling out quality of life updates, and building importance into some of the game’s newer functions like the Bulletin Board. But it’s not just about gameplay advancements in the Royal Highlands Expansion; it’s also about adding the next chapter to Palia’s overarching story.
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We’ve pulled together everything you need to know from the full patch notes, which you can read here, and what you can expect from and where to unlock the Royal Highlands. You can read the full patch notes that include free updates launched in Patch 0.202 here.
What is new in the Royal Highlands?
The Royal Highlands Expansion introduces a brand new Adventure Zone. The titular Adventure Zone features a new map filled with content for every skill, new systems that reshape how players explore and interact with the world, and the next chapter in Palia’s main story.
How to unlock the Royal Highlands:
In order to unlock the Royal Highlands, players must have stables unlocked, meaning that players should complete the Elderwood DLC before. Once players meet that requirement, they can access the Royal Highlands from the De Mer Docks in Elderwood to begin their journey. There, players will meet the brand-new character Eshelon, the sole heir to the Bahari Dukedom, helping him as he investigates the strange happenings in the area.
The Royal Highlands were a place of royalty, long before the world of Palia. An expansion on lore, the Royal Highlands is where the Enfields built their legacy, shaping a region that would later be abandoned in the wake of the Unification Wars. Abandoned for over 400 years, there are few who have called it home. And now, it’s time for humans to return as they begin to wake.
The perfect way to introduce mounts, horses roam in this new Adventure Zone, and the new, beautiful aesthetic also masks something unsettling. A new currency, Amber Echo, has claimed pieces of the Highlands, holding moments of the past in perfect stillness.
How to unlock your first mount in the Royal Highlands Expansion:
When players first arrive in the Royal Highlands, they have the opportunity to pick up a quest that introduces them to their first horse. This quest is available upon entering the Royal Highlands and is not tied to the main story, meaning that it can be completed immediately.
Finishing the quest rewards players with their very first horse and lets them start horse ranching. Horse ranching will allow players to purchase, breed, and raise additional horses with new cosmetic and functional traits. Horses you breed can be ridden once fully grown. This means that younger ponies will need time to mature before they are ready to be ridden.
Everything New In The Royal Highlands
New Character: Eshelon
Meet Eshelon, the sole heir to the Bhari Dukedom and expert on Ancient Human devices at the Bahair Institute. As you work together, discover the secrets of the Royal Highlands. As the first and only son of Duchess Kenyara Bahari, he was raised to succeed and has done little else. Eschelon isn’t an underachieving heir, though. Whether speaking multiple languages, playing violin at a mastery level, or discussing state and politics, Eshelon excels at, well, everything.
Now working as an expert at the Bahari Institute, he studies ancient human devices and strange energies. In the main story, Eschelon has been sent by the Duchess to investigate the strange explosion in the sky. When you meet him, he has begun uncovering something bigger and is looking to partner with players to continue the investigation.
Mounts Enter Palia
Formerly thought to be lost to Ancient Humans, Horses have made their debut in Palia. Players will adjust gaits, manage stamina, and make every journey unique with their new equestrian pals. Additionally, mounts are available for breeding and ranching, allowing players to raise a stable of horses and blend aesthetics and functionality to create their dream horse.
Horses move through multiple gaits, including walking, trotting, cantering, galloping, and springing, with your full control over acceleration and direction (though you need to be mindful of the stamina usage). Stamina replenishes over time, but glowing Flow Sparks scattered across the Highlands instantly restore some of your horse’s stamina when collected.
Horse Types:
- Dawnspur: Every player will meet a Dawnspur, a breed inspired by the American Quarter Horse, once favored by Ancient Human royalty and originally bred by the Mudan.
- Akwindu Thoroughbred: This Arabian-inspired breed is unlocked by collecting a wide variety of horse traits through breeding. Riding access is granted via the Riding License that comes exclusively in the Highlands Supporter Packs.
- Phoenixfire Dawnspur: For those seeking something even rarer, the Phoenixfire Dawnspur is a mythical variant said to be touched by the Phoenix itself. Long thought to exist only in legend, it can now be obtained by progressing through Binnie’s side quests in the Royal Highlands, with riding unlocked via the Riding License purchased in the Premium Store.
New Quests
The Royal Highlands also comes with new narrative content in the form of new main story and side quests:
- Main Story: The main story pushes you towards the source of the Echo that is threatening Kilima, leading you deeper into the Highlands in order to find the truth in the ancient parts of the world. Eshelon will have quests, and you will eventually confront the Beast of the Elderwood. Additionally, Guide Quests will introduce important systems such as relic upgrades and how stables work in this region.
- Discovery Quests: These quests can be found across the Highlands, with different levels of importance. These quests bring back Binnie, the trash-collecting Piksii from the Elderwood. Binnie has found their way to the Highlands and is eager for you to help collect more “treasures,” rewarding you with items like the new Aristocrat’s Set.
New Discoverables
A new discoverable, Amber Echo, is the currency of the Royal Highlands and is scattered across the Adventure Zone. To use this new currency, players will find Eshelon and meet his curiosity. As a historian, Eshelon has taken a particular interest in the history of the Royal Highlands and the legacy of the Enfields, and he’s not just there to help move along story content.
Players will collect Amber Echo and give it to Eshelon to help upgrade their relics, rewarding their efforts with Certificates of Merit along the way. These can be spent in his shop on a variety of items.
Amber Echo Store
As you progress through the story content, you will also get access to the Amber Echo store, where Subira offers a selection of items:
Read below for the items and a list of their benefits:
- Bootleg Pyroflow Mask: A bootleg Mask by Zeki, which works the same as a regular Pyroflow Mask. Great for those who don’t like hunting
- Bootleg Terraflow Mask: A bootleg Mask by Zeki, which works the same as a regular Terraflow Mask. Great for those who don’t like hunting
- Bootleg Aeroflow Mask: A bootleg Mask by Zeki, which works the same as a regular Aeroflow Mask. Great for those who don’t like hunting
- Bootleg Hydroflow Mask: A bootleg Mask by Zeki, which works the same as a regular Hydroflow Mask. Great for those who don’t like hunting
- Amber-Touched Tracker: Tracks amber-touched resources on your compass for a limited time.
- Masked Creature Tracker: Tracks masked creatures. Similar to a hunter’s horn, this tool helps you specifically track masked creatures
- Royal Arrow Recipe: An arrow that instantly breaks Amber on hit.
- Firefighter’s Potion: When consumed, Pyroflow creatures will ignore you and not charge at you
- Tracker Arrow: When used on a creature, the creature is added to your and your party’s compasses for tracking.
- Titan’s Brew Recipe: Gives a several-minute buff that makes your pickaxe and axe insta-break amber.
- Amber Bomb Recipe Insta-breaks amber in a radius from where the Amber Bomb is thrown. Allows you to collect a maximum of 20 Amber
- Jadium Storage Chest: Stores up to 2,250 Items
Campsites
Campsites are scattered across the Royal Highlands, and each real-world day, two of them will be active. If you’re wondering what they are, well, they serve a couple of purposes other than just flavor. Each campsite includes a campfire for cooking with new campfire recipes, a Traveler’s Cache that may contain useful rewards, and rummage piles to find artifact pieces.
Once you find and collect from a Traveler’s Cache, that campsite will be marked on your map, making it easier to track if it’s active again on a different day. Additionally, the Campfire recipes are great for players who don’t want to head back home or engage with the full cooking system. And the real kicker is that all of the ingredients are pulled from your storage.
You can find the new campfire recipes and how to acquire them below:
- Dawnspur Tea Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
- Heather Tea Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
- Fern Tea Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
- Wisteria Tea Discovery Quest – Flame Wars
- Lotus Leaf Tea Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
- Jaakcat Stew Accomplishment – Jaaked
- Anch’ ‘n Grits Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
- Rice n’ Beans – Main Story
- Beans on Toast – Main Story
- Breakfast Skillet Campsite – Traveller’s Cache
Vaults
Vaults are hidden treasures left behind by the Enfields, with 16 spread across the Royal Highlands, and another four for quests. Each Vault is aligned with one of four elements, and to unlock it, you’ll need a matching Flow Mask of the same element (which you can pick up from the Amber Echo Store).
Ancient Artifacts and Relics
Artifacts in the Royal Highlands are all tied to the influential Enfields and offer a glimpse into the lives and the ancient past of this affluent family. A piece of world-building, there are four main Enfield family members, and each has unique artifacts scattered throughout the world that reveal different aspects of their story, character, and history.
Following a similar process as was added in Elderwood, players turn in artifacts to Eshelon. By completing an artifact, Eshelon will reward you with a Certificate of Merit, which can be used to acquire upgrades for Relics. Most artifact pieces can be found in rummage piles and are tradable with other players at the Trading Stations in the Central Stables. Though it should be noted that the few items in the Echo Store or treasure chests cannot be traded.
As for Relics, the ones in the Royal Highlands are acquired as you progress through the Main Story. Players receive the first tier of all four relics, each tied to one of the four Enfields. Once you’ve completed the Main Story, Eshelon guides players in restoring them to their full potential, which is now up to level 5.
List of Relics:
- Eloine’s Blessing – Increases the amount of echo gathered.
- Belafontine’s Blessing – Increased amount of non-echo materials gathered.
- Halward’s Blessing – Increases tool effectiveness.
- Amadeus’ Blessing – Increase the chance of receiving rare Highland-specific loot drops.
Mining & Foraging
Like with any new zone, the Royal Highlands also introduces new resources to mine and forage. On the mining front, players can now harvest Jadium. The Mining Guild Store is where you can find the recipe to make Jadium bars. The new zone also has Whitestone, iron, and gold to mine.
On the foraging side of things, players will notice the new Lantern Ash trees, which will provide Lantern Ashwood with the same requirements as Hardwood. These new trees can also drop seeds, which will allow players to grow them in their housing plots as well.
With the introduction of campfire cooking, players will also have access to four new campfire cooking ingredients to use, which all have certain effects. You can find the list below, with a description from the Palia patch notes:
- Dawnspur Lily – Once thought extinct, these golden lilies are known to be a favorite snack of the Dawnspur horse, and have returned to the Highlands along with them.
- Royal Heather – Unlike its commoner cousin, the Royal Heather blooms year-round. When made into tea it has a delicate, almost nostalgic flavor profile.
- Golden Fern – The Golden Fern has cleansing properties, known to remove pollutants from the air and from one’s body if mixed into tea. Perhaps its presence helps explain why Echo has not completely overrun the Highlands.
- Royal Wisteria – Royal Wisteria is toxic in all forms save one- when gathered at a specific time and specially prepared by drying over an open flame, the seeds can be used to make a delicious, if expensive, tea.
New Hunting Creatures & Insects
The creatures in the Royal Highlands have learned how to survive the Echo that has always been present in the zone. To do so, they wear masks and can summon a shield. Players will need to shoot the unshielded part of a creature to stun it, which causes the shield to break. However, if the player shoots the shield, it will break, and they will have a cooldown before they can shoot again.
This means that hunting in the Royal Highlands will require accuracy, but it will also push players to use different arrows, like the Dispel arrows, to get past shields. Additionally, this new huntable creature also means that new arrows are also in play with the Royal Arrow (instantly breaks Amber Crystals with one arrow) and the Tracker Arrow (trackes animals you hit with them).
The masks that the animals wear are also important to progressing through the Vaults. You can find a full list below:
- Pyroflow: (Red) – The most aggressive, with a shield in front. Creatures will charge at you—getting hit by a charge also blocks you from shooting for a couple of seconds.
- Hydroflow: (Blue) – These are shielded on their back and are prone to fleeing.
- Terraflow: (Green) – These stay down until the creatures are alerted. Once alerted, they create a 360-degree shield.
- Aeroflow: (Yellow) – Their shield turns on and off in a 360-degree sphere.
New Huntable Creatures: Jaackcat & Royal Sernuk
In addition to the masked animals, the Royal Highlands also adds a news creature called jaakcats. As you hunt them, you’ll be able to get new items and accomplishments (Jaaked, Halycon Hunter, Elemental Mastery). The Royal Sernuk is also one of the new additions this expansions, which is a varient of the existing Sernuk.
New Insects
- Enfield Moth
- Majordomo Enfield
Banshee Beetle - Shadvaraak Beetle
- Blue Crab
- King Crab
- Amber Mantis
- Jewelled Mantis
- Heartdrop Mantis
- Phoenix Moth
- Whispering Widow Moth
- Flame Queen
New Fish
- Enfield Eel
- Kestra Eel
- Amber Moray
- Dart Eel
- Highland Sturgeon
- Ragdoll Sturgeon
- Copper Sturgeon
- Muddy Manta
- Major Manta
- Heather Manta
- Fairy Manta
- Highland Swiftscale
- Lesser Snakehead
- Ooh Baracude
- Royal Betta
- Jade Koi
- Green Anchovy
- Charged Cadinal
- Highland Floatfish
New Housing Plot Additions
Aristocrat Set
The Aristocrat Set is designed to bring to life the high-class culture of the Enfield in the Royal Highlands.
Recipes for these items must be acquired primarily by purchasing them from Binnie or earning them through quest rewards. That said, the items from the set can be bought individually for gold from the Black Market or Tish’s Shop.
You can find the full list of the Aritstrocrate Set below, with the description of where to find them as shared by Palia’s dev team in the patch notes below:
- Aristocrat’s Shelf – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Rug – Acquired via quest “Tale of Two Binnies”
- Aristocrat’s Sconce – Acquired via quest “Rigging the Game”
- Aristocrat’s Mini Artwork – Acquired via quest “Fortuna Bound”
- Aristocrat’s Candelabra – Acquired via quest “Beauty Hurts”
- Aristocrat’s Big Artwork – Acquired via quest “Highland Home”
- Aristocrat’s Screen – Acquired via quest “Flame Wars”
- Aristocrat’s Drink – Cart Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Floor Lamp – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Dining Chair – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Chandelier – Acquired via quest “Stones Still Standing”
- Aristocrat’s Bookcase – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Cabinet – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Sofa – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Armchair – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Armoire – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Table – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Vase – Acquired via quest “Ancient Adaptation”
- Aristocrat’s End Table – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Vanity – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Vanity Stool – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Coffee Table – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Flower Vase – Acquired via quest “Canon Cannon”
- Aristocrat’s Floor Mirror – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Clock – Acquired via quest “First and Last”
- Aristocrat’s Birdcage – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Bed – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Secretary – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
- Aristocrat’s Bureau – Discovered in the Royal Highlands
Teatime Set
The Teamtime Set also captures the high-end focus of the Royal Highlands expansion. It also embraces the fact that the new recipes you get for campfire cooking are primarily teas. The Teatime set unlocks at Furniture Making Level 7 and can be purchased for 6,000 gold from the Furniture Making Guild Store.
You can find the full list of where to find each kit and how to purchase the furniture, as shared by the Palia team in the patch notes below:
- Teatime Pink Cup – Recipe Starter Kit | Acquired via purchase from Furniture Store
- Teatime Pink – Teapot Recipe Starter Kit | Acquired via purchase from Furniture Store
- Teatime Serving – Tray Recipe Starter Kit | Acquired via purchase from Furniture Store
- Teatime Tea Set – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Blue Cup – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Blue Teapot – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Table – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Chair – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Tea Tray – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Brewing Pot – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Pitcher – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Silver Glass – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teacup with Saucer – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Teeny Teacup – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Decanter – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Glass Teacup – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Glass Teapot – Crafted from Inspiration
- Teatime Flower Pot – Crafted from Inspiration
Other New Decor
Like with all of the updates and expansions, this one is no different and also features decor that doesn’t fit directly into one of the sets featured for the Royal Highlands. You can see the list of those decor elements and where to get them below:
- Jaakcat Plush – Rare drop from hunting Jaakcat
- Midnight Jaakcat Plush – Rare drop from hunting Jaakcat
- Hollow Jaakcat Plush – Rare drop from hunting Jaakcat
- Jaakcat Mounted Trophy Accomplishment Reward – Jaaked
- Highlands Shadowbox Accomplishment Reward – Highland Entymologist
- Royal Shadowbox Accomplishment Reward – Master Highland Entymologist
- Mounted Sturgeon Accomplishment Reward – Highland Angler
- Mounted Manta Accomplishment Reward – Master Highland Angler
- Highland Map Accomplishment Reward – Highland Riches
Ancient Home Line
Inspired by the ruins that you find in the Royal Highlands, you can live like an Ancient Human with the new Ancient Home line. The most important thing about this new home line is that it takes players to the second floor of their housing plot.
The Ancient Home Line is available through the new Lunar Path (Path of the Pony). Like other Home Lines, such as the Alchemist’s Cottage and Estate, the Ancient Home Line is fully compatible, letting you mix and match modules to create an abode that is completely your own.
A full list of the line is listed below:
- Ancient House – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Bay Window – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Balcony – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Awning – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Roof Connector – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar
- Path
- Ancient Wing Decoration – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Steps – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Dormer – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Window – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Railing – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Pillar – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Wooden Stairs (Left) – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
- Ancient Column – Recipe acquired via the Path of the Pony Lunar Path
The Long Ride Event
The final big thing that the Royal Highlands brings to players is a community event. In line with the other events that we’ve seen across each update and patch, The Long Ride Event is a limited-time event that will run from May 25, 2026, until June 1, 2026.
The event puts a spotlight on mounts, exploration of the new Adventure Zone, and collecting Amber Echo. Another community-wide collaboration, every meter a player rides mounted and every Amber Echo they gather counts toward a single shared goal: the Mount Multiplier. The more you ride and collect, the higher the number climbs. The multiplier is pretty simple to see, since it is the distance traveled on a mount that gets multiplied by the Amber Echo you collect along the way.
