Upping the Ante

April 2008 - Announcements Page

Teaser Images
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Town Crier Rumors
Viamontian Town Criers

Free Rumors:
 * Town Crier tells you, "The royal scholars know little about what is causing the problems all across the world, but other scholars, who know the darker places of the world, suggest it may have something to do with the ancient Falatacot gods that once dominated this whole island..."


 * Town Crier tells you, "The frogs need help - excuse me, the bloody-minded frog-like beings who tried to kill you when they first arrived in Dereth need help."


 * Town Crier tells you, "I've received reports of a ridiculous trickster in the Graveyard in the Direlands. Be careful, he appears as powerful as he is mad."


 * Town Crier tells you, "A strange little creature that calls itself a Merwart has appeared in the Bloodless town of Ayan Baqur, begging for help against some mysterious threat."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Royal scholars know that the network of ley lines, the very circulatory system of this planet's magical energy, has become unstable. What they do not know is why."

Pyreal Rumors:
 * Town Crier tells you, "Frankly, given the choice between Falatacot and Burun, I might choose the Falatacot. That's just me, however."


 * Town Crier tells you, "A very powerful knight told me he was unable to kill the insane Jester who has been roaming the Graveyard of late. He said every blow he landed elicited only more laughter and hysterics while the wounds closed almost as fast as they were made."
 * Town Crier tells you, "Then the Jester tossed him hundreds of feet into the air and shot spells at him, obliterating him before he hit the ground. He found a note on his corpse later saying 'Thanks for the fun! Let me know if you find any of my cards."


 * Town Crier tells you, "The strange Merwart of Ayan Baqur appears to be a primitive offshoot of the Mosswart race. This Mundagurg, as it calls itself, seeks help in fighting a local infestation of Moarsmen."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Our sources suggest that there is a book of ancient and catastrophic evil at the heart of our current disturbances."


 * Town Crier tells you, "We are not sure what is causing the recent disturbances across the world's network of ley lines and nodes, nor are we even sure of the consequences if the system truly ruptures. But it seems certain that there are factions mobilizing to profit from the chaos that would ensue...  Keep alert in the weeks and months ahead."

Mainland Town Criers

Free Rumors:
 * Town Crier tells you, "Whispers from scholars of more forbidden arts suggest that an ancient Falatacot god is behind the disturbances..."


 * Town Crier tells you, "A rarely seen Merwart has appeared in Ayan Baqur, looking for help against unknown foes."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Scholars are still unsure what the disturbances along ley lines could possibly mean. All they know is that the fabric of the planet itself is fraying."


 * Town Crier tells you, "A tall figure has been seen running around the Graveyard and laughing like a crazy person."

Pyreal Rumors:
 * Town Crier tells you, "A Jester has been seen in the Graveyard. From all reports he sounds quite mad. He's lost his cards as well as his mind. Someone should help him."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Geomantic scholars report fluctuations and disturbances in the network of ley lines that crisscrosses Dereth. What could it mean?  Is it linked to the terrible things that happened in the graveyard thousands of years ago?"


 * Town Crier tells you, "We don't know exactly what is going on with all the incidents around the world, but there are suggestions that an artifact of ancient evil, some kind of book of terrible knowledge, is at the source of it."


 * Town Crier tells you, "There is a strange little Merwart named Mundagurg in Ayan Baqur, who seeks assistance from adventurers in combating some kind of Moarsman assault."


 * Town Crier tells you, "I've heard that it's specifically Tmauruk of the Burun who is asking for help from us. Might want to go there first."

Ulgrim Rumors
Free Rumors:
 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Looks like things are afoot on Bur again, eh? I knew that rescuing old Asheron wouldn't be the end of it!  Makes me tempted to go back there!  Just for the nostalgia, you understand."


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Someone should get that nut-job in the Graveyard to drink a few stouts. I bet that would sort him out. I can't think straight until my first morning stout."


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Mundagurg's in town! Strange, isn't it?  I sent him off to explore the whole island and he ends up here, in my backyard!"


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I'd challenge you to a game of poker, but I seem to have misplaced my deck... I think I left it in the graveyard somewhere. Have you seen it?"


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Late at night, when the town is quiet, I think I can hear a voice whispering to me. There's some kind of awful presence behind the ley line disturbances.  And it whispers to me in the night... It whispers something... that sounds like 'Soon.'  Soon what?"

Stout Rumors:
 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "April Fools! Did I get you?"
 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Wait, a horde of ninjas was supposed to come flying out of this pint glass as soon as I drained it. What gives?  Who gave me a defective Clan of Ninjas Joke Glass?"
 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Oh, right. I'm also a little bit late on that April Fool's thing, aren't I?  Seems like things have been all discombobulated ever since that graveyard was ripped out of the ground.  Seems to me that whatever's happening there, it's big..."


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Yep, just for good measure, I went back up onto those platforms and knocked Aerbax flat on his invisible butt again."


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I know all about that eruption of Moarsmen from the tunnels under the beach. Yeah, not too far north of here, along the shore!  Why am I not doing anything about them?  I've already dispatched one of my little minions from the Merwart colony to recruit likely heroes, haven't I?  What more do you want from me?  Delegating is thirsty work."


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "No, you keep your talk of cards and decks and that damn Jester well away from me. I'm sure there's nothing at all about this Jester that concerns me.  You hear me?  I'm not involved at all!  Leave me alone!"


 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "It seems someone let a crazy person out of some prison in the Graveyard. Now he's running around making a nuisance of himself. Maybe you should go have a talk with him."
 * Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Tell him Ulgrim would like to explain the medicinal properties of alcohol to him."

New Quests

 * Blightfinger Quest
 * Jester's Cards
 * Kaurik's Ghost Messenger

Updated Quests

 * Tanada House of Pancakes Quest - fixed, available for a limited time only.

New NPCs

 * Kaurik - Kor-Gursha (not Tmauruk)
 * Merwart Mundagurg - 59.7S 88.2W in Ayan Baqur
 * Tikreek - Messenger's Sanctuary

Updated NPCs

 * Jester -

New Locations

 * Blightfinger's Warrens - 56.8S 89.2W near Ayan Baqur (70+)
 * Messenger's Sanctuary - From the Messenger's Sanctuary on Bur

Updated Locations

 * The sky over Graveyard is now an ominous, swirling black, even during the daytime. See [[Media:Upping the Ante Graveyard Sky.gif|here]] for a animated screenshot of the new sky.

Updated Items

 * - New Icon

New Titles

 * Honorary Burun Scout

Portal.dat

 * [[File:Portaldat 200804.png]]

Images
Click image for full size version.

Known Issues

 * The Club of Surprising Cunning does piercing damage but casts bludgeon vuln VI; upgrade does piercing and bludgeon vuln VII.
 * The criers mention to talk to the burun scout leader Tmauruk, but it is actually his apprentice Kaurik that you must speak with for the new quest.