Avalon - online RPG world

Geography & Navigation

The Avalon game world is a huge, diverse landscape featuring four cities, twenty towns and villages and thousands of unique locations across dozens of individual areas among nineteen separate continents.

Navigation will be difficult at first, but only through knowledge of the land can one hope to harvest its fruit.

Basic Movement

The most commonly used way to move is what you learn early in the Academy: simple walking. You can move in the directions of the compass, thus, NORTH, NORTHEAST, EAST, and so on. You can also abbreviate these to shortcuts for faster movement: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW. In addition to these compass directions, you will encounter locations in which you can move UP, DOWN, IN, and OUT.


Syntax: LOOK

The simplest way to see the exits in a location is to use the LOOK command, which will show you all of the normally-observable ways in which you can move.

2002h, 2002m aex ---look
Path entrance.
Under a canopy of trees the track continues westward into the gloom of the wood; as far as you can make out, the track curves round to the left. To the south, almost concealed under low branches, lies the entrance to a narrow path going deeper into the wood. Although the entrance is dark and uninviting, all you can detect is an intangible presence of peace. The remains of festooning linger about the locale. A fallen rowan tree rests along the path side. A huge ancient tree stands nearby, its great roots dug firmly into the ground. There is a fallen plum-tree here. There are six quarterstaves here, each set with the head of a fallen foe. Like numerous processions of little white statuettes, seven hundred and fifty-two dryads stream about here, the white faced wood-spirits playing in knots, fading in and out of existence and click-clacking at you with their hollow mouths and strange crooked eyes. The earth here is frozen from the winter months, awaiting the thaw of the springtime. The soil has yet to be turned. This garden bears the name: "Garden of Eden"  An opaque pod sits here, the surface of its impervious skin pulsing with a strange ethereal hum. A flag bearing the emblem of the white swan has been raised proudly here. An oak tree large and broad, grows here. There is evidence of a tree seedling here.  A grappling pole marks the location, twine stretching northward from its base. It has been sunk to form a nexus point. 
The Even-tide has come; darkness will follow soon.
The Mercinae flag, the white swan, flies here. You notice exits north, east, south and west.

Syntax: ROUTES

Some exits are hidden from normal vision, however, you will gain a skill in Perception fairly early on named ROUTES that will reveal these secret paths.

2002h, 2002m aex ---routes
The Even-tide has come; darkness will follow soon. The Mercinae flag, the white swan, flies here. You notice exits north, east, south and west.

Syntax: INHALE

Running about the land is an exhausting endeavour and becoming out of breath can rapidly drain your health; causing you to trip and fall. This can be mitigated in numerous ways; some available to all such as the riding of a steed and some profession specific such as the knightly juggernauting ability.

Should you find yourself exhausted from over-exertion, the INHALE command will allow you to pause and recover your breath; gradually restoring your ability to once more run about the land at speed.

"Unrivalled knowledge of the land leads to unparallelled discoveries"

The Avalon Internal Map

The MAP command shows you the area around you, displaying a visual representation of your immediate surroundings. It is possible to automatically display a new map each time you move by activating MOVING MAP. MOVING MAP is especially useful in tightly clustered areas, such as cities, to see the paths of streets and the like.

Vicinity MAP around "Crossroads of the Main street" location:

                   /
           [i]--[o] 
            |  /    
            | /     
      [v]  [o]  [t] 
       |    |    |  
       |    |    |       
-[#]--{#}--{o}--[o]--[#]-
       |    |    |       
       |    |       
      {v} -{o}--[i] 
            |       
            |  
           [^] 


Map shows Eleusis environs with your location highlighted.
[ ] for general locations ( ) means divinely marked { } very holy locations
your locale = highlighted light blue = river/lake dark blue = sea
$ = shop t = tavern T = treasure chamber x = ruins/razed
o = outdoor i = indoor ^ = up exit v = down > = out < = in

Fast Travel

Avalon also has a system of fast travel, which can be used both for convenience and for first learning your way around the continent. You can use either the FIND or ZOOM commands to automatically walk to many areas, including key locations in your home city, the various villages about the land, your guild, and all of the major cities. HELP WHERE will show you all of the various locations accessible via fast travel.


Mounts & Steeds

The skill of riding allows for the mounting and control of various types of steeds. While mounted on a steed, you will not become out of breath from rapid movement about the land. Steeds confer many advantages: speedier travel, heightened defence and attack, assistance in combat and - perhaps most useful - the ability for flying mounts to pass unhindered over snowdrifts and water-logged areas. Furthermore, winged mounts are able to fly, allowing use of the skies for even quicker travel.


2002h, 2002m aex --- whistle mount
You whistle a subliminal call for your loyal steed.
A charcoal pegasus strides into view in answer to your call.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
Right side ready
2002h, 2002m aex --- spur skyward
You spur your mount, a charcoal pegasus, up, up and away.
Skies over lake, woods and a ruined city
2002h, 2002m aex --- descent
You look around to assess points of descent from this lofty vantage point.
Descending southeast leads to: Start of road.
Descending east leads to: Bend in paths.
Descending south leads to: Meeting place.
Descending west leads to: Outside the woodman's hut.
Descending southwest leads to: At the bottom of the waterfall.
Descending northwest leads to: Wooden jetty in wide river.
Descending northeast leads to: Forest beside overgrown building.

Professional Travelling Abilities

In addition to the general skill of riding, there are a smattering of professional or specialist abilities that concern themselves with travel and navigation. Most professions have at least one ability to move quicker throughout the land and some, like the Loremasters, boast mobility as one of their finest advantages in combat.

Some of these abilities include:

  • Portals to directly teleport to a specific player or CCC
  • Gateways to step through directly to a certain location
  • Teleportation pills to return to a place imprinted
  • Melody flight between village and town milestones
  • Specialist flight among the Skies, Heavens and Stars

2002h, 2002m aex --- sing melody using lyre
You begin to play the lyre.
You begin to sing a rich, mellifluous melody.
2002h, 2002m aex --- direct
A shimmering alkar springs up about your form.
The gift of divine flight is afforded you.
2002h, 2002m aex --- mercinae
You call upon the heavens to give solace to your newborn body. You are wafted across Avalon and set down at Mercinae.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
Centre of the Cassiandora square marketplace.
You are at the very eye of the storm here, at the centre of the milling crowds and the bustling trade of the marketplace. Stalls surround you at irregular intervals and the raucous shout of the stall-holder obstructs your mind from more relaxing musings. Traders displaying cloths and wheelbarrows piled high with produce supplement the ample compliment of traditional stalls, all surrounded by sizeable crowds of eager buyers. Here at the apex of Mercinaen trade, you can see only more stalls to the north, east, south and west. Type GOODS for a list of goods sold here. A huge milestone engraved with jet-black lettering before you reads "Mercinae".

Avalonian Geography

While Avalon is a text-based game, it can still be helpful to visualize the continent in your head. Knowing that Thakria is in the west, Mercinae in the south, and Parrius in the east can help guide you as you navigate your way around. There are several maps available here.


The Skies

One of the quickest ways to travel about the land is via the skies of Avalon. Each area in the world has its own sky location which is connected geographically to adjacent locations of nearby regions; enabling easier crossing of distances and quick descent to the area below. The skies themselves boast multiple levels - below the clouds, above the clouds, the upper skies, the Heavens and the Stars - requiring the use of apposite professional or specialist skills the higher one flies.


2002h, 2002m, aex --- lorerobe flight
Diamonds along your lore-robes are directed towards: the very heavens.
You begin to flap your robes furiously and nod knowingly as you shoot up into the skies.
Within the heavens of Avalon
You are high within the heavenly vault of the sky, clouds swirling about as they wreath their haphazard journey through the vales and mountain peaks of Avalon. Astonished, you glimpse far below the spires of great cities as mere white points set between the deep green of the forest and endless plateau of the ocean. Towards the horizon you glimpse islands and other continents, but distant visions to your straining eyes.

The lowest region of the skies is open to all Avalonians using a flying mount (such as an eagle or a winged horse) though it should be pointed out that flying is a dangerous business and - should you find yourself dismounted or without support - you will rapidly tumble downwards and risk a fatal impact with the ground below as a result. Caution is advised!

"A land like no other. Over twenty thousand unique locations. Distinct ecosystems and real weather effects."

Location Types

Any individual location in Avalon has many different traits, which have a myriad of different effects. You can use SURVEY to discern some information about a location. Here is an introductory list of what you may find:

  • A location can have water present, allowing the filling of containers.
  • A location that is entirely water, such as on a river or lake, presents the risk of drowning.
  • A location's terrain type, such as being a forest or a mountain, determines the herbs and poisons that can grow in a location, and the knowledge of where to find some rare terrain types can be a jealously guarded secret amount the herbalists of Avalon.
  • A location may be, and most commonly will be, part of the Sphere of Influence of a major city.
  • Locations can be marked by the deities of Avalon. A mark signifies that the location is holy to the marking deity, and items may be offered to the glory of that deity using the OFFER command. The number of marks present determines the holy power present in the location, with 3 or more marks signifying a location of particular importance.

2002h, 2002m aex --- survey

You are outdoors. You are standing in: Wildland.
You survey the open-play surroundings: "Path entrance" of "Forest" location-type.
Above would be found: Skies around Pool of Life and Ilmarael.
This is a natural forest/wilderness location: You know this locale to be part of the Greenwood.
( Path Entrance ): 0 location-fathoms, 0 inv-gallons, 0 total-accessible.
The water hereabouts offers little by way of accessible flow. Nothing lies in easy reach for cleansing or bathing ablutions.
This location is on the surface of the continent.
The environment is suitable for herb or poison growth.
This is part of the Mercinae sphere of influence.
The location is holy. Ashvani, goddess of the moon has marked it once.
This is not a location in which you have authority or capacity to construct.

Knowledge of the land is an ability much coveted by many Avalonians. Myriad discoveries await. Where will you explore next? Play Now to begin your quest...