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.