This is the full, comprehensive Avalon manual. If you are new to Avalon, we recommend you tackle the online Introduction first. The manual here contains everything a player needs to know about Avalon. The number in brackets after the section title denotes number of sub-section entries. Enjoy!
| 1. | Introduction to Avalon | About life inside the game and basic character development. |
| 2. | Novicehood - The first steps | How to complete your novicehood and benefit greatly from the experience. |
| 3. | The Avalon World | An overview of the different areas of the world. |
| 4. | The Basic Command Set | Moving around, basic actions and learning skills within Avalon. |
| 5. | Communication | Talking to others in the game, through the bulletin board, and through the written word. |
| 6. | Your Avalon Character - Overview | Information on other parts of a character, from questing for gold to changing your alignment. |
| 7. | Your Avalon Character - Combat | How to guide your character through basis combat maneuvers. |
| 8. | Your Avalon Character - State of Health | Ensuring your character's physical and mental wellbeing as you progress. |
| 9. | Specifics of the Avalon Worldsystem | Information you should learn as to occurences unique within the Avalon system. |
| 10. | Items, Creatures and CCCs | Dealing with inanimate objects and sentient mobiles throughout the world. |
| 11. | The Guild and The Guildmaster | Learning about the importance of Guilds and duties within the land. |
| 12. | Geography - Overview, Cities and Curiosities | Discover a wealth of information on the various parts of the mainland continent. |
| 13. | Towns and Villages | Information about some of the major towns and villages scattered throughout the land. |
| 14. | The Avalon Professions | One day you must choose a binding and specialist profession, that will steer the rest of your mortal life. |
| 15. | The Avalon Guilds | Information about many of the guilds around the land. Much of your guild choice will be based on what is written herein. |
| 16. | Skills tied to Professions | Along with your basic skillset, you will be given the ability to further your development in several more specialist fields. |
| 17. | The Avalon Skills System | The individual skillsets and the relative abilities of each. |
| 18. | The City-State | Information about cities and the various posts your character may hold, from Justice to the sole city Prince. |
| 19. | Government and Governmental Commands | General command lists specific to Government officials and their aides. |
| 20. | Government Command Lists and Syntaxes | Commands specific to each individual government post. |
| 21. | Warfare in Avalon | War inside of the game, between guilds, cities and allied forces - all related information about the strain on resources is here. |
| 22. | Patronage and the Gods of Avalon | The Gods of Avalon, what they stand for and why you should consider joining an order. |
| 23. | History and Legend | Important events in the land, from times past. |
| 24. | Life and Events in Avalon; recent history | Recent times in the land, and events that have occurred over the last few months. |
| 25. | Miscellaneous Documentation | Non-character related information is here, from the Mentor system to various important quests that occur every few months. |
| 26. | Information - Tables and Lists | Various lists such as those characters who hold various important posts, nutritional information, and the divine gems available. |
| 27. | General Command Lists and Syntaxes | The various command lists concerning almost every general situation. |
| 28. | The Avalon Game Environment (Non-Role) | The various situations specific to Avalon, from quizzes to modem access. |
| 29. | Appendices and Extras | Other information not covered in the general help. |
About life inside the game and basic character development.
Avalon is not simply a game - it is involved to a level beyond mere 'game', and success at Avalon is not a matter of clever button pushing, or isolated linear progress. You will need all the talents which lead to success in real-life; communication, quick-thinking, insight, perseverance, passion and ability. The 'game' is founded on conflict and co-operation, its aim to be a forum for emotional clashes between bitter enemies, and alliances between beloved friends. A land of heroism and villainy, not a sugary safe environment for easy progress and emotionless character building.
There is no distinction in Avalon between role, and real. You will find the Gods especially are not interested in the neat distinction between in-character and out-of-character. There is no difference. Within Avalon, all is one - you choose to step into this world, and while you do so, you live by its laws. The most fundamental rule of Avalon is that all is fair and just, unless the Gods declare otherwise. You cannot simply step outside your character when things become difficult. You cannot shout unfair and expect restitution. Sometimes the land is violent and bloody, when the vicious blood-thirsty are pre-eminent, sometimes it is peaceful and safe, when the pacifists are more prevalent. The ebb and flow of Avalon is not a matter of design, but of evolution. No other gameworld can offer such freedom. Freedom to succeed and be great, but also freedom to be hurt and persecuted.
From the moment you enter Avalon at the lowly level of Newborn, you embark upon a journey into the imagination. Avalon is a Role-Playing World, a mythological environment in which you can develop your own character and interact with other real-life and imaginary beings. A continent of legends, both of the past and in the making, Avalon allows you to become part of an endlessly unfolding tale. Most importantly you play out your role alongside other real people, whose characters may help or hinder your progress through the land.
Every character in Avalon has freedom of choice in their actions. Each character forms a part of an evolving world. You may select a Guild for tutoring in skills, produce potions with alchemists of Mercinae or forge weapons in the smithies of Thakria. You may build your reputation and become a respected or feared member of society. All the while you are part of the unfolding history of a world in w hich you can play a major or even guiding part. Your journey is that of enlightenment, your quest to one day touch the divine.
There are a few things, though, that you should be aware of when entering the land of Avalon. It cannot be compared with any other computer game. The depth and complexity of Avalon is unrivalled. This level of game design has not been achieved without some sacrifice, unfortunately. Avalon can appear overwhelming at first, and it takes a typical player a few hours to become used to the style of game. It is no short-term game. It is the nature of the game that its appeal is lasting and durable, rather than a short-term buzz from flashy graphics and sounds.
Avalon is a charged game - credits are purchased by cheque or credit card as shown when you type CHARGES. A credit lasts for one hour via internet and modem. New accounts are always given five hours free play, to see whether they enjoy Avalon enough to consider paying to play. You can type CREDITS at any time to view your account status.
Avalon credits can be purchased by cheque, money order or postal order from:
P.O. Box 1107,
Sheffield,
S11 7YE
United Kingdom.
You cannot use a courier (Federal Express, UPS, etc.) to send mail to this address. If you wish to use one, please contact Apollo for an alternate address to send the payments to. We would be grateful if purchases could be made in pound sterling or U.S. dollars, though we accept all currencies. Please make cheques payable to Avalon. If you are paying via cheque, do not forget to write your character name on the reverse of the cheque. Credit card purchases, or queries regarding purchases, can be made via our Avalon support number in the United Kingdom on +44 1142 671671.
The first thing that you should attempt to do if new to Avalon is to come to familiarise yourself with those commands which tell you about the progress, abilities and skills of your character. You can type SCORE and STATUS to see your current status, DIVINITIES to show how the deities feel about you (they can give you their favour, or disfavour), INVENTORY to show what you are holding and wearing, and SKILLS to display your proficiencies in various areas. Type HELP SKILLS for more information. You begin y our life as a citizen of either Springdale, Thakria, Parrius or Mercinae. In addition you are a member of either the Academy (in Mercinae), the College (in Parrius), the University (in Springdale) or the Institute (in Thakria) through which you can learn and develop your skills. The Academy can be found on Singing Street, the University is on River Way, the College on Amber Street, and the Institute resides on Moonstone Crescent. Type HELP ACADEMY for information on this, your most immediate concern. The most important thing to remember is that other people will be very willing to help you. It may seem rather large and complex, but most people have been through that stage at one time and will be glad to aid you.
Dreams are undertaken mostly by those fairly new to Avalon, novices, new graduates, and apprentices in the guilds. There are dreams to be had detailing every major deity, all of the open professions, the four major cities, and further tours on Avalon's geography, its history, its ordinations and general advice. You may have as many or as few dreams as you like, though all are useful - each one lasts for, at most, five minutes.
Type DREAM OF followed by the tour you wish to take (as listed below) to begin a dream, e.g. DREAM OF MERCINAE to dream about the city of Mercinae.
Dreams of the Gods can be found about GENESIS, ALDARON, NOSTRADAMUS, APOLLO, CASTIGERE, ORTHWEIN, ANDROMEDA, MAGELLAN, MEPHISTO, DIABOLUS, ANNIHILUS, RHADAMANTHYS, XANTHE, PROTEUS and MAEDHROS.
Dreams of the Professions can be found about KNIGHT, MAGE, LOREMASTER, SEER, RANGER, DRUID, THIEF, SORCERER and BARD.
Dreams of the Cities can be found about MERCINAE, PARRIUS, SPRINGDALE and THAKRIA.
And general dreams can be found about GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ORDINATIONS and ADVICE.
Avalon is a mystical land before the age of humanity, when other strange and wonderful creatures walked through the great forests and valleys of the earth. Great cities exist, but beyond the stone walls of humans ancient forces of magic move through the land. Your objective is to experience life in Avalon, for only through experience and competence at your skills can you elevate your mortal spirit into the form of a deity and become one of the gods who hold the land in their sway. Material goods and items you will no doubt encounter, and many will help you in quests, though wealth is a poor substitute for the true essence of perseverence, skills and experience.
Avalon is a real time world. This means that as you are thinking and acting, events will continue to progress. You will be informed as and when things occur around your character; for example, when others perform actions in the same location as you.
You control your character by means of typed commands and each time Avalon is ready for a command, the prompt (a single dash) will appear. If your typing is interrupted by incoming messages, the prompt and any text you have entered so far will be temporarily deleted and then re-displayed afterwards. Avalon will execute your commands when you terminate them with a 'Carriage Return' or by pressing the 'Enter' key. Having entered a command, you will then receive a response to your action immediately.
Each action you perform in the land is interpreted as a command by Avalon. Many of these commands are simple verbs through which you instruct your character to move about and interact with others. Most commands take the form of <verb> <noun> <preposition> <noun>, although you will find that many vary quite considerably, depending upon their nature. Avalon understands a vast range of verbs. Should what you enter not be understood at first, it is often worth rephrasing your command in a more standard format. All commands can be entered in upper or lower case. Omit any THEs, ANDs or superfluous adjectives - Avalon does not need these.
Being combatative is by no means the only way to enjoy Avalon. There are guilds devoted entirely to pacifism, to the avoidance of combat, and even its prevention. The path of the pacifist is a more gradual one - because they do not fight, they do not ride the roller coaster of great victories and ignominious defeats. Pacifists or those who do not like combat tend to make excellent diplomats (pursuing positions such as Barony or Ministries of a city), or fine merchants. Traditionally the Animists, the Loremasters, the Alchemists, the Minstrels, and the Bards Guilds attract those who would prefer a peaceful lifestyle.
Since around 950 years after the Divine War, the god of life chose to exercise his divine right and formalise pacifism as an aid for the younger, more vulnerable or less belligerent mortals - or even for those who tire a while of battle and seek to rest and relax for a time. If you wish to choose pacifism for a while type CHOOSE PACIFISM to begin your thirty second prayer to the god of life for pacifist status. Pacifism lasts for around one year after you choose to adopt it. It will restrict your actions insofar as you will find it more difficult to interfere actively with combat between non-pacifists. Conversely, though, non-pacifists will find it almost impossibly difficult to harm you while pacifist and, unlike the temporary divine protection enjoyed after death, the pacifist protection cannot be broken by you until it melts away after new year and your experience gain is not inhibited at all. Type PW for a list of pacifists in your locale at any given time.
The Good Samaritan's role is simple - he is here to help. His job is customer service and support. He will help to guide all novices and those who have not yet established themselves in Avalon, and deal/report bugs and problems spotted by the established players. The Samaritan will bring all problems to the attention of the relevant person and will never turn away a player in need of help. The Samaritan is not a deity, and has no role. All may feel free to come to him for support. However, he is not obliged to give away secrets of Avalon or hold an established player's hand, nor will he aid one player to the detriment of another.
To talk to the Samaritan type SAMA followed by the text you wish to say, e.g. SAMA you are a friendly and helpful soul.
If you have any serious problems, you may call the Avalon Support Line, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach it, from within the United Kingdom on 0114-2671671, or from abroad on +44 1142-671671. If you do not receive an immediate answer, leave a message. It will be responded to.
Avalon is a World - it is not simply a selection of locations containing treasure and problems to overcome. It has inhabitants (of which you are, of course, one), cities, villages and wildlife. Even when you are not playing, there will be things going on, plots developing. To ensure that you enjoy as much as possible of this astounding world it is necessary for you to behave as if you WERE the character you are playing. To enjoy fully the complexity of Avalon you will have to treat your character as an extension of your own being - do with him/her what you would do in any particular situation. Rash actions in Avalon can have far reaching effects - there is no easy way of just going back to the beginning and starting again. As a few simple guide-lines; Try to respect the Gods, but never to rely on them. Choose a patron closest to your own personality and confide in him or her. Striking up friendships with your fellow guild members and city dwellers is important - there is safety in numbers. Perhaps, if you have time, you should check DREAM OF ADVICE for further hints on initial progress in the land.
Throughout the help system you will notice many words within < > brackets. These tend to follow on from actual commands referred to in capital letters. Avalon commands usually take the form <verb> <noun> and <preposition> and syntax examples throughout the help system are displayed in this format. Anything contained within < > brackets should be interpreted as 'any relevant word'. The syntax of the command GET, for instance, would be GET <object> - where in place of <object> you would type in the name of the object you wished to get.
SYNTAX EXAMPLES:
- look at dog
The dog is small and young. It is a mere pup.
- pat dog
You pat the dog in a friendly manner.
- get dagger from backpack
You retrieve the dagger from your back-pack.
- throw dagger at dog
You hurl your dagger at the dog.
It strikes true!
It is worth clarifying the distinction in Avalon between those who can be considered part of the cut-and-thrust of the land, and those still too young to have fully acclimatised themselves to the unique and sometimes extreme world they have stumbled into. Regardless of alignment, citizenship, divine belief, or guild, those youngsters must be treated with care and special attention. It is the duty of all Avalonians to give at least some thought to embellishing the early lives of the very young, and integrating them into whichever facet of the world you or they choose. Type LW or LITTLEWHO to see a list of those that the Gods consider part of this 'youngster' category.
In practice, what this distinction should affect, in all cases, is the manner of treatment of the youngsters. Grand gestures, lucid explanation of your motivations and reasons behind your actions, especially if you are an enemy to their chosen path. A powerful sorcerer has every right to scare a young mage, but should do so with maximum drama and be conscious not to overwhelm. There comes a point, reasonably early in every Avalon player's career that they cross the line between roaming around unsure of their surroundings and their future, and being set on their chosen path in the land. Be aware of that distinction. Nurture the young, it is the duty of all Avalonians, because when they reach adulthood, they will come to realise that in Avalon, there is no safe path.
Avalon has a complete economic system, designed to reflect a real world economy (although in miniature). The system can be simplified into two tiers; production of useable raw materials, and the fashioning of the finished products. Both tiers can be carried out entirely by computer controlled characters, though for the most part it is in the hands of the mortals and their gods.
Raw material production takes the form of two skills; that of Farming, which is growing or obtaining the raw materials, or commodities, through growing, or caring for the land and its natrual inhabitants. The other skill, that of labours, deals with the production of the commodities through industrial style processes - mining, drilling, mixing and burning. Both of the skills are long and tiresome to do, but they need to be done. The raw materials thus have value according to their usefulness in finished products, their scarcity, and the effort required to produce them.
Currency will be mintable by individuals for cities and guilds. The value of currency will be determined by its value in trade, in procuring the raw materials and acting in place of barter. At the moment, the currency is the gold piece, this is however a baseline, just like the gold standard used to be the base for various real-world currencies, from which cities and guilds will be able to deviate. Finished products will therefore reflect real values, and city economies and guild or individual wealth will have meaning in terms their currencies, or commodity wealth.
The most infuriating problem with the internet is overloaded connections leading to slow, lag-ridden response. Though for the most part the extent of lag you will experience at any given time is beyond our control we have set up other Points of Presence in North America and Europe, each on different parts of the internet, to give you a number of alternatives should you experience unacceptable lag. See HELP POPS for a current list.
We will be expanding the number of Points of Presence to give more alternatives as suitable sites are found. Remember also that the internet is an unpredictable and disorderly beast and often the Point of Presence which is nearest to you in distance is the most lag-ridden due to sagging networks in between - so try all the Points of Presence.
How to complete your novicehood and benefit greatly from the experience.
You gain the basic set of five skills as soon as you create a character on Avalon. They can be developed as fully as you wish throughout your Avalon lifetime.
Fisticuffs is a skill used during a fight to determine how effective you are at hand to hand combat. It is used when evaluating your chance of striking, and the accuracy of your blow. Fisticuffs are often used to settle minor arguments with the two protag onists rolling down their sleeves and commencing an honourable fist fight. Usually the winner is the first person to knock the other unconscious - you are much less likely to slay somebody using Fisticuffs than with Swordplay.
Scholarship is the skill of linguistics, writing, and general academic pursuits. It includes abilities to extend herbalism and poison lore, control your mind, and eventually even imposing your will on others. Since Scholarship is one of your basic skills, you would be better advised to advance in your specialist guild skills before learning the scholastic ways.
Defence is a skill used during a fight to determine your agility, and ability to dodge an incoming blow. It can be roughly translated as your speed of reaction in a combat situation. It is used against both Fisticuffs and Swordplay. Defence is improved by getting yourself into fights and many young players enjoy battling with wolves and young goblins to improve their defence before engaging some of the more potent of enemies.
Constitution is your ability to resist and defend against most forms of magical attack. Many of the guilds use enchantment as their prime means of attack and you will need to develop good constitution in order to withstand their offensives. Each time you develop constitution, you will become slightly more resistant to attack, and magical spells will do just that little bit less damage against you.
Perception deals with your ability to see things which happen very quickly, or which are hidden. It comes into play when you attempt to see hidden people or items, or when trying to follow somebody. In short, it determines how aware you are of your changing surroundings. It is an aid to almost every guild-specific ability.
During your first five free hours access to Avalon, you will be considered a novice. In practical terms this means that you cannot access the Bulletin Board, you cannot involve yourself in elections, join a specialist guild or choose a patron. These restrictions have been introduced in order that you think carefully about your character's progression (particularly in terms of a guild) before making a choice. You can spend your five hours in any way that pleases you, the Academy of Mercinae, the College of Parrius or the Institute of Thakria are essential places to learn a basic core of skills. You will have to perform eight accolade quests to end your novicehood. Type HELP ACADEMY for information crucial to your young character's development and HELP ACCOLADES for details on graduating from novicehood.
The autoguide is a facility provided for all those new to Avalon - to lead them through a brief introduction, join them to an Academy, complete the eight accolades, and then give a final welcome to the land. Autoguide is offered to all new players and requires periodic response from the novice - such as a nod, or some actions. If you aim to give help to a novice, allow them to carry through the autoguide so that they gain an inkling of the land, offering regular advice but steering clear of interfering too much. Should you feel the autoguide insufficient, then ask the novice to type REFUSE, and the automatic guide will depart, allowing you to interact with the novice in peace.
All newly born adventurers in Avalon begin life with only an insubstantial taste of the skills which they might one day learn. The Academies are charitable institutions set up by city councils that invite all novices to join so that they may be trained in a few more of the basic adventuring skills. Indeed, before you can progress to a fully-fledged guild you must have graduated from an Academy of some sort. This means that you must acquire a level of competency sufficient to warrant your progression to a more specialised guild.
The Academies are generally to be found not more than a few steps away from the centre of a city. Mercinae's Academy is the oldest of all, while Thakria's Institute and Parrius' College are more recent constructions, and Springdale's University is the most recent of them all, though none are no less respected. Each has a variety of tutors, all of whom are well-versed in the basic skills, and all of whom are willing to provide lessons and guides at any hour of the day or night. Membership and teaching within these halls of learning is absolutely free, a far-sighted move on the part of the city Councils who are keen to encourage excellence among their citizens, in order that the glory of their city as a whole may be furthered.
The time you spend within an Academy before you come to graduate is a crucial one. You are well advised to spend time thinking about the possible future for your character; where your goals are to lie. Soon you will have graduated and it is better to have decided early on which guild you would prefer to take a look at, rather than dallying about aimlessly. During this important stopgap, discuss matters of a future guild with as many people as you can so that when the time comes to decide, you have already eliminated those that you feel are not appropriate for your character. You should also be aware of the dreams - type HELP DREAMS for further information.
Upon creation of a newborn character in Avalon, you will find yourself born in either the northern city of Thakria, the eastern city of Parrius, the central city of Springdale, or the southern counterpart Mercinae. All cities boast fine learning centres where you will learn a core of skills. It is essential to join either the Academy of Mercinae, the College of Parrius, the University of Springdale, or the Institute of Thakria during your novicehood regardless of whether you wish to learn there - the mere act of joining gives you the core skills. See also HELP ACADEMIES for further information.
Once you join one of the three academic institutions, you will gain five more basic skills. It is essential that you graduate from an academy or you will miss out on the crucial core skills. Make sure that you know the whereabouts of your local academic institution, since it provides not only skills, but tutors and safety from the dangerous world about you.
You gain the following skills upon joining the Academy:
Riding Swordplay Itemlore Survival Throwing
Accolades are quests of valour and adventure bestowed upon novices who have yet to graduate from their academy. They are given out by the respective heads of the academies, Pandion of Thakria, Sevenius of Mercinae, Kern of Springdale or the Walrus of Parrius. To gain an accolade in the presence of one of these three, type REQUEST. Should you choose to accept the accolade quest, type ACCEPT. Otherwise wait for twenty seconds and request another. You can type ACCOLADES at any time to review accolades gained.
Once you have been given an accolade or honour quest, you must perform it, return to the person who gave it you and type SUCCESS. Assuming you have been successful, you will be given the associated accolade or honour. At any time during the quest you may type ACADEMY to return directly to your academic master, and then ADMIT FAILURE to cast aside the quest as too difficult. Should you forget the words of your quest-master, you can type REMEMBER and they will be repeated to you wherever you are.
Although the Guildmaster of a guild can enroll you in his or her guild, it is often not possible or convenient to find the Master and hence one of their minions must do. You can enrol yourself in a guild (or at least gain some information about it) by finding one associated with the guild and greeting them or by searching out the guild's patron deity. You may also attempt to locate the door to the guild, and type KNOCK; the guild tutor if they are feeling friendly will come out and help you. Typing SURVEY will show if you are standing on the doorstep of any guild. Type HELP GUILDS for a list of guilds, guildmasters and guild patrons and HELP RECRUITMENT to review the guilds actively recruiting new members.
Your stature within your guild is as important as in any another situation. When you are first admitted to a guild you will find yourself under an apprenticeship. This will change as and when you and the Guildmaster are both fully sure of what the guild and your character have to offer one another. Beyond your apprenticeship, you will become an ordinary guildmember, whereupon you may learn of all the skills that the guild offers you with no obligation to do any more than defend and uphold its prime interests. Apprenticeship is ended by joint agreement between the guildmaster and the apprentice. While you remain an apprentice you will not assume the profession of the guild and will be free to QUIT GUILD and choose another (losing that guild's skills but gaining those of another). However, once you chose to end your apprenticeship, you will gain the profession of the guild and will thenceforward only be able to join guilds associated with that profession. When a non-apprentice quits his guild, he may retain the skills he has developed.
Most citizens of the Cities of Mercinae, Parrius, Springdale or Thakria, of which you will probably become one, chose a profession. A profession is not binding on you, but simply indicates which area of personal development you will tend towards. It affects the skills you possess and their advancement. Type HELP followed by the profession to gain help on specific professions:
KNIGHTS MAGES SORCERERS ANIMISTS RANGERS ASTROLOGERS SEERS ALCHEMISTS ARTISANS BARDS LOREMASTERS CAVALIERS ENCHANTERS WARLOCKS WIZARDS PALADINS WARRIORS MYSTICS BANDITS PROPHETS
An overview of the different areas of the world.
The form of a city is simple in theory and complex in reality. The most common form that a city takes is that of a democracy, where the head of a city is its royal patron, a figurehead role. They however delegate repsonsibility to the City Council who run the city. The true leader of the city is the Prince, chosen by of all chosen Barons. The Prince is the source of all appointments within the city (Barons aside), and without an effective Prince, a city is crippled. The Prince must be a strong personality, to pull a city together and keep its morale high. Barons, who chose the Prince and therefore control appointments and the government, are usually elected by universal suffrage of all citizens. Often, the cities are democracies, whilst the villages and towns are dictatorships, with their leaders appointed by the gods.
Four major cities grace the Avalonian continent, larger by far than any of the villages or towns. This urban foursome is formed out of the royal cities of Mercinae, Thakria, Springdale and Parrius. The cities are guarded by mighty gates which are often closed during times of crisis to prevent intruders or invasion. The cities (and indeed some of the towns and villages) possess a potent military to defend their interiors - if you, for some reason, find yourself an enemy of one of the great cities, you should take great care when entering their walls or you may find yourself attacked and slain by its avenging troops. Ultimate responsibility for the military and for opening and shutting the city gates lies with the leaders of the city.
Mercinae lies under the patronage of the god of light, and is a city devoted to stern morality and honour. Their governing Barons have remained essentially peaceful and yet reflective of Mercinae's greatest strength - the ability to fight like lions when pushed into a test of its morality. Mercinae plays host to all the Gods, bar those that would bring darkness upon them. It is built around the banks of the river Leithe and its main park, known as Park Elienna, pin-points its centre with its glorious expanse of unspoilt woodland. Mercinae has its life-long enemies, however, and as a precautionary measure it has erected an impenetrable wall around its entire body, accessible only from its eastern and northern gates.
Thakria stands proudly on the banks of the Moonstone Lake, in the far northwest of the continent, under the royal command of Emperor Periam. It thrives gleefully on both scrupulous trade and less-than-honest plunder from all around. It boasts fabulous architectural edifices and its lakeside promenade, whose high-class establishments offer expensive goods to those that can afford them. Thakria however can only be approached by the dangerous route past the Goblin City and the Darkened Forests. Nonetheless it remains a magnet for those that seek to dominate, and those that lust after the knowledge which brings power.
Parrius is a cityport that lies on the far-eastern shores of the continent. It is a great economic power and strongly militaristic. Its citizens are fiercely loyal to Parrian independence. A strong sea-faring tradition made the goddess of the sea Parrius' first patron, though its monarchic figurehead is Lady Augustine, daughter of the First Mariner. Parrius' primary concern is its trading and indeed it is centred around large dockyards, thriving on the constant sea voyages that its citizens undertake. Parrius draws to it the explorers, the brave-hearted adventurers who will risk all for the sake of glory and broadening of knowledge. It is approached from the long but relatively safe eastern road from Mercinae.
Under the patronage of Andromeda, goddess of dreams, the little town of Springdale has emerged as one of the major cities of the land. In recognition of its growth and economic emergence, the town was renamed Springdale at the request of its patron. Though Springdale remains smaller than the three major cities, its citizens are strongly loyal to their town and their goddess - almost all hold Andromeda as their patron. Springdale tends to be apolitical, and opts out of the diplomacy and interaction between the other major cities. Rarely is it the target of invasion or war and those seeking a quiet life under the watchful eye of the goddess of dreams may wish to seek out the Barons of Springdale and attempt to join its ranks.
Typing DIVINITIES will list the feelings of the various deities towards you. In addition to patronage, deities may express their current feelings towards you in three basic ways. All begin with neutrality towards you, either through being unaware of your progress or uninterested. However, should you perform a worthy deed which greatly pleases a divinity, you may be lucky enough to receive their divine favour. The favour of one of the Gods is a great possession, enabling you to call upon them to aid you in times of crisis. Favour augments the might of your skills which are linked to the realm controlled by the Deity, while disfavour will hinder you and should you hold favour for a long enough period you will gain a great boost in your experience.
Conversely, a mortal who is cursed with the disfavour of a God is unlucky indeed. This means that you have displeased a God to the extent that he or she has declared their desire to hinder your progress. The extent of the disfavour will be under the control of the deities themselves, but a mortal should always seek to regain at least neutrality or pay the consequences of the wrath of an immortal. Should you find yourself cursed with disfavour for a long enough period of time, though, you will find lose a great deal of experience.
After taking a complete ride on the Ship of Death, your character will be under Divine Protection. This means that though you will be subject to damage from attack, you will be resurrected instantly, at no experience loss to yourself when slain - the Gods do not wish to see anybody unfairly victimised or slain over and over again by some sadistic enemy. Bear in mind though that you will gain no experience through combat, or watching combat while protected, either. While in Avalon, you can type PROTECTED to see a list of players on the game at any given time who are under divine protection; they are not worth attacking. Divine protection, you should also know, is invalidated the moment you commit an offensive or potentially offensive move. Thus you must remain entirely pacifist and somewhat passive to retain protection. Protection is very important and very helpful, particularly when you are young - make use of it when you need it. Those of the level of Ordainable do not gain divine protection, and all characters are stripped of divine protection every New Years Day (1st of Midwinter).
One of the great strengths of Avalon is the freedom your character has to assemble as many personal items as he or she wishes. This means that each time you suspend your play of Avalon, you need not worry about your personal belongings being discovered or even stolen in your absence, because everything that is in your hands or everything that is worn by you at the end of each Avalon session will stay with you until given away or worn out by the ravages of time. The more obscure and rare artefacts that are to be found do not usually fall in to this category, however. Day-to-day essentials such as keys, clothing, armour, weapons, and so on, are yours to keep. When you examine an item, the words "It belongs to you" will follow its description if it is your possession. Items purchased from shops will usually be yours to keep.
Avalon has a number of different types of items. Those items which can belong to players are known as personal items. They remain with you until they wear out. Personal items can either be the product of commodities, or the creation of the Gods. Divine items last until specifically destroyed. In addition to personal and divine items, there are circular and quest items. Circular items cannot be owned by any individual, but can be stored in safe places and are usually associated with some great quest or power. Quest items are under the domain of the Gods and are used to test the mettle of the mortals. They cannot be stored or kept, and return to their place of origin every so often.
Avalon, unlike most of the other Multi-User Games, is not based purely around score. It has a complex system of levels which you ascend by simply experiencing the world. Many have difficulty grasping the fact that in Avalon you gain points by just wanderi ng around and looking at things evolve. It is likely that your ultimate aim will be to progress to the divine status of God. You must realise that God is not simply a level obtainable by gaining an enormous amount of experience. Reaching God must be done via much hardship and quests; Gods have nearly limitless power of creation and destruction and the obtaining of this power must reflect this important responsibility.
To reach God you must progress all of the mortal levels. They start at Newborn and end at Avalonian. As a rough guide-line, once you reach the level of Indefatigable you are doing rather well! Eventually you reach Avalonian where progression depends on your interactive skills, time spent with others and group quests. Beyond Avalonian lies the very final mortal level, that of Ordainable. Once you are of the level of Ordainable you are physically ready to transcend mortality. All that remains is for you to collect the fifteen gemstones, a quest which is detailed in HELP ORDINATION.
Newborns to Avalon begin their adult lives naked and penniless. This conforms to the concept that everybody begins equal. The first thing that you may wish to do is to equip yourself with a basic outfit - clothes, a cheap weapon, a back-pack and some shoes. Clothes are particularly important as protection against the weather. While novices are protected by a divine aura and cannot feel the cold, non-novices must purchase clothing to cover themselves and keep themselves warm. For those who begin in Mercinae, the place to go for clothes is in and around the Cassiandora Square marketplace, just west of the knoll where you start. In Parrius you must travel a little further, to Chapman's Square. From Hellespont Square you should walk north three times, northeast twice, north three times again, northwest, and then north. In Thakria you begin your adventures in the central park. From the pond you must walk south four times, southwest, then west four times to arrive at the square, whilst in Springdale, the majority of the shops lie around Springdale Square where you begin.
An important thing to remember when playing Avalon is that instead of simply dropping all your treasure when you QUIT, many objects (including all weapons, and goods you buy from the many shops) will in fact stay on your person. When you next enter Avalon, in exactly the same place as when you departed, you will still own these objects. You will be able to tell whether an item can be owned when you EXAMINE it - at the end of its description will appear the words "It belongs to you". Many people use this facility to its full potential, commissioning mighty weapons from the town smiths and keeping their weapon (for which they would have paid much gold) each time they play.
The complexity and depth of the skills system is a facet of Avalon which sets it apart from other games. Every profession has a multitude of skills and abilities and your skills will be the single-most important reflection of your character's development. A skill is your personal knowledge of a specific art that you have chosen to learn and become proficient in. They range from the commonplace skill of riding horses, to the celestial qualities of Far Sight or magical runes.
All newborn adventurers begin with the basic skills of Fisticuffs, Defence, Riding, Constitution and Perception. Joining an Academy will provide you with five more; Swordplay, Survival, Scholarship, Throwing, and Itemlore. To gain a list of your skills at any time type SKILLS. This will also inform you of the level of proficiency you have attained. You can type ABILITIES (or AB) followed by a skill to gain a list of the special abilities you have attained because of development in a particular skill. Type HELP SKILLRANKS for a list of skill levels, and HELP <skill name> for detailed information on any of the skills you possess. You can also find out the extent of your progress between skill levels by consulting one of the three oracles of the land - the oracle of the Greenwood in the Room of Stars near Mercinae, the oracle of the Tavern in the Halfway Tavern near Parrius, or Telamon, the Priest of Greeny's Edge near Thakria. To consult an oracle type ASK ORACLE followed by the skill you wish to enquire about, for example, ASK ORACLE SWORDPLAY.
You are able to teach a skill to anybody else who satisfies the requirements of a basic knowledge of the skill, and being of a lower competency than you. Equally, you can learn a skill from anybody who has a higher knowledge than you do. It is not possible to teach skills to those who do not already possess it; they simply do not have the basic grounding necessary to begin to understand you. The only way to gain skills is to join guilds or perform specific quests where you may come into contact with 'brilliant' teachers who will be able to instruct you regardless of your profession.
Most guilds have two or three primary skills. These skills can be developed to the highest level without penalty since they are directly associated with their profession. Many guilds boast secondary skills which can only be learnt to lower levels. You will know when you have reached the limit of your progression in any skill by the fact that it is preceeded by "---->" in your SKILLS list. Specialist non-guild skills cannot be gained exception through extra ordinary circumstances such as divine intervention.
Every character possesses a number of general and specialist abilities called skills. These skills determine your prowess and areas of expertise. The following help files should be perused:
SKILLRANKS Lists the Avalon skill ranks. TEACHING Help on the process and rewards of teaching. LEARNING Help on the method of learning. SLEEPLEARN Information on gaining lessons while not in Avalon. GUILDS Lists guilds - sources of specialist skills.
SKILLS To gain a list of your skills and abilities. LEARN <skill> FROM <tutor> To initiate a lesson with a tutor. TEACH <skill> TO <pupil> Offers to teach one less skilled.
Do you need advice at this stage in your Avalon career? Why not dream for it, type DREAM OF ADVICE and see what spirits the Gods deign to send you to aid you in your plight.
Gold pieces are the principle currency of the human cities and towns of Avalon, and you will no doubt build up a small fortune in your adventures. They are useful for many things, especially the purchase of essential goods such as food and armour from shops. However, any gold you carry is vulnerable to loss, so banking excess monies is always advisable. Eventually you may amass sufficient funds to invest in a steed, a house or even establish your own shop or service. This remains in your hands, for Avalon is open to development and contribution from every player in the land; an important area which is little developed by most Avalonians, the scope for individual contribution to the landscape is vast and the Gods are quite want to turn their divine hands to regular bouts of creation.
The first line of a location's description will always be a brief indication of where you stand. A comprehensive description of the location will then follow, along with any creatures, people or items that may be there with you. The longer description of a location can be turned off and back on with the BRIEF and VERBOSE commands respectively.
You will find it easier to type BRIEF when you simply wish to move about as each location will be reduced to the one-line description. Conversely, you will want to look at the VERBOSE descriptions in more detail whenever you feel you are at a pivotal junc ture in your adventuring, or when you are stuck for some clues that will take you further. The lengthy descriptions tend to be very atmospheric - going immediately to BRIEF descriptions sacrifices much of the flavour and depth of the land.
- glance
Meeting place.
- look
Meeting place. [<--- Brief description]
Here the wood opens out into a clearing, the only exit lying to the north... from an opening in the trees far above, warm sunlight streams down into the secluded glade, lighting a mossy stone plinth in the centre. Around the circular plinth are spaced several squat tree stumps, polished smooth by the passage of ages past. There is a serene tranquillity about this place which lifts the cares of the land from your shoulders like a blessing from the Gods. But the merest draught shifts in the warm air. A warm breeze wafts over you and the heavens are free of cloud. You notice a single exit, to the north. [<--- Verbose description]
Should you come across a locked door you will, of course, need the correct key with which to unlock it. Typing OPEN DOOR <direction> will attempt to open it without a key; if you own the necessary key then UNLOCK DOOR <direction> will both unlock the door and open it for you. You will then be able to pass through without further ado, and perhaps LOCK the door behind you.
While journeying about the land of Avalon, you should make a point of visiting some of the famous taverns and inns which break up the travels of many a thirsty individual. Mercinae boasts the Moon Inn, and the Slumbering Serpent Tavern, Parrius has The Seagull Inn, while Thakria plays host to Perambule's Tavern in the Old Quarter and the Fugitive's Rest. In the villages you will find the Silver Hind Tavern of Ariadne and the Land's Edge Tavern in Astrea's Delta of great interest. The barman in the inn of Eastpoint is renowned for his lively sense of humour and witty badinage, while the taverns of Greeny's Edge flow to the ale of Argemis, their local brewer.
Wagons and carts and the like are essential for rapid and safe transport of bulky items or large numbers of commodities. You can procure a wagon or a cart from most good marketplaces.
LOAD <cart> WITH <commodity>
To commence reasonably quick loading of the specified commodity into your cart. A nice and efficient method of loading up a large quantity of any commodity.
UNLOAD <commodity> FROM <cart>
Unloads at a reasonable pace the specified commodity from your cart and places it upon the ground.
WHEEL <cart>
Takes hold of the specified cart, guards it from being loaded or unloaded by any not on your friends list, and trundles the specified cart along with you when you move about.
RELEASE <cart>
Lets go your hold on the specified cart and moves you away from it so you are no longer guarding it against non-friends.
Furnaces and forges are useful for smelting ores and ingots and in the forging/pounding of armour and weapons. Furnaces need to be filled with oil or wood to fuel their fires. To do this type STOKE FURNACE WITH followed by the name of the fuel you wish to use. Once you have sufficient fuel in your furnace type LIGHT FURNACE (you will need to be holding some source of fire to ignite it) and the furnace should be lit. Keep it stocked up with fuel to prevent it from losing its heat.
In Mercinae, along Moon Street, you will find the famed Houses of Healing. In the Room of Beds just inside, you may find healing and comfortable sleep at any time, be it day or night. The Houses also offer companion healers to those willing to sacrifice s ufficient gold to the healing coffers. Simply enter the Houses and type BUY HEALER. If they have any healers available (which they generally do), one will emerge and follow you around. You should type LEAD HEALER to lead the fellow with you. Then, when in battle or when set upon, you will be able to give gold to the healer and gain immediate healing. Type BUY HEALING followed by the amount of health you wish healed, or BUY HEALING TOTAL to buy enough healing to restore all of your health loss.
Forts are purchased by cities and rich villages to protect their citizens from enemies. They are very powerful, and can strike down an enemy almost as soon as they have set foot in the location of the fort. A well protected city may have forts in all major locations in the city. Forts cost a city twenty thousand pieces of gold to erect, and a further thousand pieces of gold per Avalon month to maintain. Defence comes with a price. Forts are built upon the milestones of a city. They are large enough that they can impede the progress of legions, rituals and various other things.
Battles between cities and villages take place between individuals, sometimes, but most importantly, between legions of assembled troops. Legions are large numbers of soldiers which, together, form groups large enough to defend or besiege battlements. Battles between legions cannot be effected by any action performed by an individual player, save reinforcing or retreating troops. The art of legion battles is distinct, and it is a clever tactician can easily make the difference in a large-scale war. Legions can be formed of footsoldiers, archers or cavalry. A battle between two equally matched full legions can take up to half an Avalon day to complete. Techniques in battle such as using two large legions to fight a larger, more powerful legion (therefore assaulting it from two directions) can be very effective and any military leader worth his salt will ensure that he has given ample consideration to the possibilities and tactics to employ should war break out. You are not usually expected to know, or deal with legions unless specifically designated this responsibility by the Field Marshall, so do not worry too much if you see them around the land until you grow older and understand what they can do. Novices, and the young are respected by all the cities and the majority of their citizens as young, and out of the politics that dominates the land.
Moving around, basic actions and learning skills within Avalon.
Each verbose description of a location is accompanied by a series of exits through which you may pass to another adjacent location. Each of these exits are principally described by the standard eight points of a compass: north, east, southwest and so forth. Type EXITS or X at any stage to gain a separate list of available exits. Other possible exits include up, down, in and out, and in some circumstances you may also ENTER and LEAVE certain things (such as a waiting ferry-boat for example). All of these may be abbreviated to N for north, SE for southeast, O for out, etc. There may come an occasion when you find yourself unable to move, if you are restrained by a magical web or hypnotised by a rune of fascination, for instance. In these case you should type STRUGGLE to free yourself, then attempt to move. Struggling automatically attempts to shake free of whatever is constraining your movement.
There are other methods of moving about while you are inside something. While within a canoe or a coach, you may steer it about if you are the driver. To do this type STEER followed by the direction you wish to go in. Equally while swimming a river or a lake, you will have to move by typing SWIM followed by the direction you wish to swim in. Ability to swim is dependent on your Survival skill.
In addition to moving via the typical compass directions, there are three other common ways to move around. You may CLIMB things, such as trees or rope ladders. You can ENTER things - particularly useful when you have discovered a secret passage or when you wish to climb aboard a stage-coach or a ferry. Remember that often coaches and ferries cost gold to board. After you have entered a vehicle or container, you will usually have to type LEAVE to get yourself out. The Springdale ferry which runs from Mercinae to Springdale, the stage-coach, which runs in Kristanisti, and the Thakrian ferry, charge between five and ten gold coins to carry passengers.
At any time you may have a look at what you are carrying through the use of the INVENTORY command - typing I by itself will suffice. Not only will this list the items that you are carrying around with you, it will also show you what garments or what armour you are wearing, if any, and what you are wielding in your hands. You will find yourself encumbered by items you hold that you are not wearing, and characters are limited to a certain number and weight of items before they find themselves over-laden and dropping their possessions. You can also type INFO INV and INFO WEARING to gain a list of items held and items worn, together with their Avalon numbers (for the more advanced player).
Anything that is within your inventory may be given away, if you so wish it. To hand over one of your possessions to another character you must type GIVE <item> TO <player/creature>. Items can also be stored away and retrieved from containers such as a backpack or a strong-box through PUT <item> IN <container>, and GET <item> FROM <container>. It is far safer to hold a valuable item inside a backpack or a locked box since thieves and vagabonds will find it harder to steal from you.
Throughout the land you will find a variety of objects and artefacts. With each one you may take it, scrutinise it, poke it, drop it, or do whatever you please with it. Learning the item manipulation commands is essential. They are not complicated, or numerous, and they are detailed in this section.
To take an object you must type GET <item>. Assuming it is not too heavy or bulky to be carried, it will now be a part of your current possessions. If you wish to take all of a certain item from the room, type GET ALL <item>. GET ALL KEY, for instance, would take all the keys from the location. To discard an item type DROP <item>. To discard all of a specific type of item, type DROP ALL <item>. DROP ALL KEY, for instance, would drop all the keys you are holding on the ground.
Dealing with objects is a very important area of knowledge and you should familiarise yourself quickly with the various object manipulation commands. If, when you examine an item, you see the words "It belongs to you" at the end of the description, you should know that that item will remain with you even when you are not playing Avalon. It will be owned by you.
INVENTORY - Lists all items, and gold you are holding. INFO INVENTORY - Lists all items you hold and their item codes. INFO INSIDE <item> - To review items inside another item. INFO ALL <item> - List all items you hold of a specific type. QI - Quick inventory of items you hold. KEYLIST - Lists all the keys you are holding. GET <item> - Picks up an item from the ground. EXAMINE <item> - Examines specific items more closely. INFO <item> - Gives extra-Avalon information on an item. DROP <item> - Drops an item from inventory to the ground. SPLIT <item> - Splits large commodities in half. BUNDLE <item> - To bundle up a commodity into one item. PUT <item> IN <item> - Puts items from one place to another. PUT <number> GOLD... - Put gold inside containers. See HELP GOLD. GET <number> GOLD... - Gets gold from containers. See HELP GOLD. READ <item> - Reads items, such as books and scrolls. OPEN <item> - Open an item (providing it can be opened). CLOSE <item> - Closes a specific item. LOCK <item> - Locks an item (providing you have the key). UNLOCK <item> - Unlocks specific items (providing you own the key). GIVE <item> TO <ply> - Hands an item to a player or creature. WRITE <item> - Begins writing on a suitable item. See HELP WRITING.
To remind yourself of your present location, the LOOK command will redisplay it in full (whether you have typed BRIEF or not). You will undoubtedly find this useful when you find yourself in what you consider a significant location as it will give you a more thorough picture of your surroundings. You may also type WEATHER to assess the current weather conditions and how much clothing would be required to keep warm, TIME to find out the time of day, and DATE to discover the current Avalon date. Should you want to see just the shorter description, as you would get in BRIEF mode, then you need only GLANCE (GL for short) and it will be displayed to you. This command has another use in that it can be used directionally. In other words you may throw your glance into an adjacent location, without actually moving from your current position. To do this type GLANCE <direction>. As for those that have the perceptive ability, they may SQUINT in a specific direction. Similar to the GLANCE command, SQUINT (SQ for short) will attempt to look along your specified direction for as many locations away as you are able. This obviously has its uses should you want to check what lies upon the road ahead. You should also be aware that on occasion, being able to look and glance is undesirable and you may wish to type SHUT EYES to close your eyes and see nothing. It is up to you to discover situations where blindness is an asset rather than a hindrance.
When you type SCORE, you are told of your character name and highest level attainment. What follows, however, is your actual level, your level in real terms represented as a percentage of the experience required for the next one. This gives you a better idea of where you stand should you have suffered a mishap in your adventuring. Your level is only a rough indication of your experience and physical might combined, and it will take progressively longer to move to the next. When you are slain, you will doubtless lose some of the experiences you have gained, and if you drop down experience level, your health and mana potentials will fall. As you gain in level, it will become more and more difficult to gain experience from routine quests or exploration. To aid those who have died, however, quest and exploration performance is judged upon your present level, rather than your highest level thereby allowing you to regain lost experience at a faster rate. Listed after details of your experience level and actual level are various items of information, amongst which are your citizenship, your profession and guild, your financial status (represented by your wealth in gold pieces), and your tax situation, all of which are discussed in more detail in later areas of the help system.
Alongside your experience and your score sheet you will discover that typing STATUS reveals a great deal of information that you will find pertinent to your day-to-day life. It details those civilisations that consider you an enemy, your levels of hunger and tiredness, level of breathing and bleeding. Status will also inform you of how well clothed you are - something you need not worry about while you are young. It also reminds you how many lessons you may learn in any of your skills before becoming saturated, and the status of your character due to excessive death.
[---> Example of the status command]
- status
You are a citizen of Thakria.
The City of Mercinae considers you an enemy.
You are an enemy of The Forest of the Greenwood.
You are not bleeding, breathing perfectly well, wide awake and not hungry.
Your alignment is Good.
You are unclothed. The weather is warm and uncomfortable.
You will be able to absorb 12 more lessons become becoming saturated.
You are blessed with ten safe encounters with Death.
There are a number of ways to see who is playing Avalon unconcealed on the same part of the continent as you.
WHO Gives a full list of who is around with innersight effects if any. QW Gives a full list of who is around without innersight. BW Brief paragraph listing all those who are around. LW List those whom the gods consider young and inexperienced. NNW Shows only novices. GMW Shows a list of those in your guild who are about. CIT Shows a list of those in your city who are about. OW Lists fellow followers of your patron who are about. PEERS List only those of around your skill expertise. PW Lists those who have chosen to live as pacifists.
TW/TTW Lists those non-pacifists, non-protected, ready for combat. EW List only those against whom you would gain no bloodlust.
The ways to better yourself in any given skill are numerous, but the most common is simply to receive a lesson from another Avalonian character. LEARN <skill name> FROM <character> requests a lesson in your chosen discipline from someone, who will often be a resident member of your guild. Simple practice of a skill through its use will increase your prowess, albeit more slowly. The more learned characters are able to offer lessons to those of less ability than they - TEACH <skill name> to <student> will offer up a lesson and provided the pupil is agreeable to it, the teaching will commence. Not only is player-to-player teaching beneficial to the student, but, to a lesser extent, the instructor profits as well.
You will also be able to practice skills. Avalon places a limit on the amount of benefit practice can give, and as a rough guide, every hour of sporadic practice will gain the equivalent of two or three lessons. You would be wise to combine practice and lessons in order to rise in prowess at a skill more rapidly since you can only take a finite number of lessons before you find yourself saturated with learning. Type LESSONS to discover how many lessons you are able to take before reaching that point. Not all skills are freely available, however. Many are solely within the sphere of particular guilds, guilds that over the centuries have so refined their learning that they now specialise in only these particular arts. Thus professions were born in Avalon. Check out HELP DARSURION for important information on learning once you are familiar with the above.
Teaching is one of the most important methods of progressing in a skill, while at the same time allowing the higher level teacher to also gain in competency. To teach somebody, they must first know the skill which you are going to teach them (it would be impossible, for example, to improve somebody's Swordplay if they did not even know how to hold a sword!), and you must be above them in level. To teach somebody, type TEACH <skill> to <player>, assuming you know the skill and the player is visible to you. Hopefully, the prospective pupil will see your offer and type OK after which the lesson will proceed as normal. Though learning a lesson from a CCC or a player will gain the learner the same amount as a result, learning from players is encouraged as the teacher also gains in skill through the lesson.
Below is an example of an Avalon lesson. Lessons take just over a minute to learn. You can have at most two hundred and fifty lessons in a row, and every twenty to twenty-five minutes you gain enough experience of life to absorb a new one.
- learn runes from Raghallach
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Raghallach has agreed to teach you.
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Raghallach smiles and pulls out a piece of silver ore.
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You examine the ore; it is plain, but pure silver
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Raghallach motions to a selection of delicate instruments and takes them in his hands.
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Raghallach fashions the silver ore into a strangely-shaped effigy.
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Raghallach explains that the shape of the silver effigy denotes the effect and power of a rune.
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Raghallach tells you of runes shaped like leaves, fists and hearts.
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Raghallach continues by explaining that the mightier the Rune-fashioner, the longer it will last.
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Raghallach details the method for connecting runes to items or to rune staves.
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Raghallach finished by explaining that a rune will only have effect if it is seen.
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Raghallach bows low, the lesson complete.
-
DEFENCES gives an indication of your natural defences. As your character develops you will come to learn of new things that will protect you in your continuing adventures. Armour is the most straightforward means of protection and it is not difficult to find providing you have gathered together sufficient gold. Certain guilds may find wearing armour prohibitive since it interferes with their enchantments, though the Sorcerers and Necromancers guild can summon demonic armour to protect them from injury and the Mages can weave light to protect themselves from harm.
You can move around by entering compass directions; North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, Up, Down, In or Out.
EXITS - Lists all visible exits from your location. GLANCE - Quickly glances at your location. GLANCE <direction> - Quickly glances in specific directions. GLE - Takes a quick glance and tells you exits. LOOK - Take a long look at your surroundings. SURVEY - Surveys the terrain type of your surroundings. SQUINT <direction> - Squint as far as possible in a specific direction. BOARD <item> - Allows you to board a ship, a boat or a ferry. ENTER <item> - To enter a stagecoach, for instance. LEAVE - Attempts to depart from the inside to the outside. CLIMB <item> - Climbs up a ladder, for instance. CROSS <item> - Crosses a rope bridge, for instance. MOUNT <steed> - To mount a steed. Type HELP STEEDS for further help. DISMOUNT <steed> - To dismount a steed. FOLLOW <player> - To begin following another player around. LOSE <player> - To lose one following you, or cease following another. DRAG <player> - To drag a sleeping or unconscious player with you. SWIM <direction> - Enters water and swims. See HELP SWIMMING. STRUGGLE - Struggles free of traps and magical restraint.
Talking to others in the game, through the bulletin board, and through the written word.
Central to the idea of a multi-player game is that of communication and interaction between its inhabitants. The best way to get a feel of the land is by talking with other players. The help sections in this topic discuss both the rudimentary and the more sophisticated ways of expressing yourself. You should acquaint yourself full with all of them.
It is important to ascertain who your present player companions are within the land at any given time. You can find this out by typing WHO. This command will list all the people in the local region that are currently playing Avalon with you and are not concealed by extra-ordinary means. Some may choose to hide themselves in order that they might slink about unnoticed, creeping up on their prey or hiding from their enemies. Methods of communication are detailed below.
The most basic way to communicate is through the SAY command. This will transmit your message to whoever is in the same location as yourself. Thus, SAY Hello would produce the action of you saying "Hello" to all present. No quotation marks are necessary, but make sure there is someone to talk to before using SAY (use the LOOK or GLANCE command to see if anybody is present), or you could find you are talking to yourself! The SAY command may also be abbreviated to simply a single apostrophe or quotation mark, followed by the text of your message. Using SAY is plainly the most sociable form of communication when more than one person is in the same location as you since all present can be involved in the conversation.
An example conversation. Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter is one of the immortal divinities and Shadowthane is a close friend to one of the Barons who runs Mercinae. Sarik is Guildmaster of the Mages Guild.
- say Hi everybody!
Maedhros, the Hunter says, "hi there".
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Ranger Shadowthane greets you.
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- say What's been going on?
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Ranger Shadowthane says, "Helkarakse has tried to declare war on Mercinae!".
-
Maedhros says, "he's been throwing his weight around ever since he moved into his new tower".
- say He did what??
-
Ranger Shadowthane laughs heartily.
-
Ranger Shadowthane says, "He tried to lead a legion of Thakrian Black Knights on a raid of the guard-house and shops of Cassiandora square. Me'n'Sarik caught him and blasted him back out of the city".
- say What did the Council do?
-
Maedhros says, "dunno if the council have met to discuss it yet".
-
Ranger Shadowthane says, "Sarik will tell the others tonight what happened. It may be war!".
- nod
You nod your head emphatically.
- say I will find out from Ingold, my guildmaster. He should tell me what happens in the meeting.
-
Maedhros grins and nods.
-
Ranger Shadowthane says, "Come and see the carnage he left behind though...".
-
- smile
You smile openly.
- say Let's have a look then.
-
The Avalon bulletin board is a method for all Avalonians to maintain contact with each other. It should be used for notices and messages relating to world-wide issues and as a convenient method for Cities, Guilds and Orders to speak to the assembled masses. Type BB to enter the bulletin board or BBSTATUS within Avalon to discover whether there are any new messages. You may also use READBB to apprise yourself of the contents whilst still in the land. HELP once inside the bulletin board will give you information.
Letters are the most formal and cheapest means of contacting another individual when they are not around. In order to write a letter you must first visit the postal halls that exist in all the major cities.
"LETTERS"
To list letters in your inventory.
"ERASE LETTER"
Typing this clears anything previously on the letter. It also ensures that you are the only person able to write on the letter.
"POST LETTER"
Typing this posts a letter into a pillar box. You must post a letter for it to reach another person automatically.
"ADDRESS LETTER <name>"
This addresses your letter to a particular player.
"WRITE LETTER"
This command writes text on the letter. It will let you write text directly onto the letter.
"READ LETTER"
Needless to say, typing this allows you to read a letter. Unless you are given permission, it is bad form to read other people's mail.
"TRASH LETTER"
In the postal hall, this command puts your letter into the recycling bin, erasing its contents and allowing the next person who requests a letter to use the blank page.
"REQUEST LETTER"
Typing this command in the postal hall will enable the postal staff to hand you a blank letter.
"SEAL LETTER"
Seals a letter for your unique stamp, using a piece of wax.
"UNSEAL LETTER"
Unseals a letter which has been sealed so that it may be read.
Another, more terse, form of communication is via the MSG system. This will allow you to send brief messages (at the cost of five gold pieces) to unavailable players, MSG <player> <text> being the syntax. The intended player will be notified of any unread messages upon his next play of Avalon and can read them at any time using the command RMSG. These short messages are stored indefinitely for your perusal, although you may find it necessary to CMSG (clear your messages) every once in a while, to avoid getting bogged down with ones you have already read. This brief messaging system also has the function of informing you of any significant changes to your character that have taken place while you have been absent. For example, someone may have declared you an enemy of their township, or some deity may have given you their favour.
Notes contain information about events, quests and messages from one player to another group - they are written on by typing WRITE NOTE, and then entering, line by line, the message you wish to add. Writing on a note adds text to the end of whatever was on it before. To wipe a note fully, type ERASE NOTE, and it will become blank once again. Note can hold, at most, twenty lines of text.
Parchment scrolls are commonly used for recording details of some great event in the land's history, for future readers to know about. They can be found in libraries and great halls all over the land. To write on a parchment, type WRITE PARCHMENT, and then you will be able to add your contribution line by line. You can erase a parchment in its entirety by typing ERASE PARCHMENT (if you are its owner), and, if you wish to read it, type READ PARCHMENT. It is good etiquette not to horde important parchments, or take them out of public libraries into private collections.
SHOUT is syntactically the same as the SAY command. It broadcasts your message over a much wider area, however. Everybody in your local region will hear you shout - it is commonly used for challenges and as a distress call. In many ways this is a fairly anonymous form of communication as the recipients of your SHOUT (which may be abbreviated to just SH) will see your message appear as merely an ambiguous voice, only distinguished by its pitch. Shouting is helpful in situations of genuine or dire need, or of public importance. Its regular and persistent use is discouraged, as it is prone to disturb others.
Signs are used for a variety of purposes, including advertising shops and directing folk this way and that about the land. You can purchase a sign from any of the well-stocked city markets. To write a message upon a sign, type WRITE SIGN followed by the message. To fix a sign to a location so that it cannot be removed, type FIX SIGN. An example is shown below. If you wish to prevent others from writing upon your sign, you should make sure it was bought directly from a shop (which imprints your ownership on the sign), or ask a deity to make your mark upon it.
- Write sign Private! Keep Out! By Order of Genesis.
You pen the legend, "Private! Keep Out! By Order of Genesis." upon the sign.
- Fix sign
You fix the sign to the ground.
The most intimate form of communication is through the TELL command. This enables you to single out one particular player as the recipient of your message. Thus you may TELL <player> <message> and that player alone will receive it. Alternatively, you may simply omit the TELL command and use the syntax of <player> <message> - both have the same function. If, for some reason, you do not wish to be disturbed by private TELL messages, you may type TELL OFF which disables all incoming TELLs and messages - TELL ON will reverse this.
Your character can display an infinite variety of emotions and facial expressions. These descriptive commands allow your character to demonstrate how he or she is feeling. They must be performed "face-to-face" however - in other words they can only be received by people in the same location as you. Hundreds of these pre-defined commands exist, each one at your character's disposal. Thus you may type GRIN and your character will do likewise; you may SMILE, LAUGH, SOB, PURR like a cat or even BARK like a dog. Many of the descriptive commands can also be directed towards specific things or individuals. As a result you are able to HUG <person> or WAVE to someone leaving your chamber.
If you find that you need a more specific emotion:
EMOTE <text> or EMS <text>.
For example:
EMOTE JUMPS UP AND DOWN MERRILY = Genesis jumps up and down merrily.
EMS HEAD HURTS = Genesis's head hurts.
Often you may not wish to have your writings perused by all and sundry. You can safeguard your works by adding a touch of runic warding script to the page, or pages, you wish to protect. The command to add runic script to a page is SCRIPT. You only need include the page number if the item you are writing upon has more than one page (i.e. you would include a page number if you were penning script into a tome, but not into a letter). You can include more than one runic warding script upon the same page but they must be included in the same SCRIPT command, each time you use the SCRIPT command on a page it replaces any runic script that might have been there previously. You will be able to use runic script on contributions to the bulletin board if you wish also. Remember that letters should be erased before you begin writing anew (either new scripts or new text) since remnants of old scripts can linger.
Syntax: SCRIPT <item> <runic warding script>.
Possible scripts are listed as follows. It is a fairly intricate little system and experimentation is advised:
PASSWORD <password> - Protecting your text with a password.
ALLOW GUILD <guild> - Allowing members of named guild.
DENY GUILD <guild> - Deny members of the named guild access.
ALLOW GUILDRANK <guild rank> - Allow access to those with named rank.
DENY GUILDRANK <guild rank> - Deny access to those below said rank.
ALLOW CITY <city> - Allow access to citizens of the specified city.
DENY CITY <city> - Deny access to citizens of the specified city.
ALLOW CITYSTATUS <city status> - Allow access according to city status.
DENY CITYSTATUS <city status> - Deny access to those not holding the status.
ALLOW EYES <individual> - Allow access to the named individual.
DENY EYES <individual> - Deny access solely to the individual named.
ALLOW PATRON <deity name> - Allow access to the specified divine order.
DENY PATRON <deity name> - Deny access to members of the said order.
ALLOW ORDERLEVEL <order rank> - Allow access to those of said rank and up.
DENY ORDERLEVEL <order rank> - Deny access to those below said rank.
You should be aware of HELP GUILDRANKS, HELP ORDERSTATUS and HELP NOBILITY for a list of guild ranks, divine patronage ranks, and nobility ranks within a city. In ALLOW and DENY CITYSTATUS you can, as status, specify also: GOVERNMENT (all ministers, Barons, Prince, Field Marshall, and Cardinal), BARONY, MARSHALL, STATE, TRADE, CHANCELLORY, FOREIGN, CARDINAL, JUSTICE, and RELATIONS.
To communicate directly with other people you have four commands which effectively cover the range of communication.
SAY <message> - Tells everybody in your location the message. SHOUT <message> - Tells everybody in Avalon your message. TELL <person> <message> - Tells specific people your message. WHISPER <person> <message> - Tells specific people in your location. WHO - To tell you who is on Avalon at present.
MSG <player> <text> - Sends a message to another player, even if offline. RMSG [<start>] - Reads your stored messages. See HELP MESSAGES. CMSG - Clears all of your stored messages.
Information on other parts of a character, from questing for gold to changing your alignment.
Your standing among your contemporaries is, for most people, very important. Since it is you who decides what your character says and does, all relationships which you strike up with other players will be real and continuous. Hence deciding upon a role is one of your most important decisions. It would not be possible, for instance, to form lasting relationships with folk dedicated to protecting life if your immediate aim was to rape and pillage. Try, as often as possible, to stick to your chosen role. Ensure that decisions your character makes are consistent with its role.
One of the most beautiful things about Avalon is that all start equal, and anything is possible. There is no reason why you should not rise to be the greatest Knight in the land, or the mightiest Enchanter. The following sections describe in detail the aids Avalon provides for fulfilling whatever role you have chosen for your character. Avalon charts your physical progression through skills, experience levels, status and feelings of other civilisations towards you. While role-playing your character, two commands of use to you will be FRIENDLY and HOSTILE. Typing HOSTILE will put your character in hostile mode. It was make your actions as secret as possible, for instance, when you are following, Avalon will assume you are stalking them and will not show your name when they type GROUPSTATUS. Typing FRIENDLY will revert to being open with everybody.
Your profession is gained after serving an apprenticeship in a guild and choosing to join the guild as a full member. At that point, you will assume whichever profession that guild is associated with (see HELP PROFESSIONS). Once you have taken a profession you will be tied to it, and your skills will develop according to the specialities of your guild.
Changing profession can only be done at great personal sacrifice using the CHANGE PROFESSION command. If you choose to reject your profession you will lose all of your specialist guild skills, and the time spent learning will simply be deemed to have augmented your general skills, at three-quarters of their effectiveness. Your general skills though will not be able to progress beyond Ultimate, so it is possible to actually lose skills that would have been gained on general skills that are Ultimate or above. You will then be free to join a new guild and start afresh.
Quests are one of the most profitable ways of expanding your experience of Avalon, of encountering new places and witnessing wondrous happenings. There are four different types of quests which you will be able to perform in Avalon.
The City Quest is given out by the monarch of your city (Thandrades of Mercinae, Augustine of Parrius and Periam of Thakria) when you type REQUEST QUEST in their presence. City quests are given out according to your level, and every few levels has a number of city quests to test your progress. They are extremely valuable and you should always endeavour to perform regular city quests. The Professional Honours are given out by the Master Tutor of your Guild. You gain an honour when you type REQUEST HONOUR in their presence. See HELP HONOURS for further information.
General quests are given out by most of the Computer Controlled haracters, and a wide number of the unnamed creatues of the land when you GREET them (for example, GREET GRAGNOR). They vary enormously in difficulty and reward, and it is up to you to decide which quests to perform and when to ignore. You do not need to accept any quests given via this method, and success is usually determined by a specific deed or by returning an item requested. The fourth type of quest is the Avalon-wide quest, usually involving a large number of players and resulting in worldwide effects. These quests are irregular and tend to be quite involved. They can last for a couple of hours. Rewards are great and you should always keep half an eye open for unusual occurences which may hint at some great quest commencing.
In order to illustrate the touches of realism which Avalon possesses, it is worth mentioning two of the less regular events in the land; the weddings and the divine gift of pregnancy. Weddings take place, as one might expect, between two mature adults - often cementing ties between cities or uniting powerful individuals. Traditionally they are held in the Mercinaen cathedral or one of the temples in Thakria. Pregnancy is often a by-product of a wedding, though more often it is a gift bestowed upon mortals unknown to them by the benevolent deities. Pregnancy lasts over a period of nine months, at which point the pregnant woman will be able to give birth. The child which is born will be helpless and dependent on its parents to defend it against the bitter, cruel world.
Once you reach the illustrious level of Avalonian, you will no longer gain any experience from doing menial tasks, quests or slaying creatures. Instead, you may gain score through slaying your foes and through interaction with other players. You can speed this up by playing regularly, by spending time with other players and by performing Godly quests and actions. It is possible to complete the Avalonian level in a month providing you spend your time playing with others and roleplaying your character.
Each of the four Avalonian cities, and many of the towns and villages, is governed by some hierarchical means, be it democratic or otherwise. When you are born into your city as a commoner, you join the lowest rung in a socio-political hierarchy. You will be able to choose the city which most closely matches your ideals to swear allegiance too, or you may keep faith with the city of your birth.
Being a citizen of a major city has its obvious advantages. A city will have an incredible wealth of resources behind it, not only in everyday commodities but its armies and guards will fend off most forms of attack, providing you with an environment that is relatively safe from the harsher elements of the outside world. It also provides a firm grounding for friendships among you and your fellow citizens; loyalties and bonds between players can quickly be struck up purely on the basis of citizenship. Being a citizen of a city will give your character a cause to fight for, ideals for which he or she can struggle.
Barons of your city, if you choose to remain a citizen of one of the major cities, will be able to give out their favour if they feel you deserve it. Gaining Baronial favour will gradually increase your reputation within the city. This will lead, eventually, to you gaining a title and certain privileges in your city. Type PRIVILEGES CITY to review the privileges enjoyed by your current city status. Below is a list of the ranks within a city.
1. Commoner 4. Squire/Maiden 7. Marquis/Marchioness 2. Messenger 5. Gentleman/Gentlewoman 8. Count/Countess 3. Freeman/Freewoman 6. Nobleman/Noblewoman 9. Duke/Duchess
One of the most effective gauges of your progress in the land, and the reputation amongst your peers you have established are titles. Titles are gained by becoming Master of a Guild, rising in the order of a deity, or, most often, attaining positions of responsibility within a city. A list of titles is provided below.
Prince Supported by all the Barons - the leader of a city. Baron Elected by the citizens, with a wide range of powers. Field Marshall Supreme commander of the military in times of battle High Priest One of the highest ranks within a divine Order. Guildmaster Leader and guiding force within a particular Guild. Chancellor Master of the treasury and finances of a city. Minister of State Master of construction, fashioning, and trading of a city. Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomat and negotiator. Minister of Justice In charge of policing, and imposing a city's laws. Minister of Trade The Minister in charge of gathering gold and commodities. Minister of Relations Responsible for the care and well being of novices.
Although Avalon has hundreds of methods of earning gold, a new character will desire a fast and easy method of earning enough to afford to outfit himself. You would be advised to request aid from one of the elders of your city - type CITIZENS to see which fellow citizens are playing Avalon while you are. They will normally be only too happy to show you a few easy methods of earning small sums of gold. All of the cities have folk desiring items or simple tasks performed and most reward the person who executes it with gold. Gragnor and Pandion of Thakria, Sevenius and Thandrades of Mercinae, Walrus and Augustine of Parrius will all dole out quests to the young and untutored.
Research can be performed upon a particular artifact associated with a specific skill or ability. These items are not publicly known, but often Guildmasters or Elders within your guild will be able to guide you to them. Type RESEARCH followed by the guild-skill, and then the item you wish to search from (e.g. RESEARCH SWORDPLAY LONGSWORD) and you will enter into research. Research can only take place in suitably equipped guild chambers of libraries, upon skills you possess at the rank of Ultimate Scholarship. While engaged in research you will find yourself unable to move or concentrate on anything else - your mana will be taxed by the research and when it reaches zero, you will have to cease your work. Type CEASE to conclude research. Researching uses lesson credits, such is the strain involved in engaging in it.
Sleeplearning is a system designed to take away some of the drudgery (and cost) in accumulating lesson credits. Once graduated, before you leave Avalon, you may set your character to sleep-learn up to a certain number of lesson credits (SLEEPLEARN followed by the number of lesson credits). After quitting, your character will remain accumulating these lesson credits as if they were actually playing Avalon. Your sleeplearn can be cancelled by typing SLEEPLEARN 0 - or it will cancel automatically when it is reached. Your character will be subject to normal Avalon charges during this time, so this system is frequently used by those paying expensive telephone rates to play.
Combat between players in Avalon brings about the most extreme emotional responses of any events which might befall your character. Fighting itself can be nerve-wracking, sometimes frightening. Death can be devastating and disheartening, victory elating. The adrenalin rush during a fight has to be experienced, since it defies explanation. However, it is possible during the thrill of a fight to forget that your opponent is invariably another individual, who has spent time and effort building up his or her character. It is essential that you avoid falling into the trap of forgetting that your opponent is attached, as you are, to their character. Repeated slaying of another player is unacceptable.
A rule of thumb which should be used to guide your offensive acts is; never send your enemy upon the Ship of Death more than once, and only attack again when the defeated enemy acts against your person. Avoid attacking those obviously much weaker than you, and, if you are unsure about the might of another player, take the time to find out before wading in and making some poor novice's life a misery.
Alignment is a gauge used by Avalon to determine whether your character leans toward altruistic or selfish actions. Available when you type STATUS, it measures your propensity towards the good forces in Avalon or the darker, more sinister cause of evil. Your character's alignment alters slightly with each and every action that you perform. You are more likely, therefore, to lean towards the dark sides through the act of slaughtering an innocent child or through aiding in the pillaging of a peaceful township. Equally you are upholding all that is Good should you defend that village or heal that beleaguered child. Alignment is one of the factors that govern many aspects of your character's interaction with Avalonian beings - it therefore rests at the crux of the question of role-play, and you should give considerable thought to where between the poles of Good and Evil your character should lie.
Equilibrium is required by all magical and spiritual enchantment. It is, if you like, the establishing of a oneness with the divine energies of the land. You must establish this symbiosis in order to bring about any enchantments. The amount of time you need to spend establishing equilibrium is dependent on the power and permanence of the enchantment you wish to bring about. Timing equilibrium is one of the most integral arts of the game. If you ever find you lose equilibrium and want to regain it, type CHANT EQUILIBRIUM. It will come back to you before long.
Balance is a gauge used by Avalon to determine your physical 'state of balance', or rather, how capable you are at any given time of executing a physical maneuver. Actions such as swinging a sword, firing a bow, stealing an item, will all leave you momentarily in an unbalanced state, recovering from the maneuver. While in an unbalanced state you will not be able to execute another action which requires you to be balanced. More complex actions take a longer balance time and the inately physical professions can learn to speed their balance when more highly skilled.
How to guide your character through basis combat maneuvers.
Although it is possible to avoid combat and even to shun the way of battle entirely, there is nothing which gives you as much intense emotion and adrenalin as a fight with another player. Combat is dangerous - it could lead to your death - but the rewards are great. Victory results in the victor gaining much experience. You should be aware of further help sections on combat in this topic before entering into battle with anybody. Combat generates a great deal of information for you to absorb. Avalon tells you as much as possible about what happens during a fight, and sometimes the amount of information can become overwhelming. To counteract this, there are two methods of cutting down the amount of information. Using the FIGHTBRIEF command will force Avalon to give only briefly worded summaries of combat rather than detailed descriptions or FIGHTVERYBRIEF (or FVB) for intense combat. Once you are a seasoned fighter, these will become useful. Type FIGHTVERBOSE to change back to verbose fighting messages. Another useful command which you may find useful during a fight is CONCENTRATE. This forces your character to concentrate on his, or her, combat only. You will be informed at the start and end of fights erupting around you, but you will not be given a blow by blow account of them. To reverse CONCENTRATE, type RELAX.
Most of the professions have the means to engage in combat with other players. Though it is possible to work out methods to slay most of the major computer controlled characters - their weaknesses and strengths do not change regularly - you will find combat against players to be altogether more challenging. For many, conflict is competitive, challenging and nerve-racking. Unless you choose a life of pacifism or peace (as many Animists, Loremasters and even Bards do), you will want to learn to defend yourself in the event of attack, to flee from the field of battle when you are ambushed, and ultimately, perhaps, to launch your own counter-offensives and defeat your enemies. This is no easy matter. Fighting is an art which few perfect. The art of combat can be simply divided into three separate areas - the assembling of defences, or the preparation for battle, the techniques of escape if you are being serious damaged, and acting in the heat of battle.
Bloodlust is a gift from the Gods. You gain bloodlust when you slay individuals, the amount of bloodlust gained being determined by their skills relative to yours. Your bloodlust determines the extent of your suffering when slain by another player; higher bloodlust will result in greater experience loss, and possibly even safe encounters with death. Your bloodlust can, depending on the current state of the land, influence who you can and cannot fight with. If you have a high bloodlust you will be restricted from fighting with smaller mortals, likewise they will be equally restricted from fighting with you. Bloodlust is gained according to the stature of an opponent you slay (more bloodlust gained for killing a smaller opponent) and also for certain acts like stealing and defiling. Bloodlust can be reduced by bathing bodies and goes down a small amount with each passing day.
Defences are the most important element of the battle. You can assume that all of the higher level players will have a vast array of defences to aid them. Though many of the defences are specific to certain skills and abilities, there is a core of potions, herbs and magical items which you would be well advised to seek out. You should acquaint yourself with lists of potions, herbs and poisons elsewhere in the help system.
Potions of Health and Mana replenishes lost health and mana. It can be taken once every few seconds to be effective. It is essential that you have health and mana potions during battle, since you can be sure all competent enemies will have one.
Potion of Life Giving comes into effect when you are slain. It will automatically call upon the Gods to resurrect you, one to thirty seconds after your demise.
Potion of Speed affords you great speed as you move around. It will mean that you cannot be tracked, followed or easily hunted. You will dash by most traps and people will not see you enter and leave their location.
Potion of Innersight allows you to see while blinded, through your mind's eye. When you type WHO, you will see a brief summary of where many of the other players are in the game. This enables you to dodge your enemies and track your targets. Innersight is costly in mana.
Potion of Adrenalin has a simple use. When you fall unconscious, at 10% of your maximum health, it will cause your mana to automatically drain away to replenish your wounds. Thus you will rise again, renewed, for as long as your mana remains at a reasonable level.
Potion of Immunity is a useful defence against some of the more deadly poisons. It runs through your veins and whenever you are struck by one of the immediately fatal poisons, it will nullify their effects.
Potion of Diffusion is a defence against the magical spells of summoning and locating. It will cause you to be cloaked in a spiritual mist. This is a useful defence, since being summoned into an area filled with traps and magics designed to harm you is usually fatal.
Potion of Meditation simply doubles the speed of your meditating. It is useful in the heat of battle and can make the difference between living and dying.
Potion of Fire Resistance creates about you an aura of resistance to heat and fire. It is especially useful against the charms of firebolt and fireball, as well as some of the elemental magics which use fire to burn an enemy to death.
Potion of Allheale is an essential for all aspiring Avalonians. It heals nearly all of the afflictions, diseases, poisons and curses and poisons that you might find yourself with. Its only limitation is that it heals but one affliction at a time, and can only be taken once every thirty seconds.
Herb of Ucklice is the herb of sixth sense. Once applied, it allows you to see through your mind's eye even when blind. Since blindness is a defence to runic and sight-based attack, often a battle will proceed where one party has deliberately blinded himself.
Herb of Megillos is smoked using a pipe, and heals curses and afflictions of the mind. Megillos heals in places where the potion of allheale cannot.
Herb of Malloran is particularly useful against those who will attack you using a weapon of some kind. It forges an aura of returning about you, which will causes any weapon attack made against you to rebound onto the attacker. The aura is dispersed the moment you make an offensive act.
Herb of Olvar causes your sinews to reknit and your wounds to heal instantly upon death. Effectively, it gives you a second life.
Herb of Athillias is similar to the potion of allheale. It heals a large proportion of physical afflictions.
Herb of Lestagii has great healing properties. It heals a small number of afflictions which neither the athillias herb or the potion of allheale can, and, when you are not diseased, its consumption will heal a large proportion of lost health and mana.
Magical Item of Cloaking surrounds you in the cloak of invisibility. Being invisible enhances physical attacks and increases your defence. It gives you anonymity and makes you far more difficult to track and find.
Magical Item of Pentacle weaves a pentacle of protection about you. Being inside a pentacle prevents most weapon and magic attacks from harming you and will give you valuable time to regroup your thoughts.
Magical Item of Blinding causes you (or the person on whom you cast the magic) to go blind. Blindness is useful as both a defence against sight or runic attacks, and also to disorientate a fleeing enemy.
Magical Item of Deafening causes you (or the person on whom you cast the magic) to go deaf immediately. Deafness is a defence against enchantments which rely on the art of sound.
Magical Item of Shielding creates a magical shield of arrow deflection about your person. It is essential when engaging in battle with a formidable Knight or Cavalier.
Magical Item of Nullify is cast on your enemy to nullify the cloak of invisibility, the shield of arrow deflection or a magical pentacle.
Magical Item of Levitation will cause you to levitate a few feet off the ground. It is defence against some of the traps and enchantments of binding, as well as the runes of paralysis.
Potions, and Magical Items are created using the skill of Alchemy (learnt by the Loremasters and Alchemists Guilds). You will have to consult a member of one of these guilds to equip yourself with a magical item. Herbs are the domain of the Rangers, Brigands, and Animists Guilds.
Your Defence skill will be called into play whenever you are attacked by an enemy using a projectile, a hand-held weapon, or a bow. The extent of your Defence skill determines how much of the impact of the blow you are able to dodge or negate by extra-ordinary reflexes and agility. Computer Controlled Characters tend to attack using weapons and therefore your Defence skill will be of great importance when you attempt to battle your way through the likes of Goblin Town or Kenkria's Monastery. Each time you are struck a blow, your Defence is reduced slightly for a period of around ten seconds because of the effort taken to dodge it. This means that if you are unfortunate enough to be assailed by a large number of enemies, each blow will have a progressively greater chance of causing damage. Every ten seconds you regain your balance and pose fully, at which point your Defence returns to its maximum.
Coping with the hurly-burly of battle is one of the most difficult aspects of Avalon. In the heat of a battle you will be receiving information faster than is comfortable to digest - you could be ambushed by many foes, and dead before you realise, unless you keep your head and avoid the dreaded panic.
FIGHTBRIEF Combat associated text becomes more terse. FIGHTVERYBRIEF Combat associated text becomes very terse. CONCENTRATE Ignore non-essential combat text happening around you.
It is of paramount importance during a battle that you have a carefully planned escape route. Since you are competing against another intelligent human being, you have no reason to be absolutely sure that your attack will be successful, or that their attack against you will fail. The key to escaping from battle is to be well prepared defensively and to know your way from the scene of battle to some safe place a fair distance away. Safe places include the temple of your patron, your guild or your house. One of the most obvious differences between the true high level players and those aspiring to greatness is a knowledge of the lay of the land. Below have been listed three runes which you should attempt to purchase and lay somewhere safe (preferably behind a locked door). That place will then become your sanctuary against attack.
The Pyramid Rune defends an entire location (if lain on the ground). It prevents you from being summoned away against your will, and from those skilled in Spiritualism and Evocation from forging a gateway to you. It prevents you from being located or discovered, as well as inhibiting the progress of a hostile seeing stone.
The Ankh Rune defends against spiritual attack (if lain on the ground). It effects anybody unfortunate enough to enter your safe haven, and will instantly nullify their spirits and their spiritual defences. It prevents them from invoking new spirits.
The Snowflake Rune gives an extra level of safety to your runes. When you place a snowflake rune upon another rune, it will ensure that only you may pick up and move the rune around. This prevents your safe haven from being violated and your runes being stolen.
The Oval Grip Rune can be used on items to prevent Thieves from being able to steal them easily from you. They also prevent wielded weapons from being disarmed from your hands, or magical enchantment tearing them from your grasp.
Archery is a much safer form of combat than swordsmanship since the archer remains distant from combat. Archers are commonly found among the combating guilds, those gaining the skills of Weaponry, Forestry or Thievery - deadly accurate marksman feared by all who come into battle against them. To use a bow you must WIELD it as you would a normal weapon. You must also be wearing a quiver. Arrows for your quiver can be purchased from one of the many professional fletchers of Avalon. You can SHOOT players or creatures in your location or in straight lines in specific compass directions. Those very skilled in Weaponry and Forestry will be able to fire cross-bows or to fletch their own arrows.
Throwing is a basic skill learnt by all novices in Avalon. It deals with your ability to hurl projectiles at others. Although developed most often by the Knightly guilds, Throwing is a skill which even magic-users can progress in. The syntax of the command is fairly exact since it serves many purposes. THROW <item> AT <target> will hurl your item at a target in the same location as you, while THROW <item> AT <target> <direction> will hurl the item at a target in a distant location. THROW <item> TO <target> will lob your item to a friend - they will be able to catch it and use it. You could throw an item in a specific direction, e.g. THROW APPLE NORTH. Finally THROW <item> TO <target> <direction> will lob the item at a target in a distant location for them to use.
Although many prefer to avoid using weapons, there can be no doubt that your effectiveness as a fighter would be infinitely improved by using a good weapon. Weapons can be purchased from market stalls or armouries, or even constructed for you by a willing smith. Once you own a weapon you must inform Avalon that you wish to fight with it. The command to do this is WIELD, followed by the hand you wish to wield the weapon in, followed by the weapon you wish to wield. WIELD RIGHT LONGSWORD would wield a longsword in your right hand, for instance. To cease wielding an item, type UNWIELD followed by the hand in which you hold the item. All Avalon characters begin right-handed, but those of knightly inclination can develop ambidextrousness as they grow older. Once you have wielded a weapon in your right hand, Avalon will inform you of the new offensive commands.
Usage of weapons (such as a bow, or a sword) requires the skills of Swordplay, Archery or Throwing. Once you possess these skills, use the following commands:
WIELD RIGHT <weapon> Places the weapon in your right hand. WIELD LEFT <weapon> Places the weapon in your left hand.
SHOOT <person> Shoots an arrow at somebody, or something.
THROW <item> AT <target> Hurls an item at somebody. Damage depends on the
sharpness and weight of the item.
Players and CCCs in Avalon can chose either to co-operate with each other or fight against each other as they make their way through the land of Avalon. Characters will chose different paths - although those who chose ceaseless violence might find themselves growing closer to the creatures of the deeps than the peoples of the City-port. Fighting is not encouraged in the environs of the cities, and aggressors are liable for detention by the guards.
Unarmed Combat (affected by the Fisticuffs skill);
KILL <name> Strikes a blow with your fists.
PUNCH <name> Tries to knock <name> for six.
HIT <name> Attempts to knock <name> for seven and a half.
KICK <name> Sets about your opponent with the toe of your booty!
SLAP <name> Attempts to give your opponent a good slap.
Armed combat (Swordplay skill);INVENTORY Informs you of weapons being wielded. WIELD <LEFT/RIGHT> <weapon> Takes up <weapon> as your offensive tool. UNWIELD <LEFT/RIGHT> Ceases to wield a weapon in a specific hand. UNWIELD <weapon> Ceases to wield a specific weapon.
Here are some of the useful commands for use in a combat situation:
KILL <thing> - Attacks somebody with your fists. See HELP FISTICUFFS. JAB <thing> - Attacks somebody with SLASH weapons. See HELP SWORDPLAY. CUT <thing> - Attacks somebody with CRUSH weapons. See HELP SWORDPLAY.SHOOT <thing> - Attacks somebody with a BOW and ARROWS.
THROW <item> AT <thing> - Attacks somebody using a THROWN item. See the
Information held in HELP THROWING.
CONCENTRATE - Concentrates only on fights which involve you. RELAX - Relaxes so that you will see all local combat. FIGHTBRIEF - Brief fight messages for the large fight. FIGHTVERBOSE - Fleshy fight messages for the duel. FVB - Very brief, terse fight messages for heavy fighting. ENTOURAGE OFF - To disable entourage following messages. ENTOURAGE ON - To enable entourage following messages.
Divine protection is gained by any mortal below the level of Ordainable after a ride on the ship of Death, or once bathed in the pool of life. Once under divine protection, you cannot easily be slain or robbed - if you are killed, you will not lose any fu rther experience, and will not die but instead will be whisked to the pool of life (and safety). It is very useful when progressing in Avalon to know when to remain under divine protection - when a particularly potent enemy is hunting you, for example. When under protection any offensive, potentially offensive, or act potentially used to aid another in battle will offer you the chance to retract the act and remain under protection, or repeat it and lose divine protected status. Think very carefully before breaking protection. Do not lose it frivolously or trivially.
-- wield right sabre
You step out from your pentacle which vanishes instantly.
You are now wielding an adamantine sabre in your right hand.
You are wielding a "Slash and Jab" weapon allowing JAB and SLASH.
-- ne
Overgrown road.
About you all is bathed in light. A scrawny river bandit skulks in the shadows.
-- jab bandit
You bring your blade down heavily on the river bandit's shoulders.
-- You somersault over a scrawny river bandit and out of danger.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- jab bandit
You jab your blade towards the river bandit.
-- You growling seems to unnerve a scrawny river bandit who hesitates unsteadily.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- jab bandit
You jab your blade effortlessly at the river bandit.
-- With a scream, a scrawny river bandit lashes out at you.
Your health is now 500 out of 570.
Some small wounds are bleeding.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- jab bandit
You jab your blade effortlessly at the river bandit.
-- A scrawny river bandit stumbles in over-eagerness to attack you.
-- You bleed slightly.
Your health is now 494 out of 570.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- jab bandit
You cut the river bandit with a smooth thrust.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- jab bandit
You whirl your blade around, leaving a nasty gash on the river bandit.
The river bandit can stand your blows no longer, and expires pitifully.
-- You pull yourself up, ready to strike again with your right hand.
-- cheer
You cheer wildly!
This is a mock fight between Zollrender, a Thief and Garet Jax, an Enchanter.
-- who
Procyon, Bringer of Light [At: Assembly hall of Knightswood ].
Xpor [At: Beside the well of Snowfoot ].
Derillion, Star Weaver [At: Thakria Town Council halls ].
Genesis, the god of time.
Garet Jax [At: Beside the well of Snowfoot ].
Zollrender [At: Room of council ].
Elouise [At: Glade of arms ].
-- -- qs
Health: 1570 out of 1570 Mana: 1570 out of 1570 Gold held: 0 Mercinae: 0 Thakria: 0 Parrius: 0-- The sounds of merriment reach your ears.
Health: 1570 out of 1570 Mana: 1570 out of 1570 Gold held: 0 Mercinae: 0 Thakria: 0 Parrius: 0-- qw
Ensuring your character's physical and mental wellbeing as you progress.
Your state of health, both physically and mentally, are your most important ongoing attributes. Your character's basic physical and mental well-being is always represented by two sets of figures (one for each state), and you will discover, especially in your formative years, that these will govern many of the things that you will and will not be able to achieve.
Your health is better described as your life force: if you find yourself subject to illness, attack, or simply over-exertion through swimming or running around, you will notice your health drops accordingly. Should this reach a significantly low point with respect to your maximum possible health (around 10%), your character lapses into unconsciousness leaving you immobile at wherever you may happen to be. Bleeding is a by-product of most forms of attack, in addition to straight loss of health or mana. It is likely to pose serious problems when your health is flagging, and should be attended to immediately. Gradually, bleeding from minor wounds stops of its own accord, as and when your body's natural defences deal with it.
Breathing and bleeding are more likely to be considered in the moment of heated combat or while travelling quickly about the land as it tends to be linked to over-exertion. Should you dash about the land too quickly, your character will soon begin to lose its breath, involving a marginal loss of health. Carrying on beyond your physical limit will only make your breathing more difficult and will begin to incapacitate you somewhat - soon you will find that you are tripping over yourself in your hurry. All that is required is a moment's rest so that you may catch your breath. Alternatively, purchase a horse or mule and, having mounted it, ride in whichever direction you choose. Not only does this remove any problems with your breathing, it provides a useful form of defence, since a mounted target is more difficult to attack than a walking one.
Your mental reserves are measured by your Mana. This is chiefly the domain of those who practice the magical arts, which often require incredible feats of mental concentration. Thus, with each incantation you chant, or with each magical potion you brew, you will find your Mana decreasing accordingly. When it reaches zero your powers are rendered useless until such time as they are restored. The simplest way of recovering mana is by meditating - type MEDIATATE, and the amount of mana restored will depend on how long before you break your meditation by typing another command.
Mana is used by all of the magical skills and by those physical skills which require intense concentration. Bear in mind than when you have been slain, it will be your mana which keeps your corpse from rotting away. Thus, a high mana will keep your corpse alive longer. Equally, a high mana will make you more resistant to magical attacks since your level of concentration will be that much greater.
Two basic commands enable you to recover lost Health and Mana - SLEEP and MEDITATE. MEDITATE works for all people and sends you into a deep concentration for a period of time. Slowly you will recover your mana. SLEEP, on the other hand, is only an effective means of recovering health at will for the combatant guilds. Otherwise it is an infrequent essential. Most folk do not have sufficient physical discipline to sleep at will - and will have to wait until they are tired before settling down to rest. To rouse yourself while sleeping, type WAKE.
During combat, unconsciousness is often a preamble to death. It occurs when your health has reached but 10% of its maximum level. While unconscious you will be unaware of your surroundings, helpless and slowly regaining your health until you are awake once more - from there see quickly to your wounds or whatever malady ails you. As soon as your health reaches zero your character will die and be subjected to whatever penalties that involves.
Death is by no means the last of your adventures, though it is greatly harmful to your character's well-being. At the time of your passing away, your spirit instantly returns to Avalon in the transient form of a ghost. A ghost is naturally not constrained by the physical aspects of the world. As a ghost you can walk effortlessly through closed doors and suchlike but you cannot handle objects of the real world - you will not be of physical form. Only those who can manipulate their physical being, such as the mystic seers, will be able to have any effect on the land while in the ghostly form. You remain in this supernatural state at a cost: all the while your mental reserves (your Mana) are sapped in the strain to keep up your ghostly form. Once all your Mana is exhausted, the very experience of your character is slowly drained and this decaying continues until you are brought back to life (whether you remain in the game as a ghost or not). Perhaps most importantly of all, and only from quite recently, each of your deaths, unless they be to a follower of Genesis, or Aldaron, will cause your patron (if you have one) a modicum of pain. The extent of the pain (and minor loss of divine essence) will depend on your experience and skill. The mightier you are, the harder your patron will feel the consequence of your demise.
If you are unfortunate and no-one is nearby to retrieve your dead body and bathe it in the Pool of Life you must summon the Ship of the Dead to take your ghost from the land and re-unite it with your body. To do this type SUMMON SHIP. You may be voyaging with it often during your youth.
The effect of death upon your mortal character will vary according to the will of the Gods. There are a number of possibilities, and you may type HELP BLOODLUST or HELP DEATH while in Avalon to gain a summary of the current divine ruling on the effects of dying. During peaceful periods or during events such as gem quests, the adverse effects of death will be minimal, a small percentage of experience lost and the inconvenience of a ride on the Ships of the Dead. All mortals usually hold a maximum of ten safe encounters with death, these safe encounters being lost by a ride on the ship, a death to ghost, or a death of any kind depending on the will of the Gods. Once a character falls below one safe encounter, skill effectiveness is reduced.
However, during violent periods, the Gods may introduce blood-lust - blood-lust increases whenever you slay an individual who has not previously challenged you, and the higher one's bloodlust, the more one loses when slain when challenged (even so far as losing skill effectiveness, see section on Wurtfoil). Further, in particularly bloody periods the Gods may withdraw the cleansing effect of the Ships of the Dead, and, upon riding the ship, a mortal will emerge with a new body with only a fraction of its skill effectiveness, to be restored either by wurtfoil (in extreme cases), or by avoiding death for a while and gradually healing. You should be comforted though to know that all losses of skill effectiveness are not actual losses of skills learned. They may be tricky to recover, but your skills remain totally intact and lessons spent will enhance them, ready for your recovery of their maximum levels.
Travelling on the ship of the dead as a means of resurrection is simple, but costly. You will notice when you type STATUS or SCORE that you have only a finite number of safe encounters with death. Each time you become a ghost, you will lose one of these safe trips. Once you have used up the initial safe trips your skills will begin to lose effectiveness by 1% for each subsequent trip. This does not effect your actual skill progress. Lessons and practice taken will never be lost. Instead it effects the effectiveness of their daily use. In order to reverse the effects of death on your skills, and to give you up to a divinely ordained number of safe encounters with death again, you must apply the rare herb known as wurtfoil. Each consumption of wurtfoil will increase your skill effectiveness by 1% or, when at 100% effective, will give you an extra safe trip on the ship of death.
The most effective way to be resurrected is through the help of a fellow compatriot. Alert your friends at once to your death and they should reclaim your inanimate corpse and carry it to the Pool of Life. There it must be bathed in the pool's waters (by typing BATHE BODY) and the pool's magical properties will return you to the living. Being bathed in the pool of life negates most of the lasting effects of your death.
Alternatively you may travel the path back to the living without aid, by performing the Rite of the Dead. Here you must call upon the Ship of Death (type SUMMON SHIP) and when the black-sailed vessel dips in to view, you must BOARD SHIP. Stepping on to te gangplank you will embark upon your long journey through the incredible domain of the Gods, eventually alighting at the self-same Pool of Life. A new body will be afforded you at a cost. All characters in Avalon begin with ten safe trips on the Ship of Death. Each trip reduces this number by one. When you have used up your safe trips your physical and mental abilities will begin to be effected by the rigours of resurrection. Every trip on the ship of death after the ten safe ones will cause your skills to become less effective by 1%. This will not effect the actual levels of your skills, but only their effectiveness in daily use. You will be able to restore the effectiveness of your skills, and even give yourself more safe trips on the ship of death by consuming the herb known as wurtfoil. Skilful members of the Animists and Rangers guilds will be able to supply you with this, if they think you are worthy.
The Pool of Life can be found beneath Avalon's tallest waterfall, northwest of Mercinae, and southeast of Thakria. It is a peaceful location where folk may rest, recover and discuss matters of importance without so much concern about their enemies. The Pool is not an absolute sanctuary though. No deity is bound to enforce peace therein. Use its benefits frugally and know of its limitations, my friend.
STATUS gives information of need for sleep and appetite. Should you find yourself hungry, you can purchase a meal or other basic foodstuff from a tavern or food stall and EAT <item>. Leaving your belly to rumble can result in a grave loss of health through malnourishment. Similarly, lack of sleep can have unwelcome side-effects. There are herbs to counteract the effects of both tiredness and hunger, but these are rare and you should know of the natural means to sleep and eat before foraging around for herbal remedies.
You can obtain food from the many market stalls, bakeries, butchers and shops found in cities and villages all over Avalon. You could forage for food in the forests and pick fruit from trees. To consume food, use the EAT <food> command. Drinking is achieved using the DRINK <liquid> command, or you can QUAFF <potion> to gain benefit from an alchemical potion. Beverages can be purchased from any tavern or inn, and water is found in the unpolluted streams and rivers of the land. Meat pies and legs of chicken are the best foodstuffs to consume since they are by far the most nutritious.
It is possible to purchase brown sustenance potions from those skilled in Elixirs. These remove the need for food, thereby saving you the price of solid food (which can become quite considerable). However, sustenance potions sometimes bring nasty side effects. They have been known to give headaches or mild stomach upsets. If you are very unlucky, you might find that not eating solid food can make you susceptible to the plague - a nasty disease, difficult to cure, and eventually fatal. There is an ability in the skill of Survival which enhances the sustenance value of food. As you rise in experience level, your food requirement will also increase - so early development of Survival sufficient to sustain yourself more efficiently can save your hard-earned gold.
Wurtfoil is perhaps the singlemost important herb. As explained in the sections on challenging and bloodlust, it is possible to be so harmed by death that your skills dip below their maximum effectiveness. This causes both loss of abilities and loss of effectiveness and all mortals strive to regain any lost skills as quickly as possible. Though the Gods may restore skill losses should they see fit, the most common and acceptable way is to take the wurtfoil herb or attend a wurtfoil brew. Rangers and Animists are the only guilds able to pick and prepare wurtfoil, and the Animists Guild hold regular wurtfoil gatherings where all present receive the gift of this herb and the restoration of the mortal bodies.
Darsurion is a green lichen found and prepared by those with the Herbs skill. When consumed in water, darsurion will enhance your capacity to learn. For every lesson you take you will use three lesson credits but receive the benefit as if you had just taken five back-to-back lessons. It is worth always using darsurion whenever you learn, but beware, you only have a finite capacity for the herb and overdosing will render you ineffectual at learning and teaching for a time.
Information you should learn as to occurences unique within the Avalon system.
Blending is a form of hiding every young Avalonian should be aware of. It is used by all those guilds versed in the art of Stealth. When blended into the shadows, the concealed player may perform many harmful acts without emerging long enough for you to reply. This makes it extremely difficult for you to fight back, unless you come prepared. Revealing blended folk so that you may fight (or even just disable them) can be done via a few methods. Waving illuminated items (e.g. WAVE LAMP) will reveal blended presences after a short while. The Mages and Enchanters may use their mage-staffs to illuminate blended enemies immediately. Loremasters, Alchemists and Artisans may use their lore-staffs likewise. The herb known as Ucklice or the perceptive ability of Alertness enable you to automatically perceive blended attackers.
Challenging is a public and proud method of commencing battle with another player on Avalon. When you issue a challenge, everybody in the land will be told of your intent. The person you have challenged will then have no reasonable excuse to ignore you. However, whereas normally the victor in combat gains blood-lust for slaying, they do not gain blood-lust for slaying one who has challenged them. Your challenge is always lost upon death to another player. When you have issued a public challenge you will not be able to seek refuge so easily in sanctuaries such as the Pool of Life. If you slay somebody you have challenged, they will lose experience and safe encounters with Death according to their bloodlust. When you issue a challenge, for fifteen seconds you cannot issue an offensive act. The individual you have challenged will gain such an adrenalin rush that they will remain conscious and fast acting for those fifteen seconds.
ISSUE CHALLENGE <player> To issue a challenge to your enemy. CHALLENGES To review all current active challenges. RETRACT CHLLENGE <player> To retract a public challenge.
Grouping together with other players has obvious advantages. The old phrase that there is safety in numbers certainly applies when exploring the more dangerous areas of Avalon. Experience gained by any member of a group is also gained by the other members. To join a group, use the FOLLOW command. The syntax for this is FOLLOW <leader>. It is advisable to select as a leader the strongest member of the party, since they are likely to bear the brunt of any attack against your group. To cease following a leader, use the LOSE command. Its syntax is LOSE <leader>. It is also possible to gain a list of those folk following you by typing ENTOURAGE, and a list of those members of your group by typing GROUPSTATUS or GS for short.
It is sometimes hazardous to travel the wilder parts of Avalon, and this discourages those who wish to give their time to introduce somebody to this complex world. Most of those genuinely new to Avalon will require aid, since it is both disconcerting and overwhelming. Since it benefits both the land as a whole, and your city/guild/individual progress within Avalon, the divinities have provided a safe method for guiding new or young players. Godly protection will be afforded to anybody who types: GUIDE followed by the name of a player beneath the tenth level that they will be guiding. You will need to have the young player in your entourage to guide them. While under divine protection, you will remain on full health and full mana no matter what happens to you - thus you will be safe.
There is much potential for abuse of this divine gift, and for that reason great punishment will be doled out by the deities to anybody caught using this protection to aid them in harming others. Every time the guide protection is evoked, the Gods are informed and a permanent record of your deed is kept. You should consider it your duty to aid novices if you are a Baron or a Guildmaster - it is part of the responsibility of one in such a lofty position. Often the deities reward the virtuous guide, so it can be a fine method of courting favour too.
You can name loyal creatures, friends, weapons, and pieces of armour, so that they may be recognised when lost. To do this, simply type NAME followed by the item/creature, followed by the name you wish to bestow. For example NAME LONGSWORD ORCSLAYER or NAME WARHORSE BIGFOOT.
Quite apart from the allegiances and friendships that you will gain through citizenship, your guild and your order, you can create your own alliances, covert or otherwise, that need have nothing to do with a greater organisation. Avalon allows you to keep a personal record of up to thirty friends and enemies. Your friends will be able to exact loyalty from your loyal CCCs, while your enemies will be attacked by your loyal CCCs.
Avalon has an inbuilt facility whereby you can keep track of a small number of your best friends and worst enemies. Typing the commands FRIENDS or ENEMIES will list those folk you have chosen to single out. Type FRIEND <player> <0-100> or ENEMY <player> <0-100> to set up new friends or enemies. The number specified attributes a value to their name in your list. A higher number either means that they are a very good friends or a lifelong enemy. Should you specify 0 as the value, you will be wiping the name of a friend or enemy from your list. The practical use of this command, other than reference, is that CCCs and creatures loyal to you will also take orders from, and protect your friends. Conversely, they will attack your enemies with vehemence whether you are present to lead them into battle or not. Sometimes you may find via magical enchantment you are forced to declare somebody a friend against your will. In order to reverse this you will need to REJECT them (e.g. REJECT CUCHULAIN). Rejection requires great concentration and equilibrium if the bond of friendship you are rejecting is of a certain strength.
All characters are referred to by a single name which identifies them. However, you may wish to assume a title to embellish your basic character name. Avalon allows you to assume two types of titles - those that are seen before your character name (such as Lord, Sir, Count) and those that are seen after it (such as dragon-slayer, or the Arch-Mage). Prefixes and suffixes, as they are known in Avalon, can be given to you by your city leaders, your guildmaster or by any of the deities. To give you a few examples: Helkarakse of the frozen wastes, Lord Maedhros of the Grove, and Eshkadeth, last of the Valheru.
Members of a City Barony or Masters of a Guild to be respected. Needless to say, they will not have acquired their lofty position were it not for the respect that they command from their people. This is why Baronial posts and Guildmastery tends only to reach those mature enough to warrant such an honourable position. Ultimately, it is you who decides. The universal suffrage that abides in most cities and guilds means that each citizen has one vote to cast should an election arise. The city government (which stems from Barons) have enormous power - they can declare war, instigate occupations of neighbouring cities and villages. They decide pricing and determine the success or failure of your local economy. They are also expected to defend their city from harm or mediate in the event of a dispute. Each time you log in to Avalon you will be informed of whether any elections are in progress, and depending upon its type, you will have a certain number of days in which to cast your vote. Type ELECTIONS to view currently progressing elections in which you are entitled to vote, and then use the VOTE command to issue your vote.
One of the liveliest aspects of many of Avalon's smaller settlements is their feverish bids to out-do their competitors in trading. The network of villages which speckle the continent produce the various commodities which are used by the major cities to fashion the items they need. A shirt, for instance, requires some cloth and some dyes, while an apple pie would require wheat, sugar, spices and fruit. Generally villages trade with their nearest major city via trading caravans controlled by the leaders of the cities, though it is equally possible for an individual trader or representative of another city to travel to a village and purchase goods directly. You will notice the price of a commodity will fluctuate depending on demand, production and surplus.
Trading is the lifeblood of the continent, its veins and arteries outlined by the countless routes between every village, town and city. By day and by night you can see trading wagons heavily laden with produce careering through this vast network. Should the route be broken, then all will suffer. Insufficient salt could lead to a food shortage, or lack of wood would cause scarcities in a multitude of items (staves, wands, bows, boxes, etc).
Within the halls of a bank you may DEPOSIT <gold> to start up an account, after which you can WITHDRAW as much as you wish. Money banked is generally taxed by the Council of that city in order to finance the municipal budget at a rate decided upon by the financial leaders of the city. It is wise, in the long-run, to investigate what fee is levied by other cities to ensure that you are not being over-taxed. The amount of gold coins held in the three royal banks of Mercinae, Thakria and Springdale are shown by the SCORE and QS commands.
Making use of the banks has its distinct advantages. Gold that you have banked is not liable to be pilfered from you, nor are you likely to lose it through any mishap you might suffer. Alternatively, to avoid the fees imposed by the banking institutions, you may opt to simply lock it away in your own home or in a lockable strong-box. Should you choose this method though, ensure that you have paid for a sturdy lock or a trap to guard its safety, for if its whereabouts become commonly known, it is much more likely to be stolen by a meddlesome thief. !
Dotted about the land of Avalon are special locations known as treasure chambers. Mercinae, Parrius and Thakria each boast a treasure chamber (usually found behind locked doors in their monarch's palaces). Pangyron's Halls has a chamber, as does Orestes' underground retreat. The citadel of Thaumacie has a treasure chamber at the top of its pinnacle, while the Goblin Town hides its secret store behind its most potent guard-rooms. Most of the Guilds and most of the cities have a number of secret treasure chambers in which artifacts and important items are stashed. Treasure chambers are usually the source of the greater artifacts of the land - the object of many guild honour quests. It should be one of your tasks to discover the whereabouts of the various treasure chambers and the means to get inside them.
To view items for sale in a shop, type GOODS on its own. A list will display all the items available, a short description, their item code number, and a price in gold coins. To purchase one of these items you must type BUY followed by the item and the ite m code number. Providing you hold enough gold, you will be sold it. Selling your possessions to a shop is done using the SELL <item> command. Some shops will pay for your item immediately, others will make you an offer and await your acceptance, some will not buy at all. Around Avalon are many merchants, though, who will always buy your goods and give you gold in exchange. A merchant resides in a small shop north of Mercinae, another in a pawnbrokers at the northern end of Kings Avenue in Thakria, while another holds shop off Hellespont Square in Parrius. Springdale and a number of smaller towns boast merchants which may offer more favourable rates for those adventurous enough to find them.
Elections are held frequently in the cities and guilds of Avalon's many cities and villages. Elections for guildmasters come up when the current master's authority is disputed by one of the major subordinates, while for Barons an election takes place when four leading non-Baronial question an existing Baron's authority. To gain a list of elections which affect you currently running type ELECTIONS. To view any questioning of your current city Barony type POLITICS. To gain a list of candidates in a specific election, type CANDIDATES followed by the election number, while voting is achieved by VOTE followed by the election number followed by the candidate name. To start an election in a guild, a guild member must type CHALLENGE followed by the name of the current guildmaster. This will begin an election with the challenger, and current guild master as the two candidates. To start a Baron election, four non-Barons must QUESTION the authority of a particular Baron. Once four have done so, the election will begin with those four, and the questioned Baron as candidates. Guild elections last for four days, while Baron elections last for seven. Candidates themselves can type STANDDOWN followed by the election number which removes them from the running but wastes the votes of those who voted for them. As Guild elections only have two candidates, a STANDDOWN effectively declares that the other candidate is the winner. There is a minimum quota for number of Barons in any of the cities, and if you type HELP BARONS on its own you will not only see a list of the Barons representing your city, but will also be told if there are any free spaces in the Barony. To put your name forward for an election for one of these free spaces, type QUESTION VACANCY.
Polls are used to gauge public opinion on a variety of topics. Type POLLS for a list of polls currently being run that you are eligible to cast your vote in. You will notice all polls have a unique number, much like elections, and you can find out further information on a poll and its participants by typing POLL followed by that unique number.
All polls have a topic, usually some important question that opinion is being gathered on. Unlike elections, votes are usually public (though ballots can be secret on occasion). To make your opinion known on a poll type VOTE followed by either FAVOUR or AGAINST and then the poll number, e.g. VOTE FAVOUR 150 will declare yourself in favour of whatever is being proposed in poll 150.
At some point during your Avalon career you may find yourself in charge of running and maintaining a shop. When you own a shop, you will have to set prices on items and set them up for sale. The process for doing this is relatively simple: Every shop has a store room in which all items for sale are held, and any gold earned is stored. These storerooms tend to be kept behind sturdy, locked doors to thwart potential robbers. To put an item up for sale you should find out its unique item code (using the INFO command), and then set up its sale value by typing SALEVALUE <item plus item code> <amount>. If you do not include an item code, the shop will price all items of a specific kind at the specified amount - thus it is possible to change the price of an individual cloak, or on all of the cloaks in your shop. The amount should be the value in gold coins you wish to place on the item. Once you have set up the item's sale value, you simply drop it on the floor of your storeroom and it will automatically be offered for sale to anybody who enters the shop and types GOODS. Shops are obtained primarily from the financial leaders of your city. They control the economy and taxation and can fashion keys for you. All shops have a log kept up-to-date by its diligent staff. The shop log can be viewed only by its owner using the SHOPACTIONS command. It can be wiped using the SHOPACTIONS CLEAR command, or comments can be added by typing SHOPACTION followed by the message you wish to have logged.
Protecting your shop from Thieves will soon become extremely important to you. Protection can be gained via a number of methods. A sphere shaped rune of warding placed in the store room of your shop will stop some non-human forms from entering your stop and stealing your goods. A pyramid shaped rune of diffusion will stop seeing stones or spiritual gates from being opened into your store room (through which thieves might pass). A key shaped tomb rune, activated daily, will ensure that the doors will be lo cked beyond the competence of any Thief. However, a rune stave just outside your store room, automatically activating a tomb rune to lock your store- room door as soon as any customer enters your shop will be the most effective protection. Alternatively, you may wish to speak to the leaders of your city about arranging for the city to protect the lock upon your shop - for they can order its protection, for a small fee each month, which no thief can pick.
There is an abundance of shops dotted in and around the great cities and villages of Avalon. Many of the shops are run by the cities themselves, while others are owned by particular guilds and individuals. Not only is it possible to buy and from the shops, but you are also able to purchase and run your own shops. Contact the leaders of whichever city you wish to own a shop in and assuming they have one available, you could find yourself entering into a lucrative venture. Typically, those of the loremaster profession and those who can pick herbs and posions make the most money from running a shops.
GOODS To review a list of goods in a shop. GOODS <item> To gain information about a specific item. BUY <item> To buy a specific item from a shop. STOCK <item> To gain a list of all items of a specific type for sale.
Bartering is an important part of progression in Avalon; you may at various times wish to interact with the shops, merchants and other people in the land.
SELL <item> Offers your item for sale to a shop/merchant. BUY <item> Buy specific items from shops. GOODS Lists items being sold by a particular shop. GOODS <item> Gives you detailed information on an item. STOCKS <item> Lists all items for sale of a particular type. GIVE <item> to <person> Gives one of your items to another person. QUERY <item> Gains a rough idea of the selling price of items. OFFER <CCC> <gold> FOR <item> Barter with a CCC.
It is possible, and generally desirable, to equip your character at some stage in your Avalon career with a house - a base of activity, storage of treasures and artifacts and such. All cities will have a fair number of houses and shops, ranging from small lock-ups to majestic towers which can be purchased from the city government and used for this purpose. Furthermore, it is possible to build anew a housing to fit your purposes and Avalon boasts nine distinctive types of buildable domiciles; shacks, lockups, cottages, residences, houses, villas, mansions, palaces and towers. They vary in cost (both in gold and commodities) to build and are under the domain of the Minister of State.
Reading is quite simple; you pick up what you want to read and select which page (if there are more than one) to read from. Most books have more than one page and therefore to differentiate between the many pages you must specify a page number to read from, e.g. READ BOOK 3 would read page 3 of the book. Omitting the number will simply assume (if there is more than one page) that you wish to read the first page.
To write on a piece of paper, you must type WRITE followed by the name of the object upon which you wish to scribe. This must be followed by the page number. For example: "WRITE NEWSPAPER 1" would enter the line editor, entering text on your item (in this case, the newspaper) at the end of what is already on the page. To leave the line editor, simply leave a blank line. SCAN will effectively read a page of text, but will also number each of the lines to enable you to make changes.
You can erase pages of a book or newspaper by typing ERASE followed by the name of the item, followed by the page number (if more than one) to erase. You may title the pages of books, tomes, letters and such, by typing TITLE followed by the item (e.g. TOME) followed by the page number (if relevant), finally followed by the text of the title. This will automatically update the table of contents (READ TOME CONTENTS).
If you have the authority and the skill you may also be able to write in runic script; see HELP SCRIPT for information.
Lycanthropy is an uncommon curse, evoked by great Sorcerers and an extremely rare poison. It involves the changing of a human being, during the night-time, into a werewolf. While in the form of the werewolf the person will have a great lust for blood, but will be unaffected by killing as one would as a human. The werewolf is able to CLAW and BITE enemies in the way of attack. They will have huge Constitution, Defence and Stealth. They will be able to BARGE past ice walls, call upon POWER to resist many hindrances, ROAR and HOWL challenges to the land and TRUESENSE enemies. The only known cure to lycanthropy is wurtfoil.
In the Armoury and Armourers of Mercinae, Parrius, Thakria and Springdale, as well as a number of villages, you will find that they offer an excellent, but expensive, service for the repairing of weapons and armour. The extent of this repair (and possibly improvements) will depend on the number of gold coins you choose to expend in paying for the repair. To gain a repair, type REPAIR followed by the name of the piece of weapon or armour, followed by the number of gold coins you wish to expend. It is as simple as that.
Dealing with inanimate objects and sentient mobiles throughout the world.
The rivers and lakes of Avalon can be used as a remarkably effective short-cut, avoiding the dangerous overland routes. In order to traverse them though without some magical assistance you will need to use a boat or a canoe (and sufficient prowess at the skill of Survival). You will usually be able to purchase a riverworthy vessel from one of the market-places. To sail you must approach the bank of the river or the appropriate jetty or quayside and type LAUNCH followed by your vessel, followed by the direction you wish to launch it, e.g. LAUNCH CANOE NE would launch a canoe from the Mercinae river jetties onto the River Leithe. After launching the vessel you must quickly board it (by typing BOARD followed by the vessel, e.g. BOARD CANOE) before it drifts into the water. Once boarded you will be able to sail around the rivers by typing SAIL followed by the direction you wish to go in. At any time you may type LEAVE to clamber out of the boat and emerge wherever it has reached.
Books are rare in Avalon, since writing is one of the most practised arts and most folk use parchment scrolls to convey important information. Books work in the same way as notes, but, of course, have many more pages. To read a book, type READ BOOK followed by the page number you wish to read. See HELP WRITING for information on how to write in books.
Syntax: BREW <herb/poison>.
To brew a herb or poison you must be standing under cover. You need some firewood or kindling, a source of fire, a tankard or glass filled with liquid in which to place the herb/poison and sufficient skill at the Herbs or Poisons skill. A brewed herb or poison effects a location every five seconds until its effects wear off.
The more money-minded person may wish to use shops and stalls for purposes other than equipping themselves with essentials. It is possible to amass a great deal of wealth through prudent trading. This is particularly true when dealing with the raw commodities. All items sold in the shops and stalls have their basis in raw commodities - often mining produce from the mountainous villages, or arable crops from remote farming villages. The cities have great demand for these commodities, and many a daring merchant has risked life and limb to secure these goods for their homeland. Prices in the villages of Avalon are determined by the extent of their reserves and the volume of production. Conflict between the three cities to obtain these commodities is often cut throat and always competitive. COLLECT <commodity> is worth remembering to collect up and batch up all of certain commodities in one consistent group or pile.
Your first few purses of money as a newly born character will no doubt be short-lived. You will be eager to spend them somewhere in the enticing city market squares on your first suit of clothing, or your first shortsword. If you are lucky enough to find gold lying around, you may pick it up either by typing GET GOLD, which will collect all that is within the location, or else you may type GET GOLD <amount> in order to pick up a smaller amount than is needed. If you wish to drop gold, type DROP GOLD <amount> to discard some - remember the amount should be numeric, e.g. DROP GOLD 10 to drop ten gold pieces.
You may even want to shower your new-found friends with your money through GIVE <amount> GOLD TO <character>. Once your fortune is considerable however, you will be looking towards safeguarding it, and there is no better place to do so than in a city bank. Most bank their money in their home city although you may choose to bank with whichever city you wish. If you are slain, remember, you will drop all gold you are holding - though the gold you have banked will remain safe. Gold held and banked is subjec t to taxation from your city authorities. Gold concealed in chests and strong boxes will not be taxed, though such subterfuge tends to displease city councils greatly.
Money plays a central role in Avalonian life. See HELP GOLD for further information.
PAY TAX - Pays your tax to the city in which you live. ACCOUNT - Shows you the number of gold coins in your city bank account.
DEPOSIT <gold> - Deposits gold coins into your bank account. WITHDRAW <gold> - Withdraws gold cons from your bank account.
GOODS - Lists those items for sale, their prices and their codes. GOODS <item> - Gives you detailed information on specific items. STOCKS <item> - Lists all items being sold of a particular type. BUY <item> - Purchases an item from the shop at the price in GOODS. QUERY <item> - Queries what price you might receive for an item you hold. SELL <item> - Sells an item you hold to a shop.
Getting hold of runes and potions can be a difficult business. They are made with most effectiveness (and most cheaply) by members of the Alchemists, Artisans and Loremasters Guilds. Should you wish to equip yourself with a rune, a potion or a magical item, you should approach a member of one of these guilds with your request. They will probably give you a price and make the item for you. Fashioning runes requires the silver commodity, so you will be even more likely to receive a good price if you provide the silver for the alchemist to use. There will be times, though, that no Alchemist, Artisan or Loremaster is available or willing to use their talents to aid you. It is well advisable, therefore, to court friendship with at least some members of the creative guilds.
Almost everyone who wishes to adventure safely into the wilder regions of Avalon will purchase a steed. A companion such as this can usually be bought in a city market square or stable (for a moderate purse of gold), and will instantly be loyal to you. It will follow you, should you order it to do so, and of course you may attempt to MOUNT it, whereupon it will aid you in defending against attack or augment your own offensive acts. Your Riding skill will dictate the types of steeds you are able to mount and ride, from the mule to the unicorn. You will need to be at least Apprentice in the skill of Riding to be able to ride the most simple of steeds, the mule. Once mounted you will find it much easier to travel around the land. You will not be plagued by lack of breath or tiredness in the same way as you would be when travelling on foot. Equally your steed can often sense danger before you do - it senses certain traps set to plague the unwary.
It is possible to imbed magical charms within the confines of an item, and for those not skilled in magic to use them. Magical items are both valuable and desirable - they are created by uniting the two skills of Charming and Alchemy. A member of the Alchemists, Artisans or Loremasters Guild will take hold of a suitable item (an amulet, a wand, a ring, etc.) and imbed the focus of a magical charm within it. They will then call upon one suitably skilled in Charming to pass essence to the item while they concentrate on charging it up. Different items can hold different number of charges, and the potency of the item is dependent on the skill in Alchemy of the person charging it. Below is a list of the common charms which can be imbedded in a magical item. To use the power of a magical item, type POINT followed by the item, followed by whom you wish to point it at. POINT RING ME would cast the magic from a ring at yourself, for instance.
Keys are an important facet of Avalon since they are so regularly used. Keeping track of your keys is very important.
KEYLIST - Lists those keys held by you with their code numbers. UNLOCK <item> - Attempts to unlock an item with a key. LOCK <item> - Attempts to lock up an item with a key.
UNLOCK DOOR <direction> - Attempts to unlock a door in a specific direction. LOCK DOOR <direction> - Attempts to lock a door in a specific direction.
COPY <key+code> - In the locksmith you may copy your keys for safety. REINFORCE <key+code> - Reinforces the lock on a key to make it harder to pick or blast away.
Loyalty is a very interesting aspect of Avalon. Mobiles are not simply unintelligent creatures which roam around randomly. Their actions are affected by your actions, and your alignment. Many CCCs will be sympathetic to your commands, you will be able to LEAD them, to RIDE them, or to ORDER them around. Often when you are involved in a fight they will jump in and protect you against an enemy. As you gain in strength and competence you may wish to buy your own loyal CCCs. This can be done from many shops a nd once loyal a CCC will remain your friend and open to orders regardless of your actions. HELP FRIENDS gives some useful information in addition to this. You can LOSE members of your entourage, or LOSE ENTOURAGE to lose a full entourage.
Interacting with the creatures of Avalon is very important to your progression. Type HELP CCC for further information.
GREET <creature> Greets the creature and attempts to request a quest. WAKE <creature> Wakes up a sleeping creature that it may help you. FEED <food> TO . Attempts to feed a piece of food to a hungry creature. ORDER <creature> Type HELP ORDER to list the orders you may give. LEAD <creature> Attempts to lead a creature that it may aid you.
Non-Player Characters are intelligent people/CCCs controlled not by real people, but by the computer. These act in many ways like real people in that they have ambitions, method and style. They have the ability to take and sell items, fight intelligently, and even sleep when tired. CCCs gain levels by acting just as you do, while they lose levels through death. The only area where CCCs are insufficient is in the area of speech, when unless specifically directed by the computer will not utter a word. Often they will give items to players close to their own outlook and generally they will be happy to barter.
GIVE <item> TO <CCC> Gives one of your items to a CCC. STEAL <item> FROM <CCC> Steals an item from a CCC. OFFER <CCC> <Gold> FOR <Item> Enables you to barter with a CCC. EXAMINE <CCC> Looks closely at a CCC.
Learning about the importance of Guilds and duties within the land.
Guilds are central to the cities of Avalon. It is within the walls of their apartments that the vast majority of all accomplished learning is amassed, and they are the primary fountains of knowledge from which you must ultimately drink. The choice of a guild is always a difficult one. It should involve a great deal of forethought. If the notion of combat excites you then the Knights or the Cavaliers would seem an obvious choice. If, however, pacifism is your life's ideal, then the Guild of Animists would suit you. Type HELP GUILDS for a complete display of guilds in all the major cities. Alongside each one you will see listed the names of their respective Guildmasters as well as their Guild patron deity. All are players like yourself. You should talk to Guildmasters of as many guilds as possible, to help you make your final decision. You may also type HELP <guild> for detailed information on any particular guild.
Guilds are usually housed within the boundaries of the major cities although many prefer to remain somewhat hidden from the bustle of their streets, secured by anonymously bare doorways. Should you eventually be admitted, you will as a rule be given a guild uniform to identify yourself to your contemporaries, as well as a key to the guild entrance so that you may come and go as you please. At the most basic level you will find that your guild is an excellent spring-board into the harsher environments of Avalon where only the more skilled can cope alone. It is up to you how much time you spend learning your specialist skills, but the rewards for diligence are great.
Upon joining a guild, it is not uncommon for its Guildmasters to admit you only as an apprentice. This has its benefits for both you and the Guildmasters. Firstly it allows you to sample the skills of which you will be learning and come to a final decision as to whether this guild is for you. If you chose to bid farewell and try your hand at another guild or profession (by typing QUIT GUILD), then you have learned only a little, but you have lost nothing except the smattering of specialist skills you have dabbled in. Moreover, for the Guildmasters, it provides a useful means of vetting prospective candidates to his or her guild. Once this apprenticeship is passed (as stipulated by the Guildmasters), you will find yourself admitted to the higher echelons of the guild, allowing you to progress not only in terms of your skills, and voting rights in future guild decisions, but also in your stature within that guild. Should you accept the profession of a guild, you will be bound to its specialist skills forever - you can quit the guild, but you can never quit the profession.
All guilds, and even the Academies, have honours and accolades which their guildmembers, if diligent, may attain. You will usually find that you will be offered a chance to perform worthy deeds on behalf of your guild, and success will lead not only to your reputation being enhanced, but also to your guild bestowing upon you the honour associated with the quest. You will only be given quests for honour when the masters of your Guild consider you ready. Once an honour is gained it is for life. You will gain guild privileges by gaining honours and obtaining guild favour from your fellow members. Type PRIVILEGES at any time to review those privileges which you have earned. Once you have ended your apprenticeship, you will be able to dole out your favour or disfavour to a fellow member. Type GUILDFAVOUR followed by their name to bestow your favour upon them and GUILDDISFAVOUR followed by their name to give disfavour to them. The effect of your favour and disfavour is determined by your rank - the higher your guild rank, the more beneficial your favour, and the more harmful your disfavour. You can give out guild favour and disfavour once every Avalon month. Typing GUILDSTATUS will review the general information about your guild, and GUILDHOUSE will review any extensions made to it. In the next section is a list of guilds, guild tutors who give out guild honours and a brief description of the usual location of these guild tutors (Computer Controlled Characters) in Avalon, followed by a list of guild ranks that you will attain as you rise up in reputation.
Guild Name Location Tutor Usual Whereabouts ---------- -------- ----- ----------------- Astrologers Parrius Oloreon Astrological Chamber. Animists Greenwood Aloides The Grove. Rangers Greenwood Xantipipe Meeting Hall. Alchemists Mercinae Baltron Alchemical Laboratory. Bards Mercinae Dearon Saga Hall. Enchanters Parrius Zersiax Halls of Learning. Knights Mercinae Eldar Private room of the Moon Inn. Mages Mercinae Kazayn Library. Mystics Mercinae Tanientil Central Chamber. Wizards Springdale Unknown Unknown. Craftmasters Springdale Miranda Room of Gathering. Paladins Springdale Unknown Unknown. Cavaliers Thakria Odius Training Area. Loremasters Thakria Hylas Entrance Lobby. Seers Thakria Galaphyrae Domed Look-out. Sorcerers Thakria Gauthnamaur Room of teachings. Thieves Thakria Jaipur The Great Hall. Warlocks Thakria Kirstiana Teaching Chamber. Warriors Parrius Targan Entrance to the Warriors Hall. Artisans Unknown Parculus Dining Hall. Brigands Unknown Erigast Hunting Lodge. Rogues Unknown Whytta Torture Chamber.
Each guild has a scroll, ever updated, recording important events in the guild's recent history. Challenges to guildmasters, election results, apprenticeships, new members, probations, activity in the guild bank account, and such like are recorded in the guild's activity. Guild members may review the activity of their guild by typing ACTIVITY. The Guildmaster may add information and messages for his or her guild members by typing ACTIVITY followed by some text, e.g. ACTIVITY WATCH OUT FOR THE SORCERERS GUILD. The activity log may become very long after a while, and the guildmaster has ultimate responsibility to wipe the contents of the activity on a regular basis. This is done by typing ACTIVITY CLEAR.
All guilds have bank accounts held jointly by the treasuries of all three cities in an agreement which dates back centuries. Guild bank accounts do not become part of any city treasure, but instead are held in a separate fund. Guild bank accounts are not subject to any tax, nor are there usually any restrictions on deposits and withdrawals, although the Banks do make a charge for depositing money. All guild members may deposit money into the bank account of any guild by typing DEPOSIT followed by the guild, followed by an amount in gold pieces. For instance, DEPOSIT ANIMISTS 500 will deposit five hundred pieces of gold in the bank account of the Animists Guild. Any guild member may type ACCOUNT followed by their guild (e.g. ACCOUNT MAGES) to discover how wealthy the guild bank account is. The master of the guild, and high-ranking guild members may withdraw money from the guild bank account by typing WITHDRAW followed by the guild, followed by an amount to take out. WITHDRAW ANIMISTS 500, performed by the guildmaster of the Animists or a prominent member, would take out five hundred pieces of gold from the Animists bank account.
If a guildsperson becomes dissatisfied with the performance of the Guildmaster, they may CHALLENGE their authority. It only requires one guildsperson of guild-rank Guildsman or Guildswoman (or above) to challenge the authority of an active Guildmaster, at which stage an election will begin with the incumbent guildmaster and the challenger as candidates. All non-apprentice guild members will be eligible to vote, and the winner, after three days, will be the candidate with the most votes. The winner will become Guildmaster and the loser will simply be a guildmember once again. If votes are equal the incumbent guildmaster is declared victorious. You should be aware, when issuing a challenge, of the responsibility of being a guildmaster. Do not challenge frivolously. If you do not wish to continue an election, type STANDDOWN followed by the election number you wish to stand down in. An electoral loser cannot challenge the victor again until after another election has taken place to prevent a sour grapes election following a defeat. If a guild has lost its guild master, through them leaving the guild without ensuring an election takes place to replace them, then the first person to CHALLENGE will become the guildmaster.
Though the direction of the guild is often down to the preference of the prominent guild members, and the Guildmaster, much is also determined by the past ideals of former members and masters. You may type GUILDFEELINGS to view a list of specific enemies (guilds, cities, towns or villages). The enemies of the guild should be treated with disdain, since you can be sure they are enemy with good reason. The master of the guild may decide upon new enemies, or end enemy status on a guild, city, town or village. To do this, type GUILDENEMY followed by the new enemy (e.g. GUILDENEMY SORCERERS or GUILDENEMY MERCINAE), or to withdraw enemy status, GUILDFRIEND followed by the former enemy (e.g. GUILDFRIEND MAGES or GUILDFRIEND GOBLIN TOWN). The master of the guild is also in charge of the selection of a patron deity for the guild. The patron should reflect most closely the ideals of the guild, and often protects the guildmembers against divine interference. Type GUILDPATRON followed by the deity you wish to select as your guild patron to effect a choice - though masters should speak first to the God they wish to select as patron before issuing the command. It is usually a sign of great respect to any deity to be selected as patron of a guild.
Members of a guild will be able to interact with the commodity stores of their guild. All guild members may add commodities into the guild stores simply by walking into a commodity store, that has been built on guild ground, and dropping them. Those who have been elevated above the rank of apprentice will be able to see what commodities there are within, instead of seeing a lot of shadows flitting around. The Master of the Guild and those he or she selects as quartermasters for the guild may pick items up from within it.
It is possible to expand a guild house with commodity stores, shops and extensions. Type GUILDHOUSE to see the extent of your guild's expansions. The Guildmaster alone is able to construct and demolish guild extentions. See HELP BUILDINGS for information on specific types of constructions and costs for doing so.
Just as your character can possess loyalty towards a city or town, so can it be affiliated with the interests of your chosen guild. By their very nature, guilds have specific interests and aims that its members are encouraged to pursue. An example of the conflicts in Avalon produced between two of the guilds is the juxtaposition of the Animists' and the Sorcerers' Guilds. One seeks to preserve life in all its forms whilst the other seeks to pervert it and see to its unadulterated desecration. The interests of each guild are presided over by two prime figureheads: its mortal Guildmasters and its patron deity. Both of these individuals are likely to have very similar long-term aims although it is the Guildmasters who see to the day-to-day running of the guild, just as the Barons officially work for the royal patrons of their respective cities. The Guildmaster deals with the bureaucratic needs of his guildmembers, whereas the patron deity acts as a useful arbiter should differences arise. Type GUILDFEELINGS to discover the feelings of your Guild towards the other guild and cities of Avalon.
Guild elder status is bestowed by the Guildmaster from time to time on members of the guild old and honoured enough to warrant this most lofty of titles. Elder status, once bestowed, cannot be revoked. Guild elders cannot be thrown out of their guild by anyone, not even the Guildmaster.
As a member of a guild you will find that great service to the guild is rewarded by an honour being bestowed upon you. Some of these are but marks of respect, others will give you special powers in addition to prestige. Members of a guild will recieve quests for honours when they are ready by typing REQUEST in the presence of the guild tutor concerned. GREET the tutor or enter SUCCESS in their presence when you have completed the quest. Once gained an honour is permanent; although the quest may be repeated, the honour will not be bestowed again. Type HONOURS to view your honours gained and REMEMBER to recall your present mission.
Guildmasters can give out favour and dole out disfavour to members. Their favour is worth a great deal to a member's guild status, while their disfavour causes a large loss of guild status. Type GUILDFAVOUR followed by the name of the member to give out favour, or GUILDDISFAVOUR followed by the name of the member to give disfavour. GUILDFAVOUR BALTHAZAR or GUILDDISFAVOUR GARET are examples of these commands. The Guildmaster may also send messages to every active member of the guild with a single command; GUILDMSG. This works in the same way as the MSG command, sending a short message to everybody. The syntax is GUILDMSG followed by the text you wish everybody to see. It should be used only when absolutely necessary, since the guild bulletin board is the most suitable place for discussing guild issues and making proclamations.
Establishing and maintaining guild membership and a sense of guild togetherness is the most important duty of the Guildmaster. You may type MEMBERS at any time to review a list of active membership within your guild and MEMBERS DORMANT to view guild members who have not played Avalon for over a month. You may gain information on an individual guild member by typing MEMBERS STATUS followed by their name, e.g. MEMBER STATUS MUNGWALL. Guildmasters have the power to give a prefix (Squire or Sir, for instance) or a suffix (the apprentice Mage, for instance) to a member. This is done by typing MEMBERS PREFIX or MEMBERS SUFFIX followed by the guildmember's name, followed by the next text. MEMBERS PREFIX BELLOCK SQUIRE and MEMBERS SUFFIX CASPAR THE APPRENTICE ENCHANTER are examples of these commands.
Initiating new members into the guild is usually an honour reserved for the Guildmaster or, sometimes, the guild patron. However, since all guilds have Computer Controlled Characters associated with them, the Guildmaster may decide to allow them to initiate new members. Type RECRUITMENT ON if you wish to allow the guild CCCs to initiate new members, or RECRUITMENT OFF if you wish to reserve the right to bring in members yourself. Guildmasters may also review the skill progress of their members (only in skills directly associated with the guild) by typing MEMBERS SKILLS followed by a guild member. This can be a fair gauge for ending apprenticeship, or setting tasks for guild members.
Guilds tend to have an number of basic items, keys and artifacts associated with them. Guildmasters may review a list of items and their whereabouts at any given time by typing MEMBERS ITEMS ACTIVE/DORMANT. This cycles through known information about guild possessions, be it active or dormant (you can leave this out to see all items). You may give an item to an individual guild member by typing MEMBERS GIVE followed by the item name (optionally including the item number) followed by the member's name. This is particularly useful when allocating keys and clothing to new members. You may retrieve items from dormant members if you wish by a single command; MEMBERS RETRIEVE followed by the item, followed by the name of the dormant member. MEMBERS GIVE KEY128 MELCHIOR and MEMBERS RETRIEVE SWORD1866 CONAN are examples of the give and retrieve commands, the retrieved items are laid on the ground before you.
Should you feel the activity of a guildmember to be wayward or against the ideals of the guild, you may wish to sound a warning to the errant youngster by placing him or her under probation. To do this type PROBATION followed by their name. Typing UNPROBATION and the name of the member reverses probation. Probation restricts the guild member from learning or developing any of his guild skills. The guild tutors will refuse him training. It is a useful punishment, and does not require the guildmaster to have the miscreant in his/her presence when the probation is placed.
Your esteem within your guild is measured by your Guild Rank, ranging from the misfortunate Probationary through Fellowship and Mastery to the most respected Elder.
1. Probationary
2. Apprentice
3. Initiate
4. Novice
5. Understudy
6. Guildsman
7. Fellow
8. Trustee
9. Tutor
10. Master
11. Grand Master
12. Deputy Guildmaster
Once every Avalonian month each guildmember may give their favour or disfavour to another member of the guild, which will influence the other's rank according to their standing. Type GUILDFAVOUR <member> or GUILDDISFAVOUR <member> to record your intentions. Thereby the regular favour of fellow guildmembers will cause your guild rank to rise, or their disfavour cause it to fall. Guild rank, whilst indicating your popularity within the guild, is also associated with other privileges including, at the higher levels, research into items. Type RANK to ascertain your rank in the guild and PRIVILEGES to review any privileges you have gained.
Type HELP ENROLLMENT for information about joining guilds.
| Guild Name | Guildhead | Patron Deity | |||
| Knights Guild | Kes | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Mages Guild | Bumble | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Sorcerers Guild | Arikarr | The Diabolus | |||
| Animists Guild | Nivea | Brigantia, the goddess of life | |||
| Rangers Guild | Griffyn | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Astrologers Guild | Katala | Orthwein, the god of fate | |||
| Seers Guild | Blondel | Nostradamus, god of darkness | |||
| Alchemists Guild | Mestopholies | Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion | |||
| Artisans Guild | Catt | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Bards Guild | Alkadar | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Loremasters Guild | Yairi | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Cavaliers Guild | Arthor | Xanthe, goddess of vengeance | |||
| Enchanters Guild | Blotto | Genesis, the god of time | |||
| Warlocks Guild | Alecto | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Wizards Guild | Kilthas | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Paladins Guild | Jebaman | Wraith | |||
| Warriors Guild | Tanglong | Xanthe, goddess of vengeance | |||
| Mystics Guild | Dworkin | Proteus, god of the sea | |||
| Bandits Guild | Sturge | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Prophets Guild | Saphir | Wraith | |||
| Craftmasters Guild | Warfarin | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
Each of the professions have six honours which can be attained. Being allocated a professional honour quest is dependent on your rank within the guild. The professional honours give great experience, each subsequent honour being harder and more valuable than the last. You can only perform your six professional honours once, and moving guilds carries over honours despite loss of guild rank.
THE KNIGHTLY HONOURS
"Vanguard of the Knights" "Master of the Bow" "Bane of the Beasts" "Righteous Soldier" "Torch in the Darkness" "Order of the Guardians"
THE MAGE HONOURS
"Delving Magic" "Taker of Knowledge" "Scourge of Demons" "Arch-Mage" "Blessing of Ilmarael" "Bane of the Avalonians"
THE SORCERER HONOURS
"Order of Nostiroth" "Mark of Ucalegon" "Scourge of the Living" "Bane of the Charmers" "Wielder of the Dark Flame" "Witness to the Night"
THE THIEF HONOURS
"Quick Eye" "Thieves of the Forest" "Master of Stealth" "Burglar of the Dead" "Robber of All Cities" "Merchant's Plunder"
THE RANGER HONOURS
"Lore of the Woodland" "Guardian of the Forest" "The Long Night Out" "Curse-Breaker" "Scourge of the Many" "Ranger of Two Worlds"
THE ANIMIST HONOURS
"Ways of the Forest" "Life-Giver" "Rest of the Dead" "Protector of All" "Eternal Defender" "Guardian of Life"
THE ALCHEMIST HONOURS
"Gem-Bringer" "The Silver Tree" "Sage of the Continent" "Liberator of Knowledge" "Master of Rune Totems" "Bringer of the Lore"
THE BARD HONOURS
"Solo-Performance" "Honour of the Sea Horn" "Musical Accolade" "Sign of Respect" "Wielder of The Voice" "Herald of the Oratory"
THE SEER HONOURS
"Light of the Skies" "Roving Eye" "The Lost Stone" "Master of Bonding" "Mystic Fire" "Wielder of the Stars"
Your first duty, as Guildmaster, will be to set the tone and ideals of the guild. Usually these will be carried on from previous masters. Typing HELP followed by a guild name, e.g. HELP LOREMASTERS will give public information about a guild. Guildmasters can alter this information by typing DESCRIBE GUILD, and entering a new body of text to describe the guild and its aims. Your first task must be to ensure that your guild's help text reflects the guild fairly and adequately.
Guildmasters have two commands to initiate players into your guild, and to eject wayward individuals out of it. Type INGUILD followed by the name of the player, followed by the name of your guild name (e.g. INGUILD AMMON CAVALIERS) to initiate a new member, at the level of apprentice. Type OUTGUILD followed by the name of the player, followed by the name of your guild (e.g. OUTGUILD MAGES HORNET) to eject an individual from your guild. If they are of apprentice level, they will lose any guild skills they have attained.
The rank of Guildmaster is not only a great achievement, but is also a role which brings great responsibility. Most guilds will have only one Guildmaster - and therefore the fortunes of that guild will be linked to the actions and reputation of the Master. A gregarious, confident, powerful Guildmaster will attract novices to a guild and enhance the prowess of the existing members. A frivolous, nervous or, most often, uncommunicative Guildmaster can destroy a guild. In Avalon's history, the most popular guilds have always been those led by good, communicative, and well-skilled individuals. If you are considering challenging for the rank of Guildmaster, ensure that you have established a good reputation, and that you have the qualities of leadership which mastery requires. You would be doing your guild a dis-service if you oust a good guildmaster, or vote against a good guildmaster, in favour of one less competent.
Guildmasters have the power to watch over their guild members. They can type WATCH followed by the name of the guildmember, and will continue to watch as the guild member enters commands. This ability is extremely useful for teaching a young guild member effective methods of using his or her skills, and spotting mistakes in syntax (which can often be quite fussy). A word of advice though - watching the commands of a guild member can be beneficial, but it can also be abused. It is not intended as a carte blanche for guildmasters to pry into the affairs of their members. Arguments have sprung up in the past between guildmasters claiming to be acting in the best interest of a particular member, and a guild member annoyed at having his actions spied upon.
Commands for Heads of Guild:
GUILDPATRON <deity> - To choose a patron for your guild. GUILDFEELINGS - To examine the guild feelings. GUILDENEMY/GUILDFRIEND - To make an enemy or friend to the guild. GUILDFAVOUR - To dole out your favour to a guildmember. GUILDDISFAVOUR - To give disfavour from a guildmember.INGUILD <player> <your guild> - To initiate a player into your guild.
ACTIVITY [CLEAR] - Record of important guild information. ACTIVITY <msg> - Enter a message in the guild activity. GUILDMSG <message> - To send a message to all guildmembers. PROBATION <player> - Orders probation on a guild member. UNPROBATION <player> - Ends the probation on a guild member. PROMOTE/DEMOTE <member> - To raise or lower member guild rank. DESCRIBE GUILD - Change the description of your guild. WATCH <member> - To watch Guild Members' actions. RECRUITMENT ON/OFF - Allow your CCCs to recruit new members. ELDER <member> - To bestow permanent elder status. MEMBERS - Lists the members of your guild. MEMBERS DORMANT - Lists the dorman members of your guild. MEMBERS ITEMS ACTIVE/DORMANT - Lists all the guild owned items. MEMBERS GIVE <item> <person> - To allocate guild items to a guildmember. MEMBERS STATUS - To gain information on a guildmember. MEMBERS RETRIEVE <item> - To take back a guild possessed item. MEMBERS SKILLS <member> - Lists a member's Guild associated skills. MEMBERS PREFIX/SUFFIX - To set the PREFIX/SUFFIX of a guildmember. CLAIM <item> - To claim an item as guild property.QUARTERMASTER/UNQUARTERMASTER - To give or take away quarter-master status.
QUARTERMASTERS - To review the guild's quarter-masters. CAPTAIN/UNCAPTAIN - To give or take away captain status. CAPTAINS - To review the guild's captains.
The following guilds offer public recruitment. If you wish to join or hear more about them, find their front doors and simply knock.
The Knights Guild offers open recruitment.
The Mages Guild offers open recruitment.
The Rangers Guild offers open recruitment.
The Astrologers Guild offers open recruitment.
The Seers Guild offers open recruitment.
The Alchemists Guild offers open recruitment.
The Bards Guild offers open recruitment.
The Loremasters Guild offers open recruitment.
The Cavaliers Guild offers open recruitment.
The Enchanters Guild offers open recruitment.
The Warlocks Guild offers open recruitment.
The Wizards Guild offers open recruitment.
The Paladins Guild offers open recruitment.
The Warriors Guild offers open recruitment.
The Mystics Guild offers open recruitment.
The Bandits Guild offers open recruitment.
The Prophets Guild offers open recruitment.
The Craftmasters Guild offers open recruitment.
The rank of quarter-master is bestowed upon a guildmember by the master of the guild. It gives the individual freedom to interact with commodities and possessions of the guild, and to enter and remove items from private storerooms of the guild. Most guilds will have a number of quarter-masters. It is solely at the discretion of the guildmaster or guildmistress, the only other individual able to interact freely with guild stores, possessions and commodities. The quartermast may also type GUILDSTOCK followed by a commodity (e.g. GUILDSTOCK WHEAT) to review the extent of the guild's commodity stores.
The rank of captain is bestowed upon competent guildmembers by the head of a guild. It allows the captained guildmember to interact with (if applicable) the guild's military and military-resources. Captains can command guild legions and engage in military activities.
ENLIST <guildsman> To enlist guildsmen into your military. FORTIFICATIONS To review guild fortifications. FORTIFY <amount> To add fortifications to a location. RAISE FORTIFICATIONS To raise a location's fortifications. LOWER FORTIFICATIONS To lower a location's fortifications. LEGIONS Reviewing a summary of guild legions. MUSTER <number> To call a number of guildsmen to arms. DISBAND <number> To detach a number from your command legion. REDEPLOY <leader> Redeploys troops under specified leader to unled. RAZE <direction> To destroy a building, store, or shop. BESIEGE <direction> To lay siege to fortifications. LOCALE [<direction>] To review legion formations nearby. ENGAGE <enemy> To engage enemy legions in battle.ASSAIL <legion> <dirn> [<target legion>]
To assail enemy legions in adjacent locations. MARCH <direction> To march your legions about. PASSIVE To order an end to all hostilities. PLUNDER <direction> To plunder commodities or loot.
Discover a wealth of information on the various parts of the mainland continent.
Avalon is a large continent surrounded on east, south and west by sea. On the mainland the layout can be oversimplified to four distinct areas. To the south (where the Meeting Place is) is City of Mercinae, to the northwest is the City of Thakria, on the central plains is the City of Springdale, and to the far east is the City of Parrius; where the four cities lie. The central west of Avalon is mainly woodland (The Greenwood), while the southwest is home to the Goblin City and the concentration of the evil Star-Sorcerer. New players should be wary of travelling to the wildlands without some form of protection, or else you may find yourself getting hurt! Your aim is to score experience points by performing quests, slaying things, or just by living out your life in Avalon, to gain gold coins from treasure, quests and commerce, and most importantly to build yourself a well-rounded character. The highest possible level (although it is hardly realistic to call it that) is the God, beings of supreme power with great influence over mortals lives.
The land of Avalon is a temperate continent surrounded by vast oceans. It is a land of forest, rolling hills and snow-capped peaks. Avalon is not, however, merely the barren landscape of adventure. It has mighty cities and fortresses, homes for its various peoples. Mercinae, Thakria and Parrius are its principal cities, lying in the central lowlands, the north-western mountains and the eastern peninsula respectively. It is in the cityport of Mercinae that many of the righteous, pious people of the land find their home, ruled over by good king Thandrades and protected by his royal city guards and the Legion of the Sun. Thakria is a more dangerous city, though some would say more impressive. It is to Thakria that those seeking power travel, building mighty fortunes and palaces to display their riches. They have little regard for those weaker, less wealthy cultures elsewhere on the continent. The third city of the continent is Parrius, a powerful economic and military centre and sea-faring community. Between these three great towns lie many settlements of humans and other folk. Dwarves inhabit the land, their chosen home being the tower of Thaumacie in the mountains that overlook the Greenwood. Other, less friendly peoples, make their crude homes in the depths of the mountains, keeping to the shadows as best they may.
Of similar importance to the major cities in Avalon is the extensive infrastructure of villages and towns which, although individually far smaller in size, are collectively a part of the continent's economy. Towns grew from villages; close-knit conurbations that, with time, linked together to form a more sizeable community.
Speckling the northern and eastern prairies of Avalon are dozens of villages that range from the small hamlet of Ladakh to the large river city settlement of Springdale. Any of the villages in Avalon can become a significant cog in the machinery of commerce, each and every one of them making up a part of the vibrant trading networks that span the continent. Be prepared to discover many varied, and often intriguing, customs as you pass through these communities. Some of the villages are as old as the cities themselves. Their insular communities hold many untapped mysteries - secrets welled up for centuries. Many have very particular, often peculiar, traditions. All are worth exploring.
For those keen on exploration of Avalon, it is worth mentioning here an interesting spectacle which can be witnessed every evening in the little village of Greeny's Edge. The priest of that village, Telamon, commences a ritual of worship to the god of light at the beginning of the twilight and it is said that those lucky enough to be present throughout the ritual will reap enormous benefit, both spiritual and physical. Telamon is a welcoming soul and will turn nobody away from his temple. Greeny's Edge is east of Thakria, in the far northwest of the continent. Mind also as you travel to Greeny's Edge that you are not waylaid in the snow-bound village of Snowfoot, also in the northwestern regions of Avalon.
In the northeastern plains of Avalon there are a number of villages of note. The town of Eastpoint (a short distance north of the city of Parrius) is renowned for its wandering minstrel and fishing community. The minstrel responds well to greeting and often has quests and stories for the wandering folk. Further north along the coast is the village of Astrea's Delta. Ethanius is Thane of that town, and his ancient rivalry with Orthalgin of Greeny's Edge is common knowledge. There is also a Sage who sits in the Lands Edge Tavern of Astrea's Delta whose wisdom is renowned around the continent. Lately, also, rumour tells that Princess Herabia of Thakria, mad since her late teenage years, has wandered east to Astrea's Delta.
Parrius was one of the earliest colonized settlements in the Avalon continent as a cut-and-thrust sea port on the Eastern Sea. For centuries Parrius avoided the necessity to introduce organised government and remained an anarchic pirate town until, a hundred or so years ago, migrants primarily from Mercinae swelled the citizenship to such an extent that formal organisation became unavoidable. Military threats from outside Parrius' walls forced its people to raise an army and introduce more powerful government. Under the leadership triad of Procyon, Marie and Calladan, Parrius' growth was assured. It rose from smallest to mightiest of Avalon's cities for a time, until decadence and complacency saw the city slowly fall from its lofty achievements. Very recently though, Parrius re-ordered its government with a new triad of guardian leaders and the ambition to regain its former status.
The founding ideal of Parrius sprung from the anarchic pirates that once made up its population; love of freedom. The purpose of the Parrian government is to maintain a strong, effective and independent city; militarily and economically able to contend with any threats from beyond its borders. But the role of Parrian government is quite distinct from its citizens. Citizenship of Parrius does not imply alignment, or creed. The government does not demand adherence to any of its laws or support for its decisions. The purpose of the government is to maintain a strong city, solely to defend the freedom of its citizens and absence of rigid law.
Mercinae, also known as the City of Light, has always stood as a bastion for the ideals of truth and justice. Built around the banks of the river Leithe, it borders the Southern Sea to the south, and the mountains of Thaumacie to the west. Mercinae's history has remained relatively peaceful, yet its citizens show the ability to fight like lions when attacked. Traditionally Mercinae has allied with the dwarves of Thaumacie to keep the Black Sun at bay, and with the Rangers to keep the denizens of the Goblin City in check.
Mercinae's main marketplace is named Cassiandora Square, in honour of its captured queen. Nearby is Park Elienna, temple of Aldaron, the god of life- a welcome area of natural beauty in the centre of the bustling cityport. Other Mercinae landmarks include the gambling halls, the council tower on Tooth Island, the seafront temple of the goddess of the sea, and the docklands on the east bank. Mercinae also sports a good selection of guilds and has temples to many of the gods, save those who would bring darkness upon them.
Healers may be purchased as companions from the House of Healing along Moon Street in Mercinae. Buying the healer does not cost any money, but each time you call upon the healer to heal you in battle, they will charge you gold to do so. Their fee is not incredible but it can become costly if you fight regularly. Type BUY HEALER in the Houses of Healing to gain the healer's company and then BUY HEALING followed by the amount of health you wish healed (or BUY HEALING TOTAL to heal it all) at any time when the healer is present.
Let slip the dogs of war, for indeed war was upon Avalon again. Thunder crashed and rolled upon the heavens, drowning out the call of hunting horns across the plains. The Thakrians stood firm against all resistance.
For an intrepid team were they. Their tactile, mental and spiritual prowess all boosted by the alchemical compounds granted them by the Loremasters, they were indeed hall heroes against the Mercinaean resistance. The keen and swift blade of the scarlet-clad Cavalier proved a deadly combination with the hideous demons controlled by the silent, black-robed Sorcerer. Many quailed before the venemous spittle and dextrous knife-wielding of the anarchic Bandits that flitted to and fro. And all the while, fire and damning curses were rained down upon their enemies, enacted by the mysterious Seers who sat in safety many leagues away.
And when all was said and done, they stood victorious, and left the battlefield, borne of the wings of a mighty dragon that was enslaved by the magic of the Warlocks, leaving only a bitter scent of brimstone in the air that vanished with gentle zephyrs.
For heroes many were the Thakrians. Their successes came from the power and solidarity that binds society together deep behind the obsidian walls of their city. Indeed, where else in Avalon could any place lay the same claims to glory as Thakria, the City of Miracles?
Springdale, City of Dreams; located on the banks of the river Silverlight amongst the central plains of Avalon, it has grown from the little trading town into the bustling and prosperous city that you now see.
Life is generally based around Springdale Square; where all the main commercial and governmental buildings are located, and of course the public houses and taverns, also, a short distance away is the Wolfhound stadium where people can gamble away their hard earnt gold in the hope of getting rich quickly.
The Government has emerged from being the theocracy that it was in the past, to being a highly dynamic and responsive body to the people, all dedicated to ensuring Springdale's future growth and prosperity. The Barons represent people from all walks of life to the appointed agents of the Government in the form of the various ministers and aides.
Life is hard, but the rewards gained from it are more than worth the effort we all put in and dedicate to it.
Wolfhound races take place in the town of Springdale in a natural cavern guarded by an unobtrusive ramshackle cottage near the quays the city. Ten wolfhounds circle a racing track in the cavern and folk from all over Avalon come to place bets on the outcome. If you win, you gain five times your original stake. If your wolfhound comes second, you receive double your money, and if it comes third, your stake is returned. In the event of a tie, the wolfhounds will continue to run until there is a winner. Making your way to Springdale is fairly easy now; a regular ferry service runs between the River Quays in Mercinae to the Southern Quays in Springdale, and from Thakria, there is a ferry running from the Lakeside Promenade to Ladakh, where you can make your way over the mountains and villages of the northlans.
BET <amount> ON <wolfhound> - Places a bet on the outcome of the race.
BETS - Gives you a list on who has bet on what so far.
WOLFHOUNDS - Lists the wolfhounds taking part in your race.
POSITIONS - To view the wolfhound race positions.
The Goblin Town, in the west of the continent, should be considered a separate cultural centre. Its entrance is guarded by the infamous Wolf Gate which opens irregularly to the world with a great rumbling that can be heard from miles around. It would be too easy to dismiss the goblins as simply manifestations of a cruel, distant evil. They are motivated above all by strong instincts of self-preservation and a rigid social order. Should you delve deep into the goblin town, you will find breeding chambers, working mines, and a bustling internal trade. The goblins maintain cautious friendship with some of the more ruthless humans, and many of those who forsake the major cities end up residing beneath the mountain in the town of the goblins.
The goblin town, as has been stressed earlier, is not simply a battleground for righteous humans. It is home also to a small brotherhood of humanfolk who have chosen to forsake the major cities and live beneath the protective walls of the goblin town. Fangthane was the first to tread this dangerous path, followed closely by Astiroth, Taker of Souls and Helkarakse, of the frozen wastes.
Thaumacie sits atop the mountainous territories to the south-west of the Avalonian continent. Many view it as an enigma in itself, for it is a town-like colony of hardened dwarves, dwelling in a barren citadel astride the rear-end of the Goblin City. Further research will reveal, however, that their resolve to remain in such a dangerous place is both well-founded and valorous. The dwarves are a hardy race, living and working under the leadership of Verlakmar the Golden. It is upon this precarious position that the dwarves live with special intent, that of keeping guard over their sworn adversaries the Goblins. They are committed to impede the menacing Goblin troops by keeping them engaged in intermittent battles over the invaluable mountain passes. It is in part their bravery that allows Mercinae to breathe easily in her slumber. The fortress of Thaumacie has another purpose, one that is more dangerous and yet more essential for the existence of all peoples. Beneath the citadel, behind the bronzed gate, is the entrance to the fabled Under-deeps. Thaumacie stands guard over the most dangerous of all enemies, the Demonic Black Sun. Brooding in immortal anger under the vigilance of the dwarves, the Black Sun waits for Thaumacie to fall, and to chase the Sun from the sky. Hence the presence of Thaumacie is crucial, and the dwarves the sturdiest of all allies to humankind.
Avalon's many rivers and streams provide excellent means of transport for the wary. The lengthiest of them all is the River Leithe, carrying the life-blood of trade and treasures between the cities of Mercinae, Thakria and Parrius to the east. It is upon these rivers and their tributaries, that you will be sure to find safe passage from city to city. Ferry-boats and barges traverse these watery by-ways, departing regularly from most city and village docks. By spending a few gold pieces on a river-boat cru ise, you are sure to avoid some of the more sinister dangers of the overland routes. Ferries depart from the docks of the Leithe in Mercinae, from the lakeside quay in Thakria and the three fingers dock in Parrius. For your information, the River Leithe forks north from the centre of Mercinae through to the northwest to the Moonstone Lake beside the city of Thakria. The Leithe forks a short distance north of Mercinae into the Rivers Silverlight and Callieton. The Silverlight runs northwards past the villa ge Kristanisti and the town of Springdale. The Callieton River runs eastwards, south of the villages of Nassau and Ariadne, past Lake Thrullmere, to the city of Parrius.
The Greenwood is the largest single expanse of forestland. It covers a large proportion of the lands west of Mercinae. It is, as ancient lore would have it, a province of the God of Life, a bitter irony, for within the obscurity of its thickly laden boughs abide many creatures that seek to pervert its creator's ideals. It is a dense forest that stretches from the Uruk Road (which lies in the west of the continent), right through to the north where it meets the mountains, and then towards the east where it meets the boundaries of the ancient Chetwood forest and Mercinae's city walls. Waged within this tenebrous province are recurrent battles between various factions, not least between the Goblins who intend to overrun it and the guild of Rangers, good human-folk who live for the forest and its stability.
Not all that lives within the Greenwood, you must remember, aims to do battle. Other legends of this vast wooded mass include the presence of a benevolent mannish folk in the far north; the tale of the Stone Cross; the hidden retreat of the great seer Orestes; and the fabled lost library of Alessandria. Dangerous, beautiful and intriguing, the Greenwood epitomises the territory of a true adventurer.
A major part of the Avalonian continent is covered by expanses of roaming wildlands and great forests. Within these wildlands live many peoples and creatures ungoverned and unbridled by cities or organised government. One day you may decide to venture away from the womb of your city and beyond its walls you could quite possibly find your greatest adventures. Take good advice, however, before embarking on your first journey alone, or you are likely to run head-long in to more than you bargained for.
Thrullmere is a deep, misty lake, risen by the Grey Sorcerer, to drown the village of Pagea centuries ago. It is said that at low tide the tips of the chapel and bell tower of Pagea can be seen poking up above the surface of the lake. Eastwards from Thrullmere, the river Callieton runs towards Parrius, while to the west it leads towards the Silverlight, the Leithe and Mercinae. Off the north of Thrullmere runs the river Timmin, up towards the village of Eleuthera and into the mountains. This is the only route towards the far north central mountains of Avalon, to the village of Archangel and its sparkling crystal mines.
The area up towards the north centre of Avalon, wherein can be found the Northwood forest, the Whispering Wood, and a number of renowned ancient fellows wandering about seeking peace.
The Halls of Orestes are hidden beneath the Greenwood forest, by the village of Eleusis. Within his leafy studies, Orestes devises plans to thwart the evil intentions of Pangyron, the Star Sorcerer. He has many quests to give out to the good and the worthy should you be fortunate enough to find your way to his home. Orestes, Seer of the Greenwood, also possesses a seeing stone which he can use to keep the Greenwood free of evil forms. Many experienced Astrologers have made use of Orestes' stone.
Pangyron's halls are well hidden within a dark hill at the north of the Uruk Road. Many hidden passages and secret stairs conceal his inner quarters, and star-spangled guardians are poised to attack unwary travellers and unwanted visitors. Though the Cult of the Long Night is most prominent in Pangyron's mind, he holds many quests for evil doers which he will give out to those who find him.
Gant is a seldom-seen, perhaps mythical city hidden away in the northern mountains. Few have past its gates and lived to tell the tale.
The legend of the Azrilites is perhaps the most well-known. It is said that these children of the Sun inhabit the uppermost regions of the remote northern mountains; that their township is spun entirely of gold; that sickness is unknown to them, and that only joy fills their lives. The Azrilites are led by their Chief Corazon and spiritually guided by Wykoshia, High Priest of the Sun. The vale of Azrili is lit always by the sun, for she rests herself during the night-time upon her sacred temple. The way to Azrili is unknown to all but the most worthy adventurer - it begins with some hidden path in the northern Greenwood east of the hamlet of Ladakh.
Information about some of the major towns and villages scattered throughout the land.
The village of Archangel is the sanctuary of the god of time, where his temple exists. It is difficult to find, nestled in north central Avalon, up in the mountains. The caves behind the village of Archangel are said to hold great secrets though, and the legendary civilisation from which Gant of the Mountains heralded in the Divine War. The temple of time, though a long pilgrimage, is a total sanctuary from both Gods and mortals alike.
Ariadne is a lake-town nestled in the lowlands by Lake Thrulmere, it has a long history of righteousness, and is believed by many to have been the first settlement of humankind on the Avalonian continent. Ariadne's emblem is a rampant lion.
Information on Astrea's Delta was lost in a recent fire.
Bedillam is the forest located towards the west of Parrius, and surrounds the little village of Knightswood, spreading as far northwards as the river.
Coriona is a town situated in the southeastern corner of Avalon, between the cities of Mercinae and Parrius. It is the gateway to Mount Sapience, which looms ominously in the background, casting a dark shadow on the town beneath it, its peak eternally obs cured in a ring of clouds.
Eastpoint is a small peacefull town, fishing being about the most energetic activity the locals get up to. It is, supposedly, a place to rest and relax.
Eleusis was once a vibrant river town. It underwent a brief resurgence under the leadership of Arback, Aragorn and Nebuchadnezzar, but soon fell back to disuse as it fell foul to the machinations of the Gods and the renewed assaults of the goblin town.
There is no public information on Eleuthera, save that it is a small village in the northeastern lowlands.
The wind came from nowhere. Ringing into existence with the reverberation of a hammer striking doom, it carried the heat of a forge that fashioned war and searing death. It came into being in the heart of an ancient fortress, emerging from some strange pl ace between that which is and that which seeks to be. It blew from the escarpment, where dark magics were being forged. Angry, it stank of ancient evil, echoing with long forgotten prophecies. In a frenzy the wind spun, swirling out of the void, as if see king a course, it seemed to pause, then it blew eastward.
There is no public information on the marsh-city of Gabbad.
The village of Greeny's Edge is the farthest east of the Northern Greenwood towns. It is made up of pleasant dwellings and fertile lands under the guidance of its formidable elders. Greeny's Edge is an insular community but is renowned for its welcoming outlook.
There is no further information on the village of Isabella at this point in time. It is an enimgatic village with little reputation.
Information on Kenkria's Monastery was lost in a recent fire.
Knightswood is a small trading village situated just off the highway that runs between the great cities of Parrius and Mercinae. Build near the shores of lake Thrullmere and surrounded by forestland it is an ideal place for the weary traveller to take the ir ease and have some refreshment in the small, friendly, village inn. There is also a well provisioned shop for travellers to restock their supplies.
Krempton is a small and fairly poor village on the eastern shore of Lake Thrullmere. Most of its trade comes from a well-used but ill maintained highway to Parrius' northwestern gate. Worthy of note, however, is one erstwhile citizen of Krempton - the mad seer Mallibett, giver of riddles and student of prescience.
Nestled between the Rivers Ogg and Shamunisti in the foothills of the northern mountains, Kristanisti is a peaceful farming village. Her chief exports are wheat and the famous Kristanisti papyrus, the finest in all Avalon.
A small, picturesque hamlet across the lake from Thakria.
Marshton is a small village on the edge of the Dead Marshes, towards the centre of Avalon. It has gained a reputation as a fairly bustling trading post.
Information on Morgana's Rise was lost in a recent fire.
Nassau is a farming village, worshipping the mother of nature above all other divinities. It is on the River Floss in the eastern lowlands of Avalon. Nassau's emblem is that of the dragon and their strong keep is ever watchful over the western frontiers.
A small village up towards the north centre of Avalon.
Oakwood's End is, not surprisingly, at the northern edge of the Greenwood forest. It is a town of log cabins and rustic surroundings. The bakers of Oakwood's End are without equal anywhere in Avalon. The town holds true to an ancient cult of nature worship, and they value the god of life above all others.
There is little information about Pilgrim's Rest, save that it is home to the monastery of a clan known as the Brown Monks.
Sapience is the only volcano on the Avalon continent, precariously positioned east of Mercinae and south of Parrius. Atop it, it is rumoured, the evil forces of old have harnessed the might of the volcano into some diabolical altar. Entry to Sapience is guarded by the mystical statue of Tagrak, by the village of Coriona - and many hidden entrances and devilish traps fill the interior of the mountain. Legends speak of a Golden Dragon and many mythical beasts who dwell within the untouched corners of Sapience, but few have ever seen inside, fewer still have lived to tell the tale.
Snowfoot is a small village to the east of Thakria, along the northern Greenwood forest. For most of the year its ground is covered in snow, wrought by an ancient dark curse against the poor village. Phaestus, the elder of Snowfoot has long resigned himself to living with his icy fate, but sometimes, it is said, that an eager young traveller may awaken him from his slumber and persuade him to act to break the curse. Pangyron, the Star-Sorcerer is at the heart of the curse and Phaestus can do nothing on his own to reverse it. Beneath the snow of Snowfoot is the legendary village well, rumoured to be possessed by a nymph of great power and insight.
One day you must choose a binding and specialist profession, that will steer the rest of your mortal life.
Professions are best described by the skills that are associated with them; a profession may have more than one guild that can be associated with it. Therefore the profession of the Seer not only encompasses the Seers' Guild of Thakria, but is equally the domain of the Astrologers in Parrius, and the Mystics in Mercinae both seeking knowledge of the magics stored within the astral plane. There will come a day in your Avalon life that the most important decision of your career will have to be made; that of a profession to which you will apply yourself utterly both in mind and in spirit. It is within the walls of a guild that you are likely to be stood in good stead for future adventuring. Making the correct choice cannot be underestimated in importance.
Avalon boasts an assortment of professions. Each profession is represented by a number of guilds to suit those with different outlooks and those living in rival cities.
Profession: Knight.
Guilds: Knights, Cavaliers, Paladins, Warriors.
Profession: Mage.
Guilds: Mages, Enchanters, Warlocks, Wizards.
Profession: Loremaster.
Guilds: Alchemists, Artisans, Loremasters.
Profession: Sorcerer.
Guilds: Sorcerers, Necromancers.
Profession: Bard.
Guilds: Bards, Minstrels.
Profession: Thief.
Guilds: Thieves, Brigands, Rogues, Bandits.
Profession: Seer.
Guilds: Astrologers, Seers, Mystics, Prophets.
Profession: Ranger.
Guilds: Rangers.
Profession: Druid.
Guilds: Animists.
Animists are unique characters in that they, of all guilds, shun violence utterly. They regard it as neither a means to an end, nor as a necessary evil in counteracting the forces of chaos. Animists are pacifists who will heal the needy (whether the needy be good, or bad). They will attempt to diffuse wars and act as diplomats between quarrelling parties. The Animists, like the Thieves, are a single guild encompassing the entire profession. Their exact whereabouts is uncertain, but the centre of their power is said to emanate from the northern greenwood forest, deep in the domain of the god of life. Traditionally the animists have attracted those fearful of battle, those against violence and those wishing to heal rather than harm. Animists are skilled in the arts of the spirits, in healing and herbalism, and in the naturalism of the woodland. They are one of the oldest and most respected guilds in Avalon.
The Minstrel is an enigmatic character, skilled in the arts of songs, story-telling, dramatics and music. Minstrels are powerful public speakers, and have the ability to move an audience to action with the power of their word. With their instruments, they are able to weave songs of great potency and enchantments of lasting moment.
The modern era of the Bards Guild was founded in the late seventh century by Malwen the Songmistress. Her traditions of a benevolent guild have been carried ever since by the members of this illustrious and proud fellowship. The Bards Guild make their home on the east bank of the city of Mercinae in a large complex near the Cathedral. They maintain close ties with the city council and often come to the aid of the citizens of Mercinae in times of need. During peace-time the Bards travel the land giving aid and succour to the needy, spreading their ideals of harmony and altruism.
The Minstrels Guild broke away from the Bards Guild in the eighth century, choosing instead the seafaring city of Parrius as their home. The current Minstrels Guild can be found along Leaf Lane towards the southwest of Parrius. The Minstrels were brought into Parrius by their erstwhile leader, Falstaff. The ideals of the Minstrels Guild are similar to the Bards; a longing for peace and harmony among the great cities and towns of Avalon, and benevolence towards the needy and the weak. The Minstrels maintain close, friendly ties with the Bards Guild and often members from the two guilds can be seen performing together to amuse and educate the city folk.
The Knight is a combatant. He or she is concerned with physical prowess over the more elusive magical realms. Knights tend to be strong-willed, dominating, and decisive. They believe that actions speak louder than words, and deeds louder than eloquent speeches. Due to their steady temperament and pugnacity, Knights are more resistant to enchantment than any other profession.
The Knights Guild is based in the city of Mercinae, and they are the oldest guild in Avalon. They align themselves firmly behind the forces of justice and light (led, traditionally, by the King of Mercinae). Members of the Knights Guild are expected to uphold honour and the chivalric code against all adversity. They are bound by notions of altruism and defence of the poor and weak. The Knights Guild has been a bastion against the onset of evil for centuries and anybody considering joining their ranks must have a stout heart, an iron will and a keen blade.
The Cavaliers Guild found their home in the city of Thakria after they split with the Knights. Cavaliers, while still maintaining their firm belief in the ideals of justice and honour in battle, adopt a more direct and dominating stance than their brothers in Mercinae. A Cavalier would rather rule well by decree than inefficiently by democracy. Thus, despite their similarities, the Cavaliers have not remained on friendly terms with the Knights Guild. Cavaliers consider Knights as weaker folk, dominated by the magic users. Cavaliers are renowned the world over for their resilience in battle and their strength of character. You should not consider joining their ranks unless you feel you are up to the challenge of standing head and shoulders above the crowd in open defiance of your enemies.
Those who choose to become a Loremaster tend to be the creators, the makers and the practical folk. The profession learns the skills of forging armour and weapons, of creating magical items, of fashioning runes of power, and of mixing up elixirs of enchantment. Alchemists are not combat orientated, though many are brave. They have no particular alignment, no group morality or ideals. An Alchemist is an individual craftsman trained in specific arts of creation. They provide services for the other guilds, earn gold and fortify their friends from harm. The wise know that the friendship of an Alchemist can prove the difference between life and death, for the creations of an Alchemist can enormously enhance strength and harm ones enemies.
The Guild of Loremasters was founded under the patronage of the goddess of wisdom late in the seventh century. Their home has always been in the city of Thakria. Their founding guildmaster was Raghallach the Golden, ably aided by Davros Bloodaxe. Davros, it was who, in the time of his long-gone leadership, led the Loremasters into prosperity and under his guidance, the guild has become strong and surpassed its sister Guild in Mercinae as the foremost source of magical items, potions and runes. Loremasters tend to be members of the Thakrian society and their guildmaster has traditionally found themselves a place on the council of leadership which governs the city. Over the years the Loremasters and the Alchemists Guild have built up a steady friendship, despite the often volatile relations of Mercinae and Thakria. Such an alliance has proven fruitful, and those considering the Alchemists or the Loremasters should realise that members of this profession will be exposed much less to the danger found in other, more battle-orientated roles.
The Guild of Alchemists is the oldest guild associated with this illustrious profession. They are based in the city of Mercinae and were originally brought into being by the god of time. Their guildhouses are found on the Royal Walk and along the Alchemists Walk in the centre of the city. The modern era of the Alchemists Guild was founded by Aredhel, first-lady of Mercinae and Elof of Old. Together they led the guild through a period of thriving prosperity. Though firmly allied to the city of Mercinae, the Alchemists pride themselves on individualism and freedom of choice within the guild. No member is bound to follow the path of their guildmaster. Should you consider the Alchemists Guild as an option for your character, you should know that their emphasis is upon creation rather than destruction - that they are not creatures of battle, but rather at home among the forge and the workshop.
The Artisans are the newest of the three Loremaster associated guilds, based in Parrius, and begun by Procyon, Bringer of Light. They develop the same skills as the Loremasters and the Alchemist, tempering their actions with kindly benevolence and producing goods for the renowned Parrian stalls of Chapman's Square. The Artisan Guildhouse is public and can be found upon Consort Way, just north of Hellespont Square.
The Mage is the purest of magic users. He learns the traditional realms of magic and magical rituals, in addition to a healthy mix of musical, spiritual and herbalist abilities. Mages vary greatly in character from the dominant to the passive. All thirst for knowledge and to expand their abilities, and the greatest among them are unequalled by any of the other magical guilds in the field of battle. Becoming a skilled Mage, though, takes time and effort - more so than many of the other guilds. Rewards for this diligence are great and numerous.
The Mages Guild is second only to the Knights in age, and was originally founded by Cornelius the ancient god of magic. They are based in the old city of Mercinae near to Park Elienna. The Mages Guild have, over the past few centuries, developed a reputation for their stance against the goblin and enemy hordes. In the defence of Mercinae during the divine war, it was the Mages who fortified the walls of the city for many months against the evil armies. In recent years, the role of the Mages guild has been no less crucial to the survival of Mercinae as one of the dominant cultures. Mages must have strong determination to succeed, patience to learn, and a keen mind to use their complex and powerful skills.
The Enchanters Guild are based in the city of Parrius to the east of Avalon. They broke away from the Mages in an amicable split some time in the early eighth century, under the leadership of Eshkadeth of the Valheru. The Enchanters maintain the same level of discipline and prowess in the pure magical arts as the Mages, though they are not so bound by upholding a long history of altruism and defence of their city. Enchanters are freer to use their great powers for personal gain (or for the gain of Parrius).
The Warlocks Guild was set up most recently of the three Mage guilds in the city of Thakria. It is unaligned, and loyal to the city of Miracles. It was founded by the lady Kirynia and has Kirstiana as its guildmistress.
The Wizards Guild in Springdale was founded by Casimian, formerly an illustrious Mage, under the guiding principles of the goddess of dreams. It is the newest of the four Mage related guilds.
Rangers are sturdy, physically tough, rural folk. They make their home often outside the large cities and live off the land. Rangers are skilled in the arts of herbalism and poisons - they know the forests and the wilderness well. They are trained in Forestry and Stealth, able to spring unnoticed from the forest to surprise and vanquish unruly intruders. Rangers, like the Thieves, are well versed in the area of Trapping. They are excellent hunters - harkening back to the leadership of Maedhros Allendil, first Ranger and legendary Huntsman. Rangers are also fine fighters, they are competent archers and cunning adversaries.
The modern Rangers Guild was founded in the early seventh century at the centre of the Greenwood forest by Maedhros Allendil, then Lord Maedhros of the Grove. During their hey-day the guild was the vibrant hub of active resistance against the evil wildlands. Eventually Maedhros enjoyed accession to the ranks of the divine, and the guild fell back into a less busy, but nevertheless potent and active force. Traditionally Rangers have concerned themselves with the defence of the city of Mercinae and the civilised villages of the eastern Greenwood. They are the first line of defence against the goblins, the foul beasts of the Cult and from invasion by the cities of the north. Rangers are therefore grizzled, hardy folk. They offer protection to those travelling through the forests and have the skill to fight away even the most mighty of enemies.
The Brigands Guild was founded in the early eighth century. They are a secretive guild, although they are rumoured to make their home in the northern forests of Avalon. Brigands learn the same skills as their brothers in the Rangers Guild, though they have chosen a more self-centred role. They do not defend any particular city, but instead travel the land enforcing their laws. Brigands have been called churlish and sadistic by their enemies, and stories about their unruly, unlawful actions are widespread. It is told that often they kidnap folk from the cities, set them free again in the woods, and then hunt them to death beneath the dark forest eaves. Brigands recognise no traditional authorities - they are termed rebels by many, and ne'er-do-wells by others. Brigands often act as hired mercenaries or assassins, though their price is high. They maintain tenuous links with the Guild of Thieves.
Seers are a rather unique and mysterious people. Their power is drawn from the stars, and they operate mostly from a distance - from within darkened rooms using brightly flashing seeing-stones. Seers are trained in both the arts of sight through seeing stones, and the multifarious skill of mystics. They learn, even at an early age, the arts of cursing and blessing. Seers tend to be thinking folk, diplomats and manipulators of events from afar. Their prowess was epitomised by the first Seer of the modern age - Anskiere, founder of the Thakrian branch of the guild. Seers establish spheres of influence over which they can exact their enormous power, and through the might of the seeing stones, they are able to battle their enemies. Seers are less effective, though, in face to face combat and often find themselves having to flee from the field of battle to influence the course of action from the safety of their fortified towers.
The Seers Guild is based in the city of Thakria and was refounded by Anskiere the Dark Seer in the late seventh century after being dormant for centuries. He broke away from the Astrologers Guild in order to pursue his own ambitions, and with the aid of the Thakrian seeing stone, a guild was founded about him. Seers are a secretive people, often said to be cowardly in the face of physical adversity, but powerful when back in the safety of their fortresses. The Guildhouse of the Seers can be found on Emperors' Walk to the east of the great Thakrian city square. It is but a stones throw away from the temple of the god of stars.
The Guild of Astrologers is the original home of the Seer profession and was founded centuries ago by the god of the stars himself. They are to be found in an impressive tower on the east bank of the city of Mercinae, overlooking the Southern Sea. With most guilds occupying the same profession, it is easy to draw distinctions between their outlooks. This is not true with the Astrologers and the Seers Guilds. Their members are all individuals, and while some Astrologers lean towards the dark side of the art, some Seers likewise lean towards altruism and light. Both guilds have the same skills and the same potential for progressions.
The Mystics Guild can be found adjacent to the temple of the sea-goddess in southern Mercinae, founded by Merlin the Peaceful to avoid the hurly burly of the Seers and Astrologers Guilds.
Those who choose to follow the profession of the Sorcerer are making a powerful, life-long choice. They are choosing personal ambition, domination of others, strength through routing of their enemies, and confrontation as the ideals of their lives. The Sorcerer offers no quarter and dispatches his enemy with ruthless precision. Often the Sorcerer is a sadist, delighting in the misfortunes and deaths of his enemies. However, there is another side to the coin. Sorcerers are hated by most but their own ranks, often the target for attack from the righteous and good. Though it is said that the life of a Sorcerer is never a dull one, you should avoid this profession unless you are sure that you wish to live an evil life.
The Guild of Sorcerers was the first guild to be erected in the resurgence of the northern city of Thakria. It was led in those days by the now legendary figure of Trekker the Prestidigitator. The Sorcerers Guild is a collection of evil-doers, hell-bent on domination of Thakria and destruction (whether open or covert) of their enemies in Mercinae and Parrius. They are allied with the goblin town and the cultists of Pangyron. Of Sorcerers is demanded a certain sadism, a delight in the painful deaths of their enemies. Often, although Sorcerers do not enjoy the same style of brotherhood enjoyed by the other guilds and guild members are often bitter rivals in the quest for power, a distinct guild loyalty is maintained throughout.
The Guild of Necromancers was based in the city of Parrius and was founded shortly after Parrius' eighth century resurgence by disenchanted Sorcerers under the leadership of Astiroth. Though guided by similar motivations to their Thakrian brothers, the Necromancers moderated ambition with a certain degree of cunning and guile. They were not as sadistic as the Sorcerers, yet no less incisive and dominating. From a Necromancer was demanded loyalty to their guild - a brotherhood of like-minded individuals, bent on domination of others through collective strength. Necromancers, like the Sorcerers, practised the arts of Demonology, Evocation and Stealth. However, the Guild of Necromancers is no more.
Thieves differ from most of the other professions in that their guilds tend not to advertise themselves. Traditionally the Thieves have been a collective, yet partially secret organisation - they act for the benefit of whosoever is paying their wages, and can be trusted only so far as their employer has the power to punish misdemeanours. Thieves have the skills of Thievery, Stealth, Poisons and Trapping. They are skilled combatants and excellent covert operators. Though the exact whereabouts of the Thieves Guild in any of the major cities is a closely guarded secret, the northern village of Isabella is rumoured to be a hideaway for members of this profession. The Rogues and Brigands, which share the skills of the Thieves Guild, are more public in their outlook and may receive an approach more favourably.
Information about many of the guilds around the land. Much of your guild choice will be based on what is written herein.
A silent figure deep in concentration mixes a potion, noting its effects and making notes on how to improve it, while in the room next door, a beam of light blasts at an armoured man while the caster turns her attention to a man hastily trying to erect his defenses.
Such is the way of life in the alchemist guild. The eldest guild of the loremaster profession, the alchemists provide great leeway to their members, equally encouraging those who wish to use their skills in battle and those who wish to explore increasing the potency and applications of the loremaster powers.
The abilities of the alchemist are mainly defensive--the mysteries of alchemy, runelore, and elixirs enable their users to provide magic enhancement and protection. And the skill of forging enables the alchemist to keep himself well armoured. Because of the potency of their wares, an alchemist can become very wealthy selling the runes, potions and magical items she produces.
If you are judged to be worthy, after a time you may be granted access to the Book of Cinaed. Created by the blessed former guildmaster, this book contains additional tips gathered by Grundy and Tarkus from their own research. It also includes tips gleaned over time from remarks made by members of other guilds as well as some of the mighty Allanon's closely guarded secrets.
If you seek to choose your destiny in this manner, seek out any alchemist in the land or ask directions to the guild house.
In this land of war and combat there exists a guild like none other. Made up of peaceful souls, determined to heal instead of harm it exists far from any city, it lays deep in the forests. From the quiet of the Guild its members go forth healing and helping all in Avalon that come to them in Peace. They offer themselves and the gifts of the forest as they seek to serve Life and Compassion. All life falls under their protection and care, animals, plants and humans alike. They remain neutral and apart from the politics of the lands. Choosing to spend much of their time in the forests where they plant and pick the herbs that so many of the other inhabitants of the lands rely on. Animists also spend great quantities of time healing those that they come across in their travels, as well as those that call to them asking for help. Those that seek out membership in the guild must prove their devotion to the guild's ideals and to the service of Life. Members work hard and live almost as if in a large family, each caring for and being responsible for the others. While members may keep citizenship in cities across the lands, so as to serve Life better, most spend their free time in the Guild itself, or in the forests of the land. Under Aldaron, the God of Life's loving Patronage, the Guild works hard to make Avalon a better place, and to care for its inhabitants.
The mighty Artisans of Parrius command the skills of the Master Of Lore to play a powerful and essential role in the World Of Avalon. With the skills of Alchemy, Elixirs, Runes & Forging it is possible to rise quickly within the ranks of Avalon, whist being highly sort after by other in need of your crafts. Upon ending your apprenticeship you are awarded Lorerobes and a Lorestave to fully wield the power of Alchemy. Whilst not a toe to toe fighter, by use of guile, thought and combining our skills an Artisan is a foe most other players are unwise to attack.
The most ancient and mysterious of Avalon's three mystical guilds, the Astrologers remain a small, secretive circle of elite knowledge seekers. From within the shadowed halls of their ancient tower near the seas of Parrius, they gaze...
They peer both outwardly at the great powers which mould universes, and inwardly, using omniscient seeing stones, to trace the soft starlight that comprises the human souls of other Avalonians. Whether the knowledge they glean be employed for grim destruction, or for healing injustice, or for pure eccentric joy and pleasure is irrelevant. Rather, it is the mindful cultivation of the power itself, and the free development of the intelligent individual, that is the guild's axis; around this axis cycles each Astrologer's life.
The life of an Astrologer is suited to only a very select few. Joining the circle is an arduous journey, though the rewards bear the promise of power beyond the reach of any other path in Avalon. The widely misunderstood and feared power of Farsight, through which the Astrologer manipulates events through a seeing stone, is only one of three soul-stirring skills at the Astrologer's disposal. The Astrologer also deals in Mysticism, a brand of voodoo culminating in puppet mastery, and Fatalism, the power of curses and blessings. Supported by his abilities to mimic spellcasting and to move in stealth, the Astrologer's limits are defined only by the bounds of his own intelligence.
The Astrologers remain insular and secretive, and apprenticeships are rare. But if patience, intelligence, and independence are among your hallmarks, seek them out. There lies the grandest of illuminations.
All men are equal in the eyes of a Bandit. The lowly beggar and the rich nobleman - if they both have a purse - are equally likely targets. If one is to be a Bandit, one must believe that honor is a fallacy, dreamt up by society merely to conform peop le to certain standards.
But in being a bandit, there is also a another, darker side to a Bandit's life. If one is not wary, the owner's of the pockets you have lightened will come seeking retribution. They will demand revenge for the crimes done to them. A Bandit must also h ave perseverance, boldness, and finesse to stand up to those who seek revenge.
A bandit's life can be a very good one... Fraught with peril, but rewards to be gained that far outlast any dangers...
If you live that long.
The Bards play an enigmatic role in the land. They are trained in the unique arts of songs, voice, dramatics and music, skills little known to other walks of life. They are powerful public speakers, capable of moving an audience to action with the power of words alone. Their love for music spins an ethereality about them, protecting them from most harms and attacks. They sing songs of great potency, weaving them into lasting enchantments.
The modern era of the Bards Guild was founded in the late seventh century by Malwen the Songmistress. Her traditions of a benevolent guild have been carried ever since by the members of this illustrious and proud fellowship. The Bards Guild makes its home in the Playhouse on the east bank of the city of Mercinae near the Cathedral.
The Guild of the Bards closely associates itself with its home city of Mercinae. The city's traditions of Light and good deeds reflect the bard's way of life. Membership in the Bards is generally limited to citizens of Mercinae, although membership is also given to Springdalians in special circumstances. The Bards do not allow evil in their halls, seeking instead a path of artistry and joy.
No such HELP section availible for reading.
Bravery, Honour, the Desire and Will to crush those that oppose you : These are necessary traits to walk the land as a cavalier. Fighting for Thakria, City of Justice, you will no doubt encounter those that defame and seek to do harm to your fair city. This must not be tolerated. Unfortunately for your enemies, a cavalier is better equipped than any other guild to grind them into the dirt. No need have we, to hide in the shadows or flit about like birds, for we are proud warriors. The whistle of our twin blades through the air is enough to panic many an opponent and our deadly cleaves have shorn many of their heads. There is a price to pay for this power however. Even as we defend the City of Miracles, we must live within the code of honour. Innocents and children must never be harmed for to do so is to defame ourselves and our reputation. Join us, all you who hath the heart of a lion, the courage of a hero and the will to triumph nobly.
The Enchanters' Guild is based in Parrius, the great city of Pirates situated on the eastern coast of the Avalon continent. Born of tough renegade stock and free-wheeling spirit, this guild prides itself on remaining essentially detached from the ups and down of city politics. This does not mean, however, that the enchanters do not rise on occasion to defend their friends and allies, particularly when it furthers their interests. Members are free to use their great powers for personal gain or, if they choose, to pursue more altruistic goals.
Strong ties of blood and marriage remain between the Mages of mercinae and the Enchanters of Parrius, as both guilds were one until some time in the eight century when an amicable split occured under the able leadership of Eshkadeth of the Valheru. Enchanters maintain the same level of discipline and prowess in the magical arts as their fellow mercineans mages.
Quite recently the guild returned from an extended and peacefull stay in Mercinae to its home in Parrius, located just south and east of Hellespont square.
The Guild of Knights is the most ancient of guilds in Mercinae. It was formed 800 years after the divine war by Sir Zaphod, the first mortal to walk the land.
A Knight strives to master the skills of Chivalry, Endurance, Warcraft and Weaponry. With these skills they stand tall and proud in defence of Mercinae and those of pure heart.
The path to becoming a powerful Knight is neither short nor easy and should not be taken up by those weak of heart, body or soul, for the Knights stand in the front lines in the battle between the forces of light and the hordes of darkness.
Amongst the sea caves of Mercinae we dwell, waiting and watching those who would oppose us, or who would join us.
Using the power of the very stars themselves, reflecting off the
Southern Seas we shape distant events, mould the very fabric of reality around Avalon.
Fear us, Avalon, for we hold in our hands the tools of your undoing. With our waxen tools, we will influence the lives of cities. With our horrible curses, the will to live will ebb from the populous. And with our crystal balls, we pass horrible jud
gement on those we deem unworthy.
Come to us, and learn what it is to dwell amongst the shadows, and learn what it means to be a Mystic
You return home from the fields of battle once again, and slam the heavy oaken door shut behind you. You gem-spangled robes whisper about you as you lean your staff of lore to one side, and sit before your desk of alchemy.
Pouring the last few drops of a sprkling potion down your throat, you rest the empty bottle in front of you on the desk. Reaching into the folds of your robes, you pull out a couple of pouches and begin to pour the spicy contents into the bottle, a smell of brimstone filling the air about you. Adding a drop or two of viscous essence, you smile wryly as the sparkling liquid reforms itself in the bottle.
You look beside you. A few delicate files lie in disarray, around a tiny, but magnificent silver rune, carved into the effigy of a tightly clenched fist. You hide the rune within the folds of your robe - one enemy will succumb to its mystical effects tonight. You also pick up, and slip on a thin golden ring. It appears plain and simple, but only minutes before did you charge it with a powerful magical incantation to aid you in the face of adversity.
You stand, and leave the hall, the heat of the nearby furnace warming your skin briefly. Outside you hear the cries of the Thakrians for your name, for they need your assistance - they need a Loremaster.
The Mages Guild is one of the oldest guilds found in Avalon. It was the second guild after the Knights, and made to be its twin and opposite. It has always been in the great city of Mercinae, once city of Justice, of Light - and it carries a deep loyalty to this city. The Mages specialise in the use of pure magic, the use of herbs and music, and some of the mages are among the most powerful fighters in Avalon. Their skills are based upon the control of rituals, lightweaving and the manifestation of raw power through their chants. This Guild is perhaps the strongest one when it comes to co-operation. Their friendships and bonds reach as far as it possibly can throughout the lands, and this makes them gruesome enemies. You should tread very careful should you make a mage your enemy. They are not alone!
The Mages Guild also wields a softer side, where they can heal and be givers of life through their magic. Thus are the Mages the only and true users of magic in that they have the power to both give and take away the essence of life. You may find many of them friendly and directly useful to heal your own wounds. Ask them gently, and you will get help.
The path of the Mage is not to be undertaken lightly. One must be willing to learn a great number of things in the most stressful of environments. A strong will, intelligence, an eternal thirst for knowledge, loyalty to the Guild and friends, a strong feeling of Justice and lots of patience are the characteristics of a Mage with success.
By the hands of Mage Ever Happy Bumble Bee Silver Wings, their guide and Guild Mistress, the guild are ever growing and changing. She has influenced the guild with her ideas and guidance through many years and she is nuturing the Guild as a Mother who leads her children. The Mages Guild has been, are and will always be one of the most respected guilds in Avalon. You will find gentle and good friends here, or you will find very efficient enemies should you choose so. The Guild has evolved greatly since its beginning and it has now embraced Castigere, God of Justice as their guildpatron. The sense and guidance of Justice is present with every Mage you will ever see. Eternal vigilance and true honour is our way to greatness. Through wisdom and knowledge we grow strong. This is the Mages Guild and their code of belief. Welcome, should you be strong enough to live by these rules.
The Paladins Guild gives no public information about itself.
Comes the dawn, so clear and bright,
the sun raises up it's sleepy head,
dappling the ground with rays of light,
where Rangers are the first to tread.
Oh, mighty Greenwood, forest deep,
your leaves begin to quiver, shake,
arise now from your peaceful sleep,
the Rangers call for you to wake!
Stretch out your boughs of emerald green,
O'er the leaf strewn forest floor,
such beauty I have seldom seen,
where Rangers wander, evermore.
Harken! Hear the hunting horn!
Arise, Awaken, face the sun!
We call to all the forest born,
for Rangers work is never done.
When darkness falls across the land,
besieging us with evil vile,
It is here we make our stand,
as Rangers fight for mile upon mile.
And every root, of every tree,
shall be a hazard to our foe!
In a forest fierce and free,
where Rangers fight with staff and bow.
Here fighting fiercly we will be,
struggling with all our hearts, and will,
and when evil beaten, doth finally flee,
the Rangers shall remain here still.
So comes the dawn in all it's might!
Over the forest, it's light is shed,
pushing back the dark long night,
where Rangers are the first to tread.
A powerful and secretive guild, the Rogues ask only two things from its members: self-relience and loyalty.
Under our tutelage you will learn to use the shadows to befuddle your victims. The lore of venoms and deadly traps will be yours to command.
Disarm and pilfer foes with a caress or a stunning blow, the choice is yours.
We ask only a love of freedom, an independent spirit, and a fierce loyalty to brethren.
Join us, and add to our power.
I have been watching you.
I stood there, in the fields of battle, as my enemies lay crawling at my feet, bearing the pall of my damning curses upon them. Then, out of the corner of my mind's eye, I saw you. You could not see me, for my magical incantations had rendered me invisible, but I saw you.
Holding aloft a waxen image of my last foe, I called forth mystic powers stored within to burn him alive, ignoring his pleas for mercy. I then turned and skulked away into the night, using the stealth that I am adept in. I returned to my halls, where I gazed, mesmerised, into the glittering surface of my crystal ball, and there I began to watch you.
I knew you would come back to me... why else are you reading this? I can see the future as clearly as I see the past, and I see your future, beside me, in the guild of Seers. You can see it too, can't you? Deep within your heart, you feel a yearning to possess the same powers as I.
I am still watching you.
The mighty Sorcerer's guild stands alone as the true source of evil in the land. We stand for power and fear. The power is ours and the fear is our enemies'. The Sorcerer wields great control over the undead and the demonic underworld and uses this power to bring down death and destruction upon the heads of those foolish enough to oppose. Be warned however, this guild is not for the weak of heart. We deal in death and that is whwere we find our amusement. There is no joy comparable to the sight of yet another victim enveloped in the grasp of your demons, screaming for mercy as they tear eagerly at his flesh. If you feel that this is your path seek out the Sorcerers and we shall test your worth.
There is no public information about the Guild of Thieves or whether they are still in existence.
Slowly traveling along the road, your thoughts wander back to the words the old man had spoken to you of the mysterious Prophet's Guild of Springdale. Suddenly, a curious sense of loneliness overcomes you, and you look up to see a light mist gathering in the area. As the mist engulfs you and the world darkens, a powerful voice rings in the air:
We of the Prophet's Guild, members of the seer profession, have elected to pursue our talents within the City of Dreams. Here we are free to use our mystical arts without interference from others. If you believe that only an human's Will, unfettered by the chains of Good and Evil can forge their own destiny, you'll find your way with us.
Power has many meanings. We have chosen the purest ways of soothsaying, using the skills the Gods have given us to slowly but irresistibly shape the future of Avalon. Through the mighty Seeing Stones we gaze out across the land from the shelter of our guild, manipulating others, subtly controlling them, shaping destiny itself. And for those who oppose us, unending agony and despair will befall them, as pins are placed in shrunken heads or waxen dolls, and our Puppets are sent forth to do our bidding.
If your desire is strong enough, and you wish to pursue your own ambitions unchallenged by others, then you have only to APPLY PROPHETS. If Fate shines your way and finds you worthy, then we will come and make you one of us.
The newest of the loremaster guilds is to be found in the neutral city of Springdale. Dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, the Patron of the Craftmaster's guild is Andromeda, the wise goddess of dreams. Although Craftmasters are not driven by vain egotism (indeed we splash cold water on such antics) we have access to considerable power, including the formidable runestaves.
Like other loremasters Craftmasters are quick to heal and hard to catch. We are a neutral guild, aiding those who aide us and responding to hostile acts according to our individual natures. Those who would find pleasure in the crafting of items, runes and potions and the exploration of the magical properties therein will enjoy the friendliness and support of this guild in their endeavours.
The only guild in Avalon with it's own bar (thank you Tarkus and Andromeda). Get in on the ground floor and help to build this guild up.
The Warlocks Guild is for those dreaming to learn 'the Ways of Magic'. We are aware that a sword can be deadly, but we have realized that the complex ways of Magic and a strong and skilled Mind will prove itself superior to raw strength.
The Warlocks differentiate themselves from other Magetypes by our desire to control our own fate. We believe that having fun in Avalon is to be able to do what we want. No matter if other people should judge our ways to be evil or painful for them.
We are a large Guild and therefore you will almost at all times be able to seek out a fellow Warlock to go exploring or to discuss and try out new figthing-techniques...
Last should be stated that we are in no way a formal Guild. When you have proven yourself to be accepted as a Full Member, you're part of a team. -A team where we enjoy talking and having fun as much as planning and carrying out the demise of our enemies.
The warriors guild has risen like the phoenix from the flames of the old. The guild has changed much since it emerged from its trial by fire, and lessons have been learnt. The establishing fathers of Conan, Griffyn, Harold and Weasal earning their positions in the guild through hard work, compassion and fighting alike.
The guild is perhaps the most anarchic of Avalon's Fighting Schools as it makes its home in Parrius: City Of Pirates. There is hardy brotherhood loyalty, and old fashioned blood and sweat that pours out of each members heart and into the refounding of this celebrated institution. Freedom! That is the foundation! Your loyalty demanded by the guild and honoured by the defence of your allies. As your heart sings with your blade so you will discover that respect must be earned on the battlefield, and yet earned thricefold in the city.
"To Thine Own Self Be true" Lest your blade sing without passion and your actions be unguided.
Individuality. Innovation. Ambition. Justice. The demands on a Wizard are
immense, yet for those who can answer the challenge the rewards become
unimaginable in scope and power. We have risen as the final guardians of
balance between the forces of good and evil, as well as the defenders of Justice:
effortlessly overcoming the challenges by our furious independence
of spirit. We are one of the few guilds in the land of Avalon that
strive to learn the ways of Pure magic, with an array of powerful
skills at our disposal. We use these powers in a number of ways,
none more important than the Defending of Justice. Led by our patron
Castigere, god of justice, we hold true the ideals of justice.
We practice justice at all times in our own lives, defend those
who are victims of unjust actions, and will destroy those who would
have Justice destroyed. Dare you follow the arcan path of destiny?
Dare you become a Wizard?
Along with your basic skillset, you will be given the ability to further your development in several more specialist fields.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of a Loremaster. These are the Alchemists and Loremasters Guilds. They are primarily involved with creation of things magical or otherwise. Loremasters are creators and as such they gain Alchemy to charge magical items, Elixirs to mix potions of power, Runes to fashion runes of power, and Forging to make weapons and armour.
Alchemy is the general alchemical ability to imbed magical spells from the skill of Charming into specific items such as wands, staves, rings or amulets. Enchanting an item is an easy process which requires one skilled in Alchemy and one skilled in Charming. Together they are able to imbed the spell and charge it up for use by any - even those not skilled in the magical arts. As you become more skilled at Alchemy, you will be able to imbed magic in a wider variety of items in addition to being able to pass more charges and imbed mightier spells. Below is an example of an alchemist creating a ring of healing.
- focus ring healhand
Using your skill of Enchanting Items you make the ring into an item suitable for holding the healhand spell. It needs charging, though.
-
Mage Eshkadeth begins to pass essence to the ring.
- charge ring
You expend your energies and begin to charge the ring.
- The ring is now fully charged with 200 charges of healhand.
Elixirs is the ability to mix potions in empty glass bottles, using the commodity known as Essence. Mixing potions is fairly simple and takes only a short time. Potions can have a variety of beneficial uses, depending on the skill of the mixer. Each full potion carries enough for five draughts. Anybody can quaff a potion, and it is common to find people with a number of potions to fend off the perils of life in a dangerous world. Below is an example of elixir mixing.
- mix blue health in bottle
You begin mixing up a blue health potion in an empty bottle.
- You have finished mixing up the potion.
Runes is the ability to fashion silver runes of power to protect and ward your enemies, and to protect your treasures. Runes are created from pieces of silver ore, and must be fashioned beside specialist equipment or with rare rune fashioning kits. Runes can be fashioned for anyone, and they have a variety of uses. They can be used to banish your enemies, to create sentinels to protect treasures, or even to inform their creator of trespassers. The excellent rune fashioner can create rune staves upon which other runes can be mounted. These rune staves act like totem poles, affecting all who see it.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of a Druid, and the guild of the Animists. Animists are peaceful characters. They abhor violence and mourn for all loss of life. An animist is duty bound to rush to the aid of the afflicted, and their skills reflect this. They can master the art of spiritualism, the lore of healing and herbalism, and the ancient enchantments of naturalism.
Spiritualism is developed to the higher levels only by the Animists, but is shared with the Mages who can progress to a lowly level in the skill. Spiritualism is the ability to channel the living worth of nature and summon forth elemental spirits from the land to do your bidding. When bound together, these spirits can be used to perform useful enchantments. Spiritualism is a largely defensive skill and most of its abilities are those of information gathering and self-defence.
Naturalism is the basic skill of working with nature to achieve your ends. It is purely a defensive and peaceful skill. Naturalism incorporates the art of merging into the forests and flowing through the wildlands to aid those in need. It also affords its wielder the power of controlling the forest - while within the wooded locations, the Naturalist is able to bid the very boughs to do his bidding. Naturalism is developed only by the Animists.
Herbs is developed to its higher levels by the Animists and the Rangers, though the Mages are able to progress through its lower levels. It is your ability to spot and use the various natural herbs which grow all over the Avalonian mainland. Herbs can be discovered in a location fairly easily and once picked and prepared have a variety of helpful properties. They are excellent cures for many of the diseases, curses and afflictions which a player might pick up throughout his Avalon career. Herbs can be either applied, smoked in a pipe, eaten, or drunk as part of a brew. Below is an example of an animist foraging for, picking, preparing and using a herb.
- glance
Vale overlooking the western ocean.
- herbs
You forage around for wild herbs. There are twenty-seven batches of lestagii here. There are two batches of iorthir here.
- pick lestagii
You pick up a lestagii berry.
- prepare lestagii
You prepare the lestagii into a suitable form to be ingested.
- eat lestagii
You ingest a lestagii berry.
You feel better both in body and in mind.
Mana: 820/820. Health 820/820.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of the Minstrel. The associated guilds are the Bards Guild of Mercinae and the Minstrels Guild. The Minstrels gain the skill of music, the enchantment of songs, the art of dramatics and the power of the voice.
Music is shared with the Mages and the Seers professions, though it is only developed to any reasonable level by the Minstrel profession. It is your ability to play musical instruments, to develop a musical ear, and to evoke magical enchantments from spec ific instruments. As your music skill increases, you will develop greater competence at playing instruments as well as developing a more sensitive musical ear. The skill of Music is one of information gathering at its earlier ranks, and becomes a potent d efensive, and finally offensive, skill as you reach greater heights.
- chant equilibrium
You chant the litany of equilibrium.
-
You open your eyes having established equilibrium.
- play flute magic
You blow into the flute, breathing carefully as you move your fingers over the stops to create a pretty tune. A flock of birds summoned by the music of your flute swoop down from above and lift you into the air.
Songs is a bardic skill developed only by those of the Minstrel profession. It is the art of weaving songs into enchantments, and bestowing the power of these enchantments onto your allies or your enemies. Using a song requires the minstrel to sing its wo rds and often requires the accompaniment of a musical instrument. Higher level songs require more than one member of the Minstrel profession to sing together to weave enchantments of even greater potency. Below is an example of a bard singing up a song of fear.
- play lyre
You stand tall and play the divine lyre. Music from the strings is accompanied by a chorus of angelic voices.
- sing jig
You start to play a merry jig.
-
You open your eyes having established equilibrium.
- direct eshkadeth
You sing a brisk, bright song that sets Eshkadeth's toes tapping. The tempo increases, and as it reaches a crescendo, the spell of Fear is complete.
Dramatics is another skill developed only by those of the Minstrel profession. Dramatics is the ability to act and perform. Using the dramatic art, the minstrel is able to disguise himself, to feign injury and such like, in addition to being able to influ ence with the power of his voice. Higher level dramatic abilities involve influence through command and performance, even to the extent of giving experience to those lucky enough to be present whilst the oratory is being performed. Below is an example of a minstrel performing a dramatic.
- performhelp relaxation
Syntax: PERFORM RELAXATION, then pause for equilibrium, then ACT <target>.
Relaxation causes the target to drop some of the physical and magical defences they may have about themselves, such is their relaxed state.
- perform relaxation
You begin the soporific act of relaxation.
-
You open your eyes, having established equilibrium.
- act conteck
Your movements become slow and deliberate as you capture Conteck's attention and induce artificial relaxation. You relax Conteck's extra-ordinary magical resistance.
Voice of command is a skill developed only by those of the Minstrel profession. It is one of the mightiest of natural abilities, and enables its wielder to project his voice and command those unable to defend to do his bidding. Thus it is a considerable p ower. Success of Voice is measured against the Scholarship skill of the person attempting to resist. One very skilled in Scholarship will be able to understand and diffuse the voice of command, and therefore will not be affected.
The Knight is a combatant. He or she is concerned with physical prowess over the more elusive magical realms. Knights tend to be strong-willed, dominating, and decisive. They believe that actions speak louder than words, and deeds louder than eloquent speeches. Due to their steady temperament and pugnacity, Knights are more resistant to enchantment than any other profession.
The Knights Guild is based in the city of Mercinae, and they are the oldest guild in Avalon. They align themselves firmly behind the forces of justice and light (led, traditionally, by the King of Mercinae). Members of the Knights Guild are expected to uphold honour and the chivalric code against all adversity. They are bound by notions of altruism and defence of the poor and weak. The Knights Guild has been a bastion against the onset of evil for centuries and anybody considering joining their ranks must have a stout heart, an iron will and a keen blade.
The Cavaliers Guild found their home in the city of Thakria after they split with the Knights. Cavaliers, while still maintaining their firm belief in the ideals of justice and honour in battle, adopt a more direct and dominating stance than their brothers in Mercinae. A Cavalier would rather rule well by decree than inefficiently by democracy. Thus, despite their similarities, the Cavaliers have not remained on friendly terms with the Knights Guild. Cavaliers consider Knights as weaker folk, dominated by the magic users. Cavaliers are renowned the world over for their resilience in battle and their strength of character. You should not consider joining their ranks unless you feel you are up to the challenge of standing head and shoulders above the crowd in open defiance of your enemies.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of the Mage. They are learned by the Guild of Enchanters and the Guild of Mages. They tend towards intellectual excellence and mental discipline. They include the arts of the spell, the enchantments of ritual and candescence, the lore of herbalism and the skill of music. Mages develop Music and Herbs to the level of Grand-Master.
Charming is the ancient skill of magical spells. It enables you to learn, chant and then cast magical incantations. Spells are learned by all charmers automatically as they rise in proficiency. To cast a spell you must first chant the magical charm. Once you have chanted the spell charm, you can cast it. In addition to the number of spells you can cast, the effectiveness and power of your spells will increase as your skill rises. Below is an example of a magic user casting the spell of healing (known as healhand).
- chant healhand
You close your eyes to establish equilibrium.
You chant the magical words of Healhand.
-
You open your eyes having established equilibrium.
- cast me
You touch yourself. You are surrounded by a green glow for a moment which spreads the magical healing through your veins.
Rituals is a skill practised only by those truly skilled in the magical arts. It is unique to the Mage profession. Rituals are danced into existence and are created by the Mage sketching luminous shapes in the air. Different shapes cause different rituals to be brought into existence. Rituals remain tied to the place where they were danced into existence, and act on everybody nearby. Rituals is one of the few skills which is improved by a joining of power. Some of the truly great rituals require more than one Mage to dance into existence. Below is an example of a magic user bringing about the ritual of Hellflames.
- dances hellflames
The Ritual of "HELLFLAMES". Sketch: Star, Crescent, Diamond.
Elemental flames will sporadically spring up and burn your enemies.
- sketch all
You draw a star, crescent, diamond, pentacle and circle in the air.
-
You open your eyes having established equilibrium.
- dance hellflames enemies
You dance forth the Ritual of Hellflames which melts into your surroundings. The ritual will concentrate its efforts on your personal enemies.
Candescence is the art of light-weaving and boasts a wide range of abilities associated with weaving light into defensive, offensive and bamboozling forms. Some of the higher candescences affect entire areas, while others are potent defences to surprise attack and elemental magics. Candescence is intended to compliment Charming and Rituals, and is often the final Mage skill to be developed.
These are the skills gained by the Ranger profession. The associated guilds are the Rangers Guild of the Greenwood forest and the Brigands Guild of the north. The Rangers gain the lore of herbalism, the skill of archery, the lore of poisons, the art of trapping, and the skill of stealth.
Poisons is a skill shared with the Thieves, but only fully developed by the Rangers profession. It is your ability to spot and use the various natural poisons which grow all over the Avalonian mainland. Poisons can be discovered in a location fairly easily, and once picked and prepared have a variety of harmful properties. Poisons can be used to begin diseases, to spread plague and pestilence, to curse and to maim. As you rise in proficiency, the number of poisons that you are able to find will increase. Some of the greater poisons can have potentially devastating effects and should be handled with great care. Poisons can be brewed and made effective by their vapours, they can be applied to an unconscious enemy or concealed in food. Below is an example of a poisoner foraging, picking, preparing and using a poison.
Dark underground tunnel.
- poisons
You forage around for wild poisons.
There are two batches of jegga here.
- pick jegga
You pick up a jegga piece.
- prepare jegga
You prepare the jegga into a suitable form to be applied as paste.
- apply jegga
You apply a jegga piece.
The world about you seems to darken somewhat.
-
A dark shroud envelops your consciousness as your soul is taken from your lifeless body. Your ghost rises from your corpse to haunt Avalon still.
Forestry is a collection of abilities associated with life in the rugged outdoors. It is practised solely by members of the Ranger profession. Forestry includes bowmanship (the skill of Archery), and leads on to fletching, bowmaking, swinging through the forest vines and other such rangerly pursuits. Rangers guard the abilities learnt through the Forestry skill jealously, and any who violate the secrets can be quickly isolated from the tight-knit forest community.
Trapping is a subterfuge skill. It is your ability to prepare and lay traps to catch the unwary and to protect your valuables. As your skill at Trapping increases, the number of traps you will be able to prepare will also rise. Your traps will become more complex and more damaging. Traps require component items which will have to be collected - but they can be poisoned to maximise effect. Below is an example of a trapper setting up an alarm trap.
- buy iron 1
You purchase some iron ore from Parrius for 20 gold coins.
- get iron
You pick up some iron ore.
- buy bell
You purchase a small bell.
- traps alarm
The "Alarm" trap requires a piece of iron ore and a bell. It will inform you, if you are in Avalon, whenever somebody sets it off.
- prepare alarm always
You prepare a bell trap ready for laying.
- lay alarm northeast
You lay a bell trap to the northeast.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of the Seers. They are learned by the Guild of Astrologers and the Guild of Seers. They tend towards intellectual excellence and mental discipline. They include the arts of the spell, the ancient skill of mysticism, the craft of Fatalism, the powerful art of Farsight. The profession also gains the skills of Charming and Stealth to a lesser extent.
Farsight is an astrological skill. It is the ability to use seeing stones and to command the power of the god of stars through the stones. Farsight gives the user a dazzling array of powers which can be brought about using the stone, including the establishment of spheres of influence and distant battles for power. Using a seeing stone you may aid your friends in battle or hinder your enemies. The combat of great seers between cities can turn wars. Farsight is a skill developed only by the Seer profession
Mysticism is a dual skill - its earlier stages are concerned with the moulding of waxen images and the building up of consciousness within the waxen images of ones enemies. Once consciousness has been built, the Seer or Astrologer, is able to inflict pain, disease and even death about the waxen image and it will be felt by the victim. The later stages of Mysticism are the puppet mastery whereby the mystic can mould together waxen images, cloth, and wood to form mannequins capable of performing his bidding and wielding great enchantments on his behalf.
Fatalism is the skill of curses and blessings. The Seer may curse or bless pieces of armour, weapons and items to give a variety of beneficial or harmful effects. More potently, though, the fatalist may curse their enemies (or bless their friends). Curses are harmful, often difficult to cure, particularly when the accursed does not have a fatalist ally to bless their afflictions away. The power of fatalism is often underestimated by young Avalon players. It should not be.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of the Sorcerer. They are learned by the Guild of Sorcerers and the Guild of Necromancers. They tend towards intellectual excellence and mental discipline. They include the dark arts of Evocation, the great skill of Demonology, the magical art of Charming to the level of Grand-Master, and the subterfuge skill of Stealth to the level of Master.
Evocation is the magic of dark spirit summoning from places beyond the mortal planes. You can call spirits to you from the dark realms, order them to do your bidding, and battle the spiritualists and the other mortals for control of the world. Spirits can aid you, hinder your enemies, and help in the defeat of the forces of the light. Evocation can exact horrific results and should be treated carefully even by those who Master it. Only the Sorcerers develop the skill of Evocation. Below is an example of a sorcerer summoning up a cloak of protection.
- invoke all
You invoke the seven spirits to your call.
- evoke cloak
Calling the spirits of air and darkness to your command, they form into a veil of ethereal essence about you. You protection is much greater than before.
Demonology is the skill which determines your power to control and tempt the demonic forces which are to be found in the lower planes of existence. Summoning a demon requires the Sorcerer to bring about a magical gate through which the demon will travel. This is done by filling a cauldron with gold or blood and uttering special words of power. Once in the mortal planes, the demons must be tamed by the summoner, and then they can be used for a length of time to wreak havoc and spread the might of their creator. Below is an example of a demonologist summoning up a parasite demon.
- demonhelp parasite
The parasite demon attaches itself to an enemy of yours and saps away mana and health until its victim is dead. Once summoned you should order it to bear a specific target in mind (e.g. ORDER PARASITE ESHKADETH). Then simply lead it to its prey and type ORDER PARASITE ACT when you see your enemy. It will attach itself and will not let go until its victim is dead, or it has been banished.
- intone naurlamalantara
You intone the words, "Naurlamalantara!". A reddish flame springs up over the cauldron.
- summon parasite
Your cauldron shines as 110 gold coins are sucked away into the void. You summon the parasite and a demonic ball of green liquid flops out onto the floor.
Necromancy is a skill developed only by those who have attained the rank of Ultimate in both their Evocation and Demonology skills. You should read the help section on the abilities of Count Bezejeth of Bedillam for details on how to gain the Necromancy skill. Necromancy is the skill of the undead, it enables the Sorcerer to enslave his enemies by imbedding his image on their soul - the Necromancer is usually undead, nearly impossible to truly kill, and wielding potent power unrivalled by any other magical skill over those unfortunate enough to bear his tainted mark.
These skills are gained by those who choose the profession of the Thief. Since the Thieves have only one guild (The Thieves Guild), they are only associated with that guild. They tend towards areas of physical discipline, litheness, and robbery. The Thieves gain the basic ability of Thievery, the subterfugial art of Stealth, the skill of laying traps, the art of picking locks, the lore of poisons, and the combat skill of archery. See Section 7.11.2 on Trapping, Section 7.11.3 on Poisons and Section 7.11.1 on Archery.
Thievery is the basic and most potent ability of the thieves. It is shared with no other guild. It is your ability at pick-pocketing, picking locks, archery, slight of hand, and robbery. It will enable the thief to steal items from other players without them noticing. Thievery allows the thief to disarm their enemies of their weapons and pilfer their gold. It should be noted that, when used, Thievery can make its user a most unpopular person. However, when developed to its higher levels, it makes the thief both feared and valuable.
Stealth is the skill of subterfuge. It is your ability to conceal yourself from others, to act with slight of hand and speed of foot. You can hide yourself, hide items, travel around undetected, ambush the unwary, and track your prey before attacking them. Those practised in the art of Stealth will find themselves able to call upon the element of surprise in combat, and to escape the scene of a battle quietly and without danger. The skill of Stealth is shared with the profession of the Rangers and to a lesser extent, the Sorcerers.
The individual skillsets and the relative abilities of each.
Constitution is a skill that every Avalonian starts with. It is your ability to defend against magical attack. Many of the guilds use enchantment as their prime means of offensive action, and a high constitution will enable you to have inherent resistance to their attempted attack.
Defence is a skill used during combat of any kind to determine your ability to dodge, or parry blows. It can be roughly translated as your agility to avoid getting hit. Defence is used against the combat skills to determine how effective you are at dodging a blow.
Fisticuffs is a skill used during combat to determine how effective you are at hand to hand fighting. It is used when evaluating your chance of hitting and opponent and the damage done with each blow. Everybody starts with some Fisticuffs ability.
Perception is a multi-purpose skill. It deals with a number of things, basically your ability to see things around you which happen either very quickly, or are hidden. Perception is used to discover hidden people and objects, when avoiding an ambush, when being tracked, when discerning which way people are heading. In short it is your complete ability to be aware of your surroundings. You will gain specific abilities as your skill at Perception rises.
Scholarship is a general skill dealing with an assortment of scholastic pursuits. Initially it is a defence to the Bardic Voice (your resistance rises as your Scholarship skill increases), but it also inclues a variety of useful abilities. It is the skill of general knowledge.
Farming is the first of a pair of skills (the other being Labours) associated with the production of the various commodities of life. The skill contains around thirty abilities dealing with ploughing, crop growing, animal husbandry, tree nurturing, harvesting and such. Unlike most of the skills, Farming cannot be expanded by simple lesson learning and teaching - it must be practiced and experienced to advance in this most important of skills. You will gain the benefit of your practise at regular intervals, providing you have performed sufficient farming actions to warrant growth in Farming skill.
Labours is the second of the pair of processes skills (the first being Farming) associated with the production of the various commodities of life. The skill, like Farming, contains around thirty abilities dealing with a wide range of pursuits; mining for ores, panning for gold, spinning cotton, blowing glass, dye-making, and so on. Like Farming, Labours cannot be advanced by simply learning lessons or teaching lessons - it must be practiced for advancement. You will gain the benefit of your practise at regular intervals providing you have spent sufficient time performing some labour or other.
Itemlore is a basic skill, mainly developed by alchemists and loremasters. It deals with your ability to assess items of their inherent worth, weight and assorted properties. Associated with the Itemlore skill is the PROBE command. Type PROBE followed by the name of an item to gain information about it using this skill. As you rise in Itemlore proficiency you will find the depth of probing increasing and the number of properties that you can discover rising.
Riding is a multi-purpose skill. It deals with your ability to ride animals, to spur animals in battle, to lead animals about, and general your ability to master a dumb animal in day-to-day situations. The higher your riding skills, the greater your ability to control an animal to your wishes. In Mercinae near the Town Stables is a stablehand teaching Riding to those who wish to learn it. Commands used here are RIDE <animal>, DISMOUNT <animal>, and if you skill is high enough, your steed will aid you in combat whenever you are attacked.
Survival is a general ability, dealing with your ability at various outdoor or physical pursuits. It includes such abilities as swimming, navigating the waterways of the land, controlling your sleep patterns and enhancing various abilities in other skills.
Swordplay is a skill used during combat to determine how effective you are at melee combat using a weapon. It is used when evaluating your skill at using weapons, your chance of striking an opponent, and the damage done with each blow. The more times you strike somebody or something, the easier it becomes to hit them. Thus people with a very high defence will be vulnerable to repeated blows. Swordplay is only fully developed by members of the Knights profession, though all guilds are able to progress in it to some extent.
Throwing is both a combat and a dexterity skill. It deals with your accuracy and ability to throw objects or weapons around. Depending on how you use the THROW command, you can specify AT which will attempt to strike an opponent with your thrown object, or TO which will attempt to throw the object to the player for catching. You can throw any object, but only those meant for combat such as a spear will do any serious damage. You can throw items at people in adjacent or linear directions by adding the direction at the end of the throw commands.
Examples:
- Throw sword at orc
- Throw spear at helkarakse east
- Throw flower at fiorella
- Throw potion south
Alchemy deals with your general alchemical ability to embed magical spells in the realm of Charming into special alchemical items, such as wands, staves and rods. To enchant an item, you must first set it up as a FOCUS for the spell, using the command FOCUS <item> <spell>. Then together with a mage versed in the appropriate realm or a fellow alchemist, you must charge the item. To charge an item, the mage/loremaster passes essence by ESSENCE <item> while the alchemist charges by CHARGE <item>. The two of you will remain charging and passing essence until one of you types CEASE. As you become more proficient in alchemy you will find yourself able to focus more spells, to charge faster and to higher levels. Type MAGICLIST to list the magical items you hold, together with charges and spells.
Example of charging an item:
- Focus ring healhand
One skilled in Charming or Alchemy must type:
- Essence rin
Then the Alchemist must type:
- Charge ring
The process of charging is then automatic.
Candescence is the skill of light-weaving and revolves around the WEAVE command. Typing WEAVE followed by the Candescence ability will evoke particular light magics. The crescent runes interfere with light-magics. You should know that you cannot use Candescence when the Long Night ritual has been enacted across the skies of Avalon. If you have the skill, you can type ABILITIES CANDESCENCE for a list of abilities available to one of your proficiency.
Charming enables you to learn, chant and cast magical spells of a specific type. You learn spells automatically as your skill rises. To cast a spell you must chant the name of the spell, wait for equilibrium, then cast your spell, by type CAST, followed by your target. Typing SPELLS followed by a specific spell name gives you all the information you could possibly desire about a spell. Sometimes you may be afflicted by the confusion curse which prevents your charms from working. Type BREATHE and, after ten seconds, you will break out of the curse.
Examples:
- Spells healhand
- Chant healhand
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Cast Taliesin
- Chant fireball
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Cast northeast
Chivalry is the Knightly ability in weapons, armour and combat. It is a specialist combat skill, involving the use of multiple weapons, the repairing of ones own armour, speed of combat and combat positions, and also a number of special abilities as you rise in Competence. For help on your Chivalric abilities, type AB CHIVALRY, a list which expands as your proficiency rises. You will also notice your skill in dual-weaponry and speed increase as you rise also.
Demonology is a skill determining your power to control and tempt the demonic forces which exist in the lower planes of light and darkness. To summon a demon you must create a gate to the other planes. This is done using the special bronzed cauldrons of demon summoning. Many of these can be carried around with you. Using this you must INTONE one of the words of command which will create the receptacle for a gate. Then you must PUT a number of GOLD coins IN CAULDRON, or PUT a dead body IN CAULDRON, both of which will enable you to conjure the demonic ritual. Then you must CHANT EQUILIBRIUM to establish mental balance, and finally you need to SUMMON the appropriate demon and assuming the cauldron is filled correctly, it will enter Avalon with the purpose as set by the initial INTONE. Type INTONE or SUMMON on their own to discover your proficiencies. You will also find that you can ORDER certain demons to regard specific players. ORDER DEMON <player> is the syntax for this command, or ORDER ENTOURAGE <player> to order them all at once. Type CALL DEMONS to summon all of your loyal demons, DEMONS to summarize your demonic entourage and TAME to tame wild demons. Type DEMONHELP followed by the Demonology ability for detailed help.
Example of summoning a demon:
- Put 200 gold in cauldron
- Intone naurlamalantara
- Chant equilibrium
- [pause for equilibrium]
- Summon slime
- Call demons
Dramatics is a basic Bardic ability to use movements and acting to conjure enchantment and affect your surroundings. Dramatics only work while you are visible, on targets who are able to see your efforts. Darkness obscures dramatic effect. Dramatics include, at later levels, hypnotism, trancing, and are often used to supplement or prepare the Music and Songs skills.
Elixirs is a skill of alchemy. It deals with your ability to mix potions in empty potion bottles. Mixing potions is very simple. You decide what type of potion you wish to mix [AB ELIXIRS followed by a potion type gives you detailed information], and then the colour you wish to mix it in and type MIX <colour> <type> IN <bottle> and providing you have the skill and an empty bottle, the potion will mix, e.g. MIX BLUE HEALTH. In order that you may mix a potion you must be holding a barrel of essence (from which the potions are derived). These barrels of essence must be filled from with refined essence, most commonly tipped directly from the cauldrons in which it is refined. You may also type POTIONLIST to list those potions held by you.
If you wish to prepare a potion with more sips than you can normally make, you can use the syntax "FOR <sips>", so the full syntax would be MIX <colour> <type> [FOR <sips>] [IN <bottle>]. Be warned that this uses more essence.
Examples:
- Mix blue health in bottle
- Quaff blue potion
- Throw potion to klassi north
Endurance is a generic knightly and cavalier skill based on physical and mental control to endure the rigours of your physical life. As you rise in proficiency, you will gain more abilities, abilities to enable you to withstand greater damage and remain in battle for longer periods of time.
Evocation is the magic of dark spirit summoning from the planes beyond Avalon. You can call spirits into the physical plane, order them to do your bidding, and battle the Animists for control of the hidden world. Spirits can aid you, hinder your enemies, and help in the defeat of the light. For a list of commands type AB EVOCATION for a list of the spirit spells you can bring to pass. As your skill rises, so will your proficiencies in both evocation commanding and evocation magics. Type INVOKE ALL to invoke all seven spirits. Type CHANT EQUILIBRIUM to gain equilibrium to evoke.
Examples:
- Invoke fire
- Invoke darkness
- Call spirits
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Evoke blackhand calladan
Farsight deals with your ability to use the seeing stones, to channel the power of the god of the stars through the seeing stone. The command associated with this skill is FAR, typing AB FARSIGHT in the presence of a seeing stone gives you a list of commands available, these increasing as you progress in the skill. As you gain competence you will discover a dazzling array of powers which can be channelled through the seeing stone, including nullification, hurling and telekinesis. In addition to that, the seeing stones can be used to break wills, force actions and command sentients. Higher levels of Farsight include combat of wills between great seers for influence over entire cities.
Fatalism is the skill of mystic curses and blessings. It is used by the Seer profession. The Seer may curse weapons, armour, and items to give a variety of beneficial or harmful effects. More potently, though, the fatalist may curse their enemies (or bless their friends). Curses are harmful, often difficult to cure, and diverse in effect. Many require specific blessings to redress, thus ensuring that befriending a member of the Seer profession should be high on every Avalonian's list.
Forestry is the skill of forest manipulation and wilderness skills, a combination of arts practised only by the Rangers. It also includes the ability of Archery which improves as your Forestry ability rises.
Forging is your ability to forge a piece of weaponry or armour. Forging is done via a long and arduous process. First you must smelt your chosen ore in the furnace (see HELP FURNACES for information on lighting furnaces), by FILL FURNACE WITH <ore>, and once it is filled with ore, you SMELT. This will produce an ingot of size depending on how much ore was used. Then you must make the ingot into a weapon, by repeatedly heating, hammering and folding it. Different weapons will require varying repetitions of these steps, but once you deem that you have folded the ingot sufficiently, you can type a final HEAT, HAMMER and then FOLD INGOT <type of weapon> which will hopefully turn the ingot into that weapon. From then you can further FOLD it to increase its hardness, or FORGE the weapon to enhance its attack and strike power. Of course, you can also use Forging to enhance existing weapons. Remember that to work armour, you replace FOLD with POUND in all cases. Type AB FORGING on its own for a list of proficiencies. You can UNSMELT weapons and armour to return them to their ore composite. You can also DETERMINE weapons, armour and ingots to acquire knowledge of their properties.
Example of forging a dagger:
- Put ore in furnace
- Smelt
- Heat ingot
- Hammer ingot
- Fold ingot dagger
Healing is the ability to draw power directly from the God of Life to pass the living essence which courses in your veins to some poor injured soul. As an animist you are constantly healing, and Healing transfers some of the wound of another onto yourself where it will be rapidly healed. Be careful that when you are new to Healing you do not assume a wound to great for your body to handle; it is an easy to way die yourself! You can HEAL both sentients and CCCs in this way. In addition to basic healing you can CURE diseases. You may type DIAGNOSE followed by a player to diagnose a player's afflictions wherever they are in Avalon. Type AB HEALING on its own for a list of your disease curing facilities.
Herbs and Poisons are found all over Avalon, and can be located by those with the Herbs or Poisons skill, and any layman may purchase herbs or poisons from the many herbalists or market stalls dotted about the land. Herbs have various beneficial effects while poisons are harmful. Methods of applying the herbs vary. Some can be eaten, some applied (e.g. APPLY HARFY). Some must be put into a glass of water and drunk, while others must be put into a pipe and smoked. Poisons are usually put on arrows or weapons, or applied to people unconscious. Below you will find a list of all the common herbs and poisons in Avalon, and examples on how to use them.
- apply harfy
You apply a yellow leaf of harfy. You feel invigorated, your wounds clotting before your very eyes.
- eat gylvir
You ingest a gylvir clump.
You lick your lips tenderly and shiver with a sudden chill.
- fill tankard with water
You fill your tankard with water.
- put iorthir in tankard
You place a leaf of iorthir into the tankard.
- drink water
You drink some water from the tankard. The iorthir leaf makes your eyes water.
- put megillos in pipe
You put a megillos slice into an ebony pipe.
- light pipe with tinderbox
You light a megillos slice in your pipe.
- puff pipe
You suck deeply on the pipe, basking in the aroma of megillos. You bask in the tangy aroma of the red lichen.
Music is a general skill, tending to be developed by a bard. It deals with your ability to play musical instruments and bring about enchantments through them. Each instrument can be used to bring about a unique enchantment, and as your skill at Music rises, the number of instruments (and therefore the number of enchantments you can bring about) increases.
Using Mysticism, you can manipulate waxen images of players, first by BONDing them with the living player to get their individual feel, and then using the IMAGE command to harm/help them at long range. At later levels you can even MOULD your own pieces of WAX into human effigies. To gain equilibrium, you CHANT EQUILIBRIUM. Mental equilibrium is required when bonding and moulding images. Beyond Legendary there exists the power of puppet-mastery. Type WAXLIST for a list of your waxes.
Naturalism is a natural skill, dealing with your ability to interact with the forest life and plant-life of Avalon. Inside the many forests your powers due to this skill are enormous - the command FOREST will list your abilities, which include shielding, healing, blocking exits and commanding the trees to hold people in their grasp. Naturalism also deals with your ability to speed growth, influence growth and size of plants, and once the higher levels have been attained, also the ability to give an immobile piece of plant-life the power of movement as an extension of your will. In addition, Naturalism gives you an aura which will appeal to animals - you will not be attack by dumb animals, and the creatures of Avalon will often do your bidding. Type FWHO to list those in the forest or LEAFLIST to view leaves you have plucked from the forest (if you have the skill).
Necromancy is the skill of undead and vampyrism. It allows you to exist in many non-human forms, to enslave your enemies to your will as vampires (by rendering them unconscious and then piercing their necks with your sharp canines), and affords you a variety of substitutes to Evocation.
Poisons deals with your ability to spot and use the various natural poisons which grow all over the Avalonian mainland. Poisons can be discovered in a location by typing POISONS where you will be informed of any poisons you can spot. Typing AB POISONS will list all poisons that are known by you, and you ought to try and ANALYSE all these to gain some idea of their habitat and worth. As you gain competence in Poisons you will find the number of poisons that you can use increasing. When a poison is found you must PICK it. Once picked you must PREPARE it, and when prepared you can either APPLY it to yourself, or another, if it is a paste, SMOKE it, if it is to be smoked, EAT it, if it is to be ingested, or PUT it in a drink or item of food if it is to be drunk/ingested. Concealing poisons in drinks is a very sneaky way of administering the effects to somebody unknown to them. You can RUB poisons on weapons or arrows so that when you use the weapon or fire an arrow, the poison is applied to the person you strike. See HELP GARDENING for help on planting and dealing with herbs.
Examples:
- Poisons
- Pick jegga
- Prepare jegga
- Apply jegga to eshkadeth
- Rub jegga on arrow
Rituals is a skill practised by those skilled in the Magical arts. To cast rituals you must SKETCH shapes in the air (or SKETCH ALL to sketch all the shapes you know at once), then CHANT EQUILIBRIUM, and then DANCE the appropriate ritual which is built up from the shapes. Type SKETCH for a list of shapes known to you. After the name of the ritual as specified in DANCE, you can name a city, a guild, or a specific individual that you wish the ritual to target. You can specify ENEMIES which would attack those who are not your friends. Mages can combine their might by sketching more shapes and dancing the rituals together. Thus together rituals of enormous power could be brought into being. Type UNDANCE (or UNDANCE followed by a specific ritual) to remove rituals of your creation or SENSE to sense rituals nearby.
Examples:
- Sketch star
- Sketch circle
- Sketch pentacle
- Chant equilibrium
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Dance hellflames enemies
Runes are also fashioned by members of the Alchemists, Artisans or Loremasters Guild. They are usually attached to items to give them protection or extra powers. They can be left on the ground to effect passers-by or, most effectively, attached to a rune stave or totem and form cumulative effects. Runes are activated by being seen, or touched. You could also deliberately activate a rune by typing ACTIVATE <rune>. You can cause others to be affected by your runes by showing them - type SHOW followed by the rune, followed by the player you wish to show it too. It is possible to avoid seeing most runes by being blind - though you would need a potion of innersight of the herb of ucklice to enhance your senses sufficiently to overcome the obvious perils of wandering around blind.
Bell Sets of an alarm when activated, informs owner. Snowflake Rune Protects an item by making it to cold to take. Oval Protects weapons wielded from the spiritual blade bar. Ankh Destroys spiritual activity and defences when activated. Crescent Destroys candescence activity and defences when activated. Spear When placed on an item or arrow, ensures it always strikes. Charm Augments the effects of magical offensive acts. Talisman Increases your Constitution skill which defends against magic. Fist Creates a silver sentinel to protect and guard your item. Key When activated it locks all doors magically, stopping thieves. Bug For listening in on conversations, whether in Avalon or not. Pyramid When placed on the ground it protects from summoning and gates. Quarrel A rune in the form of a silver arrow which can banish demons/undead. Spiral When activated it fascinates the onlooker so that they cannot move.Flame Restores sight to one who has blinded himself. Knife When activate it causes fear in the onlooker making them flee.
Weaving songs is one of the finest Bardic skills, enabling you to turn even the most innocent litanies and jigs into competent sources of enchantment. To use Songs, you must first SING the song (Typing AB SONGS lists all songs you have available), and once begun you will sing the song for about twenty seconds during which time you can DIRECT <target> which will direct the enchanting elements of the song at specific targets. Usually you will have to PLAY an instrument along with your song to give it enchanting effect. As your skill increases, so does the number of songs that you know and can sing.
Example of a Song:
- Sing march using fife
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Direct blodwyn
Spiritualism deals with your ability to channel the living worth of nature and summon forth spirits from the Underworld beyond to do your bidding. To gain a list of the Spiritualism commands, you type SPIRITS, while AB SPIRITUALISM will give you an inkling of the magics you can perform with your spirits. Type CHANT EQUILIBRIUM to gain equilibrium to evoke. Type INVOKE ALL to invoke all seven spirits at once.
Examples:
- Invoke air
- Invoke darkness
- Call spirits
- [Pause for equilibrium]
- Evoke cloak
Stealth is the skill of subterfuge. It deals with your ability to conceal yourself from others. Hiding is directly compared with perception to discover whether your concealment is sufficient. In addition to being able to hide yourself, you will also be able to hide items and depending on the location and your skill and of course, the size of the item being hidden, you will be able to hide a great deal out of harms (or in harms) way. You may also TRACK others as they make their way around allowing you to slink about unseen and reap the benefits of their knowledge.
Thievery deals with your ability at pick-pocketing other players and CCCs of their possessions with or without them noticing. When you attempt to STEAL <object> FROM <target>, you will gain three possible results. You will either be totally successful in stealing the item without being spotted, you could be partially successful in that you will steal the item but you will also be spotted, or you could fail in which case you will be spotted before the thievery has taken place. Stealing is made harder if the target is wearing the item to be stolen - after all, it would be rather difficult to steal a pair of trousers from somebody if they are actually wearing them.
Example: - Steal key from procyon
Trapping is a skill of subterfuge and deception. It deals with your ability to prepare and lay traps to catch the unwary and protect your valuables. To prepare a trap, you need the correct components (AB TRAPPING will give you exact details). Preparing a trap is done by typing PREPARE, followed by the type of trap, followed by what will set it off. Type PREPARE on its own for a broader syntax of this command. After preparation you may wish to POISON the trap. Ensure that you prepare the poison beforehand. Once prepared, you must LAY a trap. A trap can be laid either in a specific direction to catch passers-by, on an item, to catch the thieves, or inside a box to attack the curious. You will have to PRIME a trap after it has been effect a few times. As you rise in proficiency, the number of traps you can fashion will increase, as will the effectiveness of your trap and your ability to conceal the trap from the perceptive. All traps require a single piece of iron ore from which to construct the mechanism. Be careful when preparing traps that you have the correct components - preparation is an intricate process and you could waste valuable commodities if you attempt to prepare under-equiped. You do not always get back the iron used in preparing a trap when you disarm it. By divine edict traps do not work very effectively against the very young people of the land.
Examples:
- Prepare arrows always
- Rub jegga on arrows trap
- Lay arrows northeast
- Prime arrows
The Voice is one of the mightiest abilities in Avalon, allowing you to extend your will through vocal tones to control other players. It can be used to effectively "force" an action by another player. Needless to say the higher your Voice, the more successful your Voice will become and once you attain the highest ranks of Master you will find yourself with a considerable power at your disposal for influence. Success of Voice is measured against the inherent level of your opponent and their skill in Voice. Against non-bards, therefore, you will find yourself having more success as they will not realise that you are using The Voice against them. On Computer-Controlled Characters you can mimic the ORDER command with your Voice. If successful you will ORDER the CCC around almost as if it were loyal to you. Voice uses its own form of equilibrium which is broken when other enchantments are used requiring normal equilibrium, but, conversely, does not restrict your use of other equilibrium after issuing a Voice command.
Examples:
- Voice aragorn drop key
- Voice yossarian give potion to me
Warcraft is a combination of abilities for the Knightly profession, primarily the art of poison lore and trapping. Poisons grow all over Avalon, and when you learn to recognise one, you may ANALYSE it, PICK it and then PREPARE it. A most useful ability for populating your trusy blade with a little extra bite. Trapping is also a worthwhile pursuit; you will be able to PREPARE a trap, providing you have the correct components, and then LAY it in a specific direction to affect your enemies. By divine edict traps are not particularly effective against the very young of the land.
Weaponry is a dual skill - it is your skill at Forging and your ability to use and fashion bows. Forging is done via a long and arduous process. First you must smelt your chosen ore in the furnace (see HELP FURNACES for information on lighting furnaces), by FILL FURNACE WITH <ore>, and once it is filled with ore, you SMELT. This will produce an ingot of size depending on how much ore was used. Then you must make the ingot into a weapon, by repeatedly heating, hammering and folding it. Different weapons will require varying repetitions of these steps, but once you deem that you have folded the ingot sufficiently, you can type a final HEAT, HAMMER and then FOLD INGOT <type of weapon> which will hopefully turn the ingot into that weapon. From then you can further FOLD it to increase its hardness, or FORGE the weapon to enhance its attack and strike power. Occasionally you will find the Gods intercede in a bout of forging to aid your weapon or armour with a little divine touch. Blessed are those that receive this boon. You can also use Forging to enhance existing weapons. Remember that to work armour, you replace FOLD with POUND in all cases. Type AB FORGING on its own for a list of proficiencies. You can UNSMELT weapons and armour to return them to their ore composite. You can also DETERMINE weapons, armour and ingots to acquire knowledge of their properties.
Example of forging a dagger:
- Put ore in furnace
- Smelt
- Heat ingot
- Hammer ingot
- Fold ingot dagger
Information about cities and the various posts your character may hold, from Justice to the sole city Prince.
The social hierarchies that are plainly visible in smaller human settlements are even more conspicuous in the four major cities. Here, Councils have been formed under the guidance of their respective royal lines. Thakria lies under the patronage of Emperor Periam, Mercinae under King Thandrades, Springdale under the Earl, and Parrius under Lady Augustine. In reality these royal patrons of the cities act as no more than grandiose figureheads and are quite happy to see the working decisions made by the democratically elected Barons, so called because they are members of the ruling Council. Barons, remember, are real players like yourself and it is the ambition of many a young player to one day win an election and become a Baron of their city.
The Barons are responsible for appointing a Prince from their number. Then Prince of the city is then empowered to bestow titles, from which stem the administrative and ruling powers over a city. Titles can only be given to citizens, but can be given to Barons and non-Barons. Holders of titles are then able to appoint Aides, who have access to their abilities. It is the responsibility of the title holders to ensure that their Aides act in the best interests of the city, and, ultimately, the responsibility of the Prince to ensure the title holders carry out their duties well.
Barons are members of your city whose social status is such that they have been elected, or bestowed, with great power over the city - through the Barons, the ministries and their aides are appointed, with power over civil and military areas. In Mercinae, Parrius, Springdale and Thakria, Barons are elected, while in the smaller towns they tend to be hereditary or appointed by existing Barons. Type HELP followed by the name of a city or village to discover their current Barony.
If a citizen becomes dissatisfied with the performance of one of their Barons, he or she is quite likely to question their authority. To do this, type QUESTION <baron>. Typing POLITICS will show if any barons have been questioned, and by whom. If a Baron is questioned by four citizens over a short period of time, he or she will be considered unfit for office and an election will begin. The candidates in the election will be the incumbent Baron and the four citizens who question his/her authority. The election will last for five days by which time the citizen with the most votes will become the new Baron. If votes are tied, the incumbent Baron is declared victorious. If votes are tied between non-Barons, then the earliest questioner will be the victor. If one Baron has been questioned by a citizen, and another citizen comes along to question another Baron, then the first questioner will be forgotten. It is only possible to have an election for one baronial post at a time to prevent a city from becoming crippled without stable Barons to run it. Should you find yourself competing in an election you do not wish to be in you may stand down from contention by typing STANDDOWN followed by the election number code.
The rank of guardian is divinely appointed, usually by the god of time, as the highest and most prestigious position within a city heirarchy. The guardian holds a similar range of powers to a Prince, the ability to bestow government positions and alter citizenship. Unlike a Prince, though, the guardians are not vulnerable to Baronial opinion and have been appointed usually through great historical effort.
There are five ministries within a city; the Ministry of State, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry for Public Relations the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice. The Minister for Trade is responsible for city trading and commodity purchase, while the Minister for Public Relations is in charge of newborn, novice and young citizens. The Minister of Justice is responsible for the internal well-being and behaviour of the cities. The Minister is to maintain the ideals and morals of the city. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for expanding, contracting and purchasing the military of a city, in addition to being the chief diplomat for the city. The Minister of State takes charge of the city's marketplace and domestic economy. He is responsible for shops, the merchant, construction of buildings, and fashioning of items. All of the ministers are appointed by the Prince.
Citizens may type HELP followed by the name of their city to gain a list of their city's government, and AIDES followed by a title (Chancellor, Marshall, Justice, State, Foreign, Relations and Trade) to gain a list of Aides responsible to the government. Aideships allow citizens of lesser status or citizens with other responsibilities all the commands of the title - they are given out by the title holder by typing AIDE followed by the name of the citizen, followed by that title (e.g. AIDE TRAGNARION CHANCELLOR). Do not give out Aideships frivolously, it is better to have few trusted aides who perform their duties well than many bumbling incompetent aides undermining the city. Titleholders and aides should fully familiarise themselves with the commands associated with their position.
The Prince is the leader of a city, to whom all the Barons have unanimously sworn an oath of loyalty. The Prince will also hold Baronial rank. The powers of the Prince are to appoint the ministries, and Field Marshall positions. The Prince is a figurehead for the city, the most honoured citizen, the leader and guiding force of a city. Barons swear an oath to a Prince by typing OATH followed by the name of the Prince. They retract their oath by swearing to another, or swearing an oath to nobody (OATH NOBODY). A Baron may test the loyalty of his fellows by swearing an oath to himself - and if support is unanimous, then the Baron will become the Prince.
The Prince does not have many specific commands, except, the all-important ability to bestow ministries. The Princely commands are listed below:
BRAND To brand an individual friend or enemy. BESTOW To bestow a ministry on an individual. PREFIX/SUFFIX To change a citizens' prefix or suffix. GIVETITLE To give city title to a fellow citizen. STRIPTITLE To strip away city title from a fellow citizen.
The Chancellor is responsible for many things, not least is the financial health and wellbeing of the city. He has sole control over the Chancellory (an additional gold vault), and shares many of the responsibilities of the Minister of State over the marketplaces, shops and the banks. The Chancellor is ultimately responsible for the economic state of the city, and is also responsible for setting and managing taxation. Appointing a good, level-headed Chancellor is the first duty of a new Prince, although often the Chancellor is not replaced until he wishes to resign. All robust city governments are formed with a consistent Chancellor.
The Field Marshall is the supreme commander of the armed forces of a city. Although he has no responsibility over the treasury or the building of barracks, in times of battle, the Field Marshall will lead the troops and has the ability to give commands to any citizen he feels worthy. The Field Marshall must be militarily adept, aware of the tactics of warfare and siege. The Marshall is also responsible for the defence of a city; ensuring that the stores and shops are adequately protected from hostile forces.
The Minister of Justice is given the least actual commands, but by no means the least responsibility. The duties of the Minister of Justice is to uphold the ideals and morals of a city - to weed out wrong-doers and insurgents, to defend the city, to ensue its citizens are safe against threat from outside. The Minister of Justice should be a powerful and loud combatant, one who will not back down, one who will pursue enemies of the city until they have been vanquished and threaten the sanctity of his homeland no longer.
The Minister of State is the most prominent of ministerial roles and has access to the widest range of commands. This ministry is responsible for managing the treasury, overseeing trade, and maintaining the economy, as well as being responsible for the construction of various buildings and commodity stores. The Minister of State should be one of the most regularly present governmental figures, since the work of fashioning items and trading is an ongoing, demanding one. The Ministry of State tends to require the most Aides, but should always be given to a strong character, usually with skills of creation (such as an Alchemist, Loremaster or Artisan). The Minister usually works closely with the Minister for Trade, to ensure that the requirements for commodities do not exceed the Trade Ministry's ability to gather and purchase them.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs handles diplomacy between the city government and its neighbours, be they city or guild. The Foreign Minister is in charge of treaties, declarations of war or peace, and all matters relating to the city's external presence in the land.
It is the responsibility of the Minister of Trade and his aides to purchase commodities from citizens, to ensure that the fields of a city are ploughed, planted and harvested, or leased out to individuals for them to do on their own, and that they know who in the city can assist them with their task. The Minister works closely with the Minister of State, part of whose job is to plan and ensure the city has enough of the commodities it needs.
The Minister for Public Relations is in charge of young citizens, novices, and apprentice guild members, their well-being and equipment. It is up to this Minister to ensure that the young and novices are equipped, clothed and fed, and that they are feeling satisified with the city, as often older players spend little time with them, leaving a sense of bewilderment, and little or no loyalty.
While standing on home-soil you will be able to call upon the aid of your city's defences, the extent of which will depend on the wealth and efforts of the city government. If you spot an enemy on your home-soil, type CRY followed by their name to cry aloud a call to the local guards to deal with this unwanted foe. The might of the foe will determine the strength and size of the city defenders employed to answer your call.
There are certain locations which are protected beyond the norm, often because of their importance to a city or guild. Stockrooms of shops (where profits are stashed and stock is stored), city barracks (where troops, rations and equipment are housed), and commodity stores (where a guild or city might store its oh-so-valuable commodity reserves) are the maintypes of protected locations. In these types of locations you will find it difficult to be attacked, difficult for offensive acts to be initiated by you or against you. Unauthorized individuals will be subjected to harsh and immediate ejection upon intrusion and you will find some measure of safety while you remain therein.
However, the Gods frown upon cowering in a protected location to avoid confrontation, or worse, launching an ambush from a protected location and fleeing back when the fight turns ill. You will find that while resting or working in a protected location the amount of time you spend there accumulates and, if it rises beyond between forty and fifty-five minutes continuously over an hour period, the local guards will eject you and bar your entry until sufficient time has elapsed. You will also find you need express permission from the local guild or city to enter these restricted areas (such as barracks or commodity stores). Permission is obtained just outside the restricted locations by typing OBTAIN PERMISSION and waiting a short while.
General command lists specific to Government officials and their aides.
Since the cities tend to have a number of nobles and an even larger number of concerned citizens, actions performed by the government are logged for all to see. There are six types of action logs for cities and villages. The first is the bank actions - accessible only by government. Type BANK ACTIVITY to view deposits, withdrawals and bank activity. This log can be wiped by the Chancellor by typing BANK ACTIVITY CLEAR. The second log is the treasury actions - withdrawals, deposits and general activity affecting the treasury itself. This can be viewed only by members of government using the CHANCELLORY LOG command and cleared by the Chancellor by typing CHANCELLORY LOG TRADE/STATE/CHANCELLORY/TREASURY CLEAR. Members of the government may choose to annotate notes to these logs, which they can do by using BANK ACTIVITY <message> and CHANCELLORY LOG TRADE/STATE/CHANCELLORY/TREASURY <message> respectively.
The majority of the general governmental activities are logged in the public actions log - which can be viewed by all citizens by typing ACTIONS. Citizens may, in addition, review actions for the past thirty real days by typing ACTIONS followed by the day of the month they wish to view. In addition to general actions, military activity and developments are stored in the same way in a log known as BATTLEACTIONS, while stall and trade activity are stored in a log known as STALLACTIONS. Finally, there is a log which records details of which doors the city locksmith was called to lock or unlock, which is known as LOCKACTIONS. Actions, stallactions, lockactions and battleactions cannot be cleared by any command, they remain accessible for thirty days - a safeguard against embezzlement and crooked individuals.
The four cities have State Banks, safe depositories for citizens to stash their hard earned gold. Gold deposited into the bank is held, at first, in the bank vault - an inaccessible location, impenetrable even by the finest Thieves. Money can be taken from the bank vault and placed into the treasury using the BANK WITHDRAW command, followed by the amount of gold to take out. Money can, likewise, be moved from the treasury into the bank vault using the BANK DEPOSIT command, followed by the amount of gold to add to the vault. Withdrawals from a city's bank requires sufficient funds in the bank vault, so often large withdrawals have to be arranged with the Barony as the vaults tend to be left with only a minimal compliment of gold. City Barons can type BANK DEBT to review a comprehensive list of debts owed players by the city bank - often a city treasury is based solely on debts to its depositors. Since the city banks are controlled, ultimately, by the Barons of the city, it is possible to change bank accounts very easily. A financial leader need only type BANK ACCOUNT, followed by an account holder, followed by an amount, and their account will be instantly changed to reflect this new amount. There is a great deal of scope for crooked management of the banks, since it is easy to filter away money through the banks - all account changes are logged for safety, and can be reviewed by the other Barons for a month after they have been made.
The simplest way to assemble commodities in your city or village is to use trading caravans. Sometimes transporting large amounts of a commodity is difficult - dangerous in that a thief or an enemy may try to rob you, and unwieldy since huge batches of a commodity can be difficult to carry. Some commodities cannot even be purchased without the aid of a caravan. Appropriate ministers and aides can type TRADE CARS to list city caravans and their whereabouts, TRADE REQUEST to request use of a caravan to trade, and TRADE RETURN to return the caravan and store its contents after use.
- trade cars
Caravan #4881 (0gp) Whereabouts: Store of City Mercinae.
Caravan #4890 (0gp) Whereabouts: Store of City Mercinae.
Caravan #4909 (0gp) Whereabouts: Store of City Mercinae.
Caravan #4914 (0gp) Whereabouts: Store of City Mercinae.
Caravan #4915 (0gp) Whereabouts: Store of City Mercinae.
Mercinae has 5 trading caravans.
- trade request 4881
You order the trading caravan from its housing to Before the council
tower where it awaits a driver.
[Then, in the presence of the caravan...]
You enter a trading caravan.
Inside a trading caravan.
- steer w
You steer a trading caravan west.
Pathway on Tooth Island.
-
[Take the trading caravan to the commodity store of your target village.]
[At this point, you do your trading, buying the commodities from within the caravan...]
[Then, steer your caravan back to the start and...]
- trade return 4881
You return the caravan to its housing and empty out the commodities within to your city stores.
Any citizen may type CITIZENS at any time to view a list of citizens in Avalon with him. Barons may type CITIZENS LIST to list all active citizens of their town, or CITIZENS DORMANT to list all dormant citizens. Active citizens are players who have entered Avalon at least once over the past month. CITIZENS ALL will give a complete list of all citizens, active or dormant, of your city. The government has the ability to initiate new citizens and oust existing ones. Typing CITIZEN followed by an individual will give citizenship of your homeland to another individual, while UNCITIZEN followed by an individual will strip them of citizenship. As a safeguard in the democracies, you cannot oust a citizen who has questioned you or one of your competitors in an election. Most of the time, the three cities are democracies and the villages are little monarchies.
Some of the major cities have huge gatehouses which may be shut to prevent unwanted entry within the city walls (or, often, to trap an enemy within the city). These gatehouses can be strongly fortified by the city to prevent or at least hinder potential invaders. Mercinae has three gates, the North Gate, by Trader's Way, the East Gate, before the Parrian Highway, and the Northeast gate, by the river Leithe. Thakria has but one main gate, The South Gate, at the foot of the Avenue of Kings. Parrius has four gates. The West Gate by Hellespont Square, the Midwest Gate, on the River Callieton, the Northwest gate, by the road to Krempton village, and the North Gate, before the road to Pilgrim's Rest and Eastpoint. Springdale has just one major gate - the west gate on River Way. To shut the gates, the Baron must type GATE CLOSE followed by the gate to be closed (e.g. GATE CLOSE NORTH). To open them again, the Baron may type GATE OPEN followed by the gate to be opened (e.g. GATE OPEN MIDWEST). Your city will need to have fortified the interior of the gatehouse to at least one thousand strong before the gate can be effectively closed.
At the time of writing, the guilds are spread around the land, with Mercinae hosting more than it previously did, since many of the Parrian guilds sought refuge within its walls after the merger. Mercinae plays host to the Knights, Warriors, the Mages and Wizards, Mystics, as well as the Alchemists and the Bards, and maintains a close relationship with the Rangers of the Greenwood. Parrius has no guilds of its own, though it maintains an association with the astrologers. Thakria has the Cavaliers, Sorcerers, Seers, Loremasters and the Thieves. Springdale has recently opened several new guilds, some with unique abilities as befits its increased prosperity. Within its walls lie the Wizards, the Craftmasters and the mysterious Paladins. The remaining guilds; the Animists, Rogues, Brigands, and the Artisans have their guildhouses outside the influence of any city, having chosen to live and choose their own destiny within the villages and forests of the continent.
As detailed in the previous chapter on Guildmasters, guilds have lists of items which belong to them and can be used by the Guildmaster to equip his or her members. Guildmasters are able to designate items as belonging to their guilds using the CITY GUILD command. Type CITY GUILD followed by an item on the floor of the council chamber or assembly hall, and it will be automatically designated as owned by that guild. To do this, the Guildmaster must be the Minister, or aide to the Minister for State (this is why a close association with a city is helpful).
Items fashioned via the city craftsmen, or items which come into possession of a member of government, can have keys made for them. Type CITY KEY followed by the name of the item (including the code if possible) and the city locksmiths will work a key for that item, using a small amount of labour and an alloy commodity. This will enable a leader to provide keys for lockable items fashioned by the city stalls, or perform a service for those who have bought lockable items from elsewhere. The city also has available to it the ability to reinforce locks on items to make them more difficult for a Thief to pick. Type CITY REINFORCE followed by the name of them item (including the code, if possible) and, at a cost in labour, the item's lock will be strengthened.
All of the cities, and some of the villages, have a number of shops which can be owned by individuals or on behalf of guilds. It is the duty of the government to manage the shops, to ensure they have owners and are selling goods on behalf of the city. Shops owned by guilds and individuals are subject to a 10% tax on items sold, which goes directly to the treasury of the city. Gold earned by the shop is stashed in the storeroom where the stock is kept. All shops have a store-room, usually accessible down below the main shop floor. Members of government may type SHOP LIST to view a list of all city/village shops, and their owners or gain information about a specific shop by typing SHOP INFO followed by a shop. All shops have single word codes (shown in SHOP LIST) - the Mercinaen tobacconist is known as PIPESHOP for instance.
Shops can be allocated to individuals using the SHOP OWNER command - type SHOP OWNER followed by the shopcode (e.g. PIPESHOP), followed by the owner (a guild, a city, or an individual). That will determine where gold earned from the shop ends up and will amend the city's list of shops. To allocate a key to a shop and change the lock so that previous keys do not work, type SHOP KEY followed by the name of the shop. This creates a metal key (using a tin commodity) which you can allocate to the new owner of the shop. You may also protect a shop from having its lock picked, with the SHOP PROTECT command, or withdraw the protection with SHOP UNPROTECT.
The city stalls are the lifeblood of economic activity within the three cities. None of the villages have stalls of this kind. Cities have between five and seven stalls, each referenced by a name which corresponds to the type of stall; Magic, Livestock, Weapons, Clothing, Food, etc. Stock rooms for the stalls are inaccessible to mortals (no matter how competent their Thievery or how devious their techniques). Items can be added to the stalls only if they have been previously added to the city resources. All cities and villages have a huge resource store (also inaccessible) in which items may be kept safely. In the cities, the resource stores tend to hold goods not yet being offered for sale in the stalls, while in villages, the resources hold the possessions of the village, safe from robbery. Type CITY RESOURCES to review a list of all items held in the resources. CITY RESOURCE ADD followed by an item, and, optionally, a number of items to be added, will add items to the resources, or CITY RESOURCE REMOVE followed by an item and, optionally, a number to be removed, will remove items from the resources.
- city resources
"caravan4881" A trading caravan Value: 10gp.
"caravan4890" A trading caravan Value: 10gp.
"caravan4909" A trading caravan Value: 10gp.
"caravan4914" A trading caravan Value: 10gp.
"caravan4915" A trading caravan Value: 10gp.
"foil148" A dashing foil Value: 100gp.
"foil2499" A dashing foil Value: 100gp.
"foil2504" A dashing foil Value: 100gp.
- city resource add foil2504 3
You add a dashing foil (foil2504) to the Mercinae Store [3 times].
- city resource remove foil 3
You remove a dashing foil (foil2504) from the Mercinae Store [3 times].
Ministers may see an overview of all the city stalls and the stall names by typing CITY STALLS. To list the contents of an individual stall type CITY STALL LIST followed by the name of the stall. To add items to a specific stall, type CITY STALL ADD, followed by an item, followed optionally by the number of items of that type you wish to add. To remove items from a stall type CITY STALL REMOVE, followed by an item, followed optionally by the number of items you wish to remove. While items exist in the resources, their sale price may be set. This is done using the CITY SALEVALUE command - type CITY SALEVALUE, followed by an item type (e.g. CLOAK), followed by the price you wish to sell at. This will automatically set up all items corresponding to that type to the new price, ready to be added to the stalls and sold on to the general public.
- city stalls
The Market-Place of Mercinae
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[Mclothing] 15 items worth 320 gold coins.
[Mfood] 5 items worth 15 gold coins.[Mweapons] 0 items worth 0 gold coins.
"foil148" A dashing foil. 150gp. (x3)Stall [Weapons] has 3 item(s).
Taxation is controlled by the Chancellor of the City. Taxation tends to be frowned upon by most individuals, who may resent paying tax on their hard earned cash. However, in times of crises or economic expansion, taxation can be a useful method of raising money on behalf of the city. At the end of every Avalon month, an individual's earnings are totalled, and they are taxed upon this amount. The extent of this tax is determined by the Chancellor using the CHANCELLORY TAX command. CHANCELLORY TAX 10 would set tax at 10% of earnings, while CHANCELLORY TAX 50 would set tax to 50% of earnings. Typical tax levels range between 5% and 25%. Going beyond 25% can cause widespread resentment and a migration of citizens away from your city. Appropriate members of government may type CHANCELLORY TAXES to review a list of citizens and the taxes owned by the individuals to the CHANCELLORY - some ministers choose to enforce tax collection by amending the bank accounts of those owing accordingly. Taxes can be exacted or removed using the CHANCELLORY EXACT command. CHANCELLORY EXACT INCOME followed by a percentage will set the CHANCELLORY's income tax on earnings, while CHANCELLORY TAX followed by the citizen, followed by a negative number to reduce their tax bill by that amount.
The basis of a city, beside its treasury, are its commodities. The main distinction between a city and a village is the amount of commodities and resources it commands. Amassing commodities is an important duty which all governments must take seriously. Good trading will set the city in good stead, but bad trading can cripple or destroy it.
All cities, villages and towns have a number of fields either outside or just within their city walls, which those with even a basic farming ability can plough and utilise. Each spring, these fields must be ploughed and planted with seed. In autumn, the fields should have a healthy crop ready for harvesting. It is the duty of both the Minister of State and the Minister of Trade to ensure the crops are planted and harvested, and then processed and stored within the commodity stores that can be built to protect them from being stolen by ruthless individuals that seek to cripple a city. Other commodities are ammassed via the skill of Labours, rather than Farming, and these commodities (such as rope, all of the metals and glass to name but a few) must also be found, and purchased or donated to the city from citizens or other settlements.
The Minister of State, or an aide, once a commodity store has been built may enter it to pick up or drop off commodities. The Minister for Trade and aides (unless they also assist the Minister of State) can enter the stores to deposit commodities only. both ministries may utilise the city locksmith to unlock both the exterior and interior doors of commodity stores. Guards, and protective shadows flitter around the stores, keeping out unwanted people and protecting the commodities within. Members of the State ministry may type STOCK followed by any of the city's commodities to review a log of all city stocks and their whereabouts.
Guilds may also construct commodity stores for the safe holding of commodities, note however that the name of the store is intended as a general guide as to what lies within it; it makes sense to store all the commodities in their own store, yet for a guild this would be exceedingly expensive, so they may only have one or two stores. You should speak to your elders or guildmaster to discover futher information about where commodities are stored within your guild.
An overview of a city or village economy can be gained using the CITY ECONOMY and CHANCELLORY STATUS commands. This command shows various information about the financial state of the city, including how much money is in the generally accessible treasury (not the Chancellory), and how much the city will pay out via a merchant, as well as who the merchant buys from. The simplest way to add money to the treasury directly is to use the CITY INVEST command - which takes money from the floor of the council chamber and adds it to the treasury. Type CITY WITHDRAW followed by an amount to take money out of the treasury and place it onto the floor of the council. Both investments and withdrawals are logged in the town's actions records, so money cannot be easily embezzled using this method.
Two more commands are useful for overall city management. Typing CITY EXPENSES will review the expenses incurred by your city or village every Avalon month - this tends to be upkeep of temples, novice Academies, and sometimes a charge according to the number of active citizens. All four cities, and indeed most of the villages, have computer controlled characters who charge players with quests for the city or deeds to return artifacts they desire. Gold rewards given out by these CCCs come directly from the city treasuries. For example, King Thandrades of Mercinae pays out gold for the dead body of the Great Orc of Goblin Town. The gold he gives out is a regular drain on the Mercinae treasury. City financial leaders can dictate, to an extent, the amount of gold given out as reward deeds and quests performed on behalf of the city by typing CITY REWARDS followed by a percentage. This is the percentage of the 'typical' gold reward that will be given out. So, taking the earlier example, normally Thandrades gives a hundred pieces of gold for the corpse of the Great Orc. If rewards are set to 10%, then his reward will be ten pieces of gold instead.
All citizens of a city will gain, as they progress in level and experience, experience quests from the royal leader of the city - known as city experience quests. Gold is given out from the treasury of the city automatically to individuals performing these quests successful to entice them to rise in proficiency and reward their endeavours. Typically, a city might give out fifty pieces of gold to a citizen for each city experience quest successfully achieved.
A city will also pay out for the dead bodies of men, that is, the type that could be enlisted into the army. Simply taking the dead body to a CCC related to your city will give you the money. Setting this level is the domain of the Chancellor and Minister of State, who should use the CITY DEAD command. Typing this command with no parameter will tell you the current amount being paid out.
A wide range of items can be fashioned by the craftsmen of a city or village. Items fashioned by villages do not require labour, but those fashioned by a city do. Type CITY TYPES LIST to review a brief summary of all items fashionable by a city and CITY TYPES followed by an item type to list items of that type fashionable by the city. CITY TYPES CLOAK, for instance, would give a list of cloaks known to the weavers of your town. All items require commodities which are used when it is fashioned. You may discover the requirements of an item type by typing CITY REQUIREMENTS followed by the item. Bread, for example, requires some Wheat and Yeast commodity. To fashion an item, assuming you have enough commodities, which must be either held on or about your person, or on the floor, type CITY FASHION, followed by the item name, followed by the item type (as shown in CITY TYPES LIST), followed by the number items of that type you wish to fashion. CITY TYPES, CITY TYPES LIST, CITY REQUIREMENTS, CITY FASHION
- city types cloak
Item Name: Cloak.
Type No. Description ===== ======= 1. an Azrili cloak. 2. a deep blue Mage cloak. 3. a dark cloak. 4. a black Seers cloak. 5. a cloak of hiding. 6. a russet cloak. 7. a weather-beaten cloak. 8. a cloak of stars bearing the symbol of the white dragon. 9. a silvery cloak. 10. a black cape. 11. a cream-coloured cape. 12. a black cloak embroidered with a red circle.- city requirements cloak
Cities and villages have friends and enemies in the same way that individuals do. Type FEELINGS (as a member of government or a normal citizen) and you will be informed of the feelings of your city or village towards the other towns and guilds of the land. Your homeland can be at Peace or War with any of its neighbours, and can be Friendly, Neutral or Enemy to them. If your town holds another city to be its enemy, then it is the duty of all loyal citizens to make that declaration meaningful and act. Barons may change the feelings of their city/village using the DECLARE command. Type DECLARE followed by the name of the town/city/guild, followed by FRIEND, NEUTRAL, ENEMY, WAR or PEACE. DECLARE THAKRIA PEACE would declare your city at peace with Thakria, while DECLARE SPRINGDALE ENEMY would give Springdale enemy status without declaring war.
The Minister of Justice has an extra responsibility to be trustworthy, since he can unlock and lock any door within their city. The Minister may call upon the city lock-smiths automatically using the LOCK and UNLOCK command - this action is logged to the city lockactions. This simple ability gives a great deal of power to that minister, and offers a large scope for abusing his powers. It has been known in the past for an evil doer to engineer himself into the position only to use the locksmiths to rob every shop in the city, before fleeing into the hills with his booty. In addition, the Justice Minister can work keys to locks within the city, or change locks on doors within the city. Also, the Ministers of State and Trade can also utilise the city locksmith to gain access to city buildings, and those doors that lead into commodity stores. To work keys, or add to existing keys, the Minister of Justice must stand before the door he wishes to make a key for, and type LOCKWORK followed by the key, followed by the direction of the door. The city locksmiths will amend the key accordingly. To change a lock, and render useless all keys for the door, type LOCKCHANGE followed by the direction of the door whose lock is to be changed. Use this with care, though. It can cause serious disruption to your city.
Individuals may be branded an enemy of your city using the BRAND command. Type BRAND followed by the name of an individual, followed by FRIEND or ENEMY. Branding them an enemy will be permanent, until revoked by another Baron, and individual enemies tend to be ill-treated by all members of the city to which they are enemy. Branding an individual friend reverses enemy status, if it exists - Computer Controller Characters loyal to your city will automatically declare an attacker enemy to your city if they are slain. It is the duty of all good Barons to act upon the declarations of their Computer Controlled Characters as well as their human citizens. It is not possible for pacifists or those under divine protection to change the outlaw status, as it is considered a hostile act by the divinities. Barons and citizens may type CITYENEMIES at any time to review a list of all known enemies to their homeland.
Commands specific to each individual government post.
The abilities of a Baron revolve primarily around selecting a Prince and occupying the various ministries. However, you have a few basic Baronial commands, listed below:
OATH To swear an oath to your Prince. CITIZEN To initiate a new citizen. UNCITIZEN To eject a current citizen. DESCRIBE TOWN To change the description of your city. DISFAVOUR/FAVOUR To help or hinder a citizen's city status. PREFIX/SUFFIX To change the prefix/suffix of a citizen.
All citizens may use the following commands, to examine the running and statue of your city :
FEELINGS The feelings of your city. ACTIONS Latest actions of the administration. STALLACTIONS Marketplace latest actions.
CITYHELP Further help on specific city commands. ACTION Lists actions or add an action comment. BROADCAST Broadcasts to all citizens. GATE Open and close the city gates. STALLACTIONS Like ACTIONS, only watching stalls info. BATTLEACTIONS Like ACTIONS, only watching battle info. LOCKACTIONS Like ACTIONS, only listing unlock/lock commands. CITYENEMIES Lists all enemies of your city.
TRE STATUS To gain status on your treasury. TRE ACTIONS To review treasury based actions.TRE ACTION <text> To record a note in the treasury actions.
TRE BANKACTIONS To review bank based actions.TRE BANKACTION <text> To record a note in the bank actions.
TRE SHOPS To list shops in your city. TRE INFOSHOP To gain information on a specific shop. TRE PROTECTSHOP To order a shop to be protected from thievery.TRE UNPROTECTSHOP To retract a protection order.
To withdraw or deposit money from the Chancellory, you use the CHANCELLORY WITHDRAW and CHANCELLORY DEPOSIT commands. You also have the right to enter city commodity stores, both to pick up and drop commodities, full control over the city treasury and city bank.
TRE TAX <x> To set the income tax percentage. TRE ACTIONS To review the latest treasury actions. TRE ACTIONS CLEAR To clear the treasury actions log. TRE BANKACTIONS To review the latest bank actions.TRE BANKACTIONS CLEAR To clear the bank actions log
CITY EXACT To exact a tax on an individual. CITY TAXES To review the city's tax bill. CITY REWARDS To set the gold rewards given by the city. CITY DEAD <amnt> To set the gold given for dead bodies. CITY ACCOUNT To alter the bank account of a depositor. CITY RESO REMOVE To remove an item from city resources. BANK TAX <x> To set the commission charged by the city bank.
Information on commands to access the treasury of a city or town can be found by typing CITYHELP and following the instructions thereof.
The following apply to the military loyal to a city:
BATTLEACTION To add a note to the battleactions. BATTLEGROUND To review the battleground of troops. ARMY To gain an overview of the city army. ASSEMBLE Assembling troops under your banner. DISMISS Dismissing troops to rejoin the main army or to guard. REDEPLOY <leader> Redeploy troops under a friendly leader to unled. MARCH To march a legion about. PLUNDER To raid the storerooms of buildings. RAZE To raize enemy buildings. LOCALE To review local legion formations. ENGAGE To engage enemy troops. ASSAIL To assail enemy troops in adjacent locations. BESIEGE To lay siege to enemy fortifications. PASSIVE Calling an end to all hostilities.
FLAGFASHION To fashion a city flag. FLAGRAISE To raise a city flag over a location. FLAGLOWER To lower your city flag from a location.
BATTLEACTION To add a comment to the battleactions. BATTLEGROUND To review troops in the field. ARMY To review the city's army. LOCKWORK To work a key for a specific city lock. LOCKCHANGE To change the lock on a city door. UNLOCK/LOCK To lock or unlock a city door. BRAND To brand an individual friend or enemy. PREFIX/SUFFIX To change the prefix/suffix of a citizen. CITY RESO REM To remove items from city resources.
BATTLEACTION To log a battleground action. CITIZEN To initiate a new citizen. UNCITIZEN To eject a current citizen. BATTLEGROUND To list the troops in the field. LOCKWORK To work a key for a city lock. LOCKCHANGE To change the locks on a city door. BRAND To brand a player friend or enemy. CONSTRUCT To construct a new city building. DEMOLISH To destroy an empty city building.
ARMY To gain an overview of the city army. BATTLEACTION To add a note to the battleactions. BATTLEGROUND To review the battleground of troops. BRAND To brand an individual friend or enemy. DECLARE To declare your city's feelings.
CITY FASHION To fashion goods for war. CITY RESO REM To remove an item from resources. CITY DEFENCES To control the city's automated defences. CITY FORT/FORT BUY To buy, sell and list city fort defences. CITY INFLUENCE To examine the sphere of influence of your city.
The Ministry of Relations is in charge of the local Academy within the city, and as such is responsible for the wellbeing of all novices, from their arrival within the city, through the accolade quests until graduation and then until they join their first guild, at which point the local guild assumes responsibility for them. To this end, there are a number of commands, paralleling those availible to guildmasters to all within the department.
NOVICES List all novices who arrived in your city today. NOVICE TODAY List all novices who arrived in your city today. NOVICE LIST List all members of the academy who are not dormant. NOVICE ALL List all members of your academy. NOVICE STATUS <novice> Display detailed information on <novice>. NOVICE SKILLS <novice> Review the academy skills of <novice>. NOVICE QUEST <novice> Display the current accolade quest for <novice>.NOVICE PREFIX <novice> [<prefix>] Change the prefix of a novice.
NOVICE BRING <novice> Bring a novice to you. FORCE <novice> <command> Force a novice to issue a command.
DEPOSIT <academy guild> <amount> To deposit money into the account.
CNW/CNWHO List all city novices currently playing. NNW List all novices currently playing. NOVICEWATCH Begin watching of all novices. WATCH <novice> Watch a specific novice. UNWATCH Cease watching novices.CITIZEN <player> Introduce a new citizen to your city.
NOVICE FORCEWATCH Declare CITYNOVICEWATCH to be mandatory on aides. NOVICE OPTIONWATCH Declare CITYNOVICEWATCH to be optional on aides.
TRADE INVEST To invest gold in the trading treasury from council. TRADE WITHDRAW To withdraw gold from the trading treasury.
RESOURCES To list the contents of city resources. RESOURCE ADD To add items to city resources.
Construction is the province of the Ministry of State, or guildmasters. They (or their aides) may construct or order the demolition of a wide range of buildings for the citizens, or the government, or the military of the city. Type BUILDINGS for a list of state owned construction whilst within your city walls, or GUILDHOUSE whilst you stand within your guild for any extensions that have been made.
CONSTRUCT <type of building> <direction>.
Stand out in the open in your city and decide on the plot for your new construction. Type HELP BUILDINGS for a list of the available buildings and a cost in commodities and gold coins for the construction. You can only declare construction within your city walls, and in directions that have no adjacency (e.g. if you want to build to the north, there must be nothing other than other state constructed buildings to the northeast and northwest). Construction is a costly process - do not do so lightly. City buildings must be outside, but guild buildings may be constructed anywhere in the guild.
DEMOLISH <direction>.
Stand outside the entrance to a state owned construction (usually out on the street) and issue this command to commence its demolition. You will not be able to demolish a building that has not been emptied of its contents and occupants beforehand. Demolition costs the city one thousand pieces of gold per location in the building being demolished.
BUILDINGS
Members of government, and other priviledged citizens can use this command to review any state owned, constructed buildings, that lie within the influence of your city. You must be standing on home soil to review the list.
GUILDHOUSE
Guildmembers, above the rank of apprentice can issue this command to discover the whereabouts of any extensions that have been made within a guild. You must be standing within your guild to review the extensions.
War inside of the game, between guilds, cities and allied forces - all related information about the strain on resources is here.
Warfare in Avalon is conducted using legions of either city-loyal or guild-loyal troops. These troops are kept in barracks in the cities and the guilds about the land and, during times of war or invasion, they are equipped, brought out and sent into battle or siege. In order to interact with the military of a city you will need to either hold the post of Field Marshall or, more likely, be an aide to the Field Marshall. In a guild you will need to be either the guildmaster or to have had the status of guild captain bestowed upon you.
It takes quite some time to march a large army across the land and requires a great deal of rations to keep them fed; you should experiment with troop movement and feeding before you embark on any serious military exercise. For the purposes of legion movement, locations are divided into nine areas - as shown below. You will need to be aware of your legion's positions within a location, there is great advantage to clever attack and defensive formations.
NORTHWEST NORTH NORTHEAST
WEST CENTRE EAST
SOUTHWEST SOUTH SOUTHEAST
To claim a location under your sphere of influence, you must have at least five troops in that location for an entire Avalon month; this means the troop must be there to see the new month dawn twice, consecutively. Once the troop has assumed uncontested control of a location, you may raise your flag there and your sphere of influence is expanded. You can only expand influence in locations adjacent to your homeland, or adjacent to existing areas of influence. Each non-city/village location will give 10gp per Avalon month to your city coffers in tax and revenue. City/village locations outside home soil under your sphere of influence will enhance the number of men appearing loyal to your city and ready for enlistning into the military. To take back a location, remove the resident troops (if any) and place your own legion in its place for the same period. Then raise your own flag.
Depending on the popularity of your guild or city, untrained but willing men will find their way onto the soil of guild or city, loyal to that guild or city, and waiting for a chance to be enlisted into the military. Field Marshalls and their aides, in the case of city military, or the Guildmaster and their captains, in the case of guild troops, can type ENLIST followed by the man inside their barracks to initiate the young fellow into a local legion. For speed you may also enlist multiple men in a single command by typing ENLIST followed by the number you wish to enlist, followed by the man/men to enlist.
You may wish to bolster the size of your own military with men whose allegience has been sworn elsewhere. In order to do this you must capture the man and take him to your barracks. There, in the presence of the military of your guild or city, the man may be conscripted. To do this type CONSCRIPT followed by the man you wish to bring into the fold. Conscripting a man costs one thousand pieces of gold and once conscripted, the man will be ready to be enlisted into a legion.
The Field Marshall is the supreme commander of the armed forces of a city. Although he has no responsibility over the treasury or the building of barracks, in times of battle, the Field Marshall will lead the troops and has the ability to give commands to any citizen he feels worthy. The Field Marshall must be militarily adept, aware of the tactics of warfare and siege. The Marshall is also responsible for the defence of a city; ensuring that the stores and shops are adequately protected from hostile forces.
The rank of captain is bestowed upon competent guildmembers by the head of a guild. It allows the captained guildmember to interact with (if applicable) the guild's military and military-resources. Captains can command guild legions and engage in military activities.
ENLIST <guildsman> To enlist guildsmen into your military. FORTIFICATIONS To review guild fortifications. FORTIFY <amount> To add fortifications to a location. RAISE FORTIFICATIONS To raise a location's fortifications. LOWER FORTIFICATIONS To lower a location's fortifications. LEGIONS Reviewing a summary of guild legions. MUSTER <number> To call a number of guildsmen to arms. DISBAND <number> To detach a number from your command legion. REDEPLOY <leader> Redeploys troops under specified leader to unled. RAZE <direction> To destroy a building, store, or shop. BESIEGE <direction> To lay siege to fortifications. LOCALE [<direction>] To review legion formations nearby. ENGAGE <enemy> To engage enemy legions in battle.ASSAIL <legion> <dirn> [<target legion>]
To assail enemy legions in adjacent locations. MARCH <direction> To march your legions about. PASSIVE To order an end to all hostilities. PLUNDER <direction> To plunder commodities or loot.
The following apply to the military loyal to a city:
BATTLEACTION To add a note to the battleactions. BATTLEGROUND To review the battleground of troops. ARMY To gain an overview of the city army. ASSEMBLE Assembling troops under your banner. DISMISS Dismissing troops to rejoin the main army or to guard. REDEPLOY <leader> Redeploy troops under a friendly leader to unled. MARCH To march a legion about. PLUNDER To raid the storerooms of buildings. RAZE To raize enemy buildings. LOCALE To review local legion formations. ENGAGE To engage enemy troops. ASSAIL To assail enemy troops in adjacent locations. BESIEGE To lay siege to enemy fortifications. PASSIVE Calling an end to all hostilities.
FLAGFASHION To fashion a city flag. FLAGRAISE To raise a city flag over a location. FLAGLOWER To lower your city flag from a location.
The city military can become the most important target for a war-like city, or an unwanted necessity for a city expecting invasion from beyond its walls. All cities and most villages have men which can be enlisted in barracks to form a potent fighting force. For every hour of citizen (non-novice) playing time, providing the citizen is outside of protected locations and not under divine protection, a man will appear, wandering and lost within the streets of the city. It is up to the Field Marshall, or his aides to lead this man into the relative safety of a barracks and enlist him. You must also remember to feed your soldiers, usually by keeping a wagon or cart full of rations within the location, or in the open, on the ground.
- gl
Track skirting forest.
Passing close to you is a Springdalian man, a passive look on his face.
- lead man
A Springdalian man obeys your order and falls into line behind you.
[walk to barracks]
- gl
Guardroom of a barracks.
A sturdy legion of Springdalians stands nine hundred and thirty-eight in number in the west of the location. The legion is assembled under your banner.
- enlist man
You enlist a Springdalian man into the Springdale military.
- gl
Guardroom of a barracks.
A sturdy legion of Springdalians stands nine hundred and thirty-nine in number in the west of the location. The legion is assembled under your banner.
With a regularity depending on the popularity of the guild, guildsmen will appear somewhere in the public areas of the guildhouse. These guildsmen should be enlisted as quickly as possible in the guild barracks (if it has one). They can be enlisted by any guild-member with captain status. It is likely that rival or enemy guilds will seek to attack these guildsmen to prevent them from being enlisted and strengthening the guild army.
- gl
Entrance hall.
A man wearing a pointy hat stands nearby chanting strange words.
- lead man
An enchanter obeys your order and falls into line behind you.
[walk to barracks]
- gl
Barracks interior.
- enlist man
You enlist an enchanter into the Enchanters Guild military.
- gl
Guardroom of a barracks.
A sturdy legion of Enchanters stand two hundred and twenty in number in the southeast of the location. The legion has no leader at present.
An army is all very well and good, but to use them effectively in battle, or for enlarging a sphere of influence will require a large amount of tactics and planning. Before you reach this stage though, you need to know how to divide the city army up into legions, for commanders to take charge of. You may have more than one legion under your control at any one time; this could be useful for both plundering a location whilst defending the soldiers doing the plundering.
Originally, the troops will be under the banner of their commanding government; a city or guild perhaps. From here, authorised commanders may ASSEMBLE/MUSTER the relevant number of troops that they wish to command, and MARCH them away to where they are needed. At the end of service, troops must be DISMISS/DISBANDed from their leader before anyone else may assemble them again.
BATTLEGROUND <legion size> or LEGIONS <legion size>
To review all legions loyal to your guild or your city, their size and location. You may specify a minimum size to review, for example BATTLEGROUND 50 will only list legions of fifty or more troops.
BATTLEFIELD or GUILDFIELD
Reviews all active legions not involved in holding sphere of influence locations, together with alien legions invading home soil and status of legions (engaging, assailing, marching, etc).
ASSEMBLE <number> or MUSTER <number>
To ensure the number of those assembled under your banner is at least the specified number. Assemble is for city troops. Muster is for guild troops. You can, optionally, specify the legion to take troops from by adding FROM followed by the target legion, e.g. ASSEMBLE 10 FROM LEGION12551
DISMISS <number> <direction> or DISBAND <number> <direction>
Dismisses the specified number of troops out from under your banner and leadership to stand guard (if outside barracks) or rest (if in barracks). Dismiss is for city troops. Disband is for guild troops. The direction you specify will determine which part of the location the troops will be dismissed into (see HELP WARFARE for further information on positions within a location). You can, optionally, specify the legion to dismiss troops from by adding FROM followed by your legion, e.g. DISMISS 50 FROM LEGION35862
REDEPLOY <number> TO <new leader> [FROM <legion>]
Takes troops away from one of your loyal legions and redeploys them under the banner of one of your allies.
MARCH ALL <direction> or MARCH <legion> <direction>
Orders those legions following your banner to march in the specified direction. You will automatically follow on with the last to march. It takes one second per hundred troops to move inside a city or village, and ten seconds per hundred troops outside in the wilderness. You cannot march troops into locations on enemy soil with raised fortifications. You cannot, at present, march troops over water. Troops use up rations every time they move a physical location (as opposed to shuffling about witin a location). Inside city or village confines, every location you will find 1% of the legion requiring a ration each, while outside in the wilderness, every location will see 10% of the legion requiring a ration each. If you are unfortunate enough to run out of rations your legion will no longer march and you will need to bring new rations immediately to motivate it once again.
It is a sad, but often true fact that a city or guild may find itself under attack from a foreign power, either because of some deep-rooted hatred of each other, or more likely the jealousy over the wealth and prosperity of another. To protect against any hostile force, you have to defend yourself. To defend buildings against raiding (and sometimes demolishment) you can FORTIFY the first location within them. For each factor of fortification, you will improve the strength by one. Buildings come with an original strength of 5000. Once the defenses have gone, they can be plundered and razed. You may also fortify milestones, but they start with no innate strength. Fortifications must also be raised before they take effect.
FORTIFY <amount>
Buildings when constructed tend to begin with their entrances fortified to a strength of five thousand. It is possible to increase the fortifications in any city building, or erect and strengthen fortifications at any city milestone, at the cost of 1 wood, 1 iron and 1 rope per 25 strength added. You must have the commodities in the location, either on or about your person to fortify anything.
RAISE FORTIFICATIONS
Fortifications are latent until raised. They do not impede invading legions until raised.
LOWER FORTIFICATIONS
Lowers defensive fortifications, concealing their strength and affording free passage to potential intruders.
FORTIFICATIONS
To summarize the extent and locations of all fortifications in your local city or guild.
In a city, fortifications are the province of the Ministry of State while in a guild it is the domain of the guild captains.
If you find yourself in charge of a legion of soldiers, at some point in your Avalon career, you may be charged with the task of attacking and plundering enemy buildings, for whatever reason your commanders and Prince have decided. There are two forms of attack that you can use, one is against a building or other fortification, and the other is against enemy soldiers. Individuals cannot affect the outcome of any battle or legion save by commanding them themselves.
If entering a building, then you would wish to BESIEGE it first, before optionally marching in and PLUNDERING it, and on your way out, maybe destroying it, removing any benefit it previously bestowed upon its owner. If attacking an enemy legion, you are likely to want to engage them, or attempt to sidestep them fast.
ENGAGE <target legion>
Orders those legions under your banner to set to and engage the target legion in battle.
ASSAIL <your legion> <direction> [<target legion>]
Orders your legion to assail enemy legions in adjacent locations, perhaps beating away enemy legions arranged to block your progress. Bear in mind that your legions will only assail legions loyal to cities/guilds declared as formal enemies or against whom you have declared open war. Optionally you can include the target legion in your assail instruction to focus your legion's attentions on a particular enemy target.
BESIEGE <your legion> <direction>
When your legions come across either an adjacent location on enemy soil with raised fortifications, or doors blocking your progress into an enemy city building. Fortification strength is reduced by one per four troops besieging every eight seconds. When there are no fortifications left, besieging can force open locked doors into city buildings very quickly. Besieging is a dangerous business, though, for the defenders will fight hard to thwart your attack. For every three hundred-and-fifty fortifications being besieged, one of your men will fall with every round.
PASSIVE <legion>
To command your legion to cease hostilities in one fell swoop. It is often beneficial to cease conflict quickly.
PLUNDER <your legion> <direction>
In most city buildings there will be valuables - either items, shop goods, or most enticingly of all, commodities. Plundering can only take place when there are no raised fortifications defending the location being attacked, no locked door barring the way, and no living enemy troops left to defend it. One item is plundered every eight seconds per troop engaged in the plundering to a maximum of twenty-five per legion plundering.
RAZE <direction>
Having besieged a location, destroyed its fortified defences, smashed its doors and gates, and plundered it dry of booty, you can destroy it. You can only destroy empty locations with no other exits (they must be destroyed first, in sequence). Once destroyed a location (usually part of some city building) is gone forever and whatever benefit it bestowed upon its homeland is also destroyed.
There are three simple commands availaboe to Field Marshalls and their Aides to expand the sphere of influence. See HELP INFLUENCE for an overall summary of this topic.
FLAGFASHION
At the cost of two wood, one bronze and three cotton you can fashion an unraised flag depicting the emblem of your city. It is this flag which must be raised to claim a location as part of your sphere of influence.
FLAGRAISE
If you have a loyal legion of five or more troops in a location, a legion that has stood unchallenged for a whole Avalon month from the first day through the thirtieth, you may raise your home-flag and claim the location as part of your home city's sphere of influence.
FLAGLOWER
In the event of dispute or diplomatic agreement it may be desirable to lower your city flag and release a location from your sphere of influence. This is particularly useful for setting up buffer zones between centres of power.
Rations are used by the military, typically in sieges or prolonged warfare. They are made from most foodstuffs, and three military rations can be put together from one item of full satiation food. To make a ration you need to type MAKE RATION FROM followed by the item of food you wish to use.
You can keep your military rationed up by either accompanying them with carts or wagons filled with rations or by equiping them directly with EQUIP <legion> WITH <number of> <ration>, e.g. EQUIP THAKRIANS WITH 50 RATIONS. It is safer to carry your rations around in guarded wagons separate to the legions themselves.
FORTIFY: 1xWood, 1xIron, 1xRope gives 25 fortifications.
BESIEGE: 1/4 of no. troops taken off fortifications every 8 seconds. 1/350 of no. fortifications taken off troops every 8 seconds.
MARCH: Inside Urban: 1% number of troops in seconds per locale. Outside Urban: 10% number of troops in seconds per locale.
RATIONS: Marching inside urban: Costs 0.5% number troops per loc rations. Marching outside urban: Costs 2.5% number troops per loc rations.
PLUNDER: 1-25 items per 8 seconds per troop plunder.
RETREAT: Retreating legion takes 3-8% damage from attackers in the rout.
ENGAGE: ATTACK=Random 1-Number of Attacking Troops, DEFEND=Random 1-Number of Defending Troops. If ATTACK<50 and ATTACK<DEFEND no damage ELSE Defender loses Random 1-(2% Number of Attacking Troops) PLUS 0.75% of Number of Attackers.
The Gods of Avalon, what they stand for and why you should consider joining an order.
Avalon, like most lands, has a variety of creation myths. Most centre around the bringing forth of Avalon as a node of light amidst the dark and timeless void where only an omnipotent force once lay. It is told that this fathomless force split in to five pieces, each one representing one of the five facets of its emerging personality. First to rise was Genesis, the god of time, and representative of the soul of the omnipresence. Then came Aldaron, god of life, the creative mind, and Astrea, goddess of wisdom, the rational mind. Later still was Cornelius, the god of Magic. He was the next to assume consciousness, representing the heart. Finally emerged the Diabolus, a physical manifestation of strength.
The pieces of the omnipresence came together only once after their initial bursting apart, a union which released such a morass of might that the world of Avalon exploded out of nothingness, while within was carved the image of life. Once complete, they split again and went to order their own areas of control. Beneath the realms of these original deities fall the other lesser deities whose names and personalities fluctuate. Divinities under Aldaron, for example, are the ancient gods of the trees. While under Astrea the goddess of wisdom fell the intangible god of dreams and justice. And thus were born many other gods of many realms, their might ranking below the omnipotent few. Below the ancient Omnipotents are the High-Gods, the Gods, and Demi-Gods, beings of great power who have managed to transcend mortality and intellectually embrace the beauty and burden of endless life.
At the time of writing, only nine mortals have transcended mortality and joined the ranks of the immortals. First to rise was Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter. He chose the realm of the forests as his sphere of power. Then came Skedric who chose the realm of fate. Next was born Apollo from the mortal Davros Bloodaxe. Apollo selected the realm of light as his province. Almost immediately after Apollo, came Anarchos, god of chaos, from the spirit of Fangthane, the Sorcerer-Thief. Then came Castigere, god of justice. He was born of the rampant soul of Galahad, Lord of Mercinae after the first competitive Ordination. Mephisto, god of the night rose from the spirit of Helkarakse of the frozen wastes (a Sorcerer Seer). Nostradamus, god of the stars, emerged from the spirit of Blodwyn, Guildmistress of the Seers, Orthwein, god of fate rose from the spirit of Snowlock, of the Blood, a Thief and most recently of all came Lazarus, god of pain, from the spirit of Shaitan the Sorcerer.
The Gods do not sit passive while mortals fight. Sometimes a patron may aid his or her followers against their enemies in a way which might tip the balance of the fight. This you must accept as part of the land, and part of the freedom of the divinities. All mortals are advised to gain divine patrons (See help on Gods and Patronage). Often, though, divine intervention comes as a regulating force to prevent mortals from victimising one another, or to stop combat from deteriorating into something too personal. When considering the intervention of a deity in any future actions you may perform, remember that they do not occupy a competitive or unstable role - their duty is to protect the land from harm, and it is in the mind of all deities that one mortal should not unduly render another helpless. It is within the power of a deity to destroy any mortal, to strip away experience or skills. Do not make the mistake of competing against the will of a God, for it is a battle no mortal can hope to end victorious.
Spanning the ether above Avalon are the realms of the Gods, divine essences that will come to play a crucial role in your daily life. The Gods will be patrons, guides, even hindrances to you, and on occasions they may act decisively to help another at your expense.
It is here that the question of divine favour and disfavour play a pivotal role. Should you find yourself pitted against someone who holds the high favour of a particular divinity, then do not be surprised if that God or Goddess aids your opponent against you. This is looked at more closely later in this section.
Remember at all times, however, that the Gods conform to no laws. They are not bound by the mortal concepts of Equality and Fairness, and this is precisely what makes them so interesting and enigmatic. An important phrase should be borne in mind when you consider them: the Gods do not exist because of the mortals - they exist despite them.
Most of the deities and certainly all of the greater divinities have large Orders. An Order is the name given to the collection of followers under a particular immortal, led by the mortal high priest or priestess. Belonging to an Order is desirable since it offers protection against your enemies, as well as a ready group of friends with whom you can begin to form close-knit relationships. This highlights another facet of the inherent allegiances within Avalon.
The Orders are run in a manner not dissimilar to a large family, the parental deity acting as guide and protector to the flock. When you join a deity you will gain the lowest of ranks, that of Worshipper. Your Patron will elevate you or demote you according to your loyalty and actions - powers become available as you rise in rank within the Order, though this is considered less important than the honour gained from the esteem of your divine patron.
The leader of an Order is typically the High Priest, though beyond the rank of High Priest is the title of Chosen One - rarely bestowed, and significant of a bond unbreakable between patron and mortal.
1. Worshipper
2. Believer 3. Follower
4. Beloved Follower 5. Junior Priest 6. Priest 7. High Priest
8. Chosen One.
The rank of Chosen One is bestowed on one follower alone, and even then, it is rare that a deity will choose an individual for this role. It signifies an unbreakable bond between god and mortal.
In your travels through Avalon and during your maturing process, you will come into regular contact with many of the divinities, often those whose ideals are similar to your own. To aid your progression and to ensure that on your behalf there exists a voice to cry against injustices that you have suffered, you would be advised to think hard about choosing one of the Gods as the patron to your cause. To do this you must speak to the deity, or the high priest of that deity, and humble yourself before them. Should they accept you as a possible follower, they will instruct you in how best you may be embraced in to the Order. Type HELP PATRONS for a list of those deities who have chosen to offer themselves as potential patrons, while HELP followed by the name of a deity should provide you with what information the divinity has chosen to give about themselves. Once you have chosen a patron, type PATRON followed by the name of the deity you wish to follow. Assuming they agree, you will have chosen your lifelong patron. Should you wish to discard your patron and risk their wrath, type UNPATRON followed by the name of the deity.
As you will find yourself also coming in to contact with immortals who do not sympathise with your goals, you are likely to find that a patron is invaluable in preventing other deities from burdening you with their wrath. Alone, you cannot hope to fight against the active disfavour of a divine being, but with another immortal on your side, you need only worry about the other mortals. Hence a patron can become a deciding factor in your success; in your instruction of the ways of the land, and in your protection. Once inside an order, type FOLLOWERS to see the others who have chosen the same deity as their patron.
Two methods exist for communicating directly to the divinities of Avalon. The first is through the WISH command, whereby you can wish messages to be heard by all the Gods. The second is through the PRAY command. You can pray in any temple or place of holy significance, and your prayer will be heard by the deity whose powers resides there - either immediately, if they are playing Avalon at the time, or when they next return.
The Chosen One is the closest mortal of all to a deity, and only one illustrious mortal will be chosen by any single deity. It represents an unbreakable bond, of loyalty and trust, between the God and the Mortal. The Chosen One assumes a portion of the divine power of his or her patron, and upon marked land of the God, can wield some of the powers of the God. In Avalon's history only two mortals have held this most high of all mortal positions; Shaitan was chosen by Mephisto, god of the night to lead his flock and marshall his forces, and Zollrender, was chosen by Genesis, god of time, to accompany him forever.
Ordinations occur, at the very most, every six months. They are the singlemost important events in the land, involving most of the best players - they are both emotional and highly competitive, since the stakes for victory are so high, and the penalty for losing so great. The contenders for a new God are those who have gained at least one of the fourteen divine gemstones. Those contenders will compete with each other, one against one, in hour-long quests, until only two contenders remain uneliminated. Those final two will contest the divine amethyst, a three hour quest, the victor being the mortal able to step forward and claim the ultimate prize. The fourteen gemstones are quested by various divinities, some of the quests tending towards the violent competitive nature, while others testing intellect, cunning and knowledge of the land. The holders of the fourteen gemstones, it is hoped, will reflect the broad spectrum of excellence within each profession.
The elimination quests undertaken by the contenders involve keeping possession of the sands of time, an elusive artifact which vanishes from sight whenever it is taken out of view of the skies, or when it is held by a non-human form. The sands of time quests involve two contenders (no help is allowed from outside), and last for one hour - the contender holding the sands after the house is up is the winner, and the contender without the sands is eliminated. Contenders may use any means at their disposal and within their conscience to obtain the sands of time from their opponent, or prevent their opponent from taking them back. The sands of time quests continue until all but two of the final contenders have been eliminated.
The Ordination Quest involves the divine amethyst. Like the sands of time, it cannot be taken outside full view of the skies, or held by any player not possessing human form. The Amethyst quest lasts for three hours and involves as many players as wish to become involved - though they must beforehand state their allegiance to one of the two final contenders. For three hours the contenders must compete for possession of the divine amethyst, and, when the time is up, it is the contender in possession of the last gem who is victorious. If the gem is held by a team member, they must get it to the contender quickly, before it is stolen by the opposing players.
Once a player has won the divine amethyst, they may throw it into the pool atop the Rock Pinnacle. It can only be hurled into the pool by one of the level of Avalonian or above. When it is hurled into the pool, the character automatically rises to the level of Ordainable, and the Sceptre of the Divinities will rise from the pool and float into his or her hand. The person who holds the Sceptre will then type CHANT ORDINATION to utter the final denial of mortality, and then, to complete the greatest achievement any mortal can wish to undertake, they will raise the sceptre above their heads and await the eternal transformation to touch the divine.
Castigere, god of justice rose from Sir Galahad of Mercinae, the mightiest Mage of his time. He defeated Helkarakse and Grendel to attain immortality, backed by his loyal second, Eshkadeth. They strode across Avalon from Astrea's Delta to the Rock Pinnacle to gain the ultimate prize. Mephisto, god of the night was born of Helkarakse. He completed the amethyst quest detailed above over two Avalon days. It was Grendel and Inshallah who held the gem for Helkarakse against the dogged pursuit of Urquoth (the opposing contender) and his allies. Nostradamus, god of the stars, was ordained from Blodwyn, Mistress of the Seers. Her allies, Vanion the Astrologer and the Guild of Sorcerers were eventually victorious, wresting the amethyst from her opponent with but two minutes left of the three hour quest. She defeated Zollrender, the Master Thief, with his allies, Snowlock, Xpor and the combined might of the Enchanters Guild. Orthwein, the god of fate rose from Snowlock - Master of the Thieves and Conquerer of Mercinae, and Lazarus, god of pain came from The Lord Shaitan, Master Sorcerer, Prince of Thakria and Chosen One of Mephisto, god of the night.
"It is the aim of virtually every Avalon player to, one day, become a God. Many consider it, fewer actually attempt it, and precious few attain it."
Dispersed about Avalon are temples and shrines a-plenty, full of holy significance, and wherein the power of the Gods holds sway over the forces which reign outside. Temples vary in size and power, as well as in outlook and welcome all depending upon the deity whose power resides within. Almost every divinity will have at least one temple where their followers may congregate in relative sanctuary, and many have elaborate meeting halls and chambers where members of their Order may even hide from their enemies.
To please a divinity beyond kind words, you may chose to exhibit your satisfaction with an offering of a valuable object, or other such material concern. To achieve this, simply type OFFER <item>. You can also OFFER GOLD <amount> if you wish to lavish your patrons temple with monies. Many deities are proud to see their followers transcending the material concerns of their world, and will often grant rewards for such benevolence. Offering can be a fine method of securing the favour of useful divinities, or even pacifying one whom you have angered.
Within the temple of any of the Gods you may PRAY messages to that deity. Prayers will be received only by the deity whose power resides in that temple or shrine, making them ideal vehicles for apologies or pleas for aid. Be warned however that a prayer is taken as an exhibition of utter piety and high regard. If you have nothing fruitful to say, then you would be well advised not to waste the valuable time of an immortal.
The Gods play a crucial role in your life [See HELP PATRONS] and to interact with the deities there are various commands which you must be familiar with.
DIVINITIES Lists your patron, and how the deities feel towards you. FOLLOWERS Lists those who follow your patron as followers. ORDER Lists those who follow your patron fully. PATRON <deity> Selects yourself a patron. The god must be visible. UNPATRON <deity> Denounces your patron and leaves you free from them. PRAY <message> Prays to deities in their temples, for instance. OFFER <item> Offers items to deities in their temples. WISH <message> Sends your wishes to all deities in Avalon. BOW Bows low as a sign of humility to a deity.
The god of time is the oldest of the deities, and is the Creator of Avalon. His followers span the continent, accepted into the Order of Time through competence, or the sheer brightness of their soul.
As the creator and source of all living things, Aldaron will accept only those who hold upmost reverence for the flora and creatures of Avalon. Those of calm mind and strong spirit will find themselves welcome in the order of life. Those who wish to accumulate power and possessions should seek patronage elsewhere.
Like time, like fate, like life and death itself - none can escape their dreams. Good or bad, strong or weak, fearless or fearful - all seek the solace of sleep and the dreams that await them. There, hopes and fears - fantasies and truths, wait to be challenged by what is, and what might be. There Andromeda rules - and she waits for those that dare to dream, to reach the unreachable, to make possible the impossible. Within a realm of whirling mists and boundless possibilities - she waits with open arms for those who would make their dreams real.
The life of man, is a fleeting but bright spark, which in an instant is snuffed out, and extinguished for ever.
Only the deeds of man, live on, after the death of the mortal husk, elevating and edifying the human spirit, capturing forever, that which separates man from his cousin the animal, the indomitable will of the mind, the indefatigablity of the soul.
Nations rise and nations fall, men spring up, and are cut down like the wheat of the fields, and from the heavens, the gods look on.
The annals of human history, are writ in blood, in conquest, violence and strife, for in the great struggle of life, those who set out with unflagging determination, to achieve their goal, are the only, to be remembered
The Order of doom, is for those who would rise above the mediocre, and forge anew, the history of the land of Avalon!
Anyone who feels their heart lift as the dawn vanquishes the shadows will find favour with Apollo, the god of light. However, the followers of Apollo must also show selfless loyalty and uphold justice and honour if they are to enter and remain in the order.
Astrea, goddess of wisdom is one of the oldest of deities and her temple lies in northwestern Mercinae.
Justice may be defined as the due allocation of reward for virtue, and of punishment for vice. Thus, the followers of Castigere, the god of justice carry goodness in their hearts, a willingness to defend the virtuous against the aggressor, and a determination to see fair play at all times.
A mortal's life is so fleeting, the flame ignited at birth burns on for but a century, and is then snuffed out, for ever. The intensity of a mortal life is determined by his experiences, his emotional range, his heroism, his excess. Pursuit of this intensity is the singlemost important goal of all mortalkind, and it is from this that Evil is born. While good is but reactive, evil is creative. Evil is the true path for a mortal life, the pursuit of a diversity of experience, Death, Life, Pleasure, Pain. The extremes. Love like a God, and hate like a Devil. That is the true Evil, and it is my gift to all of you. I, of all the Gods, have the truest compassion for the oh-so-briefly burning mortal souls. And through me, burn the brightest of them all, and transcend mortality itself.
Flaying the flesh from your victim's body. Flame scorching, scalding, and blistering. Nerve endings crying out in agonizing, inhuman pain... screaming....screaming....screaming....
Those people that follow the call of the Hunter elect to seek enlightenment through discarding mankinds material values, adopting instead those of nature herself. All are born equal, and with the passing of time only the fortuitous will rise toward their goal, becoming as one with the land.
Magellan, god of civilisation is a recently appointed deity, neutral in outlook and renowned for his fairness and even-handedness.
Anyone who feels their heart drop with the coming of the dawn, anybody who comes alive when the night envelops the land, these are the people of Mephisto, god of the night.
darkness - 1. with no or relatively little light, unilluminated; gloomy, sombre. 2. evil, atrocious; cheerless. (esp.) wickedness.
Who can claim to know fate? By its very nature, it symbolises the unknown, it is the underlying force governing all of us. Yet, followers of Fate would do well to remember that there is no Fate but that which you make for yourself Those who would help themselves and prove their worth will find favour with the god of fate.
Compassion can be a difficult path to walk, but those who show no selfishness and have a strong spirit are welcome in this order.
Compassion suffereth long, and is kind; compassion envieth not; compassion vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
---------------> peek-a-di-BOO!!
The Seasons of Life continue eternally, from the birth of Spring, through the growth of Summer, to the harvest of Autumn, to the death of Winter, and on again. Nothing escapes the seasons, or is unaffected by them. Those who wish to follow Life must learn their place in its cycle, and hold respect for all that is a part of it, be it Man, Animal or Plant. All should be revered for what it is, Life.
An icy voice pierces the darkness as Xanthe, Goddess of Vengeance speaks:
"Vengeance is yours for the taking, I expect you to embrace it. Reclaim what is yours, let no wrong go unpunished. React to the happenings around you and choose your own destiny. Accept not what is handed to you if it is not the path you wish to choose. Do not sit idly by, waiting for fortune to come to you. Seize the moment and make it yours.".
Like the rustling of leaves on a fading breeze, her voice fades into the oblivion.
I am the sea. My length, breadth and depth are unfathomable. I am the shallows, I am the deep. I am the ripple and tsunami.
I encompass the inevitable cycles and changes. I am the ebb and flow. I give life, I give death. The deepest channels, I raise with the bones of mountains made low before my blows.
I am gain and loss. My depths yield up treasures long lost and swallow up those recently gained. I know what lies beyond the shores mortalkind hugs like a jealous lover. I am the way to discovery and learning for the wise and boundless ignorance and frustration for the foolish.
Mortals are welcome to seek my advice and guidance, but should be aware - like the advancing and receding tides, my answers will be broad and unspecific in direction and mortals may find they are caught amidst changing currents that they cannot escape.
No mortal can encompass my boundlessness. but those who wish to reap the rewards of devotion to me should know my single requirement. Status quo is anathema to me. I am never at rest, nor should you be. All followers are required to take upon themseles one long term goal. It matters not whether it be personal, for guild, city, or order. In working to improve or destroy something, you further my purpose.
That your goal may run counter to the goals of other order members is of little matter; that it may change as you change and mature is of little consequence; that it may run counter to my own plans is impossible. The focus and effort are the desired elements.
I welcome the crashing wave that topples today and the lapping ripple that undermines foundations to topple tomorrow.
Important events in the land, from times past.
Avalon in its present form has existed for over 800 years. The current balance of power was a result of the Divine War in which the forces of darkness held their supreme attack against the free peoples. Under the leadership of Diabolus, god of darkness the evil forces wrought ruin and destruction all over the land. Under pleas from the citizens of the City-port, which existed roughly where it can be found today, the Gods themselves came into the fight on the side of the city-port. An army of divine forces was assembled to meet the try and resist the final onslaught and complete conquest of Avalon. The battle which raged ended in the utter ruination of the whole land, even the Gods seemed weakened as their essence within the earth itself was destroyed. One year after the Last Battle both forces were utterly smashed apart - small pockets of those fortunate enough to escape were all that remained of the past civilisations. It is on this basis that the present situation was formed.
Historically the city-port and the free peoples have always existed in the southern regions. After the Divine War those left under the banner of King Merion formed themselves into a walled city-port - collecting together and trying to rebuild their society. The same can be said for the forces of darkness, who did likewise in the northeastern regions under the leadership of a fallen Demi-God of unknown name. Thus 600 years after the cataclysm of the Divine War the forces are only just beginning to remember their age old grudges - it has been told that on the 600th anniversary of the Last Battle the forces of evil will strike again and all will be lost.
Amongst the legends of Avalon, that of the golden wood is perhaps the most alluring to those of a pure spirit. It lies within the central Greenwood, an island of dense woodland held apart from the great forest by two rivers and the steep escarpment of the southern mountains. When the land was young, and Ilmarael was all but newly founded, the golden wood was discovered by an unwitting traveller. The lady, a victim of shipwreck from the far-off isles of the East, immediately recognised a place of profound spiritual power, and resolved to establish court therein. With the assistance of the guardians of the forest (predecessors of the Rangers Guild), the beasts of the woodland and even the spirits of the forest itself, a town was built between the golden boughs.
Alessandria was quickly heralded as a place of great beauty and magic. The learned and wise amongst the ancient ones flocked there, their studies greatly augmented by the spiritual powers of the forest. All the noble arts of the land, from Chivalrous combat to Animist merging, were fostered within the forest glades. Under the guidance of the lady of Alessandria, and by the vast power of the Old Magic, great rituals were enacted, whereby the enchanted forest was not only safe from harm, but the whole land was blessed with a golden age not since witnessed. So long as this aurora of blessed light hung over Avalon, evil was banished to the depths of the earth. Yet, this could not remain so forever. The golden wood in all its magnificence and beauty was where the Count Agemennion first laid his greedy eyes, once his transfiguration to malignancy was complete. Alas, the trusting souls of Alessandria were caught unawares by this change, and they sallied forth to meet with him upon invitation. All were slain by the diabolic host that awaited them. Thus by the treachery of Agemennion many of the great teachers of Alessandria were lost, and artefacts stolen. The lady lamented and wept, yet none still dared in Ilmarael or the golden wood to openly face the Sorcerer's power.
Without the items of power, nor teachers of skill, the golden age faded. Once more, goblins and twisted creatures were seen abroad, and the Count wasted little time in enslaving them to his will. These goblin hoards, driven by the Sorcerer's magic, set siege to the noble citizens of the golden wood. Many fled to Ilmarael and over-seas, and others were lost to the cruel sword in their valiant defence. In desperation one last ritual was enacted by the lady, a ceremony that would close the golden wood until such a time as the halls could be restored in safety. This is the challenge that awaits those of good heart and eager mind.
The legend of the Azrilites is perhaps the most well-known. It is said that these children of the Sun inhabit the uppermost regions of the remote northern mountains; that their township is spun entirely of gold; that sickness is unknown to them, and that only joy fills their lives. The Azrilites are led by their Chief Corazon and spiritually guided by Wykoshia, High Priest of the Sun. The vale of Azrili is lit always by the sun, for she rests herself during the night-time upon her sacred temple. The way to Azrili is unknown to all but the most worthy adventurer - it begins with some hidden path in the northern Greenwood east of the hamlet of Ladakh.
Necromancy is the final Sorcerous art, practised only by the greatest Necromancers and Sorcerers of Avalon. To gain Necromancy, the Sorcerer must pay a visit to Count Bezejeth who dwells inside the mansion of the Bedillam Forest, just off the Parrian highway. Bezejeth does not take kindly to visitors, though, and unless you boast an evil or bad alignment you should steer clear - the Count will simply slay those he does not like. To gain Necromancy from Bezejeth, you must prove your worth to him. To do this you will be required to slay one good individual of the level Avalonian, and lay the dead body before Bezejeth, besides the corpse of Wykoshia, high priest of the Azrilites. You will also need to have attained the skill rank of Ultimate in both your Evocation and Demonology skills, and to have attained the alignment of Diabolical. When you have satisfied these four criteria you should KNEEL before Bezejeth and he will bestow upon you the gift of Necromancy. Undertake the path of the Necromancer not lightly, though, for the price to pay is a great one.
The continent of Avalon was colonised by humans migrating from the far-flung islands of the eastern oceans. The exact origin of humanity is unknown, although the Avalonian continent has undoubtedly become its largest foothold. The date of the first colonisation was some four millennia before the fateful divine war, and the original cities were those of Ilmarael and Pagea. Both of these cities have long since vanished into ruins. The most ancient of the villages are Eleusis, river-town, and Snowfoot of the north. The villages of Kristanisti, Astrea's Delta and Eastpoint are also old, and guard jealously their insular communities. You should examine the Avalon map at the end of this book to find the location of the many villages which speckle the northern and northeastern plains and foothills of the continent.
Mercinae is the oldest of the three major cities. It pre-dates the divine war by some six hundred years, and even before then was a bustling town-port. Parrius has only recently expanded in size to warrant the title of a city under the patronage of Lady Augustine, while the formation of Thakria is described in The Birth of Thakria section. The remains of Ilmarael can be found in the Greenwood forest to the northwest of Mercinae, whilst the fate of Pagea is described in the Doom of Pagea section. The remnants of Pagea are the towns of Ariadne and Krempton, both of which can be found to the west of Parrius.
The most momentous event in Avalon's modern history was the cataclysmic Divine War and though some eight hundred years have past since the last battle was fought, its effects linger on. Fought between the thralls of an enigmatic ruler known as The Master and the free-peoples of the east (an alliance of most of humankind), the cost of the war was immeasurable. Tens of thousands died on the fiery battlegrounds; both thralls and humans alike. Valleys were rent out of rolling hills and chasms were cut into the mountains. The last stand of The Master was a momentous one.
The battleground of the major conflicts were in central Avalon in the area now known as the Marshland at the fork of the River Leithe and the River Silverlight in central Avalon. The dark forces formed a two-pronged offensive from the north and the west, their aim to scythe through the sturdy defences of the cityport Mercinae. Foul armies led by Uzrog of the Goblins and Agammenion of the Blackhearts met the legions of humankind and the ensuing battles raged on for a decade. Most of the written records ofthe Divine War have been lost to time, but the most famous piece, "Chronicles of The Long Defeat", remain to this day in the Silver Birch Library of Mercinae.
Extract from "Chronicles of The Long Defeat":
'Led by our brave King Thorssus, the Legion of the Sun could do little more than hold up the diabolically inspired armies of Uzrog and Agammenion. Uzrog led his thousand legion army through the woodlands and across the mountains from the west, while Agammenion marched steadily southward to doubly plague his majesty... The first battle saw the Mercinaen soldiers pushed back to but a few leagues north of the City's white walls largely by the battle-prowess of Uzrog. On that day, 'twas said that Uzrog's black mace spread darkness and despair wheresoever it was swung. Our King fought with courage and conviction but even he was forced to surrender the field to the Goblin Lord...
Thus began the long siege of Mercinae. Surrounded by the evil armies and bombarded with cruel blizzards and storms by the art of Agammenion, the city was beleaguered among a sea of enemies. Only the foresight of the Barons who had piled a great store of food and the enchantments of the young Mages Guild kept the people alive. Six ill-fated armies marched forth from the gate in an attempt to break the siege, but each one failed to pierce enemy lines though the battles were arduous and damage upon the besiegers extensive.
Two hopes did Mercinae hold for release from their bondage; an assault from the far north by the people of Gant of the Mountains, or intervention from the Gods themselves. Though the Gods did send a troop of Warriors down from Olympus to tip the balance in favour of Mercinae, The Master was able to divert their march. Not one ever saw the citadels of the Northern Gate. Fate, however, was on the side of our King. On the first day of the tenth year of the siege Mercinae did see the gaunt figure of Death hanging over her. In a matter of months, the wise surmised, the free peoples would be but food for the predatory birds which daily circled above them. Thus Mercinae vowed to act. King Thorssus and his seven princes banded together every able-bodied citizen, man and woman, and, though weakened by malnourishment, their armour was keen and their resolve was strong. Mercinae was prepared to die on the field rather than sicken within their walls...
Thorssus did order the Northern Gate opened and with a flourish of trumpets, the last mustering of Mercinaen might sallied forth and assembled outside her walls. Uzrog and Agammenion, bolstered by an inhuman patience, rallied their troops as if the War was newly started. And, as The Master's armies strode confidently towards the Mercinaens our great King saw the doom of his people. Beneath the blackened clouds our armies fought like caged tigers against a force much mightier. Gradually holes in our defen sive lines began to show. Prince Thessis perished to the quarterstaff of Agammenion and Uzrog's black mace scythed through our brave soldiers as if they were stalks of wheat...
...Then from the northern valleys a resounding cry was heard. The frantic battleground was still for but a fleeting moment as all eyes turned in wonder - Gant of the Mountains had finally roused himself from his slumber and led his forces into battle. The mountain-folk cut into the rear-guard of Agammenion's legions and forced the Sorcerer to about-face and take on the Gantish threat. Thorssus' newly freed men turn westward to join their brethren against the Goblin hordes. Battles raged long into the night and dead bodies littered the valleys, but the Gantish offensive had turned the tide against The Master's men. Gant himself upon the Hill of Arranay fought back Agammenion's magic and slew the Sorcerer with a maniacal scream. Our King faced Uzrog of the Goblins - Uzrog's bodyguard having been ravaged by our brave legions. Though mortally wounded by Uzrog's mace, our King did not die in vain. His final act was to sweep his blood-stained longsword and sever the laughing head of the Goblin Lord from his shoulders. With Gant and the remaining unwounded princes leading the charge against them, the Goblin armies fled leaderless to their labyrinthine stronghold beneath the western mountains..."
Mercinae is the oldest of the currently populated cities in Avalon. In the past it was known as Alqualonde and Mycenae, and has grown greatly since its inception. The founding stone of Mercinae can still be seen at the southern sea-front of the city, a statue holding aloft a sword, and a prayer to Aldaron to look over and protect the city forever. Other points of interest in Mercinae include the funeral parlour of Wraith, along Sunset Way, the Tower of Tooth Island, where the council members hold their meetings, and the Cathedral, on the eastern bank, where many of Avalon's weddings have been held.
In the ancient days of Avalon, around a hundred years before the Divine War, Thakria was but a modest fishing village nestled on the hillside between Moonstone Lake and the Western Oceans beyond. It was from these uncharted waters that the galleon of Agemennion was run aground, hurled there by a fearsome storm. Rather than choosing to forsake the primitive land, The Count, as Agemennion became known, set about the execution of plans for a great city. Soon the golden streets earned the title of the city of miracles, for its single architect had utilised many techniques both modern and archaic from the far-off isles from whence he came. The entire city is thus an epitaph to his might, yet principal amongst his monuments are the three towers; their spires were said to drive great urgency into the hearts and actions of his citizens. Thus Thakria was swollen with peoples and great activity, all manner of magical arts and trade made welcome.
Alas, for the Count slipped into evil ways, desiring lands and power more feverishly. Legend tells us that he vanished into the black under-deeps for twenty turns of the moon, and upon returning was transformed in body and soul. His mind burning with evil thoughts, he yet concealed his twisted nature from the other civilisations until black smoke poured from the towers and the bleak nature of his soul could not be hidden. Thus it came to pass that his magic was used as a weapon in the great conflict to come. Under the shadow of the towers was gathered a force of great number and strength, sent forth to wage unmerciful destruction upon the land. Much of Thakria was ruined in the great war which followed Agemennion's pursuit of the dark powers, yet the three towers remained impenetrable and untouched. It is rumoured that many of the Count's secrets are still concealed therein, yet few are brave enough to discover the truth.
Greatest amongst the terrifying legends of Avalon is that of the Long Night, when the light of the golden sun and silver moon was blotted from the heavens and Avalon cast into the blackest darkness of despondency. Agemennion, the Count and first master of the Sorcerer's arts, devised the plot which brought upon this terrible cataclysm, in order that he could terrify his foes into submission. Fortunately his efforts were foiled by the upholders of light, who managed to end the darkness and then scattered the artefacts of the arcane ritual. Now, centuries afterward, others seek to inherit the Count's legacy. The Star-Sorcerer Pangyron is chief amongst them, for he alone has the knowledge and great might requisite. He wishes to increase his power to such an extent that none will be able to stand in his way.
Living in the Under-deeps, guarded by the staunch Thaumacians, is the Black Demon, dark-sister to the life-giving Sun. Pangyron intends to free the demon from this prison, and using his power and that of the Demon, to banish the Sun from the sky and replace it with the Demon who will ensure everlasting night. His allies, the members of the Night Cult, work towards this aim, to knit the heavens themselves with utter darkness. Working against these foul machinations are the noble members of the Order of the Sun and Moon, led by the druidical Seer Orestes. Their tireless efforts have held Pangyron and his minions back from plunging the land into endless darkness, yet the persistence of the Cult is great and some would say it is only a matter of time.
"Pagea was one of the two original cities colonised by humankind migrating westward from the islands. Until its downfall it was the epitome of peaceful co-operation - learning and diplomacy had taken the place of war and strife. The lands about Pagea were fertile and the river Callieton carried supplies to and from Ilmarael to the west. For three centuries Pageans lived without discord. It was not until the emergence of the nameless Grey Sorcerer that frost began to tinge the edges of Pagea's summer. Tutored in the famed academies, the Grey one learnt arrogance and unbridled desire during his long and lonely meditations in a nearby forest. Pagea's defences against malice and enemies within had long since lapsed into complacency and the Grey Sorcerer did not waste long before asserting himself in a short battle with the Pagean council. The council's leader, one Timmin the Mystic, was absent from the conflict and without him the council could not contain their young enemy. The Grey one seized control of the council chambers and proclaimed himself leader of Pagea in brilliantine white letters across the night sky.
Timmin saw the Grey Sorcerer's challenge while picking berries in the Northwood forest. He sped back across the plains towards Pagea to confront an enemy he had long expected to meet. The Grey one watched Timmin's approach from afar through the Pagean seeing stone and, upon his arrival, stepped forth from the council chambers and stood to greet the elder at the town gate. The battle of wills which ensued was visually unspectacular - the conflict was fought within the mind. It was dawn before the result was known - Timmin remained at the gate of Pagea and the Grey Sorcerer had vanished into the night.
Pagea waited warily for revenge. Timmin counselled vigilance since he knew better than any that the Grey one had not been destroyed in their conflict. His revenge, though, was more than the council could have imagined. Rather than attacking in person again, the Grey Sorcerer used elementalism to raise the waters of the Callieton into a frenzy. Waves lashed and broke the walls of Pagea as the Grey one channelled the energies of the Forest of Bedillam into an almighty assault against his foes. Neither Timmin, nor the other Pageans could bring themselves to match their enemy's disregard for the elements and could do little more than flee Pagea as it sunk beneath the waters. Thus rose the Lake Thrullmere out of the River Callieton - water borne of earth perverted by the Grey Sorcerer. Upon the banks of the lake grew up the settlements of Ariadne and Krempton, but of Pagea only the barest trace remained. At low tide at the centre of the Thrullmere the turret of a few ghostly steeples poke up above the surface of the water... What became of the Grey one is unknown, but to this day the forest of Bedillam retains its greyish hue from being sapped of life by long-forgotten sorcery."
Avalon's first-born were the mortals first to enter the land. Avalon's opening to entrants from the outside world began in the year 800, or in November 1989. It was opened for a period of two months, until January 1990, during which time it established itself and enticed the first-born mortals into the realm. Zaphod was the first mortal ever to enter the new land of Avalon. He took up a combatative role early on, being also the first members of the Warriors Guild (which became later the Knights of Mercinae).
The most successful of the early mortals was Alodar, a pacifist and questor, who was the first player to attain the illustrious rank of Avalonian. Unfortunately for Alodar, he showed disrespect to the god of time on one occasion and met an untimely and permanent death. Of the first-born, also worth note are Gniblik the Entrepreneur, responsible for the redevelopment of the houses to the east of Beggars Alley, renowned for purchasing properties, and selling them at profits when the gold piece had just been introduced to Avalon.
It is a matter of great honour to have been the first master of one of the Avalon guilds, and below is a list, purely for your information, of the original masters of the older Avalon guilds and some of the famous past and present members.
Knights Guild was founded by Zaphod. Noteworthy old members were Palin, Khan, Conan, Sturm, Tavon, Arback, Lancelot, Etrigan, Yousuf.
Mages Guild founded by Maedhros. Noteworthy old members were Galahad, Sarik, Psycho, Kobyashi, Aerynius, Tragnarion, Hero, Ioiad.
Thieves Guild was founded by Euphoria. Noteworthy old members were Zollrender, Grendel, Snowlock, Belit, Toecutter, Zane, Jharrik, Xandamere, Regor.
The Thieves Guild spawned the Bandits Guild under Kelthos. Noteworthy members were Mohrion, Plaman, Sturge.
Animists Guild was founded by Mnestheus. Noteworthy old members were Sharra, Gaea, Firian, Fiorella, Conteck, Lugonn, Karamis, Wintermute.
Sorcerers Guild was founded by Trekker. Noteworthy old members were Helkarakse, Laurelhach, Fangthane, Azrael, Rack, Shaitan, Panaideos.
Bards Guild was founded by Malwen. Noteworthy old members were Aragorn, Elfish, Albion, Jarlek, Dagonet, Culinane.
Minstrels Guild was founded by Falstaff. Noteworthy old members were Isildur, Tulamir.
Brigands Guild was founded by Charlemagne. Noteworthy old members were Prudence, Dall, Myron, Seth, Sirrus, Calagan.
Alchemists Guild was founded by Aredhel. Noteworthy old members were Elof, Zaphod, Anastasia, Gringle, Cinaed, Grundy.
Loremasters Raghallach. Noteworthy old members were Davros, Klassi, Foxus, Cuchulain, Brucos, Triekos, Zenichiro.
Enchanters Guild was founded by Eshkadeth. Noteworthy old members were
Calladan, Garet, Tarakin, Marie, Polgara, Belvedere, Nalek, Rentoo, Layla,
Katherine..
Cavaliers Guild was founded by Palin. Noteworthy old members were Ammon, Yossarian, Corum, Morgan, Trident, Horizon, Kylan, Weasal.
Warlocks Guild was founded by Kirynia. Noteworthy old members were Isaac, Criamulus, Singe, Loric.
Rangers Guild was founded by Maedhros. Noteworthy old members were Sweetpea, Marbles, Maeve, Markus, Shadowthane, Ingold, Lilandrin.
Rogues Guild was founded by Throthgar. Noteworthy old members were Dionysus, Taliesin, Silk.
Mystics Guild was founded by Merlin. Noteworthy old members were Chaos, Ithakus, Elektra, Gandalf, Paks, Thumbelina, Saphir.
Artisans Guild was founded by Procyon. Noteworthy old members were Cardodius, Clarion, Allanon, Silo, Catt, Alexandra.
Astrologers Guild was founded by Sarik. Noteworthy old members were Urquoth, Vanion, Xpor, Mercy, Savannah.
Seers Guild was founded by Anskiere. Noteworthy old members were Blodwyn, Derillion, Zakath, Blondel, Flogga.
Warriors Guild was founded by Conan. Noteworthy old members were Haplo, Perrin, Tallon, Ulath, Trell.
Paladins Guild was founded by Haplo. Noteworthy old members were Guido, Panamon.
Wizards Guild was founded by Casimian. Noteworthy old members were Amygdala.
Craftmasters Guild was founded by Occam. Noteworthy old members were Orielle, Tarkus, Warfarin, Gwendolyn.
Prophets Guild was founded by Saphir. Noteworthy old members are yet to be uncovered.
Do you feel that you or one of your fellows should be recognised on this list? Let a deity know of your feelings and they will judge the worth of your nomination.
Though Genesis came first of all and created Avalon, there are four deities who have become known as the original Gods of Avalon, since they were brought into being at around the same time as the first-born entered Avalon. Their contributions to the world are to be noted here. Pericles was the first to be given divine status. His contributions were the first, beyond those of the god of time, to grace the Avalon continent. Those who wish to marvel at his creations may look no further than the Meeting Place, and adjacent areas, Morton's Peak Tavern, the Rock Pinnacle, and even the approach to the vale of Azrili. Astrea, goddess of wisdom came next, given divine status to watch over and lend kindly assistance to the new mortals. Then came Aldaron, the god of life. His creations ranged from the Goblin City, to the Greenwood, to the ruins of Ilmarael, and the approach to Thakria. Lastly of the old Gods, Cornelius was given divine status. His contributions included all of the original guilds, and the germs of the skill of Charming, which was Avalon's first.
Sharra, the guildmistress of the Animist Guild, possessed a pendant of unknown worth which she believed to contain some worthy spirit. While walking through the Eastwood this pendant was stolen from her by a mysterious figure. Understandably shocked, Sharra set out to recover the pendant enlisting the aid of Ammarie, a Faerie, who professed to know the secret of the thief. Trusting the words of Ammarie, Sharra called many of her warrior friends to her aid in recovering a number of items which Ammarie had mysteriously requested in order that she might lend her aid. Fearlessly Maedhros, Euphoria, Sweetpea, Blaggard, Trekker, Zytrothemeyne and nameless others journeyed to the depths of the city of the orcs to recover the Viper Staff of the Orc Shaman. Sharra and Gaea, high-Priestess of Life journeyed with the party to lend healing. It was afterwards discovered that Gaea did not trust the words of Ammarie, but did not speak her fears in reverence for the history and reputation of the Faerie.
Misfortune befell the intrepid party, death was the reward for their bravery and trust in the words of Sharra and Ammarie. Blaggard, Trekker and Sweetpea fell to the Uruk-Hai in a fateful battle and Sharra, Euphoria and Zytrothemeyne were slain as they rushed to aid their companions. Only Maedhros stood firm against all resistance. During this time it become apparent that Ammarie's intentions in leading the party to this carnage were not as pure as were believed. Why, thought the wise, did one who advocated peace, wish to lead people to their deaths? In a climatic revelation Ammarie showed herself to be possessed by some dark force, and mocked the pitiful efforts against the orcs most cruelly. Finally realising the true situation, Euphoria, Sharra and Gaea put forth their love and care for Ammarie to draw out the evil which dwelt within her. Gradually that hatred and resentment against the Faerie turned to sorrow and pity for her misfortune, and the Servitor of Darkness was drawn out and banished back to his master. Ammarie's fate was sealed and she died painfully at the feet of her saviours. Thus ended the life of the last Avalonian Faerie.
A note of heroism ran through this sad tale, however. While Ammarie's spirit was locked in combat with the demon, Maedhros continued his hopeless quest for the Viper Staff, oblivious to other developments. In a moment of great intensity, Maedhros burst in on Ammarie, Sharra, Gaea, Euphoria and the two Gods Genesis and Aldaron, followed closely by the Orc Shaman. He swung the Scimitar of Allendil against his mortal foe and the Shaman let out a deep cry of anguish, dying at their feet. The twisted quest was fulfilled as Sharra took possession of the Viper Staff which had cost the lives of so many. Far reaching consequences of this are only now being realised, with Sharra's spirit forever bearing the burden of the deaths of these great and true souls. The seed of evil sprouts in the most unexpected places, and who could have believed that one who remains so true to herself as Sharra would have been affected. But then, is it not the delight of the Dark Lord that those most pure betray their own friends in an effort to do good?
Written by Alberich, the scribe, in the Spring, 808 years after the Divine War.
Hecate, sister of Gaea and Balthus, the Warrior were the first Avalonians to marry one another. The wedding took place in the cathedral of Mercinae, and was presided by Genesis, the god of time. Most of the wedding commenced without incident, though Hecate's guildmistress, Magister, voiced his objection and challenged Balthus' affections for Hecate, whom he also loved. Hecate refused him and the bond was sealed. In recognition for her choice, the god of time declared that Hecate's firstborn child would be given the soul of a goddess. After a period, Hecate grew pregnant and her child was born - a daughter, Marianina, who rose for a time to become Marianina, goddess of the sea. Unfortunately the goddess' time in the land was short, and though her mark is left in the caves on Mercinae's southwestern shore, and in the wilderness to the south of the Chetwood Forest, Marianina has been silent for a century.
Avalon was opened again in June of 1990, in the humble abode of Aldaron, the god of life in London. It was at this point that Avalon ran independently. It was immediately populated by a range of new individuals, and the first Avalon summer is still remembered as a time of strange individuals and much conflict. First of the second born was Mnestheus, the Animist, who founded the guild, followed by Sharra, Elviron and Gaea (who also became Aldaron's High Priestess). Euphoria became the first Thief at this time, and Spell, his friend, was the first mortal to embrace the evil ways. Wraith entered Avalon at this time, in the guild of Alchemists, together with Elof and Aredhel (the first Alchemist). Maedhros' mortal incarnation was created at this time, joining first the Mages and then the Rangers, together with Sweetpea, Willim, and Marbles. Panacea became one of the earliest guildmasters of the Mages.
The scroll is entitled "The Pre-Eminence of the Thakrian Mind" and has been dated with the year 821. It is an examination of the reasons behind the strength of Thakria, concentrating for the most part on the Baron Davros Bloodaxe.
Thakria demonstrates the success of mismatches. While the Over-Lord was open about his cultist associations, Davros Bloodaxe spent a decade stoutly defending the Sun from her numerous enemies. Alone he stood against, for the most part, better equipped and better motivated folk. However it is in the building up of Thakria as a world power that Davros will be most lauded. After passing his novice in 806 ADW he rapidly become guildmaster of the Loremasters guild after the premature retirement of their former guildmaster through illness. From guildmaster it was not long before Davros also superseded his old master as Baron. At this time Mercinae was ruled by the likes of Sarik the Arch-Magi and Palin the Old. Davros it was who brought consistency to Thakrian decision-making. He was feared and respected by his Mercinaen counterparts for shrewd economic policies. All the time, however, his strength in business was supported by the threat of power unmatched for many years after the retirement of the Arch-Magi.
One of the greatest achievements of Loremaster Davros Bloodaxe was the reversal of perceptions of the two great cities. Thakria was once considered a poor refuge for Mercinaen outcasts. Today there is a running joke among Thakrians whenever the encounter a novice Mercinaen regarding their misfortune in having been born in such a city. We can attribute this attitude to the machinations of Davros Bloodaxe and to subsequent weakness of Mercinaen Barons.
The invasion of Mercinae was a relatively recent event in Avalon's history. It was masterminded in Thakria by Snowlock and Nostradamus, ably supported by Trekker, Grendel and Derillion. Mercinae had long been neglected, and its primary Barons, Isildur and Palin were absent. Battlements were erected without conflict all over Mercinae and Thakria, with such overwhelming economic superiority, manned the battlements with legions of their Black Knights. Snowlock assembled a legion of two hundred and fifty cavaliers, a force capable of destroying anything Mercinae could muster. Castigere, god of justice and patron of Mercinae was thwarted in his attempts to rescue his city, for Nostradamus counteracted him at every turn. The god of justice did, however, secure a hundred thousand pieces of gold from Conteck of the Animists, gold used in the defence of Mercinae. The first night of the invasion was inconclusive. Mercinae launched a number of attacks against the individual invaders but could not break down any of the battlements.
The second night was more eventful. With the gold from the Animists, Mercinae was in a position to launch a full defence and, after a discussion among its Barons, Parrius made the fateful decision to back Mercinae with its military might. Parrius' army matched that of Thakria and to the northeast of Mercinae, Parrius' pirates led by Garet Jax and Tarakin stormed the Thakrian battlements. Castigere, however, could take no more - with no mortals from his own city to be directed by him, he handed over patronage of his city to Genesis. The god of time brought his High Priest into Mercinae to defend it, and an army was raised of Mercinaen soldiers to attempt to break Thakria's siege. All over Mercinae battles were taking place, between individuals and legions. Mercinae's lesser army was moved into one battlement and then another, probing for a weak point, but each time Snowlock was able to move his superior numbers in and rout the Mercinaen troops. Finally, though, a weakness was found in a battlement outside Mercinae's Tooth Island. Nalek of Parrius surrounded it with his rituals and Zollrender led the remaining, weakened Mercinaen army in. Reinforcements would have ended Mercinae's defence, but, while leading in his army, Snowlock made a fatal mistake and was caught and slain by Nalek. The Thakrian army floundered without a leader and, after a furious exchange within the battlement, the Thakrian Knights were defeated. Zollrender broke down the battlement and, for the time, ended the siege.
The aftermath of the invasion, though, was widespread. Mercinae, though it had defeated the Thakrian invasion and broken the siege, did not have the resources to fight on. Rather than squander its remaining gold, and in the absence of a patron and Barons to defend it, the city was given over to Thakria. The entire continent was demilitarised for a period and Nostradamus, god of the stars was installed as patron of Mercinae. Mercinae's commodities were offered up to the Gods, to prevent them falling into Thakrian hands and Nostradamus was left with the task of rebuilding the battered city. Snowlock, who had led Thakria's invasion, departed the city he had built up to take over Coriona, by the Mountain of Sapience. Derillion was left to deal with the post-invasion Thakria. After a time, Nostradamus sickened of Mercinae and returned to Thakria, where his heart lay. Castigere took up Mercinae again, and began the long journey along the road of revenge.
There have been many deities appointed for various reasons whose divine status, unlike those Ordained, has been at the whim of the Omnipotent Gods. Thus many have fallen from their divine status. Below is a list of those deities, for history's sake: Geolin, god of fire and fortune, Perialaga, god of hedonism, Radagast, god of the sea, Pendragon, god of war, Elatar, god of the stars, Ophelia, goddess of love, Chant, goddess of pleasure, Falorn, god of the trees, Icarus, god of the sun, Astrea, goddess of wisdom, Pippin, god of the muses, Anarchos, god of chaos, and Skedric, god of equilibrium.
Avalon began in October 1989, and opened itself to the internet on the 9th October 1994. Information about many of the memorable, prominent Avalonians of their time may be reviewed within the game by typing HELP followed by the character name.
Though a town has existed where the city of Parrius now stands for centuries, it is only relatively recently that Parrius was expanded into a city. The historical basis for the city is one of freedom fighters, fiercely independent and totally loyal. It is the quest of all true Parrians that they try to reflect these ancient ideals. Parrius itself was formed under the watchful guidance of Pericles, god of the sky, and its first leaders installed by the god were Brucos and Triekos, self-proclaimed Princes. They were soon joined by Conan of Old, who left his home in Eleusis to join the Parrian leadership, Falstaff, the Bard and Nebuchadnezzar, the Knight. Pericles, though, fell silent for a time and the new city's leaders, in particular Brucos and Triekos, were felt to be using the city's resources and their favour with the sky-god to further their own affluence. Thus a bloodless coup was undertaken by Parrius' most prominent citizen of the time, the Enchanter Calladan, soon supported by his apprentices Marie, and her companion, Procyon. Under this new leadership, Parrius flourished and established itself as an economy, and political power in the land.
A settlement has been known to exist on the banks of the River Leithe where Springdale now stands for centuaries; the castle of Springdale being one of the oldest constructions within the land. The small town of Springtown was a lively trading centre, run by the enigmatic Klassi, a former Baron of Thakria, and one-time finacee to Snowlock, master of the Great Mercinaen Invasion. After Klassi was ordained into Andromeda, the goddess of Dreams, she continued to care for the town, though its growth for a while was stagnated. Then, after several barons had joined and left, her then highpriest of Imzadi joined the city and began to recruit fellow followers for the frontier life. Treachery struck however, and Imzadi deserted his goddess and obligations to Springtown, but the remaining citizens, including Casimian (the first Wizard), Tarkus (elder of the Artisans), and Dankworth (onetime master of the Animists) carried on. Sirrus (guildmaster of the Brigands) joined in as its ninth citizen, and pretty soon it underwent a period of extreme prosperity, both with the growth in numbers of citizens, and its commodity and gold reserves. Shortly afterwards, in honour of this, the God of Time renamed the city Springdale, city of Dreams. The city has grown from strength to strength, becoming a major, if rather aloof city with several of its own guilds. The first Prince of the city was Tarkus; the first fellow barons were Sirrus (also Chancellor), Lancelot (then highpriest of Andromeda), Casimian (mage, then founder of the wizards guild) and Occam (alchemist, then founder of the Craftmasters).
Maedhros was the first mortal to gain ordination, rather than appointment to his divine status. The ordination during his time was a more simple affair - he had simply to rise to the highest of all mortals and gain agreement of all active mortalkind to his appointment. Maedhros began life with a brief excursion into the Mages guild, before finding his vocation in the Rangers. During his eclectic leadership, the Rangers Guild flourished. It was the largest and most potent in Avalon, and many wore the title of Ranger with pride. Maedhros was also owner of the Grove Tavern, where he and his bride Sweetpea plotted and entertained. Maedhros the strongest fighter of his period, the most renowned mortal, and a worthy first god of Avalon. His ordination was witnessed by ten mortals, all of whom agreed to his ascension, and he was bestowed his divine status by Genesis, the god of time. Of the Gods, Astrea, goddess of wisdom and Aldaron, the god of life were also present.
The ordination of Castigere, god of justice, took place just after New Year. He was the first deity to have risen through a competitive Ordination. Castigere's mortal spirit was Galahad, a Mage with a smattering of Alchemical abilities. He was pitted against Helkarakse, the mightiest Sorcerer of his time. Both mortals were allowed to choose a second. Galahad chose Eshkadeth, his fellow Mage, while Helkarakse chose Grendel, the Thief. Because of previous achievements, it was determined that Galahad should begin with the divine amethyst and his task was simple - to walk, slowly, across the land from Astrea's Delta in the far northeast, to the Rock Pinnacle in the far west. His walk must be uninterrupted, a sign of his dominance of the land. Helkarakse's task was to wrest the amethyst from Galahad, at which point he could claim the gem as his own, and become a God himself. The groups met on the Parrian Highway, with Helkarakse targeting his demons against the Mages while Grendel attempted to steal the amethyst from them. Unfortunately for the Sorcerer, Galahad had charged his white dragon with the task of holding the amethyst - and, faced with the task of slaying the dragon, Helkarakse and Grendel were caught uncertain. Eshkadeth and Galahad counter-attacked along the highway and drove Helkarakse back. The procession was to continue unchallenged, for Galahad's dragon stood firm and was not attacked. Galahad ascended the Rock Pinnacle before the assembled masses, hurled the amethyst into the pool of the Gods and raised the sceptre above the land. Thus was Castigere, the god of justice born.
The Ordination of Mephisto was a more hectic affair than that of Castigere. Mephisto was born of Helkarakse, the Sorcerer. His main challenger was Urquoth, the Astrologer. On Helkarakse's side were the two Thieves, Grendel and Inshallah. With Urquoth stood Galahad, Eshkadeth and Aragorn. The quest was to take place over two hours, and Helkarakse began holding the amethyst, for he had earned the right in a previous competition. Urquoth's group set off in pursuit of Helkarakse, who initially held the amethyst. Cleverly, Helkarakse passed the gem to Grendel, whose knowledge of the paths of the land is second-to-none. For two hours Grendel dodged and darted about the land like a man possessed, eluding the grasp of his hunters. On one occasion Aragorn managed to wrest the gem and hold it, but the foolish young Bard wandered under cover and the amethyst, which cannot be taken outside view of the skies, slipped through his fingers into the lap of Inshallah, who was waiting close by. Twice more, while holding the gem, did Grendel wander inside, but both times, his speed in retrieving the gem was sufficient. At the end of the two hours, Grendel had retained the gem and Helkarakse, who was cowering in the Dark Void, praying for his companions, won the right to ascend the Rock Pinnacle, hurl the amethyst into the pool of the Gods and raise the sceptre. Thus was Mephisto, god of the night born.
The Ordination of Nostradamus was the first of the organised Ordinations. The divine amethyst quest was joined by the sands of time quests - as described in Section 9.8. The final four contenders were Blodwyn, the Seer, Eshkadeth, the Enchanter, Isildur, the Bard and Zollrender, the Thief. Zollrender competed first against Isildur for the sands of time. The contest was simple. Zollrender used this Thief abilities to clamber onto the rooftops of Thakria, laid the sands of time upon the ground and surrounded it with traps. Isildur did not yet have the skill to climb onto the rooftops and did not foresee this tactic - from the ground he wove songs of enchantment and many a time forced Zollrender to flee from the rooftops. Each time, though, the Thief was fast enough to return to guard the sands. With a few minutes to go, Zollrender was finally forced to flee the rooftops, with the sands in his hand. Isildur pursued him, but there was not enough time. Zollrender had defeated Isildur to progress to the amethyst quest.
In the second of the sands quests, Blodwyn faced Eshkadeth. Blodwyn had the advantage of a portable seeing stone, though Eshkadeth began with the sands. Eshkadeth danced up his rituals and prepared to defend himself, but Blodwyn was too quick. She had won the divine sapphire and moonstone, and used The Voice to wrest the sands from Eshkadeth. Once in possession of the sands, Blodwyn used her seeing stone to traverse across the land. Eshkadeth set off in hot pursuit for the remainder of the hour long quest, but could never come close to his prey. Blodwyn's speed and ability was too great.
The amethyst quest was the finest event of all. Blodwyn began with the amethyst, since she had the greater experience. With Blodwyn were the Sorcerers Rack, Sepultura and Kiall and the Guildmaster of the Astrologers, Vanion. With Zollrender was Snowlock, his fellow Thief, Xpor, of the Astrologers, the Knight Sturm, and the Enchanters Eshkadeth, Garet, Nalek and Tarakin. The first exchange was brief, and at the start of the quest. Blodwyn held the amethyst but Zollrender was too fast and he stole the gem from under her nose. Support from the large group of Mages ensured that death rained down upon the Sorcerers, and Zollrender entrusted the gem to Tarakin and Snowlock, who set off to defend it among the central villages. For a time, Tarakin's rituals and Snowlock's guile kept the gem from the reach of the encroaching Sorcerers, but eventually, Blodwyn's skill with the seeing stone was enough to destroy the rituals and allow the Sorcerers in. Snowlock and Tarakin fled with the gem to Parrius, along the Highway, to set up another defence. During this time, Vanion was preparing a waxen image of Zollrender. When Snowlock and Tarakin returned to Parrius, they handed the amethyst to Zollrender. Vanion took his chance, descended from the skies and caressed the waxen image to force Zollrender to hand him the amethyst. Vanion took the gem and rose up to the heavens - but he had miscalculated. He had risen too high, and taken the amethyst above the skies. The gem slipped through his fingers, for it must be beneath them. Zollrender was first to find the fallen gem.
The remaining ninety minutes were spent with the Sorcerers occupying the Mages and Blodwyn gradually working her seeing stone closer to the amethyst. At the very end, the quest boiled down to Eshkadeth and Tarakin supporting Zollrender, in a last stand against Blodwyn, supported by the Sorcerer Rack and the Astrologer Vanion. With four minutes left, Blodwyn fell to the might of Eshkadeth, while Tarakin beside him held the amethyst safe. Upon the Ship of Death, Blodwyn saw defeat - Rack and Vanion were forced to flee. As she came off the ship, Blodwyn saw she had one more chance. She descended quickly upon Tarakin, who held the gem, and returned his hearing. In the excitement, Tarakin made the fatal mistake of forgetting to restore his deafness, and Blodwyn, a few moments later, returned and used her Voice of Command to force Tarakin to give her the amethyst. Rack, on the other side of the land, used his Necromancy to bring Blodwyn to him. A minute later, Tarakin turned to hand the amethyst to Zollrender, so that he might carry it for the final two minutes to victory - and he realised the gem was gone. In horror, Zollrender flew up the rivers towards Thakria and Blodwyn, and, came to within a single location of her, poised to steal back the gem, when the time was over. Blodwyn had won by the skin of her teeth and thus was born Nostradamus, god of the stars.
The Ordination of Orthwein was a far less close affair than that of Nostradamus, some six months before. Snowlock, then Guildmaster of the Thieves, had earned the trust and support of the combined forces of the Mages and Enchanters Guild (Garet, Dankworth, Belvadere, Nalek, and Aerynius, to name a few), in addition to the Sorceress Simaril, the Astrologer Xpor and the Seers Derillion and Zakath. His opponent was Zollrender, whose allies were far fewer - only Isildur, Sturm, Conan and Kiall the Sorcerer. First to hold the amethyst was Zollrender, but not for long, for early on in the ordination quest he paid the price for his lack of leadership and reliance on the wisdom of Isildur. Zakath of the Seers used his seeing stone to force Zollrender indoors, and the amethyst slipped through his fingers. Snowlock was first to regain the stone - and under cover of ritual and fatalism, Snowlock was never again threatened. Though Zollrender, Isildur and Kiall gave tentative pursuit, Snowlock was never troubled by their attentions and while his opponents were left scrapping with the Mages, Snowlock calmly held the amethyst for the allotted time and ascended to immortality without breaking sweat. Thus was born Orthwein, god of fate.
Nostradamus was ordained as god of the stars, a neutral deity, centred around the profession of the Seer. However, after the successful invasion of Mercinae and vanquishing of Castigere, the god of justice, Nostradamus chose to associate more closely with The Diabolus. Atop the Mountain of Sapience, Diabolus' influence on Nostradamus was felt and the god of the stars chose, before all of Avalon, to relinquish the light he had espoused and take up the realm of darkness. After the departure of the Diabolus, it was Nostradamus who was standard-bearer of the Evil cause, from the tower of Gaurthang to the west and through his High Priest, Macros, Prince of Darkness.
Shortly after his Ordination, Shaitan's godly form, The Messiah met with a difficult realisation. While a mortal, Shaitan was free to roam the land, attempting to slaughter and maim where he would. However, Gods operate on a different level. With ultimate power at their fingertips and the ability to crush any mortal, forever, with a single command, there is no more competition. Dismayed at his new followers' lack of lust for blood, The Messsiah took to challenging mortals directly and attempting to crush their spirits with his divine powers. The other Gods, though, would not suffer such behaviour against their mortal flocks and before long, The Messiah realised that direct action as a God against any mortal with an active patron was impossible. He despaired and after a clash with Orthwein, the god of fate, against whose might he could not yet compete, he was forced to back down. Before Genesis and Aldaron in Olympus, The Messiah relinquished his divine status. Shaitan's spirit lingered on, though, in Avalon, pondering his hasty decision. As an ordained mortal, though, he had earned the right forever to be at least a Demi-God, and it was no surprise when Lazarus, the god of pain rose from the ashes of The Messiah to take up divine status. The Messiah's decision to relinquish his divine status for a time signalled the silent return of The Diabolus, the omnipotent evil.
The ordination of Shaitan took place in the ninth century of Avalon's post-divine war period. His contender in Ordination was Gandalf, Prince of Mercinae and member of the mystics guild. Supporting Shaitan were the followers of Nostradamus, god of darkness, and Mephisto, god of the night - his people were the Thakrians, the Gaurthangis and the evil doers. On Gandalf's side were the Mercinaens and the Parrians, the followers of Apollo, and Orthwein. Shaitan was first to obtain the amethyst, and the method he employed to keep it was simple; he waited, surrounded by the rituals of Singe, and the swords of Morgan, and Ammon, for Gandalf and his allies to launch some assault. Surprisingly few times did the good people pull together sufficiently to even worry their opponents, and only by the guile of Sebastien the Parrian were Singe's rituals dislodged even for a time. While Gandalf and his second, Ithakus, remained without ideas and direction, the evil doers continued to hold onto the amethyst. It was only towards the end of the three hour period that Taliesin, a relatively new young Rogue managed to generate a little momentum. A few times he made forays into the rituals of Singe and the defences that Shaitan had built up - each time unsuccessful in stealing the amethyst from Shaitan and fleeing.
However, with but a minute to go of the three hours, Taliesin made one final run into the village of North Ogg where the evil group had gathered to hold onto the amethyst. Taliesin kept his head and dove into the fray, attacked on all sides by the rituals, Shaitan and his entourage of demons. Before the Morgan and Ammon (the swordsmen) could react, Taliesin had taken the amethyst from Shaitan. With seconds to go, Taliesin rushed away from North Ogg. The three hours ran out, and all across the land Shaitan's supporters rejoiced, little knowing that their leader did not hold the gem. Taliesin held it - and he had only to take it to Gandalf, and the Prince of Mercinae would hold aloft the sceptre of the divinities instead. Fate did not favour the good folk, though, for Gandalf was standing inside by a seeing stone and Taliesin could not use his traversal magic to go to him without losing the amethyst. So while Gandalf realised the situation and began to move out of doors, and Shaitan panicked, Sir Morgan chased Taliesin out of North Ogg and attacked him just south of the village. Taliesin could not escape the blades of the Guildmaster of the Cavaliers and was slain. The amethyst tumbled to the ground and before Gandalf's supporters could take the gem, Morgan had the presence of mind to pick it up and sprint back to North Ogg, where Shaitan still waited. Morgan handed over the amethyst and the Ordination was over; Shaitan had prevailed by the skin of his teeth, and he was Ordained at the Rock Pinnacle and became, first, The Messiah, and then Lazarus, the god of pain.
Recent times in the land, and events that have occurred over the last few months.
Here is a summary of political and social situation as it was on the 1st of Leaflost, 844 years since the Divine War. Although the subsequent sections contain more up-to-date information on current hierarchies, the information below might give you an idea of the evolution of the continent.
"Mercinae remains a proud and strong city. Its economy is bustling and robust. The city is led by Isildur, the Swift who masterminds Mercinae's economy and trading. The other Barons are Eshkadeth, Last of the Valheru, Guildmaster of the Mages Guild and de fender of justice in Mercinae and Markus of the Woods, a doughty ranger. Despite recently losing the Guild of Animists because of its war-like stance, Mercinae retains its role as protector of the wronged under the patronage of Castigere, god of justice. Lugonn, the Shining One remains a Baron of Mercinae and representative of the Guild of Animists.
Thakria has decayed much since, but a few years ago, it stood firmly as Avalon's greatest city. Under the leadership of Davros it had overtaken Mercinae and dominated world trading. Its military force of Black Knights had no equal. Now, though, it is only just recovering from the overthrow of Davros as head of the Loremasters. Davros alone remains of the ancient barons of the city. New blood is slowly rising up to replace the old stagnation, ably led by Klassi, Guildmistress of the Loremasters and Belit, the Sorceress. Jaysen and Wease of the Seers and Sophacles of the Loremasters make up the five leaders of Thakria. Slowly the City of Miracles is recovering itself.
Though it begun as the smallest of the three cities, Parrius has blossomed more than any other over the past few years of Avalon's history. After a bloodless overthrow of its pacifist leaders, Falstaff and Nebuchadnezzar, Parrius is now ruled by the Encha nters Procyon and Marie and the Guildmaster of the Astrologers, Lord Urquoth. No longer is it under the thumb of Mercinae, but now stands alone as an economic power rivalling its Mercinaen ally. New citizens arrive each day to bolster the city's numbers and Chapman's Square, its central market, is renowned the world over for its variety of goods. Militarily, though, Parrius remains strong but largely unconcerned with the historical conflict of Mercinae and Thakria. It prefers to forge its own path.
"Parrius is the richest individual economy, having been built up by the diligence of Marie, Procyon and Calladan (all prominent Enchanters). The old guard have all but vanished now, from Parrius and the city has assumed a peaceful, prosperous guise. Its current Barony consists of Conteck of the Animists, Calladan of the Enchanters, Aragorn of the Bards, and Chopper of the Enchanters. Parrius boasts three guilds - the Enchanters, the Astrologers and locally the Brigands. The Enchanters are led by Random, the Necromancers by Astiroth de Sade, and the Brigands by Charlemagne the Huntsman."
"Mercinae is the second wealthiest economy to Parrius, and even now, decades after his Ascension to immortality, the city's commodity stores show the fruits of Galahad's labour. They measure twice that of Parrius and Thakria. The current Barony is strong and active - they are led by Isildur, the Swift and Eshkadeth, the Dark Savant and are ably supported by Mnestheus and Lugonn of the Animists Guild and Markus of the Woods. Mercinae's guilds are the Minstrels (led by Isildur), the Bards (led by Aragorn),the Knights (led by Sir Ammon), the Mages (led by Eshkadeth), the Rangers (led by Markus) and the Alchemists (who remain leaderless)."
"Thakria is an enigmatic city, based on ideals of personal liberty and freedom of expression. They are often accused of power-mongering and of breeding self-centredness. The city is led, undisputedly by Blodwyn the Seer. Beneath her are Macros, the Necromancer, Belit, the Sorceress, and Sophacles, the Loremaster. Thakria's guilds are the Sorcerers (led by Shagrat), the Loremasters (led by Foxus), the Cavaliers (led by Anastasia the Golden) and the Seers (led by Blodwyn)."
"Avalon boasts a number of other prominent individuals at this time in its history. Perhaps the most potent is Zaphod - former Guildmaster of the Alchemists Guild. Foxus is high priest to Pericles, god of the sky. The Diabolus has Azrael the Black as his high priest, while Aldaron, the god of life has chosen Fiorella, guildmistress of the Animists. Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter has Markus as leader of his order, Mephisto has chosen Blodwyn, and Castigere has selected Eshkadeth to lead his Order. Wraith allows Zollrender, the Master Thief to lead his flock."
"Thakria is the richest city of the three, under the careful eye of Snowlock, Guildmaster o the Thieves. It is his guidance which has seen the recovery of Thakrian pre-eminence, and the City of Miracles has regained its reputation for fine trade and stout-hearted citizens. Alongside Snowlock are his fellow Thief Belit, while Derillion and Elektra of the Seers occupy the third and fourth Baronial positions. Cuchulain of the Loremasters is the fifth Baron."
"Parrius stands as the second wealthiest economy, recently recovered from a period of disastrous Baronial decisions and now guided by one of its most ancient citizens, Procyon, Bringer of Light, and Master of the Artisans. Alongside Procyon is Vanion, High Priest of the Stars and Master of the Astrologers. Garet Jax and Calladan, Guardian of the East, both Enchanters stand alongside Eshkadeth, Guildmaster of the Enchanters, are the other three Barons of the city. Parrius' reputation for herbs, runes and poisons is known the world over."
"Mercinae, the third city, has slumped over the past decade of Avalon life. Isildur retains his control of the city under the watchful eye of Castigere, god of justice, the city patron. However, Baronial work has been slack and the city marketplace on Cassiandora Square is often empty. Mercinae's treasury is gradually being drawn away by the expenses incurred maintaining the richly adorned city and the threat of war from the Thakrian frontier is ever a worry on the mind of its Barons. Isildur's fellow Barons are Aragorn, the Bard, Lord Palin of the Knights, Markus of the Rangers, and Sir Galahad, the Ancient Mage."
"Castigere retains Isildur of Mercinae as his High Priest, while The Diabolus holds Count Rack as leader of his brood. Fiorella, though retiring from her position as Mistress of the Animists, still holds the lofty role as high priestess of life. Nostradamus, god of the stars, has chosen Vanion to lead his flock, while Mephisto has Belit, Mistress Thief. Lord Eshkadeth leads the Order of Cornelius, the god of Magik, and Markus heads the order of Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter. Genesis, the god of time has chosen Zollrender as his High Priest."
"Mercinae has just recently emerged from the invasion and occupation by the city of Thakria. Patronage of Mercinae, after a brief spell under Nostradamus, god of the stars, has passed by to Castigere, god of justice. The Mercinaen Barony is led by Aerynius, former Mages Guildmistress, alongside Elfish, Master of the Bards. Mercinae is still economically devastated by the invasion, its commodities have been torn away and its stalls are empty. The city is in the process of being rebuilt."
"Thakria remains the strongest economy even after the invasion of Mercinae. It is led by Nostradamus, god of the stars, and the most prominent Baron of the time is Derillion, who is also Guildmaster of the Seers. Alongside Derillion are Grendel, the Master Thief, Cuchulain of the Loremasters, Sepultura of the Sorcerers, and Blodwyn, Empress of the Stars. It remains to be seen whether Thakria will feel the loss of Snowlock, who almost single handedly rebuilt the city and masterminded the invasion of Mercinae."
"Parrius, after its doughty defence of Mercinae against the Thakrian invasion, is also strong. Its treasury was unbroken by Mercinae's fall and it has a sturdy Barony. Procyon and Calladan have retired to leave the leadership of the city in the hands of the Enchanters Garet Jax, Nalek and Tarakin, and the Artisan Cardodius. Of all the three cities, Parrius looks in the strongest position since its Barony are active and strong."
"Lord Palin of the Knights is High Priest of Castigere. Nostradamus, having lost Vanion, has chosen no High Priest to replace him. Zollrender remains as High Priest of the god of time, while Fiorella is still high priestess of life. Cardodius has been given the honour of high priest of Quetzalcoatl, god of the sun, and Markus heads the order of Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter. Azrael The Black lingers on as High Priest of The Diabolus."
"Mercinae has recovered from its defeat at the hands of Thakria under the patronage of Genesis, the god of time, and the leadership of Prince Isildur, Minister of State Cuchulain, Minister of Justice Tragnarion of the Mages, Minister of War Eshkadeth (having returned from the Enchanters in Parrius). The Chancellor is Chaos of the Mystics, and the Field Marshall is Sir Tavon of the Knights. The god of time has appointed Elfish of the Bards as Cardinal of Mercinae. Zollrender, who took great part in the rebuilding of Mercinae, recently departed the city to return the village of Archangel in the mountains."
"Thakria is the weakest of the three cities, having declined ever since the departure of Snowlock - with Nostradamus increasingly taking a less active role as city patron, Thakria's Barons appear unable to pull the city together. Derillion is Prince of Thakria, and Ganymede occupies the post of Minister of State. Zakath is Cardinal, and Shaitan is Minister of Justice, and War. Sir Morgan of the Cavaliers is Field Marshall. If Thakria's decline continues and Mercinae's rise likewise, the City of Miracles will soon lie under threat of invasion by the Mercinaens, to avenge the defeat of some years past."
"Parrius is the most powerful of the three cities. Its treasury is vast, and its resources beyond any of the other cities - it is under the patron of Orthwein, god of fate. The Prince of Parrius is Procyon, while the Ministries are held by Garet Jax, Throthgar, Cardodius and Layla. Parrius has recently begun to exert its economic superiority by successfully occupying villages around its periphery - while the other cities watch unable to muster the finances to resist."
"There are no Chosen Ones in Avalon. Isildur is High Priest of Castigere, Derillion of Nostradamus, Fiorella of Aldaron and Markus of Maedhros Allendil. Wraith has no High Priest, and Orthwein has not yet chosen one to lead his Order. Zollrender is High Priest of Genesis, and Azrael still of The Diabolus. Apollo, god of light, having returned to prominence in the land has taken no High Priest yet."
Mercinae boasts Gandalf, Bane of Darkness as its Prince. He is a mystic under the tutorledge of Ithakus, his guildmaster. The Barony is made up of Cinaed, the Minister of State and most excellent trader, and Ithakus, the Chancellor. Hero of the Mages and Tavon of the Knights complete the Barony. Tragnarion heads the Mages Guild, while Yousuf controls the Knights and is also Cardinal. The Bards are led by Jacinta, the former Sorceress, and the Rangers remain under the protection of Markus. The Alchemists are led by Cinaed. The patron of the city is now Apollo, god of light, who has decreed that henceforth Mercinae shall be known as the city of light.
Thakria, recovering from the loss of Shaitan as dictator and Prince, are led by Macros, Prince of Darkness under the patronage of Nostradamus, god of darkness. Kuurus manages the treasury and the other Baronial posts are in a state of flux, while the government search for suitably loyal individuals. The Thieves Guild is led by Cimares and Zane jointly, while the Sorcerers are under Macros. The Seers are run by Sorithia and the Cavaliers by Sir Morgan. The Loremaster Guildmaster and Thakria's cardinal is Kuurus.
Parrius, to the east, has Dakeyras as Prince, its competent Barony being made up of Mercy of the Astrologers, Polgara of the Enchanters, Taliesin of the Rogues and Rentoo of the Enchanters. The Guild of Astrologers is led by Mercy, the Rogues by Taliesin. the Enchanters by Rentoo, and the Artisans by Allanon (though he is Mercinaen after an altercation with the Parrian Barony some while past). The Cardinal of Parrius is Karamis of the grass-stained feet. Orthwein, the god of fate is patron of the city.
Springdale, under the patronage of Andromeda, goddess of dreams is run by Tarkus and Sirrus in the main, though its government is not yet structured as the other cities and it holds no native guilds of its own. Of the Gods, Apollo has no High Priest, while Aldaron keeps faith with Fiorella of the Animists. Mephisto has nobody since Shaitan was ordained and took most of his followers, while Nostradamus has chosen Macros to lead his flock. Genesis, the god of time has Zollrender as his Chosen One, while Maedhros keeps Markus closest to his heart. Wraith has no High Priest, and Andromeda has chosen Lancelot above all others.
Mercinae, the city of light, has the Allanon of the Artisans as its Prince. Grace, papillion de lumiere, is the Chancellor and Cardinal to Apollo, patron of the city. Her fellow Bard Cymric is the Minister for Trade and the first follower of the God of Compassion. Other luminaries of Mercinae are Etrigan, Minister for War and Justice, field marshall Yousuf and Grim the Alchemist as Minister for Public Relations. Ranger Hudson, Gringle of the Alchemists and guildmaster of the Mages Vilon, compliment the barony.
Thakria has undergone a great change as Orthwein, god of fate, returned to the city of his mortality and began to build anew in his image. Strangely Xandamere, follower of Lazarus, is Prince of the city, although the loyal Warlock Taz acts as Chancellor and Cardinal for his patron. Shakal the Jackal is Minister of State, accomplanied by Kirwond of the Bards and Zane. The mighty Sorcerers are dominated by the realm of pain with Sethanor as their leader. The Seers, ever mysterious, are lead by Talos whilst the Cavaliers return to strength under the guide of Kylan, Trident and their new patron Nostradamus.
Parrius has been troubled with the departure of its patron, but seeks new strength under the guidance of Maedhros, the Hunter. Heidi is the city's new Princess, bringing with her a new order of Kardak, Khalia, Trell and Fedora. Rentoo remains as Chancellor of the city, with Menk as public relations minister and the rapid Mopa as Minister of Justice.
Springdale continues to dominate the central plains of Avalon under the watchful eye of its patron Andromeda. Tarkus, Sirrus, Haplo and Aryca contribute to its success. The city of Springdale now boasts a Wizards guild, led by Casimian, with a rumour of more guilds to be opened soon.
Markus remains the high priest of Maedhros. Karamis is the high priestess of fate, despite the changes in Orthwein's patronage. Lancelot is the high priest of Andromeda, whilst Genesis, Aldaron, Apollo, Lazarus and Nostradamus all have no high priest for the present.
A lot has happened in the land since the journal was last written, not least that the great eastern city of Parrius merged, from threat of Thakrian invasion with the city of Mercinae, and is only now beginning to rebuild itself as a city, also changed is the method of gathering commodities, which must now be planted each spring and harvested in the autumn, or manufactured through some other method. Also changed is that now the cities no longer reside under the watchful gaze of a patron; mortals are free to run their city however they please without divine interference.
Mercinae, the city of Light, remains under the watchful stewardship of Allanon the Artisan, who runs the city as Prince, surrounded by the barony of Lilandrin the Lioness, the ranger and Field Marshall, Artisan Wild Catt having left Springdale also holds a council seat and is Minister of Trade, Katherine the Enchanter is a baron, and also minister of Public Relations, Elmar and Trell finish off both the barony, and also hold the positions of Chancellor and Minister for Justice respectively. Grundy, guildmaster of the Alchemists and Cumanagoto Culinane, guildmaster of the bards, occupy the final government positions, as the Minister of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Thakria remains as one of the most powerful cities on the continent, though dominating the land with force, rather than economic might. A period of severe economic mismanagement ensued, after Kylan departed from the government. The Sorcerer Panaideos, who is a contender in the next ordination acts as Prince, and his fellow barons are Taz, also a sorcerer, Lancelot of the Cavaliers, Kronok the thief, Criamulus the warlock and finally, Loremaster Spyder. The government, previously used to be more interested in killing things than management, but now appears to have realised that you cannot do one without seriously neglecting the other. Dark Serenia the seer is the Minister for Public Relations, and Zenichiro of the Loremasters is responsible for the Ministry of State. Sir Lancelot occupies the post of Field Marshall, and Threap continues on as Minister for Trade. Kronok is in charge of the Foreign Ministry, whilst Criamulus is the Minister for Justice and Taz the Chancellor.
Springdale thrums with life amongst the plains of central avalon, although the barony has undergone several changes in recent years. Don Guido replaced Haplo as Prince, although Sirrus still carries on as Chancellor, notching up possibly the longest run in the government, having been there from the start. Aryca remains as Minister of Relations, and her fiancee, Talisien, also of the animists is a Baron. Orielle, the Craftmaster runs the Ministry of State with Johnii the Rat helping her as Minister for Trade. Jupiter of the Paladins is the Minister for Justice, and Sir Jasteron is the Field Marshall and a baron. Hellchaser the Brigand occupies the final seat on the council and is the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It finally has several guilds of its own now, including the Wizards, Craftmasters and the Paladins, as well as maintaining a close association with the wild Brigands.
Parrius, after the merger had its rulers; Mercy and Procyon appointed as divine Guardians to assist in the rebuilding. They are joined in governing by Bedivere as Minister of Justice.
Finally, Etrigan of the Warriors is high priest of Apollo, and Fedora is the highpriestess of Maedhros. Andromeda, Nostradamus, Genesis, Lazarus, Orthwein, Rhadamanthys and The Annhilius have no high priest right now.
Memorable among the events of the more recent past is the siege of Kristanisti. Marie, formerly one of the esteemed leaders of Parrius, had fallen to arguing with the new blood in the city of her birth, and had quit Parrius in favour of a quieter life in the village of Kristanisti. However, she had many enemies, not least, the Prince of Thakria, and High Priest of the God of the Night, Shaitan. By cover of night, one evening, Shaitan decided that the time had come to silence Marie and squash her village. Thakria marched on Kristanisti in Leaflost of the year 885, and Shaitan was supported by Kailess of the Mercinaen Knights and Enth of the Parrian Astrologers. He had imposed his will on Layla, then Princess of Parrius, who slyly supported his invasion with Parrian money. Shaitan also secured the neutrality of Mercinae by convincing the cowardly Isildur, then Prince of that city, that it would be in his best interests to stay out of the fray. Isildur had a long time hatred of both Marie, and of risk, so ch ose not to hinder Shaitan and the Thakrian invasion. Apollo, patron of Mercinae was silent.
The battle was long and hard, but the defence of Kristanisti was, in the end, to prove successful. The god of time, and patron of Marie, sent one of his Mage followers, Nataykk, together with Polgara, Conan, and Nelgin, to the defence of Kristanisti. Marie spent every resource the city could muster in raising an army for their defence, while Parrian and Mercinaen troops remained in their barracks. Shaitan, in the end, was outnumbered by his foes and forced to pull back when Layla, realising her folly in supporting Shaitan, promised Parrian support for Kristanisti. Thakrian troops were withdrawn.
Only once in the first nine centuries of Avalon's modern times has Parrius been the subject of an invasion. Thakria, under its Prince, Shaitan, and patron, The Diabolus, bought the services of the Artisan Cardodius. Cardodius wormed his way into the Parrian leadership, until such a time as Orthwein, god of fate and patron of Parrius appointed him Chancellor of all Parrius' wealth. Though the Prince at this time, Anikan the Warrior, warned against Cardodius' introduction, the god of fate's will was felt. No sooner had Cardodius entered into the chambers, than his hands were filled with Parrian gold. He fled Parrius with the support of many Thakrians, bearing away Parrius' wealth to the Thakrian coffers. Though Cardodius' will was subsequently crushed by the wrath of Orthwein, the gold remained with Thakria.
In response to Parrius' weakness, it was decided that Thakria must take the opportunity to invade. Marie of Kristanisti had returned to her birth-place with Krisnatisti's not inconsiderable wealth, and the Animists under Conteck had given money to aid the rebuilding of Parrius. Mercinae also lent a hundred thousand pieces of gold to their Parrian allies. The Thakrian invasion of Parrius began but a few days after Cardodius' robbery, battlements were erected and the Thakrian military readied. However, the invasion was unsuccessful. Mercinae, sensing its own impending doom gave orders to her citizens to aid Parrius fully, while Parrius itself mustered some two dozen eager captains from its own ranks to lead its small, but effective army. The Thakrians, on the other hand, were slow to show support and in the end, Shaitan stood alone, unable to lead his armies, and unable to defeat the defenders. Parrius was saved.
Thakria, led in this endeavour by Princess Kylan, Panaideos the Sorcerer and Baron Ingens put together a well-rationed legion of 1700 troops in Midsummer of 966. They picked a time when the Rangers Guild was poorly guarded, marched their troops down the Great North Road and through to the foot of the Rangers Guild in the Greenwood Forest. They met little resistance and managed to force their way up into the guild and set up their legions to besiege the well-fortified outer guild barracks. Intelligence had reported that the Rangers stored a great proportion of their commodities and valuables in their inner barracks. Despite a modest defensive effort the Rangers were no match for the invaders and could not prevent the Thakrian besiegers from breaking all of the inner barracks fortifications to naught and slaughtering the few hundred Rangers left guarding it. However, just as Kylan marched her legions into the outer barracks in preparation for siege and plundering of the bountiful inner barracks, the Gods were forced to step in and halt proceedings. The unforeseen problems thrown up by the invasion were seen to and the Gods oversaw a recommencement of hostilities in Leaflost of 966. Both sides were set in the same position as they were when the battle was paused. This time the conflict fought to a conclusion.
Thakria had far the greater individual fire power, and the upper hand militarily. Their legion was united under one banner just outside the unfortified, undefended outer barracks. Around 950 Thakrian men remained after the destruction of the outer fortifications and routing of the defence force. The Rangers, on the other hand, had over a thousand men in the inner barracks but they were disorganised and partially assembled under Lilandrin's banner. She, the only Ranger with any real experience of warfare, was not present to defend the guild. Tryn, newly elected to Guildmaster status was left floundering with willing but inexperience aid from primarily Scotty, the Deputy Guildmaster. The Thakrians had arranged for their people to pursue and slaughter any who tried to defend the Rangers Guild, with Kylan leading the 950 Thakrians within the guild and Panaideos back in Thakria pulling together reinforcements.
The Rangers started poorly. They barely knew how to command troops or muster legions. For the first day of the battle the Ranger legions were floundering about in the inner barracks, in small groups, vulnerable and directionless. Kylan used her legion to break open the door to the outer barracks. The scene was set for a Thakrian rout. Kylan marched all 950 men into the outer barracks and turned them to face the disorganised interior. However, inexplicably, Kylan neglected to order her legion to assail the Ranger legions in their vulnerable state. Instead she allowed herself to be separated from her legion, the whole legion remaining inside the barracks, while Kylan was back in the meeting hall of the guild. Had the Rangers thought quickly enough to lock their barracks up they would have trapped the Thakrian legion without orders or purpose. Kylan would have been unable to get back to them as she had no troops left with her to break down the barracks door. They did not do so, but to the dismay of the watching Gods keen to see real battle, nor did Kylan or any Thakrian punish the Rangers for their disarray. Panaideos continued to toil near Thakria, bringing together a number of fresh legions of around two hundred men each, and leading them on the slow march south out of the city towards the Rangers guild. Though the Rangers and their allies continued to be hammered individually by the better-organised Thakrians little heed was paid to strategic concerns. Slowly, fumblingly, the Rangers mustered their men into a single united legion in their inner barracks while but a single location away 950 Thakrian men stood awaiting orders. And while Panaideos, perhaps the only Thakrian with the insight to realise the precariousness of their position, marched slowly on through the northwestern Greenwood some distance still from the guild, the Ranger legion reached its full potential and assailed the leaderless and now less sizeable Thakrian assembly. The battle was fought without much attention from the mortal protagonists. Th
e Thakrians were outnumbered and without initiative. All of the Thakrians were slain with barely over three hundred Ranger casualties. The Rangers had retaken the outer barracks and no Thakrian soldier was close enough to prevent them.
The one-sidedness of the individual confrontations remained unchanged. The Thakrians were victorious in almost all cases. Rangers and supporters (their supporters were few in body despite much verbal support beforehand) dropped like flies. But these scuffles were of much lesser importance. Despite their unexpected and resounding victory over the Thakrian legion, the Rangers were unable to press home any advantage. The accumulation of wounds inflicted on them by the Thakrians took its toll and the Rangers gradually dropped out of the defence until only Scotty remained to meet the Thakrian reinforcements. Panaideos finally closed in on the guild with his reinforcements but Thakrian morale was low and the cost of the battle was already over fifteen hundred men. Perhaps this can explain yet another error in their military leadership. Rather than pulling the reinforcement legions together into one large group capable of defeating the Ranger legion (which was the only line of defence between the guild and the plundering of their commodities, treasures and resources), Panaideos sent smaller legions into the guildhouse which were quickly engaged by the watchful rangers and defeated before a retreat could be organised. It was fortunate for the Rangers that Scotty had battled his fatigue and remained for it was his standing order to the ranger legion to watch the guildhouse and attack as one any visible Thakrian targets. Three Thakrian legions of over two hundred men each were lost in this manner with minimal casualties on the ranger side.
At this point, some two thousand men down and with no material gain from the endeavour, Kylan and Panaideos swallowed their pride and anger and ordered a withdrawal. The remaining Thakrian troops marshalled for battle were redistributed elsewhere or taken back to barracks. The Rangers Guild had successfully repelled the Thakrian invasion - less as a result of the competence of its members (though the resilience of a few was noteworthy) than blunders and miscalculations by the Thakrian high command. Lessons learned on both sides, no doubt but the Gods were disappointed. They still await a real battle.
The appointment of Brigantia, the goddess of life took place on the 2nd day of Mournsend, 990 from the mortal form of Peaceful Sirona. An account of the proceedings follows.
Genesis, the god of time intones, "Sirona, if you'd like to make your way to the Rock Pinnacle by foot then you will find the pantheon awaiting you for this appointment.".
Rock pinnacle.
The sky about you is alive with the day-time. Sitting on the snow-crowned tip of the rocky spire, you survey a cloudscape of a truly wondrous splendour and beauty. Rock-snow mountaintops rise up, adrift on a smooth white cloud-sea, sparkling in blazing sunlight. Against the whiteness below, the dome of the sky is a deep blue hemisphere atop the horizon, the sun a bright disc shining down through stray streamers of mist... The air is bitingly cold, but to you, a mortal privileged to visit what is surely the realm of the Gods, it seems merely invigorating. To your left, casting dancing watery reflections against the surrounding rocks is a deep pool of mountain water, while at the foot of the pinnacle is the mountain village of Archangel, sacred village of Genesis, the god of time. There is a distinct feeling of privacy here.
You hear the distant chiming of a grandfather clock, and Genesis, the god of time, appears.
Castigere, the god of justice stands before you.
Wraith appears to a chorus of jangling bells.
Wreathed in robes of light-blue, Orthwein, the god of fate steps down from an unseen stairway.
Light flares up as Apollo, the god of light arrives.
A fanfare is heard as the Divine Herald proclaims the arrival of Magellan, god of civilisation.
A cascade of white rose petals fall from the skies to herald the entrance of Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion.
Also present: Conan, Alecto, Julian, Gerexan, Kilthas, Neidhart, Duda, Gwendolyn, Cuchulainn, Giliad, Kharnak, Orielle, Mystra, Kylan, Warfarin, Cleindori, Groog, Ithakus, Loric, Sturge, Grundy, Zenichiro, Jared and Aerian.
Wraith says, "Hmm, anyone got any hors d'ouerves while we waiting?".
Wraith's face is covered by a look of silent hope.
Wraith says, "Oh great, stale rolls".
Peaceful Sirona has just arrived.
Wraith gives Peaceful Sirona a compassionate hug.
Peaceful Sirona's face breaks into an encouraging smile.
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to Orthwein, the god of fate.
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to Genesis, the god of time.
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion.
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to Wraith.
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to Magellan, god of civilisation.
Peaceful Sirona says, "I think I just found the reason we include this on the first guild quest".
Peaceful Sirona bows respectfully to you.
Castigere, the god of justice calls for silence from all present.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Alright, let us begin this appointment.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Stop your triggers and such.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Today, the 2nd of Mournsend, 990 will witness a rather unique appointment in Avalon's history.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Sirona, who will be appointed here, will be joining an existing divinity and sharing one of the land's original realms - that of life.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Aldaron, who has been sole god of life since early in Avalon's history, has lately stepped back from active participation in the pantheon and Sirona has been chosen to step into his shoes.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "She will have autonomy over the realm of life. She will become the goddess of life. She will be the equal of the god of life in all ways.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Sirona has been chosen for her long term and tireless support of the Animist cause and for her dedication to the god of life over the past years.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "It is hoped that Sirona, leaving behind her mortal form, will be able to grow in stature and take up this most illustrious of challenges.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "But before I make this appointment let me ask each of the deities here present whether they have any objection to me elevating Sirona, the mortal, to divine form.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "I will ask one at a time.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Magellan, god of civilisation, have you any objections or comments?".
Magellan, god of civilisation says, "I have no objections, and hope that Sirona, in her new form will leave her mark on the land as equally as Aldaron left his originally".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Rhadamanthys, appointed god of compassion, have you any objections or comments?".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion says, "I have no objection. May you grow into your realm to come, Sirona".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion smiles encouragingly at Peaceful Sirona.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Wraith, appointed and aged god, objections or comments?".
Wraith gives Peaceful Sirona a passionate kiss.
Wraith says, "New goddess, good!".
Peaceful Sirona gives Wraith a compassionate hug.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Castigere, ordained god of justice, have you any comments or objections?".
Castigere, the god of justice says, "I have no objections. I will welcome Sirona to our illustrious ranks.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Orthwein, ordained god of fate, have you any comments or objections?".
Orthwein, the god of fate says, "I have no objections, and have faith in Sirona's ability to rise up to the challenge ahead of her.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Finally, Apollo, appointed god of light and omnipotent, have you any comments or objections?".
Apollo, the god of light says, "I have had very few dealings with the realm of life directly, but have always been close to Aldaron and feel sure of his confidence in Sirona to carry on his teachings. I wish her well".
Apollo, the god of light smiles encouragingly at Peaceful Sirona.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Fine.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Sirona, what will your godly form be called?".
Peaceful Sirona says, "Brigantia".
Genesis, the god of time says, "So be it.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "One last thing before your appointment is made.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You should know that an appointed position, appointed by me, can also be taken away by me.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You are charged with the task of establishing a strong presence and bringing vigour to the realm of life.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "For as long as you act for the good of Avalon you will receive no sanction from me.".
Peaceful Sirona says, "As I've served Aldaron, I will serve Avalon, with all I have.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Should you stray from that ideal, though, you will find (as all appointed Gods) that I have the power to strip divine rank as well as bestow it.".
Peaceful Sirona says, "If I were to stray, I'd deserve that and more.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Sirona, we offer you this opportunity. I trust you won't disappoint me.".
There is a flash of light and Peaceful Sirona, Starry-eyed Dryad is gone.
A cascade of cherry blossom announce the arrival of Brigantia, the goddess of life.
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion greets Brigantia, the goddess of life with a smile.
Magellan, god of civilisation wipes his brow.
Apollo, the god of light smiles encouragingly at Brigantia, the goddess of life.
Castigere, the god of justice welcomes Brigantia, the goddess of life.
Magellan, god of civilisation greets Brigantia, the goddess of life with a smile.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Welcome Brigantia, goddess of life and newest member of the pantheon.".
Brigantia, the goddess of life's face breaks into an encouraging smile.
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion says, "Welcome, Brigantia, and well come,
indeed".
Wraith lifts a chocolate cake out from inside a nightgown embroidered with bunny rabbits.
Wraith hands a slice of wedding cake to Brigantia, the goddess of life.
Castigere, the god of justice nudges Wraith suggestively.
Castigere, the god of justice whispers something in Wraith's ear.
Wraith hands a chocolate cake to Brigantia, the goddess of life.
Wraith giggles happily.
Brigantia, the goddess of life beams broadly.
Brigantia, the goddess of life gives Wraith a compassionate hug.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Mortals you may all speak freely and meet the new goddess.".
Warfarin says, "The forests will be pleased to know they have one to care for them again, Brigantia".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Brigantia, become accustomed to your divine form, speak with these well-wishers and when you are ready come to Olympus and you will receive further instruction.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "This appointment is complete.".
A clock chimes in the distance and Genesis, the god of time is gone.
Brigantia, the goddess of life says, "Thank you".
Wizard Kilthas says, "One of Life's oldest friends is now also its newest guardian.".
Castigere, the god of justice flails his sword about his head and is consumed in a maelstrom of light.
The sound of a distant fanfare is heard, and Magellan, god of civilisation departs.
Wraith says, "We get to eat now?".
Wraith's face is covered by a look of silent hope.
Apollo, the god of light nods his head at Wraith.
Shadows return as Apollo, the god of light departs.
A crisp breeze blows russet autumnal leaves about you in the wake of
Brigantia, the goddess of life.
The following is an account of the appointment of Xanthe, goddess of vengeance from the mortal Kylan. It took place on the 11th day of Midsummer, 990.
Rock pinnacle.
Dawn has lit the sky with her streamers of rosy red. Sitting on the snow-crowned tip of the rocky spire, you survey a cloudscape of a truly wondrous splendour and beauty. Rock-snow mountaintops rise up, adrift on a smooth white cloud-sea, sparkling in blazing sunlight. Against the whiteness below, the dome of the sky is a deep blue hemisphere atop the horizon, the sun a bright disc shining down through stray streamers of mist. The air is bitingly cold, but to you, a mortal privileged to visit what is surely the realm of the Gods, it seems merely invigorating. To your left, casting dancing watery reflections against the surrounding rocks, is a deep pool of mountain water, while at the foot of the pinnacle is the mountain village of Archangel, sacred village of Genesis, the god of time. There is a distinct feeling of privacy here.
Genesis, the god of time is here, bathed in divine splendour.
The Diabolus is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Apollo, the god of light is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Castigere, the god of justice is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Magellan, god of civilisation is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Wraith is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Also present: Hero, Weasal, Gandalph, Omacron, Taolin, Taliesin, Zenichiro, Grundy, Kandar, Tanglong, Flagg, Lirril, Lurkalot, Nathan, Alecto, Secer, Kes, Blade, Diocletian, Arthor, Shadwwblade, Csl, Dempsey, Gwendolyn, Groog, Panamon, Loric, Zippy, Cleindori, Nighteagle, Dhonuill, Sautoir, Basilisk, Geist, Neidhart, Tipsy, Ixpah, Wolfsong, Saphir, Orielle, Cimares, Exeter, Giliad, Dartanian, Skruff, Calagan, Slade, Plaman, Hellchaser, Trefoil, Sajora, Telgalon, Ithakus, Tarkus, Marik, Dani, Warfarin, Gringle, Griswald, Mestopholies, Alleria, Zakath, Blotto.
Castigere, the god of justice dances the ritual of Divine Peace.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Kylan is making her way here on foot, as is fitting.".
A great, winged wyvern carries Kylan into view from the below.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Welcome Kylan.".
[ mortal greetings omitted ]
Kylan curtsies gracefully to the Gods present.
Kylan hands Hope, the radiant girl to Lady Alecto.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Time to begin.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Mortals, leave off speaking or emoting until the appointment is performed.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Following this appointment Castigere will be running a 50 question quiz, with a divine artifact as main prize.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "After this will be the appointment of Grundy to the divine order.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "This, however, is Kylan's final and finest hour.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Just as Aldaron was first to be appointed a deity, Kylan is the latest in a long line of illustrious Avalonians.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "She has served city, guild and patron with fervour and great heart for years now.".
Wreathed in robes of light-blue, Orthwein, the god of fate steps down from an
unseen stairway.
Genesis, the god of time says, "It is in recognition of this, of her contribution in so many areas of the land, her driving spirit and lustre that she is being given this opportunity to join the ranks of the divine.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Kylan, before I continue, I have two questions to ask of you.".
Kylan says, "Yes, Lord?".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Firstly, do you consent here and now to abandon your mortal form and come up, to Olympus, as a goddess and equal of the divine?".
Kylan says, "I do".
Genesis, the god of time says, "And secondly, what realm do you wish for your godly form?".
Kylan says, "Vengeance".
Kal Zakath grins in an amiable manner.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Mortal, desist any contribution.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Vengeance it shall be, then.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "But before I can make this appointment the deities here present must lend their consent to your elevation.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Gods of Avalon I will ask you one by one for your blessing and your comment on this latest appointment.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "If any of you should deny Kylan at this late hour her appointment then she will be denied entry to Olympus by me.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Rhadamanthys, first you.".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion says, "I do consent to Kylan's appointment. I am confident you will do as well in the Halls of Olympus, as you have done in the mortal realms".
Kylan gives Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion an encouraging smile.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Diabolus, your turn.".
The Diabolus says, "I consent to Kylan's appointment but she will find herself no equal of mine.".
The Diabolus bares his teeth.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Magellan?".
Magellan, god of civilisation says, "From highpriestess of Darkness to being in control of your own realm, good luck, and welcome".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Castigere, god of justice, your word?".
Castigere, the god of justice says, "I consent to her appointment, though I am sure in the years ahead we will have much to argue about.".
The Diabolus shocks you with a sudden snore.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Orthwein, god of fate?".
Wreathed in robes of light-blue, Orthwein, the god of fate steps down from an unseen stairway.
Genesis, the god of time raises his left eyebrow and glances at Orthwein, the
god of fate.
Orthwein, the god of fate says, "I gladly give my consent, and hope that she achieves as much in her divine form as she did as a mortal.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Wraith, one of my earliest appointments and still lingering in the pantheon, what say you?".
Wraith says, "'nuvver goddess in 'lympus! Good! Now we got one for cooking and one for laundry!".
Wraith hands a nightgown embroidered with bunny rabbits to Kylan.
Wraith says, "No starch please!".
Wraith says, "Oops," and ducks down quickly.
Genesis, the god of time grins in an amiable manner.
Kylan gives Wraith an encouraging smile.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Finally, and not least of those here gathered, Apollo?".
Apollo, the god of light says, "I believe Kylan has shown herself to be worthy of this gift over a great many years of trial and triumph. I wish her luck and will not stand in her way.".
Apollo, the god of light smiles encouragingly at Kylan.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then all approve of Kylan's appointment.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "So it is with great anticipation and expectation that I conclude this ceremony. Kylan, you have been given the opportunity most mortals can only dream of.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You will be trusted with divine might, with the well-being of this land, with freedom to act for good or for ill.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You will answer only to me in your words and deed.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "So be it.".
There is a flash of light and Kylan is gone.
Xanthe, goddess of vengeance is borne in on a bower of anguished denizens of the underworld.
Castigere, the god of justice greets Xanthe, goddess of vengeance with a smile.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Welcome, Xanthe.".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion cries, "You are most welcome!" to Xanthe, goddess of vengeance.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Mortals, you may act freely.".
Apollo, the god of light smiles encouragingly at Xanthe, goddess of vengeance.
Wraith lifts a chocolate cake out from inside a nightgown embroidered with bunny rabbits.
Wraith hands a chocolate cake to Xanthe, goddess of vengeance.
[ mortal greetings omitted ]
Wraith wants to know where his clean nightgown is.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Castigere, leave 15 minutes before this big quiz.".
Castigere, the god of justice nods his head at Genesis, the god of time.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Remember all that the appointment of Grundy will begin after the quiz.".
A clock chimes in the distance and Genesis, the god of time is gone.
Diabolus fades away gradually into nothingness.
Castigere, the god of justice intones, "The quiz will begin at ten minutes past eleven, by the Avalon clock. Further details will be given then.".
Shadows return as Apollo, the god of light departs.
Castigere, the god of justice flails his sword about his head and is consumed in a maelstrom of light.
Sir Arthor, Scion of Darkness shouts, "Behold! Xanthe, goddess of Vengeance takes her place as Guildpatron of the Cavaliers.".
Warrior Tanglong shouts, "Warriors are proud to announce Xanthe, Goddess of Vengeance is now our guild patron.".
The appointment of Proteus, god of the sea took place from the mortal form of Grundy on the 14th day of Midsummer, 990.
Genesis, the god of time intones, "Those who wish to witness the appointment of Grundy and a short divine history should be at the Rock Pinnacle.".
Rock pinnacle.
The sky about you is alive with the day-time. Sitting on the snow-crowned tip of the rocky spire, you survey a cloudscape of a truly wondrous splendour and beauty. Rock-snow mountaintops rise up, adrift on a smooth white cloud-sea, sparkling in blazing sunlight. Against the whiteness below, the dome of the sky is a deep blue hemisphere atop the horizon, the sun a bright disc shining down through stray streamers of mist. The air is bitingly cold, but to you, a mortal privileged to visit what is surely the realm of the Gods, it seems merely invigorating. To your left, casting dancing watery reflections against the surrounding rocks, is a deep pool of mountain water, while at the foot of the pinnacle is the mountain village of Archangel, sacred village of Genesis, the god of time. There is a distinct feeling of privacy here.
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion is here, bathed in divine splendour.
The Diabolus is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Genesis, the god of time is here, bathed in divine splendour.
Castigere, the god of justice stands before you.
Xanthe, goddess of vengeance is borne in on a bower of anguished denizens of the underworld.
A fanfare is heard as the Divine Herald proclaims the arrival of Magellan, god of civilisation.
Light flares up about you as Apollo, the god of light appears
Wreathed in robes of light-blue, Orthwein, the god of fate steps down from an unseen stairway.
Also present: Groog, Mestopholies, Taliesin, Skruff, Warfarin, Ithakus, Alecto, Orielle, Kandar, Omacron, Saphir, Csl, Wolfsong, Klatsh, Patrice, Tarkus, Bumble, Dempsey, Kilthas, Tipsy, Alexandra, Plaman, Gringle, Sautoir, Flogga, Xercer, Orinoko, Tanglong, Neidhart, Geist, Cuchulainn, Dhonuill, Ananta, Dartanian, Drolmijj, Adelwyn, Nighteagle, Joshua, Hero, Dani, Gond, Raphaim.
Lorewarden Grundy has just entered from below.
Castigere, the god of justice calls for silence from all present.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Time to begin.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Mortals, be silent and cease the emoting.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You're here to witness the second appointment of the evening, this time Grundy of the Alchemists, Chosen One of Rhadamanthys, is to ascend to immortal stature.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Before I go through the appointment I'm going to take this opportunity to give you all the roll call of deities in Avalon.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "This will be brief but I think at this important stage in Avalon's history with a handful of new divinities it is worth noting.".
Lorewarden Grundy has just entered from the outside.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Welcome back Grundy to your own appointment.".
Apollo, the god of light grabs protectively at Lorewarden Grundy.
Genesis, the god of time says, "I was the first deity in Avalon, having existed since before time. First appointment was then Astrea, goddess of wisdom.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Here's the roll call after her, for history's sake...".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Perialaga and Chant, god and goddess of hedonism, Myrkul god of evil, Pericles god of the sky, then Aldaron, god of life.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Next came ineffectual deities; Geolin god of fortune, Pippin god of the muses, Radagast god of the sea, Ophelia goddess of love, Elatar god of the stars, Pendragon god of war, Falorn god of the forests and Icarus god of the sun.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then I appointed Wraith, and he has proven permanent.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Following him was Morpheus, god of dreams and then the first competitive ordination, Maedhros, the Hunter.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Maedhros was followed by two short lived deities; Skedric, god of equilibrium and Marianina goddess of the sea - born from the first child in Avalon.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then was ordained Apollo, god of light and Anarchos, god of chaos.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Next in the first fully competitive ordination Castigere, god of justice was born from Sir Galahad of the Mages, followed by Mephisto god of the night from Helkarakse of the Sorcerers.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "These were both true ordinations.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Diabolus was then reborn from Myrkul, god of evil and then Nostradamus was competitively ordained from Blodwyn of the Seers.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then came Orthwein, god of fate from Snowlock the Thief.".
Genesis, the god of time smiles encouragingly at Orthwein, the god of fate.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Some while after Shaitan the Sorcerer transcended mortality in the form of Lazarus god of pain and Annihilus was appointed god of doom.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Cinaed the Alchemist was given immortality as Rhadamanthys god of compassion and then Magellan god of civilisation was brought into being.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Finally we have this spate of appointments, Brigantia goddess of live from Sirona, Xanthe goddess of vengeance from Kylan... And now Grundy.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Anyway, onward.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Oh, excuse me, I missed out Andromeda, goddess of dreams- just after Nostradamus and before Orthwein. She was appointed.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Cornelius, god of magic was also appointed by Aldaron (not me) at the same time as Elatar god of the stars.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "OK.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Grundy, I have two questions to ask of you here before I put it to the assembled Gods to welcome you or reject you as a deity.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Firstly that, beyond a ceremonial role as we have discussed, you will abandon Grundy's positions and mortal form to take up this divine challenge. Will you do that?".
Lorewarden Grundy says, "Yes, i will".
Genesis, the god of time says, "And secondly, which realm will you choose?".
Lorewarden Grundy says, "I wish to encompass all that is the Sea".
Apollo, the god of light smiles encouragingly at Lorewarden Grundy.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then you shall be the third to take that realm. The others shall be just memories in the annals of Avalon history.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Gods present, I will ask you one by one to assent to Grundy's appointment and pass comment on his last mortal moments.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Magellan, first.".
Magellan, god of civilisation says, "From Chosen-One of Compassion, the highest a mortal can go, you have broken the barrier to Olympus. I have no objections, and trust you will do well".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Next, Orthwein?".
Orthwein, the god of fate says, "I have no objections.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Diabolus?".
The Diabolus says, "I have no objection on the grounds that I have never even noticed Grundy beyond his enormous postings.".
Lord Nighteagle says, "Your loss".
The Diabolus mumbles "Naur an edraith ammen!" and casts his divine might. A blast of white hot flame shoots from his fingers to strike Nighteagle. You are mildly surprised when after a matter of seconds all that remains are a few pieces of charred teeth and bone. Lord Nighteagle the Dervish rises again as a ghost to haunt Avalon still.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Nighteagle carries my disfavour for speaking out of turn.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Xanthe, you have newly joined the pantheon and you must consent to this appointment.".
Xanthe, goddess of vengeance says, "I have no objections and wish him well ".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Castigere, god of justice?".
Castigere, the god of justice says, "As a mortal, Grundy has achieved much of which he may be proud. As he leaves his mortal form, I shall welcome him in the halls of Olympus.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Good. Apollo, god of light?".
Apollo, the god of light says, "Grundy has shown yet another example of the potential strength of Loremastery, the greatest of all the professions. I welcome him into Olympus.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Finally, Rhadamanthys, whose loss is greatest here. Do you consent to your Chosen One being taken from you in this manner?".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion says, "I will sorely miss my Chosen One, but by the same token I know that his spirit is deserving. Go with my blessing, Grundy".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion smiles encouragingly at Lorewarden Grundy.
A soft silver nimbus surrounds the form of Grundy briefly.
Lorewarden Grundy gives Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion a compassionate
Genesis, the god of time says, "Then, Grundy, bid your mortal form farewell. You have earned the right to join the ranks of the divine.".
Lorewarden Grundy bows respectfully to Genesis, the god of time.
Genesis, the god of time says, "In your new form you will have the freedom and creative power that godly stature bestows.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "You will, ultimately, be answerable only to me.".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Let us bring forth your divine form.".
There is a flash of light and Lorewarden Grundy, Avatar of Compassion is gone.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Hush, mortals until Grundy's new form arrives.".
Soft spray alerts you to the presence of Proteus, god of the sea.
Apollo, the god of light greets Proteus, god of the sea with a smile.
Castigere, the god of justice greets Proteus, god of the sea with a smile.
Magellan, god of civilisation greets Proteus, god of the sea with a smile.
Orthwein, the god of fate smiles encouragingly at Proteus, god of the sea.
Xanthe, goddess of vengeance greets Proteus, god of the sea with a smile.
Genesis, the god of time says, "Welcome Proteus, god of the sea.".
Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion greets Proteus, god of the sea with a smile.
Proteus, god of the sea intones, "Greeting Avalon, a tide of change comes".
Genesis, the god of time says, "Take your well wishing and later, adjourn to Olympus for instruction and perhaps meet the other gods in more peaceful surrounds.".
The sound of a distant fanfare is heard, and Magellan, god of civilisation departs.
A clock chimes in the distance and Genesis, the god of time is gone.
Shadows return as Apollo, the god of light departs.
Xanthe, goddess of vengeance waves her divine hand and is carried away by her entourage of forgotten souls.
Orthwein, the god of fate turns away from you and fades away.
Castigere, the god of justice flails his sword about his head and is consumed in a maelstrom of light.
The Diabolus and Lord of the Underworld is gone.
Non-character related information is here, from the Mentor system to various important quests that occur every few months.
There are a number of administrative commands which do not have any real effect on the Avalon world itself.
PASSWORD Begins the process of changing your password. BUG <text> Sends the text to the System Operators regarding a bug. IDEA <text> Sends the text to the System Operators regarding an idea. SYSBELL Notifies the System Operators of your distress.
CHARGES Lists the charges for playing Avalon. CREDITS Shows you how many credits you have left. OTHERS To review all accounts linked to yours. CREDBUY Enters the credit purchasing mechanism.
TERMS Views the terms and conditions for use and play of Avalon. REGISTER Registers your name, address and telephone number. INFO Lists the information held on you by the Avalon Computer.
Herbalists and those skilled in the art of poisons may plant unprepared herbs and poisons. Providing there is sufficient resource within the land to grow and that the plant is in its natural habitat, you should be able to come back to it after an Avalon month or two to find it has grown. Prepared herbs and poisons cannot be planted. To plant a herb, type PLANT followed by the name of that which you wish to plant.
Master Herbalists and Poisoners will be able to BREW herbs or poisons. To do this you need a tankard of liquid, some wood, and a tinderbox to light them with. You then prepare the herb or poison, and type BREW. It automatically assembles a fire and sets the tankard brewing. The odours of the brew will then cause the effects of the herb or poison to be felt by all in the location at regular intervals.
Herbs and poisons, as part of the flora of Avalon, will grow. For a herb or a poison to grow and multiply it must be growing in a suitable habitat. Herbs and poisons will not grow up unless there is a source to grow from - so there must be a batch of furglewort already growing for more to spring forth. Diligent gardeners may PLANT herbs and poisons. Care should be taken over this. Planting something in the wrong habitat or where there is already an over-abundance may cause the plant to die. Once prepared, herbs tend to last for around an Avalon months, or for years when inside a herb pouch.
If you are genuinely new to Avalon, and even more importantly if you are new to the concept of a Roleplaying World, you should think seriously about allowing yourself time to take a tour of Avalon. People around you will happily show you around if you ask then - type WISH FOR HELP or SHOUT HELP to attract some attention. You should also check out HELP DREAMS for useful information if you are stuck; they are quite comprehensive.
The early stages of a new Avalonians are usually the most difficult - coming to terms with the new medium, striking out unsure of what to do next after graduation, and learning enough of the vast land to plot an enjoyable and purposeful course through it. To aid this, all 'experienced' Avalonians are able to offer themselves as mentors to their younger companions. Mentors are responsible for the integration and tuition of their apprentices, to ensure their apprentices' questions are answered and that the new blood is given a role, a purpose and, most importantly, the ability to see a future for themselves within the hurly-burly of the Avalonian landscape.
In return for this service to the Gods, the mentor is rewarded twice, with ten free credits each time, at periodic intervals during their apprentices' progress. Abuse of this divine gift will be taken as an affront to all of the deities. To take a new youngster under your wing, type MENTOR <youngster> and if they are agreeable, you will be responsible for their well-being. You may type APPRENTICES at any time to gain a list of your up and coming apprentices. Do not waste this position and do not take on more apprentices than you can handle. It is a great responsibility and a youngster may have only one mentor.
Oaths are a serious business. Sworn in the presence or in the name of a deity, they are binding - the only release from an oath made is by suing Genesis, the god of time to be absolved of it, and the penance for an oath-breaker is grave indeed. Enter into an oath with a deity, or in the name of a deity in only the most serious of circumstances and be sure of the repercussions. You are never obliged to swear an oath before or in the name of a deity - your soul is your own, until you choose to surrender it. The Gods will protect your right to abstain, should you wish to exercise it.
The sands of time are used fairly regularly in gem quests, and, most importantly, they are used to determine the two final contenders for an Ordination. Quests involving the sands of time usually require two individuals, or two groups competing over possession of the sands of time over a certain length of time. The team or individual holding the sands when the time runs out is declared the winner. The difficulty with holding the sands of time is that they cannot be taken above the clouds, or out of cover of the skies, or into fields. They cannot be cursed, or trapped, or have runes placed on them. They cannot be placed inside backpacks or in the saddlebags of a steed. The sands must be held in one's hands, at all times, out in the open. The sands cannot be held by tree-formed, or cat-formed folk, or mists or ghosts or light-forms.
The City of Parrius is unlike its neighbours in that its constitution is not based on the traditional baron-ministerial hierarchy. Its Constitution has undergone changes recently, and the amendment can be viewed in the public library by Hellespont Square.
The city is governed by a council of seven custodians. These custodians elect from amongst their ranks the positions of Chief Commissioner (trade and state), Chancellor and Field Marshall. A majority vote is required.
Citizens of Parrius may type CUSTODIANS to view their leaders' votes on the matter. Custodians may type OATH <position> <person> to declare their feelings. They may oath themselves.
Beneath the Avalon continent, far beyond the reach of even the Gods, lies the ancient underworld. But one point in Avalon, in the darkest of labyrinths, will afford entry for those who desire it. Should you find that diabolical gateway, you may DESCEND beyond the reach of mortal and deity alike. However, descent into the underworld is only gained at great cost to you, either in gold (five thousand pieces), in skills (1% of all of your skills), in credits (while you remain in the underworld you will use credits at twice the normal rate), or in experience (20% of your experience), whichever you choose to forsake. The underworld is not governed by the same laws as the mainland; only the Omnipotent Gods may even set foot there. Disfavours and favours from all but Genesis, the god of time have no effect. Bloodlust and protection are unknown. The Ship of the Dead simply leads back to the underworld. Equilibrium and balance are regained twice as fast as on the surface. Potions and magical items are never exhausted, while your herb pouches, utility belts and rune belts will afford an infinite supply. Upon descent, an image of your soul, and your possessions will be held in the halls of Olympus, and upon return, you will be in exactly the same state as you left. Your former state will be returned you when you ASCEND back to Avalon. Take with you then all of the possessions you require, ensure that you are equipped as best you can. The underworld is a place of great peril and bitter conflict, of learning, and only fitting to those of the most doughty spirit.
The more kind-hearted deities set in motion an annually judged contest open to all those of a pacifist inclination, in the year 956. All quests and experience-worthy undertakings will contribute to an overall score at the end of the year. Your score is matched against the totals achieved by the other pacifists in the land and at the New Year you will receive a ranking relative to the others for that twelve month period. The highest ranking individuals will be recorded on the Pacifists section of the bulletin board and the mortal atop this quest league will be able to claim praise from his or her peers and often a divine gift.
Type QUESTLEAGUE to view the current highest ranked mortals, or QUESTLEAGUE followed by a ranking number to review those lower down the list. The quest contest is open only to those who have fully embraced pacifism and, it is hoped, will be played in the best and most generous of spirits.
The Flag Quest is a competitive game played by any number of players. They are split into two to six teams (Red, Blue, Black, White, Silver and Gold) and the aim is to raise both their own flag and the flags of the other teams at a predesignated base. Each team has a leader and only the leader may raise their flag. Flags cannot be placed in backpacks or containers or taken inside. While a FlagQuest is going on you may type FLAGSTATUS to find out where the competing flags are, and FLAGTEAMS to see who is playing in which team.
The Leader of a team is the only person who may raise a flag. This is done in the predesignated base (or by a leader) by typing RAISE <colour> FLAG, e.g. RAISE RED FLAG. The time taken after raising the flag for the flag to be considered captured is determined by the officiating deity. The winner of the FlagQuest is the team who has captured all competing flags, a task not easily achieved. Remember also that you cannot take flags inside or out of plain view of the skies.
Immortal combat is undertaken on occasions ordained by the divinities. They involved a large number of players assuming the guises of great heroes from Earth's past and battling it out using swords, and bows, until there is only one left. These character are endowed with limited magical capabilities - they can heal themselves gradually, locate their enemies, and cast magical webs of constraint upon their foes. They stalk the land, or one of the great towers, battling each other until all are dead but one. When the Gods decree the start of an Immortal Combat you may type HELP IMMORTALS for a list of those heroes you may choose from, and then BECOME followed by the name of the immortal to enter the fray.
Immortal combat is undertaken on occasions ordained by the divinities. They involve large numbers of players assuming the guises of great heroes from Earth's past and battling it out until there is only one. These characters are both magical and enormously strong. They stalk the land, battling down the ages until all are dead but one. When the Gods decree the start of an Immortal Combat, type BECOME followed by the name of the immortal to join the fray. Immortals may use the chants of Healhand, Locate and Web.
Ivan the Terrible.
Atilla the Hun.
Geronimo, last of the Indians.
Beowulf, the beast-slayer.
Cyrano de Bergerac.
Brunhilde the Last Valkyrie.
Herakles.
Richard Coeur de Lion.
For ease of use, Avalon provides you with several commands to list specific types of possessions. KEYLIST, as mentioned above, lists your keys. In addition to this you can use POTIONLIST to list the alchemical potions in your possession, RUNELIST to list the alchemical runes you have at hand, HERBLIST to list the herbs you hold, and POISONLIST to list the poisons you have in your inventory. MAGICLIST will give you a list of all magical items you hold once you have attained sufficient level in the Itemlore skill, DEMONLIST will list your demonic entourage if you have the skill of Demonology, and ARMOURLIST and WEAPONLIST give lists of all armour and weapons respectively. Since Avalon gives every item a unique number for easy recognition, most of the above commands provide you with these numbers too. To find out the unique number for any of your items not in these lists type INFO followed by the item. INFO will cycle through your items so that if you have a number of any specific type of item, you can find out the unique number codes easily.
THE AVALON TIMES
1st Edition
November 1st 1997
A tri-monthly newspaper for regular, irregular, past and future
Avalonians.
On the Web:
www.avalon-rpg.com
I Welcome to the first edition of The Avalon TimesII Avalon Current Political and Social Climate
V Accessing Avalon and Reducing LagVI Avalon's Web Site and Java Client
Guild Name ^ Guildhead ^ Patron Deity ---------- --------- ------------ Knights Guild ^ Trell ^ Apollo, the god of light Mages Guild ^ Fredegar ^ Apollo, the god of light Sorcerers Guild ^ Rohan ^ Lazarus, the god of pain Animists Guild ^ Taliesin ^ Aldaron, the god of life Rangers Guild ^ Lilandrin ^ Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter Astrologers Guild ^ Mercy ^ Orthwein, the god of fate Brigands Guild ^ Sirrus ^ Andromeda, the goddess of dreams Seers Guild ^ Ingens ^ Orthwein, the god of fate Alchemists Guild ^ Grundy ^ Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion Artisans Guild ^ Catt ^ Apollo, the god of light Bards Guild ^ Culinane ^ Apollo, the god of light Loremasters Guild ^ Spyder ^ Annihilus, the god of doom Cavaliers Guild ^ Kylan ^ Lazarus, the god of pain Enchanters Guild ^ Katherine ^ Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter Warlocks Guild ^ Blaatand ^ Lazarus, the god of pain Wizards Guild ^ Amygdala ^ Andromeda, the goddess of dreams Paladins Guild ^ Guido ^ Andromeda, the goddess of dreams Rogues Guild ^ Regor ^ Maedhros Allendil, the Hunter Mystics Guild ^ Saphir ^ Apollo, the god of light Bandits Guild ^ Kronok ^ Lazarus, the god of pain Warriors Guild ^ Conan ^ No Patron Craftmasters Guild^ Warfarin ^ Andromeda, the goddess of dreams
London (European) london.avalon-rpg.com 33Los Angeles (WestUSA) losangeles.avalon-rpg.com 8888
Subj: ISSUE #2 of THE AVALON TIMES. ENJOY.
THE AVALON TIMES
2nd Edition
September 1st 1998
A newspaper for regular, irregular, past and future Avalonians.
On the Web:
www.avalon-rpg.com
PC Format (Gold Star Award)
I Welcome to the second edition of The Avalon TimesII Avalon's Web Site and Java Client
V Future Additions to the GameVI Accessing Avalon
Guild Name ^ Guildhead ^ Patron Deity ---------- --------- ------------ Knights Guild ^ Trell ^ Apollo, the god of light Mages Guild ^ Fredegar ^ Apollo, the god of light Sorcerers Guild ^ Panaideos ^ The Diabolus Animists Guild ^ Sirona ^ Aldaron, the god of life Rangers Guild ^ Tryn ^ Magellan, god of civilisation Astrologers Guild ^ Urania ^ Orthwein, the god of fate Seers Guild ^ Blondel ^ Nostradamus, god of darkness Alchemists Guild ^ Grundy ^ Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion Artisans Guild ^ Catt ^ Apollo, the god of light Bards Guild ^ Culinane ^ Apollo, the god of light Loremasters Guild ^ Yairi ^ Magellan, god of civilisation Cavaliers Guild ^ Arthor ^ Nostradamus, god of darkness Enchanters Guild ^ Alkadar ^ Genesis, the god of time Warlocks Guild ^ Loric ^ No Patron Wizards Guild ^ Marik ^ Castigere, the god of justice Paladins Guild ^ Belgareth ^ No Patron Warriors Guild ^ Jacinta ^ Genesis, the god of time Mystics Guild ^ Cricket ^ Apollo, the god of light Bandits Guild ^ Sturge ^ Magellan, god of civilisation Prophets Guild ^ Saphir ^ Wraith Craftmasters Guild^ Warfarin ^ Magellan, god of civilisation
New York (EastUSA) newyork.avalon-rpg.com 33 London (European) london.avalon-rpg.com 33Los Angeles (WestUSA) losangeles.avalon-rpg.com 8888
Various lists such as those characters who hold various important posts, nutritional information, and the divine gems available.
An Avalon day is divided into six distinct time-zones; Morning, Mid-day, Afternoon, Evening, Early Night and Late Night. A day lasts for approximately one hour. All Avalon months are thirty days long, and last for around thirty hours. An Avalon year consists of twelve months, and therefore lasts around two weeks. Ploughing may only occur in the Spring, whilst harvesting crops happens in the Autumn.
1st Midwinter Season: Winter. 2nd Eleuthral Season: Winter. 3rd Mournsend Season: Winter. 4th Cloudburst Season: Spring. 5th Springflower Season: Spring. 6th Paglost Season: Summer. 7th Skyelong Season: Summer. 8th Midsummer Season: Summer. 9th Ilmarael Season: Summer. 10th Hindyear Season: Autumn. 11th Leaflost Season: Autumn. 12th Agamnion Season: Winter.
The cities of Avalon are the greatest bastions of human resistance to the ever-present forces of chaos and anarchy. Usually they are situated on the coast of the great continent. The cities are centres of trade, politics and power.
Type HELP followed by the city for information.
MERCINAE THAKRIA PARRIUS SPRINGDALE
The Strategic Central Points of Mercinae: South of the Mercinae Gate, The Way of the Sage by the Royal Bank, Centre of Cassiandora Square, By river jetties, Town crossroad, In front of the palace,Outside a grand building, Royal Walk by the Alchemist Guild, The Eastgate of Mercinae and finally, Before the council tower.
The Strategic Central Points of Thakria: Beyond the gate of Thakria, Centre of Thakria Square, Thakrian central docklands, Amongst the lakeside quays of Thakria, Imperial quay on Moonstone lake, Square of the Firet Emperor, Before East gate, West end of Moon-stone crescent, Northern end of the Avenue of Kings and finally, Emperors Walk before the Council Chambers.
The Strategic Central Points of Parrius: Hellespont Square, Inside west gate of Parrius, Northern gate of Parrius, West gate of Parrius, Beside the Three Fingers dock, Junction of roads, Before the Royal Mansion, Upon the bridge of skies, Amongst the Parrian docks, and finally, Outside the Council Chambers.
Towns tend to be situated at the centre of a collection of villages, or looking out onto a river or lake. They are centres of trade and usually closely allied to the nearest great city. There are many towns to the east and north of Avalon.
Type HELP followed by the town for information.
THAUMACIE GOBLIN TOWN AZRILI ARIADNE GAURTHANG CORIONA GABBAD GANT
There are dozens of human villages dotted around the Avalonian continent and many more ruled by the non-human races. Villages tend to be small and insular communities, trading in particular goods and usually allied to one or more of the major cities. Eastern Avalon boasts more villages than the wildlands of the west.
Type HELP followed by the village for information.
ELEUSIS LADAKH SNOWFOOT OGG ISABELLA KRISTANISTI NASSAU KNIGHTSWOOD OAKWOOD'S END GREENY'S EDGE PILGRIM'S REST ASTREA'S DELTA EASTPOINT MORGANA'S RISE ARCHANGEL KREMPTON KENKRIA ELEUTHERA MARSHTON
Healhand Hand of healing, to heal lost health. Reasonably effective. Firebolt Aims a firebolt at an enemy in a specific direction. Fireball Shoots a fireball, attacking everybody in an adjacent direction. Handburn Touches an enemy with your magical item, boiling their blood. Cloak Shrouds you or your target in a cloak of invisibility. Werelight Calls forth a sprite of light from the under-deeps. Firewall Conjures a wall of fire in a specific direction. Traversal Traverses to a distant target after a set period of time. Icewall Conjures a wall of ice in a specific direction to bar entry. Blind Permanently blinds you or your enemy, preventing their sight. Sight Restores sight to you, or one who is blind. Hearing Restores hearing to you, or one who is deaf. Deaf Permanently deafens you or your enemy. Web Casts a web over your enemy, preventing their movement. Pentacle Weaves a pentacle of protection about you. A potent defence. Nullify Nullifies an assortment of enemy defences. Shield Brings about a shield of arrow deflection about your person. Levitate Causes you to levitate three feet into the air. Antidote Cures you of many major afflictions and poisons. Deflection Deflects the attentions of Farsight or a demonic sensor. Revelation Reveals to you the presence of Farsight or demonic activity. Compulsion Cast over an enemy and you can ORDER them to perform actions. Sleep Forces your enemy to drift into the arms of Morpheus. Teleport Creates a teleportation pill in your palm for later use. Summon Summons a target from anywhere in the local area to you. Blastdoor Cast it in a direction to blast open a locked door.
Below is a list of the commodities found around the villages and towns of Avalon, followed by minimum and maximum prices that they are known to be traded at. Cities may to private individuals, but if they do, the prices below are to be taken as a guide and you should obtain prices from the Minister of Trade and his aides, and check them against another city; many naive youngsters have been conned out of their profit by ruthless traders.
Commodity Minimum Maximum Commodity Minimum Maximum WHEAT 2GP 24GP IRON 7GP 40GP SUGAR 3GP 35GP BRONZE 10GP 50GP FISH 4GP 45GP TIN 12GP 65GP MEAT 10GP 80GP SILVER 15GP 75GP EGGS 20GP 50GP GOLD 20GP 100GP SPICES 3GP 40GP YARRIOL 25GP 125GP HONEY 3GP 14GP ADAMANT 30GP 150GP CLAY 10GP 50GP FURS 20GP 120GP YEAST 4GP 55GP HAY 25GP 125GP MILK 4GP 25GP ANIMALS 80GP 250GP SALT 8GP 80GP LEATHER 10GP 75GP COTTON 5GP 50GP MARBLE 10GP 50GP DYES 6GP 30GP BALSA 30GP 120GP WOOD 6GP 60GP PAPYRUS 3GP 15GP GEMS 45GP 200GP FLINT 2GP 15GP ESSENCES 16GP 65GP ROPE 6GP 40GP GLASS 15GP 50GP OIL 20GP 80GP COPPER 35GP 100GP HEMP 5GP 25GP SILK 40GP 200GP WOOL 10GP 50GP
In order to compete for the divine Ordination, and in particular, the amethyst of time which bestows upon its owner the immortal soul of a God, you must have been victorious in a divine gem quest. The following are contenders for the next Ordination.
_1_ Dreadnought Loric.
_2_ The Reverend Panaideos.
_3_ Authentic Sturge, the real McCoy.
_4_ Culinane, still tweaking my mojo.
_5_ Haplo.
_6_ Lord Nighteagle the Dervish.
_7_ Johnii the Rat.
Below is a list of some of the more common Avalon emotions. It is not complete, and there is much fun to be had discovering which verbs Avalon understands.
SMILE SMIRK STRUT SCREAM SWAGGER JUMP WHISTLE WAG STARE LAUGH SALUTE WAVE GLARE BOO FLUTTER GOOSE EYE ERK ENVY GOODNIGHT GRIMACE HOPE HELLO LEER NAG NARROW NUDGE OGLE PEER RASPBERRY SCOWL SNARL SORRY THANK TICKLE WHIMPER PRAISE APPLAUD PAT CUDDLE KISS PROD CONSOLE GOODBYE NIBBLE NUZZLE WINCE SQUEEZE BREATHE COMPOSE SNUGGLE POKE GREET GROVEL STROKE TAP COMFORT SQUEEZE SING CRY BLUSH GASP CRINGE BOW CURTSEY SHRUG CHEER GIBBER GRIN KNEEL CHORTLE SIGH SNORE WHY HI GUFFAW SOB SNIGGER CHUCKLE NOD CLAP BLINK GIGGLE FAINT CACKLE SNIFF BURP BIBBLE HOWL THINK PONDER GROAN QUAKE MOAN WAIL POUT SHUDDER FIDGET GULP SKIP SNORT WHEEZE SHIVER SWEAT FUME SHAKE PACE SQUEAK SLURP HUM SNEEZE SPLUTTER DRIBBLE SULK SCOWL COUGH FROWN SNEER SPIT WHINE YAWN DANCE TUT BEG RAISE TITTER SNOG STAGGER SWAY CARESS GURGLE GARGLE SIT PHEW HISS IGNORE BEAM GRUNT VOMIT MOO MEWL BARK WOOF STAND CARTWHEEL AHA HEAVE SCRATCH AHH BACK
As you get older, in terms of Avalon years and experience level, you will need more food to sustain yourself. Food can be purchased from stalls or marketplaces around the land. Below is a brief list of foodstuffs, and rough satiation values. Food is produced using a combination of the basic commodities; wheat, meat, milk, salt, spice, sugar, and yeast.
Foodstuff Satiation Typical Cost Description APPLE PIE 35% 35-45GP AN APPLE PIE. FRUIT 15% 15-25GP BANANA, APPLE, PEAR OR PLUM CHICKEN 100% 160-180GP A SPICED CHICKEN LEG. FISHCAKE 60% 90-105GP A FISH-CAKE. BREAD 25% 35-40GP A LOAF OF BREAD. CAKE 45% 55-70GP A CHOCOLATE OR SPONGE CAKE. BUN 15% 15-25GP A CURRANT BUN. CHEESE FLAN 55% 70-85GP A TASTY CHEESE FLAN. HAM 80% 130-150GP A LEG OF HAM. MEAT 100% 165-185GP A MEAT PIE. SAUSAGE 70% 90-105GP A THICK SAUSAGE. TART 20% 20-25GP A JAM TART. PORK CHOPS 100% 170-190GP SOME PORK CHOPS. SWEET 25% 5-15GP A BOILED SWEET. PITTA 25% 30-35GP SOME PITTA BREAD. HADDOCK 55% 80-90GP A SMOKED HADDOCK. BIRD PIE 100% 155-170GP SOME BIRD PIE.
There are fifteen divine gems, each of which offering great power to the person lucky and skillful enough to earn them. A divine gem's gift is bestowed upon the person who throws it into the pool atop the Rock Pinnacle.
The Topaz of Chaos gives the skill of ropeless yanking.
The Ebony of Night bestows the Wings of the Night.
The Pearl of Stars carries the gift of Fatalism.
The Coral of Sea gives all water refreshing qualities.
The Onyx of Forest gives the Form of the Bear.
The Malachite of Fate allows the wielder to use the Musical Spheres.
The Ruby of War affords the victor Grand-Chivalry.
The Moonstone of Justice gives the gift of The Voice.
The Opal of Compassion bestows the Bonds and Touch of Compassion.
The Amber of Light brings the Form of Light.
The Cornelian of Darkness bestow Astral form and Absolution.
The Diamond of Magic bestows the gift of eternal mana.
The Sapphire of Wisdom gives the gift of Constitution and Equilibrium.
The Emerald of Life gives life and knowledge eternal to the victor.
The Amethyst of Time can only be hurled into the pool by one of Avalonian level, and it gives the greatest gift of all; the soul of a God.
Where known, a brief summary of the type of quests usually associated with a gem have been included below. These may vary according to the whim of the deity who bestows the gem.
The Ruby Single elimination of competitors in violent clashes. The Malachite Test of the knowledge of the outer-reaches of the land. The Moonstone Single or group combat between the mightiest mortals. The Topaz Combination of competitive and intellectual puzzles. The Ebony Quest to test the cunning, stealth and slyness of mortals. The Coral Quest involving speed, and knowledge of the waterways. The Pearl Quest of the stars, demanding intuition and empathy. The Onyx A test of the hunting ability of individual mortals. The Cornelian Combat to the death between the most powerful players. The Opal Quest to test the compassion and healing ability of mortals. The Amber Battles between groups for the honour of the gem. The Diamond Quest testing to the full the intellect of an individual. The Sapphire Performing as many quests as possible in an allotted time. The Emerald Intuitive searching out of golden eggs, knowledge of Avalon. The Amethyst The Quest of Ordination, described separately.
The Sapphire gives double-speed equilibrium, as well as enhanced Ultimate Constitution and magical warding. The Sapphire Quest begins at MIDNIGHT GMT - type TIME in Avalon to see the clock that we are using. The quest lasts until MIDNIGHT GMT on Sunday, twenty four hours (one Avalon month) later.
You will notice that every time you perform most quests and certain other deeds, you will be allocated a certain number of quest points. You do NOT gain any quest points while protected - bear that in mind. Your total quest point gains will be shown in your SCORE. The aim of the divine sapphire quest is to obtain the highest total quest points, higher than anybody else, over a twenty four hour, or one Avalon month period. You can type LEAGUE to see the top twenty points winners.
You may choose, instead of competing for yourself, to compete on behalf of another. To do this, type QUESTSUPPORT followed by the individual you wish to throw your weight behind. Your quest points will automatically add to their total at the ratio of four to one. You cannot transfer points, though - you must declare your support beforehand. If you have any queries, ask one of the Gods.
Type HELP ENROLLMENT for information about joining guilds.
| Guild Name | Guildhead | Patron Deity | |||
| Knights Guild | Kes | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Mages Guild | Bumble | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Sorcerers Guild | Arikarr | The Diabolus | |||
| Animists Guild | Nivea | Brigantia, the goddess of life | |||
| Rangers Guild | Griffyn | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Astrologers Guild | Katala | Orthwein, the god of fate | |||
| Seers Guild | Blondel | Nostradamus, god of darkness | |||
| Alchemists Guild | Mestopholies | Rhadamanthys, the god of compassion | |||
| Artisans Guild | Catt | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Bards Guild | Alkadar | Apollo, the god of light | |||
| Loremasters Guild | Yairi | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Cavaliers Guild | Arthor | Xanthe, goddess of vengeance | |||
| Enchanters Guild | Blotto | Genesis, the god of time | |||
| Warlocks Guild | Alecto | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Wizards Guild | Kilthas | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Paladins Guild | Jebaman | Wraith | |||
| Warriors Guild | Tanglong | Xanthe, goddess of vengeance | |||
| Mystics Guild | Dworkin | Proteus, god of the sea | |||
| Bandits Guild | Sturge | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Prophets Guild | Saphir | Wraith | |||
| Craftmasters Guild | Warfarin | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
Herb Method Effect Siriena Eat Cure for the Black Death. Sata Eat Bloats up your body into a hugely obese state. Furglewort Eat Hallucinogenic. Kelventari Apply Allows you to wax in divine splendour. Attanar Apply Resistance to cold. Olvar Eat Prevents death, once. Not cumulative. Aldaka Apply Restores sight. Febfendu Drink Restores hearing. Atigax Drink Enables you to breath under-water. Breldiar Eat Gives mental strength and optimism. Kathkusa Eat Enhances offensive capacity and physical health. Witan Eat Relieves stun and holding spells. Wirren Apply Gives extra-sensory perception of your surroundings. Madabril Eat Often known to cure the plague. Megillos Smoke Relaxes and soothes the mind and mental affliction. Yavethalion Drink Restores between 250 and 500 health points. Tyrlar Eat Restores between 100 and 200 health points. Lestagii Eat Many healing properties, plus revitalisation. Iorthir Drink Cures certain curses and enhances your senses. Dargwirith Drink Heightens naturalism and removes blackheartedness Harfy Apply Clots wounds immediately. Darsurion Drink Enhances the learning value of lessons. Athillias Eat A powerful purifier and valuable antidote. Wurtfoil Apply Rejuvenation from trips on the Ship of Death. Arkasu Smoke Cures many curses and fatalistic afflictions. Gylvir Eat Resistance to natural fires. Echianta Smoke Heals physical afflictions such as paralysis. Courgia Eat Cure for a few diseases including haemophilia. Denallo Eat Resistance to fatal poisons and the onset of death. Ollso Eat Voice projection from those skilled in Songs. Quarri Apply Gives a temporary alkar, near immunity to attack. Malloran Smoke Gives you an aura of weapon returning. Very valuable. Ucklice Apply Sixth sense for location and blended sight.
Poison Method Effect Vaxvarna Drink Causes great physical weakness. Phoroz Drink Inflicts the drinker with paralysis. Jegga Apply Death approximately four seconds after application. Jitsu Drink Causes between 100 and 200 health damage. Karfar Eat Anonymous death after ten minutes. Shirolos Eat Victim becomes a slave, e.g. ORDER <player> <commands>. Yavin Apply Causes memory loss and amnesia. Athanzar Apply Weakens magical resistance and Constitution. Erasmus Eat Causes phobias which vary from victim to victim. Zaganzar Drink Causes blindness in the quaffer. Kly Eat Causes between 3 and 300 health damage. Grelixar Apply It is a heavy and harmful hallucinogen. Dynallca Apply Causes deafness in the person that applies it. Mouurark Eat Creates great fear and claustrophobia in the consumer. Mandrake Eat Induces heavy sleep. Bukandas Smoke It causes respiratory diseases in the smoker. Kaskamak Eat Causes a slow and very painful death. Yake Eat Rots away the tongue of the victim. Wyg Apply Causes immediate and total hair loss. Ajkara Eat It has random effects harmful on the mind. Surnamen Eat The only natural source of the Black Death. Etarka Smoke It causes brittle bones. Resik Eat Attacks and debilitates the hands, left then right. Quirrog Apply Attacks and debilitates the legs, left then right. Mar Drink Induces ugliness, body odour and the plague. Exaar Smoke Causes disloyalty, friends become enemies and traitors. Ikirax Apply Causes dumbness - deadens the vocal chords. Grimleaf Eat It causes vomiting and stomach cramps. Acaana Eat Causes clumsiness and confusion, which harms magic. Nann Apply Poison of despair, garbling commands entered. Blackroot Apply Destroys empathy; Mysticism, Spiritualism and Evocation. Akmar Drink Akmar is a mystery to all but those who drink it
The ranks of High Priest and Chosen One are the highest a mortal can attain in Avalon. Both demonstrate a trust and closeness of bond between mortal and patron deity which is rare and more valuable than anything. Chosen One is the highest rank of all, bestowing the confidence and support of a deity on a mortal that elevates them to near demi-god rank in the eyes of their peers.
Magdalene the Raven Haired Beauty is the high priestess of Maedhros.
Etrigan, Paladin of Light is the high priest of Apollo.
Dr Dhonuill is the high priest of Rhadamanthys.
Mage Cleindori Brazil is the high priestess of Castigere.
King Arthor, Scion of Darkness is the high priest of Nostradamus.
Warfarin, Orielle's husband is the high priest of Magellan.
Arikarr the Undying, Lord of Shadows is the high priest of Xanthe.
Ingens is the high priest of Annihilus.
The Field Marshall is the person in charge of the military of a city. They are responsible for finding, and enlisting the men that appear around the city over time, as well as for conscripting foreign men. The Marshall is also responsible for the Sphere of Influence of a city; one of the most important economic benefits of a strong military is a strong sphere of influence. You should be aware of the entire warfare section of the HELP command if you hold this title, or are aide to it.
Chivalrous Conan, Lion of Parrius is Field Marshall of Parrius.
Lord Nighteagle the Dervish is Field Marshall of Mercinae.
Gwar, the Uruk Marshall is Field Marshall of Goblin Town.
Fractell, the Vengeful Ladakhian is Field Marshall of Ladakh.
Lurkalot, the Dark Redeemer is Field Marshall of Gaurthang.
Verlakmar, Captain of Thaumacie is Field Marshall of Thaumacie.
Deviant Plaman, Banditlord of Vengeance is Field Marshall of Thakria.
Warped Wizard Marik is Field Marshall of Springdale.
The first lines of your score sheet deal with your rank or level, a single word that describes your general stature within the land. Type LEVELS to see a list of ranks that you have already negotiated. You will lose level when your experience is lost (usually through death, and most severely through riding the Ship of Death) and assume the health and mana potentials of that new level.
Name Health/Mana Comments 1. Newborn 70 The level all of you begin at. 2. Stray 120 3. Fanciful 170 4. Vagabond 220 A post-graduation level. 5. Intrepid 270 6. Astute 320 7. Heroic 370 8. Mighty 420 9. Veridical 470 The last junior level. 10. Stalward 520 11. Imperious 570 12. Sparkling 620 13. Valiant 670 14. Visionary 720 15. Ashen 770 16. Indefatigable 820 17. Dauntless 870 18. White 920 19. Valorous 970 20. Ascendent 1020 A fair initial target. 21. Luminary 1070 22. Legendary 1120 23. Arcane 1170 24. Indomitable 1220 25. Fabled 1270 26. Mythical 1320 27. Starion 1370 28. Illustrious 1420 29. Celestial 1470 30. Avalonian 1520 Separating the men from the boys. 31. Ordainable 1570 The level but a handful attain.
Maedhros Ordained with the same name as his mortal.
Profession: Ranger.
Date of Ordination: October 21st, 1990.
City: Mercinae.
Defeated: Uncontested.
Castigere Ordained from Galahad.
Profession: Mage.
Date of Ordination: January 21st, 1993.
City: Mercinae.
Patron: Pericles, god of the sky.
Defeated: Helkarakse (Sorcerer).
Mephisto Ordained from Helkarakse.
Profession: Sorcerer.
Date of Ordination: May 21st, 1993.
City: Thakria.
Patron: The Diabolus.
Defeated: Urquoth (Astrologer).
Nostradamus Ordained from Blodwyn.
Profession: Seer.
Date of Ordination: March 21st, 1994.
City: Thakria.
Patron: Anarchos, god of chaos and Mephisto, god of the night.
Defeated: Zollrender (Thief).
Orthwein Ordained from Snowlock.
Profession: Thief.
Date of Ordination: October 16th, 1994.
City: Thakria.
Patron: Genesis, the god of time.
Defeated: Zollrender (Thief).
Lazarus Ordained from Shaitan.
Profession: Sorcerer.
Date of Ordination: November 13th, 1994.
City: Thakria.
Patron: Mephisto, god of the night.
Defeated: Gandalf (Mystic).
One of the most powerful commands to enable your character to interact with the creatures and computer controlled characters of Avalon is ORDER. It is through this command that you can make your wishes known to those loyal to you. The syntax of this command is ORDER <creature> <command>. ORDER HORSE SLAY GOBLIN, for instance, would order your horse to slay a goblin. You should attempt to master the syntax of the ORDER command as early as possible. It is very important and quite complex. Creatures of Avalon will only respond to your orders if they have good reason to. Thus creatures loyal to your guild, your city, or one of your friends will likely bow to your commands. Your enemies will likely scorn your orders. You will be able to order loyal allies and creatures in the following ways, the examples below all assuming you are ordering a friendly guard around:
Syntax: ORDER GUARD SLAY <target>.
To order a loyal creature to slay an enemy of yours, for example a goblin. They will attack and fight to the death unless ordered passive.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD MARCH <direction>.
To order a loyal creature to march in a specific direction. They will tend to engage enemies in the location that they walk to unless they have been ordered passive.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD ENTER <item>.
To order one of your loyal friends to enter something, for example, a stage-coach. Once they enter they will be likely to engage any enemies in battle.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD FOLLOW <leader>.
Orders one of your loyal creatures to follow a leader. The leader could be either a CCC or a player.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD SLEEP.
Sleeping restores health and this will order a loyal friend to go to sleep and replenish himself. To wake up your local friend you type WAKE followed by their name, e.g. WAKE GUARD.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD LOYAL <leader>.
Sometimes you may wish to lend a loyal friend to another and to do this you may order it loyal to another using this command. You may also order a loyal friend to become loyal to a particular Guild, House or City.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD GUARD <direction>.
Use this command to order a loyal guard to stand guard over a specific direction. While guarding they will attempt to block progress of their enemies and to engage intruders in combat.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD HOSTILE.
Ordering a loyal friend to act with hostility will ensure that it engages enemies as soon as it sees them, as well as fighting furiously to defend you.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD PASSIVE.
Should you order a loyal friend passive during a fight it will cease to fight its foe and return to a peaceful state. Ordering it passive while it is not fighting will ensure that it does not attack anybody save in self-defence.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD CALM
Orders your loyal friend to be calm. The opposite of the berserk command.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD RETREAT <player>
Orders your loyal friend to cease its aggressions against a specific target.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD BERSERK.
Orders your loyal friend to go berserk, attacking instantly anybody not of your guild, city or close friendship.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD HEAL.
If the guard is magical, it will cause it to cast up a charm of healing and heal itself. If they are not magical, you must order them to sleep to regain lost health.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD INVISIBLE.
If the guard is magical, ordering this will cause them to cast up the charm of invisibility and cast it over themselves.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD FOLLOWER.
Ordering your loyal friend to become a follower will allow people who are your friends, people of your guild or similar alignment, to issue orders to it. They will be able to use your friend in combat or for protection - though they will not be able to order it to change its ultimate loyalty from you.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD LEADER.
Should you order a loyal friend to consider itself a leader you will ensure that it will only take orders from you. It will reject any pleas for support or protection from any others. It will not follow any but you.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD ALIGNED.
Ordering your friend to be aligned will allow it to take alignment into account when deciding whether you attack an enemy. A good guard when ordered aligned will attack anybody with an evil alignment.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD UNALIGNED.
Were you to order your loyal guard to be unaligned, they would cease to take alignment into consideration when deciding how to react to somebody. Instead they will decide based on guild, citizenship and whether they are friend or enemy to you.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD SAY HELLO THERE.
You are able to use your loyal friends as mouthpieces to impress upon others your resolve or opinion. Use this order to force your loyal followers to speak on your behalf.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD EMOTE SMILES OPENLY.
You are also able to order your loyal friends to display emotions on your behalf. Use this order to allow them to display emotions, in the same way that the EMOTE command works, as described in earlier sections.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD GET SWORD.
Sentient beings and intelligent CCCs are able to hold items for future use. Use this order to force a loyal friend to take something from nearby and hold it until further notice. You may also order them to take any gold coins that are lying about and protect that gold with their life.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD DROP SWORD.
Use this order to force a loyal friend to drop something that they are holding onto the ground. You may also order them to drop any gold coins they are holding that you may take the gold and use it for your own purposes.
Syntax: ORDER GUARD INV.
Use this order to find out what a loyal friend of yours is holding, so that you know whether to ask them to drop something for you. Often it is wise to let a strong guard hold your valuables since it is less likely to be intimidated by a powerful enemy.
Mercinae, also known as the City of Light, has always stood as a bastion for the ideals of truth and justice. Built around the banks of the river Leithe, it borders the Southern Sea to the south, and the mountains of Thaumacie to the west. Mercinae's history has remained relatively peaceful, yet its citizens show the ability to fight like lions when attacked. Traditionally Mercinae has allied with the dwarves of Thaumacie to keep the Black Sun at bay, and with the Rangers to keep the denizens of the Goblin City in check.
Mercinae's main marketplace is named Cassiandora Square, in honour of its captured queen. Nearby is Park Elienna, temple of Aldaron, the god of life- a welcome area of natural beauty in the centre of the bustling cityport. Other Mercinae landmarks include the gambling halls, the council tower on Tooth Island, the seafront temple of the goddess of the sea, and the docklands on the east bank. Mercinae also sports a good selection of guilds and has temples to many of the gods, save those who would bring darkness upon them.
The Barony of Mercinae is as follows:
Underestimating Magdalene the Raven Haired Beauty is a Baron of Mercinae.
Lorelord Allanon is a Baron of Mercinae.
Mage Omacron Silver Wings, the Judge is a Baron of Mercinae.
Sweet as Honey Alexandra is a Baron of Mercinae.
And, the government of Mercinae is as follows:
Artisan Trefoil, Morning Star occupies the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Underestimating Magdalene the Raven Haired Beauty is the Field Marshall.
Mage Nathan Brazil, Traveller of Worlds holds the post of Minister for Trade.
Alchemist Mestopholies Compassionate Mercinaen Soul is the Minister for Public Relations.
Mage Omacron Silver Wings, the Judge is in charge of the Ministry of State.
Sir Kes The Flashing Blade is Minister for Justice.
Thaumaturge Grundy, Avatar of Compassion acts as Chancellor of the Treasury.
Culinane is Prince of Mercinae.
Let slip the dogs of war, for indeed war was upon Avalon again. Thunder crashed and rolled upon the heavens, drowning out the call of hunting horns across the plains. The Thakrians stood firm against all resistance.
For an intrepid team were they. Their tactile, mental and spiritual prowess all boosted by the alchemical compounds granted them by the Loremasters, they were indeed hall heroes against the Mercinaean resistance. The keen and swift blade of the scarlet-clad Cavalier proved a deadly combination with the hideous demons controlled by the silent, black-robed Sorcerer. Many quailed before the venemous spittle and dextrous knife-wielding of the anarchic Bandits that flitted to and fro. And all the while, fire and damning curses were rained down upon their enemies, enacted by the mysterious Seers who sat in safety many leagues away.
And when all was said and done, they stood victorious, and left the battlefield, borne of the wings of a mighty dragon that was enslaved by the magic of the Warlocks, leaving only a bitter scent of brimstone in the air that vanished with gentle zephyrs.
For heroes many were the Thakrians. Their successes came from the power and solidarity that binds society together deep behind the obsidian walls of their city. Indeed, where else in Avalon could any place lay the same claims to glory as Thakria, the City of Miracles?
The Barony of Thakria is as follows:
Prince Dartanian, the forsaken minister is a Baron of Thakria.
Ithakus is a Baron of Thakria.
Loremaster Yairi is a Baron of Thakria.
Sir Arthor, The Honourable is a Baron of Thakria.
Ingens is a Baron of Thakria.
And, the government of Thakria is as follows:
Prince Dartanian, the forsaken minister is Prince of Thakria.
Dreadnought Loric is the Field Marshall.
Sir Arthor, The Honourable occupies the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Warlock Rudel the Witch Doctor is the Minister for Public Relations.
Shadowed Arikarr the Black is Minister for Justice.
Ingens is in charge of the Ministry of State.
Lady Alecto, Dancing on the Edge acts as Chancellor of the Treasury.
Parrius was one of the earliest colonized settlements in the Avalon continent as a cut-and-thrust sea port on the Eastern Sea. For centuries Parrius avoided the necessity to introduce organised government and remained an anarchic pirate town until, a hundred or so years ago, migrants primarily from Mercinae swelled the citizenship to such an extent that formal organisation became unavoidable. Military threats from outside Parrius' walls forced its people to raise an army and introduce more powerful government. Under the leadership triad of Procyon, Marie and Calladan, Parrius' growth was assured. It rose from smallest to mightiest of Avalon's cities for a time, until decadence and complacency saw the city slowly fall from its lofty achievements. Very recently though, Parrius re-ordered its government with a new triad of guardian leaders and the ambition to regain its former status.
The founding ideal of Parrius sprung from the anarchic pirates that once made up its population; love of freedom. The purpose of the Parrian government is to maintain a strong, effective and independent city; militarily and economically able to contend with any threats from beyond its borders. But the role of Parrian government is quite distinct from its citizens. Citizenship of Parrius does not imply alignment, or creed. The government does not demand adherence to any of its laws or support for its decisions. The purpose of the government is to maintain a strong city, solely to defend the freedom of its citizens and absence of rigid law.
Springdale, City of Dreams; located on the banks of the river Silverlight amongst the central plains of Avalon, it has grown from the little trading town into the bustling and prosperous city that you now see.
Life is generally based around Springdale Square; where all the main commercial and governmental buildings are located, and of course the public houses and taverns, also, a short distance away is the Wolfhound stadium where people can gamble away their hard earnt gold in the hope of getting rich quickly.
The Government has emerged from being the theocracy that it was in the past, to being a highly dynamic and responsive body to the people, all dedicated to ensuring Springdale's future growth and prosperity. The Barons represent people from all walks of life to the appointed agents of the Government in the form of the various ministers and aides.
Life is hard, but the rewards gained from it are more than worth the effort we all put in and dedicate to it.
The Barony of Springdale is as follows:
Terribly Sensible Orielle, Warfarin's Lady is a Baron of Springdale.
Sir Jared, Barrister of Springdale is a Baron of Springdale.
Lady Gwendolyn is a Baron of Springdale.
Wizard Marik, Awakened is a Baron of Springdale.
Wizard Amygdala, The Leveller is a Baron of Springdale.
And, the government of Springdale is as follows:
Sweet Sexy Wildorchid holds the post of Minister for Trade.
Terribly Sensible Orielle, Warfarin's Lady is Princess of Springdale.
Rocketeer Rikki the jolly good fellow is the Minister for Public Relations.
Duke Sirrus Duarte acts as Chancellor of the Treasury.
Jebaman is Minister for Justice.
Warfarin, Orielle's husband is in charge of the Ministry of State.
Wizard Marik, Awakened is the Field Marshall.
Saphir, of the Stones occupies the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Members of the Alchemists, Artisans and Loremasters guild have the ability to mix potions in empty bottles. These potions have a variety of effects. Potions have become essential possessions for the more powerful Avalonians. They can be purchased often from Cassiandora Square marketplace, from Chapman's Square and from near the Thakria Square. An individual potions typically holds fifty draughts and can be drunk using QUAFF <potion>. You can list the potions you hold by typing POTIONLIST. Potions normally conform to colours as detailed below, though the potion mixer has the ability to make them any colour he or she chooses.
Colour Effect Blue Heals a great deal of lost health. Amount depends on potion mixer. Red Heals paralysis and other assorted physical afflictions. Sparkling Heals lost mana. Amount depends on ability of potion mixer. Beige Causes meditation to double in speed and cures the ditty curse. Milky Shrouds you in a cloak of invisibility for a while. Clear A potion of holy water, acting against damnation and dark curses. Purple Lends vigour to the quaffer so that they may avoid sleep. Glittering Restores sight to one who has become blind. Indigo Restores the gift of hearing to one who has gone deaf. Grey Afford an automatic resurrection a short while after death. Blue Gives the quaffer great resistance to extreme cold. Red Allows the drinker to suffer great heat and be unaffected. Pink Gives adrenalin upon unconsciousness, swapping health and mana. Magenta Creates a spirit cloak defence, prevents you being summoned. White Potion of allheale, heals the majority of afflictions. Mauve Speed potion, causing you to run very fast about the land. Brown Sustenance potion, removing hunger with a single gulp.
The Prince or the Guardian is the figurehead and often the leading citizen of a city, a powerful, well respected figure. The Prince has ultimate power over the appointment of titles and positions within the city, and commands the support of his or her Barony. The Guardian has similar power, more permanent than the Prince since their role is divinely appointed, but often shared with other Guardians or city ministers.
Dictator Dartanian, Armed With Vengeance is the Prince of Thakria.
Terribly Sensible Orielle, Warfarin's Lady is the Princess of Springdale.
Alchemist Omacron SilverWings is the Prince of Mercinae.
Sweet Tess, Charming Beauty is the Princess of Gaurthang.
Mortals under divine protection cannot be slain, and their divine protection will remain until they commit an offensive act. The Gods are a benevolent breed and this, it is hoped, will benefit all of mortalkind. All mortals below the level of Ordainable gain protection after a ride on the Ship of the Dead, and the protection is negated by a voluntary offensive or hostile act. Divine protection is withdrawn from any who hold it every Avalonian New Year's Day, on the 1st of Midwinter.
There are fifteen divine gems, fourteen of which bestow great powers on their owner, the power varying from gem to gem. The fifteenth gem (the amethyst) transforms a mortal form into a god. Read up on other sections on the gems and gem quests if you wish to know more. All mortals who hold any of the fourteen lesser gems will be entitled to contend for ordination, for the amethyst.
Gems and their current holders:
Sapphire of Wisdom won brilliantly by Haplo.
Diamond of Magic won at the very last moment by Johnii.
Topaz of Chaos won by Sturge the Bandit.
Amber of Light won by Culinane the Bard.
Moonstone of Justice held by Panaideos the Sorcerer.
Coral of the Sea also held by Culinane the Bard.
Opal of Compassion bestowed upon Taliesin of Thakria.
Onyx of the Hunter won by Loric the Warlock.
Pearl of the Stars won by Kylan, Princess of Gaurthang.
Ebony of Night won by Sturge the Bandit.
Cornelian of Darkness won by Nighteagle the Knight.
Opal of Compassion won by a close margin by Sturge the Bandit.
See HELP CONTENDERS for a list of those who are therefore eligible to contend in the Ordination.
Skill Rank:
1. Beginner.
2. Poor.
3. Apprentice.
4. Practitioner.
5. Competent.
6. Respected.
7. Renowned.
8. Master.
9. Grand-Master.
10. Legendary.
11. Ultimate.
If a skill is preceded by a "--->" in your SKILLS list then you have reached the limit of progression within your guild and cannot learn any more.
Animistry is a distinct art. It combines pacifism with an innate altruism and selfless love of life. The Animist devotes him or herself to maintain life, whether it be evil or good. Many a time has an animist been seen in the goblin town, healing the doughty goblins against attack from a Knight committed to stamping a firm morality on the orcish hordes. The Animists are best equipped of all to avoid death at the hands of their enemies - they can become a part of the forests, rendering them almost inviolate to attack and untraceable by most means available to those who might hunt them. If anything, the Animist is the most interactive of characters, since his life is devoted to protection of others - an altruism which extends beyond all other concerns.
The various command lists concerning almost every general situation.
Your experience score is a basic indication of your progression on Avalon and is represented by numerous experience levels.
SCORE - Lists various experience information on your character. QS - Lists only crucial information on your character. LEVELS - Lists your level, the levels below and the next one above. STATUS - Information on city allegiances, armour and assorted data. BIRTHDAYS - Lists those with a birthday on the current day. WHO/QW - Informs you of the other players in your region. SAVE - Stores your character record on disc for safety. SKILLS - Gives you a list of skills known by you. Type HELP SKILLS also. QUIT - Saves your character and departs you from Avalon. NEWS - Views the latest news on your Avalon system. CRY - To cry aloud the name of an enemy to alert your city defences. DEFENCES - Lists the extra-ordinary defences which you have around you. TIME/DATE - Shows you the Avalon time and date. CLS - Clears your screen to foil nosey onlookers. ECHO OFF - Avalon will cease to echo back what you type. ECHO ON reverses. FRIENDS - Lists your close Avalon friends. See HELP FRIENDS. ENEMIES - Lists your Avalon enemies. See HELP ENEMIES. HIDE - Hides yourself as best you can. REVEAL - Reveals your hiding place to all those nearby. AID - To aid another player in distress.
Only those skilled in Herbs and Poisons may use the dedicated commands.
ANALYSE [<herb>/<poison>] Analyses a particular herb or poison. PREPARE <herb>/<poison> Turns a raw herb or poison into usable form. PICK <herb>/<poison> To pick herbs from their native habitat. HERBS Tells you whether herbs are present. POISONS Tells you whether poisons are present. EAT/SMOKE/DRINK To utilise a herb or a poison.
BREW To brew up a herb or poison in a pot.
KNEEL Gauges the presence of your patron. SUMMON <ply> Summons a member of your order to aid you. FOLLOWERS Lists the followers of your patron. RETURN Returns to the focal point of your patron. CASTOUT <ply> Casts a follower out of your order. DIVS <player> Lists the divinities of a member of your order. DISFAVOUR <ply> Places a person in your patron's disfavour. NEUTRAL <player> Gives a person the neutrality of your patron. FAVOUR <player> Gives your patron's favour out to a person. GO <player> Moves you to a player where your patron is strong. ESSENCE Gains an inkling of your patron's essence.
You can move around by entering compass directions; North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, Up, Down, In or Out.
EXITS - Lists all visible exits from your location. GLANCE - Quickly glances at your location. GLANCE <direction> - Quickly glances in specific directions. GLE - Takes a quick glance and tells you exits. LOOK - Take a long look at your surroundings. SURVEY - Surveys the terrain type of your surroundings. SQUINT <direction> - Squint as far as possible in a specific direction. BOARD <item> - Allows you to board a ship, a boat or a ferry. ENTER <item> - To enter a stagecoach, for instance. LEAVE - Attempts to depart from the inside to the outside. CLIMB <item> - Climbs up a ladder, for instance. CROSS <item> - Crosses a rope bridge, for instance. MOUNT <steed> - To mount a steed. Type HELP STEEDS for further help. DISMOUNT <steed> - To dismount a steed. FOLLOW <player> - To begin following another player around. LOSE <player> - To lose one following you, or cease following another. DRAG <player> - To drag a sleeping or unconscious player with you. SWIM <direction> - Enters water and swims. See HELP SWIMMING. STRUGGLE - Struggles free of traps and magical restraint.
Dealing with objects is a very important area of knowledge and you should familiarise yourself quickly with the various object manipulation commands. If, when you examine an item, you see the words "It belongs to you" at the end of the description, you should know that that item will remain with you even when you are not playing Avalon. It will be owned by you.
INVENTORY - Lists all items, and gold you are holding. INFO INVENTORY - Lists all items you hold and their item codes. INFO INSIDE <item> - To review items inside another item. INFO ALL <item> - List all items you hold of a specific type. QI - Quick inventory of items you hold. KEYLIST - Lists all the keys you are holding. GET <item> - Picks up an item from the ground. EXAMINE <item> - Examines specific items more closely. INFO <item> - Gives extra-Avalon information on an item. DROP <item> - Drops an item from inventory to the ground. SPLIT <item> - Splits large commodities in half. BUNDLE <item> - To bundle up a commodity into one item. PUT <item> IN <item> - Puts items from one place to another. PUT <number> GOLD... - Put gold inside containers. See HELP GOLD. GET <number> GOLD... - Gets gold from containers. See HELP GOLD. READ <item> - Reads items, such as books and scrolls. OPEN <item> - Open an item (providing it can be opened). CLOSE <item> - Closes a specific item. LOCK <item> - Locks an item (providing you have the key). UNLOCK <item> - Unlocks specific items (providing you own the key). GIVE <item> TO <ply> - Hands an item to a player or creature. WRITE <item> - Begins writing on a suitable item. See HELP WRITING.
Syntax: ORDER <creature> <directive> [<parameters>].
SLAY - Attacking another player or CCC. RETREAT - Cease to attack another player or CCC. MARCH - Marching specific directions. ENTER - Orders a CCC to enter something. FOLLOW - Following another player. SLEEP - Going to sleep. LOYAL - To change your underling's loyalty. GUARD - Guarding specific directions. HOSTILE - Always attacks enemies or potential enemies. VISIBLE - Orders a member of your entourage visible. PASSIVE - Will not attack at any time. FOLLOWER - Makes your CCC friend a follower. LEADER - Ensures that your CCC friend will not follow. ALIGNED - Will base belligerence on alignment. UNALIGNED - Will not base belligerence on alignment. SAY - Orders your CCC to say sentences. EMOTE - Orders your CCC to project emotions. HEAL - Orders a magical CCC to heal itself. BERSERK - Orders your loyal CCC to go berserk and attack everybody. CALM - Orders your loyal CCC to cease berserk status. INVISIBLE - Orders a magical CCC to go invisible. GET [GOLD] - Orders your friend to take an item. DROP [GOLD] - Orders your friend to drop an item. INV - Orders your friend to tell you what is held. ACT - Orders your companion to act immediately.
There are numerous commands for using items to achieve your ends. Some of the most important are listed here. If Avalon fails to understand something which you feel it ought to then please let one of the Gods know.
ATTACH <item> TO <item> - To attach an item to another item. FILL <item> WITH <liquid/item> - To fill a container with things. SALEVALUE <item> <value in gold> - To set a value on one of your items. RUB <stuff> ON <item> - Rubs suitable stuff on another item. PLANT <seed/herb/poison> - Plants a seed that it might grow. PUSH <item> <direction> - Pushes an item (if you have the skill). INSERT <item> INTO <item> - Inserts an item into another item.
WEAR <item> - Wears an item. This can have numerous effects. REMOVE <item> - Removes a worn item and carries it instead.
DRINK <liquid> - Drinks the contents of an item. EMPTY <item> - Empties a container of whatever is inside. EAT <item> - Eats an item, satiating your hunger or ingesting a herb. LIFT <item> - Lifts up an item for a short while. WAVE <item> - Waves an item about. Can have magical effect. SMELL <item> - Smells the odour of an item for clues. REPAIR <item> - Repairs a previously damaged item. CLEAN <item> - Cleans a dirty item. Can be most illuminating. LIGHT <item> - Lights a flammable item assuming you have a fire source. DOUSE <item> - Extinguishes something which is flaming. SMOKE <item> - Smokes an item, such as a pipe. Can have after-effects. BREAK <item> - Breaks an item if you feel it is best destroyed.
Parameters are as follows:
<dirn> - A compass direction.
<target> - Name of another player, character or creature.
<name> - Name of another player only.
<object> - Name of an object, creature or character.
<item> - Name of an item.
<skill> - Name of a skill.
<amount> - Numerical value, e.g. number of gold coins.
Items in square brackets [] are optional, and if left out the command will automatically affect you or the room in which you stand.
Movement in a compass direction: North, NorthEast, East, SouthEast, South, SouthWest, West, NorthWest Up, Down, IN, and OUT or SWIM or STEER followed by a direction.
| Syntax | Meaning | ||
| ENTER <object> | Attempts to enter the <object>. | ||
| LEAVE <object> | Leaves something you have just entered. | ||
| BOARD <object> | Attempts to board the <object>. | ||
| CLIMB <object> | Makes an attempt to climb <object>. | ||
| EXITS (or X) | Lists exits from location. | ||
| LOOK [<dirn>] | Takes a long look in <dirn> or location. | ||
| GLANCE [<dirn>] | Takes a quick look. | ||
| SQUINT <dirn> | To squint in a specific direction. | ||
| GET <item> | Attempts to pick up the specified <item>. | ||
| INFO <item> | To discover an item's unique number. | ||
| SALEVALUE <item> <gold> | To set up the sale value of an item. | ||
| DROP <item> | Drops <item> from your inventory. | ||
| INVENTORY | Gives a list of your possessions. | ||
| UNLOCK DOOR <dirn> | Unlocks and opens a door in <dirn>. | ||
| OPEN DOOR <dirn> | Opens an unlocked door. | ||
| CLOSE DOOR <dirn> | Closes an open door without locking it. | ||
| LOCK DOOR <dirn> | Closes and Locks the door in <dirn>. | ||
| EXAMINE <target> | Looks more closely at <target>. | ||
| SMELL <object> | Smells the odour of an <object>. | ||
| FEEL <object> | Feels the texture of an <object>. | ||
| OPEN <object> | Attempts to open an <object>. | ||
| CLOSE <object> | Closes an <object> previously opened. | ||
| UNLOCK <object> | Attempts to unlock a locked <object>. | ||
| LOCK <object> | Attempts to lock up an unlocked <object> | ||
| CONNECT <item> TO <item> | Attaches one <item> to another <item>. | ||
| GET <item> FROM <item> | Gets one <item> from inside another. | ||
| PUT <item> IN <item> | Puts one <item> inside another. | ||
| RUB <poison> ON <item> | Rubs a poison on an <item>. | ||
| SAY <text> | Says <text> to those in your location. | ||
| QW, WHO, BW, CITIZENS | Listing other players in Avalon. | ||
| <name> <text> | Tells <name> your <text> directly. | ||
| SHOUT <text> | Shouts your <text> across the land. | ||
| LAUGH, SMILE, GRIN | Personal emotion commands. | ||
| HUG, KISS <target> | Emotions directed at <target>. | ||
| EMOTE/EMS <text> | General emotions to room. | ||
| LEAD <target> | Attempts to lead <target> about. | ||
| FOLLOW <name> | Starts to follow <name>. | ||
| LOSE <target> | Loses <target> who is following you. | ||
| MOUNT <target> | To begin riding <target>. | ||
| DISMOUNT | To dismount from your steed. | ||
| TETHER <steed> | To dismount and tether up your steed. | ||
| ORDER <target> <command> | Orders <target> to perform tasks. See HELP ORDER. | ||
| ORDER ENTOURAGE <cmd> | Orders all your entourage around. | ||
| ENTOURAGE | To list your full entourage. | ||
| DRAG <target> | Drags an unconscious or sleeping target with you. | ||
| MSG <player> <text> | Sends a message of <text> to <player>. | ||
| RMSG [<number>] | Reads your current messages. | ||
| CMSG | Clears your message store. | ||
| BB | Enters the Bulletin Board. | ||
| READBB <section> <number> | To read from the public bulletin board. | ||
| FRIENDS | Lists your closest friends. | ||
| FRIEND <name> <amount> | Makes <name> a friend of <amount>. | ||
| ENEMIES | Lists your deadliest enemies. | ||
| ENEMY <name> <amount> | Makes <name> an enemy of <amount>. | ||
| REQUEST LETTER | Asks for a letter from the Post Office. | ||
| LETTERS | To list letters in your inventory. | ||
| ERASE LETTER | Wipes an existing letter ready for use. | ||
| WRITE LETTER | Writes text into your letter. | ||
| ADDRESS LETTER <player> | Addresses your letter to a character. | ||
| POST LETTER | Posts a letter into a post-box. | ||
| TRASH LETTER | Disposes of a letter for recycling. | ||
| PIN LETTER/NOTE | Pins up a letter or note. | ||
| SCORE or QS | Gives an indication of your progress. | ||
| LEVELS | Lists those levels below yours. | ||
| STATUS | Your character's status and well-being. | ||
| DEFENCES | Your character's extra-ordinary defences. | ||
| GET GOLD <amount> | Takes gold from the ground. | ||
| DROP GOLD <amount> | Drops gold from your purse. | ||
| GIVE <num> GOLD TO <name> | Gives gold to another. | ||
| GIVE <object> TO <player> | Gives one of your items to another. | ||
| DEPOSIT <amount> | To deposit gold in a Royal bank. | ||
| WITHDRAW <amount> | To withdraw gold from a Royal bank. | ||
| SUMMON SHIP | Summons the Ship of the Dead. | ||
| SLEEP | Make an attempt to go to sleep. | ||
| WAKE | To rouse yourself once sleeping. | ||
| MEDITATE | Places you in a trance of meditation. | ||
| EAT <item> | Eats an item of food. | ||
| DRINK <item> | Drinks a beverage or magical potion. | ||
| QUAFF <potion> | To quaff an alchemical potion. | ||
| APPLY <herb> | Applies a herb in the form of paste. | ||
| SKILLS | Lists your skills, and proficiencies. | ||
| HELP <skill> | Detailed information on a <skill>. | ||
| GROUPSTATUS or GS | To list those players in your group. | ||
| AID <target> | Gives <target> your valuable aid. | ||
| GUIDE <player> | To declare your intention to guide somebody. | ||
| CHALLENGES | To review all active challenges. | ||
| ISSUE CHALLENGE <player> | To issue a formal challenge to a foe. | ||
| RETRACT CHALLENGE <player> | To revoke a formal challenge. | ||
| LEARN <skill> FROM <name> | To learn a <skill> from <name>. | ||
| TEACH <skill> TO <name> | Offers <name> a lesson in <skill>. | ||
| RESEARCH <skill> <item> | To research a skill from an item. | ||
| HIT or PUNCH <name> | Attacks <target> using your bare hands. | ||
| KICK <name> | Kicks out against <name> with your foot. | ||
| JAB <name>/BASH <name> | Attempt to jab or bash <name>. | ||
| WIELD RIGHT <item> | Places <item> in your right hand. | ||
| WIELD LEFT <item> | Places <item> in your left hand. | ||
| UNWIELD LEFT/RIGHT | Stops wielding an item in specific hands. | ||
| THROW <item> at <name> | Attempts to hurl <item> at <name>. | ||
| GOODS | Lists the items available for sale. | ||
| QUERY <item> | See how much a shop offers for <item>. | ||
| SELL <item> | Attempts to sell off <item>. | ||
| BUY <item> | Purchases <item> from a shop. | ||
| GOODS <item> | Gives you a detailed summary of <item>. | ||
| STOCK <item> | Does a GOODS on all things like <item>. | ||
| WISH <text> | Conveys <text> to all divinities. | ||
| OFFER <item>/<amount> | Offers an <item> or <amount> to a deity. | ||
| DIVINITIES | Lists the feelings of the Gods. | ||
| PATRON <name> | Selects a deity as your patron. | ||
| UNPATRON <deity> | Leaves the followers Order of <deity>. | ||
| PRAY <text> | Offers a prayer to the local deity. | ||
| FOLLOWERS/ORDER | To view your patron's upper and lower Order. | ||
| PROTECTED | To view those under divine protection. | ||
| CONTENDERS | To view the contenders for Ordination. | ||
| ELECTIONS | To view all of your elections. | ||
| CANDIDATES <election> | List candidates in a specific election. | ||
| VOTE <election> <player> | Votes for a player in an election. | ||
| STANDDOWN <election> | To stand down if you are in an election. | ||
| CHALLENGE [master] | Issues a challenge to your Guildmaster. | ||
| QUESTION <baron> | Questions the authority of <baron>. | ||
| POLITICS | To view the questioning, if any, of the barony. | ||
| REQUEST ACCOLADE | To request a guild honour quest. | ||
| REQUEST HONOUR | To request an accolade quest. | ||
| REMEMBER | To remember a quest given to you. | ||
| SUCCESS | To inform your taskmaster of success. | ||
| ADMIT FAILURE | To admit your failure and quit a quest. | ||
| ACCOLADES | To view the accolades you have gained. | ||
| HONOURS | To view the honours you have gained. | ||
| RANK | To view your rank within your guild. | ||
| PROBE <item> | To use the Itemlore skill on an item. | ||
| LIGHT <item> | Attempts to set light to <item>. | ||
| WEAR <item> | Puts on <item> of clothing. | ||
| REMOVE <item> | Removes worn <item> | ||
| READ <item> | To read an item. | ||
| COLLECT | To collect like commodities together. | ||
| RACECOM | To review wolfhound races commands. | ||
| HELP IMMORTALS | To gain help in The Immortal Combat. | ||
| BECOME <immortal> | To become one of the Immortals. | ||
| FLAGSTATUS | To gain status on the latest Flag Quest. | ||
| FLAGTEAMS <team> | To gain information on a Flag Team. | ||
| WEATHER | To assess the current weather. | ||
| HOSTILE | To act with hostility, and secrecy. | ||
| FRIENDLY | To act friendly and open. | ||
| FIGHTBRIEF/FIGHTVERBOSE | To gain brief or verbose combat text. | ||
| RELAX/CONCENTRATE | To relax your guard or concentrate hard. | ||
| IGNORE TREES/NOTICE TREES | To ignore or notice nearby trees/large flora. | ||
| TIME | To view the time (in and out of Avalon). | ||
| DATE | To view the date (in and out of Avalon). | ||
| REGISTER | To register your details with Avalon. | ||
| SYSBELL | To call the System Operators. | ||
| CREDITS | To view your current credit status. | ||
| CLS | To clear the contents of your screen. | ||
| TERMS | To view Avalon's Terms and Conditions. | ||
| PASSWORD | To change your Avalon password. | ||
| DREAM | To commence one of the Avalon dreams. | ||
The various situations specific to Avalon, from quizzes to modem access.
Avalon has a quiz-system which enables mortals or Gods to organise and run quizzes. In order to initiate a quiz without divine aid, you will need ten individuals to go to the Meeting Place and ring the bell there. The ten ringers, if in quick enough succession will open a mist portal out of the Avalon continent into the Chamber of Knowldge. After having entered the portal, a Quiz Master must be nominated - this is done by securing a unanimous nomination with four or more voters. Use the NOMINATE command to do this. From there on in, it is up to the Quiz Master to declare rules and manage proceedings.
SCOREBOARD/SB To review the current score board. REPEAT To repeat the current question. ANSWER/AN <text> To give an answer secretly to Quiz Master only. RULES To view the Rules of the current Quiz. POT Show what has been put into the pot for the winner.
Quiz-Master Commands:
[Stage 1]
QUIZWHO List who is in the Quiz (audience and competitors). AUDIENCE List audience members in the Quiz Room. COMPETITOR <player> Declares the player a valid competitor. UNCOMPETITOR <player> Removes competitorship from a player.[Stage 2]
RULEWRITE To write the rules of a Quiz. BEGINQUIZ Declares the quiz commenced and calls for silence. RULESHOW To show everybody the rules of the Quiz.[Stage 3: The Quiz itself]
CATEGORY <category> To set the current category. WORTH <points> To set the next question worth. QUESTION <question> Sets and displays the next question. ANSWERS Review the current answers log. THEANSWER/TA <answer> To tell everybody the correct answer.CORRECT <ply> [...ply] Declaring those with correct answers.
ELMINATE <ply>.ply Eliminating wrong answers from answers log. CLEARANSWERS Clear the current answers log. TIMER <seconds> Set up a timer in seconds. AUTOTIMER <seconds> Sets up a question timer with final countdown. CLEARBUZZERS Sets everyone's buzzer in operation again.OUTBUZZER <competitor> Turn off the buzzer of an individual.
PLUS <player> <pts> To add points to a player. MINUS <player> <pts> To subtract points from a player.[Stage 4: Ending the Quiz]
WINNER <competitor> To reward a competitor with victory. ENDQUIZ To declare the quiz over.
The Tournament takes place between individuals, in the form of a number of combat contests. All competitors are drawn against one another in single combat, the winner of each contest being the one to slay their opponent to ghost-form. The winner advances to the next round, the loser is out. The Tournament continues until only one individual is left, and he or she is the Victor. Type COMPETITORS while in a tournament to see who is competing, CONTESTS to see the current contest draw, and LEAGUE to see an overall list of those who have competed, and their scores.
Points are gained and lost during tournaments. You lose 1 point for being defeated, plus a point per point of difference in rating, if the slayer is of lesser rating than the slain. You gain 1 point for every victory, plus whatever the rating of the slain individual. Surviving to the Quarter-Final stage gives 5 extra points. Surviving to the Semi-Final stage gives 5 extra points. Making your way into the Final Contest gives 5 extra points. Winning the entire tournament gives a bonus of 10 points.
Ratings are bestowed on players by the Gods alone, and are given to indicate overall combat prowess.
The league you are shown when you type LEAGUE shows the results of past tournaments between the land's finest fighters. The figure in [ ] is the rating of the individual. The two numbers after the 'P' are the number of tournaments entered and number of battles total in all tournaments. 'W' denotes number of battle victories, 'L' number of battle defeats, 'C' number of tournaments won, and 'P' number of points gained from all tournaments.
As you begin to negotiate both your character and Avalon more easily, you will find that you are able to abbreviate many of the more routine commands that you will need to use. Throughout this book, each command is accompanied by its abbreviated form, should one exist for it. Most commands can be abbreviated, and you should experiment wherever possible to ascertain the shortest form. SHOUT, for instance, can be abbreviated to just SH. Not only does Avalon allow you to abbreviate many of its commands, but you are also able to cut down on the typing of lengthy character names with whom you will interact. Whenever you need to type in a player-name in your command-line you may abbreviate it merely by typing in enough letters of that person's name to distinguish it from any other current player - the first three or four letters are usually enough. This is most useful when communicating with other people but can be applied to most commands that require another player's name. If your command is not understood and you have used abbreviations, then retry the command, this time written in full, and it will usually be accepted.
The Avalon Internal Macros system is intended to reduce the effects of lag, and standardise any terminal or Avalon software you use (if you choose to do so).
MACROLIST (or M) [<macronum>].
Lists all macros defined under your character. If you specify a number, it will list macros in batches of ten from that number.
SHOWMACRO <macronum>
Shows you the definition of a specific macro.
SETTARGET (or ST) <target number> <target>
Example: ST 5 Eshkadeth
Sets up a target associated with the specified target number. You can define up to nine targets, referenced with the numbers 1 to 9.
TT <target>
Example: TT Eshkadeth
Short-cut to set up quickly target 1.
TARGETS (or T)
List all your targets.
SETMACRO (or SM) <macro number> <macro>
Example: SM 6 prod myself::kill !2::smirk
Sets up a macro. You have 128 macros. You can imbed more than one command by separating them with :: and targets with ! followed by the target number. Avalon will limit you to twenty-five commands per macro, though each movement-related command counts as eight regular commands.
A Computer-Controlled Character (or CCC) is essentially a player such as yourself. Their decisions are determined, though, by the Avalon computer rather than a human mind. The technology does not yet exist to allow fully intelligent interaction with a computer and Avalon does not pretend to do this. However, the CCCs do pertain to hold some limited intelligence: they have the capacity to store and remember events that have concerned them; they have the ability to evaluate the actions of those around them, and furthermore to act accordingly. They have allegiance towards certain people and have certain goals which they seek to achieve. A CCC is usually easily recognisable as it will often have a title or even a proper name. A CCC is a personality within the game that has a more specific role than most other computer-generated beings and as such you will find it rewarding to interact with them. Greet CCCs (or enter REQUEST QUEST FROM <CCC>) whenever you meet them for they usually know of great quests which you might be able to perform.
It is possible to add colour to your Avalon output if you have a client capable of displaying ANSI. To do this, type ANSI ON. If you want to supress colourful output or you find your client does not support Ansi, type ANSI OFF.
Avalon is sited in Vienna, Virginia, USA at the internet hub - where Sprint, MCI, America Online, and the transatlantic links (Pipex, Demon and EUnet) converge. Its connection to the internet is maintained by AlterNet, Virginia, one of the most reliable and fastest bandwidth connectionson the net. Avalon is connected via three T1 (1536kb) links.
TELNET address: avalon-rpg.com (for alternatives see HELP POPS) WORLD WIDE WEB address: http://www.avalon-rpg.com EMAIL support: support@avalon.co.uk AvPlay Windows support: avplay@avalon.co.uk
Modem access around the British Isles is supplied by IBM PC User Group and PIPEX. You dial one of the points of presence, and, if outside London, type IBMPCUG at the Pipex prompt - and then log in using the public Avalon account. Thew log-in name is IBMPCAV and the password is just a blank line. You could also use IBMPCAV at the Pipex login prompts, with no password.
Anywhere in the UK, local-rate number:
0845 355 5200
0171 649 9025
Avalon has a command only used by the most experienced and regular fighters (it is quite confusing to the inexperienced). Type FULLPROMPT ON (or FULLPROMPT OFF to reverse it) and, every time you receive an Avalon input prompt (usually a dash), it will be preceded by single letters according to which basic defences you have about your person. This is particularly useful to ensure you have immunity to poisons, or are waxing with kelventari, or have blinded yourself. You may also use FULLPROMPT INFO which, in addition to the letter codes on your prompt, will also display your current health and mana - so that you can be constantly aware of your state of health. Below is a list of letters and the defence they correspond to. You may also type BATTLEMODE while in Avalon. This will set up your fullprompt, concentrate you on your own battles (reducing the amount of text that comes through to you at times of frantic action) and place your health and mana on your prompt, so that you can see quickly and easily how your character is doing in a battle.
b Blind d Deaf f Fire Resistant e Equilibrium l Levitated i Immunity x Kelventari Aura o Voice Projection p Potion Satiated h Allhealed w Webbed up v Candescent Veil c Cloak of Protection a Alkared y Right Unbalance z Left Unbalance
Since the internet is unreliable some of the time, it is possible to set up your character to depart Avalon should nothing be received from you over a period of two minutes. To turn this facility on, type TIMEOUT ON, and to turn it off, type TIMEOUT OFF. After two minutes of inactivity, Avalon will forcibly execute the equivalent of a QUIT command.
Registering involves entering your name, address, telephone number, and date of birth onto the Avalon computer. It does not cost any money to register, nor does it oblige you to purchase credits. You will not be asked for any credit card details. Registering ensures that your character is maintained on the Avalon computer (unregistered accounts tend to be deleted periodically), and enables us to send you free information about Avalon.
Avplay for Windows (compatible with both Windows 3.1 and Windows 95) was written by Dave Austin (Apollo, on Avalon). It is fully winsock compliant and interfaces easily with all SLIP and PPP connections to the internet. AvPlay has programmable function keys, targeting, responses, scrollback, autologging, health and mana displays and a wide range of facilities to make playing Avalon easier and more comfortable. Avplay is freeware, and may be distributed freely.
To obtain Avplay Windows, the easiest method is to connect via FTP (file transfer protocol) to our ftp site, which is located at ftp.avalon-rpg.com (USA) or ftp.avalon.co.uk (Europe). There, you simply need log in under anonymous login (with your e-mail address or guest@guest.net as password). Change into AvPlay_Windows directory, and take the latest version of Avplay there. We also hold a copy of shareware Trumpet Winsock which will enable your Windows 3.x system to communicate via SLIP or PPP with the internet. Windows 95 installations have Winsock built in. Installation of Avplay Windows is very simple, and requires the PKUNZIP utility, which can also be found in this directory.
Other information not covered in the general help.
Avalon is a product of the meeting of many minds, and their works. Below is a list of some of the inspirational characters who have formed the world of Avalon.
CONTRIBUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGED FROM:
David Lucas, Peter Amachree, Nich Moore, Pat O'Brien, James McDonnell,
Shane Connolly, Lynne Simmons, Guido Cianfanelli, Jae Hicks, Sheila
Thomas, David Austin, Alexis Namdar, Julian Davey, Benjamin Maizels,
Malcolm Woods, David Croft, Peter and Sandy Hrouda, Wing Yu Tang, Mark
Ellis, David Ford, Simon Michaels, Neil Mosafi, Sally Robertson, Simon
Sacerdoti, Michael Jarvis, David Hobson, Dave Newell, John Cunningham,
Nick Ali, Stuart White, Jon Baber, Peter Evans, Mark Storrie, Emilio
Panayis Jerry Simmons, James Russell, Graham Ross, Ian Page, Paul
Clifford, Nic Alderton, James Weedon, Eleanor Hettick, and Astrea, the
goddess of wisdom.
If, by some dreadful oversight, your name is missing from this list then alert us and we will rectify the omission.
See HELP CONSTRUCTION for the exact requirements of the commands to construct and demolish buildings.
CONSTRUCT <building type> <direction>
To order the construction of the specified building in the desired direction. There must be nothing currently in that direction for building to commence. The commodities required for the building must be locally available (i.e. in the location or in your hands) and the gold, likewise, must be in your possession. The construction will be completed immediately and will automatically be considered an extension of whichever city or guild it was constructed in.
DEMOLISH <direction>
Demolition of a building is quick and easy, providing you have sufficient gold coins in your hands to pay the workmen and artisans for their time. It costs one thousand pieces of gold per location of the building to carry out a demolition.
BUILDINGS
To list out all the constructed buildings in your city and a rough idea of their whereabouts in relation to the city proper.
GUILDHOUSE
To list out all the constructed buildings as extensions to your guild house and a rough idea of whereabouts in the guildhouse proper these are to be found.
Building Type Size Price Commodities
COTTAGE Residence 2 12000 50 Wood, 5 Glass, 5 Tin
SHACK Residence 1 7000 30 Wood, 2 Glass, 2 Tin
HOME Residence 2 9000 75 Wood, 8 Glass, 8 Tin
LOCKUP Residence 2 15000 40 Wood, 50 Iron, 4 Glass, 10 Tin
HOUSE Residence 4 25000 110 Wood, 50 Iron, 12 Glass, 12 Tin
VILLA Residence 5 30000 150 Wood, 15 Glass, 20 Tin
MANSION Residence 9 50000 300 Wood, 100 Iron, 30 Glass,
50 Tin, 20 Marble
TOWER Residence 11 75000 250 Wood, 300 Marble, 50 Iron
50 Glass, 50 Tin
PALACE Residence 15 100000 300 Wood, 500 Marble, 100 Iron
80 Glass, 80 Tin
BARRACKS Military 2 50000 50 Wood, 50 Iron, 10 Bronze
STATE Government 8 50000 200 Wood, 200 Bronze, 100 Marble,
100 Clay
CHANCERY Government 12 50000 200 Wood, 200 Marble, 50 Flint,
100 Clay, 100 Bronze
SILO Wheat 3 15000 150 Wood, 150 Iron
BULLION Adamant 6 30000 300 Wood, 300 Iron
Gold
Silver
DRAPERY Silk 5 25000 250 Wood, 250 Iron
BARN Hay 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
POTTERY Clay 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
MARBLE Marble 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
SPICES Spices 4 20000 200 Wood, 200 Iron
LUMBER Wood 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
PAPYRUS Papyrus 3 15000 150 Wood, 150 Iron
YEASTS Yeast 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
FLINTS Flint 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
ROPERY Rope 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
DAIRY Milk 4 20000 200 Wood, 200 Iron
Eggs
DYESTORE Dyes 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
STAPLES Potatoes 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
HEMPS Hemp 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
SUGARS Sugar 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
ORESTORE Copper 5 25000 250 Wood, 250 Iron
Tin
Bronze
Iron
FISHERY Fish 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
BUTCHERY Meat 3 15000 150 Wood, 150 Iron
TANNERY Furs 4 20000 200 Wood, 200 Iron
Leather
BALSA Balsa 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
HONEY Honey 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
GEMSTORE Gems 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
ESSENCES Essences 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
GLASS Glass 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
OILSTORE Oil 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
WAXSTORE Wax 2 10000 100 Wood, 100 Iron
Building Type Feel ESTATE Estate Agent Generic, bustling, busy. BUTCHER Butchers Run-down, dirty, bestial. BUTCHERS Butchers Royal butchers, richly decorated and clean. BAKERS Bakery Small intimate bakery. BAKERY Bakery Huge bustling city bakery. WEAVERS Clothing Store Bustling sweat-shop, impersonal clothing. EMBROID Clothing Store Smaller weavers, finer quality, peaceful. LOCKSHOP Locksmiths Grand royal locksmith. ARMOURY Arms Small-time local dark armoury. ARMOURER Arms Imperial Armoury, grand and bustling. WEAPONS Arms Cluttered store specialising in weapons. FORGE Arms Small-time local forge without speciality. FLETCHER Arms Relaxed, civilised, cottage of an arrow-maker. OUTFIT General Store Overly-friendly, aimed at the young/novices. EQUIP General Store Generic equipment store, neutral feel. CAFE Food Bright, cheery, cosy and inviting. EATERY Food Wooded glade, relaxing eatery and meeting point. STABLES Steeds Large and well kept Royal stables. STABLE Steeds Small provincial stables. STALL General Stock store beneath a market stall location.
The lag you will tend to receive when playing Avalon (or indeed, when connecting to any but the most local sites on the internet) will be due inadequacies of capacity somewhere in the 'route' taken between your computer, and the remote site to which you are connected. Everything you send, and everything you receive, is split up into small chunks and sent to and from your local computer and the remote site in 'packets'. These packets are routed via a number of interim points as a route is established between you and Avalon. This route will not only include your local computer and your local internet provider, and Avalon itself, but also any number of interim internet providers and internet backbones (e.g. MCI net which deals with a great deal of incoming transatlantic traffic and traffic passing interstate in the USA). It tends to be at these interim internet providers and most usually, at the big internet backbones, that serious lag occurs.
At time of writing, for example, due to a problem with MCI's backbone in Boston, a third of transatlantic users and half of those on the upper eastern seaboard, will find their packets routed via San Francisco, and then back again to DC. Thus undue lag is created, even beyond normal undercapacity as the internet grows apace, beyond our control.
Avalon currently has two active points of presence around the internet, either of which may offer a better connection for you to the game. If you experience lag with one, try the other.
The main server is located in Washington DC
avalon-rpg.com (port 23)
There is also a point of presence in New York:
newyork.avalon-rpg.com (port 33)
If you have any questions regarding Avalon's service, e-mail queries to support@avalon.co.uk and we will do our best to help.
Avalon's main clock follows London time (which is Greenwich Mean Time GMT or British Summer Time BST). If your timezone is not listed here, bring it to the attention of the Gods.
AST Atlantic/Brazil -4 Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Nova Scotia
EST Eastern -5 New York, Montreal, Miami
CST Central -6 Chicago, Houston
MST Mountain -7 Denver, Calgary
PST Pacific -8 Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
CET Central European +1 Paris, Berlin
EET Eastern European Time +2 Warsaw, Bucherest, Athens, Tel Aviv
PAT Pakistan Asia Time +5 Karachi, Tashkent
AUS Australia (East) +9 Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
NZT New Zealand +11 Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin
For those of you submitting new additions to Avalon, please stick to the following format: Location descriptions should have the brief (short description), without a full stop. Then, on a separate line, the verbose, with single spaces after the full stops, and no word wrapping or carriage returns. The description should NOT include an exits summary (e.g. You see exits north and south) as this is automatically generated. If you are submitting more than one location description, the descriptions should be consecutive, brief, then verbose, then brief, then verbose. Any extra information, text, or exit notes for linking them up should be included at the end of any submission after the location text itself.
Object descriptions should have the brief (i.e. what you see in glance), then the examine (i.e. what you see when you examine), and then the inventory description (i.e. what you see when you type inv - a long black cape, for example). These should be on consecutive lines, no blank lines in between. If you are submitting a new CCC, then you should include, after the inventory, the leave text, the enter text, then the get text (e.g. So-and-so kicks you in the head rather than be picked up), and finally the death text (i.e. the text displayed when the creature is dead, in glance).
Remember: English not American spellings. Centre not center, favourite not favorite. A single space should follow a fullstop, and no word-wrapping should be attempted. And if in doubt, ask before you submit a great deal of work, it delays its implementation even if it is good quality if you submit in an awkward format. When submitting via e-mail use plain text, not HTML or Word or any other software specific format.
Wolfhound racing takes place in the central city of Springdale, in a stadium located relatively near to Springdale Square. The wolfhounds race for ten laps of the track, the winner being the first to complete them.
You may indulge in betting upon the outcome of a single wolfhound, and if it wins then you receive back five times your original stake. If it comes in second, then you receive double your original stake back, and for third place you do not lose anything. In the event of a tie, then the wolfhounds will continue to race until one wins.
Whilst within the race area, you may use the following commands:
BET <amount> ON <wolfhound> - Places a bet on the outcome of the race.
BETS - Gives you a list on who has bet on what so far.
WOLFHOUNDS - Lists the wolfhounds taking part in your race.
POSITIONS - To view the wolfhound race positions.
Marriages tend to be grand ceremonial occasions where two mortals undergo the rite of marriage in the presence of one of the Gods. The committment is binding and divinely sanctified. Most weddings take place in a divine temple of the Mercinaen Cathedral.
| Marriage between | Date | Presided by | |||
| Warfarin and Orielle | 23-Ilmarael-960 | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Rowdy Scotty and Arielle | 11-Leaflost-967 | Aldaron, the god of life | |||
| Omacron and Bumble | 5-Cloudburst-972 | Wraith | |||
| Alkadar and Katherine | 29-Agamnion-974 | Magellan, god of civilisation | |||
| Bogweed and Urania | 1-Skyelong-982 | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Nathan and Cleindori | 7-Hindyear-982 | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Julian and Calypso | 19-Leaflost-982 | Castigere, the god of justice | |||
| Diocletian and Blotto | 26-Midsummer-990 | Lorewarden Grundy | |||
| Tipsy and Selara | 4-Eleuthral-992 | Proteus, god of the sea | |||
| Cuchulainn and Alyssa | 1-Midwinter-994 | Proteus, god of the sea | |||
SALEVALUE is a useful command which determines the price a shop will attempt to sell an item at. It does not govern the price a merchant or shop will purchase it; they have their own means of assessing value. You can set the salevalue on commodities and personal items. Value changes are logged in a shop's actions log which can be viewed in the shop's stock room by typing SHOPACTIONS.
Most events in Avalon are not pre-planned but a result of the ebb and flow of its peoples, cities and guilds. Conflicts, large or small, often spring up quickly and are not controlled in advance by the Gods. Divinely organized events though are often listed here with exact dates included when known. Times shown here are in London time. Look at HELP TIMEZONES for help on converting this to your local time.
Gem quest on Wednesday 9th June at 11PM BST
Castigere, the god of justice will be runing a quest with the divine Moonstone as a reward. BST is the time zone shown on the Avalon TIME command.
The Avalon web site can be located at http://www.avalon-rpg.com. Please direct queries on this manual or the web site to Castigere, the god of justice.