[FOR THE TIME BEING THE CONTENTS OF HELP GUILDGOAL IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE SWITCHED ON BUT, CURRENTLY, TO ALLOW PEOPLE TIME TO ASSIMILATE OTHER ASPECTS (MELEE, ACTIVE DEPLOYMENTS, etc) THESE ARE SWITCHED OFF]
While most of the legion-related goals are open to all legions to at
least attempt, although effectiveness is largely dictated by one or more
of the specialist-skills associated with the particular goal, some are
solely the province of guild legions. These solely guild goals are
inaccessible to city legions - impossible to execute even for legions
boasting great numbers, high morale and enormous inventories. The LEGION
POTENTIAL command (see HELP LEGIONS) will let you know whether a
particular legion is capable of advancing in one of the guild
specialist-skills. If not, the goal is unusable. Many skills not included
in the list here are largely the province of just one guild, but are
integrated into a facet of a more generally used goal (e..g. 'enemytheft'
is predominantly a speciality of the Thief profession but its use is
documented elsewhere).
Guild specialist-skills are: "girdling", "forestgrowth", "forestcleanse,
"weathermods", "elementcalming", "fatalism", "mysticalfear",
"healinghands", "attackmagic", and "fireworking".
Where you see <%> written in the syntax, it is referring to the percentage
of the legion to have involved in the execution of the goal; or zero to
cancel altogether (if appropriate). Higher the percentage, the more occupied
the legion becomes executing the command-order but also the more
powerful the end result, the faster its conjuring and the speedier the
legion's recovery from its efforts.
Syntax: ... ENVIRONS GIRDLE/LIBERATE/CONFLAGRATE/DOUSE HERE/<direction> [<%>].
Using the 'girdling' and 'fireworking' skills to bring into being
certain magical impediments to thwart and bewilder opposing
forces/affect adversely the landscape nearby. The pace of recovery and
power of the girdle or conflagration of surroundings will depend on the
size of the legion, the percentage involved and the potency of the
'girdling' or 'fireworking' skills. Using LIBERATE reverses the effects
of a girdling and DOUSE removes the ongoing effects of the magical
fires, extinguishing their flames (if possible). LIBERATE and DOUSE can
be used against enemy girdling and conflagrations, leading to a battle
for supremacy between skill potencies multiplied by numbers involved.
Syntax: ... FOREST GROWTH/RETREAT/CLEANSE HERE/<direction>/EDGES <%>.
Employing here either the giuld specialist-skill of 'forestgrowth' or
'forestcleanse', this command-order brings about the goal of either growing
obstacles of natural import to bar (or slow-down) progress of one's enemies
or cleansing one's surroundings (assuming it is a forest or at least
rife-with-flora environment) of many intrusive presence (such as magical
rituals, unnatural fires, location-based charms, etc). The 'forestcleanse'
ability is pitted against the appropriate offensive skill responsible
for whichever force is being cleansed from the location, while the
'forestgrowth' potency determines the extent of the obstacle and its pace
of emergence from, most likely, the earth below. FOREST RETREAT removes
obstacles brought to being via this command - and can be done against
enemy growths but at a price/chance of success dependent on the comparison
between your 'forestcleanse' plus numbers involved, pitted against the
enemy 'forestgrowth'.
Syntax: ... ELEMENTAL CALM/STORM <type>/WIND UP/DOWN <dirn>/COLDER/WARMER <%>.
The elements play an important role in the landscape and lives of the
inhabitants of Avalon, though mostly the inate heroism of the players makes
them impervious to its residual effects (weather is easily weathered, one
might say). However here a legion with appropriate 'elementcalming', or
'weathermods' specialist-skills may whip up the elements into a storm,
increase the driving strength of a wind, or render more cold or more warm
a location. The 'weathrmods' skill defines the extent to which the location
can be affected and, often more pivotally, the length of time the elemental
changing lingers before falling back to normal levels. ELEMENTAL CALM or
attempts to bring WIND or temperature back towards normal levels involve
the 'elementcalming' specialist-skill. Unlike many of the magical goals,
there is no competitive aspect to elementalism - skill potency dictates
limits and speed but a location whose winds blow mightily by dint of a
legion with 80% 'weathermods' will be no more difficult to calm than a
wind whipped up by a legion boasting only 20% 'weathermods' skill.
Syntax: ... MYSTIC CEASE/FATALISM/FEAR <percentage of legion>.
There are two specialist-skills employed here: 'fatalism' and 'mysticalfear'
and both are used to mount covert but often insidiously effective attacks
against the morale/broad competences of an opposing legion. Declaring
the mystic touch to be introduced weakens the physical melee prowess of your
legion but replaces it instead (at least until the MYSTIC CEASE command
is given) with FATALISM which causes depression and demoralisation to
rise in the bosms of even the doughtiest of enemies, or FEAR which sends
an irrational fear through the ranks of the opponent, augmenting the
apparent threat - and therefore the actual threat - supplied by the target's
assailants. A fearful opponent is a weakened one, just as a depressed
and demoralised defence is more lacklustre as a consequence. Continuous
use of the MYSTIC FATALISM or FEAR is a drain on the mental resources
of your legion so should be use somewhat carefully to avoid burnout.
Syntax: ... HEAL <target>/BRETHREN/etc <percentage of legion>.
The most simple of the various guild goals centers around the use of
'healinghands' skill to diagnose and cure ailments afflicting the
target, lending - at the very least - a boost to their morale as their
healthiness is restored to its peak and tiredness falls from its limbs.
The extent of the healing, the range of ailments healed and/or amount of
health restored - in addition to the speed of the healing process; these
are determined by the heights reached by the healer legion in the
'healinghands' skill. The <target> can be a legion, a player, or a CCC;
it matters not to the altruistic healer. It can be BRETHREN to heal all
others in need of the same legion type, or ALLIES to do likewise to all
those of sympathetic loyalties, or FRIENDS to tend to allies, brethren
and those determined by the FRIENDS of the commander and/or founder.
Syntax: ... MAGIC OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE/ALWAYS/NEVER <percentage of legion>.
Use this command-order to bring about the goal of affecting the outcome
of attacks against equipment or even sentient enemies by augmenting the
offensive actions with increased magical potency. It uses,
overwhelmingly, the legion's specialist-skill 'attackmagic'. A sorcerer
legion, for instance, engages an opponent in melee with greater might
when employing some of its numbers in MAGIC (with OFFENSIVE or ALWAYS
parameters); bringing the blackhand onto the battlefield and thereby
fighting closer to its guild potential. Continuous employment of MAGIC
can be draining on a legion and is thus not recommended as a permanent
state.
