Shadows of the Past

February 2000  - Announcements Page

Town Crier Rumors

 * Town Crier tells you, "All this pollen is making me sneeze!"


 * Town Crier tells you, "AH-CHOO!"


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Raving lunatics claim to have been whisked away by mysterious forces, and brought to a previously unexplored area of barren rock and thick marsh."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Silencia, the mute archmage of the Mount Esper outpost, seems to have befriended a strange, tame magma golem."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Creatures of living crystal continue to appear across Dereth in increasing numbers. While first assumed to be the rubble of the Gelidite Great Work, scholars now begin to wonder if they may not be produced by some other source."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! An enormous span, crafted from obsidian, has appeared over the River Prosper between Cragstone and Arwic. This amazing structure is the largest single Empyrean artifact ever discovered."


 * Town Crier tells you, "The mages of Cragstone assert that until now, it has remained under a cloaking enchantment, which has recently worn out. Who knows what else may be hidden away in plain sight, through the powers of the Empyrean?"


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Town criers are available in most major towns to tell you of the latest news and events.  We'll also give you a piece of information for a bit of money."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Spice merchants have set up shop in the quiet towns of Plateau, Baishi, and Al-Jalima. Those pursuing the culinary arts of Dereth are sure to flock to these sleepy villages."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Sages remain baffled by the dark crystalline shards some adventurers have recovered from the Shadows which have overrun the wilderness. Surely they will discover a use for them in time."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Spring has come to Dereth. The land so recently blighted by the work of the Gelidite cult of Frore has become overrun with wildflowers and bees. Many travelers report being attacked by rabbits attempting to protect their new litters."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! A lurking sense of evil has permeated the entire land. Seers and madmen have reported seeing menacing forms during foul weather, and children from Qalaba'r to Stonehold have been plagued by nightmares. The Drudges seem more anxious than usual."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Explorers searching the most remote areas of Dereth have discovered several new underground complexes, apparently dating back to the Empyrean Age of Lore. Rumors that these may be storehouses for archaic weapons are crossing the length and breadth of the land."


 * Town Crier tells you, "The sun still seems dimmer... Some nights, I dream that it has gone out."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Yesterday I found a Wool Fez of Focus!"

New UI and Game Changes

 * Weapon Skills
 * The damage done by melee weapons -- such as swords, maces, daggers, spears, and so on -- is now affected more by the strength of the combatant. Strong warriors will find that they do more damage per hit than before. This does not affect missile or unarmed combat. Note that this applies to monsters as well, so be careful when facing monsters that wield weapons!
 * Players using melee weapons have a slightly faster attack speed than before. This also applies to a small subset of weapon-wielding monsters.
 * Game Concepts
 * Meeting Halls introduced.

New Quests

 * Atlan Weapons Quest
 * Hamud's Demise
 * Impious Staff Quest
 * Major Shivering Stone Quest
 * Major Smoldering Stone Quest
 * Major Sparking Stone Quest
 * Major Stinging Stone Quest
 * Minor Atlan Stones
 * Stone Tool Quest

Live Events

 * 2000/02 - The Gauntlet - An entity challenges the high ranking monarchs of each server to a test at a secret location. Those succesful swear allegiance to the Hopeslayer and become "Dark Masters".

New NPCs

 * Dizah ibn Nadqab
 * Hamud ibn Rafik
 * Silencia the Archmage
 * Silencia's Magma Golem

New Locations

 * Obsidian Span introduced.
 * Empyrean Foundry - 25.2S, 54.2E
 * Impious Temple - 	12.2N 2.4E
 * Meeting Halls introduced.
 * Mountain Fortress - 82.4S, 19.9E
 * Artifex Vault - 26.5N, 45.8W
 * Amperehelion Vault - 56.5S, 72.8W
 * Incunabula Vault - 23.0S, 60.0E
 * Jahannan Vault - 67.0N, 15.0E
 * Serac Vault - 75.9S, 29.0E
 * 73.0S, 68.0E - Zefir Cave
 * 24.5S, 47.4E - Swamp Cave
 * 15.0S, 31.2E - Fiery Cave
 * 89.0N, 1.6W - Igloo

Updated Locations

 * Four Towers

Images
Click image for full size version.