Saturday, October 24, 2015

At the Heart of it All

Over the last couple of weeks I've been working on levelling another vampire named Viltrow. I finished it off tonight and was disappointed with the final base of 754 hp's. I did enjoy going back over some of the low level areas I never spend much time in, in particular Along the Forest Path. This area I hadn't been to in years - from memory the last time I did anything in that area was over 10 years ago when I was questing to join the Guild of Vampires and needed to get The Heart of the Forest.

This area has a few mini-quests in it. The first one starts at Theggory the knight:
A small ford
Exits: east southwest
A small creek winds spreads out through large rocks creating a small ford.
A large destrier paws the ground.
A tall man, clad in heraldic branded armor imposes his presence here.
Theggory the knight bows from the saddle.
Theggory the knight says 'Greeting my Lord.'
Theggory the knight wonders 'I am upon a great quest, mayhaps you could provide assistance?'

> say yes
You say 'yes'
Theggory the knight wonders 'Great!  Thank you for the aid in my quest.  Where may I find my groupmate Acwellan?'

> say a small camp
You say 'a small camp'
Theggory says to you 'I need further help from you, Viltrow. My group split up to try to find a cure for our ranger, Landue. He was bitten by a creature from a distant plane of existance. Normal cures here don't have any affect on the poisons that he is suffering from. I was contacted by a witch named Meadhbh. She told me she could help. I was to meet her in a village called Newfane to find out about an antivenom for my friend.
Alas, I can not go to find her, now. My friend Acwellan is in danger and I must go to him. Please go to find Meadhbh, the witch in Newfane. She travels to our plane of  existance through the Machine Dreams. Will you help Landue?
Please say "yes" if you will help him.
I got stuck on this mini-quest. I ended up sitting around in Newfane without coming across the witch. With the low level areas you can easily just level up past the limits for the quests. A more interesting quest was the one from Theggory's friend Acwellan the druid:
> say Theggory
You say 'Theggory'
Acwellan the druid says 'Yes, I sent out a message for aid to help me, help this forest.'
Acwellan the druid wonders 'All is not as healthy as it seems.  Could you help?'

> say yes
You say 'yes'
Acwellan the druid says 'The forest, and Nature herself thanks you.   The guardian of these'
Acwellan the druid says 'woods, a dryad has been driven from her tree.  She has since sought'
Acwellan the druid says 'refuge somewhere in the forest.  The problem is that she left the'
Acwellan the druid says 'symbol of her guardianship in her old home.  She needs to be found'
Acwellan the druid says 'and the symbol returned to her for the forest to regain its full'
Acwellan the druid says 'health. Call her by her name - Semlina - to summon her from her tree.'
Acwellan the druid says 'Then tell her you wish to help.'
 After exploring around the area I found the room that the druid was talking about:
A small glade
The simplicity of this glade exudes an almost magical aura of peace
and harmony, even your most aggressive urges are suppressed in this
place.   The vegetation seems to be in the epitome of life and vitality.
Exits: east west

> say semlina
You say 'semlina'
A thin and pale forest spirit steps from the center of the tree

> say help
You say 'help'
The dryad says 'Thank you mighty Adventurer.  The hope of this forest may rest in your'
The dryad says 'hands.  I have been driven from my tree by a group of foul and destructive'
The dryad says 'people.  Because I am the guardian of these woods I was able to shelter'
The dryad says 'here in a child of my own tree.   While the loss of the hurts me most'
The dryad says 'direly, it is the loss of the Heart of the Forest that matters more.'
The dryad says 'I need you to recover the Heart for in my weakened state I can only leave'
The dryad says 'this tree here for extremely short amounts of time.'
The dryad wonders 'Will you please help me?'

> say yes
You say 'yes'
The dryad says 'Oh thank you for your generous offer of aid.  The tree is the huge tree to'
The dryad says 'the east. I know that the vile ones have sheltered under the roots in my'
The dryad says 'precious tree.  Look for a secret door of bones in the pit at the trees base.'
The dryad says 'Once you are in the lair you need to make your way one of the rooms at the'
The dryad says 'end of the complex.  I know that the one of the band has a hidden room.  '
The dryad says 'In that room there is a secret unknown to the despoiler.  Open the branch'
The dryad says 'of roots to discover where the heart itself sits.  Then simply return the'
The dryad says 'Heart to me.'
The dryad Looks at you hopefully before fading slowly back into her adopted tree.
The Heart would be impossible to find without the information from Semlina that the keyword to open the secret door is "branch". The heart itself is rather uninteresting:
> exam heart
You take a closer look at The Heart of the Forest in inventory...
This almost appears to be only a very large and highly polished knot of wood. Then it moves slightly. It pulses as if it has some magical connection.  You can feel a slight buzz in your hand from holding it.

> c id heart
Object 'The Heart of the Forest' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 1 trash, weight 1.
Special properties:  none
This trash has a gold value of 0.
The reward for handing in the heart is getting Semlina to cast blessing of Thoric on you. It felt a little underwhelming at first to just have a spell cast upon you but then I realised just how handy this spell is. It increases all of your stats by 3 and is automatically cast on you by the mysterious robed figure when a character below level 10 enters the Halls of Knowledge. However, what is special about getting Semlina to cast this spell is that she can do it for characters up to level 25. And sometimes a few extra stats while getting a couple more levels before upgrading some equipment is all you need.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Monkeying Around

I've been talking to a few players lately about quests, storylines and puzzles that span more than one area. There are rumours of secrets and unsolved mysteries involving interlinked multiple areas throughout the game. Figuring these out can be made easier by working with others. Sometimes just knowing which areas to look in can be the start. One time consuming puzzle is the Eight Monkeys. Basically it involves finding eight different monkeys spread out over the Southern Mountain Range, Wastelands and Ockwater Fens areas. Once you've found them you can connect them to make Eight Monkeys:
Object 'eight monkeys' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 43 armor, weight 2.
Locations it can be worn:  hold
Special properties:  none
This armor has a gold value of 1750213.
Armor class is 14 of 14.
Affects hp by 30.
Affects mana by 55.
Affects strength by 2.
Affects constitution by 1.
Affects hit roll by 4.
Affects damage roll by 3.
Affects moves by 5.
Here's my breakdown on each of the monkeys:

Amythyst Monkey
This monkey can be found in the Southern Mountain Range on the merchant. He usually hangs around in the valley near Edel and can be found using "where merchant". He may say he is out of stok and on his way home. If this happens just follow him and wait. To get this one you need to buy it off him as follows:
On An Enormous Foothill
Exits: north south west [northeast] southwest
A dwarven merchant looks tired from crossing the mountains.
An old mule solemnly follows his master, pulling his cart.
The mule lets out a tired noise.

>list
A merchant whispers to you 'I have an amythyst monkey. Yes, with 'y's, it's foreign. give me 150000 coins and it's yours.'
A merchant whispers to you 'And just forget where you got it from, okay? It's worth more than that, I want to be rid of it.'
A merchant whispers to you 'I don't like doing business outside of my established cities, but I also don't want to end up stuck with jewels and attracting bandits in the mountains.'

>list
A merchant whispers to you 'Just give me the 150000 coins and I'll give you the carving.  Or let's just walk away.'

>give 150000 coins mer
You give 150,000 coins to a merchant.
A merchant thanks you heartily.
A merchant gives you an amythyst monkey.
Coral Monkey
This monkey is incorrectly labelled on rodpedia as being from the Southern Mountain Range when in fact is from the Wastelands. To find it you need to search in the following room:
A Wind Torn Beach
Twisted, stunted trees line the beach, their tortured roots extending into
the waves as if seeking relief in the cool waters of the sea. Fluttering in the gusts of wind that blow in from the ocean, grey spanish moss dangles from the branches, enveloping the almost barren limbs in a funeral shroud.
Exits: west down northeast
A black tarantula scuttles quickly over burning sands.

>search
You begin your search...

Your search reveals a coral monkey!
Gypsum Monkey
The gypsum monkey involves a little work in the Wastelands and interacting with Ratboy within the Southern Mountain Range:
The Shelter At The End Of The Alley
Exits: north
A short table stands here
(Hide) A ruffian hangs around at the back of the shelter, trying to carve crystal with a small mining pick.
A shrewd, grey haired dwarf stands here, as if he's expecting you.
Kurt looks you over appraisingly.

Ratboy picks away at his chunk of glass, trying to carve it into something.
A crack is heard from the chunk of glass.  A swearword is heard from Ratboy.

>say glass
You say 'glass'
Ratboy tells you 'Yeah? It is the worst. You can't carve glass without a furnace. I wish I still had some of the soft crystals from the golden sands left.'

Golden Sands
This low spot is nestled amongst the fringes of the foothills. Lots of sand has accumulated in this hollow, blown in from the desert to the south and scoured from the hillsides by even more blowing sand. The sand has a very deep shine to it, yellow like gold and it sparkles brightly in the light.
Exits: north northeast southwest

>search
You begin your search...

Your search reveals a gypsum crystal!

>g cry
You get a gypsum crystal.

>give gyps ratb
You give a gypsum crystal to Ratboy.
Ratboy tells you 'Hey, this is a nice soft crystal. I can use this! Thanks.'

Ratboy tells you 'Come back in a couple hours and I'll give you the crystal back.'

The Shelter At The End Of The Alley
Exits: north
A short table stands here
A shrewd, grey haired dwarf stands here, as if he's expecting you.
A ruffian hangs around at the back of the shelter, trying to carve crystal with a small mining pick.
Ratboy tells you 'Thanks for that crystal. It's way better than trying to carve glass.'

Ratboy picks away at his chunk of glass, trying to carve it into something.
A crack is heard from the chunk of glass.  A swearword is heard from Ratboy.

Ratboy picks away at his chunk of glass, trying to carve it into something.

Ratboy tells you 'Thanks for that crystal. I enjoyed carving it, but I'm done with it now. Have it back, it's a monkey.'
Ratboy gives you a gypsum monkey. 
Jade Monkey
The jade monkey is bought off the mob Fidalstix in Southern Mountain Range who also does part of the Mystic Armor of Nidaros quest. The hard part is waiting around to get Fidalstix to turn up though you can get him to come sooner:
The Pick And Payload Common Room
This room is quite large. There is more than enough space here for the common room to comfortably hold a full house on a busy night with every one of the thirty bunks occupied and no one feeling crowded. The bunks run the length of the walls in this upstairs room of The Pick and Payload Inn, the place is kept immaculately clean and the beds look to be quite comfortable for a safe night's sleep.
Exits: down
An injured adventurer is here in town resting and recuperating.
A brightly dressed gnomish merchant is staying here while in town.
A gnome man is in town, away from the mines for the day.
Fidalstix smiles at you.
The adventurer looks up at you, but seems only vaguely aware.

>list
[Lv Price] Item
[20 580365] Jade monkey.
[13 144842] The rhodium ring.

>gold
You have 1,164,871 gold pieces on hand.

>buy jade
You buy jade monkey.
Quartz Monkey
This monkey is actually the first of the eight monkeys I ever stumbled across. This is one is literally found in the Southern Mountain Range with a min-story to go with it:
Inside The Run Down Shack
This structure barely qualifies as a shack. Bits and pieces of trash are poorly hammered to cracked strips and timbers, all of which would collapse were it not leaning against the cliff face outside, plainly visible through the cracks in the walls. The shack sits in the low trough against the cliff  face and what is left of the rotting floor is very damp. An unkempt bed rests on stone blocks in one corner and a crooked square table stands with the help of the wall. It is possible that this is someone's home.
Exits: north
An old ranger stands very still here.
Begbee looks up at you, seeming a little surprised.
Begbee thinks, 'Hmmmm.'
Begbee says 'I don't often have visitors...'
Begbee says 'Are you lost or is there reason for this intrusion?'

>say cress
You say 'cress'
Begbee looks a little shocked.
Begbee wonders 'Oh, you know Cress. Tell her her daddy would love to see her soon, wouldya?'

A Low Spot On The Canyon Rim
This natural low area on the canyon rim provides a beautiful view of the canyon stretching far to the southeast and the canyon floor below. A small fire has been built here and still smolders warmly. The rim trail follows the higher parts of the rim, passing this spot by. The east wall of this depression has a slight overhang of the sandstone at the very top, providing a tiny space of shelter, just enough for one person vertically.
Exits: north
(Glowing) A fire has burnt down to a bed of hot coals here.
(Hide) A young girl hangs by her feet in the shelter of the overhang.

>say begbee
You say 'begbee'
Cress says 'Yes, he is my father. He gave me something but I've... I think it fell into the canyon. I search for it every night but I think it's...'
Cress looks very sad.

The Northwest Corner Of The Enormous Canyon
The canyon floor is rather flat here, devoid of the hoodoos and other rock formations that fill this canyon with wonder. The high canyon walls are extremely crumbly and climbing here would be impossible. The balancing rock formation to the southeast looks precarious as if it ought to topple to the east into a nearby hoodoo at any moment.
Exits: east south

>search
You begin your search...

Your search reveals a quartz monkey!

>give monkey cress
You give a quartz monkey to Cress.
Cress says to you, 'That's it. That's the little monkey! It's not broken, it's perfect.'
Cress looks both happy and very sad at the same time.
Cress says to you, 'Thank you for showing me. I'm glad I didn't break it. You keep it, though.'
Cress gives you a quartz monkey.
Cress says to you, 'Take good care of that, I can't keep it, it makes me sad.'
Ruby Monkey
This little monkey is quite a tricky guy to find. For starters it involves being the only monkey you need to go to Ockwater Fens as part of and secondly it uses an item to make it which already has other uses - a roughly cut ruby. Once you have this item you need to sell the ruby to Roovin as follows:
A Small Cavern
This cavern of rocks is drier than the tunnels and only has a little mud on the floor, tracked in by the feet of previous visitors. The rocks are very old, cracked and are veined with a dull ore. The ceiling doesn't drip and some of the rocks have smooth, flat tops. This would be a comfortable place to rest and dry out before venturing back into the mud of the tunnels that lead in all directions getting nowhere. This is the definitive 'dead end' proving that there is nothing of interest beyond these tunnels.
Exits: northwest
A large, granite-like lizard blends into the stone floor.
(Hide) (Red Aura) A lizardman scout watches from the weeds.
A lizardman scout watches you.

>sear
You begin your search...

Your search reveals a roughly cut ruby!

>g rub
You get a roughly cut ruby.

The Smelterer's Shop
The glow of intensely hot fire escapes the furnace to the south and reddens the room brightly. The heat in here is incredible despite the wide open door, window and hole cut through the ceiling. The furnace is enormous and fronted by a closed grate while it melts the metals out of the ore-rich rocks brought to the smelterer by the miners. The bustle of Looris Street goes on just outside the door as merchants and miners go about their business in the town of Edel.
Exits: west
The smelterer seems not to notice the heat.

>list
You can't buy anything here.

>sell ruby

>You sell a roughly cut ruby for 94000 gold pieces.
Roovin the smelterer smiles happily.

>list
[Lv Price] Item
[12 665770] A ruby monkey.

>buy ruby
You buy a ruby monkey.
Sugilite Monkey
To get the sugilite monkey you first want to have a chat to A'grenre, the cleric in Edel:
You say 'flowers'
A'grenre says 'The garden looks beautiful, and I can harvest the important flowers for various potions.'

>say crocus
You say 'crocus'
A'grenre nods in agreement with you.
A'grenre says to you, 'They have properties important in curative spells.'
You can find purple crocus flowers in the rooms "The Edge Of The Quiet Valley" and "Along The Valley Low Road". Just search in both of these rooms. Once you have the purple crocus flowers head back to A'grenre and give him the flowers. Most of the time he will do the following:
 >give crocus a
You give a purple crocus to A'grenre.
A'grenre thanks you heartily.
A'grenre gives you a potion of purple crocus extract.
This potion isn't too bad:
Object 'a potion of purple crocus extract' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 2 potion, weight 1.
Special properties:  magic
This potion has a gold value of 800.
Level 33 spell(s) of:
  'cure critical'  'heal'  'refresh'
But occasionally (about 1 in 10 times) you will get a sugilite monkey instead:
>give croc cleric
You give a purple crocus to A'grenre.
A'grenre gives you a sugilite monkey. 
Turquoise Monkey
The turquoise monkey is also from Southern Mountain Range with a little quest to it from Ormwell. He sends you off to find a small wooden cup. Once you give it to him you get the monkey:
Lost Amongst The Foothills
The foothills look the same in all directions, rolling endlessly toward the distant horizon of mountain peaks. The dry, rocky ground supports no plant life and there is no sign of any sort of a trail. The terrain makes for difficult traveling and the lack of landmarks makes it seem all the more futile. Perhaps something awaits just beyond the next foothill, something other than another hill, or perhaps not.
Exits: north east south west northeast northwest southeast southwest
A pool of cold mountain water has collected here.
A crudely carved cup has been left here.

This halfling ranger slumps over his walking staff, nearly dead from thirst. He must have been stuck here for a long time.

Ormwel is in perfect health.

Ormwel is using:
<held>               a curved staff

>give cup orm
You give a small wooden cup to Ormwel.
Ormwel examines a small wooden cup.
Ormwel eagerly drinks from a small wooden cup.
Ormwel thanks you heartily.
Ormwel utters the words, 'fly'.
You rise into the currents of air...
Ormwel says to you, 'Here, keep the treasure I found. I owe you my life, but thi
s is what I have to give you.'
Ormwel gives you a turquoise monkey.
Ormwel gives you a small wooden cup.
Once you find all of the monkeys you can link them up by wearing the right combination of monkeys - coral & ruby, gypsum & quartz, sugilite & amythyst and turquoise &  jade. These make red, green, white and purple monkeys. These can then be combined to make purple and red monkeys as well as green and white monkeys. Finally combining them makes the eight monkeys.

The eight monkeys is the best hold item in the game that I know of for its level, however by the time you reach level 50 there are plenty of better options. Part of the challenge is it needs you to get items from multiple areas with some of them having multiple uses, or being made by mobs with multiple uses. Add in a few low pop rates on some items and others taking time to complete and you can see why it is not the most common knowledge.

Overall though it makes me wonder "What secrets are still hidden out there?", "What mobs and items have other uses I don't know about?" and "How many other areas are linked together with items from one area being used in a completely different area?"

Sunday, September 13, 2015

The Deck of Many Things (round 14)

Another deck pull tonight. I did a couple of things different with this one and used my drow warrior on this pull. I was hoping to get something added to my bone helm with this character but it didn't quite go to plan for me... or for Stoneheft either... For this post I didn't take out my prompt. You'll see why:
Small Hut
Exits: north
The Deck of Many Things lies in wait for a brave soul.
The Deck of Many Things says 'If you can find a card within me, you might be lucky enough to draw something of value.
However, once you submit to chance, you put yourself at the mercy of the cards.
The Deck of Many Things winks suggestively.

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> who imm
-----------------------------------[ IMMORTALS ]------------------------------
Newblet         Loril Gemstone-Edelstone, on Cloud Nine. (Ringbearers) [Co-Head of Newbie Council]
Muse            Romani de Carpathia Vote: http://tinyurl.com/thoric  FB: http://tinyurl.com/thoric-rod Twitter: @RealmsOfDespair. (Deity of Baali) [Head of The
Symposium]
Prince          Stoneheft Gemstone  the Benevolent. (Deity of Dragonslayer) [Co-Head of Newbie Council]
3 players.

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> garb
You are using:
<used as light>      (Red Aura) Shifting black flames
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) ring of Saturnalia
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) ring of Saturnalia
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn on body>       (Red Aura) (Humming) Golden Plate
<worn on head>       the Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi
<worn on legs>       (Red Aura) godskull shinguards
<worn on feet>       (Glowing) demonscale Boots
<worn on hands>      (Red Aura) Sin
<worn on arms>       (Red Aura) a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards
<worn about body>    (Red Aura) (Humming) a Cloak of Demons
<worn about waist>   circle of mists
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<wielded>            the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<dual wielded>       the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<worn on ears>       an earring of GlassWalker bone
<worn on eyes>       a bloody eyepatch
<worn on back>       [nothing]
<worn over face>     [nothing]
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> g key deck
You get the Key to the Deck of Many Things from the Deck of Many Things.
The Key to the Deck shudders menacingly.
You drop the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Vl'aresch gives you one gold coin for your sacrifice of the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Be Forewarned : You could lose all that you own.
Skold has been given the chance to draw from the Deck of Many Things.

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> g card deck
You get a card from the Deck of Many Things.
A mystical being appears and points at you. Your senses reel as you are flung through the void to another place.
The card twists and wriggles in your hands.
A great flash of light envelopes the room, blinding you momentarily.
When your vision returns, you see that the Deck of Many Things lies before you once more.
It is highly recommended that you examine the deck before drawing from it. When you are ready, simply take the card.

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> g card deck
You get a card from The Deck of Many Things.
You see that you have drawn The Page of Swords.
What this card bodes for your future, only an immortal of level 57 or above can discover for you.

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv> tell stoneh Hi Stoneheft can you please help me out with the deck?
You tell Stoneheft 'Hi Stoneheft can you please help me out with the deck?'

<1596/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft steps forth from a dwarven holy symbol that wasn't there a minute ago.

<1601/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft looks at you.

<1601/1653hp 590/590mv> smile ston
You smile at him.

<1601/1653hp 590/590mv> garb
You are using:
<used as light>      (Red Aura) Shifting black flames
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) ring of Saturnalia
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) ring of Saturnalia
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn on body>       (Red Aura) (Humming) Golden Plate
<worn on head>       the Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi
<worn on legs>       (Red Aura) godskull shinguards
<worn on feet>       (Glowing) demonscale Boots
<worn on hands>      (Red Aura) Sin
<worn on arms>       (Red Aura) a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards
<worn about body>    (Red Aura) (Humming) a Cloak of Demons
<worn about waist>   circle of mists
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<wielded>            the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<dual wielded>       the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<worn on ears>       an earring of GlassWalker bone
<worn on eyes>       a bloody eyepatch
<worn on back>       [nothing]
<worn over face>     [nothing]
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer

<1601/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft wonders 'You've done this before?'

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> nod
You nod solemnly.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> say You helped me out last week
You say 'You helped me out last week'

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> wink ston
You wink suggestively at Stoneheft.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft wonders 'You know the risk and still want to do it?'

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> give card stone
Stoneheft smiles happily.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> You give a card to Stoneheft.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> nod
You nod solemnly.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft nods solemnly.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv> cros
You cross your fingers and hope for the best.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft drops a card.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft sacrifices a card to Adendra.
Whispering voices fill the room and a faint breeze blows from somewhere...
The Page of Swords decrees a Knight's downfall in health to be your fate.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft smiles at you.

<1606/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft wonders 'Ready to go back?'

<1611/1653hp 590/590mv> nod
You nod solemnly.

<1611/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft has transferred you.
Small Hut
Exits: north
The Deck of Many Things that lay in wait for Skold rests here.

<1611/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft tells you 'Better luck next time.'

<1611/1653hp 590/590mv> reply thanks
You tell Stoneheft 'thanks'

<1621/1653hp 590/590mv> reply Umm... What did that card actually do?
You tell Stoneheft 'Umm... What did that card actually do?'

<1621/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft tells you 'You should notice in your prompt.'

<1621/1653hp 590/590mv> reply it sounds like my hp should have dropped but they've stayed the same
You tell Stoneheft 'it sounds like my hp should have dropped but they've stayed the same'

<1631/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft tells you 'You sure? Totally sure?'

<1631/1653hp 590/590mv> reply totally
You tell Stoneheft 'totally'

<1636/1653hp 590/590mv> reply was at 1653 base before and after
You tell Stoneheft 'was at 1653 base before and after'

<1636/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft tells you 'You're awfully honest.'

<1636/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft tells you 'Aha.  I see, it is my mistake, actually.'

<1636/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft steps forth from a dwarven holy symbol that wasn't there a minute ago.

<1641/1653hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft says 'Sorry...  Remove all.'

<1641/1653hp 590/590mv> rem all
You stop using a bloody eyepatch.
You stop using Sin.
You stop using a demonskin ankle bracer.
You stop using a demonskin ankle bracer.
You stop using ring of Saturnalia.
You stop using a Cloak of Demons.
You stop using an earring of GlassWalker bone.
You stop using a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards.
You stop using the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor.
You stop using the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor.
You stop using circle of mists.
You stop using demonscale Boots.
You stop using godskull shinguards.
You stop using ring of Saturnalia.
You stop using Shifting black flames.
You stop using woven webbing.
You stop using woven webbing.
You stop using scales of alpha & omega.
You stop using Golden Plate.
You stop using scales of alpha & omega.
You stop using the Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi.

<1641/872hp 590/590mv>
Stoneheft says 'Wear all.'

<1641/867hp 590/590mv> wear all
You hold black depravity as your light.
You place a bloody eyepatch on your eyes.
You wear Sin on your hands.
You fit a demonskin ankle bracer around your left ankle.
As you fit a demonskin ankle bracer upon your ankle, a dark power rushes through your legs and feet.
You fit a demonskin ankle bracer around your right ankle.
As you fit a demonskin ankle bracer upon your ankle, a dark power rushes through your legs and feet.
You slip your left finger into ring of Saturnalia.
You wear a Cloak of Demons about your body.
You wear an earring of GlassWalker bone on your ears.
You wear a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards on your arms.
You wield the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor.
You dual-wield the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor.
You wear circle of mists about your waist.
You are encircled in a cloud of smog upon donning a circle of mists.
You wear demonscale Boots on your feet.
You slip into godskull shinguards.
You slip your right finger into ring of Saturnalia.
You fit woven webbing around your left wrist.
You fit woven webbing around your right wrist.
You wear scales of alpha & omega around your neck.
You fit Golden Plate on your body.
You wear scales of alpha & omega around your neck.
You are forbidden to use that item.
You don the Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi upon your head.
The distant sound of a dragon's roar echoes into your ear as you place the Bone
Helm of Ryuukoroshi upon your head.
It won't fit overtop of what you're already wearing.
You are forbidden to use that item.

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> save
Saved...

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft says 'You were supposed to lose 31.  I tok 5.'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft says 'took'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft says 'I appreciate your honesty.,'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> nod
You nod solemnly.

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> say thanks
You say 'thanks'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> garb
You are using:
<used as light>      black depravity
<worn on finger>     ring of Saturnalia
<worn on finger>     ring of Saturnalia
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn around neck>   (Glowing) (Humming) scales of alpha & omega
<worn on body>       (Humming) Golden Plate
<worn on head>       the Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi
<worn on legs>       godskull shinguards
<worn on feet>       (Glowing) demonscale Boots
<worn on hands>      Sin
<worn on arms>       a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards
<worn about body>    (Humming) a Cloak of Demons
<worn about waist>   circle of mists
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<worn around wrist>  woven webbing
<wielded>            the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<dual wielded>       the Blackened Blade of the Corruptor
<worn on ears>       an earring of GlassWalker bone
<worn on eyes>       a bloody eyepatch
<worn on back>       [nothing]
<worn over face>     [nothing]
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer
<worn around ankle>  a demonskin ankle bracer

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft says 'I hope I can give you more than five, next pull.  :P'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> smile
You smile happily.

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv> say Me too
You say 'Me too'

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft tips his cap to everyone in the room.

<1641/1642hp 590/610mv>
Stoneheft traces a holy symbol before himself and steps away through it.
Maybe next time I'll have more luck. And next time I am posting about something else...

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

The Deck of Many Things (Round 13)

I swear I do more on Realms of Despair than just playing with the Deck of Many Things. I have other things I keep meaning to get around to writing about by the perfectionist in me wants them to be fully done and 100% right before posting. Posts about the deck are easy logs. Here's the latest:
South Wing of Tower
The lonely corridor comes to an end shortly after you start walking down it. A dark room is to the east.  The hallway goes back north towards the foyer.   
Exits: north east
The Deck of Many Things lies in wait for a brave soul.
The Deck of Many Things says 'If you can find a card within me, you might be lucky enough to draw something of value.
However, once you submit to chance, you put yourself at the mercy of the cards.
The Deck of Many Things winks suggestively.

>g key deck
You get the Key to the Deck of Many Things from the Deck of Many Things.
The Key to the Deck shudders menacingly.
You drop the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Vl'aresch gives you one gold coin for your sacrifice of the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Be Forewarned : You could lose all that you own.
Sashell has been given the chance to draw from the Deck of Many Things.

>g card deck
You get a card from the Deck of Many Things.
A mystical being appears and points at you. Your senses reel as you are flung through the void to another place.
The card twists and wriggles in your hands.
A great flash of light envelopes the room, blinding you momentarily.
When your vision returns, you see that the Deck of Many Things lies before you once more.
It is highly recommended that you examine the deck before drawing from it. When you are ready, simply take the card.

>g card deck
You get a card from The Deck of Many Things.
You see that you have drawn the Ten of Swords.
What this card bodes for your future, only an immortal of level 57 or above can discover for you.

>tell stonehef Hi Stoneheft. Can you please help me out with the deck?
You tell Stoneheft 'Hi Stoneheft. Can you please help me out with the deck?'

Stoneheft steps forth from a dwarven holy symbol that wasn't there a minute ago.

Stoneheft smiles happily.

>ngree stone
You nod in greeting towards Stoneheft.

>gl
Within a Small Circle of Mystical Stones
Exits: none
(Glowing) (Humming) One of the rocks in the circle glows translucently.
(Ascendant God) (Hide) (Translucent) Stoneheft radiates with a godly light.

Stoneheft wonders 'You have done this before?'

>nod
You nod solemnly.

>say a few times
You say 'a few times'

>wink
You wink suggestively.

>give card stone
You give a card to Stoneheft.

Stoneheft wonders 'And you know the risk?  Yadda yadda?'

>nod
You nod solemnly.

Stoneheft looks at you.

The deck of many things is once again shuffled and dealt by the Gods.

Stoneheft drops a card.

Stoneheft sacrifices a card to Adendra.
Whispering voices fill the room and a faint breeze blows from somewhere...
You somehow find the inner strength to resist the baleful influence of this card.

A cold breeze from the winds of never washes through the void.

Stoneheft says 'Gimme 1 item you're wearing'

>rem visag
You stop using Visage of Bloodlust.

>give visa ston
You give Visage of Bloodlust to Stoneheft.

Stoneheft utters the words, 'uoculoihuyl'.
An item held by Stoneheft briefly luminesces.

Stoneheft gives you Visage of Bloodlust.

>save
Saved...

Stoneheft says 'Save'

>say thanks for that
You say 'thanks for that'

Stoneheft wonders 'Ready to go back?'

>nod
You nod solemnly.

Stoneheft has transferred you.
South Wing of Tower
The lonely corridor comes to an end shortly after you start walking down it.
A dark room is to the east.  The hallway goes back north towards the foyer.   
Exits: north east
The Deck of Many Things that lay in wait for Sashell rests here.

Stoneheft tells you 'My pleasure.'

>c id visage
Object 'Visage of Bloodlust' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 49 armor, weight 8.
Locations it can be worn:  eyes
Special properties:  glow dark evil
Genres allowed:  aberrant
Alignments allowed:  evil
This armor has a gold value of 640000.
Armor class is 14 of 14.
Affects save vs paralysis by -3.
Affects armor class by -25.
Affects luck by 1.
Affects hp by 35.
Affects damage roll by 5.
Affects affected_by by infrared.
Affects resistant:magic by 5%.
A couple of things from this encounter stuck out for me. Number one I need to get more Set Rings since I've managed to have enough them altered from the deck. And number is the difference between the affects of the same card - the Ten of Swords. This time I had a positive affect and got this message when the immortal sacrificed the card:
Stoneheft sacrifices a card to Adendra.
Whispering voices fill the room and a faint breeze blows from somewhere...
You somehow find the inner strength to resist the baleful influence of this card.
This is compared to an earlier experience:
Loril sacrifices a card to Adendra.
Whispering voices fill the room and a faint breeze blows from somewhere...
There can be no escape from the destructive power of the Ten of Swords.
It appears that each card has positive and negative results which you do not know what they are until an immortal takes hold of the card. Just as interesting is that the Ten of Swords seems to be the most common card for me when finding the deck.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

The Deck of Many Things (Round 12)

I managed to find the deck two days in a row straight after reboot with both attempts not working out the way I planned. My first pull got me transed through to fight some raven. This time I was prepared with plenty of create spring potions - unfortunately I was not prepared with true sight potions. After several gouges I died miserably. With all the spam I didn't even manage to log the events. The following days results are here:
 >g key deck
You get the Key to the Deck of Many Things from the Deck of Many Things.
The Key to the Deck shudders menacingly.
You drop the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Vl'aresch gives you one gold coin for your sacrifice of the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Be Forewarned : You could lose all that you own.
Sashell has been given the chance to draw from the Deck of Many Things.

>g card deck
You get a card from the Deck of Many Things.
A mystical being appears and points at you. Your senses reel as you are flung through the void to another place.
The card twists and wriggles in your hands.
A great flash of light envelopes the room, blinding you momentarily.
When your vision returns, you see that the Deck of Many Things lies before you once more.
It is highly recommended that you examine the deck before drawing from it. When you are ready, simply take the card.

>g card deck
You get a card from The Deck of Many Things.
You see that you have drawn The Sun.
What this card bodes for your future, only an immortal of level 57 or above can discover for you.

>tell loril can you please help me out with the deck
You tell Loril 'can you please help me out with the deck'

Loril bounces in on a fluffy, white cloud named Nine.

>ngree lor
You nod in greeting towards Loril.

Loril smiles happily.

>say Hi
You say 'Hi'

Loril exclaims 'Hi!'

Loril crosses her fingers for good luck.

>give card loril
You give a card to Loril.

>cross
You cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Loril looks at you.

Loril drops a card.

Loril sacrifices a card to Adendra.
The heat of the sun blazes forth, affecting anything it touches.

>garb
You are using:
<used as light>      (Red Aura) Shifting black flames
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) (Humming) Set's ring of Power
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) (Humming) Set's ring of Power
<worn around neck>   (Red Aura) (Glowing) Cloak of Bloodlust
<worn around neck>   (Red Aura) (Glowing) Cloak of Bloodlust
<worn on body>       (Red Aura) (Humming) Golden Plate
<worn on head>       a fallohide's leather cap
<worn on legs>       a fallohide's leather breeches
<worn on feet>       (Glowing) demonscale Boots
<worn on hands>      (Red Aura) Sin
<worn on arms>       (Red Aura) a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards
<worn about body>    a fallohide's cloak
<worn about waist>   a fallohide's pipeweed pouch
<worn about waist>   a fallohide's waist sash
<worn around wrist>  (Glowing) a crystal dragon bracer
<worn around wrist>  (Glowing) a crystal dragon bracer
<wielded>            (Red Aura) (Glowing) darkness
<dual wielded>       (Red Aura) (Glowing) darkness
<worn on ears>       ears of the fox
<worn on eyes>       (Red Aura) (Glowing) Visage of Bloodlust
<worn on back>       [nothing]
<worn over face>     [nothing]
<worn around ankle>  a turqoise anklet
<worn around ankle>  a blue, glassy chain

Loril says 'Please hand me a piece of armor? :)'

>rem set
You stop using Set's ring of Power.

>c id ring
Object 'Set's ring of Power' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 46 armor, weight 1.
Locations it can be worn:  finger
Special properties:  hum dark evil metal
Alignments allowed:  evil neutral
This armor has a gold value of 340600.
Armor class is 12 of 12.
Affects hp by 50.
Affects mana by 25.
Affects intelligence by 2.
Affects hit roll by 4.
Affects damage roll by 4.

>give ring loril
You give Set's ring of Power to Loril.

Loril says 'And bear with me as I find the command for this.'

You hear Loril hrm.

The deck of many things is once again shuffled and dealt by the Gods.

Loril gives you Set's ring of Power.

Loril forces you to 'save'.
Saved...

>c id set
Object 'Set's ring of Power' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 46 armor, weight 1.
Locations it can be worn:  finger
Special properties:  hum dark evil metal
Alignments allowed:  evil neutral
This armor has a gold value of 340600.
Armor class is 12 of 12.
Affects hp by 50.
Affects mana by 25.
Affects intelligence by 2.
Affects hit roll by 4.
Affects damage roll by 4.
Affects susceptible:fire by 5%.

Loril bounces around.

Loril found it!

>smile
You smile happily.

>say thanks for that
You say 'thanks for that'

Loril says 'Well... ;)'

Loril says 'You're welcome. :)'

Loril wonders 'Would you like me to send you back to the deck or to the []?'

>say square is good thanks
You say 'square is good thanks'

Loril beams brightly.  Why is that?

Loril says 'Take care, then. In 3 ...'

Loril smiles happily.

Loril has transferred you.
Darkhaven Square
You are standing within the expanse of the famous Darkhaven Square. An immense stone statue of Duke Luther sits in the center of the square, surrounded by fountains of shimmering crystal water.  Gardens and shrubbery enhance the air of serenity and peace here in the center of the great city. A plaque set into the base of the fountain attracts your eye.  Cobblestone roads lead away in the four cardinal directions, while to the northeast and northwest are forested paths.  The cathedral spires of Notre Dame de Sioux rise with majesty above the treetops to the northwest.
Exits: north east south west up northeast northwest
A large sundial lies here, useless during the night hours.
Someone thought it best to discard this cap here.
Torrents of flame flow a river of fire through the night sky above the square.
Stone fountains containing crystal clear water surround the Duke's statue.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Towering Despair

Since I won a free immortal corpse retrieval scroll from the Deck of Many Things I've been thinking of places where I can use this insurance policy to take on risks I wouldn't otherwise. This means adventuring to the rare risky places where you can't supplicate a corpse. All up from memory I have managed to have characters die in three of these types of rooms:
  1. Blackmote's room in the Tower of Despair
  2. Albino Goblins in the Desert of Despair
  3. Jade in Seth's Fortress
Each of these deaths have led to differing degrees of difficulty in corpse retrievals. In some cases it involved killing the mob with alts, using grouped characters to loot the corpse or asking for an immortal to help out with the high price included. Of these three areas the one I am most curious about finding out more on is the Tower of Despair...

This area changed a lot since the old days of before the shattering. Following this event a lot of the mobs and equipment from the area was boosted. In the past Orcus was the most powerful mob in the area but since events after the shattering he has disappeared and since then many rumours have arisen. The area starts off with Tyrax the forsaken. He has several keywords that he responds to with some more information on the storyline of the area. I know he responds to the words Blackmote, Orcus, Hastur and Covenant. I know there are more words but can't remember them all.
>Before the Tower of Despair
A black, windowless spire rises up out of the ground, seemingly torn from the bowels of the earth herself.  The top of the tower is lost from view as it rises up into a thick grey mist.  A furious flapping of wings and an abrupt scream can be heard from far overhead.  The hunter and the hunted.
Exits: north south
Tyrax the Forsaken stands vigil against the evil of this tower.
Tyrax is shrouded in flowing shadow and light.

>say blackmote
You say 'blackmote'

Tyrax says 'Poor fool Blackmote.  He does not comprehend that his Master, whether alive or dead, is gone.  Still he guards the Tower, maintaining the prison and keeping the experiments contained.'

>say orcus
You say 'orcus'

Tyrax snarls angrily.
Tyrax says 'If it were not for that foul beast, I would still...
Tyrax glowers with hate brimming in his eyes.
Tyrax says 'This anger cost me much before.  I will learn patience.

>say hastur
You say 'hastur'

Tyrax closes his eyes.

Tyrax says 'Speak not the name of Orcus' lackey.  Twas he that slew my companions.  Twas he who forced my choice and ruined my life. Forsaken by my own pride to guard this spot for eternity.  Speak no more of this to me.  I wish not the memory.
Tyrax' eyes open and fix again on the Tower.

>say blackmote
You say 'blackmote'

Tyrax says 'Poor fool Blackmote.  He does not comprehend that his Master, whether alive or dead, is gone.  Still he guards the Tower, maintaining the prison and keeping the experiments contained.'

>say covenant
You say 'covenant'

Tyrax shakes its head.
Tyrax says 'Nay, no legend I know of speaks of a Covenant.  Though some travellers ages back spoke of a beast named the Covenant Hebredite. It was a beast that ravaged all of Darkhaven, they say.'
Tyrax shrugs helplessly.

Tyrax says 'Some said it had something to do with the Shattering, but I can not say for certain that is true.'
Beyond Tyrax the first part of the area has some nice mobs for when trying to get through the later part of levelling. Past here though comes Blackmote:
Twisted and warped, the essence of Blackmore has expanded beyond his corporeal form. A black mass encompassed by swirling fire, he blocks passage beyond the Stone Arch.

In the old days he used to have a crossbow that would shoot you for 100 hit points of damage from several rooms away if you forgot to recast invisible after fighting the nearby mobs. These days however he hits harder and has some real nasty features - an ip1 limit (never forget to check this before entering his room), is tunnelled to three characters, plenty of gouge attacks and most frightening of all he is in a no supplicate room. I've heard of some orders having one of their tests for new applicants to successfully kill him solo. For most players this is probably the first no supplicate room they ever fight in. My preferred strategy is to use a paladin or vampire to tank and vampires or barbarians as hitters. The one trick you can use to your advantage is that if you go link-dead here and reconnect fast enough you will get transported out of the tower and back to Tyrax. This is particularly handy when doing it solo for when you run low on potions or need to repair urgently.

With perseverance you can bring him down without too much effort:
Your pierce tears Blackmote!
Blackmote is DEAD!!
The shifting cloud of gas and flame explodes in a fiery ball!
(darkness gets damaged)
The crumpled form of Blackmote lies on the floor, clutching his side.  As the light in his eyes fades, he rants loudly.
Blackmote yells 'You promised me dominion!  Legions at my command!'
Blackmote raises his fist, drenched in his own blood.
Blackmote growls 'The masses at my feet as their own people, twisted and blighted, feasted on their flesh, ended the lives of the useless.  Bringing an age of the strong, an age of power.'
Blackmote's eyes flare.
Blackmote yells 'You promised me dominion, damn you!  Damn you!'
Aware of your presence, Blackmote stretches forth his claw one last time to gut you.  As he lunges, he falls pitifully to the ground.
Blackmote drops circle of mists.
A horn is wrenched from the body of Blackmote.
You see nothing like that in the corpse of Blackmote.
The belt he drops is handy but nothing super special. Not really worth the effort, but killing Blackmote is more about getting access to the next level of the tower which has the four tests: fire, fear, combat and knowledge. The first three involve killing more challenging mobs while the test of knowledge involves avoiding death traps. Each of these when successful besides a chance of popping a useful item will pop a key such as:
Your slash tears An unimaginable nightmare!
An unimaginable nightmare is DEAD!!
The shimmering forms coalesce into an aged gnome.
'Free' he says 'Of the nightmares, of the Demon Prince. But the nightmares he will unleash on this world, I pray my children survived what he tried to bring to pass.
The gnome spits black blood from his mouth.
The mage pulls a shimmering key from his rags as he slumps over.
The eyes of the mage close as he breathes his last.
An unimaginable nightmare drops the key of fear.
An unimaginable nightmare gasps its last breath and blood spurts out of its mouth and ears.
You see nothing like that in the corpse of An unimaginable nightmare.
The corpse of An unimaginable nightmare holds:
     Nothing.
And this is where it all gets tricky and the myths begin. It used to be that beyond the four tests was the demon prince Orcus. Once Orcus was killed Hastur the Unspeakable would pop, but now they are gone from the Tower. While some have said they were completely removed from the game it is not entirely true since:
>c loc mournblade
For a brief moment, your awareness expands to encompass the whole world...
...and you find to be in existence:

Mournblade on Hastur
How to get to Hastur is the mystery... I've heard rumours that they are accessible from the top of the Tower if you do some secret things, that the way to them is no longer through the tower but through Nevermore and even that they are now located deep within the Realm of Worship. Either way a free immortal corpse retrieval scroll will come in handy.

There is one more source of easily accessible information on Orcus, Hastur and the possible covenant between them - Ravenhill. Besides eating Seth sets and not giving anything in return he does have some interesting speculation:

Ravenhill's Loft
Shelves and cabinets filled with cluttered books, beakers and instruments overcrowd this small niche.  Wedged neatly between two bookshelves is a large serpentine apparatus of glass and metal.  A black oak desk rests under a small arched window.  Numerous ravens land on the windowsill while some perch on copper bars situated throughout the room.  The scent of burning sulphur assails your nostrils.
Exits: [south]
(Glowing) A cauldron in the center of the room gives off a sulfurous steam.
A tall man with sunken features stares intently into a cauldron.

> say orcus
You say 'orcus'

Ravenhill furrows his brow.
Ravenhill says 'Most curious, most curious indeed are the events which have transpired within the Tower of Despair.  I have corresponded with Tyrax of late, using my ravens as couriers. From what I gather from these messages, and my divinations, the Demon Prince died some years ago.  His carcass was possessed.  I do not know if he housed the entity himself or some other malignant spirit.'

Ravenhill run his finger across his chin while scribbling in his book with his free hand.

Ravenhill looks up and notices you are still here.
Ravenhill says 'Ah, sorry.  I had forgotten you were here.  What was it we were discussing?'

Ravenhill taps a finger on his desk.

Ravenhill says 'Ah yes, Orcus.  To finish what I was saying, Tyrax does not believe Orcus is truly gone.  He does not think the Demon could pass from this world without his knowledge.  As for myself, I think Tyrax overstates his claims.  It is my hope that Orcus long ago breathed his last.
As Ravenhill finishes his statement, he slowly drifts back to writing.

> say hastur
You say 'hastur'
Ravenhill yawns.
Ravenhill says 'Ah yes, the Unspeakable.  I hope that beast was banished back to the Pits that Orcus summoned him from.'

> say covenant
You say 'covenant'

Ravenhill says 'Many years back, Darkhaven was destroyed by a being, or beings, known as the Covenant Hebredite.  The remnants of their actions are the Ruins now inhabited by thieves and murderers ruled by Gravoc.  The motives of the Hebredites had always been a mystery.  Now it seems, or at least I theorize, that the Hebredites were the agents of whatever entity caused the Shattering.  They destroyed Darkhaven to harvest the souls of its citizens.  These souls were then to be used to free this entity.  But the number was greatly insufficient.  At this point, Gravoc began luring scoundrels to the Ruins to harvest their blood and souls.  The Ruins became a giant altar of sacrifice.'

Ravenhill leans forward and speaks quietly to you. Ravenhill says 'I believe this failed, which is why the entity sought other agents.  The Dread Lord and the Demon Prince.  I think that It was the source of their powers, but I can not verify this.'

Ravenhill leans back a bit.
Ravenhill says 'The Tower and the Fortress, combined with the Ruins, provided the souls and the blood.  In this moment, we were almost defeated.  It is fortunate we survived.'
Hopefully if I can find the time and a few allies I'll know more about this mystery.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

The Deck of Many Things (Round 11)

I haven't had much luck finding the deck of late - the last 3 times I've found it someone else has beaten me to it first but today that changed:
The Deck of Many Things lies in wait for a brave soul.

>exam deck
You take a closer look at the Deck of Many Things on the ground...
The deck takes the appearance of a very finely wrought and veneered wooden card case, yet the strong magical aura surrounding it offers proof that this artifact is not simply what it appears to be.
The Deck of Many Things appears to be full.
The Deck of Many Things contains:
     the Key to the Deck of Many Things

>g key deck
You get the Key to the Deck of Many Things from the Deck of Many Things.
The Key to the Deck shudders menacingly.
You drop the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Vl'aresch gives you one gold coin for your sacrifice of the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Be Forewarned : You could lose all that you own.
Sashell has been given the chance to draw from the Deck of Many Things.

>exam deck
You take a closer look at the Deck of Many Things on the ground...
The deck takes the appearance of a very finely wrought and veneered wooden card case, yet the strong magical aura surrounding it offers proof that this artifact is not simply what it appears to be.
The Deck of Many Things appears to be full.
The Deck of Many Things contains:
     a card

>g card deck
You get a card from the Deck of Many Things.
A mystical being appears and points at you. Your senses reel as you are flung through the void to another place.
The card twists and wriggles in your hands.
A great flash of light envelopes the room, blinding you momentarily.
When your vision returns, you see that the Deck of Many Things lies before you once more.
It is highly recommended that you examine the deck before drawing from it. When you are ready, simply take the card.

>g card deck
You get a card from The Deck of Many Things.
You see that you have drawn the Tower in Ruin.
As you gaze upon it, the scene upon the card comes to life and is acted out.
Ruin stretches out to engulf you, but by some happy fate you evade it.
A warm feeling fills your body and a scroll of fine parchment appears in your hands.
The cold winds of never rush through the void, whipping the card from your hand and returning you to the mortal realm.

>i
You are carrying 10 items and have room for 10 more:
     a rat tail
     a small birch chest
     an icicle wand
     a journal
     an ancient dagger
     the pearl of serpents
     a white scroll with blue writing
     a small green mineral sponge
     shield of the panther
     Sashell's free immortal cr scroll.

>save
Saved...

>exam scroll
You take a closer look at Sashell's free immortal cr scroll. in inventory...
The fine parchment of the scroll has a short phrase inscribed upon it in letters of gold...
This scroll is worth one free immortal corpse retrieval and is good only for the person whose name appears upon it.

>c id scroll
Object 'Sashell's free immortal cr scroll.' is infused with your magic...
It is a level 50 treasure, weight 1.
Special properties:  none
One of the exciting parts of the deck is that it all happens so fast and you get a screenful of text. The text that jumped out at me was the word "ruin" and thought I'd had a bad pull. The next words that I read were "happy fate" and "fine parchment" which lifted my hopes of getting a rename scroll. Getting a free CR scroll will be handy though it is only for the character the pulled the card. I have been thinking of changing my cheapo Halfling vampire into a devout character to try running a few obscure mobs and now I have this insurance policy I'll have to make the most of it.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Twenty Questions

Following the announcement of a new round of 20 questions on the Realms of Despair twitter account I decided 'd give it a go and see if I could track down the board in Vast Horizons. It didn't actually take me too long to find the board:


Checking the board I read up on the rules and saw that one question had already been posted:
[  1] Ceirana: 20 Questions - Game Rules
Fri Mar 20 10:37:45 2015
To: All
The game host will choose a specific thing for you to guess correctly.  They will give an opening hint or category, such as this example: "I'm thinking of a mob in the Realms..."

You may ask a YES OR NO question by posting it on this board.  One question per note.  Write your question very carefully!  It will be answered exactly based on how you write it.  The game host will post the answer on the note board after they read your  question.

You may not ask two questions in a row. This includes alts. There must be a question posted by a different person before you can post another question.

The hosting immortal reserves the right to remove any questions that do not follow the rules.

If a questioner guesses the correct answer (which must be done as one of the 20 questions, as in "Is it Harakiem?"), they win the game.  If the answer isn't correctly guessed after 20 questions, the game ends and nobody wins.

Say 'note' and 'quill' and you will be given a free note and quill.
[  2] Ceirana: Next Round Begins! You are trying to find which mob....
Tue May 26 12:03:37 2015
To: All
The thing you are searching for now is a mob in the realm.  May the best questionner win!

Please refer to note 1 for rules.  Enjoy!
[  3] Klaatu: question #1
Thu Jun  4 19:36:41 2015
To: 20 ?
Klaatu flaps his lips making a breeze - all should listen
did the mob exist pre-shattering ?

Klaatu has spoken - resume normal activities
I found it kind of tricky landing at the board and then having to think of a question. Without an answer to Klaatu's note posted yet it could literally be any mob in the whole Realms. Without thinking too much I posted the following note on the board:
[  4] Varlok: question #2
Fri Jun  5 09:57:52 2015
To: 20 ?
Nice new board.

My question: Is the mob a shopkeeper?
After posting this note I thought of better questions I should have asked like "Is the mob evil?", "Is the mob male?", "Is the mob located in xxxx geo?" and so on. When I managed to teleport onto the board again the next day to my surprise Ceirana had posted answers to the first two questions on the board as no and yes. This means we are looking for a shopkeeper added since the shattering... Unfortunately for me I couldn't post another note since no one else had posted a question since. Hopefully next time and hopefully I'll be able to win the competition.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Grinding Away and the Wizinvisible Hand

Lately I've been very quiet on the Realms of Despair for a variety of reasons. When I have been on I've mostly been working on making gold to finish dressing my druid. Grinding for gold isn't the most fun part of the game and I try to avoid it when I can. The catch is with the druid I want to put on it a Bone Helm of Ryuukoroshi, a Breastplate of the Ravager and a Shield of the Ravager which to make adds up to a total of 340 million gold coins.

To make gold the most obvious place is Mithril Hall - between the mobs in the gorge and Midas touch on the items from the mobs like Drizzt Do'Urden, Wulfgar and Bruenor Battlehammer you can make around 6-7 million coins per repop. With a few well placed characters in other areas you can almost double that amount. Either way though it is one of the less fun parts of the game. Sure you could run other mobs and sell the equipment to make the gold but in some ways running another mob and then finding someone to buy the item can be even more of a challenge.

Between repops while golding gives you plenty of time to think and read. One of my favourite sites to read is Imaginary Realities. It's something I'm adding a link to on this site after I finish writing this post. Imaginary Realities always has interesting ideas on how muds work and what others have done successfully. It is also a way for people to spread the news about what is great about their mud. Realms of Despair even gets a mention in an article by Richard “KaVir” Woolcock titled What Do I Do Now? where he says:
Of course the first step was to make sure newbies knew that a “what” command was available, as it’s only intuitive once you know about it! I therefore decided to borrow an idea from Realms of Despair, and include the information in the prompt:  
It would be great to see someone from Realms of Despair write something for Imaginary Realities and Kavir's article has some great ideas I'd love to expand on some other time. "1001 things to do in the Realms of Despair" is an idea I have for another blog post...  But for now I wanted to briefly discuss the RoD economy and some ideas from Griatch's article titled A Case for Bartering in Multiplayer Games

One of the most often debated topics by long time players of the game is about the economy - just look at these posts about it by Tharius and Xenapan. One common thread is that gold has little use. While it is needed for potions and repairs it has few uses besides creating some more expensive items and losing it in gold sinks like housing or the billions spent on the Festivus raffle. As a result other items are being used in the MUD's barter economy.

What I'd like to see is some sort of NPC that players can give items to and set a trade price for in gold or equipment. When another player makes an appropriate trade for the equipment up for grabs then they would hand over the items and store the trade until the first player logs back. This could make trades easier, safer, anonymous and save players from having to go to the effort of scripting trade bots. It would take some thought and coding skills but is doable.

On the plus side I think the Council of Elders does a pretty good job of staying out of the economy and letting the Wizinvisible Hand take care of things like inflation. One of my favourite things is when you realise that a particular player or group has a monopoly on a particular item through their skills/secrets/teamwork and encourages others to have a go with the attitude of "If they can do it so can we"

My other favourite part of the Realms of Despair economy is this:
>rent
There is no rent here.  Just save and quit.
Which is what I'm doing now.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Rest In Peace Zach

The Realms of Despair have been in a state of shock and grief following the tragic news of the death of one of the immortals of the game - Zach. The official statement from the administrators was:
(1033)  Kali         03/24/15     Zach
Recently we have learned that the Realms of Despair has lost one of its young bright stars.  The family of Zach has contacted the immortal staff, as well as some of his mortal friends who reached out, to let us know that Zach has passed away.  Zach has been a long and devoted player of the Realms. He recently joined the immortal ranks and inspired us with his enthusiasm and vigor for bringing positive changes to the game for his fellow players.  We are sad to have lost a vital player, but more importantly, we are
devastated to have lost a good friend and a good person.
As a tribute, we are promoting Zach to level 56, True Immortal, at which point we will move him to retired status.  As a lasting tribute, the pedagogic spirit in the Umbrageous Ruins will be renamed to the pedagogic spirit of Zach so that he may teach and train all those would follow his ways.  In this way his memory will live on.
I personally wasn't close to Zach though had interacted with him on a few occasions and had nothing bad to say about him. His loss has rippled throughout the realms touching players in different ways.

A week later and I am still in shock and confused about it.

I'll miss him and feel deeply for his family and friends.

Rest in peace Zach.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Arcane Awesomeness

Things have been going really well lately over in the Order of Arcanes. I've been happy about the amount of activity going on, new members joining and general atmosphere within the organisation. This was best highlighted by over the weekend where we all three of our leaders leading successful runs with a total of seven different members joining in on the action.

The first run was led by Ashetaka our number one to the Mountain of Lost Souls. The aim was to make some shades of light which are always in demand. It had been a long time since I had done that run myself. Despite a couple of minor hiccups along the way it went well. Using my barbarian I managed to get a couple of killing blows on some of the mobs along the way like this:
Your rending grip injures The bringer of Salvation!
The bringer of Salvation is DEAD!!
With the final blow, Salvation pulls back its mask revealing the face of a demon imp!
The bringer of Salvation says 'You have brought me the Salvation I sought.. '
The bringer of Salvation says 'Here is the Redemption you were looking for... May it bring you closer towards your own deliverance.'
From inside a gaping wound, Salvation pulls out a large object.
The bringer of Salvation gasps his last breath and blood spurts out of his mouth and ears.
The bringer of Salvation has no gold.
The corpse of The bringer of Salvation holds:
     (Glowing) the darkened robe of atonement
     (Humming) a small rune covered symbol named, 'Salvation'
     (Humming) a large rune covered symbol named, 'Redemption'
After this run I led a run to the Barren Wastes to make some leather leggings with a feathered trim. The first part of this involved killing the enormous winged beast. This part was easy enough though I learnt it is a lot easier with either 2 barbarians or 2 thieves instead of one of each. After this we did the giant serpent. Most of the run notes I see for this mob suggest using barbarians but I've found thieves work much better. With three thieves running in, circling and fleeing out when necessary we brought the serpent down with no problems. In the end the wanderer turned up and made the leggings:
You give a roll of feathery beige fabric to The wanderer.
The wanderer ruffles his fingers through the feathers of the roll of fabric, then bend the scaley hide back and forth, testing its pliability.
The wanderer thinks, 'Hmmmm.'
The wanderer says 'Shouldn't be too difficult.'

The wanderer takes a few unidentifiable tools from a small pouch and begins to work on the fabric and hide.

The wanderer tugs at the finished product, testing its durability.
The wanderer says 'Not bad, I'd think.  If you like feathers.'
The wanderer gives you leather leggings with a feathered trim.
Finaly Sarakin led a run to Salburg to kill the trees that pop parts to make the Ancient Breastplate of the Forest Wanderer.

These mobs aren't too hard to kill but they take a long time even with three people. In the end though we killed them without too much difficulty:
Your slash rips an old willow tree!
An old willow tree is DEAD!!
An old willow tree falls, cutting off a few of its whip-like branches.
An old willow tree catches its guts in its hands as they pour through its fatal
wound!
An old willow tree has no gold.
The corpse of An old willow tree holds:
     the curled branches of an old willow tree
I am far from the best run leader though I like to think of myself as competent at most of easy runs and a few of the harder ones. Between these three runs it reminded me of a few of my aims when leading a run:
  • Make everyone feel welcome and that they are contributing
  • Be extra prepared when leading. Have extra tank potions, ice girths, back up characters, etc.
  • Be patient and explain everything - don't assume people have done this run before or remember all the details.
  • Don't waste time. Once set get going and go so you don't get caught out with a repop hitting at a bad time.
  • Know what to do when things go wrong (which they will at some point)
What I am most excited about though with these three runs is the potential of where we are going as an organisation and as individual players. We are improving our teamwork, learning each others strengths and weaknesses, building up knowledge of different areas and mobs while gaining some nifty new equipment. If we can keep this up we'll be able to run bigger mobs for better equipment in these areas. Hopefully in the not too distant future we'll be able to go after Khiurn'hai in the Mountain of Lost Souls, get the wanderer to make us some facestompers and dense wooden bracers in the Barren Wastes and maybe even take on Zharruk'din  in the City of Salburg.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Random Roundup

Been busy working on a few different projects within the Realms of Despair since my last post. Here's what I've been doing:


Murg's Tulip Collecting
The deadline for Murg's tulip collection came and I managed to hand in nine different bouquets of tulips. For this gained 18 glory from Akael who said that I came 25th overall in the quest. I really enjoyed this quest and thought it was a cleverly designed quest for the following reasons:
  • It was open to everyone of all levels of experience. People with their first character at level 10 could attempt it at the same time as people with over 100 avatars. While those with more experience and resources had an advantage everyone could participate.
  • It was open to people of all locations. One thing that I can find frustrating is when quests are run at 4am my time. This quest could be done at any time of the day for anyone.
  • Increased in difficulty as the quest progressed. The first few tulips were fairly easy to find but then you needed to keep track of what combinations you had handed in and what spare tulips you had.
  • It encouraged teamwork. It was difficult to do well in this quest on your own. Trading tulips, tips on mobs that popped the rarer tulips and teaming up to kill the hardest mobs was required.
  • It got people out to places and mobs they don't normally go to. It's always a good thing to do this and the rarer tulips could be found mostly in more obscure areas.
To me this was one of the best quests I can remember. The only downside was it did encourage a little staking and spam killing of some mobs. Overall it was a great quest and I came away with enough glory to get me a damage roll chunk added to an item. It just means I will need to work harder to get in to the top 10.


The Deck Again...
I found the deck again. Here's the result:

The Deck of Many Things lies in wait for a brave soul.
The Deck of Many Things says 'If you can find a card within me, you might be lucky enough to draw something of value.
However, once you submit to chance, you put yourself at the mercy of the cards.
The Deck of Many Things winks suggestively.

>g key deck
You get the Key to the Deck of Many Things from the Deck of Many Things.
The Key to the Deck shudders menacingly.
You drop the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Vl'aresch gives you one gold coin for your sacrifice of the Key to the Deck of Many Things.
Be Forewarned : You could lose all that you own.
Sashell has been given the chance to draw from the Deck of Many Things.

>g card deck
You get a card from the Deck of Many Things.
A mystical being appears and points at you. Your senses reel as you are flung through the void to another place.
The card twists and wriggles in your hands.
A great flash of light envelopes the room, blinding you momentarily.
When your vision returns, you see that the Deck of Many Things lies before you once more.
It is highly recommended that you examine the deck before drawing from it. When you are ready, simply take the card.

>g card deck
You get a card from The Deck of Many Things.
You see that you have drawn the Ten of Swords.
What this card bodes for your future, only an immortal of level 57 or above can discover for you.
>tell loril hi loril can you please help me out with the deck?
You tell Loril 'hi loril can you please help me out with the deck?'

>eq
You are using:
<used as light>      (Red Aura) Shifting black flames
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) (Humming) Set's ring of Power
<worn on finger>     (Red Aura) (Humming) Set's ring of Power
<worn around neck>   (Red Aura) (Glowing) Cloak of Bloodlust
<worn around neck>   (Red Aura) (Glowing) Cloak of Bloodlust
<worn on body>       (Red Aura) (Humming) Golden Plate
<worn on head>       a fallohide's leather cap
<worn on legs>       a fallohide's leather breeches
<worn on feet>       (Glowing) demonscale Boots
<worn on hands>      (Red Aura) Sin
<worn on arms>       (Red Aura) a shadowy pair of dragonscale arm guards
<worn about body>    a fallohide's cloak
<worn about waist>   a fallohide's pipeweed pouch
<worn about waist>   a fallohide's waist sash
<worn around wrist>  (Glowing) a crystal dragon bracer
<worn around wrist>  (Glowing) a crystal dragon bracer
<wielded>            (Red Aura) (Glowing) darkness
<dual wielded>       (Red Aura) (Glowing) darkness
<worn on ears>       ears of the fox
<worn on eyes>       (Red Aura) (Glowing) Visage of Bloodlust
<worn around ankle>  a turqoise anklet
<worn around ankle>  a blue, glassy chain
(type 'garb' for a list of all wear locations)

Loril tells you 'Oh damn...'

Loril bounces in on a fluffy, white cloud named Nine.

The deck of many things is once again shuffled and dealt by the Gods.

>smile
You smile happily.

>where
Players near you in The Deck of Many Things:
| Loril          (God)                   | Within a Small Circle of Mystical Stones
| Sashell        (Guild of Spirit)       | Within a Small Circle of Mystical Stones

>i
You are carrying 8 items and have room for 12 more:
     a rat tail
     a small birch chest
     an icicle wand
     a journal
     (Glowing) the mystic lantern of the ages
     an ancient dagger
     the Art Gallery key
     a card

>eat card
You try to nibble on a card...

Loril says 'I sure hope it's quick! I was just prepping to leave.'
>give card loril
You give a card to Loril.

Loril apologizes for her rude behavior.

Loril drops a card.

Loril sacrifices a card to Adendra.
Whispering voices fill the room and a faint breeze blows from somewhere...
There can be no escape from the destructive power of the Ten of Swords.

A cold breeze from the winds of never washes through the void.

>hrm
You hrm. Hrm.

Loril says 'crumb'

You watch Loril gaze thoughtfully into space while rubbing her chin.

>say bad?
You wonder 'bad?'

Loril says 'Not great. What I need, though, is to remember how.'

Loril says 'Sorry. This may take a min or 2.'
>nod
You nod solemnly.

Loril chuckles politely.

A cold breeze from the winds of never washes through the void.
>say builds the suspense...
You say 'builds the suspense...'

Loril says 'I always check for the deck in the morning. :P'

Loril laughs.

Loril seems to agree.
>nod
You nod solemnly.
>hrm
You hrm. Hrm.

>say last time i got this card i got -5% resist magic to an item
You say 'last time i got this card i got -5% resist magic to an item'

Loril says 'Win some... lose some ... :)'

>nod
You nod solemnly.

>say a small loss is ok
You say 'a small loss is ok'

Loril forces you to 'save'.
Saved...

Loril says 'Welp, that should do it! :('

>hrm
You hrm. Hrm.

>say what happened?
You wonder 'what happened?'

Loril wonders 'Sorry for the wait. :( I can send you back to the deck or to the
[]. Which would you prefer?'

>say [] will do
You say '[] will do'

Loril says 'Ah, that's half the fun! Figuring it out! ;)'

Loril hugs you.

>say thanks for your time
You say 'thanks for your time'

Loril says 'Take care. :)'

Loril says 'Oh, you're so welcome. :)'

Loril says 'Thanks for your patience.'

>say you too - and thanks for something to blog about
You say 'you too - and thanks for something to blog about'

>wink lor
You wink suggestively at Loril.

Loril says 'ahhhhhhh'

Loril seems to get a laugh from something saying, "heh heh heh".

Loril says 'Be kind. I'm an avid reader. ;)'

Loril says 'Read: fan'

>thank lor
You thank Loril heartily.

Loril says 'OK. Trans in 3 ...'

>wave lor
You wave goodbye to Loril.

Loril has transferred you.
I should have known from before that the Ten of Swords was not a good card and just disconnected that character until after the next reboot, but Loril was very polite and friendly about it. Maybe next time I'll have better luck...


Druid Dressups
Last week I finished off levelling my first character for the year - a sea-elf druid. The druid is the only peaceful class I don't have at least one avatar of before this one. They are not my favourite class as I find them a "Jack of all Trades but Master of None" kind of class though they do have a few niche uses I wanted to test out like tanking at Belial. After sorting through storage characters, a quick killing of some basic mobs and a couple of items from the donations room in Arcanes I had my druid dressed as follows:
You are using:
<used as light>      the sigil of A'enari
<worn on finger>     a scorched band of glass
<worn on finger>     a scorched band of glass
<worn around neck>   (Magical) (Glowing) a golden torque
<worn around neck>   (Magical) (Glowing) a golden torque
<worn on body>       (Glowing) (Humming) a dragonscale breastplate
<worn on head>       the shade helm
<worn on legs>       (Magical) Leggings of Arcane Magicks
<worn on feet>       (Magical) moccasins
<worn on hands>      (Magical) (Glowing) Blessed gauntlets of the Templar
<worn on arms>       (Glowing) (Humming) a pair of dragonscale arm-guards
<worn as shield>     (Glowing) (Humming) shield of the Valkyrie
<worn about body>    (Glowing) (Humming) a Cloak of Light
<worn about waist>   a blackened, mangled belt
<worn around wrist>  a lion-crested bracer
<worn around wrist>  (Glowing) (Humming) a Bracer of Light
<wielded>            an icy metal flange mace
<held>               (Magical) the Ruling Sceptre
<worn on ears>       (Glowing) a sliver of glass
<worn on eyes>       the shades
<worn on back>       [nothing]
<worn over face>     [nothing]
<worn around ankle>  a blue, glassy chain
<worn around ankle>  a turqoise anklet
A very basic, cheap and easy to get setup for a new druid. I'm looking forward to dressing it up properly though I will need to make some gold so I can create some items like Ravager Plate & Shield plus an Edo Helm. And on the plus side I should have plenty of free time to run some stuff this weekend.